### §3123a. Specialty crop committee

#### (a) Establishment

#### (1) In general

Not later than 90 days after December 21, 2004, the executive committee of the Advisory Board shall establish, and appoint the initial members of, a permanent specialty crops committee that will be responsible for studying the scope and effectiveness of research, extension, and economics programs affecting the specialty crop industry.

#### (2) Citrus disease subcommittee

#### (A) In general

Not later than 45 days after February 7, 2014, the Secretary shall establish within the specialty crops committee, and appoint the initial members of, a citrus disease subcommittee to carry out the responsibilities of the subcommittee described in subsection (g) in accordance with subsection (j)(3) of section 7632 of this title.

#### (B) Composition

The citrus disease subcommittee shall be composed of 11 members, each of whom is a domestic producer of citrus in a State, represented as follows:

(i) Five of such members shall represent Arizona or California.

(ii) Five of such members shall represent Florida.

(iii) One of such members shall represent Texas.

#### (C) Membership

The Secretary may appoint individuals who are not members of the specialty crops committee or the Advisory Board established under section 3123 of this title as members of the citrus disease subcommittee 1

#### (D) Termination

The subcommittee established under subparagraph (A) shall terminate on September 30, 2023.

#### (E) Chapter 10 of title 5

The subcommittee established under subparagraph (A) shall be covered by the exemption to section 1008(c) of title 5 applicable to the Advisory Board under section 3123(f) of this title.

#### (b) Members

#### (1) Eligibility

Individuals who are not members of the Advisory Board may be appointed as members of the specialty crops committee.

#### (2) Service

Members of the specialty crops committee shall serve at the discretion of the executive committee.

#### (3) Diversity

Membership of the specialty crops committee shall reflect diversity in the specialty crops represented.

#### (c) Annual committee report

Not later than 180 days after the establishment of the specialty crops committee, and annually thereafter, the specialty crops committee shall submit to the Advisory Board a report containing the findings of its study under subsection (a). The specialty crops committee shall include in each report recommendations regarding the following:

(1) Programs designed to improve the efficiency, productivity, and profitability of specialty crop production in the United States.

(2) Research, extension, and teaching programs designed to improve competitiveness in the specialty crop industry, including programs that would—

(A) enhance the quality and shelf-life of fresh fruits and vegetables, including their taste and appearance;

(B) develop new crop protection tools and expand the applicability and cost-effectiveness of integrated pest management;

(C) prevent the introduction of foreign invasive pests and diseases;

(D) develop new products and new uses of specialty crops, including improving the quality and taste of processed specialty crops;

(E) develop new and improved marketing tools for specialty crops;

(F) enhance food safety regarding specialty crops;

(G) improve the remote sensing and the mechanization of production practices; and

(H) enhance irrigation techniques used in specialty crop production.

(3) Analyses of changes in macroeconomic conditions, technologies, and policies on specialty crop production and consumption, with particular focus on the effect of those changes on the financial stability of producers.

(4) Development of data that provide applied information useful to specialty crop growers, their associations, and other interested beneficiaries in evaluating that industry from a regional and national perspective.

(5) Analysis of the alignment of specialty crops committee recommendations with grants awarded through the specialty crop research initiative established under section 7632 of this title.

#### (d) Consultation with specialty crop industry

In studying the scope and effectiveness of programs under subsection (a), the specialty crops committee shall consult on an ongoing basis with diverse sectors of the specialty crop industry.

#### (e) Consideration by Secretary

In preparing the annual budget recommendations for the Department of Agriculture, the Secretary shall take into consideration those findings and recommendations contained in the most-recent report of the specialty crops committee that are adopted by the Advisory Board.

#### (f) Annual report by Secretary

In the budget material submitted to Congress by the Secretary in connection with the budget submitted pursuant to section 1105 of title 31 for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall include a report describing how the Secretary addressed each recommendation of the specialty crops committee described in subsection (e).

#### (g) Citrus disease subcommittee duties

For the purposes of subsection (j) of section 7632 of this title, the citrus disease subcommittee shall—

(1) advise the Secretary on citrus research, extension, and development needs;

(2) propose, by a favorable vote of two-thirds of the members of the subcommittee, a research and extension agenda and annual budgets for the funds made available to carry out such subsection;

(3) evaluate and review ongoing research and extension funded under the emergency citrus disease research and extension program (as defined in such subsection);

(4) establish, by a favorable vote of two-thirds of the members of the subcommittee, annual priorities for the award of grants under such subsection;

(5) provide the Secretary any comments on grants awarded under such subsection during the previous fiscal year; and

(6) engage in regular consultation and collaboration with the Department and other institutional, governmental, and private persons conducting scientific research on, and extension activities related to, the causes or treatments of citrus diseases and pests, both domestic and invasive, for purposes of—

(A) maximizing the effectiveness of research and extension projects funded under the citrus disease research and extension program;

(B) hastening the development of useful treatments;

(C) avoiding duplicative and wasteful expenditures; and

(D) providing the Secretary with such information and advice as the Secretary may request.

(Pub. L. 95–113, title XIV, §1408A, as added Pub. L. 108–465, title III, §303, Dec. 21, 2004, 118 Stat. 3885; amended Pub. L. 110–234, title VII, §7103, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1215; Pub. L. 110–246, §4(a), title VII, §7103, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 1976; Pub. L. 113–79, title VII, §7103, Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 864; Pub. L. 115–334, title VII, §7104, Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4783; Pub. L. 117–286, §4(a)(32), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4308.)

#### **Editorial Notes**

#### Codification

The authorities provided by each provision of, and each amendment made by, Pub. L. 115–334, as in effect on Sept. 30, 2023, to continue, and authorities to be carried out, until the later of Sept. 30, 2024, or the date specified in the provision of, or amendment made by, Pub. L. 115–334, see section 102(a) of Pub. L. 118–22, set out in an Extension of Agricultural Programs note under section 9001 of this title.

Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 made identical amendments to this section. The amendments by Pub. L. 110–234 were repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.

#### Prior Provisions

A prior section 3123a, Pub. L. 95–113, title XIV, §1408A, as added Pub. L. 101–624, title XVI, §1605(a), Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3711; amended Pub. L. 102–237, title IV, §402(3), (4), Dec. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1863, related to establishment of Agricultural Science and Technology Review Board, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 104–127, title VIII, §853(a), Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1172.

#### Amendments

2022—Subsec. (a)(2)(E). Pub. L. 117–286 substituted "Chapter 10 of title 5" for "Federal Advisory Committee Act" in heading and "section 1008(c) of title 5" for "section 9(c) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.)" in text.

2018—Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 115–334, §7104(1), substituted "specialty" for "speciality".

Subsec. (a)(2)(B). Pub. L. 115–334, §7104(2)(A), substituted "11" for "9" in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (a)(2)(B)(i). Pub. L. 115–334, §7104(2)(B), substituted "Five" for "Three".

Subsec. (a)(2)(D). Pub. L. 115–334, §7104(3), substituted "2023" for "2018".

2014—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113–79, §7103(a), designated existing provisions as par. (1), inserted heading, and added par. (2).

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 113–79, §7103(b), designated first sentence of existing provisions as par. (1) and second sentence as par. (2), inserted headings, and added par. (3).

Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 113–79, §7103(c)(1), substituted "Programs" for "Measures".

Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 113–79, §7103(c)(4)(A), substituted "Research, extension, and teaching programs designed to improve competitiveness in the specialty crop industry, including programs that would" for "Programs that would" in introductory provisions.

Pub. L. 113–79, §7103(c)(2), (3), redesignated par. (3) as (2) and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: "Measures designed to improve competitiveness in research, extension, and economics programs affecting the specialty crop industry."

Subsec. (c)(2)(D). Pub. L. 113–79, §7103(c)(4)(B), inserted ", including improving the quality and taste of processed specialty crops" before semicolon at end.

Subsec. (c)(2)(G). Pub. L. 113–79, §7103(c)(4)(C), inserted "the remote sensing and the" before "mechanization".

Subsec. (c)(3), (4). Pub. L. 113–79, §7103(c)(3), redesignated pars. (4) and (5) as (3) and (4), respectively.

Subsec. (c)(5). Pub. L. 113–79, §7103(c)(5), added par. (5). Former par. (5) redesignated (4).

Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 113–79, §7103(d)(1), (2), added subsec. (d) and redesignated former subsec. (d) as (e).

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 113–79, §7103(d)(1), (3), redesignated subsec. (e) as (f) and substituted "subsection (e)" for "subsection (d)".

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 113–79, §7103(e), added subsec. (g).

2008—Subsec. (c)(4), (5). Pub. L. 110–246, §7103, added pars. (4) and (5).

#### **Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries**

#### Effective Date of 2008 Amendment

Amendment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an Effective Date note under section 8701 of this title.

1 So in original. Probably should be followed by a period.