PUBLIC LAW 114–54—SEPT. 30, 2015 129 STAT. 513 

Public Law 114–54 

114th Congress 

An Act 

To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to extend the livestock mandatory 

price reporting requirements, and for other purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Agriculture 

Reauthorizations Act of 2015’’. 

(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for this Act 

is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

TITLE I—MANDATORY PRICE REPORTING 

Sec. 101. Extension of livestock mandatory reporting. 

Sec. 102. Swine reporting. 

Sec. 103. Lamb reporting. 

Sec. 104. Study on livestock mandatory reporting. 

TITLE II—NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION ACT REAUTHORIZATION 

Sec. 201. National Forest Foundation Act reauthorization. 

TITLE III—UNITED STATES GRAIN STANDARDS ACT REAUTHORIZATION 

Sec. 301. Reauthorization of United States Grain Standards Act. 

Sec. 302. Report on disruption in Federal inspection of grain exports. 

Sec. 303. Report on policy barriers to grain producers. 

TITLE I—MANDATORY PRICE 

REPORTING 

SEC. 101. EXTENSION OF LIVESTOCK MANDATORY REPORTING. 

(a) EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY.—Section 260 of the Agricultural 

Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1636i) is amended by striking 

‘‘September 30, 2015’’ and inserting ‘‘September 30, 2020’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 942 of the Livestock 

Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999 (7 U.S.C. 1635 note; Public Law 

106–78) is amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 2015’’ and inserting 

‘‘September 30, 2020’’. 

SEC. 102. SWINE REPORTING. 

(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 231 of the Agricultural Marketing 

Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1635i) is amended— 

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (9) through (22) as paragraphs (10) through (23), respectively; 

(2) by inserting after paragraph (8) the following: 

7 USC 71 note. 

Agriculture 

Reauthorizations 

Act of 2015. 

Sept. 30, 2015 

[H.R. 2051] 


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129 STAT. 514 PUBLIC LAW 114–54—SEPT. 30, 2015 

‘‘(9) NEGOTIATED FORMULA PURCHASE.—The term ‘negotiated formula purchase’ means a swine or pork market formula 

purchase under which— 

‘‘(A) the formula is determined by negotiation on a 

lot-by-lot basis; and 

‘‘(B) the swine are scheduled for delivery to the packer 

not later than 14 days after the date on which the formula 

is negotiated and swine are committed to the packer.’’; 

(3) in paragraph (12)(A) (as so redesignated), by inserting 

‘‘negotiated formula purchase,’’ after ‘‘pork market formula purchase,’’; and 

(4) in paragraph (23) (as so redesignated)— 

(A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(B) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E); and 

(C) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following: 

‘‘(D) a negotiated formula purchase; and’’. 

(b) DAILY REPORTING.—Section 232(c) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1635j(c)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1)(D), by striking clause (ii) and inserting 

the following: 

‘‘(ii) PRICE DISTRIBUTIONS.—The information published by the Secretary under clause (i) shall include— 

‘‘(I) a distribution of net prices in the range 

between and including the lowest net price and 

the highest net price reported; 

‘‘(II) a delineation of the number of barrows 

and gilts at each reported price level or, at the 

option of the Secretary, the number of barrows 

and gilts within each of a series of reasonable 

price bands within the range of prices; and 

‘‘(III) the total number and weighted average 

price of barrows and gilts purchased through negotiated purchases and negotiated formula purchases.’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (3), by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(C) LATE IN THE DAY REPORT INFORMATION.—The Secretary shall include in the morning report and the afternoon report for the following day any information required 

to be reported under subparagraph (A) that is obtained 

after the time of the reporting day specified in that 

subparagraph.’’. 

SEC. 103. LAMB REPORTING. 

Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 

Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall revise section 59.300 of 

title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, so that— 

(1) the definition of the term ‘‘importer’’— 

(A) includes only those importers that imported an 

average of 1,000 metric tons of lamb meat products per 

year during the immediately preceding 4 calendar years; 

and 

(B) may include any person that does not meet the 

requirement referred to in subparagraph (A), if the Secretary determines that the person should be considered 

an importer based on their volume of lamb imports; and 

(2) the definition of the term ‘‘packer’’— 

Definition. 

7 USC 1635m 

note. 


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PUBLIC LAW 114–54—SEPT. 30, 2015 129 STAT. 515 

(A) applies to any entity with 50 percent or more 

ownership in a facility; 

(B) includes a federally inspected lamb processing plant 

which slaughtered or processed the equivalent of an average of 35,000 head of lambs per year during the immediately preceding 5 calendar years; and 

(C) may include any other lamb processing plant that 

does not meet the requirement referred to in subparagraph 

(B), if the Secretary determines that the processing plant 

should be considered a packer after considering the capacity 

of the processing plant. 

SEC. 104. STUDY ON LIVESTOCK MANDATORY REPORTING. 

(a) STUDY REQUIRED.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture, acting 

through the Agricultural Marketing Service in conjunction with 

the Office of the Chief Economist and in consultation with 

cattle, swine, and lamb producers, packers, and other market 

participants, shall conduct a study on the program of information regarding the marketing of cattle, swine, lambs, and products of such livestock under subtitle B of the Agricultural 

Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1635 et seq.). 

(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The study shall— 

(A) analyze current marketing practices in the cattle, 

swine, and lamb markets; 

(B) identify legislative or regulatory recommendations 

made by cattle, swine, and lamb producers, packers, and 

other market participants to ensure that information provided under the program— 

(i) can be readily understood by producers, packers, 

and other market participants; 

(ii) reflects current marketing practices; and 

(iii) is relevant and useful to producers, packers, 

and other market participants; 

(C) analyze the price and supply information reporting 

services of the Department of Agriculture related to cattle, 

swine, and lamb; and 

(D) address any other issues that the Secretary considers appropriate. 

(b) REPORT.—Not later than March 1, 2018, the Secretary of 

Agriculture shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the 

House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report containing the findings 

of the study conducted under subsection (a). 

TITLE II—NATIONAL FOREST 

FOUNDATION ACT REAUTHORIZATION 

SEC. 201. NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION ACT REAUTHORIZATION. 

(a) EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE MATCHING FUNDS

FOR ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROJECT EXPENSES.—Section 405(b) of 

the National Forest Foundation Act (16 U.S.C. 583j–3(b)) is 

amended by striking ‘‘for a period of five years beginning October 

1, 1992’’ and inserting ‘‘during fiscal years 2016 through 2018’’. 

(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 410(b) of the 

National Forest Foundation Act (16 U.S.C. 583j–8(b)) is amended 

Consultation. 

Determination. 

Time period. 

Applicability. 


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129 STAT. 516 PUBLIC LAW 114–54—SEPT. 30, 2015 

by striking ‘‘during the five-year period’’ and all that follows through 

‘‘$1,000,000 annually’’ and inserting ‘‘there are authorized to be 

appropriated $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2018’’. 

(c) TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.— 

(1) AGENT.—Section 404 of the National Forest Foundation 

Act (16 U.S.C. 583j–2) is amended— 

(A) in subsection (a)(4), by inserting ‘‘notice or’’ after 

‘‘authorized to accept’’; and 

(B) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘under this paragraph’’ and inserting ‘‘by subsection (a)(4)’’. 

(2) ANNUAL REPORT.—Section 407(b) of the National Forest 

Foundation Act (16 U.S.C. 583j–5(b)) is amended by striking 

the comma after ‘‘The Foundation shall’’. 

TITLE III—UNITED STATES GRAIN 

STANDARDS ACT REAUTHORIZATION 

SEC. 301. REAUTHORIZATION OF UNITED STATES GRAIN STANDARDS 

ACT. 

(a) OFFICIAL INSPECTION AND WEIGHING REQUIREMENTS.— 

(1) DISCRETIONARY WAIVER AUTHORITY.—Section 5(a)(1) of 

the United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 77(a)(1)) is 

amended in the first proviso by striking ‘‘may waive the foregoing requirement in emergency or other circumstances which 

would not impair the objectives of this Act’’ and inserting 

‘‘shall waive the foregoing requirement in emergency or other 

circumstances that would not impair the objectives of this Act 

whenever the parties to a contract for such shipment mutually 

agree to the waiver and documentation of such agreement 

is provided to the Secretary prior to shipment’’. 

(2) WEIGHING REQUIREMENTS AT EXPORT ELEVATORS.—Section 5(a)(2) of the United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 

77(a)(2)) is amended in the proviso by striking ‘‘intracompany 

shipments of grain into an export elevator by any mode of 

transportation, grain transferred into an export elevator by 

transportation modes other than barge,’’ and inserting ‘‘shipments of grain into an export elevator by any mode of transportation’’. 

(3) DISRUPTION IN GRAIN INSPECTION OR WEIGHING.—Section 5 of the United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 

77) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(d) DISRUPTION IN GRAIN INSPECTION OR WEIGHING.—In the 

case of a disruption in official grain inspections or weighings, 

including if the Secretary waives the requirement for official inspection due to an emergency under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary 

shall— 

‘‘(1) immediately take such actions as are necessary to 

address the disruption and resume inspections or weighings; 

‘‘(2) not later than 24 hours after the start of the disruption 

in inspection or weighing, submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee 

on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report 

that describes— 

‘‘(A) the disruption; and 

Deadline. 

Reports. 


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PUBLIC LAW 114–54—SEPT. 30, 2015 129 STAT. 517 

‘‘(B) any actions necessary to address the concerns 

of the Secretary relating to the disruption so that inspections or weighings may resume; and 

‘‘(3) once the initial report in paragraph (2) has been made, 

provide daily updates until official inspection or weighing services at the site of disruption have resumed.’’. 

(b) OFFICIAL INSPECTION AUTHORITY AND FUNDING.— (1) DELEGATION OF OFFICIAL INSPECTION AUTHORITY.—Section 7(e)(2) of the United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 

79(e)(2)) is amended— 

(A) by striking ‘‘(2) If the Secretary’’ and inserting 

the following: 

‘‘(2) DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO STATE AGENCIES.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary’’; 

(B) in the first sentence— 

(i) by striking ‘‘and (A)’’ and inserting ‘‘and (i)’’; 

(ii) by striking ‘‘or (B)(i)’’ and inserting ‘‘or (ii)(I)’’; 

(iii) by striking ‘‘(ii)’’ and inserting ‘‘(II)’’; and 

(iv) by striking ‘‘(iii)’’ and inserting ‘‘(III)’’; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(B) CERTIFICATION.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Every 5 years, the Secretary 

shall certify that each State agency with a delegation 

of authority is meeting the criteria described in subsection (f)(1)(A). 

‘‘(ii) PROCESS.—Not later than 1 year after the 

date of enactment of the Agriculture Reauthorizations 

Act of 2015, the Secretary shall establish a process 

for certification under which the Secretary shall— 

‘‘(I) publish in the Federal Register notice of 

intent to certify a State agency and provide a 

30-day period for public comment; 

‘‘(II) evaluate the public comments received 

and, in accordance with paragraph (3), conduct 

an investigation to determine whether the State 

agency is qualified; 

‘‘(III) make findings based on the public comments received and investigation conducted; and 

‘‘(IV) publish in the Federal Register a notice 

announcing whether the certification has been 

granted and describing the basis on which the 

Secretary made the decision. 

‘‘(C) STATE AGENCY REQUIREMENTS.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—If a State agency that has been 

delegated authority under this paragraph intends to 

temporarily discontinue official inspection or weighing 

services for any reason, except in the case of a major 

disaster, the State agency shall notify the Secretary 

in writing of the intention of the State agency to do 

so at least 72 hours in advance of the discontinuation 

date. 

‘‘(ii) SECRETARIAL CONSIDERATION.—The Secretary 

shall consider receipt of a notice described in clause 

(i) as a factor in administering the delegation of 

authority under this paragraph.’’. 

(2) CONSULTATION.—Section 7(f)(1) of the United States 

Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 79(f)(1)) is amended— 

Notification. 

Comment period. 

Federal Register, 

publication. 

Notice. 

Time periods. 

Deadlines. 

Updates. 


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129 STAT. 518 PUBLIC LAW 114–54—SEPT. 30, 2015 

(A) in subparagraph (A)(xi), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

end; 

(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at 

the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(C) the Secretary— 

‘‘(i) periodically conducts a consultation with the 

customers of the applicant, in a manner that provides 

opportunity for protection of the identity of the customer if desired by the customer, to review the performance of the applicant with regard to the provision 

of official inspection services and other requirements 

of this Act; and 

‘‘(ii) works with the applicant to address any concerns identified during the consultation process.’’. 

(3) GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES FOR OFFICIAL AGENCIES.— (A) OFFICIAL INSPECTION AUTHORITY.—Section 7(f)(2) 

of the United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 79(f)(2)) 

is amended by striking ‘‘the Secretary may’’ and all that 

follows through the end of the paragraph and inserting 

the following: ‘‘the Secretary shall allow a designated official agency to cross boundary lines to carry out inspections 

in another geographic area if— 

‘‘(A) the current designated official agency for that 

geographic area is unable to provide inspection services 

in a timely manner; 

‘‘(B) a person requesting inspection services in that 

geographic area requests a probe inspection on a bargelot basis; or 

‘‘(C) the current official agency for that geographic 

area agrees in writing with the adjacent official agency 

to waive the current geographic area restriction at the 

request of the applicant for service.’’. 

(B) WEIGHING AUTHORITY.—Section 7A(i)(2) of the 

United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 79a(i)(2)) 

is amended by striking ‘‘the Secretary may’’ and all that 

follows through the end of the paragraph and inserting 

the following: ‘‘the Secretary shall allow a designated official agency to cross boundary lines to carry out weighing 

in another geographic area if— 

‘‘(A) the current designated official agency for that 

geographic area is unable to provide weighing services 

in a timely manner; or 

‘‘(B) the current official agency for that geographic 

area agrees in writing with the adjacent official agency 

to waive the current geographic area restriction at the 

request of the applicant for service.’’. 

(4) DURATION OF DESIGNATION AUTHORITY.—Section 7(g)(1) 

of the United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 79(g)(1)) 

is amended by striking ‘‘triennially’’ and inserting ‘‘every 5 

years’’. 

(5) FEES.—Section 7(j) of the United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 79(j)(1)) is amended— 

(A) by striking ‘‘(j)(1) The Secretary’’ and inserting 

the following: 

‘‘(j) FEES.— ‘‘(1) INSPECTION FEES.— 


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PUBLIC LAW 114–54—SEPT. 30, 2015 129 STAT. 519 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; 

(B) in paragraph (1)— 

(i) the second sentence, by striking ‘‘The fees’’ and 

inserting the following: 

‘‘(B) AMOUNT OF FEES.—The fees’’; 

(ii) in the third sentence, by striking ‘‘Such fees’’ 

and inserting the following: 

‘‘(C) USE OF FEES.—Fees described in this paragraph’’; 

and 

(iii) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(D) EXPORT TONNAGE FEES.—For an official inspection 

at an export facility performed by the Secretary, the portion 

of the fees based on export tonnage shall be based on 

the rolling 5-year average of export tonnage volumes.’’; 

(C) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); 

(D) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following: 

‘‘(4) ADJUSTMENT OF FEES.—In order to maintain an operating reserve of not less than 3 and not more than 6 months, 

the Secretary shall adjust the fees described in paragraphs 

(1) and (2) not less frequently than annually.’’; and 

(E) in paragraph (5) (as redesignated by subparagraph 

(C)), in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘2015’’ and inserting 

‘‘2020’’. 

(c) WEIGHING AUTHORITY.—Section 7A of the United States 

Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 79a) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (c)(2), in the last sentence, by striking 

‘‘subsection (g) of section 7’’ and inserting ‘‘subsections (e) and 

(g) of section 7’’; and 

(2) in subsection (l)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘(l)(1) The Secretary’’ and inserting 

the following: 

‘‘(l) FEES.— 

‘‘(1) WEIGHING FEES.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; 

(B) in paragraph (1)— 

(i) the second sentence, by striking ‘‘The fees’’ and 

inserting the following: 

‘‘(B) AMOUNT OF FEES.—The fees’’; 

(ii) in the third sentence, by striking ‘‘Such fees’’ 

and inserting the following: 

‘‘(C) USE OF FEES.—Fees described in this paragraph’’; 

and 

(iii) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(D) EXPORT TONNAGE FEES.—For an official weighing 

at an export facility performed by the Secretary, the portion 

of the fees based on export tonnage shall be based on 

the rolling 5-year average of export tonnage volumes.’’; 

(C) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); 

(D) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following: 

‘‘(3) ADJUSTMENT OF FEES.—In order to maintain an operating reserve of not less than 3 and not more than 6 months, 

the Secretary shall adjust the fees described in paragraphs 

(1) and (2) not less frequently than annually.’’; and 

(E) in paragraph (4) (as redesignated by subparagraph 

(C)), in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘2015’’ and inserting 

‘‘2020’’. 

Deadline. 

Deadline. 


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129 STAT. 520 PUBLIC LAW 114–54—SEPT. 30, 2015 

(d) LIMITATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPERVISORY

COSTS.—Section 7D of the United States Grain Standards Act (7 

U.S.C. 79d) is amended by striking ‘‘2015’’ and inserting ‘‘2020’’. 

(e) ISSUANCE OF AUTHORIZATION.—Section 8(b) of the United 

States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 84(b)) is amended by striking 

‘‘triennially’’ and inserting ‘‘every 5 years’’. 

(f) APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 19 of the United States Grain 

Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 87h) is amended by striking ‘‘2015’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2020’’. 

(g) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—Section 21(e) of the United States 

Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 87j(e)) is amended by striking ‘‘2015’’ 

and inserting ‘‘2020’’. 

SEC. 302. REPORT ON DISRUPTION IN FEDERAL INSPECTION OF GRAIN 

EXPORTS. 

Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 

Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the Committee 

on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives, the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug 

Administration, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, and the Subcommittee on Agriculture, 

Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related 

Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report that describes— 

(1) the specific factors that led to disruption in Federal 

inspection of grain exports at the Port of Vancouver in the 

summer of 2014; 

(2) any factors that contributed to the disruption referred 

to in paragraph (1) that were unique to the Port of Vancouver, 

including a description of the port facility, security needs and 

available resources for that purpose, and any other significant 

factors as determined by the Secretary; and 

(3) any changes in policy that the Secretary has implemented to ensure that a similar disruption in Federal inspection 

of grain exports at the Port of Vancouver or any other location 

does not occur in the future. 

SEC. 303. REPORT ON POLICY BARRIERS TO GRAIN PRODUCERS. 

Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 

Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the United 

States Trade Representative, shall submit to the Committee on 

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives a report 

that describes— 

(1) the policy barriers to United States grain producers 

in countries the grain of which receives official grading in 

the United States but which do not offer official grading for 

United States grain or provide only the lowest designation 

for United States grain, including an analysis of possible 

inconsistencies with trade obligations; and 

(2) any actions the Executive Branch is taking to remedy 

the policy barriers so as to put United States grain producers 

Expiration date. 


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PUBLIC LAW 114–54—SEPT. 30, 2015 129 STAT. 521 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 2051: 

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 114–132 (Comm. on Agriculture). 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 161 (2015): 

June 9, considered and passed House. 

Sept. 21, considered and passed Senate, amended. 

Sept. 28, House concurred in Senate amendment. 

Æ 

on equal footing with grain producers in countries imposing 

the barriers. 

Approved September 30, 2015. 


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