PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 649 

Public Law 113–79 

113th Congress 

An Act 

To provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs 

of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2018, 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 ‘‘Agricultural 

Act of 2014’’. 

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

is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Definition of Secretary of Agriculture. 

TITLE I—COMMODITIES 

Subtitle A—Repeals and Reforms 

PART I—REPEALS

Sec. 1101. Repeal of direct payments. 

Sec. 1102. Repeal of counter-cyclical payments. 

Sec. 1103. Repeal of average crop revenue election program. 

PART II—COMMODITY POLICY

Sec. 1111. Definitions. 

Sec. 1112. Base acres. 

Sec. 1113. Payment yields. 

Sec. 1114. Payment acres. 

Sec. 1115. Producer election. 

Sec. 1116. Price loss coverage. 

Sec. 1117. Agriculture risk coverage. 

Sec. 1118. Producer agreements. 

Sec. 1119. Transition assistance for producers of upland cotton. 

Subtitle B—Marketing Loans 

Sec. 1201. Availability of nonrecourse marketing assistance loans for loan commodities. 

Sec. 1202. Loan rates for nonrecourse marketing assistance loans. 

Sec. 1203. Term of loans. 

Sec. 1204. Repayment of loans. 

Sec. 1205. Loan deficiency payments. 

Sec. 1206. Payments in lieu of loan deficiency payments for grazed acreage. 

Sec. 1207. Special marketing loan provisions for upland cotton. 

Sec. 1208. Special competitive provisions for extra long staple cotton. 

Sec. 1209. Availability of recourse loans for high moisture feed grains and seed cotton. 

Sec. 1210. Adjustments of loans. 

Subtitle C—Sugar 

Sec. 1301. Sugar policy. 

Subtitle D—Dairy 

PART I—MARGIN PROTECTION PROGRAM FOR DAIRY PRODUCERS

Sec. 1401. Definitions. 

Agricultural Act 

of 2014. 

Feb. 7, 2014 

[H.R. 2642] 


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Sec. 1402. Calculation of average feed cost and actual dairy production margins. 

Sec. 1403. Establishment of margin protection program for dairy producers. 

Sec. 1404. Participation of dairy operations in margin protection program. 

Sec. 1405. Production history of participating dairy operations. 

Sec. 1406. Margin protection payments. 

Sec. 1407. Premiums for margin protection program. 

Sec. 1408. Effect of failure to pay administrative fees or premiums. 

Sec. 1409. Duration. 

Sec. 1410. Administration and enforcement. 

PART II—REPEAL OR REAUTHORIZATION OF OTHER DAIRY-RELATED PROVISIONS

Sec. 1421. Repeal of dairy product price support program. 

Sec. 1422. Temporary continuation and eventual repeal of milk income loss contract program. 

Sec. 1423. Repeal of dairy export incentive program. 

Sec. 1424. Extension of dairy forward pricing program. 

Sec. 1425. Extension of dairy indemnity program. 

Sec. 1426. Extension of dairy promotion and research program. 

Sec. 1427. Repeal of Federal Milk Marketing Order Review Commission. 

PART III—DAIRY PRODUCT DONATION PROGRAM

Sec. 1431. Dairy product donation program. 

Subtitle E—Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance Programs 

Sec. 1501. Supplemental agricultural disaster assistance. 

Subtitle F—Administration 

Sec. 1601. Administration generally. 

Sec. 1602. Suspension of permanent price support authority. 

Sec. 1603. Payment limitations. 

Sec. 1604. Rulemaking related to significant contribution for active personal management. 

Sec. 1605. Adjusted gross income limitation. 

Sec. 1606. Geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. 

Sec. 1607. Personal liability of producers for deficiencies. 

Sec. 1608. Prevention of deceased individuals receiving payments under farm commodity programs. 

Sec. 1609. Technical corrections. 

Sec. 1610. Appeals. 

Sec. 1611. Assignment of payments. 

Sec. 1612. Tracking of benefits. 

Sec. 1613. Signature authority. 

Sec. 1614. Implementation. 

Sec. 1615. Research option. 

TITLE II—CONSERVATION 

Subtitle A—Conservation Reserve Program 

Sec. 2001. Extension and enrollment requirements of conservation reserve program. 

Sec. 2002. Farmable wetland program. 

Sec. 2003. Duties of owners and operators. 

Sec. 2004. Duties of the Secretary. 

Sec. 2005. Payments. 

Sec. 2006. Contract requirements. 

Sec. 2007. Conversion of land subject to contract to other conserving uses. 

Sec. 2008. Effect on existing contracts. 

Subtitle B—Conservation Stewardship Program 

Sec. 2101. Conservation stewardship program. 

Subtitle C—Environmental Quality Incentives Program 

Sec. 2201. Purposes. 

Sec. 2202. Definitions. 

Sec. 2203. Establishment and administration. 

Sec. 2204. Evaluation of applications. 

Sec. 2205. Duties of producers. 

Sec. 2206. Limitation on payments. 

Sec. 2207. Conservation innovation grants and payments. 

Sec. 2208. Effect on existing contracts. 


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Subtitle D—Agricultural Conservation Easement Program 

Sec. 2301. Agricultural conservation easement program. 

Subtitle E—Regional Conservation Partnership Program 

Sec. 2401. Regional conservation partnership program. 

Subtitle F—Other Conservation Programs 

Sec. 2501. Conservation of private grazing land. 

Sec. 2502. Grassroots source water protection program. 

Sec. 2503. Voluntary public access and habitat incentive program. 

Sec. 2504. Agriculture conservation experienced services program. 

Sec. 2505. Small watershed rehabilitation program. 

Sec. 2506. Emergency watershed protection program. 

Sec. 2507. Terminal Lakes. 

Sec. 2508. Soil and Water Resources Conservation. 

Subtitle G—Funding and Administration 

Sec. 2601. Funding. 

Sec. 2602. Technical assistance. 

Sec. 2603. Regional equity. 

Sec. 2604. Reservation of funds to provide assistance to certain farmers or ranchers 

for conservation access. 

Sec. 2605. Annual report on program enrollments and assistance. 

Sec. 2606. Administrative requirements applicable to all conservation programs. 

Sec. 2607. Standards for State technical committees. 

Sec. 2608. Rulemaking authority. 

Sec. 2609. Wetlands mitigation. 

Sec. 2610. Lesser prairie-chicken conservation report. 

Sec. 2611. Highly erodible land and wetland conservation for crop insurance. 

Subtitle H—Repeal of Superseded Program Authorities and Transitional Provisions; 

Technical Amendments 

Sec. 2701. Comprehensive conservation enhancement program. 

Sec. 2702. Emergency forestry conservation reserve program. 

Sec. 2703. Wetlands reserve program. 

Sec. 2704. Farmland protection program and farm viability program. 

Sec. 2705. Grassland reserve program. 

Sec. 2706. Agricultural water enhancement program. 

Sec. 2707. Wildlife habitat incentive program. 

Sec. 2708. Great Lakes basin program. 

Sec. 2709. Chesapeake Bay watershed program. 

Sec. 2710. Cooperative conservation partnership initiative. 

Sec. 2711. Environmental easement program. 

Sec. 2712. Temporary administration of conservation programs. 

Sec. 2713. Technical amendments. 

TITLE III—TRADE 

Subtitle A—Food for Peace Act 

Sec. 3001. General authority. 

Sec. 3002. Set-aside for support for organizations through which nonemergency assistance is provided. 

Sec. 3003. Food aid quality. 

Sec. 3004. Minimum levels of assistance. 

Sec. 3005. Food Aid Consultative Group. 

Sec. 3006. Oversight, monitoring, and evaluation. 

Sec. 3007. Assistance for stockpiling and rapid transportation, delivery, and distribution of shelf-stable prepackaged foods. 

Sec. 3008. Impact on local farmers and economy and report on use of funds. 

Sec. 3009. Prepositioning of agricultural commodities. 

Sec. 3010. Annual report regarding food aid programs and activities. 

Sec. 3011. Deadline for agreements to finance sales or to provide other assistance. 

Sec. 3012. Minimum level of nonemergency food assistance. 

Sec. 3013. Micronutrient fortification programs. 

Sec. 3014. John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer Program. 

Sec. 3015. Coordination of foreign assistance programs report. 

Subtitle B—Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 

Sec. 3101. Export credit guarantee program. 

Sec. 3102. Funding for market access program. 


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Sec. 3103. Foreign market development cooperator program. 

Subtitle C—Other Agricultural Trade Laws 

Sec. 3201. Food for Progress Act of 1985. 

Sec. 3202. Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust Act. 

Sec. 3203. Promotion of agricultural exports to emerging markets. 

Sec. 3204. McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition 

Program. 

Sec. 3205. Technical assistance for specialty crops. 

Sec. 3206. Global Crop Diversity Trust. 

Sec. 3207. Local and regional food aid procurement projects. 

Sec. 3208. Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. 

TITLE IV—NUTRITION 

Subtitle A—Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 

Sec. 4001. Preventing payment of cash to recipients of supplemental nutrition assistance benefits for the return of empty bottles and cans used to contain food purchased with benefits provided under the program. 

Sec. 4002. Retail food stores. 

Sec. 4003. Enhancing services to elderly and disabled supplemental nutrition assistance program participants. 

Sec. 4004. Food distribution program on Indian reservations. 

Sec. 4005. Exclusion of medical marijuana from excess medical expense deduction. 

Sec. 4006. Standard utility allowances based on the receipt of energy assistance 

payments. 

Sec. 4007. Eligibility disqualifications. 

Sec. 4008. Eligibility disqualifications for certain convicted felons. 

Sec. 4009. Ending supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits for lottery or 

gambling winners. 

Sec. 4010. Improving security of food assistance. 

Sec. 4011. Technology modernization for retail food stores. 

Sec. 4012. Use of benefits for purchase of community-supported agriculture share. 

Sec. 4013. Improved wage verification using the National Directory of New Hires. 

Sec. 4014. Restaurant meals program. 

Sec. 4015. Mandating State immigration verification. 

Sec. 4016. Data exchange standardization for improved interoperability. 

Sec. 4017. Pilot projects to improve Federal-State cooperation in identifying and reducing fraud in the supplemental nutrition assistance program. 

Sec. 4018. Prohibiting government-sponsored recruitment activities. 

Sec. 4019. Tolerance level for excluding small errors. 

Sec. 4020. Quality control standards. 

Sec. 4021. Performance bonus payments. 

Sec. 4022. Pilot projects to reduce dependency and increase work requirements and 

work effort under supplemental nutrition assistance program. 

Sec. 4023. Cooperation with program research and evaluation. 

Sec. 4024. Authorization of appropriations. 

Sec. 4025. Review, report, and regulation of cash nutrition assistance program benefits provided in Puerto Rico. 

Sec. 4026. Assistance for community food projects. 

Sec. 4027. Emergency food assistance. 

Sec. 4028. Nutrition education. 

Sec. 4029. Retail food store and recipient trafficking. 

Sec. 4030. Technical and conforming amendments. 

Sec. 4031. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands pilot program. 

Sec. 4032. Annual State report on verification of SNAP participation. 

Sec. 4033. Service of traditional foods in public facilities. 

Subtitle B—Commodity Distribution Programs 

Sec. 4101. Commodity distribution program. 

Sec. 4102. Commodity supplemental food program. 

Sec. 4103. Distribution of surplus commodities to special nutrition projects. 

Sec. 4104. Processing of commodities. 

Subtitle C—Miscellaneous 

Sec. 4201. Purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables for distribution to schools and 

service institutions. 

Sec. 4202. Pilot project for procurement of unprocessed fruits and vegetables. 

Sec. 4203. Seniors farmers’ market nutrition program. 

Sec. 4204. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 


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Sec. 4205. Multiagency task force. 

Sec. 4206. Healthy Food Financing Initiative. 

Sec. 4207. Purchase of Halal and Kosher food for emergency food assistance program. 

Sec. 4208. Food insecurity nutrition incentive. 

Sec. 4209. Food and agriculture service learning program. 

Sec. 4210. Nutrition information and awareness pilot program. 

Sec. 4211. Termination of existing agreement. 

Sec. 4212. Review of sole-source contracts in Federal nutrition programs. 

Sec. 4213. Pulse crop products. 

Sec. 4214. Pilot project for canned, frozen, or dried fruits and vegetables. 

TITLE V—CREDIT 

Subtitle A—Farm Ownership Loans 

Sec. 5001. Eligibility for farm ownership loans. 

Sec. 5002. Conservation loan and loan guarantee program. 

Sec. 5003. Joint financing arrangements. 

Sec. 5004. Elimination of mineral rights appraisal requirement. 

Sec. 5005. Down payment loan program. 

Subtitle B—Operating Loans 

Sec. 5101. Eligibility for farm operating loans. 

Sec. 5102. Elimination of rural residency requirement for operating loans to youth. 

Sec. 5103. Defaults by youth loan borrowers. 

Sec. 5104. Term limits on direct operating loans. 

Sec. 5105. Valuation of local or regional crops. 

Sec. 5106. Microloans. 

Sec. 5107. Term limits on guaranteed operating loans. 

Subtitle C—Emergency Loans 

Sec. 5201. Eligibility for emergency loans. 

Subtitle D—Administrative Provisions 

Sec. 5301. Beginning farmer and rancher individual development accounts pilot 

program. 

Sec. 5302. Farmer loan pilot projects. 

Sec. 5303. Definition of qualified beginning farmer or rancher. 

Sec. 5304. Loan authorization levels. 

Sec. 5305. Loan fund set-asides. 

Sec. 5306. Borrower training. 

Subtitle E—Miscellaneous 

Sec. 5401. State agricultural mediation programs. 

Sec. 5402. Loans to purchasers of highly fractionated land. 

Sec. 5403. Removal of duplicative appraisals. 

Sec. 5404. Compensation disclosure by Farm Credit System institutions. 

TITLE VI—RURAL DEVELOPMENT 

Subtitle A—Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act 

Sec. 6001. Water, waste disposal, and wastewater facility grants. 

Sec. 6002. Elimination of reservation of community facilities grant program funds. 

Sec. 6003. Rural water and wastewater circuit rider program. 

Sec. 6004. Use of loan guarantees for community facilities. 

Sec. 6005. Tribal college and university essential community facilities. 

Sec. 6006. Essential community facilities technical assistance and training. 

Sec. 6007. Emergency and imminent community water assistance grant program. 

Sec. 6008. Water systems for rural and native villages in Alaska. 

Sec. 6009. Household water well systems. 

Sec. 6010. Rural business and industry loan program. 

Sec. 6011. Solid waste management grants. 

Sec. 6012. Rural business development grants. 

Sec. 6013. Rural cooperative development grants. 

Sec. 6014. Locally or regionally produced agricultural food products. 

Sec. 6015. Appropriate technology transfer for rural areas program. 

Sec. 6016. Rural economic area partnership zones. 

Sec. 6017. Intermediary relending program. 

Sec. 6018. Rural college coordinated strategy. 

Sec. 6019. Rural water and waste disposal infrastructure. 

Sec. 6020. Simplified applications. 


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Sec. 6021. National Rural Development Partnership. 

Sec. 6022. Grants for NOAA weather radio transmitters. 

Sec. 6023. Rural microentrepreneur assistance program. 

Sec. 6024. Health care services. 

Sec. 6025. Strategic economic and community development. 

Sec. 6026. Delta Regional Authority. 

Sec. 6027. Northern Great Plains Regional Authority. 

Sec. 6028. Rural business investment program. 

Subtitle B—Rural Electrification Act of 1936 

Sec. 6101. Fees for certain loan guarantees. 

Sec. 6102. Guarantees for bonds and notes issued for electrification or telephone 

purposes. 

Sec. 6103. Expansion of 911 access. 

Sec. 6104. Access to broadband telecommunications services in rural areas. 

Sec. 6105. Rural Gigabit Network Pilot Program. 

Subtitle C—Miscellaneous 

Sec. 6201. Distance learning and telemedicine. 

Sec. 6202. Agricultural transportation. 

Sec. 6203. Value-added agricultural product market development grants. 

Sec. 6204. Agriculture innovation center demonstration program. 

Sec. 6205. Rural energy savings program. 

Sec. 6206. Study of rural transportation issues. 

Sec. 6207. Regional economic and infrastructure development. 

Sec. 6208. Definition of rural area for purposes of the Housing Act of 1949. 

Sec. 6209. Program metrics. 

Sec. 6210. Funding of pending rural development loan and grant applications. 

TITLE VII—RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND RELATED MATTERS 

Subtitle A—National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 

1977 

Sec. 7101. Option to be included as non-land-grant college of agriculture. 

Sec. 7102. National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics 

Advisory Board. 

Sec. 7103. Specialty crop committee. 

Sec. 7104. Veterinary services grant program. 

Sec. 7105. Grants and fellowships for food and agriculture sciences education. 

Sec. 7106. Agricultural and food policy research centers. 

Sec. 7107. Education grants to Alaska Native serving institutions and Native Hawaiian serving institutions. 

Sec. 7108. Repeal of human nutrition intervention and health promotion research 

program. 

Sec. 7109. Repeal of pilot research program to combine medical and agricultural research. 

Sec. 7110. Nutrition education program. 

Sec. 7111. Continuing animal health and disease research programs. 

Sec. 7112. Grants to upgrade agricultural and food sciences facilities at 1890 landgrant colleges, including Tuskegee University. 

Sec. 7113. Grants to upgrade agriculture and food science facilities and equipment 

at insular area land-grant institutions. 

Sec. 7114. Repeal of national research and training virtual centers. 

Sec. 7115. Hispanic-serving institutions. 

Sec. 7116. Competitive Grants Program for Hispanic Agricultural Workers and 

Youth. 

Sec. 7117. Competitive grants for international agricultural science and education 

programs. 

Sec. 7118. Repeal of research equipment grants. 

Sec. 7119. University research. 

Sec. 7120. Extension service. 

Sec. 7121. Auditing, reporting, bookkeeping, and administrative requirements. 

Sec. 7122. Supplemental and alternative crops. 

Sec. 7123. Capacity building grants for NLGCA institutions. 

Sec. 7124. Aquaculture assistance programs. 

Sec. 7125. Rangeland research programs. 

Sec. 7126. Special authorization for biosecurity planning and response. 

Sec. 7127. Distance education and resident instruction grants program for insular 

area institutions of higher education. 

Sec. 7128. Matching funds requirement. 

Sec. 7129. Designation of Central State University as 1890 institution. 


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Subtitle B—Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 

Sec. 7201. Best utilization of biological applications. 

Sec. 7202. Integrated management systems. 

Sec. 7203. Sustainable agriculture technology development and transfer program. 

Sec. 7204. National training program. 

Sec. 7205. National Genetics Resources Program. 

Sec. 7206. National Agricultural Weather Information System. 

Sec. 7207. Repeal of rural electronic commerce extension program. 

Sec. 7208. Agricultural Genome Initiative. 

Sec. 7209. High-priority research and extension initiatives. 

Sec. 7210. Repeal of nutrient management research and extension initiative. 

Sec. 7211. Organic agriculture research and extension initiative. 

Sec. 7212. Repeal of agricultural bioenergy feedstock and energy efficiency research 

and extension initiative. 

Sec. 7213. Farm business management. 

Sec. 7214. Centers of excellence. 

Sec. 7215. Repeal of red meat safety research center. 

Sec. 7216. Assistive technology program for farmers with disabilities. 

Sec. 7217. National rural information center clearinghouse. 

Subtitle C—Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 

Sec. 7301. Relevance and merit of agricultural research, extension, and education 

funded by the Department. 

Sec. 7302. Integrated research, education, and extension competitive grants program. 

Sec. 7303. Support for research regarding diseases of wheat, triticale, and barley 

caused by Fusarium graminearum or by Tilletia indica. 

Sec. 7304. Repeal of Bovine Johne’s disease control program. 

Sec. 7305. Grants for youth organizations. 

Sec. 7306. Specialty crop research initiative. 

Sec. 7307. [H7308] Food animal residue avoidance database program. 

Sec. 7308. Repeal of national swine research center. 

Sec. 7309. Office of pest management policy. 

Sec. 7310. Forestry products advanced utilization research. 

Sec. 7311. Repeal of studies of agricultural research, extension, and education. 

Subtitle D—Other Laws 

Sec. 7401. Critical Agricultural Materials Act. 

Sec. 7402. Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994. 

Sec. 7403. Research Facilities Act. 

Sec. 7404. Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act. 

Sec. 7405. Renewable Resources Extension Act of 1978. 

Sec. 7406. National Aquaculture Act of 1980. 

Sec. 7407. Repeal of use of remote sensing data. 

Sec. 7408. Repeal of reports under Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 

2002. 

Sec. 7409. Beginning farmer and rancher development program. 

Sec. 7410. National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act 

Amendments of 1985. 

Subtitle E—Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 

PART I—AGRICULTURAL SECURITY

Sec. 7501. Agricultural biosecurity communication center. 

Sec. 7502. Assistance to build local capacity in agricultural biosecurity planning, 

preparation, and response. 

Sec. 7503. Research and development of agricultural countermeasures. 

Sec. 7504. Agricultural biosecurity grant program. 

PART II—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Sec. 7511. Enhanced use lease authority pilot program. 

Sec. 7512. Grazinglands research laboratory. 

Sec. 7513. Budget submission and funding. 

Sec. 7514. Repeal of seed distribution. 

Sec. 7515. Natural products research program. 

Sec. 7516. Sun grant program. 

Sec. 7517. Repeal of study and report on food deserts. 

Sec. 7518. Repeal of agricultural and rural transportation research and education. 

Subtitle F—Miscellaneous Provisions 

Sec. 7601. Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. 


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Sec. 7602. Concessions and agreements with nonprofit organizations for National 

Arboretum. 

Sec. 7603. Agricultural and food law research, legal tools, and information. 

Sec. 7604. Cotton Disease Research Report. 

Sec. 7605. Miscellaneous technical corrections. 

Sec. 7606. Legitimacy of industrial hemp research. 

TITLE VIII—FORESTRY 

Subtitle A—Repeal of Certain Forestry Programs 

Sec. 8001. Forest land enhancement program. 

Sec. 8002. Watershed forestry assistance program. 

Sec. 8003. Expired cooperative national forest products marketing program. 

Sec. 8004. Hispanic-serving institution agricultural land national resources leadership program. 

Sec. 8005. Tribal watershed forestry assistance program. 

Sec. 8006. Separate Forest Service decisionmaking and appeals process. 

Subtitle B—Reauthorization of Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 

Programs 

Sec. 8101. State-wide assessment and strategies for forest resources. 

Subtitle C—Reauthorization of Other Forestry-Related Laws 

Sec. 8201. Rural revitalization technologies. 

Sec. 8202. Office of International Forestry. 

Sec. 8203. Healthy forests reserve program. 

Sec. 8204. Insect and disease infestation. 

Sec. 8205. Stewardship end result contracting projects. 

Sec. 8206. Good neighbor authority. 

Subtitle D—Miscellaneous Provisions 

Sec. 8301. Revision of strategic plan for forest inventory and analysis. 

Sec. 8302. Forest service participation in ACES program. 

Sec. 8303. Extension of stewardship contracts authority regarding use of designation by prescription to all thinning sales under National Forest Management Act of 1976. 

Sec. 8304. Reimbursement of fire funds. 

Sec. 8305. Forest Service large airtanker and aerial asset firefighting recapitalization pilot program. 

Sec. 8306. Land conveyance, Jefferson National Forest in Wise County, Virginia. 

TITLE IX—ENERGY 

Sec. 9001. Definitions. 

Sec. 9002. Biobased markets program. 

Sec. 9003. Biorefinery assistance. 

Sec. 9004. Repowering assistance program. 

Sec. 9005. Bioenergy program for advanced biofuels. 

Sec. 9006. Biodiesel fuel education program. 

Sec. 9007. Rural Energy for America Program. 

Sec. 9008. Biomass research and development. 

Sec. 9009. Feedstock Flexibility Program for Bioenergy Producers. 

Sec. 9010. Biomass Crop Assistance Program. 

Sec. 9011. Repeal of forest biomass for energy. 

Sec. 9012. Community wood energy program. 

Sec. 9013. Repeal of biofuels infrastructure study. 

Sec. 9014. Repeal of renewable fertilizer study. 

Sec. 9015. Energy efficiency report for USDA facilities. 

TITLE X—HORTICULTURE 

Sec. 10001. Specialty crops market news allocation. 

Sec. 10002. Repeal of grant program to improve movement of specialty crops. 

Sec. 10003. Farmers’ market and local food promotion program. 

Sec. 10004. Organic agriculture. 

Sec. 10005. Investigations and enforcement of the Organic Foods Production Act of 

1990. 

Sec. 10006. Food safety education initiatives. 

Sec. 10007. Consolidation of plant pest and disease management and disaster prevention programs. 

Sec. 10008. Importation of seed. 

Sec. 10009. Bulk shipments of apples to Canada. 


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Sec. 10010. Specialty crop block grants. 

Sec. 10011. Department of Agriculture consultation regarding enforcement of certain labor law provisions. 

Sec. 10012. Report on honey. 

Sec. 10013. Reports to Congress. 

Sec. 10014. Stay of regulations. 

Sec. 10015. Regulation of sulfuryl fluoride. 

Sec. 10016. Local food production and program evaluation. 

Sec. 10017. Clarification of use of funds for technical assistance. 

TITLE XI—CROP INSURANCE 

Sec. 11001. Information sharing. 

Sec. 11002. Publication of information on violations of prohibition on premium adjustments. 

Sec. 11003. Supplemental coverage option. 

Sec. 11004. Crop margin coverage option. 

Sec. 11005. Premium amounts for catastrophic risk protection. 

Sec. 11006. Permanent enterprise unit subsidy. 

Sec. 11007. Enterprise units for irrigated and nonirrigated crops. 

Sec. 11008. Data collection. 

Sec. 11009. Adjustment in actual production history to establish insurable yields. 

Sec. 11010. Submission of policies and Board review and approval. 

Sec. 11011. Consultation. 

Sec. 11012. Budget limitations on renegotiation of the standard reinsurance agreement. 

Sec. 11013. Test weight for corn. 

Sec. 11014. Crop production on native sod. 

Sec. 11015. Coverage levels by practice. 

Sec. 11016. Beginning farmer and rancher provisions. 

Sec. 11017. Stacked income protection plan for producers of upland cotton. 

Sec. 11018. Peanut revenue crop insurance. 

Sec. 11019. Authority to correct errors. 

Sec. 11020. Implementation. 

Sec. 11021. Crop insurance fraud. 

Sec. 11022. Research and development priorities. 

Sec. 11023. Crop insurance for organic crops. 

Sec. 11024. Program compliance partnerships. 

Sec. 11025. Pilot programs. 

Sec. 11026. Index-based weather insurance pilot program. 

Sec. 11027. Enhancing producer self-help through farm financial benchmarking. 

Sec. 11028. Technical amendments. 

TITLE XII—MISCELLANEOUS 

Subtitle A—Livestock 

Sec. 12101. Trichinae certification program. 

Sec. 12102. Sheep production and marketing grant program. 

Sec. 12103. National Aquatic Animal Health Plan. 

Sec. 12104. Country of origin labeling. 

Sec. 12105. National animal health laboratory network. 

Sec. 12106. Food safety inspection. 

Sec. 12107. National Poultry Improvement Plan. 

Sec. 12108. Sense of Congress regarding feral swine eradication. 

Subtitle B—Socially Disadvantaged Producers and Limited Resource Producers 

Sec. 12201. Outreach and assistance for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers and veteran farmers and ranchers. 

Sec. 12202. Office of Advocacy and Outreach. 

Sec. 12203. Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Research Center. 

Sec. 12204. Receipt for service or denial of service from certain department of agriculture agencies. 

Subtitle C—Other Miscellaneous Provisions 

Sec. 12301. Grants to improve supply, stability, safety, and training of agricultural 

labor force. 

Sec. 12302. Program benefit eligibility status for participants in high plains water 

study. 

Sec. 12303. Office of Tribal Relations. 

Sec. 12304. Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison. 

Sec. 12305. Noninsured crop assistance program. 

Sec. 12306. Acer access and development program. 


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Sec. 12307. Science Advisory Board. 

Sec. 12308. Amendments to Animal Welfare Act. 

Sec. 12309. Produce represented as grown in the United States when it is not in 

fact grown in the United States. 

Sec. 12310. Report on water sharing. 

Sec. 12311. Scientific and economic analysis of the FDA Food Safety Modernization 

Act. 

Sec. 12312. Payment in lieu of taxes. 

Sec. 12313. Silvicultural activities. 

Sec. 12314. Pima agriculture cotton trust fund. 

Sec. 12315. Agriculture Wool Apparel Manufacturers Trust Fund. 

Sec. 12316. Wool research and promotion. 

Subtitle D—Oilheat Efficiency, Renewable Fuel Research and Jobs Training 

Sec. 12401. Short title. 

Sec. 12402. Findings and purposes. 

Sec. 12403. Definitions. 

Sec. 12404. Membership. 

Sec. 12405. Functions. 

Sec. 12406. Assessments. 

Sec. 12407. Market survey and consumer protection. 

Sec. 12408. Lobbying restrictions. 

Sec. 12409. Noncompliance. 

Sec. 12410. Sunset. 

SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 

In this Act, the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of Agriculture. 

TITLE I—COMMODITIES 

Subtitle A—Repeals and Reforms 

PART I—REPEALS 

SEC. 1101. REPEAL OF DIRECT PAYMENTS. 

Sections 1103 and 1303 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy 

Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8713, 8753) are repealed. 

SEC. 1102. REPEAL OF COUNTER-CYCLICAL PAYMENTS. 

(a) REPEAL.—Sections 1104 and 1304 of the Food, Conservation, 

and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8714, 8754) are repealed. 

(b) CONTINUED APPLICATION FOR 2013 CROP YEAR.—Sections 

1104 and 1304 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 

(7 U.S.C. 8714, 8754), as in effect on the day before the date 

of enactment of this Act, shall continue to apply through the 2013 

crop year with respect to all covered commodities (as defined in 

section 1001 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 8702)) and peanuts on a farm. 

SEC. 1103. REPEAL OF AVERAGE CROP REVENUE ELECTION PROGRAM. 

(a) REPEAL.—Section 1105 of the Food, Conservation, and 

Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8715) is repealed. 

(b) CONTINUED APPLICATION FOR 2013 CROP YEAR.—Section 

1105 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

8715), as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of 

this Act, shall continue to apply through the 2013 crop year with 

respect to all covered commodities (as defined in section 1001 of 

that Act (7 U.S.C. 8702)) and peanuts on a farm for which the 

irrevocable election under section 1105 of that Act was made before 

the date of enactment of this Act. 

7 USC 8715 note. 

7 USC 8714 note. 

7 USC 9001. 


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PART II—COMMODITY POLICY 

SEC. 1111. DEFINITIONS. 

In this subtitle and subtitle B: 

(1) ACTUAL CROP REVENUE.—The term ‘‘actual crop revenue’’, with respect to a covered commodity for a crop year, 

means the amount determined by the Secretary under section 

1117(b). 

(2) AGRICULTURE RISK COVERAGE.—The term ‘‘agriculture 

risk coverage’’ means coverage provided under section 1117. 

(3) AGRICULTURE RISK COVERAGE GUARANTEE.—The term 

‘‘agriculture risk coverage guarantee’’, with respect to a covered 

commodity for a crop year, means the amount determined by 

the Secretary under section 1117(c). 

(4) BASE ACRES.— (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘base acres’’, with respect 

to a covered commodity on a farm, means the number 

of acres in effect under sections 1001 and 1301 of the 

Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

8702, 8751), as adjusted pursuant to sections 1101, 1108, 

and 1302 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 8711, 8718, 8752), as 

in effect on September 30, 2013, subject to any reallocation, 

adjustment, or reduction under section 1112 of this Act. 

(B) INCLUSION OF GENERIC BASE ACRES.—The term 

‘‘base acres’’ includes any generic base acres planted to 

a covered commodity as determined in section 1114(b). 

(5) COUNTY COVERAGE.—The term ‘‘county coverage’’ means 

agriculture risk coverage selected under section 1115(b)(1) to 

be obtained at the county level. 

(6) COVERED COMMODITY.—The term ‘‘covered commodity’’ 

means wheat, oats, and barley (including wheat, oats, and 

barley used for haying and grazing), corn, grain sorghum, long 

grain rice, medium grain rice, pulse crops, soybeans, other 

oilseeds, and peanuts. 

(7) EFFECTIVE PRICE.—The term ‘‘effective price’’, with 

respect to a covered commodity for a crop year, means the 

price calculated by the Secretary under section 1116(b) to determine whether price loss coverage payments are required to 

be provided for that crop year. 

(8) EXTRA LONG STAPLE COTTON.—The term ‘‘extra long 

staple cotton’’ means cotton that— 

(A) is produced from pure strain varieties of the 

Barbadense species or any hybrid of the species, or other 

similar types of extra long staple cotton, designated by 

the Secretary, having characteristics needed for various 

end uses for which United States upland cotton is not 

suitable and grown in irrigated cotton-growing regions of 

the United States designated by the Secretary or other 

areas designated by the Secretary as suitable for the 

production of the varieties or types; and 

(B) is ginned on a roller-type gin or, if authorized 

by the Secretary, ginned on another type gin for experimental purposes. 

(9) GENERIC BASE ACRES.—The term ‘‘generic base acres’’ 

means the number of base acres for cotton in effect under 

section 1001 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (7 U.S.C. 8702), as adjusted pursuant to section 1101 

7 USC 9011. 


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of such Act (7 U.S.C. 8711), as in effect on September 30, 

2013, subject to any adjustment or reduction under section 

1112 of this Act. 

(10) INDIVIDUAL COVERAGE.—The term ‘‘individual coverage’’ means agriculture risk coverage selected under section 

1115(b)(2) to be obtained at the farm level. 

(11) MEDIUM GRAIN RICE.—The term ‘‘medium grain rice’’ 

includes short grain rice and temperate japonica rice. 

(12) OTHER OILSEED.—The term ‘‘other oilseed’’ means a 

crop of sunflower seed, rapeseed, canola, safflower, flaxseed, 

mustard seed, crambe, sesame seed, or any oilseed designated 

by the Secretary. 

(13) PAYMENT ACRES.—The term ‘‘payment acres’’, with 

respect to the provision of price loss coverage payments and 

agriculture risk coverage payments, means the number of acres 

determined for a farm under section 1114. 

(14) PAYMENT YIELD.—The term ‘‘payment yield’’, for a 

farm for a covered commodity— 

(A) means the yield used to make payments pursuant 

to section 1104 or 1304 of the Food, Conservation, and 

Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8714, 8754), as in effect 

on September 30, 2013; or 

(B) means the yield established under section 1113 

of this Act. 

(15) PRICE LOSS COVERAGE.—The term ‘‘price loss coverage’’ 

means coverage provided under section 1116. 

(16) PRODUCER.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘producer’’ means an 

owner, operator, landlord, tenant, or sharecropper that 

shares in the risk of producing a crop and is entitled 

to share in the crop available for marketing from the farm, 

or would have shared had the crop been produced. 

(B) HYBRID SEED.—In determining whether a grower 

of hybrid seed is a producer, the Secretary shall— 

(i) not take into consideration the existence of a 

hybrid seed contract; and 

(ii) ensure that program requirements do not 

adversely affect the ability of the grower to receive 

a payment under this title. 

(17) PULSE CROP.—The term ‘‘pulse crop’’ means dry peas, 

lentils, small chickpeas, and large chickpeas. 

(18) REFERENCE PRICE.—The term ‘‘reference price’’, with 

respect to a covered commodity for a crop year, means the 

following: 

(A) For wheat, $5.50 per bushel. 

(B) For corn, $3.70 per bushel. 

(C) For grain sorghum, $3.95 per bushel. 

(D) For barley, $4.95 per bushel. 

(E) For oats, $2.40 per bushel. 

(F) For long grain rice, $14.00 per hundredweight. 

(G) For medium grain rice, $14.00 per hundredweight. 

(H) For soybeans, $8.40 per bushel. 

(I) For other oilseeds, $20.15 per hundredweight. 

(J) For peanuts, $535.00 per ton. 

(K) For dry peas, $11.00 per hundredweight. 

(L) For lentils, $19.97 per hundredweight. 

(M) For small chickpeas, $19.04 per hundredweight. 


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(N) For large chickpeas, $21.54 per hundredweight. 

(19) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of Agriculture. 

(20) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means— 

(A) a State; 

(B) the District of Columbia; 

(C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and 

(D) any other territory or possession of the United 

States. 

(21) TEMPERATE JAPONICA RICE.—The term ‘‘temperate 

japonica rice’’ means rice that is grown in high altitudes or 

temperate regions of high latitudes with cooler climate conditions, in the Western United States, as determined by the 

Secretary, for the purpose of— 

(A) the reallocation of base acres under section 1112; 

(B) the establishment of a reference price (as required 

under section 1116(g)) and an effective price pursuant to 

section 1116; and 

(C) the determination of the actual crop revenue and 

agriculture risk coverage guarantee pursuant to section 

1117. 

(22) TRANSITIONAL YIELD.—The term ‘‘transitional yield’’ 

has the meaning given the term in section 502(b) of the Federal 

Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1502(b)). 

(23) UNITED STATES.—The term ‘‘United States’’, when used 

in a geographical sense, means all of the States. 

(24) UNITED STATES PREMIUM FACTOR.—The term ‘‘United 

States Premium Factor’’ means the percentage by which the 

difference in the United States loan schedule premiums for 

Strict Middling (SM) 11⁄8-inch upland cotton and for Middling 

(M) 13⁄32-inch upland cotton exceeds the difference in the 

applicable premiums for comparable international qualities. 

SEC. 1112. BASE ACRES. 

(a) RETENTION OR 1-TIME REALLOCATION OF BASE ACRES.— 

(1) ELECTION REQUIRED.— 

(A) NOTICE OF ELECTION OPPORTUNITY.—As soon as 

practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the 

Secretary shall provide notice to the owners of a farm 

regarding their opportunity to make an election, in the 

manner provided in this subsection— 

(i) to retain base acres, including any generic base 

acres, as provided in paragraph (2); or 

(ii) in lieu of retaining base acres, to reallocate 

base acres, other than any generic base acres, as provided in paragraph (3). 

(B) CONTENT OF NOTICE.—The notice under subparagraph (A) shall include the following: 

(i) Information that the opportunity of an owner 

to make the election is being provided only once. 

(ii) Information regarding the manner in which 

the owner must make the election and the manner 

of notifying the Secretary of the election. 

(iii) Information regarding the deadline before 

which the owner must notify the Secretary of the election to be in effect beginning with the 2014 crop year. 

7 USC 9012. 


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(C) EFFECT OF FAILURE TO MAKE ELECTION.—If the 

owner of a farm fails to make the election under this 

subsection, or fails to timely notify the Secretary of the 

election as required by subparagraph (B)(iii), the owner 

shall be deemed to have elected to retain base acres, 

including generic base acres, as provided in paragraph 

(2). 

(2) RETENTION OF BASE ACRES.— 

(A) ELECTION TO RETAIN.—For the purpose of applying 

this part to a covered commodity, the Secretary shall give 

an owner of a farm an opportunity to elect to retain all 

of the base acres for each covered commodity on the farm. 

(B) TREATMENT OF GENERIC BASE ACRES.—Generic base 

acres are automatically retained. 

(3) REALLOCATION OF BASE ACRES.— 

(A) ELECTION TO REALLOCATE.—For the purpose of 

applying this part to covered commodities, the Secretary 

shall give an owner of a farm an opportunity to elect 

to reallocate all of the base acres for covered commodities 

on the farm, as in effect on September 30, 2013, among 

those covered commodities planted on the farm at any 

time during the 2009 through 2012 crop years. 

(B) REALLOCATION FORMULA.—The reallocation of base 

acres among covered commodities on a farm shall be in 

proportion to the ratio of— 

(i) the 4-year average of— 

(I) the acreage planted on the farm to each 

covered commodity for harvest, grazing, haying, 

silage, or other similar purposes for the 2009 

through 2012 crop years; and 

(II) any acreage on the farm that the producers 

were prevented from planting during the 2009 

through 2012 crop years to that covered commodity 

because of drought, flood, or other natural disaster, 

or other condition beyond the control of the producers, as determined by the Secretary; to 

(ii) the 4-year average of— 

(I) the acreage planted on the farm to all 

covered commodities for harvest, grazing, haying, 

silage, or other similar purposes for such crop 

years; and 

(II) any acreage on the farm that the producers 

were prevented from planting during such crop 

years to covered commodities because of drought, 

flood, or other natural disaster, or other condition 

beyond the control of the producers, as determined 

by the Secretary. 

(C) TREATMENT OF GENERIC BASE ACRES.—Generic base 

acres are retained and may not be reallocated under this 

paragraph. 

(D) INCLUSION OF ALL 4 YEARS IN AVERAGE.—For the 

purpose of determining a 4-year acreage average under 

subparagraph (B) for a farm, the Secretary shall not 

exclude any crop year in which a covered commodity was 

not planted. 


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(E) TREATMENT OF MULTIPLE PLANTING OR PREVENTED

PLANTING.—For the purpose of determining under subparagraph (B) the acreage on a farm that producers planted 

or were prevented from planting during the 2009 through 

2012 crop years to covered commodities, if the acreage 

that was planted or prevented from being planted was 

devoted to another covered commodity in the same crop 

year (other than a covered commodity produced under an 

established practice of double cropping), the owner may 

elect the commodity to be used for that crop year in determining the 4-year average, but may not include both the 

initial commodity and the subsequent commodity. 

(F) LIMITATION.—The reallocation of base acres among 

covered commodities on a farm under this paragraph may 

not result in a total number of base acres (including generic 

base acres) for the farm in excess of the number of base 

acres in effect for the farm on September 30, 2013. 

(4) APPLICATION OF ELECTION TO ALL COVERED COMMODITIES.—The election made under this subsection, or deemed 

to be made under paragraph (1)(C), with respect to a farm 

shall apply to all of the covered commodities on the farm. 

(b) ADJUSTMENT OF BASE ACRES.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding the election made under 

subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide for an adjustment, 

as appropriate, in the base acres for covered commodities for 

a farm and any generic base acres for the farm whenever 

any of the following circumstances occur: 

(A) A conservation reserve contract entered into under 

section 1231 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

3831) with respect to the farm expires or is voluntarily 

terminated. 

(B) Cropland is released from coverage under a conservation reserve contract by the Secretary. 

(C) The producer has eligible oilseed acreage as the 

result of the Secretary designating additional oilseeds, 

which shall be determined in the same manner as eligible 

oilseed acreage under section 1101(a)(1)(D) of the Food, 

Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

8711(a)(1)(D)). 

(2) SPECIAL CONSERVATION RESERVE ACREAGE PAYMENT

RULES.—For the crop year in which a base acres adjustment 

under subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) is first made, 

the owner of the farm shall elect to receive price loss coverage 

or agriculture risk coverage with respect to the acreage added 

to the farm under this subsection or a prorated payment under 

the conservation reserve contract, but not both. 

(c) PREVENTION OF EXCESS BASE ACRES.— 

(1) REQUIRED REDUCTION.—Notwithstanding the election 

made under subsection (a), if the sum of the base acres for 

a farm, including generic base acres, and the acreage described 

in paragraph (2) exceeds the actual cropland acreage of the 

farm, the Secretary shall reduce the base acres for 1 or more 

covered commodities or generic base acres for the farm so 

that the sum of the base acres, including generic base acres, 

and the acreage described in paragraph (2) does not exceed 

the actual cropland acreage of the farm. 


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(2) OTHER ACREAGE.—For purposes of paragraph (1), the 

Secretary shall include the following: 

(A) Any acreage on the farm enrolled in the conservation reserve program or wetlands reserve program (or successor programs) under chapter 1 of subtitle D of title 

XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3830 

et seq.). 

(B) Any other acreage on the farm enrolled in a Federal 

conservation program for which payments are made in 

exchange for not producing an agricultural commodity on 

the acreage. 

(C) If the Secretary designates additional oilseeds, any 

eligible oilseed acreage, which shall be determined in the 

same manner as eligible oilseed acreage under subsection 

(b)(1)(C). 

(3) SELECTION OF ACRES.—The Secretary shall give the 

owner of the farm the opportunity to select the base acres 

for a covered commodity or generic base acres for the farm 

against which the reduction required by paragraph (1) will 

be made. 

(4) EXCEPTION FOR DOUBLE-CROPPED ACREAGE.—In 

applying paragraph (1), the Secretary shall make an exception 

in the case of double cropping, as determined by the Secretary. 

(d) REDUCTION IN BASE ACRES.— 

(1) REDUCTION AT OPTION OF OWNER.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—The owner of a farm may reduce, 

at any time, the base acres for any covered commodity 

or generic base acres for the farm. 

(B) EFFECT OF REDUCTION.—A reduction under 

subparagraph (A) shall be permanent and made in a 

manner prescribed by the Secretary. 

(2) REQUIRED ACTION BY SECRETARY.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall proportionately 

reduce base acres, including any generic base acres, on 

a farm for land that has been subdivided and developed 

for multiple residential units or other nonfarming uses 

if the size of the tracts and the density of the subdivision 

is such that the land is unlikely to return to the previous 

agricultural use, unless the producers on the farm demonstrate that the land— 

(i) remains devoted to commercial agricultural 

production; or 

(ii) is likely to be returned to the previous agricultural use. 

(B) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 

procedures to identify land described in subparagraph (A). 

SEC. 1113. PAYMENT YIELDS. 

(a) ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE.—For the purpose of making 

price loss coverage payments under section 1116, the Secretary 

shall provide for the establishment of a yield for each farm for 

any designated oilseed for which a payment yield was not established under section 1102 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy 

Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8712) in accordance with this section. 

(b) PAYMENT YIELDS FOR DESIGNATED OILSEEDS.— (1) DETERMINATION OF AVERAGE YIELD.—In the case of designated oilseeds, the Secretary shall determine the average 

7 USC 9013. 


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yield per planted acre for the designated oilseed on a farm 

for the 1998 through 2001 crop years, excluding any crop year 

in which the acreage planted to the designated oilseed was 

zero. 

(2) ADJUSTMENT FOR PAYMENT YIELD.— (A) IN GENERAL.—The payment yield for a farm for 

a designated oilseed shall be equal to the product of the 

following: 

(i) The average yield for the designated oilseed 

determined under paragraph (1). 

(ii) The ratio resulting from dividing the national 

average yield for the designated oilseed for the 1981 

through 1985 crops by the national average yield for 

the designated oilseed for the 1998 through 2001 crops. 

(B) NO NATIONAL AVERAGE YIELD INFORMATION AVAIL- ABLE.—To the extent that national average yield information for a designated oilseed is not available, the Secretary 

shall use such information as the Secretary determines 

to be fair and equitable to establish a national average 

yield under this section. 

(3) USE OF COUNTY AVERAGE YIELD.—If the yield per 

planted acre for a crop of a designated oilseed for a farm 

for any of the 1998 through 2001 crop years was less than 

75 percent of the county yield for that designated oilseed, 

the Secretary shall assign a yield for that crop year equal 

to 75 percent of the county yield for the purpose of determining 

the average under paragraph (1). 

(c) EFFECT OF LACK OF PAYMENT YIELD.— 

(1) ESTABLISHMENT BY SECRETARY.—In the case of a covered 

commodity on a farm for which base acres have been established 

or that is planted on generic base acres, if no payment yield 

is otherwise established for the covered commodity on the farm, 

the Secretary shall establish an appropriate payment yield 

for the covered commodity on the farm under paragraph (2). 

(2) USE OF SIMILARLY SITUATED FARMS.—To establish an 

appropriate payment yield for a covered commodity on a farm 

as required by paragraph (1), the Secretary shall take into 

consideration the farm program payment yields applicable to 

that covered commodity for similarly situated farms. The use 

of such data in an appeal, by the Secretary or by the producer, 

shall not be subject to any other provision of law. 

(d) SINGLE OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE YIELDS USED TO DETERMINE PRICE LOSS COVERAGE PAYMENTS.— 

(1) ELECTION TO UPDATE.—At the sole discretion of the 

owner of a farm, the owner of a farm shall have a 1-time 

opportunity to update, on a covered commodity-by-covered-commodity basis, the payment yield that would otherwise be used 

in calculating any price loss coverage payment for each covered 

commodity on the farm for which the election is made. 

(2) TIME FOR ELECTION.—The election under paragraph 

(1) shall be made at a time and manner to be in effect beginning 

with the 2014 crop year as determined by the Secretary. 

(3) METHOD OF UPDATING YIELDS.—If the owner of a farm 

elects to update yields under this subsection, the payment 

yield for a covered commodity on the farm, for the purpose 

of calculating price loss coverage payments only, shall be equal 

to 90 percent of the average of the yield per planted acre 


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for the crop of the covered commodity on the farm for the 

2008 through 2012 crop years, as determined by the Secretary, 

excluding any crop year in which the acreage planted to the 

crop of the covered commodity was zero. 

(4) USE OF COUNTY AVERAGE YIELD.—If the yield per 

planted acre for a crop of the covered commodity for a farm 

for any of the 2008 through 2012 crop years was less than 

75 percent of the average of the 2008 through 2012 county 

yield for that commodity, the Secretary shall assign a yield 

for that crop year equal to 75 percent of the average of the 

2008 through 2012 county yield for the purposes of determining 

the average yield under paragraph (3). 

SEC. 1114. PAYMENT ACRES. 

(a) DETERMINATION OF PAYMENT ACRES.— 

(1) GENERAL RULE.—For the purpose of price loss coverage 

and agriculture risk coverage when county coverage has been 

selected under section 1115(b)(1), but subject to subsection (e), 

the payment acres for each covered commodity on a farm shall 

be equal to 85 percent of the base acres for the covered commodity on the farm. 

(2) EFFECT OF INDIVIDUAL COVERAGE.—In the case of agriculture risk coverage when individual coverage has been 

selected under section 1115(b)(2), but subject to subsection (e), 

the payment acres for a farm shall be equal to 65 percent 

of the base acres for all of the covered commodities on the 

farm. 

(b) TREATMENT OF GENERIC BASE ACRES.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of generic base acres, price 

loss coverage payments and agriculture risk coverage payments 

are made only with respect to generic base acres planted to 

a covered commodity for the crop year. 

(2) ATTRIBUTION.—With respect to a farm containing 

generic base acres, for the purpose of applying paragraphs 

(1)(B) and (2)(B) of subsection (a), generic base acres on the 

farm are attributed to a covered commodity in the following 

manner: 

(A) If a single covered commodity is planted and the 

total acreage planted exceeds the generic base acres on 

the farm, the generic base acres are attributed to that 

covered commodity in an amount equal to the total number 

of generic base acres. 

(B) If multiple covered commodities are planted and 

the total number of acres planted to all covered commodities on the farm exceeds the generic base acres on the 

farm, the generic base acres are attributed to each of 

the covered commodities on the farm on a pro rata basis 

to reflect the ratio of— 

(i) the acreage planted to a covered commodity 

on the farm; to 

(ii) the total acreage planted to all covered 

commodities on the farm. 

(C) If the total number of acres planted to all covered 

commodities on the farm does not exceed the generic base 

acres on the farm, the number of acres planted to a covered 

commodity is attributed to that covered commodity. 

7 USC 9014. 


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(3) TREATED AS ADDITIONAL ACREAGE.—When generic base 

acres are planted to a covered commodity or acreage planted 

to a covered commodity is attributed to generic base acres, 

the generic base acres are in addition to other base acres 

on the farm. 

(c) EXCLUSION.—The quantity of payment acres determined 

under subsection (a) may not include any crop subsequently planted 

during the same crop year on the same land for which the first 

crop is eligible for price loss coverage payments or agriculture 

risk coverage payments, unless the crop was approved for double 

cropping in the county, as determined by the Secretary. 

(d) EFFECT OF MINIMAL PAYMENT ACRES.— 

(1) PROHIBITION ON PAYMENTS.—Notwithstanding any other 

provision of this title, a producer on a farm may not receive 

price loss coverage payments or agriculture risk coverage payments if the sum of the base acres on the farm is 10 acres 

or less, as determined by the Secretary. 

(2) EXCEPTIONS.—Paragraph (1) does not apply to a producer that is— 

(A) a socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher (as 

defined in section 355(e) of the Consolidated Farm and 

Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2003(e))); or 

(B) a limited resource farmer or rancher, as defined 

by the Secretary. 

(e) EFFECT OF PLANTING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.— 

(1) REDUCTION REQUIRED.—In the manner provided in this 

subsection, payment acres on a farm shall be reduced in any 

crop year in which fruits, vegetables (other than mung beans 

and pulse crops), or wild rice have been planted on base acres 

on a farm. 

(2) PRICE LOSS COVERAGE AND COUNTY COVERAGE.—In the 

case of price loss coverage payments and agricultural risk coverage payments using county coverage, the reduction under 

paragraph (1) shall be the amount equal to the base acres 

planted to crops referred to in such paragraph in excess of 

15 percent of base acres. 

(3) INDIVIDUAL COVERAGE.—In the case of agricultural risk 

coverage payments using individual coverage, the reduction 

under paragraph (1) shall be the amount equal to the base 

acres planted to crops referred to in such paragraph in excess 

of 35 percent of base acres. 

(4) REDUCTION EXCEPTIONS.—No reduction to payment 

acres shall be made under this subsection if— 

(A) cover crops or crops referred to in paragraph (1) 

are grown solely for conservation purposes and not harvested for use or sale, as determined by the Secretary; 

or 

(B) in any region in which there is a history of doublecropping covered commodities with crops referred to in 

paragraph (1) and such crops were so double-cropped on 

the base acres, as determined by the Secretary. 

SEC. 1115. PRODUCER ELECTION. 

(a) ELECTION REQUIRED.—For the 2014 through 2018 crop 

years, all of the producers on a farm shall make a 1-time, irrevocable 

election to obtain— 

7 USC 9015. 


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(1) price loss coverage under section 1116 on a covered 

commodity-by-covered-commodity basis; or 

(2) agriculture risk coverage under section 1117. 

(b) COVERAGE OPTIONS.—In the election under subsection (a), 

the producers on a farm that elect under paragraph (2) of such 

subsection to obtain agriculture risk coverage under section 1117 

shall unanimously select whether to receive agriculture risk coverage payments based on— 

(1) county coverage applicable on a covered commodityby-covered-commodity basis; or 

(2) individual coverage applicable to all of the covered 

commodities on the farm. 

(c) EFFECT OF FAILURE TO MAKE UNANIMOUS ELECTION.—If 

all the producers on a farm fail to make a unanimous election 

under subsection (a) for the 2014 crop year— 

(1) the Secretary shall not make any payments with respect 

to the farm for the 2014 crop year under section 1116 or 

1117; and 

(2) the producers on the farm shall be deemed to have 

elected price loss coverage under section 1116 for all covered 

commodities on the farm for the 2015 through 2018 crop years. 

(d) EFFECT OF SELECTION OF COUNTY COVERAGE.—If all the 

producers on a farm select county coverage for a covered commodity 

under subsection (b)(1), the Secretary may not make price loss 

coverage payments under section 1116 to the producers on the 

farm with respect to that covered commodity. 

(e) EFFECT OF SELECTION OF INDIVIDUAL COVERAGE.—If all 

the producers on a farm select individual coverage under subsection 

(b)(2), in addition to the selection and election under this section 

applying to each producer on the farm, the Secretary shall consider, 

for purposes of making the calculations required by subsections 

(b)(2) and (c)(3) of section 1117, the producer’s share of all farms 

in the same State— 

(1) in which the producer has an interest; and 

(2) for which individual coverage has been selected. 

(f) PROHIBITION ON RECONSTITUTION.—The Secretary shall 

ensure that producers on a farm do not reconstitute the farm 

to void or change an election or selection made under this section. 

SEC. 1116. PRICE LOSS COVERAGE. 

(a) PRICE LOSS COVERAGE PAYMENTS.—If all of the producers 

on a farm make the election under subsection (a) of section 1115 

to obtain price loss coverage or, subject to subsection (c)(1) of 

such section, are deemed to have made such election under subsection (c)(2) of such section, the Secretary shall make price loss 

coverage payments to producers on the farm on a covered commodity-by-covered-commodity basis if the Secretary determines 

that, for any of the 2014 through 2018 crop years— 

(1) the effective price for the covered commodity for the 

crop year; is less than 

(2) the reference price for the covered commodity for the 

crop year. 

(b) EFFECTIVE PRICE.—The effective price for a covered commodity for a crop year shall be the higher of— 

(1) the national average market price received by producers 

during the 12-month marketing year for the covered commodity, 

as determined by the Secretary; or 

7 USC 9016. 


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(2) the national average loan rate for a marketing assistance loan for the covered commodity in effect for such crop 

year under subtitle B. 

(c) PAYMENT RATE.—The payment rate shall be equal to the 

difference between— 

(1) the reference price for the covered commodity; and 

(2) the effective price determined under subsection (b) for 

the covered commodity. 

(d) PAYMENT AMOUNT.—If price loss coverage payments are 

required to be provided under this section for any of the 2014 

through 2018 crop years for a covered commodity, the amount 

of the price loss coverage payment to be paid to the producers 

on a farm for the crop year shall be equal to the product obtained 

by multiplying— 

(1) the payment rate for the covered commodity under 

subsection (c); 

(2) the payment yield for the covered commodity; and 

(3) the payment acres for the covered commodity. 

(e) TIME FOR PAYMENTS.—If the Secretary determines under 

this section that price loss coverage payments are required to be 

provided for the covered commodity, the payments shall be made 

beginning October 1, or as soon as practicable thereafter, after 

the end of the applicable marketing year for the covered commodity. 

(f) EFFECTIVE PRICE FOR BARLEY.—In determining the effective 

price for barley under subsection (b), the Secretary shall use the 

all-barley price. 

(g) REFERENCE PRICE FOR TEMPERATE JAPONICA RICE.—The 

Secretary shall provide a reference price with respect to temperate 

japonica rice in an amount equal to 115 percent of the amount 

established in subparagraphs (F) and (G) of section 1111(18) in 

order to reflect price premiums. 

SEC. 1117. AGRICULTURE RISK COVERAGE. 

(a) AGRICULTURE RISK COVERAGE PAYMENTS.—If all of the producers on a farm make the election under section 1115(a) to obtain 

agriculture risk coverage, the Secretary shall make agriculture 

risk coverage payments to producers on the farm if the Secretary 

determines that, for any of the 2014 through 2018 crop years— 

(1) the actual crop revenue determined under subsection 

(b) for the crop year; is less than 

(2) the agriculture risk coverage guarantee determined 

under subsection (c) for the crop year. 

(b) ACTUAL CROP REVENUE.— 

(1) COUNTY COVERAGE.—In the case of county coverage, 

the amount of the actual crop revenue for a county for a 

crop year of a covered commodity shall be equal to the product 

obtained by multiplying— 

(A) the actual average county yield per planted acre 

for the covered commodity, as determined by the Secretary; 

and 

(B) the higher of— 

(i) the national average market price received by 

producers during the 12-month marketing year for the 

covered commodity, as determined by the Secretary; 

or 

7 USC 9017. 


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(ii) the national average loan rate for a marketing 

assistance loan for the covered commodity in effect 

for such crop year under subtitle B. 

(2) INDIVIDUAL COVERAGE.—In the case of individual coverage, the amount of the actual crop revenue for a producer 

on a farm for a crop year shall be based on the producer’s 

share of all covered commodities planted on all farms for which 

individual coverage has been selected and in which the producer 

has an interest, to be determined by the Secretary as follows: 

(A) For each covered commodity, the product obtained 

by multiplying— 

(i) the total production of the covered commodity 

on such farms, as determined by the Secretary; and 

(ii) the higher of— 

(I) the national average market price received 

by producers during the 12-month marketing year, 

as determined by the Secretary; or 

(II) the national average loan rate for a marketing assistance loan for the covered commodity 

in effect for such crop year under subtitle B. 

(B) The sum of the amounts determined under subparagraph (A) for all covered commodities on such farms. 

(C) The quotient obtained by dividing the amount 

determined under subparagraph (B) by the total planted 

acres of all covered commodities on such farms. 

(c) AGRICULTURE RISK COVERAGE GUARANTEE.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The agriculture risk coverage guarantee 

for a crop year for a covered commodity shall equal 86 percent 

of the benchmark revenue. 

(2) BENCHMARK REVENUE FOR COUNTY COVERAGE.—In the 

case of county coverage, the benchmark revenue shall be the 

product obtained by multiplying— 

(A) subject to paragraph (4), the average historical 

county yield as determined by the Secretary for the most 

recent 5 crop years, excluding each of the crop years with 

the highest and lowest yields; and 

(B) subject to paragraph (5), the national average 

market price received by producers during the 12-month 

marketing year for the most recent 5 crop years, excluding 

each of the crop years with the highest and lowest prices. 

(3) BENCHMARK REVENUE FOR INDIVIDUAL COVERAGE.—In 

the case of individual coverage, the benchmark revenue for 

a producer on a farm for a crop year shall be based on the 

producer’s share of all covered commodities planted on all farms 

for which individual coverage has been selected and in which 

the producer has an interest, to be determined by the Secretary 

as follows: 

(A) For each covered commodity for each of the most 

recent 5 crop years, the product obtained by multiplying— 

(i) subject to paragraph (4), the yield per planted 

acre for the covered commodity on such farms, as determined by the Secretary; by 

(ii) subject to paragraph (5), the national average 

market price received by producers during the 12- 

month marketing year. 

(B) For each covered commodity, the average of the 

revenues determined under subparagraph (A) for the most 


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recent 5 crop years, excluding each of the crop years with 

the highest and lowest revenues. 

(C) For each of the 2014 through 2018 crop years, 

the sum of the amounts determined under subparagraph 

(B) for all covered commodities on such farms, but adjusted 

to reflect the ratio between the total number of acres 

planted on such farms to a covered commodity and the 

total acres of all covered commodities planted on such 

farms. 

(4) YIELD CONDITIONS.—If the yield per planted acre for 

the covered commodity or historical county yield per planted 

acre for the covered commodity for any of the 5 most recent 

crop years, as determined by the Secretary, is less than 70 

percent of the transitional yield, as determined by the Secretary, the amounts used for any of those years in paragraph 

(2)(A) or (3)(A)(i) shall be 70 percent of the transitional yield. 

(5) REFERENCE PRICE.—If the national average market price 

received by producers during the 12-month marketing year 

for any of the 5 most recent crop years is lower than the 

reference price for the covered commodity, the Secretary shall 

use the reference price for any of those years for the amounts 

in paragraph (2)(B) or (3)(A)(ii). 

(d) PAYMENT RATE.—The payment rate for a covered commodity, in the case of county coverage, or a farm, in the case 

of individual coverage, shall be equal to the lesser of— 

(1) the amount that— 

(A) the agriculture risk coverage guarantee for the 

crop year applicable under subsection (c); exceeds 

(B) the actual crop revenue for the crop year applicable 

under subsection (b); or 

(2) 10 percent of the benchmark revenue for the crop year 

applicable under subsection (c). 

(e) PAYMENT AMOUNT.—If agriculture risk coverage payments 

are required to be paid for any of the 2014 through 2018 crop 

years, the amount of the agriculture risk coverage payment for 

the crop year shall be determined by multiplying— 

(1) the payment rate determined under subsection (d); and 

(2) the payment acres determined under section 1114. 

(f) TIME FOR PAYMENTS.—If the Secretary determines that agriculture risk coverage payments are required to be provided for 

the covered commodity, payments shall be made beginning October 

1, or as soon as practicable thereafter, after the end of the applicable 

marketing year for the covered commodity. 

(g) ADDITIONAL DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.—In providing agriculture risk coverage, the Secretary shall— 

(1) to the maximum extent practicable, use all available 

information and analysis, including data mining, to check for 

anomalies in the determination of agriculture risk coverage 

payments; 

(2) to the maximum extent practicable, calculate a separate 

actual crop revenue and agriculture risk coverage guarantee 

for irrigated and nonirrigated covered commodities; 

(3) in the case of individual coverage, assign an average 

yield for a farm on the basis of the yield history of representative farms in the State, region, or crop reporting district, as 

determined by the Secretary, if the Secretary determines that 


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the farm has planted acreage in a quantity that is insufficient 

to calculate a representative average yield for the farm; and 

(4) in the case of county coverage, assign an actual or 

benchmark county yield for each planted acre for the crop 

year for the covered commodity on the basis of the yield history 

of representative farms in the State, region, or crop reporting 

district, as determined by the Secretary, if— 

(A) the Secretary cannot establish the actual or benchmark county yield for each planted acre for a crop year 

for a covered commodity in the county in accordance with 

subsection (b)(1) or (c)(2); or 

(B) the yield determined under subsection (b)(1) or 

(c)(2) is an unrepresentative average yield for the county, 

as determined by the Secretary. 

SEC. 1118. PRODUCER AGREEMENTS. 

(a) COMPLIANCE WITH CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.— 

(1) REQUIREMENTS.—Before the producers on a farm may 

receive payments under this subtitle with respect to the farm, 

the producers shall agree, during the crop year for which the 

payments are made and in exchange for the payments— 

(A) to comply with applicable conservation requirements under subtitle B of title XII of the Food Security 

Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3811 et seq.); 

(B) to comply with applicable wetland protection 

requirements under subtitle C of title XII of that Act (16 

U.S.C. 3821 et seq.); 

(C) to effectively control noxious weeds and otherwise 

maintain the land in accordance with sound agricultural 

practices, as determined by the Secretary; and 

(D) to use the land on the farm, in a quantity equal 

to the attributable base acres for the farm and any base 

acres for an agricultural or conserving use, and not for 

a nonagricultural commercial, industrial, or residential use, 

as determined by the Secretary. 

(2) COMPLIANCE.—The Secretary may issue such rules as 

the Secretary considers necessary to ensure producer compliance with the requirements of paragraph (1). 

(3) MODIFICATION.—At the request of the transferee or 

owner, the Secretary may modify the requirements of this subsection if the modifications are consistent with the objectives 

of this subsection, as determined by the Secretary. 

(b) TRANSFER OR CHANGE OF INTEREST IN FARM.— 

(1) TERMINATION.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), 

a transfer of (or change in) the interest of the producers 

on a farm for which payments under this subtitle are 

provided shall result in the termination of the payments, 

unless the transferee or owner of the acreage agrees to 

assume all obligations under subsection (a). 

(B) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The termination shall take effect 

on the date determined by the Secretary. 

(2) EXCEPTION.—If a producer entitled to a payment under 

this subtitle dies, becomes incompetent, or is otherwise unable 

to receive the payment, the Secretary shall make the payment 

in accordance with rules issued by the Secretary. 

7 USC 9018. 


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(c) ACREAGE REPORTS.—As a condition on the receipt of any 

benefits under this subtitle or subtitle B, the Secretary shall require 

producers on a farm to submit to the Secretary annual acreage 

reports with respect to all cropland on the farm. 

(d) PRODUCTION REPORTS.—As an additional condition on 

receiving agriculture risk coverage payments for individual coverage, the Secretary shall require a producer on a farm to submit 

to the Secretary annual production reports with respect to all covered commodities produced on all farms in the same State— 

(1) in which the producer has an interest; and 

(2) for which individual coverage has been selected. 

(e) EFFECT OF INACCURATE REPORTS.—No penalty with respect 

to benefits under this subtitle or subtitle B shall be assessed against 

a producer on a farm for an inaccurate acreage or production 

report unless the Secretary determines that the producer on the 

farm knowingly and willfully falsified the acreage or production 

report. 

(f) TENANTS AND SHARECROPPERS.—In carrying out this subtitle, 

the Secretary shall provide adequate safeguards to protect the 

interests of tenants and sharecroppers. 

(g) SHARING OF PAYMENTS.—The Secretary shall provide for 

the sharing of payments made under this subtitle among the producers on a farm on a fair and equitable basis. 

SEC. 1119. TRANSITION ASSISTANCE FOR PRODUCERS OF UPLAND 

COTTON. 

(a) AVAILABILITY.— 

(1) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section to provide 

transition assistance to producers of upland cotton in light 

of the repeal of section 1103 of the Food, Conservation, and 

Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8713), the inapplicability of sections 1116 and 1117 to upland cotton, and the delayed 

implementation of the Stacked Income Protection Plan required 

by section 508B of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 

1508b), as added by section 11017 of this Act. 

(2) 2014 CROP YEAR.—For the 2014 crop of upland cotton, 

the Secretary shall provide transition assistance, pursuant to 

the terms and conditions of this section, to producers on a 

farm for which cotton base acres were in existence for the 

2013 crop year. 

(3) 2015 CROP YEAR.—For the 2015 crop of upland cotton, 

the Secretary shall provide transition assistance, pursuant to 

the terms and conditions of this section, to producers on a 

farm— 

(A) for which cotton base acres were in existence for 

the 2013 crop year; and 

(B) that is located in a county in which the Stacked 

Income Protection Plan required by section 508B of the 

Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508b) is not available to producers of upland cotton for the 2015 crop year. 

(b) TRANSITION ASSISTANCE RATE.—The transition assistance 

rate shall be equal to the product obtained by multiplying— 

(1) the June 12, 2013, midpoint estimate for the marketing 

year average price of upland cotton received by producers for 

the marketing year beginning August 1, 2013, minus the 

December 10, 2013, midpoint estimate for the marketing year 

average price of upland cotton received by producers for the 

7 USC 9019. 


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marketing year beginning August 1, 2013, as contained in 

the applicable World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report published by the Department of Agriculture; and 

(2) the national program yield for upland cotton of 597 

pounds per acre. 

(c) CALCULATION OF TRANSITION ASSISTANCE AMOUNT.—The 

amount of transition assistance to be provided under this section 

to producers on a farm for a crop year shall be equal to the 

product obtained by multiplying— 

(1) for the 2014 crop year, 60 percent, and for the 2015 

crop year, 36.5 percent, of the cotton base acres referred to 

in subsection (a) for the farm, subject to adjustment or reduction 

for conservation measures as provided in subsections (b) and 

(c) of section 1112; 

(2) the transition assistance rate in effect for the crop 

year under subsection (b); and 

(3) the payment yield for upland cotton for the farm established for purposes of section 1103(c)(3) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8713(c)(3)), divided 

by the national program yield for upland cotton of 597 pounds 

per acre. 

(d) TIME FOR PAYMENT.—The Secretary may not make transition assistance payments for a crop year under this section before 

October 1 of the calendar year in which the crop of upland cotton 

is harvested. 

(e) PAYMENT LIMITATIONS.—Sections 1001 through 1001C of 

the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308 through 1308C), 

as in effect on September 30, 2013, shall apply to the receipt 

of transition assistance under this section in the same manner 

as such sections applied to section 1103 of the Food, Conservation, 

and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8713). 

Subtitle B—Marketing Loans 

SEC. 1201. AVAILABILITY OF NONRECOURSE MARKETING ASSISTANCE 

LOANS FOR LOAN COMMODITIES. 

(a) DEFINITION OF LOAN COMMODITY.—In this subtitle, the term 

‘‘loan commodity’’ means wheat, corn, grain sorghum, barley, oats, 

upland cotton, extra long staple cotton, long grain rice, medium 

grain rice, peanuts, soybeans, other oilseeds, graded wool, nongraded wool, mohair, honey, dry peas, lentils, small chickpeas, 

and large chickpeas. 

(b) NONRECOURSE LOANS AVAILABLE.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—For each of the 2014 through 2018 crops 

of each loan commodity, the Secretary shall make available 

to producers on a farm nonrecourse marketing assistance loans 

for loan commodities produced on the farm. 

(2) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—The marketing assistance 

loans shall be made under terms and conditions that are prescribed by the Secretary and at the loan rate established under 

section 1202 for the loan commodity. 

(c) ELIGIBLE PRODUCTION.—The producers on a farm shall be 

eligible for a marketing assistance loan under subsection (b) for 

any quantity of a loan commodity produced on the farm. 

(d) COMPLIANCE WITH CONSERVATION AND WETLANDS REQUIRE- MENTS.—As a condition of the receipt of a marketing assistance 

7 USC 9031. 


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loan under subsection (b), the producer shall comply with applicable 

conservation requirements under subtitle B of title XII of the Food 

Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3811 et seq.) and applicable wetland 

protection requirements under subtitle C of title XII of that Act 

(16 U.S.C. 3821 et seq.) during the term of the loan. 

(e) SPECIAL RULES FOR PEANUTS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—This subsection shall apply only to producers of peanuts. 

(2) OPTIONS FOR OBTAINING LOAN.—A marketing assistance 

loan under this section, and loan deficiency payments under 

section 1205, may be obtained at the option of the producers 

on a farm through— 

(A) a designated marketing association or marketing 

cooperative of producers that is approved by the Secretary; 

or 

(B) the Farm Service Agency. 

(3) STORAGE OF LOAN PEANUTS.—As a condition on the 

approval by the Secretary of an individual or entity to provide 

storage for peanuts for which a marketing assistance loan 

is made under this section, the individual or entity shall agree— 

(A) to provide the storage on a nondiscriminatory basis; 

and 

(B) to comply with such additional requirements as 

the Secretary considers appropriate to accomplish the purposes of this section and promote fairness in the administration of the benefits of this section. 

(4) STORAGE, HANDLING, AND ASSOCIATED COSTS.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—To ensure proper storage of peanuts 

for which a loan is made under this section, the Secretary 

shall pay handling and other associated costs (other than 

storage costs) incurred at the time at which the peanuts 

are placed under loan, as determined by the Secretary. 

(B) REDEMPTION AND FORFEITURE.—The Secretary 

shall— 

(i) require the repayment of handling and other 

associated costs paid under subparagraph (A) for all 

peanuts pledged as collateral for a loan that is 

redeemed under this section; and 

(ii) pay storage, handling, and other associated 

costs for all peanuts pledged as collateral that are 

forfeited under this section. 

(5) MARKETING.—A marketing association or cooperative 

may market peanuts for which a loan is made under this 

section in any manner that conforms to consumer needs, 

including the separation of peanuts by type and quality. 

(6) REIMBURSABLE AGREEMENTS AND PAYMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—The Secretary may implement any 

reimbursable agreements or provide for the payment of 

administrative expenses under this subsection only in a manner 

that is consistent with those activities in regard to other loan 

commodities. 

SEC. 1202. LOAN RATES FOR NONRECOURSE MARKETING ASSISTANCE 

LOANS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of each of the 2014 through 

2018 crop years, the loan rate for a marketing assistance loan 

7 USC 9032. 


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under section 1201 for a loan commodity shall be equal to the 

following: (1) In the case of wheat, $2.94 per bushel. 

(2) In the case of corn, $1.95 per bushel. 

(3) In the case of grain sorghum, $1.95 per bushel. 

(4) In the case of barley, $1.95 per bushel. 

(5) In the case of oats, $1.39 per bushel. 

(6) In the case of base quality of upland cotton, for each 

of the 2014 through 2018 crop years, the simple average of 

the adjusted prevailing world price for the 2 immediately preceding marketing years, as determined by the Secretary and 

announced October 1 preceding the next domestic plantings, 

but in no case less than $0.45 per pound or more than $0.52 

per pound. (7) In the case of extra long staple cotton, $0.7977 per 

pound. (8) In the case of long grain rice, $6.50 per hundredweight. 

(9) In the case of medium grain rice, $6.50 per hundredweight. (10) In the case of soybeans, $5.00 per bushel. 

(11) In the case of other oilseeds, $10.09 per hundredweight 

for each of the following kinds of oilseeds: 

(A) Sunflower seed. 

(B) Rapeseed. 

(C) Canola. 

(D) Safflower. 

(E) Flaxseed. 

(F) Mustard seed. 

(G) Crambe. 

(H) Sesame seed. 

(I) Other oilseeds designated by the Secretary. (12) In the case of dry peas, $5.40 per hundredweight. 

(13) In the case of lentils, $11.28 per hundredweight. 

(14) In the case of small chickpeas, $7.43 per hundredweight. (15) In the case of large chickpeas, $11.28 per hundredweight. (16) In the case of graded wool, $1.15 per pound. 

(17) In the case of nongraded wool, $0.40 per pound. 

(18) In the case of mohair, $4.20 per pound. 

(19) In the case of honey, $0.69 per pound. 

(20) In the case of peanuts, $355 per ton. 

(b) SINGLE COUNTY LOAN RATE FOR OTHER OILSEEDS.—The 

Secretary shall establish a single loan rate in each county for 

each kind of other oilseeds described in subsection (a)(11). 

SEC. 1203. TERM OF LOANS. 

(a) TERM OF LOAN.—In the case of each loan commodity, a 

marketing assistance loan under section 1201 shall have a term 

of 9 months beginning on the first day of the first month after 

the month in which the loan is made. 

(b) EXTENSIONS PROHIBITED.—The Secretary may not extend 

the term of a marketing assistance loan for any loan commodity. 

SEC. 1204. REPAYMENT OF LOANS. 

(a) GENERAL RULE.—The Secretary shall permit the producers 

on a farm to repay a marketing assistance loan under section 

1201 for a loan commodity (other than upland cotton, long grain 

7 USC 9034. 

7 USC 9033. 


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rice, medium grain rice, extra long staple cotton, peanuts and 

confectionery and each other kind of sunflower seed (other than 

oil sunflower seed)) at a rate that is the lesser of— 

(1) the loan rate established for the commodity under section 1202, plus interest (determined in accordance with section 

163 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act 

of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7283)); 

(2) a rate (as determined by the Secretary) that— 

(A) is calculated based on average market prices for 

the loan commodity during the preceding 30-day period; 

and 

(B) will minimize discrepancies in marketing loan benefits across State boundaries and across county boundaries; 

or 

(3) a rate that the Secretary may develop using alternative 

methods for calculating a repayment rate for a loan commodity 

that the Secretary determines will— 

(A) minimize potential loan forfeitures; 

(B) minimize the accumulation of stocks of the commodity by the Federal Government; 

(C) minimize the cost incurred by the Federal Government in storing the commodity; 

(D) allow the commodity produced in the United States 

to be marketed freely and competitively, both domestically 

and internationally; and 

(E) minimize discrepancies in marketing loan benefits 

across State boundaries and across county boundaries. 

(b) REPAYMENT RATES FOR UPLAND COTTON, LONG GRAIN RICE, 

AND MEDIUM GRAIN RICE.—The Secretary shall permit producers 

to repay a marketing assistance loan under section 1201 for upland 

cotton, long grain rice, and medium grain rice at a rate that is 

the lesser of— 

(1) the loan rate established for the commodity under section 1202, plus interest (determined in accordance with section 

163 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act 

of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7283)); or 

(2) the prevailing world market price for the commodity, 

as determined and adjusted by the Secretary in accordance 

with this section. 

(c) REPAYMENT RATES FOR EXTRA LONG STAPLE COTTON.— 

Repayment of a marketing assistance loan for extra long staple 

cotton shall be at the loan rate established for the commodity 

under section 1202, plus interest (determined in accordance with 

section 163 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform 

Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7283)). 

(d) PREVAILING WORLD MARKET PRICE.—For purposes of this 

section and section 1207, the Secretary shall prescribe by regulation— 

(1) a formula to determine the prevailing world market 

price for each of upland cotton, long grain rice, and medium 

grain rice; and 

(2) a mechanism by which the Secretary shall announce 

periodically those prevailing world market prices. 

(e) ADJUSTMENT OF PREVAILING WORLD MARKET PRICE FOR

UPLAND COTTON, LONG GRAIN RICE, AND MEDIUM GRAIN RICE.— 


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(1) RICE.—The prevailing world market price for long grain 

rice and medium grain rice determined under subsection (d) 

shall be adjusted to United States quality and location. 

(2) COTTON.—The prevailing world market price for upland 

cotton determined under subsection (d)— 

(A) shall be adjusted to United States quality and 

location, with the adjustment to include— 

(i) a reduction equal to any United States Premium 

Factor for upland cotton of a quality higher than Middling (M) 13⁄32-inch; and 

(ii) the average costs to market the commodity, 

including average transportation costs, as determined 

by the Secretary; and 

(B) may be further adjusted, during the period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and ending 

on July 31, 2019, if the Secretary determines the adjustment is necessary— 

(i) to minimize potential loan forfeitures; 

(ii) to minimize the accumulation of stocks of 

upland cotton by the Federal Government; 

(iii) to ensure that upland cotton produced in the 

United States can be marketed freely and competitively, both domestically and internationally; and 

(iv) to ensure an appropriate transition between 

current-crop and forward-crop price quotations, except 

that the Secretary may use forward-crop price 

quotations prior to July 31 of a marketing year only 

if— 

(I) there are insufficient current-crop price 

quotations; and 

(II) the forward-crop price quotation is the 

lowest such quotation available. 

(3) GUIDELINES FOR ADDITIONAL ADJUSTMENTS.—In making 

adjustments under this subsection, the Secretary shall establish 

a mechanism for determining and announcing the adjustments 

in order to avoid undue disruption in the United States market. 

(f) REPAYMENT RATES FOR CONFECTIONERY AND OTHER KINDS

OF SUNFLOWER SEEDS.—The Secretary shall permit the producers 

on a farm to repay a marketing assistance loan under section 

1201 for confectionery and each other kind of sunflower seed (other 

than oil sunflower seed) at a rate that is the lesser of— 

(1) the loan rate established for the commodity under section 1202, plus interest (determined in accordance with section 

163 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act 

of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7283)); or 

(2) the repayment rate established for oil sunflower seed. 

(g) PAYMENT OF COTTON STORAGE COSTS.—Effective for each 

of the 2014 through 2018 crop years, the Secretary shall make 

cotton storage payments available in the same manner, and at 

the same rates as the Secretary provided storage payments for 

the 2006 crop of cotton, except that the rates shall be reduced 

by 10 percent. 

(h) REPAYMENT RATE FOR PEANUTS.—The Secretary shall 

permit producers on a farm to repay a marketing assistance loan 

for peanuts under section 1201 at a rate that is the lesser of— 


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(1) the loan rate established for peanuts under section 

1202(a)(20), plus interest (determined in accordance with section 163 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform 

Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7283)); or 

(2) a rate that the Secretary determines will— 

(A) minimize potential loan forfeitures; 

(B) minimize the accumulation of stocks of peanuts 

by the Federal Government; 

(C) minimize the cost incurred by the Federal Government in storing peanuts; and 

(D) allow peanuts produced in the United States to 

be marketed freely and competitively, both domestically 

and internationally. 

(i) AUTHORITY TO TEMPORARILY ADJUST REPAYMENT RATES.— 

(1) ADJUSTMENT AUTHORITY.—In the event of a severe 

disruption to marketing, transportation, or related infrastructure, the Secretary may modify the repayment rate otherwise 

applicable under this section for marketing assistance loans 

under section 1201 for a loan commodity. 

(2) DURATION.—Any adjustment made under paragraph (1) 

in the repayment rate for marketing assistance loans for a 

loan commodity shall be in effect on a short-term and temporary 

basis, as determined by the Secretary. 

SEC. 1205. LOAN DEFICIENCY PAYMENTS. 

(a) AVAILABILITY OF LOAN DEFICIENCY PAYMENTS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection (d), the 

Secretary may make loan deficiency payments available to producers on a farm that, although eligible to obtain a marketing 

assistance loan under section 1201 with respect to a loan commodity, agree to forgo obtaining the loan for the commodity 

in return for loan deficiency payments under this section. 

(2) UNSHORN PELTS, HAY, AND SILAGE.— 

(A) MARKETING ASSISTANCE LOANS.—Subject to 

subparagraph (B), nongraded wool in the form of unshorn 

pelts and hay and silage derived from a loan commodity 

are not eligible for a marketing assistance loan under section 1201. 

(B) LOAN DEFICIENCY PAYMENT.—Effective for each of 

the 2014 through 2018 crop years, the Secretary may make 

loan deficiency payments available under this section to 

producers on a farm that produce unshorn pelts or hay 

and silage derived from a loan commodity. 

(b) COMPUTATION.—A loan deficiency payment for a loan commodity or commodity referred to in subsection (a)(2) shall be equal 

to the product obtained by multiplying— 

(1) the payment rate determined under subsection (c) for 

the commodity; by 

(2) the quantity of the commodity produced by the eligible 

producers, excluding any quantity for which the producers 

obtain a marketing assistance loan under section 1201. 

(c) PAYMENT RATE.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a loan commodity, the 

payment rate shall be the amount by which— 

(A) the loan rate established under section 1202 for 

the loan commodity; exceeds 

7 USC 9035. 


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(B) the rate at which a marketing assistance loan 

for the loan commodity may be repaid under section 1204. 

(2) UNSHORN PELTS.—In the case of unshorn pelts, the 

payment rate shall be the amount by which— 

(A) the loan rate established under section 1202 for 

ungraded wool; exceeds 

(B) the rate at which a marketing assistance loan 

for ungraded wool may be repaid under section 1204. 

(3) HAY AND SILAGE.—In the case of hay or silage derived 

from a loan commodity, the payment rate shall be the amount 

by which— 

(A) the loan rate established under section 1202 for 

the loan commodity from which the hay or silage is derived; 

exceeds 

(B) the rate at which a marketing assistance loan 

for the loan commodity may be repaid under section 1204. 

(d) EXCEPTION FOR EXTRA LONG STAPLE COTTON.—This section 

shall not apply with respect to extra long staple cotton. 

(e) EFFECTIVE DATE FOR PAYMENT RATE DETERMINATION.—The 

Secretary shall determine the amount of the loan deficiency payment to be made under this section to the producers on a farm 

with respect to a quantity of a loan commodity or commodity 

referred to in subsection (a)(2) using the payment rate in effect 

under subsection (c) as of the date the producers request the payment. 

SEC. 1206. PAYMENTS IN LIEU OF LOAN DEFICIENCY PAYMENTS FOR 

GRAZED ACREAGE. 

(a) ELIGIBLE PRODUCERS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Effective for each of the 2014 through 

2018 crop years, in the case of a producer that would be 

eligible for a loan deficiency payment under section 1205 for 

wheat, barley, or oats, but that elects to use acreage planted 

to the wheat, barley, or oats for the grazing of livestock, the 

Secretary shall make a payment to the producer under this 

section if the producer enters into an agreement with the 

Secretary to forgo any other harvesting of the wheat, barley, 

or oats on that acreage. 

(2) GRAZING OF TRITICALE ACREAGE.—Effective for each of 

the 2014 through 2018 crop years, with respect to a producer 

on a farm that uses acreage planted to triticale for the grazing 

of livestock, the Secretary shall make a payment to the producer 

under this section if the producer enters into an agreement 

with the Secretary to forgo any other harvesting of triticale 

on that acreage. 

(b) PAYMENT AMOUNT.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The amount of a payment made under 

this section to a producer on a farm described in subsection 

(a)(1) shall be equal to the amount determined by multiplying— 

(A) the loan deficiency payment rate determined under 

section 1205(c) in effect, as of the date of the agreement, 

for the county in which the farm is located; by 

(B) the payment quantity determined by multiplying— 

(i) the quantity of the grazed acreage on the farm 

with respect to which the producer elects to forgo harvesting of wheat, barley, or oats; and 

7 USC 9036. 


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(ii)(I) the payment yield in effect for the calculation 

of price loss coverage under section 1115 with respect 

to that loan commodity on the farm; 

(II) in the case of a farm for which agriculture 

risk coverage is elected under section 1116(a), the payment yield that would otherwise be in effect with 

respect to that loan commodity on the farm in the 

absence of such election; or 

(III) in the case of a farm for which no payment 

yield is otherwise established for that loan commodity 

on the farm, an appropriate yield established by the 

Secretary in a manner consistent with section 1113(c). 

(2) GRAZING OF TRITICALE ACREAGE.—The amount of a payment made under this section to a producer on a farm described 

in subsection (a)(2) shall be equal to the amount determined 

by multiplying— 

(A) the loan deficiency payment rate determined under 

section 1205(c) in effect for wheat, as of the date of the 

agreement, for the county in which the farm is located; 

by 

(B) the payment quantity determined by multiplying— 

(i) the quantity of the grazed acreage on the farm 

with respect to which the producer elects to forgo harvesting of triticale; and 

(ii)(I) the payment yield in effect for the calculation 

of price loss coverage under subtitle A with respect 

to wheat on the farm; 

(II) in the case of a farm for which agriculture 

risk coverage is elected under section 1116(a), the payment yield that would otherwise be in effect for wheat 

on the farm in the absence of such election; or 

(III) in the case of a farm for which no payment 

yield is otherwise established for wheat on the farm, 

an appropriate yield established by the Secretary in 

a manner consistent with section 1113(c). 

(c) TIME, MANNER, AND AVAILABILITY OF PAYMENT.— 

(1) TIME AND MANNER.—A payment under this section shall 

be made at the same time and in the same manner as loan 

deficiency payments are made under section 1205. 

(2) AVAILABILITY.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish an 

availability period for the payments authorized by this 

section. 

(B) CERTAIN COMMODITIES.—In the case of wheat, 

barley, and oats, the availability period shall be consistent 

with the availability period for the commodity established 

by the Secretary for marketing assistance loans authorized 

by this subtitle. 

(d) PROHIBITION ON CROP INSURANCE INDEMNITY OR NONINSURED CROP ASSISTANCE.—A 2014 through 2018 crop of wheat, 

barley, oats, or triticale planted on acreage that a producer elects, 

in the agreement required by subsection (a), to use for the grazing 

of livestock in lieu of any other harvesting of the crop shall not 

be eligible for an indemnity under a policy or plan of insurance 

authorized under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 

et seq.) or noninsured crop assistance under section 196 of the 


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128 STAT. 682 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 

7333). 

SEC. 1207. SPECIAL MARKETING LOAN PROVISIONS FOR UPLAND 

COTTON. 

(a) SPECIAL IMPORT QUOTA.— 

(1) DEFINITION OF SPECIAL IMPORT QUOTA.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘special import quota’’ means a quantity of 

imports that is not subject to the over-quota tariff rate of 

a tariff-rate quota. 

(2) ESTABLISHMENT.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—The President shall carry out an 

import quota program beginning on August 1, 2014, as 

provided in this subsection. 

(B) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—Whenever the Secretary 

determines and announces that for any consecutive 4-week 

period, the Friday through Thursday average price 

quotation for the lowest-priced United States growth, as 

quoted for Middling (M) 13⁄32-inch cotton, delivered to a 

definable and significant international market, as determined by the Secretary, exceeds the prevailing world 

market price, there shall immediately be in effect a special 

import quota. 

(3) QUANTITY.—The quota shall be equal to the consumption during a 1-week period of cotton by domestic mills at 

the seasonally adjusted average rate of the most recent 3 

months for which official data of the Department of Agriculture 

are available or, in the absence of sufficient data, as estimated 

by the Secretary. 

(4) APPLICATION.—The quota shall apply to upland cotton 

purchased not later than 90 days after the date of the Secretary’s announcement under paragraph (2) and entered into 

the United States not later than 180 days after that date. 

(5) OVERLAP.—A special quota period may be established 

that overlaps any existing quota period if required by paragraph 

(2), except that a special quota period may not be established 

under this subsection if a quota period has been established 

under subsection (b). 

(6) PREFERENTIAL TARIFF TREATMENT.—The quantity under 

a special import quota shall be considered to be an in-quota 

quantity for purposes of— 

(A) section 213(d) of the Caribbean Basin Economic 

Recovery Act (19 U.S.C. 2703(d)); 

(B) section 204 of the Andean Trade Preference Act 

(19 U.S.C. 3203); 

(C) section 503(d) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 

2463(d)); and 

(D) General Note 3(a)(iv) to the Harmonized Tariff 

Schedule. 

(7) LIMITATION.—The quantity of cotton entered into the 

United States during any marketing year under the special 

import quota established under this subsection may not exceed 

the equivalent of 10 weeks’ consumption of upland cotton by 

domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate of the 

3 months immediately preceding the first special import quota 

established in any marketing year. 

(b) LIMITED GLOBAL IMPORT QUOTA FOR UPLAND COTTON.— 

7 USC 9037. 


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(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

(A) DEMAND.—The term ‘‘demand’’ means— 

(i) the average seasonally adjusted annual rate 

of domestic mill consumption of cotton during the most 

recent 3 months for which official data of the Department of Agriculture are available or, in the absence 

of sufficient data, as estimated by the Secretary; and 

(ii) the larger of— 

(I) average exports of upland cotton during 

the preceding 6 marketing years; or 

(II) cumulative exports of upland cotton plus 

outstanding export sales for the marketing year 

in which the quota is established. 

(B) LIMITED GLOBAL IMPORT QUOTA.—The term ‘‘limited 

global import quota’’ means a quantity of imports that 

is not subject to the over-quota tariff rate of a tariff-rate 

quota. 

(C) SUPPLY.—The term ‘‘supply’’ means, using the 

latest official data of the Department of Agriculture— 

(i) the carry-over of upland cotton at the beginning 

of the marketing year (adjusted to 480-pound bales) 

in which the quota is established; 

(ii) production of the current crop; and 

(iii) imports to the latest date available during 

the marketing year. 

(2) PROGRAM.—The President shall carry out an import 

quota program that provides that whenever the Secretary determines and announces that the average price of the base quality 

of upland cotton, as determined by the Secretary, in the designated spot markets for a month exceeded 130 percent of 

the average price of the quality of cotton in the markets for 

the preceding 36 months, notwithstanding any other provision 

of law, there shall immediately be in effect a limited global 

import quota subject to the following conditions: 

(A) QUANTITY.—The quantity of the quota shall be 

equal to 21 days of domestic mill consumption of upland 

cotton at the seasonally adjusted average rate of the most 

recent 3 months for which official data of the Department 

of Agriculture are available or, in the absence of sufficient 

data, as estimated by the Secretary. 

(B) QUANTITY IF PRIOR QUOTA.—If a quota has been 

established under this subsection during the preceding 12 

months, the quantity of the quota next established under 

this subsection shall be the smaller of 21 days of domestic 

mill consumption calculated under subparagraph (A) or 

the quantity required to increase the supply to 130 percent 

of the demand. 

(C) PREFERENTIAL TARIFF TREATMENT.—The quantity 

under a limited global import quota shall be considered 

to be an in-quota quantity for purposes of— 

(i) section 213(d) of the Caribbean Basin Economic 

Recovery Act (19 U.S.C. 2703(d)); 

(ii) section 204 of the Andean Trade Preference 

Act (19 U.S.C. 3203); 

(iii) section 503(d) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 

U.S.C. 2463(d)); and 


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128 STAT. 684 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

(iv) General Note 3(a)(iv) to the Harmonized Tariff 

Schedule. 

(D) QUOTA ENTRY PERIOD.—When a quota is established under this subsection, cotton may be entered under 

the quota during the 90-day period beginning on the date 

the quota is established by the Secretary. 

(3) NO OVERLAP.—Notwithstanding paragraph (2), a quota 

period may not be established that overlaps an existing quota 

period or a special quota period established under subsection 

(a). 

(c) ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE TO USERS OF UPLAND

COTTON.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary 

shall, on a monthly basis, make economic adjustment assistance 

available to domestic users of upland cotton in the form of 

payments for all documented use of that upland cotton during 

the previous monthly period regardless of the origin of the 

upland cotton. 

(2) VALUE OF ASSISTANCE.—Effective beginning on August 

1, 2013, the value of the assistance provided under paragraph 

(1) shall be 3 cents per pound. 

(3) ALLOWABLE PURPOSES.—Economic adjustment assistance under this subsection shall be made available only to 

domestic users of upland cotton that certify that the assistance 

shall be used only to acquire, construct, install, modernize, 

develop, convert, or expand land, plant, buildings, equipment, 

facilities, or machinery. 

(4) REVIEW OR AUDIT.—The Secretary may conduct such 

review or audit of the records of a domestic user under this 

subsection as the Secretary determines necessary to carry out 

this subsection. 

(5) IMPROPER USE OF ASSISTANCE.—If the Secretary determines, after a review or audit of the records of the domestic 

user, that economic adjustment assistance under this subsection 

was not used for the purposes specified in paragraph (3), the 

domestic user shall be— 

(A) liable for the repayment of the assistance to the 

Secretary, plus interest, as determined by the Secretary; 

and 

(B) ineligible to receive assistance under this subsection for a period of 1 year following the determination 

of the Secretary. 

SEC. 1208. SPECIAL COMPETITIVE PROVISIONS FOR EXTRA LONG 

STAPLE COTTON. 

(a) COMPETITIVENESS PROGRAM.—Notwithstanding any other 

provision of law, during the period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act through July 31, 2019, the Secretary shall carry 

out a program— 

(1) to maintain and expand the domestic use of extra long 

staple cotton produced in the United States; 

(2) to increase exports of extra long staple cotton produced 

in the United States; and 

(3) to ensure that extra long staple cotton produced in 

the United States remains competitive in world markets. 

7 USC 9038. 


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(b) PAYMENTS UNDER PROGRAM; TRIGGER.—Under the program, 

the Secretary shall make payments available under this section 

whenever— 

(1) for a consecutive 4-week period, the world market price 

for the lowest priced competing growth of extra long staple 

cotton (adjusted to United States quality and location and 

for other factors affecting the competitiveness of such cotton), 

as determined by the Secretary, is below the prevailing United 

States price for a competing growth of extra long staple cotton; 

and 

(2) the lowest priced competing growth of extra long staple 

cotton (adjusted to United States quality and location and 

for other factors affecting the competitiveness of such cotton), 

as determined by the Secretary, is less than 134 percent of 

the loan rate for extra long staple cotton. 

(c) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS.—The Secretary shall make payments 

available under this section to domestic users of extra long staple 

cotton produced in the United States and exporters of extra long 

staple cotton produced in the United States that enter into an 

agreement with the Commodity Credit Corporation to participate 

in the program under this section. 

(d) PAYMENT AMOUNT.—Payments under this section shall be 

based on the amount of the difference in the prices referred to 

in subsection (b)(1) during the fourth week of the consecutive 4- 

week period multiplied by the amount of documented purchases 

by domestic users and sales for export by exporters made in the 

week following such a consecutive 4-week period. 

SEC. 1209. AVAILABILITY OF RECOURSE LOANS FOR HIGH MOISTURE 

FEED GRAINS AND SEED COTTON. 

(a) HIGH MOISTURE FEED GRAINS.— 

(1) DEFINITION OF HIGH MOISTURE STATE.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘high moisture state’’ means corn or grain 

sorghum having a moisture content in excess of Commodity 

Credit Corporation standards for marketing assistance loans 

made by the Secretary under section 1201. 

(2) RECOURSE LOANS AVAILABLE.—For each of the 2014 

through 2018 crops of corn and grain sorghum, the Secretary 

shall make available recourse loans, as determined by the 

Secretary, to producers on a farm that— 

(A) normally harvest all or a portion of their crop 

of corn or grain sorghum in a high moisture state; 

(B) present— 

(i) certified scale tickets from an inspected, certified commercial scale, including a licensed warehouse, 

feedlot, feed mill, distillery, or other similar entity 

approved by the Secretary, pursuant to regulations 

issued by the Secretary; or 

(ii) field or other physical measurements of the 

standing or stored crop in regions of the United States, 

as determined by the Secretary, that do not have certified commercial scales from which certified scale 

tickets may be obtained within reasonable proximity 

of harvest operation; 

(C) certify that the producers on the farm were the 

owners of the feed grain at the time of delivery to, and 

7 USC 9039. 


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that the quantity to be placed under loan under this subsection was in fact harvested on the farm and delivered 

to, a feedlot, feed mill, or commercial or on-farm highmoisture storage facility, or to a facility maintained by 

the users of corn and grain sorghum in a high moisture 

state; and 

(D) comply with deadlines established by the Secretary 

for harvesting the corn or grain sorghum and submit 

applications for loans under this subsection within deadlines established by the Secretary. 

(3) ELIGIBILITY OF ACQUIRED FEED GRAINS.—A loan under 

this subsection shall be made on a quantity of corn or grain 

sorghum of the same crop acquired by the producer equivalent 

to a quantity determined by multiplying— 

(A) the acreage of the corn or grain sorghum in a 

high moisture state harvested on the farm of the producer; 

by 

(B) the lower of— 

(i) the payment yield in effect for the calculation 

of price loss coverage under section 1115, or the payment yield deemed to be in effect or established under 

subclause (II) or (III) of section 1206(b)(1)(B)(ii), with 

respect to corn or grain sorghum on a field that is 

similar to the field from which the corn or grain sorghum referred to in subparagraph (A) was obtained; 

or 

(ii) the actual yield of corn or grain sorghum on 

a field, as determined by the Secretary, that is similar 

to the field from which the corn or grain sorghum 

referred to in subparagraph (A) was obtained. 

(b) RECOURSE LOANS AVAILABLE FOR SEED COTTON.—For each 

of the 2014 through 2018 crops of upland cotton and extra long 

staple cotton, the Secretary shall make available recourse seed 

cotton loans, as determined by the Secretary, on any production. 

(c) REPAYMENT RATES.—Repayment of a recourse loan made 

under this section shall be at the loan rate established for the 

commodity by the Secretary, plus interest (determined in accordance 

with section 163 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and 

Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7283)). 

SEC. 1210. ADJUSTMENTS OF LOANS. 

(a) ADJUSTMENT AUTHORITY.—Subject to subsection (e), the Secretary may make appropriate adjustments in the loan rates for 

any loan commodity (other than cotton) for differences in grade, 

type, quality, location, and other factors. 

(b) MANNER OF ADJUSTMENT.—The adjustments under subsection (a) shall, to the maximum extent practicable, be made 

in such a manner that the average loan level for the commodity 

will, on the basis of the anticipated incidence of the factors, be 

equal to the level of support determined in accordance with this 

subtitle and subtitle C. 

(c) ADJUSTMENT ON COUNTY BASIS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may establish loan rates 

for a crop for producers in individual counties in a manner 

that results in the lowest loan rate being 95 percent of the 

national average loan rate, if those loan rates do not result 

in an increase in outlays. 

7 USC 9040. 


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(2) PROHIBITION.—Adjustments under this subsection shall 

not result in an increase in the national average loan rate 

for any year. 

(d) ADJUSTMENT IN LOAN RATE FOR COTTON.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make appropriate 

adjustments in the loan rate for cotton for differences in quality 

factors. 

(2) TYPES OF ADJUSTMENTS.—Loan rate adjustments under 

paragraph (1) may include— 

(A) the use of non-spot market price data, in addition 

to spot market price data, that would enhance the accuracy 

of the price information used in determining quality adjustments under this subsection; 

(B) adjustments in the premiums or discounts associated with upland cotton with a staple length of 33 or 

above due to micronaire with the goal of eliminating any 

unnecessary artificial splits in the calculations of the premiums or discounts; and 

(C) such other adjustments as the Secretary determines 

appropriate, after consultations conducted in accordance 

with paragraph (3). 

(3) CONSULTATION WITH PRIVATE SECTOR.— 

(A) PRIOR TO REVISION.—In making adjustments to 

the loan rate for cotton (including any review of the adjustments) as provided in this subsection, the Secretary shall 

consult with representatives of the United States cotton 

industry. 

(B) INAPPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

ACT.—The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) 

shall not apply to consultations under this subsection. 

(4) REVIEW OF ADJUSTMENTS.—The Secretary may review 

the operation of the upland cotton quality adjustments implemented pursuant to this subsection and may make further 

adjustments to the administration of the loan program for 

upland cotton, by revoking or revising any adjustment taken 

under paragraph (2). 

(e) RICE.—The Secretary shall not make adjustments in the 

loan rates for long grain rice and medium grain rice, except for 

differences in grade and quality (including milling yields). 

Subtitle C—Sugar 

SEC. 1301. SUGAR POLICY. 

(a) CONTINUATION OF CURRENT PROGRAM AND LOAN RATES.— (1) SUGARCANE.—Section 156(a) of the Federal Agriculture 

Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7272(a)) is 

amended— 

(A) by inserting ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph (3); 

(B) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘the 2011 crop year; 

and’’ and inserting ‘‘each of the 2011 through 2018 crop 

years.’’; and 

(C) by striking paragraph (5). 

(2) SUGAR BEETS.—Section 156(b)(2) of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 

7272(b)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 


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(3) EFFECTIVE PERIOD.—Section 156(i) of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7272(i)) 

is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

(b) FLEXIBLE MARKETING ALLOTMENTS FOR SUGAR.— (1) SUGAR ESTIMATES.—Section 359b(a)(1) of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359bb(a)(1)) is 

amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

(2) EFFECTIVE PERIOD.—Section 359l(a) of the Agricultural 

Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359ll(a)) is amended by 

striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

Subtitle D—Dairy 

PART I—MARGIN PROTECTION PROGRAM FOR 

DAIRY PRODUCERS 

SEC. 1401. DEFINITIONS. 

In this part and part III: 

(1) ACTUAL DAIRY PRODUCTION MARGIN.—The term ‘‘actual 

dairy production margin’’ means the difference between the 

all-milk price and the average feed cost, as calculated under 

section 1402. 

(2) ALL-MILK PRICE.—The term ‘‘all-milk price’’ means the 

average price received, per hundredweight of milk, by dairy 

operations for all milk sold to plants and dealers in the United 

States, as determined by the Secretary. 

(3) AVERAGE FEED COST.—The term ‘‘average feed cost’’ 

means the average cost of feed used by a dairy operation 

to produce a hundredweight of milk, determined under section 

1402 using the sum of the following: 

(A) The product determined by multiplying 1.0728 by 

the price of corn per bushel. 

(B) The product determined by multiplying 0.00735 

by the price of soybean meal per ton. 

(C) The product determined by multiplying 0.0137 by 

the price of alfalfa hay per ton. 

(4) CONSECUTIVE 2-MONTH PERIOD.—The term ‘‘consecutive 

2-month period’’ refers to the 2-month period consisting of 

the months of January and February, March and April, May 

and June, July and August, September and October, or 

November and December, respectively. 

(5) DAIRY OPERATION.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘dairy operation’’ means, 

as determined by the Secretary, 1 or more dairy producers 

that produce and market milk as a single dairy operation 

in which each dairy producer— 

(i) shares in the risk of producing milk; and 

(ii) makes contributions (including land, labor, 

management, equipment, or capital) to the dairy operation of the individual or entity, which are at least 

commensurate with the individual or entity’s share 

of the proceeds of the operation. 

(B) ADDITIONAL OWNERSHIP STRUCTURES.—The Secretary shall determine additional ownership structures to 

be covered by the definition of dairy operation. 

7 USC 9051. 


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(6) MARGIN PROTECTION PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘margin 

protection program’’ means the margin protection program 

required by section 1403. 

(7) MARGIN PROTECTION PROGRAM PAYMENT.—The term 

‘‘margin protection program payment’’ means a payment made 

to a participating dairy operation under the margin protection 

program pursuant to section 1406. 

(8) PARTICIPATING DAIRY OPERATION.—The term ‘‘participating dairy operation’’ means a dairy operation that registers 

under section 1404 to participate in the margin protection 

program. 

(9) PRODUCTION HISTORY.—The term ‘‘production history’’ 

means the production history determined for a participating 

dairy operation under subsection (a) or (b) of section 1405 

when the participating dairy operation first registers to participate in the margin protection program. 

(10) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of Agriculture. 

(11) UNITED STATES.—The term ‘‘United States’’, in a geographical sense, means the 50 States, the District of Columbia, 

American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern 

Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin 

Islands of the United States, and any other territory or possession of the United States. 

SEC. 1402. CALCULATION OF AVERAGE FEED COST AND ACTUAL DAIRY 

PRODUCTION MARGINS. 

(a) CALCULATION OF AVERAGE FEED COST.—The Secretary shall 

calculate the national average feed cost for each month using the 

following data: 

(1) The price of corn for a month shall be the price received 

during that month by farmers in the United States for corn, 

as reported in the monthly Agricultural Prices report by the 

Secretary. 

(2) The price of soybean meal for a month shall be the 

central Illinois price for soybean meal, as reported in the 

Market News–Monthly Soybean Meal Price Report by the Secretary. 

(3) The price of alfalfa hay for a month shall be the price 

received during that month by farmers in the United States 

for alfalfa hay, as reported in the monthly Agricultural Prices 

report by the Secretary. 

(b) CALCULATION OF ACTUAL DAIRY PRODUCTION MARGIN.— (1) IN GENERAL.—For use in the margin protection program, 

the Secretary shall calculate the actual dairy production margin 

for each consecutive 2-month period by subtracting— 

(A) the average feed cost for that consecutive 2-month 

period, determined in accordance with subsection (a); from 

(B) the all-milk price for that consecutive 2-month 

period. 

(2) TIME FOR CALCULATION.—The calculation required by 

this subsection shall be made as soon as practicable using 

the full-month price of the applicable reference month. 

SEC. 1403. ESTABLISHMENT OF MARGIN PROTECTION PROGRAM FOR 

DAIRY PRODUCERS. 

Not later than September 1, 2014, the Secretary shall establish 

and administer a margin protection program for dairy producers 

7 USC 9053. 

7 USC 9052. 


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128 STAT. 690 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

under which participating dairy operations are paid a margin 

protection payment when actual dairy production margins are less 

than the threshold levels for a margin protection payment. 

SEC. 1404. PARTICIPATION OF DAIRY OPERATIONS IN MARGIN 

PROTECTION PROGRAM. 

(a) ELIGIBILITY.—All dairy operations in the United States shall 

be eligible to participate in the margin protection program to receive 

margin protection payments. 

(b) REGISTRATION PROCESS.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall specify the manner 

and form by which a participating dairy operation may register 

to participate in the margin protection program. 

(2) TREATMENT OF MULTIPRODUCER DAIRY OPERATIONS.— If a participating dairy operation is operated by more than 

1 dairy producer, all of the dairy producers of the participating 

dairy operation shall be treated as a single dairy operation 

for purposes of participating in the margin protection program. 

(3) TREATMENT OF PRODUCERS WITH MULTIPLE DAIRY OPER- ATIONS.—If a dairy producer operates 2 or more dairy operations, each dairy operation of the producer shall separately 

register to participate in the margin protection program. 

(c) ANNUAL ADMINISTRATIVE FEE.— (1) ADMINISTRATIVE FEE REQUIRED.—Each participating 

dairy operation shall— 

(A) pay an administrative fee to register to participate 

in the margin protection program; and 

(B) pay the administrative fee annually through the 

duration of the margin protection program specified in 

section 1409. 

(2) AMOUNT OF FEE.—The administrative fee for a partici- pating dairy operation shall be $100. 

(3) USE OF FEES.—The Secretary shall use administrative 

fees collected under this subsection to cover administrative 

costs incurred to carry out the margin protection program. 

(d) RELATION TO LIVESTOCK GROSS MARGIN FOR DAIRY PRO- GRAM.—A dairy operation may participate in the margin protection 

program or the livestock gross margin for dairy program under 

the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.), but not 

both. 

SEC. 1405. PRODUCTION HISTORY OF PARTICIPATING DAIRY OPERATIONS. 

(a) PRODUCTION HISTORY.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection (b), 

when a dairy operation first registers to participate in the 

margin protection program, the production history of the dairy 

operation for the margin protection program is equal to the 

highest annual milk marketings of the participating dairy operation during any one of the 2011, 2012, or 2013 calendar 

years. 

(2) ADJUSTMENT.—In subsequent years, the Secretary shall 

adjust the production history of a participating dairy operation 

determined under paragraph (1) to reflect any increase in the 

national average milk production. 

(b) ELECTION BY NEW DAIRY OPERATIONS.—In the case of a 

participating dairy operation that has been in operation for less 

than a year, the participating dairy operation shall elect 1 of the 

7 USC 9055. 

7 USC 9054. 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 691 

following methods for the Secretary to determine the production 

history of the participating dairy operation: 

(1) The volume of the actual milk marketings for the 

months the participating dairy operation has been in operation 

extrapolated to a yearly amount. 

(2) An estimate of the actual milk marketings of the participating dairy operation based on the herd size of the participating dairy operation relative to the national rolling herd 

average data published by the Secretary. 

(c) REQUIRED INFORMATION.—A participating dairy operation 

shall provide all information that the Secretary may require in 

order to establish the production history of the participating dairy 

operation for purposes of participating in the margin protection 

program. 

SEC. 1406. MARGIN PROTECTION PAYMENTS. 

(a) COVERAGE LEVEL THRESHOLD AND COVERAGE PERCENTAGE.—For purposes of receiving margin protection payments for 

a consecutive 2-month period, a participating dairy operation shall 

annually elect— 

(1) a coverage level threshold that is equal to $4.00, $4.50, 

$5.00, $5.50, $6.00, $6.50, $7.00, $7.50, or $8.00; and 

(2) a percentage of coverage, in 5-percent increments, beginning with 25 percent and not exceeding 90 percent of the 

production history of the participating dairy operation. 

(b) PAYMENT THRESHOLD.—A participating dairy operation shall 

receive a margin protection payment whenever the average actual 

dairy production margin for a consecutive 2-month period is less 

than the coverage level threshold selected by the participating 

dairy operation. 

(c) AMOUNT OF MARGIN PROTECTION PAYMENT.—The margin 

protection payment for the participating dairy operation shall be 

determined as follows: 

(1) The Secretary shall calculate the amount by which 

the coverage level threshold selected by the participating dairy 

operation exceeds the average actual dairy production margin 

for the consecutive 2-month period. 

(2) The amount determined under paragraph (1) shall be 

multiplied by— 

(A) the coverage percentage selected by the participating dairy operation; and 

(B) the production history of the participating dairy 

operation divided by 6. 

SEC. 1407. PREMIUMS FOR MARGIN PROTECTION PROGRAM. 

(a) CALCULATION OF PREMIUMS.—For purposes of participating 

in the margin protection program, a participating dairy operation 

shall pay an annual premium equal to the product obtained by 

multiplying— 

(1) the coverage percentage elected by the participating 

dairy operation under section 1406(a)(2); 

(2) the production history of the participating dairy operation; and 

(3) the premium per hundredweight of milk imposed by 

this section for the coverage level selected. 

(b) PREMIUM PER HUNDREDWEIGHT FOR FIRST 4 MILLION

POUNDS OF PRODUCTION.— 

7 USC 9057. 

7 USC 9056. 


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(1) IN GENERAL.—For the first 4,000,000 pounds of milk 

marketings included in the production history of a participating 

dairy operation, the premium per hundredweight for each coverage level is specified in the table contained in paragraph 

(2). 

(2) PRODUCER PREMIUMS.—Except as provided in paragraph 

(3), the following annual premiums apply: 

Coverage Level Premium per Cwt. 

$4.00 None 

$4.50 $0.010 

$5.00 $0.025 

$5.50 $0.040 

$6.00 $0.055 

$6.50 $0.090 

$7.00 $0.217 

$7.50 $0.300 

$8.00 $0.475 

(3) SPECIAL RULE.—The premium per hundredweight specified in the table contained in paragraph (2) for each coverage 

level (except the $8.00 coverage level) shall be reduced by 

25 percent for each of calendar years 2014 and 2015. 

(c) PREMIUM PER HUNDREDWEIGHT FOR PRODUCTION IN EXCESS

OF 4 MILLION POUNDS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—For milk marketings in excess of 

4,000,000 pounds included in the production history of a participating dairy operation, the premium per hundredweight for 

each coverage level is specified in the table contained in paragraph (2). 

(2) PRODUCER PREMIUMS.—The following annual premiums 

apply: 

Coverage Level Premium per Cwt. 

$4.00 None 

$4.50 $0.020 

$5.00 $0.040 

$5.50 $0.100 

$6.00 $0.155 

$6.50 $0.290 

$7.00 $0.830 

$7.50 $1.060 

$8.00 $1.360 

(d) TIME FOR PAYMENT OF PREMIUM.—The Secretary shall provide more than 1 method by which a participating dairy operation 

may pay the premium required under this section in any manner 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 693 

that maximizes participating dairy operation payment flexibility 

and program integrity. 

(e) PREMIUM OBLIGATIONS.— 

(1) PRO-RATION OF PREMIUM FOR NEW PARTICIPANTS.—In 

the case of a participating dairy operation that first registers 

to participate in the margin protection program for a calendar 

year after the start of the calendar year, the participating 

dairy operation shall pay a pro-rated premium for that calendar 

year based on the portion of the calendar year for which the 

participating dairy operation purchases the coverage. 

(2) LEGAL OBLIGATION.—A participating dairy operation in 

the margin protection program for a calendar year shall be 

legally obligated to pay the applicable premium for that calendar year, except that the Secretary may waive that obligation, 

under terms and conditions determined by the Secretary, for 

any participating dairy operation in the case of death, retirement, permanent dissolution of a participating dairy operation, 

or other circumstances as the Secretary considers appropriate 

to ensure the integrity of the program. 

SEC. 1408. EFFECT OF FAILURE TO PAY ADMINISTRATIVE FEES OR 

PREMIUMS. 

(a) LOSS OF BENEFITS.—A participating dairy operation that 

fails to pay the required annual administrative fee under section 

1404 or is in arrears on premium payments under section 1407— 

(1) remains legally obligated to pay the administrative 

fee or premiums, as the case may be; and 

(2) may not receive margin protection payments until the 

fees or premiums are fully paid. 

(b) ENFORCEMENT.—The Secretary may take such action as 

necessary to collect administrative fees and premium payments 

for participation in the margin protection program. 

SEC. 1409. DURATION. 

The margin protection program shall end on December 31, 

2018. 

SEC. 1410. ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall promulgate regulations 

to address administrative and enforcement issues involved in carrying out the margin protection program. 

(b) RECONSTITUTION.—The Secretary shall promulgate regulations to prohibit a dairy producer from reconstituting a dairy operation for the purpose of the dairy producer receiving margin protection payments. 

(c) ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS.—Using authorities under section 

1001(h) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308(h)) and 

subtitle H of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act 

(7 U.S.C. 6991 et seq.), the Secretary shall promulgate regulations 

to provide for administrative appeals of decisions of the Secretary 

that are adverse to participants of the margin protection program. 

(d) INCLUSION OF ADDITIONAL ORDER.—Section 143(a)(2) of the 

Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 

7253(a)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 

sentence: ‘‘Subsection (b) does not apply to the authority of the 

Secretary under this subsection.’’. 

7 USC 9060. 

7 USC 9059. 

7 USC 9058. 


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PART II—REPEAL OR REAUTHORIZATION OF 

OTHER DAIRY-RELATED PROVISIONS 

SEC. 1421. REPEAL OF DAIRY PRODUCT PRICE SUPPORT PROGRAM. 

Section 1501 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (7 U.S.C. 8771) is repealed. 

SEC. 1422. TEMPORARY CONTINUATION AND EVENTUAL REPEAL OF 

MILK INCOME LOSS CONTRACT PROGRAM. 

(a) TEMPORARY CONTINUATION OF PAYMENTS UNDER MILK

INCOME LOSS CONTRACT PROGRAM.—Section 1506 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8773) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following 

new paragraph: 

‘‘(6) TERMINATION DATE.—The term ‘termination date’ 

means the earlier of the following: 

‘‘(A) The date on which the Secretary certifies to Congress that the margin protection program required by section 1403 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 is operational. 

‘‘(B) September 1, 2014.’’; 

(2) in subsection (c)(3)— 

(A) in subparagraph (B), by inserting after ‘‘August 

31, 2013,’’ the following: ‘‘and for the period beginning 

February 1, 2014, and ending on the termination date,’’; 

and 

(B) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘and thereafter,’’ 

and inserting ‘‘and ending January 31, 2014,’’; 

(3) in subsection (d)— 

(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘For any month beginning on or after September 1, 2013,’’ and inserting ‘‘During 

the period beginning on September 1, 2013, and ending 

on January 31, 2014,’’; 

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

and 

(C) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new 

paragraph (3): 

‘‘(3) FINAL ADJUSTMENT AUTHORITY.—During the period 

beginning on February 1, 2014, and ending on the termination 

date, if the National Average Dairy Feed Ration Cost for a 

month during that period is greater than $7.35 per hundredweight, the amount specified in subsection (c)(2)(A) used to 

determine the payment rate for that month shall be increased 

by 45 percent of the percentage by which the National Average 

Dairy Feed Ration Cost exceeds $7.35 per hundredweight.’’; 

(4) in subsection (e)(2)(A)— 

(A) in clause (ii), by inserting after ‘‘August 31, 2013,’’ 

the following: ‘‘and for the period beginning February 1, 

2014, and ending on the termination date,’’; and 

(B) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘effective beginning September 1, 2013,’’ and inserting ‘‘for the period beginning 

September 1, 2013, and ending January 31, 2014,’’; 

(5) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘during the period beginning on the date that is 90 days after the date of enactment 

of this Act and ending on September 30, 2013’’ and inserting 

‘‘until the termination date’’; and 

(6) in subsection (h)(1), by striking ‘‘September 30, 2013’’ 

and inserting ‘‘the termination date’’. 

7 USC 8773 note. 


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(b) REPEAL OF MILK INCOME LOSS CONTRACT PROGRAM.— (1) REPEAL.—Effective on the termination date, section 

1506 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 

U.S.C. 8773) is repealed. 

(2) TERMINATION DATE DEFINED.—In paragraph (1), the 

term ‘‘termination date’’ means the earlier of the following: 

(A) The date on which the Secretary certifies to Congress that the margin protection program required by section 1403 is operational. 

(B) September 1, 2014. 

SEC. 1423. REPEAL OF DAIRY EXPORT INCENTIVE PROGRAM. 

(a) REPEAL.—Section 153 of the Food Security Act of 1985 

(15 U.S.C. 713a–14) is repealed. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 902(2) of the Trade 

Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 

7201(2)) is amended— 

(1) by striking subparagraph (D); and 

(2) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) and (F) as subparagraphs (D) and (E), respectively. 

SEC. 1424. EXTENSION OF DAIRY FORWARD PRICING PROGRAM. 

Section 1502(e) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8772(e)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘2015’’ and inserting 

‘‘2021’’. 

SEC. 1425. EXTENSION OF DAIRY INDEMNITY PROGRAM. 

Section 3 of Public Law 90–484 (7 U.S.C. 450l) is amended 

by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 1426. EXTENSION OF DAIRY PROMOTION AND RESEARCH PROGRAM. 

Section 113(e)(2) of the Dairy Production Stabilization Act of 

1983 (7 U.S.C. 4504(e)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 1427. REPEAL OF FEDERAL MILK MARKETING ORDER REVIEW 

COMMISSION. 

Section 1509 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (Public Law 110–246; 122 Stat. 1726) is repealed. 

PART III—DAIRY PRODUCT DONATION 

PROGRAM 

SEC. 1431. DAIRY PRODUCT DONATION PROGRAM. 

(a) PROGRAM REQUIRED; PURPOSE.—Not later than 120 days 

after the date on which the Secretary certifies to Congress that 

the margin protection program is operational, the Secretary shall 

establish and administer a dairy product donation program for 

the purposes of— 

(1) addressing low operating margins experienced by 

participating dairy operations; and 

(2) providing nutrition assistance to individuals in lowincome groups. 

7 USC 9071. 


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(b) PROGRAM TRIGGER.—The Secretary shall announce that the 

dairy product donation program is in effect for a month, and undertake activities under subsection (c) during the month, whenever 

the actual dairy production margin has been $4.00 or less per 

hundredweight of milk for each of the immediately preceding 2 

months. 

(c) REQUIRED PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Whenever the dairy product donation 

program is in effect under subsection (b), the Secretary shall 

immediately purchase dairy products, at prevailing market 

prices, until such time as one of the termination conditions 

specified in subsection (d)(1) is met. 

(2) CONSULTATION.—To determine the types and quantities 

of dairy products to purchase under the dairy product donation 

program, the Secretary shall consult with public and private 

nonprofit organizations organized to feed low-income populations 

(d) TERMINATION OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.— 

(1) TERMINATION THRESHOLDS.—The Secretary shall cease 

activities under the dairy product donation program, and shall 

not reinitiate activities under the program until the condition 

specified in subsection (b) is again met, whenever any one 

of the following occurs: 

(A) The Secretary has made purchases under the dairy 

product donation program for three consecutive months, 

even if the actual dairy production margin remains $4.00 

or less per hundredweight of milk. 

(B) The actual dairy production margin has been 

greater than $4.00 per hundredweight of milk for the immediately preceding month. 

(C) The actual dairy production margin has been $4.00 

or less, but more than $3.00, per hundredweight of milk 

for the immediately preceding month and during the same 

month— 

(i) the price in the United States for cheddar cheese 

was more than 5 percent above the world price; or 

(ii) the price in the United States for non-fat dry 

milk was more than 5 percent above the world price 

of skim milk powder. 

(D) The actual dairy production margin has been $3.00 

or less per hundredweight of milk for the immediately 

preceding month and during the same month— 

(i) the price in the United States for cheddar cheese 

was more than 7 percent above the world price; or 

(ii) the price in the United States for non-fat dry 

milk was more than 7 percent above the world price 

of skim milk powder. 

(2) DETERMINATIONS.—For purposes of this subsection, the 

Secretary shall determine the price in the United States for 

cheddar cheese and non-fat dry milk and the world price of 

cheddar cheese and skim milk powder. 

(e) DISTRIBUTION OF PURCHASED DAIRY PRODUCTS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall distribute, but not store, the dairy products purchased under 

the dairy product donation program in a manner that encourages the domestic consumption of such dairy products by 


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diverting them to persons in low-income groups, as determined 

by the Secretary. 

(2) USE OF PUBLIC OR PRIVATE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.— The Secretary shall utilize the services of public and private 

nonprofit organizations for the distribution of dairy products 

purchased under the dairy product donation program. A public 

or private nonprofit organization that receives dairy products 

may transfer the products to another public or private nonprofit 

organization that agrees to use the dairy products to provide, 

without cost or waste, nutrition assistance to individuals in 

low-income groups. 

(f) PROHIBITION ON RESALE OF PRODUCTS.—A public or private 

nonprofit organization that receives dairy products under subsection 

(e) may not sell the products back into commercial markets. 

(g) USE OF COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION FUNDS.—As specified in section 1601(a), the funds, facilities, and authorities of the 

Commodity Credit Corporation shall be available to the Secretary 

for the purposes of implementing and administering the dairy 

product donation program. 

(h) DURATION.—In addition to the termination conditions specified in subsection (d)(1), the dairy product donation program shall 

end on December 31, 2018. 

Subtitle E—Supplemental Agricultural 

Disaster Assistance Programs 

SEC. 1501. SUPPLEMENTAL AGRICULTURAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE. 

(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

(1) ELIGIBLE PRODUCER ON A FARM.— (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘eligible producer on a 

farm’’ means an individual or entity described in subparagraph (B) that, as determined by the Secretary, assumes 

the production and market risks associated with the agricultural production of crops or livestock. 

(B) DESCRIPTION.—An individual or entity referred to 

in subparagraph (A) is— 

(i) a citizen of the United States; 

(ii) a resident alien; 

(iii) a partnership of citizens of the United States; 

or 

(iv) a corporation, limited liability corporation, or 

other farm organizational structure organized under 

State law. 

(2) FARM-RAISED FISH.—The term ‘‘farm-raised fish’’ means 

any aquatic species that is propagated and reared in a controlled environment. 

(3) LIVESTOCK.—The term ‘‘livestock’’ includes— 

(A) cattle (including dairy cattle); 

(B) bison; 

(C) poultry; 

(D) sheep; 

(E) swine; 

(F) horses; and 

(G) other livestock, as determined by the Secretary. 

(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

of Agriculture. 

7 USC 9081. 


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(b) LIVESTOCK INDEMNITY PAYMENTS.— 

(1) PAYMENTS.—For fiscal year 2012 and each succeeding 

fiscal year, the Secretary shall use such sums as are necessary 

of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to make 

livestock indemnity payments to eligible producers on farms 

that have incurred livestock death losses in excess of the normal 

mortality, as determined by the Secretary, due to— 

(A) attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by 

the Federal Government or protected by Federal law, 

including wolves and avian predators; or 

(B) adverse weather, as determined by the Secretary, 

during the calendar year, including losses due to hurricanes, floods, blizzards, disease, wildfires, extreme heat, 

and extreme cold. 

(2) PAYMENT RATES.—Indemnity payments to an eligible 

producer on a farm under paragraph (1) shall be made at 

a rate of 75 percent of the market value of the applicable 

livestock on the day before the date of death of the livestock, 

as determined by the Secretary. 

(3) SPECIAL RULE FOR PAYMENTS MADE DUE TO DISEASE.— 

The Secretary shall ensure that payments made to an eligible 

producer under paragraph (1) are not made for the same livestock losses for which compensation is provided pursuant to 

section 10407(d) of the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 

8306(d)). 

(c) LIVESTOCK FORAGE DISASTER PROGRAM.— 

(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

(A) COVERED LIVESTOCK.— 

(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in clause (ii), 

the term ‘‘covered livestock’’ means livestock of an 

eligible livestock producer that, during the 60 days 

prior to the beginning date of a qualifying drought 

or fire condition, as determined by the Secretary, the 

eligible livestock producer— 

(I) owned; 

(II) leased; 

(III) purchased; 

(IV) entered into a contract to purchase; 

(V) is a contract grower; or 

(VI) sold or otherwise disposed of due to qualifying drought conditions during— 

(aa) the current production year; or 

(bb) subject to paragraph (3)(B)(ii), 1 or 

both of the 2 production years immediately 

preceding the current production year. 

(ii) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘‘covered livestock’’ does 

not include livestock that were or would have been 

in a feedlot, on the beginning date of the qualifying 

drought or fire condition, as a part of the normal 

business operation of the eligible livestock producer, 

as determined by the Secretary. 

(B) DROUGHT MONITOR.—The term ‘‘drought monitor’’ 

means a system for classifying drought severity according 

to a range of abnormally dry to exceptional drought, as 

defined by the Secretary. 

(C) ELIGIBLE LIVESTOCK PRODUCER.— 


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(i) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘eligible livestock producer’’ means an eligible producer on a farm that— 

(I) is an owner, cash or share lessee, or contract grower of covered livestock that provides the 

pastureland or grazing land, including cash-leased 

pastureland or grazing land, for the livestock; 

(II) provides the pastureland or grazing land 

for covered livestock, including cash-leased 

pastureland or grazing land that is physically 

located in a county affected by drought; 

(III) certifies grazing loss; and 

(IV) meets all other eligibility requirements 

established under this subsection. 

(ii) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘‘eligible livestock producer’’ does not include an owner, cash or share lessee, 

or contract grower of livestock that rents or leases 

pastureland or grazing land owned by another person 

on a rate-of-gain basis. 

(D) NORMAL CARRYING CAPACITY.—The term ‘‘normal 

carrying capacity’’, with respect to each type of grazing 

land or pastureland in a county, means the normal carrying 

capacity, as determined under paragraph (3)(D)(i), that 

would be expected from the grazing land or pastureland 

for livestock during the normal grazing period, in the 

absence of a drought or fire that diminishes the production 

of the grazing land or pastureland. 

(E) NORMAL GRAZING PERIOD.—The term ‘‘normal 

grazing period’’, with respect to a county, means the normal 

grazing period during the calendar year for the county, 

as determined under paragraph (3)(D)(i). 

(2) PROGRAM.—For fiscal year 2012 and each succeeding 

fiscal year, the Secretary shall use such sums as are necessary 

of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to provide 

compensation for losses to eligible livestock producers due to 

grazing losses for covered livestock due to— 

(A) a drought condition, as described in paragraph 

(3); or 

(B) fire, as described in paragraph (4). 

(3) ASSISTANCE FOR LOSSES DUE TO DROUGHT CONDITIONS.— 

(A) ELIGIBLE LOSSES.— 

(i) IN GENERAL.—An eligible livestock producer 

may receive assistance under this subsection only for 

grazing losses for covered livestock that occur on land 

that— 

(I) is native or improved pastureland with 

permanent vegetative cover; or 

(II) is planted to a crop planted specifically 

for the purpose of providing grazing for covered 

livestock. 

(ii) EXCLUSIONS.—An eligible livestock producer 

may not receive assistance under this subsection for 

grazing losses that occur on land used for haying or 

grazing under the conservation reserve program established under subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle 

D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 

U.S.C. 3831 et seq.). 

(B) MONTHLY PAYMENT RATE.— 


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(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in clause (ii), 

the payment rate for assistance under this paragraph 

for 1 month shall, in the case of drought, be equal 

to 60 percent of the lesser of— 

(I) the monthly feed cost for all covered livestock owned or leased by the eligible livestock 

producer, as determined under subparagraph (C); 

or 

(II) the monthly feed cost calculated by using 

the normal carrying capacity of the eligible grazing 

land of the eligible livestock producer. 

(ii) PARTIAL COMPENSATION.—In the case of an 

eligible livestock producer that sold or otherwise disposed of covered livestock due to drought conditions 

in 1 or both of the 2 production years immediately 

preceding the current production year, as determined 

by the Secretary, the payment rate shall be 80 percent 

of the payment rate otherwise calculated in accordance 

with clause (i). 

(C) MONTHLY FEED COST.— 

(i) IN GENERAL.—The monthly feed cost shall equal 

the product obtained by multiplying— 

(I) 30 days; 

(II) a payment quantity that is equal to the 

feed grain equivalent, as determined under clause 

(ii); and 

(III) a payment rate that is equal to the corn 

price per pound, as determined under clause (iii). 

(ii) FEED GRAIN EQUIVALENT.—For purposes of 

clause (i)(II), the feed grain equivalent shall equal— 

(I) in the case of an adult beef cow, 15.7 

pounds of corn per day; or 

(II) in the case of any other type of weight 

of livestock, an amount determined by the Secretary that represents the average number of 

pounds of corn per day necessary to feed the livestock. 

(iii) CORN PRICE PER POUND.—For purposes of 

clause (i)(III), the corn price per pound shall equal 

the quotient obtained by dividing— 

(I) the higher of— 

(aa) the national average corn price per 

bushel for the 12-month period immediately 

preceding March 1 of the year for which the 

disaster assistance is calculated; or 

(bb) the national average corn price per 

bushel for the 24-month period immediately 

preceding that March 1; by 

(II) 56. 

(D) NORMAL GRAZING PERIOD AND DROUGHT MONITOR

INTENSITY.— 

(i) FSA COUNTY COMMITTEE DETERMINATIONS.— 

(I) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall determine the normal carrying capacity and normal 

grazing period for each type of grazing land or 

pastureland in the county served by the applicable 

committee. 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 701 

(II) CHANGES.—No change to the normal carrying capacity or normal grazing period established 

for a county under subclause (I) shall be made 

unless the change is requested by the appropriate 

State and county Farm Service Agency committees. 

(ii) DROUGHT INTENSITY.— (I) D2.—An eligible livestock producer that 

owns or leases grazing land or pastureland that 

is physically located in a county that is rated by 

the U.S. Drought Monitor as having a D2 (severe 

drought) intensity in any area of the county for 

at least 8 consecutive weeks during the normal 

grazing period for the county, as determined by 

the Secretary, shall be eligible to receive assistance 

under this paragraph in an amount equal to 1 

monthly payment using the monthly payment rate 

determined under subparagraph (B). 

(II) D3.—An eligible livestock producer that 

owns or leases grazing land or pastureland that 

is physically located in a county that is rated by 

the U.S. Drought Monitor as having at least a 

D3 (extreme drought) intensity in any area of the 

county at any time during the normal grazing 

period for the county, as determined by the Secretary, shall be eligible to receive assistance under 

this paragraph— 

(aa) in an amount equal to 3 monthly 

payments using the monthly payment rate 

determined under subparagraph (B); 

(bb) if the county is rated as having a 

D3 (extreme drought) intensity in any area 

of the county for at least 4 weeks during the 

normal grazing period for the county, or is 

rated as having a D4 (exceptional drought) 

intensity in any area of the county at any 

time during the normal grazing period, in an 

amount equal to 4 monthly payments using 

the monthly payment rate determined under 

subparagraph (B); or 

(cc) if the county is rated as having a 

D4 (exceptional drought) intensity in any area 

of the county for at least 4 weeks during the 

normal grazing period, in an amount equal 

to 5 monthly payments using the monthly rate 

determined under subparagraph (B). 

(4) ASSISTANCE FOR LOSSES DUE TO FIRE ON PUBLIC MANAGED LAND.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible livestock producer may 

receive assistance under this paragraph only if— 

(i) the grazing losses occur on rangeland that is 

managed by a Federal agency; and 

(ii) the eligible livestock producer is prohibited 

by the Federal agency from grazing the normal permitted livestock on the managed rangeland due to 

a fire. 

(B) PAYMENT RATE.—The payment rate for assistance 

under this paragraph shall be equal to 50 percent of the 


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128 STAT. 702 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

monthly feed cost for the total number of livestock covered 

by the Federal lease of the eligible livestock producer, 

as determined under paragraph (3)(C). 

(C) PAYMENT DURATION.— 

(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to clause (ii), an eligible 

livestock producer shall be eligible to receive assistance 

under this paragraph for the period— 

(I) beginning on the date on which the Federal 

agency excludes the eligible livestock producer 

from using the managed rangeland for grazing; 

and 

(II) ending on the last day of the Federal lease 

of the eligible livestock producer. 

(ii) LIMITATION.—An eligible livestock producer 

may only receive assistance under this paragraph for 

losses that occur on not more than 180 days per year. 

(5) NO DUPLICATIVE PAYMENTS.—An eligible livestock producer may elect to receive assistance for grazing or pasture 

feed losses due to drought conditions under paragraph (3) or 

fire under paragraph (4), but not both for the same loss, as 

determined by the Secretary. 

(d) EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR LIVESTOCK, HONEY BEES, AND

FARM-RAISED FISH.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—For fiscal year 2012 and each succeeding 

fiscal year, the Secretary shall use not more than $20,000,000 

of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to provide 

emergency relief to eligible producers of livestock, honey bees, 

and farm-raised fish to aid in the reduction of losses due 

to disease (including cattle tick fever), adverse weather, or 

other conditions, such as blizzards and wildfires, as determined 

by the Secretary, that are not covered under subsection (b) 

or (c). 

(2) USE OF FUNDS.—Funds made available under this subsection shall be used to reduce losses caused by feed or water 

shortages, disease, or other factors as determined by the Secretary. 

(3) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Any funds made available 

under this subsection shall remain available until expended. 

(e) TREE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.— 

(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

(A) ELIGIBLE ORCHARDIST.—The term ‘‘eligible 

orchardist’’ means a person that produces annual crops 

from trees for commercial purposes. 

(B) NATURAL DISASTER.—The term ‘‘natural disaster’’ 

means plant disease, insect infestation, drought, fire, 

freeze, flood, earthquake, lightning, or other occurrence, 

as determined by the Secretary. 

(C) NURSERY TREE GROWER.—The term ‘‘nursery tree 

grower’’ means a person who produces nursery, ornamental, 

fruit, nut, or Christmas trees for commercial sale, as determined by the Secretary. 

(D) TREE.—The term ‘‘tree’’ includes a tree, bush, and 

vine. 

(2) ELIGIBILITY.— 

(A) LOSS.—Subject to subparagraph (B), for fiscal year 

2012 and each succeeding fiscal year, the Secretary shall 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 703 

use such sums as are necessary of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to provide assistance— 

(i) under paragraph (3) to eligible orchardists and 

nursery tree growers that planted trees for commercial 

purposes but lost the trees as a result of a natural 

disaster, as determined by the Secretary; and 

(ii) under paragraph (3)(B) to eligible orchardists 

and nursery tree growers that have a production history for commercial purposes on planted or existing 

trees but lost the trees as a result of a natural disaster, 

as determined by the Secretary. 

(B) LIMITATION.—An eligible orchardist or nursery tree 

grower shall qualify for assistance under subparagraph 

(A) only if the tree mortality of the eligible orchardist 

or nursery tree grower, as a result of damaging weather 

or related condition, exceeds 15 percent (adjusted for 

normal mortality). 

(3) ASSISTANCE.—Subject to paragraph (4), the assistance 

provided by the Secretary to eligible orchardists and nursery 

tree growers for losses described in paragraph (2) shall consist 

of— 

(A)(i) reimbursement of 65 percent of the cost of 

replanting trees lost due to a natural disaster, as determined by the Secretary, in excess of 15 percent mortality 

(adjusted for normal mortality); or 

(ii) at the option of the Secretary, sufficient seedlings 

to reestablish a stand; and 

(B) reimbursement of 50 percent of the cost of pruning, 

removal, and other costs incurred by an eligible orchardist 

or nursery tree grower to salvage existing trees or, in 

the case of tree mortality, to prepare the land to replant 

trees as a result of damage or tree mortality due to a 

natural disaster, as determined by the Secretary, in excess 

of 15 percent damage or mortality (adjusted for normal 

tree damage and mortality). 

(4) LIMITATIONS ON ASSISTANCE.— 

(A) DEFINITIONS OF LEGAL ENTITY AND PERSON.—In 

this paragraph, the terms ‘‘legal entity’’ and ‘‘person’’ have 

the meaning given those terms in section 1001(a) of the 

Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308(a)). 

(B) AMOUNT.—The total amount of payments received, 

directly or indirectly, by a person or legal entity (excluding 

a joint venture or general partnership) under this subsection may not exceed $125,000 for any crop year, or 

an equivalent value in tree seedlings. 

(C) ACRES.—The total quantity of acres planted to trees 

or tree seedlings for which a person or legal entity shall 

be entitled to receive payments under this subsection may 

not exceed 500 acres. 

(f) PAYMENT LIMITATIONS.— 

(1) DEFINITIONS OF LEGAL ENTITY AND PERSON.—In this 

subsection, the terms ‘‘legal entity’’ and ‘‘person’’ have the 

meaning given those terms in section 1001(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308(a)). 

(2) AMOUNT.—The total amount of disaster assistance payments received, directly or indirectly, by a person or legal 

entity (excluding a joint venture or general partnership) under 


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128 STAT. 704 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

this section (excluding payments received under subsection (e)) 

may not exceed $125,000 for any crop year. 

(3) DIRECT ATTRIBUTION.—Subsections (e) and (f) of section 

1001 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308) or 

any successor provisions relating to direct attribution shall 

apply with respect to assistance provided under this section. 

Subtitle F—Administration 

SEC. 1601. ADMINISTRATION GENERALLY. 

(a) USE OF COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION.—The Secretary 

shall use the funds, facilities, and authorities of the Commodity 

Credit Corporation to carry out this title. 

(b) DETERMINATIONS BY SECRETARY.—A determination made 

by the Secretary under this title shall be final and conclusive. 

(c) REGULATIONS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 

of this Act, the Secretary and the Commodity Credit Corporation, as appropriate, shall promulgate such regulations as are 

necessary to implement this title and the amendments made 

by this title. 

(2) PROCEDURE.—The promulgation of the regulations and 

administration of this title and the amendments made by this 

title and sections 11003 and 11017 shall be made without 

regard to— 

(A) the notice and comment provisions of section 553 

of title 5, United States Code; 

(B) chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly known as the ‘‘Paperwork Reduction Act’’); and 

(C) the Statement of Policy of the Secretary of Agriculture effective July 24, 1971 (36 Fed. Reg. 13804), 

relating to notices of proposed rulemaking and public 

participation in rulemaking. 

(3) CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW OF AGENCY RULEMAKING.—In 

carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall use the 

authority provided under section 808 of title 5, United States 

Code. 

(d) ADJUSTMENT AUTHORITY RELATED TO TRADE AGREEMENTS

COMPLIANCE.— 

(1) REQUIRED DETERMINATION; ADJUSTMENT.—If the Secretary determines that expenditures under this title that are 

subject to the total allowable domestic support levels under 

the Uruguay Round Agreements (as defined in section 2 of 

the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 3501)) will 

exceed such allowable levels for any applicable reporting period, 

the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, make 

adjustments in the amount of such expenditures during that 

period to ensure that such expenditures do not exceed the 

allowable levels. 

(2) CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION.—Before making any 

adjustment under paragraph (1), the Secretary 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 describing the determination made under 

that paragraph and the extent of the adjustment to be made. 

7 USC 9091. 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 705 

SEC. 1602. SUSPENSION OF PERMANENT PRICE SUPPORT AUTHORITY. 

(a) AGRICULTURAL ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 1938.—The following 

provisions of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 shall not 

be applicable to the 2014 through 2018 crops of covered commodities 

(as defined in section 1111), cotton, and sugar and shall not be 

applicable to milk during the period beginning on the date of 

enactment of this Act through December 31, 2018: 

(1) Parts II through V of subtitle B of title III (7 U.S.C. 

1326 et seq.). 

(2) In the case of upland cotton, section 377 (7 U.S.C. 

1377). 

(3) Subtitle D of title III (7 U.S.C. 1379a et seq.). 

(4) Title IV (7 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.). 

(b) AGRICULTURAL ACT OF 1949.—The following provisions of 

the Agricultural Act of 1949 shall not be applicable to the 2014 

through 2018 crops of covered commodities (as defined in section 

1111), cotton, and sugar and shall not be applicable to milk during 

the period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and 

through December 31, 2018: 

(1) Section 101 (7 U.S.C. 1441). 

(2) Section 103(a) (7 U.S.C. 1444(a)). 

(3) Section 105 (7 U.S.C. 1444b). 

(4) Section 107 (7 U.S.C. 1445a). 

(5) Section 110 (7 U.S.C. 1445e). 

(6) Section 112 (7 U.S.C. 1445g). 

(7) Section 115 (7 U.S.C. 1445k). 

(8) Section 201 (7 U.S.C. 1446). 

(9) Title III (7 U.S.C. 1447 et seq.). 

(10) Title IV (7 U.S.C. 1421 et seq.), other than sections 

404, 412, and 416 (7 U.S.C. 1424, 1429, and 1431). 

(11) Title V (7 U.S.C. 1461 et seq.). 

(12) Title VI (7 U.S.C. 1471 et seq.). 

(c) SUSPENSION OF CERTAIN QUOTA PROVISIONS.—The joint resolution entitled ‘‘A joint resolution relating to corn and wheat marketing quotas under the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as 

amended’’, approved May 26, 1941 (7 U.S.C. 1330 and 1340), shall 

not be applicable to the crops of wheat planted for harvest in 

the calendar years 2014 through 2018. 

SEC. 1603. PAYMENT LIMITATIONS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1001 of the Food Security Act of 

1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308) is amended by striking subsections (b) and 

(c) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(b) LIMITATION ON PAYMENTS FOR COVERED COMMODITIES

(OTHER THAN PEANUTS).—The total amount of payments received, 

directly or indirectly, by a person or legal entity (except a joint 

venture or general partnership) for any crop year under sections 

1116 and 1117 and as marketing loan gains or loan deficiency 

payments under subtitle B of title I of the Agricultural Act of 

2014 (other than for peanuts) may not exceed $125,000. 

‘‘(c) LIMITATION ON PAYMENTS FOR PEANUTS.—The total amount 

of payments received, directly or indirectly, by a person or legal 

entity (except a joint venture or general partnership) for any crop 

year under sections 1116 and 1117 and as marketing loan gains 

or loan deficiency payments under subtitle B of title I of the Agricultural Act of 2014 for peanuts may not exceed $125,000.’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

7 USC 9092. 


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128 STAT. 706 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

(1) LIMITATION ON APPLICABILITY.—Section 1001(d) of the 

Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308(d)) is amended by 

striking ‘‘the marketing assistance loan program or the loan 

deficiency payment program under title I of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008’’ and inserting ‘‘the forfeiture 

of a commodity pledged as collateral for a loan made available 

under subtitle B of title I of the Agricultural Act of 2014’’. 

(2) TREATMENT OF FEDERAL AGENCIES AND STATE AND LOCAL

GOVERNMENTS.—Section 1001(f) of the Food Security Act of 

1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308(f)) is amended— 

(A) in paragraph (5)(A), by striking ‘‘or title XII’’ and 

inserting ‘‘, title I of the Agricultural Act of 2014, or title 

XII’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (6)(A), by striking ‘‘or title XII’’ and 

inserting ‘‘, title I of the Agricultural Act of 2014, or title 

XII’’. 

(3) FOREIGN PERSONS INELIGIBLE.—Section 1001C(a) of the 

Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308–3(a)) is amended 

by inserting ‘‘title I of the Agricultural Act of 2014,’’ after 

‘‘2008,’’. 

(c) APPLICATION.—The amendments made by this section shall 

apply beginning with the 2014 crop year. 

SEC. 1604. RULEMAKING RELATED TO SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION 

FOR ACTIVE PERSONAL MANAGEMENT. 

(a) REGULATIONS REQUIRED.—Within 180 days after the date 

of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall promulgate, with 

an opportunity for notice and comment, regulations— 

(1) to define the term ‘‘significant contribution of active 

personal management’’ for purposes of section 1001A of the 

Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308–1); and 

(2) if the Secretary determines it is appropriate, to establish 

limits for varying types of farming operations on the number 

of individuals who may be considered to be actively engaged 

in farming with respect to the farming operation when a significant contribution of active personal management is the basis 

used to meet the requirement of being actively engaged in 

farming under section 1001A of the Food Security Act of 1985 

(7 U.S.C. 1308–1) by an individual or entity. 

(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In promulgating the regulations required 

under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consider— 

(1) the size, nature, and management requirements of each 

type of farming operation; 

(2) the changing nature of active personal management 

due to advancements of farming operations; and 

(3) the degree to which the regulations promulgated pursuant to subsection (a) will adversely impact the long-term 

viability of the farming operation. 

(c) FAMILY FARMS.—The Secretary shall not apply the regulations promulgated pursuant to subsection (a) to individuals or entities comprised solely of family members (as that term is defined 

in section 1001(a)(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 

1308(a)(2))). 

(d) MONITORING.—The regulations promulgated pursuant to 

subsection (a) shall include a plan for monitoring the status of 

compliance reviews for whether a person or entity is in compliance 

with the regulations. 

7 USC 1308–1 

note. 

7 USC 1308 note. 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 707 

(e) PAPERWORK REDUCTION.—In order to conserve Federal 

resources and prevent unnecessary paperwork burdens, the Secretary shall ensure that any additional paperwork required as 

a result of the regulations promulgated pursuant to subsection 

(a) be limited to those persons who are subject to such regulations. 

(f) RELATION TO OTHER REQUIREMENTS.—Nothing in this section may be construed to authorize the Secretary to alter, directly 

or indirectly, existing regulations for other requirements in section 

1001A of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308–1). 

(g) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The requirements of any regulation 

promulgated pursuant to this section shall apply beginning with 

the 2015 crop year. 

SEC. 1605. ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME LIMITATION. 

(a) LIMITATIONS AND COVERED BENEFITS.—Section 1001D(b) of 

the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308–3a(b)) is amended— 

(1) in the subsection heading, by striking ‘‘LIMITATIONS’’ 

and inserting ‘‘LIMITATIONS ON COMMODITY AND CONSERVATION

PROGRAMS’’; 

(2) by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) and inserting the 

following new paragraphs: 

‘‘(1) LIMITATION.—Notwithstanding any other provision of 

law, a person or legal entity shall not be eligible to receive 

any benefit described in paragraph (2) during a crop, fiscal, 

or program year, as appropriate, if the average adjusted gross 

income of the person or legal entity exceeds $900,000. 

‘‘(2) COVERED BENEFITS.—Paragraph (1) applies with 

respect to the following: 

‘‘(A) A payment or benefit under subtitle A or E of 

title I of the Agricultural Act of 2014. 

‘‘(B) A marketing loan gain or loan deficiency payment 

under subtitle B of title I of the Agricultural Act of 2014. 

‘‘(C) Starting with fiscal year 2015, a payment or benefit under title II of the Agricultural Act of 2014, title 

II of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, 

title II of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, 

or title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985. 

‘‘(D) A payment or benefit under section 524(b) of the 

Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1524(b)). 

‘‘(E) A payment or benefit under section 196 of the 

Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 

(7 U.S.C. 7333).’’. 

(b) UPDATING DEFINITIONS.—Paragraph (1) of section 1001D(a) 

of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308–3a(a)) is amended 

to read as follows: 

‘‘(1) AVERAGE ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME.—In this section, 

the term ‘average adjusted gross income’, with respect to a 

person or legal entity, means the average of the adjusted gross 

income or comparable measure of the person or legal entity 

over the 3 taxable years preceding the most immediately preceding complete taxable year, as determined by the Secretary.’’. 

(c) INCOME DETERMINATION.—Section 1001D of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308–3a) is amended— 

(1) by striking subsection (c); and 

(2) by redesignating subsections (d), (e), and (f) as subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively. 


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128 STAT. 708 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

(d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 1001D of the Food 

Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308–3a) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a)(2)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘subparagraph (A) or (B) of’’; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘, the average adjusted gross farm 

income, and the average adjusted gross nonfarm income’’; 

(2) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ‘‘, average adjusted 

gross farm income, and average adjusted gross nonfarm income’’ 

both places it appears; 

(3) in subsection (c) (as redesignated by subsection (c)(2) 

of this section)— 

(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘, average adjusted 

gross farm income, and average adjusted gross nonfarm 

income’’ both places it appears; and 

(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘paragraphs (1)(C) 

and (2)(B) of subsection (b)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection 

(b)(2)’’; and 

(4) in subsection (d) (as redesignated by subsection (c)(2) 

of this section)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘paragraphs (1)(C) and (2)(B) of subsection (b)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (b)(2)’’; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘, average adjusted gross farm income, 

or average adjusted gross nonfarm income’’. 

(e) EFFECTIVE PERIOD.—Subsection (e) of section 1001D of the 

Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308–3a), as redesignated 

by subsection (c)(2) of this section, is repealed. 

(f) LIMITATION ON APPLICABILITY.—Section 1001(d) of the Food 

Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308) is amended by inserting before 

the period at the end the following: ‘‘or title I of the Agricultural 

Act of 2014’’. 

(g) TRANSITION.—Section 1001D of the Food Security Act of 

1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308–3a), as in effect on the day before the date 

of the enactment of this Act, shall apply with respect to the 2013 

crop, fiscal, or program year, as appropriate, for each program 

described in paragraphs (1)(C) and (2)(B) of subsection (b) of that 

section (as so in effect on that day). 

SEC. 1606. GEOGRAPHICALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS AND 

RANCHERS. 

Section 1621(d) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8792(d)) is amended by striking ‘‘each of fiscal 

years 2009 through 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal year 2009 and each 

succeeding fiscal year’’. 

SEC. 1607. PERSONAL LIABILITY OF PRODUCERS FOR DEFICIENCIES. 

Section 164 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and 

Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7284) is amended by striking ‘‘and 

title I of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008’’ each 

place it appears and inserting ‘‘title I of the Food, Conservation, 

and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8702 et seq.), and title I of 

the Agricultural Act of 2014’’. 

SEC. 1608. PREVENTION OF DECEASED INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING PAYMENTS UNDER FARM COMMODITY PROGRAMS. 

(a) RECONCILIATION.—At least twice each year, the Secretary 

shall reconcile Social Security numbers of all individuals who 

receive payments under this title, whether directly or indirectly, 

7 USC 9093. 

7 USC 1308–3a 

note. 


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with the Commissioner of Social Security to determine if the individuals are alive. 

(b) PRECLUSION.—The Secretary shall preclude the issuance 

of payments to, and on behalf of, deceased individuals that were 

not eligible for payments. 

SEC. 1609. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS. 

(a) MISSING PUNCTUATION.—Section 359f(c)(1)(B) of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359ff(c)(1)(B)) is amended 

by adding a period at the end. 

(b) ERRONEOUS CROSS REFERENCE.— (1) AMENDMENT.—Section 1603(g) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Public Law 110–246; 122 Stat. 

1739) is amended in paragraphs (2) through (6) and the amendments made by those paragraphs by striking ‘‘1703(a)’’ each 

place it appears and inserting ‘‘1603(a)’’. 

(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This subsection and the amendments 

made by this subsection take effect as if included in the Food, 

Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Public Law 110–246; 

122 Stat. 1651). 

(c) CONTINUED APPLICABILITY OF APPROPRIATIONS GENERAL

PROVISION.—Section 767 of division A of Public Law 108–7 (7 U.S.C. 

7911 note; 117 Stat. 48) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘(a)’’; 

(2) by striking ‘‘sections 1101 and 1102 of Public Law 

107–171’’ and inserting ‘‘subtitle A of title I of the Agricultural 

Act of 2014’’; and 

(3) by striking ‘‘such section 1102’’ and inserting ‘‘such 

subtitle’’; and 

(4) by striking subsection (b). 

SEC. 1610. APPEALS. 

(a) DIRECTION, CONTROL, AND SUPPORT.—Section 272 of the 

Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 

6992) is amended by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(c) DIRECTION, CONTROL, AND SUPPORT.— ‘‘(1) DIRECTION AND CONTROL.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph 

(2), the Director shall be free from the direction and control 

of any person other than the Secretary or the Deputy 

Secretary of Agriculture. 

‘‘(B) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—The Division shall not 

receive administrative support (except on a reimbursable 

basis) from any agency other than the Office of the Secretary. 

‘‘(C) PROHIBITION ON DELEGATION.—The Secretary may 

not delegate to any other officer or employee of the Department, other than the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture or 

the Director, the authority of the Secretary with respect 

to the Division. 

‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—The Assistant Secretary for Administration is authorized to investigate, enforce, and implement the 

provisions in law, Executive order, or regulations that relate 

in general to competitive and excepted service positions and 

employment within the Division, including the position of 

Director, and such authority may be further delegated to 

subordinate officials.’’. 

7 USC 1471g 

note. 

7 USC 1471g, 

1524, 8204; 16 

USC 2106a; 19 

USC 2401. 


ccoleman on DSK8P6SHH1PROD with PUBLIC LAWS
128 STAT. 710 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 296(b) of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b)) 

is amended— 

(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by striking 

‘‘affect—’’ and inserting ‘‘affect:’’; 

(2) by striking ‘‘the authority’’ each place it appears in 

paragraphs (1) through (7) and inserting ‘‘The authority’’; 

(3) by striking the semicolon at the end of each of paragraphs (1) through (5) and inserting a period; 

(4) in paragraph (6)(C), by striking ‘‘; or’’ at the end and 

inserting a period; and 

(5) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(8) The authority of the Secretary to carry out amendments 

made to this title by the Agricultural Act of 2014.’’. 

SEC. 1611. ASSIGNMENT OF PAYMENTS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The provisions of section 8(g) of the Soil 

Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act (16 U.S.C. 590h(g)), 

relating to assignment of payments, shall apply to payments made 

under this title. 

(b) NOTICE.—The producer making the assignment, or the 

assignee, shall provide the Secretary with notice, in such manner 

as the Secretary may require, of any assignment made under this 

section. 

SEC. 1612. TRACKING OF BENEFITS. 

As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this 

Act, the Secretary may track the benefits provided, directly or 

indirectly, to individuals and entities under titles I and II and 

the amendments made by those titles. 

SEC. 1613. SIGNATURE AUTHORITY. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this title and title II and 

amendments made by those titles, if the Secretary approves a 

document, the Secretary shall not subsequently determine the document is inadequate or invalid because of the lack of authority 

of any person signing the document on behalf of the applicant 

or any other individual, entity, general partnership, or joint venture, 

or the documents relied upon were determined inadequate or 

invalid, unless the person signing the program document knowingly 

and willfully falsified the evidence of signature authority or a 

signature. 

(b) AFFIRMATION.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this section prohibits the Secretary from asking a proper party to affirm any document 

that otherwise would be considered approved under subsection 

(a). 

(2) NO RETROACTIVE EFFECT.—A denial of benefits based 

on a lack of affirmation under paragraph (1) shall not be 

retroactive with respect to third-party producers who were not 

the subject of the erroneous representation of authority, if 

the third-party producers— 

(A) relied on the prior approval by the Secretary of 

the documents in good faith; and 

(B) substantively complied with all program requirements. 

7 USC 9096. 

7 USC 9095. 

7 USC 9094. 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 711 

SEC. 1614. IMPLEMENTATION. 

(a) MAINTENANCE OF BASE ACRES AND PAYMENT YIELDS.—The 

Secretary shall maintain, for each covered commodity and upland 

cotton, base acres and payment yields on a farm established under 

sections 1001 and 1301 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy 

Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8702, 8751), as adjusted pursuant to sections 

1101, 1102, 1108, and 1302 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 8711, 8712, 

8718, 8752), as in effect on September 30, 2013. 

(b) STREAMLINING.—In implementing this title, the Secretary 

shall— 

(1) reduce administrative burdens and costs to producers 

by streamlining and reducing paperwork, forms, and other 

administrative requirements, including through the 

implementation of the Acreage Crop Reporting and Streamlining Initiative that, in part, shall ensure that— 

(A) a producer (or an agent of a producer) may report 

information, electronically (including geospatial data) or 

conventionally, to the Department; and 

(B) upon the request of the producer (or agent thereof) 

the Department of Agriculture electronically shares with 

the producer (or agent) in real time and without cost to 

the producer (or agent) the common land unit data, related 

farm level data, and other information of the producer; 

(2) improve coordination, information sharing, and administrative work with the Farm Service Agency, Risk Management 

Agency, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service; and 

(3) take advantage of new technologies to enhance efficiency 

and effectiveness of program delivery to producers. 

(c) IMPLEMENTATION.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make available to 

the Farm Service Agency to carry out this title $100,000,000. 

(2) ADDITIONAL FUNDS.— 

(A) INITIAL DETERMINATION.—If, by September 30, 

2014, the Secretary notifies the Committee on Agriculture 

of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate that 

the Farm Service Agency has made substantial progress 

toward implementing the requirements of subsection (b)(1), 

the Secretary shall make available to the Farm Service 

Agency to carry out this title $10,000,000 on October 1, 

2014. The amount made available under this subparagraph 

is in addition to the amount made available under paragraph (1). 

(B) SUBSEQUENT DETERMINATION.—If, by September 

30, 2015, the Secretary notifies the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee 

on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate that 

the requirements of subsection (b)(1) have been fully implemented and those Committees provide written concurrence 

to the Secretary, the Secretary shall make available to 

the Farm Service Agency to carry out this title $10,000,000 

on the date the written concurrence is provided or October 

1, 2015, whichever is later. The amount made available 

under this subparagraph is in addition to the amount made 

available under paragraph (1) and any amount made available under subparagraph (A). 

(3) PRODUCER EDUCATION.— 

7 USC 9097. 


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128 STAT. 712 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

(A) IN GENERAL.—Of the funds made available under 

paragraph (1), the Secretary shall provide $3,000,000 to 

State extension services for the purpose of educating 

farmers and ranchers on the options made available under 

subtitles A, D, and E of this title and under section 196 

of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act 

of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7333). 

(B) WEB-BASED DECISION AIDS.— (i) USE OF QUALIFIED UNIVERSITIES.—Of the funds 

made available under paragraph (1), the Secretary 

shall use $3,000,000 to support qualified universities 

(or university-based organizations) that represent a 

diversity of regions and commodities (including dairy), 

possess expertise regarding the programs authorized 

by this Act, have a history in the development of 

decision aids and producer outreach initiatives 

regarding farm risk management programs, and are 

able to meet the deadline established pursuant to 

clause (ii) to develop web-based decision aids to assist 

producers in understanding available options described 

in subparagraph (A) and to train producers to use 

these decision aids. 

(ii) DEADLINES.—To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall— 

(I) obligate the funds made available under 

clause (i) within 30 days after the date of the 

enactment of this Act; and 

(II) require the products described in clause 

(i) to be made available to producers on the internet within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the Secretary, after the implementation 

of the first rule implementing programs required 

under subtitle A of this title. 

(d) LOAN IMPLEMENTATION.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—In any crop year in which an order is 

issued pursuant 2 U.S.C. 901(a), the Secretary shall use such 

sums as necessary of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation for such crop year to fully restore the support, loan, 

or assistance that is otherwise required under subtitles B or 

C of this title or under the amendments made by subtitles 

B or C, except with respect to the assistance provided under 

sections 1207(c) and 1208. 

(2) REPAYMENT.—In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall ensure that when a producer repays a loan at 

a rate equal to the loan rate plus interest in accordance with 

the repayment provisions of subtitles B or C that the repayment 

amount shall include the portion of the loan amount provided 

under paragraph (1), except that this paragraph shall not affect 

or reduce marketing loan gains, loan deficiency payments, or 

forfeiture benefits provided for under subtitles B or C and 

as supplemented in accordance with paragraph (1). 

SEC. 1615. RESEARCH OPTION. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 4(m) of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714b(m)), funds 

of the Commodity Credit Corporation disbursed pursuant to the 

memorandum of understanding between the Government of the 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 713 

United States of America and the Government of the Federative 

Republic of Brazil regarding a fund for technical assistance and 

capacity building with respect to dispute WT/DS 267 in the World 

Trade Organization may, upon resolution of the dispute, be used 

for research consistent with the conditions imposed by subsection 

(b). 

(b) CONDITIONS.—Research authorized by subsection (a) must 

be conducted in collaboration with research agencies of the United 

States Department of Agriculture or with a college, university, 

or research foundation located in the United States. Such research 

and collaboration shall be subject to the agreement of the parties 

to the resolved dispute described in subsection (a). 

TITLE II—CONSERVATION 

Subtitle A—Conservation Reserve Program 

SEC. 2001. EXTENSION AND ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS OF CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM. 

(a) EXTENSION.—Section 1231(a) of the Food Security Act of 

1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

(b) ELIGIBLE LAND.—Section 1231(b) of the Food Security Act 

of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831(b)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ‘‘the date of enactment 

of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008’’ and 

inserting ‘‘the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 

2014’’; 

(2) by striking paragraph (2) and redesignating paragraph 

(3) as paragraph (2); 

(3) by inserting before paragraph (4) the following new 

paragraph: 

‘‘(3) grasslands that— 

‘‘(A) contain forbs or shrubland (including improved 

rangeland and pastureland) for which grazing is the 

predominant use; 

‘‘(B) are located in an area historically dominated by 

grasslands; and 

‘‘(C) could provide habitat for animal and plant populations of significant ecological value if the land is retained 

in its current use or restored to a natural condition;’’; 

(4) in paragraph (4)(C), by striking ‘‘filterstrips devoted 

to trees or shrubs’’ and inserting ‘‘filterstrips or riparian buffers 

devoted to trees, shrubs, or grasses’’; and 

(5) by striking paragraph (5) and inserting the following 

new paragraph: 

‘‘(5) the portion of land in a field not enrolled in the 

conservation reserve in a case in which— 

‘‘(A) more than 50 percent of the land in the field 

is enrolled as a buffer or filterstrip, or more than 75 percent 

of the land in the field is enrolled as a conservation practice 

other than as a buffer or filterstrip; and 

‘‘(B) the remainder of the field is— 

‘‘(i) infeasible to farm; and 

‘‘(ii) enrolled at regular rental rates.’’. 


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128 STAT. 714 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

(c) PLANTING STATUS OF CERTAIN LAND.—Section 1231(c) of 

the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831(c)) is amended 

by striking ‘‘if’’ and all that follows through the period at the 

end and inserting ‘‘if, during the crop year, the land was devoted 

to a conserving use.’’. 

(d) ENROLLMENT.—Subsection (d) of section 1231 of the Food 

Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘(d) ENROLLMENT.— ‘‘(1) MAXIMUM ACREAGE ENROLLED.—The Secretary may 

maintain in the conservation reserve at any one time during— 

‘‘(A) fiscal year 2014, no more than 27,500,000 acres; 

‘‘(B) fiscal year 2015, no more than 26,000,000 acres; 

‘‘(C) fiscal year 2016, no more than 25,000,000 acres; 

‘‘(D) fiscal year 2017, no more than 24,000,000 acres; 

and 

‘‘(E) fiscal year 2018, no more than 24,000,000 acres. 

‘‘(2) GRASSLANDS.— 

‘‘(A) LIMITATION.—For purposes of applying the limitations in paragraph (1), no more than 2,000,000 acres of 

the land described in subsection (b)(3) may be enrolled 

in the program at any one time during the 2014 through 

2018 fiscal years. 

‘‘(B) PRIORITY.—In enrolling acres under subparagraph 

(A), the Secretary may give priority to land with expiring 

conservation reserve program contracts. 

‘‘(C) METHOD OF ENROLLMENT.—In enrolling acres 

under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall make the program available to owners or operators of eligible land on 

a continuous enrollment basis with one or more ranking 

periods.’’. 

(e) DURATION OF CONTRACT.—Section 1231(e) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831(e)) is amended by striking paragraphs (2) and (3) and inserting the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(2) SPECIAL RULE FOR CERTAIN LAND.—In the case of land 

devoted to hardwood trees, shelterbelts, windbreaks, or wildlife 

corridors under a contract entered into under this subchapter, 

the owner or operator of the land may, within the limitations 

prescribed under paragraph (1), specify the duration of the 

contract.’’. 

(f) CONSERVATION PRIORITY AREAS.—Section 1231(f) of the Food 

Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831(f)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘watershed areas of the 

Chesapeake Bay Region, the Great Lakes Region, the Long 

Island Sound Region, and other’’; 

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘WATERSHEDS.—Watersheds’’ and inserting ‘‘AREAS.—Areas’’; and 

(3) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘a watershed’s designation—’’ and all that follows through the period at the end 

and inserting ‘‘an area’s designation if the Secretary finds that 

the area no longer contains actual and significant adverse 

water quality or habitat impacts related to agricultural production activities.’’. 

SEC. 2002. FARMABLE WETLAND PROGRAM. 

(a) EXTENSION.—Section 1231B(a)(1) of the Food Security Act 

of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831b(a)(1)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’; and 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 715 

(2) by striking ‘‘a program’’ and inserting ‘‘a farmable wetland program’’. 

(b) ELIGIBLE ACREAGE.—Section 1231B(b)(1)(B) of the Food 

Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831b(b)(1)(B)) is amended by 

striking ‘‘flow from a row crop agriculture drainage system’’ and 

inserting ‘‘surface and subsurface flow from row crop agricultural 

production’’. 

(c) ACREAGE LIMITATION.—Section 1231B(c)(1)(B) of the Food 

Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831b(c)(1)(B)) is amended by 

striking ‘‘1,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘750,000’’. 

(d) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—Section 1231B of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831b) is amended— 

(1) by striking the heading and inserting the following: ‘‘FARMABLE WETLAND PROGRAM’’; and 

(2) in subsection (f)(2), by striking ‘‘section 1234(c)(2)(B)’’ 

and inserting ‘‘section 1234(d)(2)(A)(ii)’’. 

SEC. 2003. DUTIES OF OWNERS AND OPERATORS. 

(a) LIMITATION ON HARVESTING, GRAZING, OR COMMERCIAL USE

OF FORAGE.—Section 1232(a)(8) of the Food Security Act of 1985 

(16 U.S.C. 3832(a)(8)) is amended by striking ‘‘except that’’ and 

all that follows through the semicolon at the end of the paragraph 

and inserting ‘‘except as provided in subsection (b) or (c) of section 

1233;’’. 

(b) CONSERVATION PLAN REQUIREMENTS.—Subsection (b) of section 1232 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3832) is 

amended to read as follows: 

‘‘(b) CONSERVATION PLANS.—The plan referred to in subsection 

(a)(1) shall set forth— 

‘‘(1) the conservation measures and practices to be carried 

out by the owner or operator during the term of the contract; 

and 

‘‘(2) the commercial use, if any, to be permitted on the 

land during the term.’’. 

(c) RENTAL PAYMENT REDUCTION.—Section 1232 of the Food 

Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3832) is amended by striking 

subsection (d). 

SEC. 2004. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY. 

Section 1233 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3833) 

is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 1233. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY. 

‘‘(a) COST-SHARE AND RENTAL PAYMENTS.—In return for a contract entered into by an owner or operator under the conservation 

reserve program, the Secretary shall— 

‘‘(1) share the cost of carrying out the conservation measures and practices set forth in the contract for which the 

Secretary determines that cost sharing is appropriate and in 

the public interest; and 

‘‘(2) for a period of years not in excess of the term of 

the contract, pay an annual rental payment in an amount 

necessary to compensate for— 

‘‘(A) the conversion of highly erodible cropland or other 

eligible lands normally devoted to the production of an 

agricultural commodity on a farm or ranch to a less intensive use; 


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128 STAT. 716 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

‘‘(B) the retirement of any base history that the owner 

or operator agrees to retire permanently; and 

‘‘(C) the development and management of grasslands 

for multiple natural resource conservation benefits, 

including to soil, water, air, and wildlife. 

‘‘(b) SPECIFIED ACTIVITIES PERMITTED.—The Secretary shall 

permit certain activities or commercial uses of land that is subject 

to a contract under the conservation reserve program if those activities or uses are consistent with a plan approved by the Secretary 

and include— 

‘‘(1) harvesting, grazing, or other commercial use of the 

forage in response to a drought, flooding, or other emergency, 

without any reduction in the rental rate; 

‘‘(2) consistent with the conservation of soil, water quality, 

and wildlife habitat (including habitat during primary nesting 

seasons for birds in the area), and in exchange for a reduction 

of not less than 25 percent in the annual rental rate for the 

acres covered by the authorized activity, managed harvesting 

and other commercial use (including the managed harvesting 

of biomass), except that in permitting those activities, the Secretary, in coordination with the State technical committee— 

‘‘(A) shall develop appropriate vegetation management 

requirements; and 

‘‘(B) shall identify periods during which the activities 

may be conducted, such that the frequency is at least 

every 5 but not more than once every 3 years; 

‘‘(3) subject to appropriate restrictions during the nesting 

season for birds in the local area that are economically significant, in significant decline, or conserved in accordance with 

Federal or State law, as determined by the Secretary in consultation with the State technical committee, and in exchange 

for a reduction of not less than 25 percent in the annual 

rental rate for the acres covered by the authorized activity— 

‘‘(A) prescribed grazing for the control of invasive species, which may be conducted annually; 

‘‘(B) routine grazing, except that in permitting such 

routine grazing, the Secretary, in coordination with the 

State technical committee— 

‘‘(i) shall develop appropriate vegetation management requirements and stocking rates for the land 

that are suitable for continued routine grazing; and 

‘‘(ii) shall identify the periods during which routine 

grazing may be conducted, such that the frequency 

is not more than once every 2 years, taking into consideration regional differences such as— 

‘‘(I) climate, soil type, and natural resources; 

‘‘(II) the number of years that should be 

required between routine grazing activities; and 

‘‘(III) how often during a year in which routine 

grazing is permitted that routine grazing should 

be allowed to occur; and 

‘‘(C) the installation of wind turbines and associated 

access, except that in permitting the installation of wind 

turbines, the Secretary shall determine the number and 

location of wind turbines that may be installed, taking 

into account— 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 717 

‘‘(i) the location, size, and other physical characteristics of the land; 

‘‘(ii) the extent to which the land contains threatened or endangered wildlife and wildlife habitat; and 

‘‘(iii) the purposes of the conservation reserve program under this subchapter; 

‘‘(4) the intermittent and seasonal use of vegetative buffer 

practices incidental to agricultural production on lands adjacent 

to the buffer such that the permitted use does not destroy 

the permanent vegetative cover; and 

‘‘(5) grazing by livestock of a beginning farmer or rancher 

without any reduction in the rental rate, if the grazing is— 

‘‘(A) consistent with the conservation of soil, water 

quality, and wildlife habitat; 

‘‘(B) subject to appropriate restrictions during the 

nesting season for birds in the local area that are economically significant, in significant decline, or conserved in 

accordance with Federal or State law, as determined by 

the Secretary in consultation with the State technical committee; and 

‘‘(C) described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph 

(3). 

‘‘(c) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES ON GRASSLANDS.—For eligible land 

described in section 1231(b)(3), the Secretary shall permit the following activities: 

‘‘(1) Common grazing practices, including maintenance and 

necessary cultural practices, on the land in a manner that 

is consistent with maintaining the viability of grassland, forb, 

and shrub species appropriate to that locality. 

‘‘(2) Haying, mowing, or harvesting for seed production, 

subject to appropriate restrictions during the nesting season 

for birds in the local area that are economically significant, 

in significant decline, or conserved in accordance with Federal 

or State law, as determined by the Secretary in consultation 

with the State technical committee. 

‘‘(3) Fire presuppression, fire-related rehabilitation, and 

construction of fire breaks. 

‘‘(4) Grazing-related activities, such as fencing and livestock 

watering. 

‘‘(d) RESOURCE CONSERVING USE.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning on the date that is 1 year 

before the date of termination of a contract under the program, 

the Secretary shall allow an owner or operator to make conservation and land improvements for economic use that facilitate maintaining protection of enrolled land after expiration 

of the contract. 

‘‘(2) CONSERVATION PLAN.—The Secretary shall require an 

owner or operator carrying out the activities described in paragraph (1) to develop and implement a conservation plan. 

‘‘(3) RE-ENROLLMENT PROHIBITED.—Land improved under 

paragraph (1) may not be re-enrolled in the conservation reserve 

program for 5 years after the date of termination of the contract. 

‘‘(4) PAYMENT REDUCTION.—In the case of an activity carried out under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall reduce the 

payment otherwise payable under the contract by an amount 

commensurate with the economic value of the activity.’’. 


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128 STAT. 718 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

SEC. 2005. PAYMENTS. 

(a) TREES, WINDBREAKS, SHELTERBELTS, AND WILDLIFE CORRIDORS.—Section 1234(b)(3)(A) of the Food Security Act of 1985 

(16 U.S.C. 3834(b)(3)(A)) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘(A) APPLICABILITY.—This paragraph applies to land 

devoted to the production of hardwood trees, windbreaks, 

shelterbelts, or wildlife corridors under a contract entered 

into under this subchapter after November 28, 1990.’’. 

(b) INCENTIVES FOR THINNING.—Section 1234 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3834) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (b)— 

(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘FEDERAL PERCENTAGE

OF’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (3)(B)— 

(i) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘or thinning’’; and 

(ii) by amending clause (ii) to read as follows: 

‘‘(ii) DURATION.—The Secretary shall make payments as described in clause (i) for a period of not 

less than 2 years, but not more than 4 years, beginning 

on the date of the planting of the trees or shrubs.’’; 

(2) by redesignating subsections (c) through (g) as subsections (d) through (h), respectively; and 

(3) by inserting after subsection (b) the following: 

‘‘(c) INCENTIVE PAYMENTS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make incentive payments to an owner or operator of eligible land in an amount 

sufficient to encourage proper thinning and other practices 

to improve the condition of resources, promote forest management, or enhance wildlife habitat on the land. 

‘‘(2) LIMITATION.—A payment described in paragraph (1) 

may not exceed 150 percent of the total cost of thinning and 

other practices conducted by the owner or operator.’’. 

(c) ANNUAL RENTAL PAYMENTS.—Section 1234(d) of the Food 

Security Act of 1985 (as redesignated by subsection (b)(2)) is 

amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘or other eligible lands’’ 

after ‘‘highly erodible cropland’’ both places it appears; 

(2) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following 

new paragraph: 

‘‘(2) METHODS OF DETERMINATION.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The amounts payable to owners or 

operators in the form of rental payments under contracts 

entered into under this subchapter may be determined 

through— 

‘‘(i) the submission of bids for such contracts by 

owners and operators in such manner as the Secretary 

may prescribe; or 

‘‘(ii) such other means as the Secretary determines 

are appropriate. 

‘‘(B) GRASSLANDS.—In the case of eligible land 

described in section 1231(b)(3), the Secretary shall make 

annual payments in an amount that is not more than 

75 percent of the grazing value of the land covered by 

the contract.’’; and 

(3) in paragraph (5)— 

16 USC 3834. 


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(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘conduct an 

annual survey’’ and inserting ‘‘, not less frequently than 

once every other year, conduct a survey’’; 

(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘annual’’; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(C) USE.—The Secretary may use the estimates 

derived from the survey conducted under subparagraph 

(A) relating to dryland cash rental rates as a factor in 

determining rental rates under this section in a manner 

determined appropriate by the Secretary.’’. 

(d) PAYMENT SCHEDULE.—Subsection (e) of section 1234 of the 

Food Security Act of 1985 (as redesignated by subsection (b)(2)) 

is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘(e) PAYMENT SCHEDULE.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise provided in this 

section, payments under this subchapter shall be made in cash 

in such amount and on such time schedule as is agreed on 

and specified in the contract. 

‘‘(2) ADVANCE PAYMENT.—Payments under this subchapter 

may be made in advance of determination of performance.’’. 

(e) PAYMENT LIMITATION.—Section 1234(g) of the Food Security 

Act of 1985 (as redesignated by subsection (b)(2)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘, including rental payments made in the form of in-kind commodities,’’; 

(2) by striking paragraph (3); and 

(3) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (2). 

SEC. 2006. CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS. 

(a) EARLY TERMINATION BY OWNER OR OPERATOR.—Section 

1235(e) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3835(e)) is 

amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1)(A)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and inserting ‘‘During 

fiscal year 2015, the Secretary’’; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘before January 1, 1995,’’; 

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraph (C) and 

inserting the following: 

‘‘(C) Land devoted to hardwood trees. 

‘‘(D) Wildlife habitat, duck nesting habitat, pollinator 

habitat, upland bird habitat buffer, wildlife food plots, State 

acres for wildlife enhancement, shallow water areas for 

wildlife, and rare and declining habitat. 

‘‘(E) Farmable wetland and restored wetland. 

‘‘(F) Land that contains diversions, erosion control 

structures, flood control structures, contour grass strips, 

living snow fences, salinity reducing vegetation, cross wind 

trap strips, and sediment retention structures. 

‘‘(G) Land located within a federally designated wellhead protection area. 

‘‘(H) Land that is covered by an easement under the 

conservation reserve program. 

‘‘(I) Land located within an average width, according 

to the applicable Natural Resources Conservation Service 

field office technical guide, of a perennial stream or permanent water body. 

‘‘(J) Land enrolled under the conservation reserve 

enhancement program.’’; and 


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128 STAT. 720 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

(3) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘60 days after the date 

on which the owner or operator submits the notice required 

under paragraph (1)(C)’’ and inserting ‘‘upon approval by the 

Secretary’’. 

(b) TRANSITION OPTION FOR CERTAIN FARMERS OR RANCHERS.— Section 1235(f) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3835(f)) 

is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1)— 

(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by 

striking ‘‘DUTIES’’ and all that follows through ‘‘a beginning 

farmer or rancher or’’ and inserting ‘‘TRANSITION TO COV- ERED FARMER OR RANCHER.—In the case of a contract modification approved in order to facilitate the transfer of land 

subject to a contract from a retired farmer or rancher 

to a beginning farmer or rancher, a veteran farmer or 

rancher (as defined in section 2501(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 

2279(e))), or a’’; 

(B) in subparagraph (A)(i), by inserting ‘‘, including 

preparing to plant an agricultural crop’’ after ‘‘improvements’’; 

(C) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘the farmer or 

rancher’’ and inserting ‘‘the covered farmer or rancher’’; 

and 

(D) in subparagraph (E), by striking ‘‘section 

1001A(b)(3)(B)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 1001’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘requirement of section 

1231(h)(4)(B)’’ and inserting ‘‘option pursuant to section 

1234(d)(2)(A)(ii)’’. 

(c) FINAL YEAR CONTRACT.—Section 1235 of the Food Security 

Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3835) is amended by adding at the end 

the following new subsections: 

‘‘(g) FINAL YEAR OF CONTRACT.—The Secretary shall not consider an owner or operator to be in violation of a term or condition 

of the conservation reserve contract if— 

‘‘(1) during the year prior to expiration of the contract, 

the land is enrolled in the conservation stewardship program; 

and 

‘‘(2) the activity required under the conservation stewardship program pursuant to such enrollment is consistent with 

this subchapter. 

‘‘(h) LAND ENROLLED IN AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION EASE- MENT PROGRAM.—The Secretary may terminate or modify a contract 

entered into under this subchapter if eligible land that is subject 

to such contract is transferred into the agricultural conservation 

easement program under subtitle H.’’. 

SEC. 2007. CONVERSION OF LAND SUBJECT TO CONTRACT TO OTHER 

CONSERVING USES. 

Section 1235A of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

3835a) is repealed. 

SEC. 2008. EFFECT ON EXISTING CONTRACTS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 

amendments made by this subtitle shall not affect the validity 

or terms of any contract entered into by the Secretary of Agriculture 

under subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII of the 

Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831 et seq.) before the 

16 USC 3831 

note. 


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date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, or any payments 

required to be made in connection with the contract. 

(b) UPDATING OF EXISTING CONTRACTS.—The Secretary shall 

permit an owner or operator of land subject to a contract entered 

into under subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII 

of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831 et seq.) before 

the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, to update 

the contract to reflect the activities and uses of land under contract 

permitted under the terms and conditions of section 1233(b) of 

that Act (as amended by section 2004), as determined appropriate 

by the Secretary. 

Subtitle B—Conservation Stewardship 

Program 

SEC. 2101. CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM. 

(a) REVISION OF CURRENT PROGRAM.—Subchapter B of chapter 

2 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 

U.S.C. 3838d et seq.) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘Subchapter B—Conservation Stewardship Program 

‘‘SEC. 1238D. DEFINITIONS. 

‘‘In this subchapter: 

‘‘(1) AGRICULTURAL OPERATION.—The term ‘agricultural 

operation’ means all eligible land, whether or not contiguous, 

that is— 

‘‘(A) under the effective control of a producer at the 

time the producer enters into a contract under the program; 

and 

‘‘(B) operated with equipment, labor, management, and 

production or cultivation practices that are substantially 

separate from other agricultural operations, as determined 

by the Secretary. 

‘‘(2) CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘conservation activities’ 

means conservation systems, practices, or management 

measures. 

‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘conservation activities’ 

includes— 

‘‘(i) structural measures, vegetative measures, and 

land management measures, including agriculture 

drainage management systems, as determined by the 

Secretary; and 

‘‘(ii) planning needed to address a priority resource 

concern. 

‘‘(3) CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PLAN.—The term ‘conservation stewardship plan’ means a plan that— 

‘‘(A) identifies and inventories priority resource concerns; 

‘‘(B) establishes benchmark data and conservation 

objectives; 

‘‘(C) describes conservation activities to be implemented, managed, or improved; and 

16 USC 3838d. 


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‘‘(D) includes a schedule and evaluation plan for the 

planning, installation, and management of the new and 

existing conservation activities. 

‘‘(4) ELIGIBLE LAND.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘eligible land’ means— 

‘‘(i) private or tribal land on which agricultural 

commodities, livestock, or forest-related products are 

produced; and 

‘‘(ii) lands associated with the land described in 

clause (i) on which priority resource concerns could 

be addressed through a contract under the program. 

‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘eligible land’ includes— 

‘‘(i) cropland; 

‘‘(ii) grassland; 

‘‘(iii) rangeland; 

‘‘(iv) pasture land; 

‘‘(v) nonindustrial private forest land; and 

‘‘(vi) other land in agricultural areas (including 

cropped woodland, marshes, and agricultural land used 

or capable of being used for the production of livestock), 

as determined by the Secretary. 

‘‘(5) PRIORITY RESOURCE CONCERN.—The term ‘priority 

resource concern’ means a natural resource concern or problem, 

as determined by the Secretary, that— 

‘‘(A) is identified at the national, State, or local level 

as a priority for a particular area of a State; 

‘‘(B) represents a significant concern in a State or 

region; and 

‘‘(C) is likely to be addressed successfully through the 

implementation of conservation activities under this program. 

‘‘(6) PROGRAM.—The term ‘program’ means the conservation 

stewardship program established by this subchapter. 

‘‘(7) STEWARDSHIP THRESHOLD.—The term ‘stewardship 

threshold’ means the level of management required, as determined by the Secretary, to conserve and improve the quality 

and condition of a natural resource. 

‘‘SEC. 1238E. CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM. 

‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE.—During each of fiscal years 

2014 through 2018, the Secretary shall carry out a conservation 

stewardship program to encourage producers to address priority 

resource concerns and improve and conserve the quality and condition of natural resources in a comprehensive manner— 

‘‘(1) by undertaking additional conservation activities; and 

‘‘(2) by improving, maintaining, and managing existing conservation activities. 

‘‘(b) EXCLUSIONS.— 

‘‘(1) LAND ENROLLED IN OTHER CONSERVATION PROGRAMS.— 

Subject to paragraph (2), the following land (even if covered 

by the definition of eligible land) is not eligible for enrollment 

in the program: 

‘‘(A) Land enrolled in the conservation reserve program, 

unless— 

‘‘(i) the conservation reserve contract will expire 

at the end of the fiscal year in which the land is 

to be enrolled in the program; and 

16 USC 3838e. 


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‘‘(ii) conservation reserve program payments for 

land enrolled in the program cease before the first 

program payment is made to the applicant under this 

subchapter. 

‘‘(B) Land enrolled in a wetland reserve easement 

through the agricultural conservation easement program. 

‘‘(C) Land enrolled in the conservation security program. 

‘‘(2) CONVERSION TO CROPLAND.—Eligible land used for crop 

production after the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act 

of 2014, that had not been planted, considered to be planted, 

or devoted to crop production for at least 4 of the 6 years 

preceding that date shall not be the basis for any payment 

under the program, unless the land does not meet such requirement because— 

‘‘(A) the land had previously been enrolled in the conservation reserve program; 

‘‘(B) the land has been maintained using long-term 

crop rotation practices, as determined by the Secretary; 

or 

‘‘(C) the land is incidental land needed for efficient 

operation of the farm or ranch, as determined by the Secretary. 

‘‘SEC. 1238F. STEWARDSHIP CONTRACTS. 

‘‘(a) SUBMISSION OF CONTRACT OFFERS.—To be eligible to 

participate in the conservation stewardship program, a producer 

shall submit to the Secretary a contract offer for the agricultural 

operation that— 

‘‘(1) demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that 

the producer, at the time of the contract offer, meets or exceeds 

the stewardship threshold for at least 2 priority resource concerns; and 

‘‘(2) would, at a minimum, meet or exceed the stewardship 

threshold for at least 1 additional priority resource concern 

by the end of the stewardship contract by— 

‘‘(A) installing and adopting additional conservation 

activities; and 

‘‘(B) improving, maintaining, and managing existing 

conservation activities across the entire agricultural operation in a manner that increases or extends the conservation benefits in place at the time the contract offer is 

accepted by the Secretary. 

‘‘(b) EVALUATION OF CONTRACT OFFERS.— 

‘‘(1) RANKING OF APPLICATIONS.—In evaluating contract 

offers submitted under subsection (a), the Secretary shall rank 

applications based on— 

‘‘(A) the level of conservation treatment on all 

applicable priority resource concerns at the time of application; 

‘‘(B) the degree to which the proposed conservation 

activities effectively increase conservation performance; 

‘‘(C) the number of applicable priority resource concerns 

proposed to be treated to meet or exceed the stewardship 

threshold by the end of the contract; 

16 USC 3838f. 


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‘‘(D) the extent to which other priority resource concerns will be addressed to meet or exceed the stewardship 

threshold by the end of the contract period; 

‘‘(E) the extent to which the actual and anticipated 

conservation benefits from the contract are provided at 

the least cost relative to other similarly beneficial contract 

offers; and 

‘‘(F) the extent to which priority resource concerns 

will be addressed when transitioning from the conservation 

reserve program to agricultural production. 

‘‘(2) PROHIBITION.—The Secretary may not assign a higher 

priority to any application because the applicant is willing 

to accept a lower payment than the applicant would otherwise 

be eligible to receive. 

‘‘(3) ADDITIONAL CRITERIA.—The Secretary may develop and 

use such additional criteria that the Secretary determines are 

necessary to ensure that national, State, and local priority 

resource concerns are effectively addressed. 

‘‘(c) ENTERING INTO CONTRACTS.—After a determination that 

a producer is eligible for the program under subsection (a), and 

a determination that the contract offer ranks sufficiently high under 

the evaluation criteria under subsection (b), the Secretary shall 

enter into a conservation stewardship contract with the producer 

to enroll the eligible land to be covered by the contract. 

‘‘(d) CONTRACT PROVISIONS.— 

‘‘(1) TERM.—A conservation stewardship contract shall be 

for a term of 5 years. 

‘‘(2) REQUIRED PROVISIONS.—The conservation stewardship 

contract of a producer shall— 

‘‘(A) state the amount of the payment the Secretary 

agrees to make to the producer for each year of the conservation stewardship contract under section 1238G(d); 

‘‘(B) require the producer— 

‘‘(i) to implement a conservation stewardship plan 

that describes the program purposes to be achieved 

through 1 or more conservation activities; 

‘‘(ii) to maintain and supply information as 

required by the Secretary to determine compliance with 

the conservation stewardship plan and any other 

requirements of the program; and 

‘‘(iii) not to conduct any activities on the agricultural operation that would tend to defeat the purposes 

of the program; 

‘‘(C) permit all economic uses of the eligible land that— 

‘‘(i) maintain the agricultural nature of the land; 

and 

‘‘(ii) are consistent with the conservation purposes 

of the conservation stewardship contract; 

‘‘(D) include a provision to ensure that a producer 

shall not be considered in violation of the contract for 

failure to comply with the contract due to circumstances 

beyond the control of the producer, including a disaster 

or related condition, as determined by the Secretary; 

‘‘(E) include provisions requiring that upon the violation of a term or condition of the contract at any time 

the producer has control of the land— 


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‘‘(i) if the Secretary determines that the violation 

warrants termination of the contract— 

‘‘(I) the producer shall forfeit all rights to 

receive payments under the contract; and 

‘‘(II) the producer shall refund all or a portion 

of the payments received by the producer under 

the contract, including any interest on the payments, as determined by the Secretary; or 

‘‘(ii) if the Secretary determines that the violation 

does not warrant termination of the contract, the producer shall refund or accept adjustments to the payments provided to the producer, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate; 

‘‘(F) include provisions in accordance with paragraphs 

(3) and (4); and 

‘‘(G) include any additional provisions the Secretary 

determines are necessary to carry out the program. 

‘‘(3) CHANGE OF INTEREST IN LAND SUBJECT TO A CONTRACT.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—At the time of application, a producer shall have control of the eligible land to be enrolled 

in the program. Except as provided in subparagraph (B), 

a change in the interest of a producer in eligible land 

covered by a contract under the program shall result in 

the termination of the contract with regard to that land. 

‘‘(B) TRANSFER OF DUTIES AND RIGHTS.—Subparagraph 

(A) shall not apply if— 

‘‘(i) within a reasonable period of time (as determined by the Secretary) after the date of the change 

in the interest in eligible land covered by a contract 

under the program, the transferee of the land provides 

written notice to the Secretary that all duties and 

rights under the contract have been transferred to, 

and assumed by, the transferee for the portion of the 

land transferred; 

‘‘(ii) the transferee meets the eligibility requirements of the program; and 

‘‘(iii) the Secretary approves the transfer of all 

duties and rights under the contract. 

‘‘(4) MODIFICATION AND TERMINATION OF CONTRACTS.— 

‘‘(A) VOLUNTARY MODIFICATION OR TERMINATION.—The 

Secretary may modify or terminate a contract with a producer if— 

‘‘(i) the producer agrees to the modification or 

termination; and 

‘‘(ii) the Secretary determines that the modification 

or termination is in the public interest. 

‘‘(B) INVOLUNTARY TERMINATION.—The Secretary may 

terminate a contract if the Secretary determines that the 

producer violated the contract. 

‘‘(5) REPAYMENT.—If a contract is terminated, the Secretary 

may, consistent with the purposes of the program— 

‘‘(A) allow the producer to retain payments already 

received under the contract; or 

‘‘(B) require repayment, in whole or in part, of payments received and assess liquidated damages. 


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‘‘(e) CONTRACT RENEWAL.—At the end of the initial 5-year contract period, the Secretary may allow the producer to renew the 

contract for 1 additional 5-year period if the producer— 

‘‘(1) demonstrates compliance with the terms of the initial 

contract; 

‘‘(2) agrees to adopt and continue to integrate conservation 

activities across the entire agricultural operation, as determined 

by the Secretary; and 

‘‘(3) agrees, by the end of the contract period— 

‘‘(A) to meet the stewardship threshold of at least 

2 additional priority resource concerns on the agricultural 

operation; or 

‘‘(B) to exceed the stewardship threshold of 2 existing 

priority resource concerns that are specified by the Secretary in the initial contract. 

‘‘SEC. 1238G. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—To achieve the conservation goals of a contract under the conservation stewardship program, the Secretary 

shall— 

‘‘(1) make the program available to eligible producers on 

a continuous enrollment basis with 1 or more ranking periods, 

1 of which shall occur in the first quarter of each fiscal year; 

‘‘(2) identify not less than 5 priority resource concerns 

in a particular watershed or other appropriate region or area 

within a State; and 

‘‘(3) establish a science-based stewardship threshold for 

each priority resource concern identified under paragraph (2). 

‘‘(b) ALLOCATION TO STATES.—The Secretary shall allocate acres 

to States for enrollment, based— 

‘‘(1) primarily on each State’s proportion of eligible land 

to the total acreage of eligible land in all States; and 

‘‘(2) also on consideration of— 

‘‘(A) the extent and magnitude of the conservation 

needs associated with agricultural production in each State; 

‘‘(B) the degree to which implementation of the program in the State is, or will be, effective in helping producers address those needs; and 

‘‘(C) other considerations to achieve equitable 

geographic distribution of funds, as determined by the Secretary. 

‘‘(c) ACREAGE ENROLLMENT LIMITATION.—During the period 

beginning on the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 

2014, and ending on September 30, 2022, the Secretary shall, to 

the maximum extent practicable— 

‘‘(1) enroll in the program an additional 10,000,000 acres 

for each fiscal year; and 

‘‘(2) manage the program to achieve a national average 

rate of $18 per acre, which shall include the costs of all financial 

assistance, technical assistance, and any other expenses associated with enrollment or participation in the program. 

‘‘(d) CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PAYMENTS.— 

‘‘(1) AVAILABILITY OF PAYMENTS.—The Secretary shall provide annual payments under the program to compensate the 

producer for— 

‘‘(A) installing and adopting additional conservation 

activities; and 

16 USC 3838g. 


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‘‘(B) improving, maintaining, and managing conservation activities in place at the agricultural operation of 

the producer at the time the contract offer is accepted 

by the Secretary. 

‘‘(2) PAYMENT AMOUNT.—The amount of the annual payment shall be determined by the Secretary and based, to the 

maximum extent practicable, on the following factors: 

‘‘(A) Costs incurred by the producer associated with 

planning, design, materials, installation, labor, management, maintenance, or training. 

‘‘(B) Income forgone by the producer. 

‘‘(C) Expected conservation benefits. 

‘‘(D) The extent to which priority resource concerns 

will be addressed through the installation and adoption 

of conservation activities on the agricultural operation. 

‘‘(E) The level of stewardship in place at the time 

of application and maintained over the term of the contract. 

‘‘(F) The degree to which the conservation activities 

will be integrated across the entire agricultural operation 

for all applicable priority resource concerns over the term 

of the contract. 

‘‘(G) Such other factors as are determined appropriate 

by the Secretary. 

‘‘(3) EXCLUSIONS.—A payment to a producer under this 

subsection shall not be provided for— 

‘‘(A) the design, construction, or maintenance of animal 

waste storage or treatment facilities or associated waste 

transport or transfer devices for animal feeding operations; 

or 

‘‘(B) conservation activities for which there is no cost 

incurred or income forgone to the producer. 

‘‘(4) DELIVERY OF PAYMENTS.—In making payments under 

this subsection, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable— 

‘‘(A) prorate conservation performance over the term 

of the contract so as to accommodate, to the extent practicable, producers earning equal annual payments in each 

fiscal year; and 

‘‘(B) make such payments as soon as practicable after 

October 1 of each fiscal year for activities carried out in 

the previous fiscal year. 

‘‘(e) SUPPLEMENTAL PAYMENTS FOR RESOURCE-CONSERVING

CROP ROTATIONS.— 

‘‘(1) AVAILABILITY OF PAYMENTS.—The Secretary shall provide additional payments to producers that, in participating 

in the program, agree to adopt or improve resource-conserving 

crop rotations to achieve beneficial crop rotations as appropriate 

for the eligible land of the producers. 

‘‘(2) BENEFICIAL CROP ROTATIONS.—The Secretary shall 

determine whether a resource-conserving crop rotation is a 

beneficial crop rotation eligible for additional payments under 

paragraph (1) based on whether the resource-conserving crop 

rotation is designed to provide natural resource conservation 

and production benefits. 

‘‘(3) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a payment 

described in paragraph (1), a producer shall agree to adopt 

and maintain beneficial resource-conserving crop rotations for 

the term of the contract. 


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‘‘(4) RESOURCE-CONSERVING CROP ROTATION.—In this subsection, the term ‘resource-conserving crop rotation’ means a 

crop rotation that— 

‘‘(A) includes at least 1 resource-conserving crop (as 

defined by the Secretary); 

‘‘(B) reduces erosion; 

‘‘(C) improves soil fertility and tilth; 

‘‘(D) interrupts pest cycles; and 

‘‘(E) in applicable areas, reduces depletion of soil moisture or otherwise reduces the need for irrigation. 

‘‘(f) PAYMENT LIMITATIONS.—A person or legal entity may not 

receive, directly or indirectly, payments under the program that, 

in the aggregate, exceed $200,000 under all contracts entered into 

during fiscal years 2014 through 2018, excluding funding arrangements with Indian tribes, regardless of the number of contracts 

entered into under the program by the person or legal entity. 

‘‘(g) SPECIALTY CROP AND ORGANIC PRODUCERS.—The Secretary 

shall ensure that outreach and technical assistance are available, 

and program specifications are appropriate to enable specialty crop 

and organic producers to participate in the program. 

‘‘(h) COORDINATION WITH ORGANIC CERTIFICATION.—The Secretary shall establish a transparent means by which producers 

may initiate organic certification under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) while participating in 

a contract under the program. 

‘‘(i) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall promulgate regulations 

that— 

‘‘(1) prescribe such other rules as the Secretary determines 

to be necessary to ensure a fair and reasonable application 

of the limitations established under subsection (f); and 

‘‘(2) otherwise enable the Secretary to carry out the program.’’. 

(b) EFFECT ON EXISTING CONTRACTS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The amendment made by this section 

shall not affect the validity or terms of any contract entered 

into by the Secretary of Agriculture under subchapter B of 

chapter 2 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act 

of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3838d et seq.) before the date of enactment 

of the Agricultural Act of 2014, or any payments required 

to be made in connection with the contract. 

(2) CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM.—Funds made 

available under section 1241(a)(4) of the Food Security Act 

of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(a)(4)) (as amended by section 2601(a) 

of this title) may be used to administer and make payments 

to program participants that enrolled into contracts during 

any of fiscal years 2009 through 2013. 

Subtitle C—Environmental Quality 

Incentives Program 

SEC. 2201. PURPOSES. 

Section 1240 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa) 

is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (3)— 

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

16 USC 3838d 

note. 


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(B) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C) and, in such subparagraph, by inserting ‘‘and’’ 

after the semicolon; and 

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

new subparagraph: 

‘‘(B) developing and improving wildlife habitat; and’’; 

(2) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting 

a period; and 

(3) by striking paragraph (5). 

SEC. 2202. DEFINITIONS. 

Section 1240A of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

3839aa–1) is amended— 

(1) by striking paragraph (2) and redesignating paragraphs 

(3) through (6) as paragraphs (2) through (5), respectively; 

and 

(2) in paragraph (2) (as so redesignated), by inserting 

‘‘established under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 

(7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.)’’ after ‘‘national organic program’’. 

SEC. 2203. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION. 

Section 1240B of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

3839aa–2) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘2014’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’; 

(2) in subsection (b), by striking paragraph (2) and inserting 

the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(2) TERM.—A contract under the program shall have a 

term that does not exceed 10 years.’’; 

(3) in subsection (d)— 

(A) in paragraph (3), by striking subparagraphs (A) 

through (G) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(A) soil health; 

‘‘(B) water quality and quantity improvement; 

‘‘(C) nutrient management; 

‘‘(D) pest management; 

‘‘(E) air quality improvement; 

‘‘(F) wildlife habitat development, including pollinator 

habitat; or 

‘‘(G) invasive species management.’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (4)— 

(i) in subparagraph (A), in the matter preceding 

clause (i), by inserting ‘‘, a veteran farmer or rancher 

(as defined in section 2501(e) of the Food, Agriculture, 

Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 

2279(e))),’’ before ‘‘or a beginning farmer or rancher’’; 

and 

(ii) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting 

the following new subparagraph: 

‘‘(B) ADVANCE PAYMENTS.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Not more than 50 percent of 

the amount determined under subparagraph (A) may 

be provided in advance for the purpose of purchasing 

materials or contracting. 

‘‘(ii) RETURN OF FUNDS.—If funds provided in 

advance are not expended during the 90-day period 

beginning on the date of receipt of the funds, the 


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funds shall be returned within a reasonable timeframe, 

as determined by the Secretary.’’; 

(4) by striking subsection (f) and inserting the following 

new subsection: 

‘‘(f) ALLOCATION OF FUNDING.— ‘‘(1) LIVESTOCK.—For each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2018, at least 60 percent of the funds made available for payments under the program shall be targeted at practices relating 

to livestock production. 

‘‘(2) WILDLIFE HABITAT.—For each of fiscal years 2014 

through 2018, at least 5 percent of the funds made available 

for payments under the program shall be targeted at practices 

benefitting wildlife habitat under subsection (g).’’; and 

(5) by striking subsection (g) and inserting the following 

new subsection: 

‘‘(g) WILDLIFE HABITAT INCENTIVE PROGRAM.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide payments 

under the environmental quality incentives program for conservation practices that support the restoration, development, 

protection, and improvement of wildlife habitat on eligible land, 

including— 

‘‘(A) upland wildlife habitat; 

‘‘(B) wetland wildlife habitat; 

‘‘(C) habitat for threatened and endangered species; 

‘‘(D) fish habitat; 

‘‘(E) habitat on pivot corners and other irregular areas 

of a field; and 

‘‘(F) other types of wildlife habitat, as determined by 

the Secretary. 

‘‘(2) STATE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE.—In determining the 

practices eligible for payment under paragraph (1) and targeted 

for funding under subsection (f), the Secretary shall consult 

with the relevant State technical committee not less often than 

once each year.’’. 

SEC. 2204. EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS. 

Section 1240C(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

3839aa–3(b)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘environmental’’ and 

inserting ‘‘conservation’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘purpose of the environmental quality incentives program specified in section 1240(1)’’ 

and inserting ‘‘purposes of the program’’. 

SEC. 2205. DUTIES OF PRODUCERS. 

Section 1240D(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

3839aa–4(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘farm, ranch, or forest’’ and 

inserting ‘‘enrolled’’. 

SEC. 2206. LIMITATION ON PAYMENTS. 

Section 1240G of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

3839aa–7) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 1240G. LIMITATION ON PAYMENTS. 

‘‘A person or legal entity may not receive, directly or indirectly, 

cost-share or incentive payments under this chapter that, in aggregate, exceed $450,000 for all contracts entered into under this 

chapter by the person or legal entity during the period of fiscal 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 731 

years 2014 through 2018, regardless of the number of contracts 

entered into under this chapter by the person or legal entity.’’. 

SEC. 2207. CONSERVATION INNOVATION GRANTS AND PAYMENTS. 

Section 1240H of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

3839aa–8) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a)(2)— 

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

inserting a semicolon; 

(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period and 

inserting a semicolon; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs: 

‘‘(E) facilitate on-farm conservation research and demonstration activities; and 

‘‘(F) facilitate pilot testing of new technologies or 

innovative conservation practices.’’; 

(2) in subsection (b)(2)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘$37,500,000’’ and inserting 

‘‘$25,000,000’’; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following new subsection: 

‘‘(c) REPORTING.—Not later than December 31, 2014, and every 

two years thereafter, the Secretary 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 

on the status of projects funded under this section, including— 

‘‘(1) funding awarded; 

‘‘(2) project results; and 

‘‘(3) incorporation of project findings, such as new technology and innovative approaches, into the conservation efforts 

implemented by the Secretary.’’. 

SEC. 2208. EFFECT ON EXISTING CONTRACTS. 

The amendments made by this subtitle shall not affect the 

validity or terms of any contract entered into by the Secretary 

of Agriculture under chapter 4 of subtitle D of title XII of the 

Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa et seq.) before the 

date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, or any payments 

required to be made in connection with the contract. 

Subtitle D—Agricultural Conservation 

Easement Program 

SEC. 2301. AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROGRAM. 

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 

is amended by adding at the end the following new subtitle: 

‘‘Subtitle H—Agricultural Conservation 

Easement Program 

‘‘SEC. 1265. ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSES. 

‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish an agricultural conservation easement program for the conservation of eligible 

16 USC 3865. 

16 USC 3839aa 

note. 


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land and natural resources through easements or other interests 

in land. 

‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the program are to— 

‘‘(1) combine the purposes and coordinate the functions 

of the wetlands reserve program established under section 1237, 

the grassland reserve program established under section 1238N, 

and the farmland protection program established under section 

1238I, as such sections were in effect on the day before the 

date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014; 

‘‘(2) restore, protect, and enhance wetlands on eligible land; 

‘‘(3) protect the agricultural use and future viability, and 

related conservation values, of eligible land by limiting nonagricultural uses of that land; and 

‘‘(4) protect grazing uses and related conservation values 

by restoring and conserving eligible land. 

‘‘SEC. 1265A. DEFINITIONS. 

‘‘In this subtitle: 

‘‘(1) AGRICULTURAL LAND EASEMENT.—The term ‘agricultural land easement’ means an easement or other interest 

in eligible land that— 

‘‘(A) is conveyed for the purpose of protecting natural 

resources and the agricultural nature of the land; and 

‘‘(B) permits the landowner the right to continue agricultural production and related uses subject to an agricultural land easement plan, as approved by the Secretary. 

‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible entity’ means— 

‘‘(A) an agency of State or local government or an 

Indian tribe (including a farmland protection board or land 

resource council established under State law); or 

‘‘(B) an organization that is— 

‘‘(i) organized for, and at all times since the formation of the organization has been operated principally 

for, 1 or more of the conservation purposes specified 

in clause (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) of section 170(h)(4)(A) 

of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; 

‘‘(ii) an organization described in section 501(c)(3) 

of that Code that is exempt from taxation under section 

501(a) of that Code; or 

‘‘(iii) described in— 

‘‘(I) paragraph (1) or (2) of section 509(a) of 

that Code; or 

‘‘(II) section 509(a)(3) of that Code and is controlled by an organization described in section 

509(a)(2) of that Code. 

‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE LAND.—The term ‘eligible land’ means private 

or tribal land that is— 

‘‘(A) in the case of an agricultural land easement, agricultural land, including land on a farm or ranch— 

‘‘(i) that is subject to a pending offer for purchase 

of an agricultural land easement from an eligible 

entity; 

‘‘(ii)(I) that has prime, unique, or other productive 

soil; 

‘‘(II) that contains historical or archaeological 

resources; 

16 USC 3865a. 


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‘‘(III) the enrollment of which would protect 

grazing uses and related conservation values by 

restoring and conserving land; or 

‘‘(IV) the protection of which will further a State 

or local policy consistent with the purposes of the program; and 

‘‘(iii) that is— 

‘‘(I) cropland; 

‘‘(II) rangeland; 

‘‘(III) grassland or land that contains forbs, 

or shrubland for which grazing is the predominant 

use; 

‘‘(IV) located in an area that has been historically dominated by grassland, forbs, or shrubs and 

could provide habitat for animal or plant populations of significant ecological value; 

‘‘(V) pastureland; or 

‘‘(VI) nonindustrial private forest land that 

contributes to the economic viability of an offered 

parcel or serves as a buffer to protect such land 

from development; 

‘‘(B) in the case of a wetland reserve easement, a 

wetland or related area, including— 

‘‘(i) farmed or converted wetlands, together with 

adjacent land that is functionally dependent on that 

land, if the Secretary determines it— 

‘‘(I) is likely to be successfully restored in a 

cost-effective manner; and 

‘‘(II) will maximize the wildlife benefits and 

wetland functions and values, as determined by 

the Secretary in consultation with the Secretary 

of the Interior at the local level; 

‘‘(ii) cropland or grassland that was used for agricultural production prior to flooding from the natural 

overflow of— 

‘‘(I) a closed basin lake and adjacent land that 

is functionally dependent upon it, if the State or 

other entity is willing to provide 50 percent share 

of the cost of an easement; or 

‘‘(II) a pothole and adjacent land that is functionally dependent on it; 

‘‘(iii) farmed wetlands and adjoining lands that— 

‘‘(I) are enrolled in the conservation reserve 

program; 

‘‘(II) have the highest wetland functions and 

values, as determined by the Secretary; and 

‘‘(III) are likely to return to production after 

they leave the conservation reserve program; 

‘‘(iv) riparian areas that link wetlands that are 

protected by easements or some other device that 

achieves the same purpose as an easement; or 

‘‘(v) other wetlands of an owner that would not 

otherwise be eligible, if the Secretary determines that 

the inclusion of such wetlands in a wetland reserve 

easement would significantly add to the functional 

value of the easement; or 


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‘‘(C) in the case of either an agricultural land easement 

or a wetland reserve easement, other land that is incidental 

to land described in subparagraph (A) or (B), if the Secretary determines that it is necessary for the efficient 

administration of an easement under the program. 

‘‘(4) PROGRAM.—The term ‘program’ means the agricultural 

conservation easement program established by this subtitle. 

‘‘(5) WETLAND RESERVE EASEMENT.—The term ‘wetland 

reserve easement’ means a reserved interest in eligible land 

that— 

‘‘(A) is defined and delineated in a deed; and 

‘‘(B) stipulates— 

‘‘(i) the rights, title, and interests in land conveyed 

to the Secretary; and 

‘‘(ii) the rights, title, and interests in land that 

are reserved to the landowner. 

‘‘SEC. 1265B. AGRICULTURAL LAND EASEMENTS. 

‘‘(a) AVAILABILITY OF ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall facilitate and provide funding for— 

‘‘(1) the purchase by eligible entities of agricultural land 

easements in eligible land; and 

‘‘(2) technical assistance to provide for the conservation 

of natural resources pursuant to an agricultural land easement 

plan. 

‘‘(b) COST-SHARE ASSISTANCE.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall protect the agricultural use, including grazing, and related conservation values 

of eligible land through cost-share assistance to eligible entities 

for purchasing agricultural land easements. 

‘‘(2) SCOPE OF ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE.— 

‘‘(A) FEDERAL SHARE.—An agreement described in paragraph (4) shall provide for a Federal share determined 

by the Secretary of an amount not to exceed 50 percent 

of the fair market value of the agricultural land easement, 

as determined by the Secretary using— 

‘‘(i) the Uniform Standards of Professional 

Appraisal Practice; 

‘‘(ii) an areawide market analysis or survey; or 

‘‘(iii) another industry-approved method. 

‘‘(B) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Under the agreement, the 

eligible entity shall provide a share that is at least 

equivalent to that provided by the Secretary. 

‘‘(ii) SOURCE OF CONTRIBUTION.—An eligible entity 

may include as part of its share under clause (i) a 

charitable donation or qualified conservation contribution (as defined by section 170(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) from the private landowner if the 

eligible entity contributes its own cash resources in 

an amount that is at least 50 percent of the amount 

contributed by the Secretary. 

‘‘(C) EXCEPTION.— 

‘‘(i) GRASSLANDS.—In the case of grassland of special environmental significance, as determined by the 

Secretary, the Secretary may provide an amount not 

16 USC 3865b. 


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to exceed 75 percent of the fair market value of the 

agricultural land easement. 

‘‘(ii) CASH CONTRIBUTION.—For purposes of 

subparagraph (B)(ii), the Secretary may waive any portion of the eligible entity cash contribution requirement 

for projects of special significance, subject to an 

increase in the private landowner donation that is 

equal to the amount of the waiver, if the donation 

is voluntary and the property is in active agricultural 

production. 

‘‘(3) EVALUATION AND RANKING OF APPLICATIONS.— ‘‘(A) CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall establish evaluation and ranking criteria to maximize the benefit of Federal 

investment under the program. 

‘‘(B) CONSIDERATIONS.—In establishing the criteria, the 

Secretary shall emphasize support for— 

‘‘(i) protecting agricultural uses and related conservation values of the land; and 

‘‘(ii) maximizing the protection of areas devoted 

to agricultural use. 

‘‘(C) BIDDING DOWN.—If the Secretary determines that 

2 or more applications for cost-share assistance are comparable in achieving the purpose of the program, the Secretary shall not assign a higher priority to any of those 

applications solely on the basis of lesser cost to the program. 

‘‘(4) AGREEMENTS WITH ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall enter into agreements with eligible entities to stipulate the terms and 

conditions under which the eligible entity is permitted to 

use cost-share assistance provided under this section. 

‘‘(B) LENGTH OF AGREEMENTS.—An agreement shall be 

for a term that is— 

‘‘(i) in the case of an eligible entity certified under 

the process described in paragraph (5), a minimum 

of five years; and 

‘‘(ii) for all other eligible entities, at least three, 

but not more than five years. 

‘‘(C) MINIMUM TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—An eligible 

entity shall be authorized to use its own terms and conditions for agricultural land easements so long as the Secretary determines such terms and conditions— 

‘‘(i) are consistent with the purposes of the program; 

‘‘(ii) permit effective enforcement of the conservation purposes of such easements; 

‘‘(iii) include a right of enforcement for the Secretary, that may be used only if the terms of the 

easement are not enforced by the holder of the easement; 

‘‘(iv) subject the land in which an interest is purchased to an agricultural land easement plan that— 

‘‘(I) describes the activities which promote the 

long-term viability of the land to meet the purposes 

for which the easement was acquired; 

‘‘(II) requires the management of grasslands 

according to a grasslands management plan; and 


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‘‘(III) includes a conservation plan, where 

appropriate, and requires, at the option of the 

Secretary, the conversion of highly erodible cropland to less intensive uses; and 

‘‘(v) include a limit on the impervious surfaces 

to be allowed that is consistent with the agricultural 

activities to be conducted. 

‘‘(D) SUBSTITUTION OF QUALIFIED PROJECTS.—An agreement shall allow, upon mutual agreement of the parties, 

substitution of qualified projects that are identified at the 

time of the proposed substitution. 

‘‘(E) EFFECT OF VIOLATION.—If a violation occurs of 

a term or condition of an agreement under this subsection— 

‘‘(i) the Secretary may terminate the agreement; 

and 

‘‘(ii) the Secretary may require the eligible entity 

to refund all or part of any payments received by 

the entity under the program, with interest on the 

payments as determined appropriate by the Secretary. 

‘‘(5) CERTIFICATION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 

‘‘(A) CERTIFICATION PROCESS.—The Secretary shall 

establish a process under which the Secretary may— 

‘‘(i) directly certify eligible entities that meet established criteria; 

‘‘(ii) enter into long-term agreements with certified 

eligible entities; and 

‘‘(iii) accept proposals for cost-share assistance for 

the purchase of agricultural land easements throughout the duration of such agreements. 

‘‘(B) CERTIFICATION CRITERIA.—In order to be certified, 

an eligible entity shall demonstrate to the Secretary that 

the entity will maintain, at a minimum, for the duration 

of the agreement— 

‘‘(i) a plan for administering easements that is 

consistent with the purpose of the program; 

‘‘(ii) the capacity and resources to monitor and 

enforce agricultural land easements; and 

‘‘(iii) policies and procedures to ensure— 

‘‘(I) the long-term integrity of agricultural land 

easements on eligible land; 

‘‘(II) timely completion of acquisitions of such 

easements; and 

‘‘(III) timely and complete evaluation and 

reporting to the Secretary on the use of funds 

provided under the program. 

‘‘(C) REVIEW AND REVISION.— 

‘‘(i) REVIEW.—The Secretary shall conduct a review 

of eligible entities certified under subparagraph (A) 

every three years to ensure that such entities are 

meeting the criteria established under subparagraph 

(B). 

‘‘(ii) REVOCATION.—If the Secretary finds that a 

certified eligible entity no longer meets the criteria 

established under subparagraph (B), the Secretary 

may— 

‘‘(I) allow the certified eligible entity a specified period of time, at a minimum 180 days, in 


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which to take such actions as may be necessary 

to meet the criteria; and 

‘‘(II) revoke the certification of the eligible 

entity, if, after the specified period of time, the 

certified eligible entity does not meet such criteria. 

‘‘(c) METHOD OF ENROLLMENT.—The Secretary shall enroll 

eligible land under this section through the use of— 

‘‘(1) permanent easements; or 

‘‘(2) easements for the maximum duration allowed under 

applicable State laws. 

‘‘(d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary may provide technical assistance, if requested, to assist in— 

‘‘(1) compliance with the terms and conditions of easements; 

and 

‘‘(2) implementation of an agricultural land easement plan. 

‘‘SEC. 1265C. WETLAND RESERVE EASEMENTS. 

‘‘(a) AVAILABILITY OF ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall provide 

assistance to owners of eligible land to restore, protect, and enhance 

wetlands through— 

‘‘(1) wetland reserve easements and related wetland reserve 

easement plans; and 

‘‘(2) technical assistance. 

‘‘(b) EASEMENTS.— 

‘‘(1) METHOD OF ENROLLMENT.—The Secretary shall enroll 

eligible land under this section through the use of— 

‘‘(A) 30-year easements; 

‘‘(B) permanent easements; 

‘‘(C) easements for the maximum duration allowed 

under applicable State laws; or 

‘‘(D) as an option for Indian tribes only, 30-year contracts. 

‘‘(2) LIMITATIONS.— 

‘‘(A) INELIGIBLE LAND.—The Secretary may not acquire 

easements on— 

‘‘(i) land established to trees under the conservation reserve program, except in cases where the Secretary determines it would further the purposes of 

this section; and 

‘‘(ii) farmed wetlands or converted wetlands where 

the conversion was not commenced prior to December 

23, 1985. 

‘‘(B) CHANGES IN OWNERSHIP.—No wetland reserve 

easement shall be created on land that has changed ownership during the preceding 24-month period unless— 

‘‘(i) the new ownership was acquired by will or 

succession as a result of the death of the previous 

owner; 

‘‘(ii)(I) the ownership change occurred because of 

foreclosure on the land; and 

‘‘(II) immediately before the foreclosure, the owner 

of the land exercises a right of redemption from the 

mortgage holder in accordance with State law; or 

‘‘(iii) the Secretary determines that the land was 

acquired under circumstances that give adequate 

assurances that such land was not acquired for the 

purposes of placing it in the program. 

16 USC 3865c. 


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‘‘(3) EVALUATION AND RANKING OF OFFERS.— ‘‘(A) CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall establish evaluation and ranking criteria for offers from landowners under 

this section to maximize the benefit of Federal investment 

under the program. 

‘‘(B) CONSIDERATIONS.—When evaluating offers from 

landowners, the Secretary may consider— 

‘‘(i) the conservation benefits of obtaining a wetland reserve easement, including the potential environmental benefits if the land was removed from agricultural production; 

‘‘(ii) the cost effectiveness of each wetland reserve 

easement, so as to maximize the environmental benefits per dollar expended; 

‘‘(iii) whether the landowner or another person 

is offering to contribute financially to the cost of the 

wetland reserve easement to leverage Federal funds; 

and 

‘‘(iv) such other factors as the Secretary determines 

are necessary to carry out the purposes of the program. 

‘‘(C) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall give priority to 

acquiring wetland reserve easements based on the value 

of the wetland reserve easement for protecting and 

enhancing habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. 

‘‘(4) AGREEMENT.—To be eligible to place eligible land into 

the program through a wetland reserve easement, the owner 

of such land shall enter into an agreement with the Secretary 

to— 

‘‘(A) grant an easement on such land to the Secretary; 

‘‘(B) authorize the implementation of a wetland reserve 

easement plan developed for the eligible land under subsection (f); 

‘‘(C) create and record an appropriate deed restriction 

in accordance with applicable State law to reflect the easement agreed to; 

‘‘(D) provide a written statement of consent to such 

easement signed by those holding a security interest in 

the land; 

‘‘(E) comply with the terms and conditions of the easement and any related agreements; and 

‘‘(F) permanently retire any existing base history for 

the land on which the easement has been obtained. 

‘‘(5) TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EASEMENT.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A wetland reserve easement shall 

include terms and conditions that— 

‘‘(i) permit— 

‘‘(I) repairs, improvements, and inspections on 

the land that are necessary to maintain existing 

public drainage systems; and 

‘‘(II) owners to control public access on the 

easement areas while identifying access routes to 

be used for restoration activities and management 

and easement monitoring; 

‘‘(ii) prohibit— 

‘‘(I) the alteration of wildlife habitat and other 

natural features of such land, unless specifically 

authorized by the Secretary; 


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‘‘(II) the spraying of such land with chemicals 

or the mowing of such land, except where such 

spraying or mowing is authorized by the Secretary 

or is necessary— 

‘‘(aa) to comply with Federal or State noxious weed control laws; 

‘‘(bb) to comply with a Federal or State 

emergency pest treatment program; or 

‘‘(cc) to meet habitat needs of specific wildlife species; 

‘‘(III) any activities to be carried out on the 

owner’s or successor’s land that is immediately 

adjacent to, and functionally related to, the land 

that is subject to the easement if such activities 

will alter, degrade, or otherwise diminish the functional value of the eligible land; and 

‘‘(IV) the adoption of any other practice that 

would tend to defeat the purposes of the program, 

as determined by the Secretary; 

‘‘(iii) provide for the efficient and effective 

establishment of wetland functions and values; and 

‘‘(iv) include such additional provisions as the Secretary determines are desirable to carry out the program or facilitate the practical administration thereof. 

‘‘(B) VIOLATION.—On the violation of a term or condition of a wetland reserve easement, the wetland reserve 

easement shall remain in force and the Secretary may 

require the owner to refund all or part of any payments 

received by the owner under the program, with interest 

on the payments as determined appropriate by the Secretary. 

‘‘(C) COMPATIBLE USES.—Land subject to a wetland 

reserve easement may be used for compatible economic 

uses, including such activities as hunting and fishing, managed timber harvest, or periodic haying or grazing, if such 

use is specifically permitted by the wetland reserve easement plan developed for the land under subsection (f) and 

is consistent with the long-term protection and enhancement of the wetland resources for which the easement 

was established. 

‘‘(D) RESERVATION OF GRAZING RIGHTS.—The Secretary 

may include in the terms and conditions of a wetland 

reserve easement a provision under which the owner 

reserves grazing rights if— 

‘‘(i) the Secretary determines that the reservation 

and use of the grazing rights— 

‘‘(I) is compatible with the land subject to the 

easement; 

‘‘(II) is consistent with the historical natural 

uses of the land and the long-term protection and 

enhancement goals for which the easement was 

established; and 

‘‘(III) complies with the wetland reserve easement plan developed for the land under subsection 

(f); and 


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‘‘(ii) the agreement provides for a commensurate 

reduction in the easement payment to account for the 

grazing value, as determined by the Secretary. 

‘‘(6) COMPENSATION.— 

‘‘(A) DETERMINATION.— 

‘‘(i) PERMANENT EASEMENTS.—The Secretary shall 

pay as compensation for a permanent wetland reserve 

easement acquired under the program an amount necessary to encourage enrollment in the program, based 

on the lowest of— 

‘‘(I) the fair market value of the land, as determined by the Secretary, using the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice or an 

areawide market analysis or survey; 

‘‘(II) the amount corresponding to a geographical cap, as determined by the Secretary in 

regulations; or 

‘‘(III) the offer made by the landowner. 

‘‘(ii) OTHER.—Compensation for a 30-year contract 

or 30-year wetland reserve easement shall be not less 

than 50 percent, but not more than 75 percent, of 

the compensation that would be paid for a permanent 

wetland reserve easement. 

‘‘(B) FORM OF PAYMENT.—Compensation for a wetland 

reserve easement shall be provided by the Secretary in 

the form of a cash payment, in an amount determined 

under subparagraph (A). 

‘‘(C) PAYMENT SCHEDULE.— 

‘‘(i) EASEMENTS VALUED AT $500,000 OR LESS.—For 

wetland reserve easements valued at $500,000 or less, 

the Secretary may provide payments in not more than 

10 annual payments. 

‘‘(ii) EASEMENTS VALUED AT MORE THAN $500,000.— 

For wetland reserve easements valued at more than 

$500,000, the Secretary may provide payments in at 

least 5, but not more than 10 annual payments, except 

that, if the Secretary determines it would further the 

purposes of the program, the Secretary may make a 

lump-sum payment for such an easement. 

‘‘(c) EASEMENT RESTORATION.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide financial 

assistance to owners of eligible land to carry out the establishment of conservation measures and practices and protect wetland functions and values, including necessary maintenance 

activities, as set forth in a wetland reserve easement plan 

developed for the eligible land under subsection (f). 

‘‘(2) PAYMENTS.—The Secretary shall— 

‘‘(A) in the case of a permanent wetland reserve easement, pay an amount that is not less than 75 percent, 

but not more than 100 percent, of the eligible costs, as 

determined by the Secretary; and 

‘‘(B) in the case of a 30-year contract or 30-year wetland 

reserve easement, pay an amount that is not less than 

50 percent, but not more than 75 percent, of the eligible 

costs, as determined by the Secretary. 

‘‘(d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 


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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall assist owners in 

complying with the terms and conditions of a wetland reserve 

easement. 

‘‘(2) CONTRACTS OR AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary may enter 

into 1 or more contracts with private entities or agreements 

with a State, nongovernmental organization, or Indian tribe 

to carry out necessary restoration, enhancement, or maintenance of a wetland reserve easement if the Secretary determines that the contract or agreement will advance the purposes 

of the program. 

‘‘(e) WETLAND RESERVE ENHANCEMENT OPTION.—The Secretary 

may enter into 1 or more agreements with a State (including 

a political subdivision or agency of a State), nongovernmental 

organization, or Indian tribe to carry out a special wetland reserve 

enhancement option that the Secretary determines would advance 

the purposes of program. 

‘‘(f) ADMINISTRATION.— 

‘‘(1) WETLAND RESERVE EASEMENT PLAN.—The Secretary 

shall develop a wetland reserve easement plan for any eligible 

land subject to a wetland reserve easement, which shall include 

practices and activities necessary to restore, protect, enhance, 

and maintain the enrolled land. 

‘‘(2) DELEGATION OF EASEMENT ADMINISTRATION.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may delegate any 

of the management, monitoring, and enforcement responsibilities of the Secretary under this section to other Federal or State agencies that have the appropriate authority, 

expertise, and resources necessary to carry out such delegated responsibilities, or to conservation organizations if 

the Secretary determines the organization has similar 

expertise and resources. 

‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—The Secretary shall not delegate any 

of the monitoring or enforcement responsibilities under 

this section to conservation organizations. 

‘‘(3) PAYMENTS.— 

‘‘(A) TIMING OF PAYMENTS.—The Secretary shall provide payment for obligations incurred by the Secretary 

under this section— 

‘‘(i) with respect to any easement restoration 

obligation under subsection (c), as soon as possible 

after the obligation is incurred; and 

‘‘(ii) with respect to any annual easement payment 

obligation incurred by the Secretary, as soon as possible after October 1 of each calendar year. 

‘‘(B) PAYMENTS TO OTHERS.—If an owner who is entitled 

to a payment under this section dies, becomes incompetent, 

is otherwise unable to receive such payment, or is succeeded by another person or entity who renders or completes the required performance, the Secretary shall make 

such payment, in accordance with regulations prescribed 

by the Secretary and without regard to any other provision 

of law, in such manner as the Secretary determines is 

fair and reasonable in light of all of the circumstances. 

‘‘(g) APPLICATION.—The relevant provisions of this section shall 

also apply to a 30-year contract. 


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128 STAT. 742 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

‘‘SEC. 1265D. ADMINISTRATION. 

‘‘(a) INELIGIBLE LAND.—The Secretary may not use program 

funds for the purposes of acquiring an easement on— 

‘‘(1) lands owned by an agency of the United States, other 

than land held in trust for Indian tribes; 

‘‘(2) lands owned in fee title by a State, including an agency 

or a subdivision of a State, or a unit of local government; 

‘‘(3) land subject to an easement or deed restriction which, 

as determined by the Secretary, provides similar protection 

as would be provided by enrollment in the program; or 

‘‘(4) lands where the purposes of the program would be 

undermined due to on-site or off-site conditions, such as risk 

of hazardous substances, proposed or existing rights of way, 

infrastructure development, or adjacent land uses. 

‘‘(b) PRIORITY.—In evaluating applications under the program, 

the Secretary may give priority to land that is currently enrolled 

in the conservation reserve program in a contract that is set to 

expire within 1 year and— 

‘‘(1) in the case of an agricultural land easement, is grassland that would benefit from protection under a long-term 

easement; and 

‘‘(2) in the case of a wetland reserve easement, is a wetland 

or related area with the highest wetland functions and value 

and is likely to return to production after the land leaves 

the conservation reserve program. 

‘‘(c) SUBORDINATION, EXCHANGE, MODIFICATION, AND TERMI- NATION.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may subordinate, 

exchange, modify, or terminate any interest in land, or portion 

of such interest, administered by the Secretary, either directly 

or on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation under the 

program if the Secretary determines that— 

‘‘(A) it is in the Federal Government’s interest to 

subordinate, exchange, modify, or terminate the interest 

in land; 

‘‘(B) the subordination, exchange, modification, or 

termination action— 

‘‘(i) will address a compelling public need for which 

there is no practicable alternative; or 

‘‘(ii) such action will further the practical administration of the program; and 

‘‘(C) the subordination, exchange, modification, or 

termination action will result in comparable conservation 

value and equivalent or greater economic value to the 

United States. 

‘‘(2) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall work with the 

owner, and eligible entity if applicable, to address any subordination, exchange, modification, or termination of the interest, 

or portion of such interest, in land. 

‘‘(3) NOTICE.—At least 90 days before taking any termination action described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 

provide written notice of such action to the Committee on 

Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee 

on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate. 

‘‘(d) LAND ENROLLED IN OTHER PROGRAMS.— 

‘‘(1) CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM.—The Secretary may 

terminate or modify a contract entered into under section 

16 USC 3865d. 


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1231(a) if eligible land that is subject to such contract is transferred into the program. 

‘‘(2) OTHER.—In accordance with the provisions of subtitle 

H of title II of the Agricultural Act of 2014, land enrolled 

in the wetlands reserve program, grassland reserve program, 

or farmland protection program on the day before the date 

of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014 shall be considered 

enrolled in the program. 

‘‘(e) COMPLIANCE WITH CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary may not provide assistance under this subtitle to an eligible 

entity or owner of eligible land unless the eligible entity or owner 

agrees, during the crop year for which the assistance is provided— 

‘‘(1) to comply with applicable conservation requirements 

under subtitle B; and 

‘‘(2) to comply with applicable wetland protection requirements under subtitle C.’’. 

(b) CROSS REFERENCE; CALCULATION.—Section 1244 of the Food 

Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (c)— 

(A) in paragraph (1)— 

(i) by inserting ‘‘and’’ at the end of subparagraph 

(A); 

(ii) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subparagraph 

(B); and 

(iii) by striking subparagraph (C); 

(B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); 

and 

(C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new 

paragraph: 

‘‘(2) the agricultural conservation easement program established under subtitle H; and’’; and 

(2) in subsection (f)— 

(A) in paragraph (1)— 

(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘programs 

administered under subchapters B and C of chapter 

1 of subtitle D’’ and inserting ‘‘conservation reserve 

program established under subchapter B of chapter 

1 of subtitle D and wetland reserve easements under 

section 1265C’’; and 

(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘an easement 

acquired under subchapter C of chapter 1 of subtitle 

D’’ and inserting ‘‘a wetland reserve easement under 

section 1265C’’; 

(B) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(4) EXCLUSIONS.— 

‘‘(A) SHELTERBELTS AND WINDBREAKS.—The limitations 

established under paragraph (1) shall not apply to cropland 

that is subject to an easement under subchapter B of 

chapter 1 of subtitle D that is used for the establishment 

of shelterbelts and windbreaks. 

‘‘(B) WET AND SATURATED SOILS.—For the purposes 

of enrolling land in a wetland reserve easement under 

section 1265C, the limitations established under paragraph 

(1) shall not apply to cropland designated by the Secretary 

with subclass w in the land capability classes IV through 


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VIII because of severe use limitations due to soil saturation 

or inundation.’’; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(5) CALCULATION.—In calculating the percentages 

described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall include any 

acreage that was included in calculations of percentages made 

under such paragraph, as in effect on the day before the date 

of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, and that remains 

enrolled when the calculation is made after that date under 

paragraph (1).’’. 

Subtitle E—Regional Conservation 

Partnership Program 

SEC. 2401. REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM. 

Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 is amended by 

inserting after subtitle H, as added by section 2301, the following 

new subtitle: 

‘‘Subtitle I—Regional Conservation 

Partnership Program 

‘‘SEC. 1271. ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSES. 

‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish a regional 

conservation partnership program to implement eligible activities 

on eligible land through— 

‘‘(1) partnership agreements with eligible partners; and 

‘‘(2) contracts with producers. 

‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the program are as follows: 

‘‘(1) To use covered programs to accomplish purposes and 

functions similar to those of the following programs, as in 

effect on the day before the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014: 

‘‘(A) The agricultural water enhancement program 

established under section 1240I. 

‘‘(B) The Chesapeake Bay watershed program established under section 1240Q. 

‘‘(C) The cooperative conservation partnership initiative 

established under section 1243. 

‘‘(D) The Great Lakes basin program for soil erosion 

and sediment control established under section 1240P. 

‘‘(2) To further the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of soil, water, wildlife, and related natural resources 

on eligible land on a regional or watershed scale. 

‘‘(3) To encourage eligible partners to cooperate with producers in— 

‘‘(A) meeting or avoiding the need for national, State, 

and local natural resource regulatory requirements related 

to production on eligible land; and 

‘‘(B) implementing projects that will result in the 

installation and maintenance of eligible activities that 

affect multiple agricultural or nonindustrial private forest 

operations on a local, regional, State, or multistate basis. 

16 USC 3871. 


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‘‘SEC. 1271A. DEFINITIONS. 

‘‘In this subtitle: 

‘‘(1) COVERED PROGRAM.—The term ‘covered program’ 

means the following: 

‘‘(A) The agricultural conservation easement program. 

‘‘(B) The environmental quality incentives program. 

‘‘(C) The conservation stewardship program. 

‘‘(D) The healthy forests reserve program established 

under section 501 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act 

of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6571). 

‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITY.—The term ‘eligible activity’ means 

a conservation activity for any of the following: 

‘‘(A) Water quality restoration or enhancement projects, 

including nutrient management and sediment reduction. 

‘‘(B) Water quantity conservation, restoration, or 

enhancement projects relating to surface water and groundwater resources, including— 

‘‘(i) the conversion of irrigated cropland to the 

production of less water-intensive agricultural 

commodities or dryland farming; or 

‘‘(ii) irrigation system improvement and irrigation 

efficiency enhancement. 

‘‘(C) Drought mitigation. 

‘‘(D) Flood prevention. 

‘‘(E) Water retention. 

‘‘(F) Air quality improvement. 

‘‘(G) Habitat conservation, restoration, and enhancement. 

‘‘(H) Erosion control and sediment reduction. 

‘‘(I) Forest restoration. 

‘‘(J) Other related activities that the Secretary determines will help achieve conservation benefits. 

‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE LAND.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘eligible land’ means— 

‘‘(i) land on which agricultural commodities, livestock, or forest-related products are produced; and 

‘‘(ii) lands associated with the lands described in 

clause (i). 

‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘eligible land’ includes— 

‘‘(i) cropland; 

‘‘(ii) grassland; 

‘‘(iii) rangeland; 

‘‘(iv) pastureland; 

‘‘(v) nonindustrial private forest land; and 

‘‘(vi) other land incidental to agricultural production (including wetlands and riparian buffers) on which 

significant natural resource issues could be addressed 

under the program. 

‘‘(4) ELIGIBLE PARTNER.—The term ‘eligible partner’ means 

any of the following: 

‘‘(A) An agricultural or silvicultural producer association or other group of producers. 

‘‘(B) A State or unit of local government. 

‘‘(C) An Indian tribe. 

‘‘(D) A farmer cooperative. 

16 USC 3871a. 


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‘‘(E) A water district, irrigation district, rural water 

district or association, or other organization with specific 

water delivery authority to producers on agricultural land. 

‘‘(F) A municipal water or wastewater treatment entity. 

‘‘(G) An institution of higher education. 

‘‘(H) An organization or entity with an established 

history of working cooperatively with producers on agricultural land, as determined by the Secretary, to address— 

‘‘(i) local conservation priorities related to agricultural production, wildlife habitat development, or nonindustrial private forest land management; or 

‘‘(ii) critical watershed-scale soil erosion, water 

quality, sediment reduction, or other natural resource 

issues. 

‘‘(5) PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT.—The term ‘partnership 

agreement’ means an agreement entered into under section 

1271B between the Secretary and an eligible partner. 

‘‘(6) PROGRAM.—The term ‘program’ means the regional 

conservation partnership program established by this subtitle. 

‘‘SEC. 1271B. REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIPS. 

‘‘(a) PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary 

may enter into a partnership agreement with an eligible partner 

to implement a project that will assist producers with installing 

and maintaining an eligible activity on eligible land. 

‘‘(b) LENGTH.—A partnership agreement shall be for a period 

not to exceed 5 years, except that the Secretary may extend the 

agreement one time for up to 12 months when an extension is 

necessary to meet the objectives of the program. 

‘‘(c) DUTIES OF PARTNERS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Under a partnership agreement, the 

eligible partner shall— 

‘‘(A) define the scope of a project, including— 

‘‘(i) the eligible activities to be implemented; 

‘‘(ii) the potential agricultural or nonindustrial private forest land operations affected; 

‘‘(iii) the local, State, multistate, or other 

geographic area covered; and 

‘‘(iv) the planning, outreach, implementation, and 

assessment to be conducted; 

‘‘(B) conduct outreach and education to producers for 

potential participation in the project; 

‘‘(C) at the request of a producer, act on behalf of 

a producer participating in the project in applying for 

assistance under section 1271C; 

‘‘(D) leverage financial or technical assistance provided 

by the Secretary with additional funds to help achieve 

the project objectives; 

‘‘(E) conduct an assessment of the project’s effects; 

and 

‘‘(F) at the conclusion of the project, report to the 

Secretary on its results and funds leveraged. 

‘‘(2) CONTRIBUTION.—An eligible partner shall provide a 

significant portion of the overall costs of the scope of the project 

that is the subject of the agreement entered into under subsection (a), as determined by the Secretary. 

‘‘(d) APPLICATIONS.— 

16 USC 3871b. 


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‘‘(1) COMPETITIVE PROCESS.—The Secretary shall conduct 

a competitive process to select applications for partnership 

agreements and may assess and rank applications with similar 

conservation purposes as a group. 

‘‘(2) CRITERIA USED.—In carrying out the process described 

in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall make public the criteria 

used in evaluating applications. 

‘‘(3) CONTENT.—An application to the Secretary shall 

include a description of— 

‘‘(A) the scope of the project, as described in subsection 

(c)(1)(A); 

‘‘(B) the plan for monitoring, evaluating, and reporting 

on progress made toward achieving the project’s objectives; 

‘‘(C) the program resources requested for the project, 

including the covered programs to be used and estimated 

funding needed from the Secretary; 

‘‘(D) each eligible partner collaborating to achieve 

project objectives, including their roles, responsibilities, 

capabilities, and financial contribution; and 

‘‘(E) any other elements the Secretary considers necessary to adequately evaluate and competitively select 

applications for funding under the program. 

‘‘(4) PRIORITY TO CERTAIN APPLICATIONS.—The Secretary 

may give a higher priority to applications that— 

‘‘(A) assist producers in meeting or avoiding the need 

for a natural resource regulatory requirement; 

‘‘(B) have a high percentage of producers in the area 

to be covered by the agreement; 

‘‘(C) significantly leverage non-Federal financial and 

technical resources and coordinate with other local, State, 

or national efforts; 

‘‘(D) deliver high percentages of applied conservation 

to address conservation priorities or regional, State, or 

national conservation initiatives; 

‘‘(E) provide innovation in conservation methods and 

delivery, including outcome-based performance measures 

and methods; or 

‘‘(F) meet other factors that are important for achieving 

the purposes of the program, as determined by the Secretary. 

‘‘SEC. 1271C. ASSISTANCE TO PRODUCERS. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall enter into contracts 

with producers to provide financial and technical assistance to— 

‘‘(1) producers participating in a project with an eligible 

partner; or 

‘‘(2) producers that fit within the scope of a project 

described in section 1271B or a critical conservation area designated under section 1271F, but who are seeking to implement 

an eligible activity on eligible land independent of an eligible 

partner. 

‘‘(b) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.— 

‘‘(1) CONSISTENCY WITH PROGRAM RULES.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subparagraph 

(B) and paragraph (2), the Secretary shall ensure that 

the terms and conditions of a contract under this section 

are consistent with the applicable rules of the covered 

16 USC 3871c. 


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programs to be used as part of the partnership agreement, 

as described in the application under section 

1271B(d)(3)(C). 

‘‘(B) ADJUSTMENTS.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may adjust the 

rules of a covered program, including— 

‘‘(I) operational guidance and requirements for 

a covered program at the discretion of the Secretary so as to provide a simplified application 

and evaluation process; and 

‘‘(II) nonstatutory, regulatory rules or provisions to better reflect unique local circumstances 

and purposes if the Secretary determines such 

adjustments are necessary to achieve the purposes 

of the covered program. 

‘‘(ii) LIMITATION.—The Secretary shall not adjust 

the application of statutory requirements for a covered 

program, including requirements governing appeals, 

payment limits, and conservation compliance. 

‘‘(iii) IRRIGATION.—In States where irrigation has 

not been used significantly for agricultural purposes, 

as determined by the Secretary, the Secretary shall 

not limit eligibility under section 1271B or this section 

on the basis of prior irrigation history. 

‘‘(2) ALTERNATIVE FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For the purposes of providing assistance for land described in subsection (a) and section 1271F, 

the Secretary may enter into alternative funding arrangements with a multistate water resource agency or authority 

if— 

‘‘(i) the Secretary determines that the goals and 

objectives of the program will be met by the alternative 

funding arrangements; 

‘‘(ii) the agency or authority certifies that the 

limitations established under this section on agreements with individual producers will not be exceeded; 

and 

‘‘(iii) all participating producers meet applicable 

payment eligibility provisions. 

‘‘(B) CONDITIONS.—As a condition of receiving funding 

under subparagraph (A), the multistate water resource 

agency or authority shall agree— 

‘‘(i) to submit an annual independent audit to the 

Secretary that describes the use of funds under this 

paragraph; 

‘‘(ii) to provide any data necessary for the Secretary 

to issue a report on the use of funds under this paragraph; and 

‘‘(iii) not to use any of the funds provided pursuant 

to subparagraph (A) for administration or to provide 

for administrative costs through contracts with another 

entity. 

‘‘(C) LIMITATION.—The Secretary may enter into not 

more than 20 alternative funding arrangements under this 

paragraph. 

‘‘(c) PAYMENTS.— 


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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with statutory requirements of the covered programs involved, the Secretary may 

make payments to a producer in an amount determined by 

the Secretary to be necessary to achieve the purposes of the 

program. 

‘‘(2) PAYMENTS TO CERTAIN PRODUCERS.—The Secretary 

may provide payments for a period of 5 years— 

‘‘(A) to producers participating in a project that 

addresses water quantity concerns and in an amount sufficient to encourage conversion from irrigated to dryland 

farming; and 

‘‘(B) to producers participating in a project that 

addresses water quality concerns and in an amount sufficient to encourage adoption of conservation practices and 

systems that improve nutrient management. 

‘‘(3) WAIVER AUTHORITY.—To assist in the implementation 

of the program, the Secretary may waive the applicability of 

the limitation in section 1001D(b)(2) of this Act for participating 

producers if the Secretary determines that the waiver is necessary to fulfill the objectives of the program. 

‘‘SEC. 1271D. FUNDING. 

‘‘(a) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—The Secretary shall use 

$100,000,000 of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation 

for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018 to carry out the program. 

‘‘(b) DURATION OF AVAILABILITY.—Funds made available under 

subsection (a) shall remain available until expended. 

‘‘(c) ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND ACRES.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In addition to the funds made available 

under subsection (a), the Secretary shall reserve 7 percent 

of the funds and acres made available for a covered program 

for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018 in order to ensure 

additional resources are available to carry out this program. 

‘‘(2) UNUSED FUNDS AND ACRES.—Any funds or acres 

reserved under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year from a covered 

program that are not committed under this program by April 

1 of that fiscal year shall be returned for use under the covered 

program. 

‘‘(d) ALLOCATION OF FUNDING.—Of the funds and acres made 

available for the program under subsection (a) and reserved for 

the program under subsection (c), the Secretary shall allocate— 

‘‘(1) 25 percent of the funds and acres to projects based 

on a State competitive process administered by the State Conservationist, with the advice of the State technical committee 

established under subtitle G; 

‘‘(2) 40 percent of the funds and acres to projects based 

on a national competitive process to be established by the 

Secretary; and 

‘‘(3) 35 percent of the funds and acres to projects for critical 

conservation areas designated under section 1271F. 

‘‘(e) LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—None of the 

funds made available or reserved for the program may be used 

to pay for the administrative expenses of eligible partners. 

‘‘SEC. 1271E. ADMINISTRATION. 

‘‘(a) DISCLOSURE.—In addition to the criteria used in evaluating 

applications as described in section 1271B(d)(2), the Secretary shall 

16 USC 3871e. 

16 USC 3871d. 


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make publicly available information on projects selected through 

the competitive process described in section 1271B(d)(1). 

‘‘(b) REPORTING.—Not later than December 31, 2014, and every 

two years thereafter, the Secretary 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 

on the status of projects funded under the program, including— 

‘‘(1) the number and types of eligible partners and producers participating in the partnership agreements selected; 

‘‘(2) the number of producers receiving assistance; 

‘‘(3) total funding committed to projects, including from 

Federal and non-Federal resources; and 

‘‘(4) a description of how the funds under section 

1271C(b)(2) are being administered, including— 

‘‘(A) any oversight mechanisms that the Secretary has 

implemented; 

‘‘(B) the process through which the Secretary is 

resolving appeals by program participants; and 

‘‘(C) the means by which the Secretary is tracking 

adherence to any applicable provisions for payment eligibility. 

‘‘SEC. 1271F. CRITICAL CONSERVATION AREAS. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In administering funds under section 

1271D(d)(3), the Secretary shall select applications for partnership 

agreements and producer contracts within critical conservation 

areas designated under this section. 

‘‘(b) CRITICAL CONSERVATION AREA DESIGNATIONS.— 

‘‘(1) PRIORITY.—In designating critical conservation areas 

under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to geographical areas based on the degree to which the geographical 

area— 

‘‘(A) includes multiple States with significant agricultural production; 

‘‘(B) is covered by an existing regional, State, 

binational, or multistate agreement or plan that has established objectives, goals, and work plans and is adopted 

by a Federal, State, or regional authority; 

‘‘(C) would benefit from water quality improvement, 

including through reducing erosion, promoting sediment 

control, and addressing nutrient management activities 

affecting large bodies of water of regional, national, or 

international significance; 

‘‘(D) would benefit from water quantity improvement, 

including improvement relating to— 

‘‘(i) groundwater, surface water, aquifer, or other 

water sources; or 

‘‘(ii) a need to promote water retention and flood 

prevention; or 

‘‘(E) contains producers that need assistance in meeting 

or avoiding the need for a natural resource regulatory 

requirement that could have a negative impact on the 

economic scope of the agricultural operations within the 

area. 

‘‘(2) EXPIRATION.—Critical conservation area designations 

under this section shall expire after 5 years, subject to 

16 USC 3871f. 


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redesignation, except that the Secretary may withdraw designation from an area if the Secretary finds the area no longer 

meets the conditions described in paragraph (1). 

‘‘(3) LIMITATION.—The Secretary may not designate more 

than 8 geographical areas as critical conservation areas under 

this section. 

‘‘(c) ADMINISTRATION.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), 

the Secretary shall administer any partnership agreement or 

producer contract under this section in a manner that is consistent with the terms of the program. 

‘‘(2) RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING ACTIVITY.—The Secretary 

shall, to the maximum extent practicable, ensure that eligible 

activities carried out in critical conservation areas designated 

under this section complement and are consistent with other 

Federal and State programs and water quality and quantity 

strategies. 

‘‘(3) ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY.—For a critical conservation 

area described in subsection (b)(1)(D), the Secretary may use 

authorities under the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (16 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), other than section 14 of 

such Act (16 U.S.C. 1012), to carry out projects for the purposes 

of this section.’’. 

Subtitle F—Other Conservation Programs 

SEC. 2501. CONSERVATION OF PRIVATE GRAZING LAND. 

Section 1240M(e) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

3839bb(e)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 2502. GRASSROOTS SOURCE WATER PROTECTION PROGRAM. 

Section 1240O(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

3839bb–2(b)) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘(b) FUNDING.— ‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 

for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2018. 

‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—In addition to funds made 

available under paragraph (1), of the funds of the Commodity 

Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use $5,000,000, to 

remain available until expended.’’. 

SEC. 2503. VOLUNTARY PUBLIC ACCESS AND HABITAT INCENTIVE PROGRAM. 

(a) FUNDING.—Section 1240R(f)(1) of the Food Security Act 

of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839bb–5(f)(1)) is amended— 

(1) in the heading, by striking ‘‘FISCAL YEARS 2009 THROUGH

2012’’ and inserting ‘‘MANDATORY FUNDING’’; and 

(2) by inserting ‘‘and $40,000,000 for the period of fiscal 

years 2014 through 2018’’ before the period at the end. 

(b) REPORT ON PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS.—Not later than 2 

years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

Agriculture shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the 

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of the voluntary public access and habitat incentive program established by section 1240R of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

3839bb–5), including— 

(1) identifying cooperating agencies; 

(2) identifying the number of land holdings and total acres 

enrolled by State; 

(3) evaluating the extent of improved access on eligible 

land, improved wildlife habitat, and related economic benefits; 

and 

(4) any other relevant information and data relating to 

the program that would be helpful to such Committees. 

SEC. 2504. AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION EXPERIENCED SERVICES 

PROGRAM. 

Subsection (c)(2) of section 1252 of the Food Security Act of 

1985 (16 U.S.C. 3851) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘(2) EXCLUSION.—Funds made available to carry out the 

conservation reserve program may not be used to carry out 

the ACES program.’’. 

SEC. 2505. SMALL WATERSHED REHABILITATION PROGRAM. 

(a) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Section 14(h)(1) of the Watershed 

Protection and Flood Prevention Act (16 U.S.C. 1012(h)(1)) is 

amended— 

(1) in subparagraph (E), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting 

a semicolon; 

(2) in subparagraph (F), by striking the period and inserting 

a semicolon; 

(3) in subparagraph (G), by striking the period and 

inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(4) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: 

‘‘(H) $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2014, to remain available until expended.’’. 

(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 14(h)(2)(E) of 

the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (16 U.S.C. 

1012(h)(2)(E)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 2506. EMERGENCY WATERSHED PROTECTION PROGRAM. 

Section 403 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 

2203) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘Sec. 403. The Secretary’’ and inserting 

the following: 

‘‘SEC. 403. EMERGENCY MEASURES. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(b) FLOODPLAIN EASEMENTS.— 

‘‘(1) MODIFICATION AND TERMINATION.—The Secretary may 

modify or terminate a floodplain easement administered by 

the Secretary under this section if— 

‘‘(A) the current owner agrees to the modification or 

termination; and 

‘‘(B) the Secretary determines that the modification 

or termination— 

‘‘(i) will address a compelling public need for which 

there is no practicable alternative; and 

‘‘(ii) is in the public interest. 

‘‘(2) CONSIDERATION.— 


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‘‘(A) TERMINATION.—As consideration for termination 

of an easement and associated agreements under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall enter into compensatory 

arrangements as determined to be appropriate by the Secretary. 

‘‘(B) MODIFICATION.—In the case of a modification 

under paragraph (1)— 

‘‘(i) as a condition of the modification, the current 

owner shall enter into a compensatory arrangement 

(as determined to be appropriate by the Secretary) 

to incur the costs of modification; and 

‘‘(ii) the Secretary shall ensure that— 

‘‘(I) the modification will not adversely affect 

the floodplain functions and values for which the 

easement was acquired; 

‘‘(II) any adverse impacts will be mitigated 

by enrollment and restoration of other land that 

provides greater floodplain functions and values 

at no additional cost to the Federal Government; 

and 

‘‘(III) the modification will result in equal or 

greater environmental and economic values to the 

United States.’’. 

SEC. 2507. TERMINAL LAKES. 

Section 2507 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act 

of 2002 (43 U.S.C. 2211 note; Public Law 107–171) is amended 

to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 2507. TERMINAL LAKES ASSISTANCE. 

‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE LAND.—The term ‘eligible land’ means privately owned agricultural land (including land in which a State 

has a property interest as a result of State water law)— 

‘‘(A) that a landowner voluntarily agrees to sell to 

a State; and 

‘‘(B) which— 

‘‘(i)(I) is ineligible for enrollment as a wetland 

reserve easement established under the agricultural 

conservation easement program under subtitle H of 

the Food Security Act of 1985; 

‘‘(II) is flooded to— 

‘‘(aa) an average depth of at least 6.5 feet; 

or 

‘‘(bb) a level below which the State determines the management of the water level is 

beyond the control of the State or landowner; 

or 

‘‘(III) is inaccessible for agricultural use due 

to the flooding of adjoining property (such as 

islands of agricultural land created by flooding); 

‘‘(ii) is located within a watershed with water 

rights available for lease or purchase; and 

‘‘(iii) has been used during at least 5 of the immediately preceding 30 years— 

‘‘(I) to produce crops or hay; or 

‘‘(II) as livestock pasture or grazing. 


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‘‘(2) PROGRAM.—The term ‘program’ means the voluntary 

land purchase program established under this section. 

‘‘(3) TERMINAL LAKE.—The term ‘terminal lake’ means a 

lake and its associated riparian and watershed resources that 

is— 

‘‘(A) considered flooded because there is no natural 

outlet for water accumulating in the lake or the associated 

riparian area such that the watershed and surrounding 

land is consistently flooded; or 

‘‘(B) considered terminal because it has no natural 

outlet and is at risk due to a history of consistent Federal 

assistance to address critical resource conditions, including 

insufficient water available to meet the needs of the lake, 

general uses, and water rights. 

‘‘(b) ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall— 

‘‘(1) provide grants under subsection (c) for the purchase 

of eligible land impacted by a terminal lake described in subsection (a)(3)(A); and 

‘‘(2) provide funds to the Secretary of the Interior pursuant 

to subsection (e)(2) with assistance in accordance with subsection (d) for terminal lakes described in subsection (a)(3)(B). 

‘‘(c) LAND PURCHASE GRANTS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Using funds provided under subsection 

(e)(1), the Secretary shall make available land purchase grants 

to States for the purchase of eligible land in accordance with 

this subsection. 

‘‘(2) IMPLEMENTATION.— 

‘‘(A) AMOUNT.—A land purchase grant shall be in an 

amount not to exceed the lesser of— 

‘‘(i) 50 percent of the total purchase price per acre 

of the eligible land; or 

‘‘(ii)(I) in the case of eligible land that was used 

to produce crops or hay, $400 per acre; and 

‘‘(II) in the case of eligible land that was pasture or grazing land, $200 per acre. 

‘‘(B) DETERMINATION OF PURCHASE PRICE.—A State purchasing eligible land with a land purchase grant shall 

ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that the purchase price of such land reflects the value, if any, of other 

encumbrances on the eligible land to be purchased, 

including easements and mineral rights. 

‘‘(C) COST-SHARE REQUIRED.—To be eligible to receive 

a land purchase grant, a State shall provide matching 

non-Federal funds in an amount equal to 50 percent of 

the amount described in subparagraph (A), including additional non-Federal funds. 

‘‘(D) CONDITIONS.—To receive a land purchase grant, 

a State shall agree— 

‘‘(i) to ensure that any eligible land purchased 

is— 

‘‘(I) conveyed in fee simple to the State; and 

‘‘(II) free from mortgages or other liens at 

the time title is transferred; 

‘‘(ii) to maintain ownership of the eligible land 

in perpetuity; 

‘‘(iii) to pay (from funds other than grant dollars 

awarded) any costs associated with the purchase of 


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eligible land under this section, including surveys and 

legal fees; and 

‘‘(iv) to keep eligible land in a conserving use, 

as defined by the Secretary. 

‘‘(E) LOSS OF FEDERAL BENEFITS.—Eligible land purchased with a grant under this section shall lose eligibility 

for any benefits under other Federal programs, including— 

‘‘(i) benefits under title XII of the Food Security 

Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801 et seq.); 

‘‘(ii) benefits under the Federal Crop Insurance 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.); and 

‘‘(iii) covered benefits described in section 1001D(b) 

of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308–3a). 

‘‘(F) PROHIBITION.—Any Federal rights or benefits associated with eligible land prior to purchase by a State may 

not be transferred to any other land or person in anticipation of or as a result of such purchase. 

‘‘(d) WATER ASSISTANCE.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior, acting 

through the Commissioner of Reclamation, may use the funds 

described in subsection (e)(2) to administer and provide financial assistance to carry out this subsection to provide water 

and assistance to a terminal lake described in subsection 

(a)(3)(B) through willing sellers or willing participants only— 

‘‘(A) to lease water; 

‘‘(B) to purchase land, water appurtenant to the land, 

and related interests; and 

‘‘(C) to carry out research, support, and conservation 

activities for associated fish, wildlife, plant, and habitat 

resources. 

‘‘(2) EXCLUSIONS.—The Secretary of the Interior may not 

use this subsection to deliver assistance to the Great Salt 

Lake in Utah, lakes that are considered dry lakes, or other 

lakes that do not meet the purposes of this section, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior. 

‘‘(3) TRANSITIONAL PROVISION.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, any funds made available before the 

date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014 under 

a provision of law described in subparagraph (B) shall 

remain available using the provisions of law (including 

regulations) in effect on the day before the date of enactment of that Act. 

‘‘(B) DESCRIBED LAWS.—The provisions of law described 

in this section are— 

‘‘(i) section 2507 of the Farm Security and Rural 

Investment Act of 2002 (43 U.S.C. 2211 note; Public 

Law 107–171) (as in effect on the day before the date 

of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014); 

‘‘(ii) section 207 of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2003 (Public Law 108–7; 117 

Stat. 146); 

‘‘(iii) section 208 of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2006 (Public Law 109–103; 

119 Stat. 2268, 123 Stat. 2856); and 

‘‘(iv) section 208 of the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 


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(Public Law 111–85; 123 Stat. 2858, 123 Stat. 2967, 

125 Stat. 867). 

‘‘(e) FUNDING.— 

‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out subsection 

(c) $25,000,000, to remain available until expended. 

‘‘(2) COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION.—As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act 

of 2014, the Secretary shall transfer to the ‘Bureau of Reclamation—Water and Related Resources’ account $150,000,000 from 

the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out 

subsection (d), to remain available until expended.’’. 

SEC. 2508. SOIL AND WATER RESOURCES CONSERVATION. 

(a) CONGRESSIONAL POLICY AND DECLARATION OF PURPOSE.— 

Section 4 of the Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act of 

1977 (16 U.S.C. 2003) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (b), by inserting ‘‘and tribal’’ after ‘‘State’’ 

each place it appears; and 

(2) in subsection (c)(2), by inserting ‘‘, tribal,’’ after ‘‘State’’. 

(b) CONTINUING APPRAISAL OF SOIL, WATER, AND RELATED

RESOURCES.—Section 5 of the Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act of 1977 (16 U.S.C. 2004) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a)(4), by striking ‘‘and State’’ and 

inserting ‘‘, State, and tribal’’; 

(2) in subsection (b), by inserting ‘‘, tribal’’ after ‘‘State’’ 

each place it appears; and 

(3) in subsection (c)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘State soil’’ and inserting ‘‘State and 

tribal soil’’; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘local’’ and inserting ‘‘local, tribal,’’. 

(c) SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM.—Section 6(a) 

of the Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act of 1977 (16 

U.S.C. 2005(a)) is amended— 

(1) by inserting ‘‘, tribal,’’ after ‘‘State’’ the first place it 

appears; 

(2) by inserting ‘‘, tribal’’ after ‘‘State’’ each other place 

it appears; and 

(3) by inserting ‘‘, tribal,’’ after ‘‘private’’. 

(d) UTILIZATION OF AVAILABLE INFORMATION AND DATA.—Section 9 of the Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act of 1977 

(16 U.S.C. 2008) is amended by inserting ‘‘, tribal’’ after ‘‘State’’. 

Subtitle G—Funding and Administration 

SEC. 2601. FUNDING. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1241 of the Food Security Act of 

1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841) is amended by striking subsection (a) and 

inserting the following: 

‘‘(a) ANNUAL FUNDING.—For each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2018, the Secretary shall use the funds, facilities, and authorities 

of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out the following 

programs under this title (including the provision of technical assistance): 


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‘‘(1) The conservation reserve program under subchapter 

B of chapter 1 of subtitle D, including, to the maximum extent 

practicable— ‘‘(A) $10,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2014 

through 2018 to provide payments under section 1234(c); 

and 

‘‘(B) $33,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2014 

through 2018 to carry out section 1235(f) to facilitate the 

transfer of land subject to contracts from retired or retiring 

owners and operators to beginning farmers or ranchers 

and socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers. 

‘‘(2) The agricultural conservation easement program under 

subtitle H using to the maximum extent practicable— 

‘‘(A) $400,000,000 for fiscal year 2014; 

‘‘(B) $425,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; 

‘‘(C) $450,000,000 for fiscal year 2016; 

‘‘(D) $500,000,000 for fiscal year 2017; and 

‘‘(E) $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2018. 

‘‘(3) The conservation security program under subchapter 

A of chapter 2 of subtitle D, using such sums as are necessary 

to administer contracts entered into before September 30, 2008. 

‘‘(4) The conservation stewardship program under subchapter B of chapter 2 of subtitle D. 

‘‘(5) The environmental quality incentives program under 

chapter 4 of subtitle D, using, to the maximum extent practicable— 

‘‘(A) $1,350,000,000 for fiscal year 2014; 

‘‘(B) $1,600,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; 

‘‘(C) $1,650,000,000 for fiscal year 2016; 

‘‘(D) $1,650,000,000 for fiscal year 2017; and 

‘‘(E) $1,750,000,000 for fiscal year 2018.’’. 

(b) GUARANTEED AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Section 1241 of the 

Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841) is amended— 

(1) by redesignating subsections (b) through (h) as subsections (c) through (i), respectively; 

(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following: 

‘‘(b) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Amounts made available by subsection (a) for fiscal years 2014 through 2018 shall be used by 

the Secretary to carry out the programs specified in such subsection 

and shall remain available until expended.’’; and 

(3) in subsection (d) (as redesignated by paragraph (1)), 

by striking ‘‘subsection (b)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (c)’’. 

SEC. 2602. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 

Section 1241 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841) 

is amended by striking subsection (c) (as redesignated by section 

2601(b)(1)) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(c) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 

‘‘(1) AVAILABILITY.—Commodity Credit Corporation funds 

made available for a fiscal year for each of the programs specified in subsection (a)— 

‘‘(A) shall be available for the provision of technical 

assistance for the programs for which funds are made 

available as necessary to implement the programs effectively; 

‘‘(B) except for technical assistance for the conservation 

reserve program under subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle 


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D, shall be apportioned for the provision of technical assistance in the amount determined by the Secretary, at the 

sole discretion of the Secretary; and 

‘‘(C) shall not be available for the provision of technical 

assistance for conservation programs specified in subsection 

(a) other than the program for which the funds were made 

available. 

‘‘(2) PRIORITY.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the delivery of technical assistance under the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment 

Act (16 U.S.C. 590a et seq.), the Secretary shall give priority to producers who request technical assistance from 

the Secretary in order to comply for the first time with 

the requirements of subtitle B and subtitle C of this title 

as a result of the amendments made by section 2611 of 

the Agricultural Act of 2014. 

‘‘(B) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after the date 

of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, the Secretary 

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 regarding 

the extent to which the conservation compliance requirements contained in the amendments made by section 2611 

of the Agricultural Act of 2014 apply to and impact specialty crop growers, including national analysis and surveys 

to determine the extent of specialty crop acreage that 

includes highly erodible land and wetlands. 

‘‘(3) REPORT.—Not later than December 31, 2014, the Secretary shall submit (and update as necessary in subsequent 

years) to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 

Forestry of the Senate a report— 

‘‘(A) detailing the amount of technical assistance funds 

requested and apportioned in each program specified in 

subsection (a) during the preceding fiscal year; and 

‘‘(B) any other data relating to this provision that 

would be helpful to such Committees. 

‘‘(4) COMPLIANCE REPORT.—Not later than November 1 of 

each year, the Secretary 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 

that includes— 

‘‘(A) a description of the extent to which the requests 

for highly erodible land conservation and wetland compliance determinations are being addressed in a timely 

manner; 

‘‘(B) the total number of requests completed in the 

previous fiscal year; 

‘‘(C) the incomplete determinations on record; and 

‘‘(D) the number of requests that are still outstanding 

more than 1 year since the date on which the requests 

were received from the producer.’’. 

SEC. 2603. REGIONAL EQUITY. 

Section 1241 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841) 

is amended by striking subsection (e) (as redesignated by section 

2601(b)(1)) and inserting the following: 


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‘‘(e) REGIONAL EQUITY.— ‘‘(1) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.—When determining funding 

allocations each fiscal year, the Secretary shall, after considering available funding and program demand in each State, 

provide a distribution of funds for conservation programs under 

subtitle D (excluding the conservation reserve program under 

subchapter B of chapter 1), subtitle H, and subtitle I to ensure 

equitable program participation proportional to historical 

funding allocations and usage by all States. 

‘‘(2) MINIMUM PERCENTAGE.—In determining the specific 

funding allocations under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— 

‘‘(A) ensure that during the first quarter of each fiscal 

year each State has the opportunity to establish that the 

State can use an aggregate allocation amount of at least 

0.6 percent of the funds made available for those conservation programs; and 

‘‘(B) for each State that can so establish, provide an 

aggregate amount of at least 0.6 percent of the funds 

made available for those conservation programs.’’. 

SEC. 2604. RESERVATION OF FUNDS TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO CERTAIN FARMERS OR RANCHERS FOR CONSERVATION 

ACCESS. 

Subsection (h) of section 1241 of the Food Security Act of 

1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841) (as redesignated by section 2601(b)(1)) is 

amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’; 

and 

(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(4) PREFERENCE.—In providing assistance under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give preference to a veteran 

farmer or rancher (as defined in section 2501(e) of the Food, 

Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 

2279(e))) that qualifies under subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1).’’. 

SEC. 2605. ANNUAL REPORT ON PROGRAM ENROLLMENTS AND ASSISTANCE. 

Subsection (i) of section 1241 of the Food Security Act of 1985 

(16 U.S.C. 3841) (as redesignated by section 2601(b)(1)) is 

amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘wetlands reserve program’’ 

and inserting ‘‘agricultural conservation easement program’’; 

(2) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3) and redesignating 

paragraphs (4), (5), and (6) as paragraphs (2), (3), and (4), 

respectively; 

(3) in paragraph (3) (as so redesignated)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘agricultural water enhancement program’’ and inserting ‘‘regional conservation partnership program’’; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘1240I(g)’’ and inserting ‘‘1271C(c)(3)’’; 

and 

(4) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(5) Payments made under the conservation stewardship 

program. 

‘‘(6) Exceptions provided by the Secretary under section 

1265B(b)(2)(C).’’. 


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SEC. 2606. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO ALL 

CONSERVATION PROGRAMS. 

Section 1244 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844) 

is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a)(2), by adding at the end the following 

new subparagraph: 

‘‘(E) Veteran farmers or ranchers (as defined in section 

2501(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade 

Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e))).’’; 

(2) in subsection (d), by inserting ‘‘, H, and I’’ before the 

period at the end; 

(3) in subsection (f)— 

(A) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ‘‘country’’ and 

inserting ‘‘county’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘subsection (c)(2)(B) 

or (f)(4)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (d)(2)(A)(ii) or (g)(2)’’; 

(4) in subsection (h)(2), by inserting ‘‘, including, to the 

extent practicable, practices that maximize benefits for honey 

bees’’ after ‘‘pollinators’’; and 

(5) by adding at the end the following new subsections: 

‘‘(j) IMPROVED ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS.—In administrating a conservation program under this title, 

the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable— 

‘‘(1) seek to reduce administrative burdens and costs to 

producers by streamlining conservation planning and program 

resources; and 

‘‘(2) take advantage of new technologies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. 

‘‘(k) RELATION TO OTHER PAYMENTS.—Any payment received 

by an owner or operator under this title, including an easement 

payment or rental payment, shall be in addition to, and not affect, 

the total amount of payments that the owner or operator is otherwise eligible to receive under any of the following: 

‘‘(1) This Act. 

‘‘(2) The Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 1421 et seq.). 

‘‘(3) The Agricultural Act of 2014. 

‘‘(4) Any law that succeeds a law specified in paragraph 

(1), (2), or (3). 

‘‘(l) FUNDING FOR INDIAN TRIBES.—In carrying out the conservation stewardship program under subchapter B of chapter 2 of subtitle D and the environmental quality incentives program under 

chapter 4 of subtitle D, the Secretary may enter into alternative 

funding arrangements with Indian tribes if the Secretary determines that the goals and objectives of the programs will be met 

by such arrangements, and that statutory limitations regarding 

contracts with individual producers will not be exceeded by any 

tribal member.’’. 

SEC. 2607. STANDARDS FOR STATE TECHNICAL COMMITTEES. 

Section 1261(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

3861(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘Not later than 180 days after 

the date of enactment of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act 

of 2008, the Secretary shall develop’’ and inserting ‘‘The Secretary 

shall review and update as necessary’’. 


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SEC. 2608. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY. 

Subtitle E of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 

U.S.C. 3841 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following 

new section: 

‘‘SEC. 1246. REGULATIONS. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall promulgate such regulations as are necessary to implement programs under this title, 

including such regulations as the Secretary determines to be necessary to ensure a fair and reasonable application of the limitations 

established under section 1244(f). 

‘‘(b) RULEMAKING PROCEDURE.—The promulgation of regulations and administration of programs under this title— 

‘‘(1) shall be carried out without regard to chapter 35 

of title 44, United States Code (commonly known as the Paperwork Reduction Act); and 

‘‘(2) shall be made as an interim rule effective on publication with an opportunity for notice and comment. 

‘‘(c) CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW OF AGENCY RULEMAKING.—In 

promulgating regulations under this section, the Secretary shall 

use the authority provided under section 808 of title 5, United 

States Code.’’. 

SEC. 2609. WETLANDS MITIGATION. 

Section 1222(k) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

3822(k)) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘(k) MITIGATION BANKING.— 

‘‘(1) MITIGATION BANKING PROGRAM.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Using authorities available to the 

Secretary, the Secretary shall operate a program or work 

with third parties to establish mitigation banks to assist 

persons in complying with the provisions of this section 

while mitigating any loss of wetland values and functions. 

‘‘(B) FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit 

Corporation, the Secretary shall use $10,000,000, to remain 

available until expended, to carry out this paragraph. 

‘‘(2) APPLICABILITY.—Subsection (f)(2)(C) shall not apply 

to this subsection. 

‘‘(3) POLICY AND CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall develop 

the appropriate policy and criteria that will allow willing persons to access existing mitigation banks, under this section 

or any other authority, that will serve the purposes of this 

section without requiring the Secretary to hold an easement, 

in whole or in part, in a mitigation bank.’’. 

SEC. 2610. LESSER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN CONSERVATION REPORT. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the date of 

enactment of this Act, 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 results of a review and analysis 

of each of the activities (including those administered by the Secretary) that pertain to the conservation of the lesser prairie-chicken, 

including the conservation reserve program, the environmental 

quality incentives program, the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative, 

the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Candidate 

Conservation Agreement with Assurances for Oil and Gas, and 

16 USC 3846. 


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the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Lesser 

Prairie-Chicken Range-Wide Conservation Plan. 

(b) CONTENTS.—The Secretary shall include in the report 

required by this section, at a minimum— 

(1) with respect to each activity described in subsection 

(a) as it relates to the conservation of the lesser prairie-chicken, 

findings regarding— 

(A) the cost of the activity to the Federal Government, 

impacted State governments, and the private sector; 

(B) the conservation effectiveness of the activity; and 

(C) the cost effectiveness of the activity; and 

(2) a ranking of the activities described in subsection (a) 

based on their relative cost effectiveness. 

SEC. 2611. HIGHLY ERODIBLE LAND AND WETLAND CONSERVATION 

FOR CROP INSURANCE. 

(a) HIGHLY ERODIBLE LAND PROGRAM INELIGIBILITY.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1211(a)(1) of the Food Security 

Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3811(a)(1)) is amended— 

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

(B) in subparagraph (D), by adding ‘‘or’’ at the end; 

and 

(C) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(E) any portion of the premium paid by the Federal 

Crop Insurance Corporation for a policy or plan of insurance under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 

et seq.), on the condition that if a person is determined 

to have committed a violation under this subsection during 

a crop year, ineligibility under this subparagraph shall— 

‘‘(i) only apply to reinsurance years subsequent 

to the date of final determination of a violation, 

including all administrative appeals; and 

‘‘(ii) not apply to the existing reinsurance year 

or any reinsurance year prior to the date of final determination;’’. 

(2) EXEMPTIONS.—Section 1212(a)(2) of the Food Security 

Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3812(a)(2)) is amended— 

(A) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘(2) If,’’ and 

inserting the following: 

‘‘(2) ELIGIBILITY BASED ON COMPLIANCE WITH CONSERVATION

PLAN.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If,’’; 

(B) in the second sentence, by striking ‘‘In carrying’’ 

and inserting the following: 

‘‘(B) MINIMIZATION OF DOCUMENTATION.—In carrying’’; 

and 

(C) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(C) CROP INSURANCE.— 

‘‘(i) OPERATIONS NEW TO COMPLIANCE.—Notwithstanding section 1211(a), in the case of a person that 

is subject to section 1211 for the first time solely due 

to the amendment made by section 2611(a) of the Agricultural Act of 2014, any person who produces an 

agricultural commodity on the land that is the basis 

of the payments described in section 1211(a)(1)(E) shall 

have 5 reinsurance years after the date on which such 

payments become subject to section 1211 to develop 


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and comply with an approved conservation plan so 

as to maintain eligibility for such payments. 

‘‘(ii) EXISTING OPERATIONS WITH PRIOR VIOLATIONS.—Notwithstanding section 1211(a), in the case 

of a person that the Secretary determines would have 

been in violation of section 1211(a) if the person had 

continued participation in the programs requiring 

compliance at any time after the date of enactment 

of the Agricultural Act of 2014 and is currently in 

violation of section 1211(a), the person shall have 2 

reinsurance years after the date on which the payments described in section 1211(a)(1)(E) become subject 

to section 1211 to develop and comply with an approved 

conservation plan, as determined by the Secretary, so 

as to maintain eligibility for such payments. 

‘‘(iii) APPLICABLE REINSURANCE YEAR.—Ineligibility 

for the payment described in section 1211(a)(1)(E) for 

a violation under this subparagraph during a crop 

year shall— 

‘‘(I) only apply to reinsurance years subsequent 

to the date of a final determination of a violation, 

including all administrative appeals; and 

‘‘(II) not apply to the existing reinsurance year 

or any reinsurance year prior to the date of the 

final determination.’’. 

(3) CROP INSURANCE PREMIUM ASSISTANCE.—Section 1213(d) 

of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3812a(d)) is 

amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(4) CROP INSURANCE PREMIUM ASSISTANCE.—For the purpose of determining the eligibility of a person for the payment 

described in section 1211(a)(1)(E), the Secretary shall apply 

the procedures described in section 1221(c)(3)(E) and coordinate 

the certification process so as to avoid duplication or unnecessary paperwork.’’. 

(b) WETLAND CONSERVATION PROGRAM INELIGIBILITY.—Section 

1221 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3821) is amended— 

(1) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), and (e) as subsections (d), (e), and (f), respectively; and 

(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following: 

‘‘(c) INELIGIBILITY FOR CROP INSURANCE PREMIUM ASSISTANCE.— 

‘‘(1) REQUIREMENTS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If a person is determined to have 

committed a violation under subsection (a) or (d) during 

a crop year, the person shall be ineligible to receive any 

payment of any portion of premium paid by the Federal 

Crop Insurance Corporation for a plan or policy of insurance under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 

et seq.) pursuant to this subsection. 

‘‘(B) APPLICABILITY.—Ineligibility under this subsection 

shall— 

‘‘(i) only apply to reinsurance years subsequent 

to the date of a final determination of a violation, 

including all administrative appeals; and 

‘‘(ii) not apply to the existing reinsurance year 

or any reinsurance year prior to the date of the final 

determination. 


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128 STAT. 764 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

‘‘(2) CONVERSIONS.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding paragraph (1), 

ineligibility for crop insurance premium assistance shall 

apply in accordance with this paragraph. 

‘‘(B) NEW CONVERSIONS.—In the case of a wetland that 

the Secretary determines was converted after the date of 

enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014— 

‘‘(i) the person shall be ineligible to receive crop 

insurance premium subsidies in subsequent reinsurance years unless the Secretary determines that an 

exemption pursuant to section 1222 applies; or 

‘‘(ii) for any violation that the Secretary determines 

impacts less than 5 acres of an entire farm, the person 

may pay a contribution in an amount equal to 150 

percent of the cost of mitigation, as determined by 

the Secretary, to the fund described in section 1241(f) 

for wetland restoration in lieu of ineligibility to receive 

crop insurance premium assistance. 

‘‘(C) PRIOR CONVERSIONS.—In the case of a wetland 

that the Secretary determines was converted prior to the 

date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, ineligibility under this subsection shall not apply. 

‘‘(D) CONVERSIONS AND NEW POLICIES OR PLANS OF

INSURANCE.—In the case of an agricultural commodity for 

which an individual policy or plan of insurance is available 

for the first time to the person after the date of enactment 

of the Agricultural Act of 2014— 

‘‘(i) ineligibility shall apply only to conversions that 

take place after the date on which the policy or plan 

of insurance first becomes available to the person; and 

‘‘(ii) the person shall take such steps as the Secretary determines appropriate to mitigate any prior 

conversion in a timely manner but not to exceed 2 

reinsurance years. 

‘‘(3) LIMITATIONS.— ‘‘(A) MITIGATION REQUIRED.—Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, a person subject to a final determination, including all administrative appeals, of a violation described in subsection (d) shall have 1 reinsurance 

year to initiate a mitigation plan to remedy the violation, 

as determined by the Secretary, before becoming ineligible 

under this subsection in the following reinsurance year 

to receive any payment of any portion of the premium 

paid by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation for a policy 

or plan of insurance under the Federal Crop Insurance 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.). 

‘‘(B) PERSONS COVERED FOR THE FIRST TIME.—Notwithstanding the requirements of paragraph (1), in the case 

of a person that is subject to this subsection for the first 

time solely due to the amendment made by section 2611(b) 

of the Agricultural Act of 2014, the person shall have 

2 reinsurance years after the reinsurance year in which 

a final determination is made, including all administrative 

appeals, of a violation described in this subsection to take 

such steps as the Secretary determines appropriate to 

remedy or mitigate the violation in accordance with this 

subsection. 


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‘‘(C) GOOD FAITH.—If the Secretary determines that 

a person subject to a final determination, including all 

administrative appeals, of a violation described in this subsection acted in good faith and without intent to commit 

a violation described in this subsection as described in 

section 1222(h), the person shall have 2 reinsurance years 

to take such steps as the Secretary determines appropriate 

to remedy or mitigate the violation in accordance with 

this subsection. 

‘‘(D) TENANT RELIEF.— ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—If a tenant is determined to be 

ineligible for payments and other benefits under this 

subsection, the Secretary may limit the ineligibility 

only to the farm that is the basis for the ineligibility 

determination if the tenant has established, to the 

satisfaction of the Secretary that— 

‘‘(I) the tenant has made a good faith effort 

to meet the requirements of this section, including 

enlisting the assistance of the Secretary to obtain 

a reasonable plan for restoration or mitigation for 

the farm; 

‘‘(II) the landlord on the farm refuses to comply 

with the plan on the farm; and 

‘‘(III) the Secretary determines that the lack 

of compliance is not a part of a scheme or device 

to avoid the compliance. 

‘‘(ii) REPORT.—The Secretary shall submit to the 

Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 

and Forestry of the Senate an annual report concerning 

the ineligibility determinations limited during the previous 12-month period under this subparagraph. 

‘‘(E) CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Beginning with the first full 

reinsurance year immediately following the date of 

enactment of this paragraph, all persons seeking eligibility for the payment of a portion of the premium 

paid by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation for 

a policy or plan of insurance under the Federal Crop 

Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) shall provide 

certification of compliance with this section as determined by the Secretary. 

‘‘(ii) TIMELY EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall 

evaluate the certification in a timely manner and— 

‘‘(I) a person who has properly complied with 

certification shall be held harmless with regard 

to eligibility during the period of evaluation; and 

‘‘(II) if the Secretary fails to evaluate the certification in a timely manner and the person is 

subsequently found to be in violation of this subsection, ineligibility shall not apply to the person 

for that violation. 

‘‘(iii) EQUITABLE CONTRIBUTION.— 

‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—If a person fails to notify 

the Secretary as required and is subsequently 

found to be in violation of this subsection, the 

Secretary shall— 


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128 STAT. 766 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

‘‘(aa) determine the amount of an equitable contribution to conservation by the person for the violation; and 

‘‘(bb) deposit the contribution in the fund 

described in section 1241(f). 

‘‘(II) LIMITATION.—The contribution shall not 

exceed the total of the portion of the premium 

paid by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation 

for a policy or plan of insurance for all years 

the person is determined to have been in violation 

subsequent to the date on which certification was 

first required under this subparagraph. 

‘‘(4) DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this subsection, the 

Secretary shall use existing processes and procedures for 

certifying compliance. 

‘‘(B) RESPONSIBILITY.—The Secretary, acting through 

the agencies of the Department of Agriculture, shall be 

solely responsible for determining whether a producer is 

eligible to receive crop insurance premium subsidies in 

accordance with this subsection. 

‘‘(C) LIMITATION.—The Secretary shall ensure that no 

agent, approved insurance provider, or employee or contractor of an agency or approved insurance provider, bears 

responsibility or liability for the eligibility of an insured 

producer under this subsection, other than in cases of 

misrepresentation, fraud, or scheme and device.’’. 

Subtitle H—Repeal of Superseded Program 

Authorities and Transitional Provisions; 

Technical Amendments 

SEC. 2701. COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM. 

Section 1230 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3830) 

is repealed. 

SEC. 2702. EMERGENCY FORESTRY CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM. 

(a) REPEAL.—Except as provided in subsection (b), section 

1231A of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831a) is 

repealed. 

(b) TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS.— 

(1) EFFECT ON EXISTING CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS.— 

The amendment made by this section shall not affect the 

validity or terms of any contract or agreement entered into 

by the Secretary of Agriculture under section 1231A of the 

Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831a) before the date 

of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, or any payments 

required to be made in connection with the contract or agreement. 

(2) FUNDING.—The Secretary may use funds made available 

to carry out the conservation reserve program under subchapter 

B of chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security 

Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831 et seq.) to continue to carry out 

16 USC 3831 

note. 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 767 

contracts or agreements referred to in paragraph (1) using 

the provisions of law and regulation applicable to such contracts 

or agreements as in existence on the day before the date of 

enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014. 

SEC. 2703. WETLANDS RESERVE PROGRAM. 

(a) REPEAL.—Except as provided in subsection (b), subchapter 

C of chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security 

Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837 et seq.) is repealed. 

(b) TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS.— (1) EFFECT ON EXISTING CONTRACTS, AGREEMENTS, AND

EASEMENTS.—The amendment made by this section shall not 

affect the validity or terms of any contract, agreement, or 

easement entered into by the Secretary of Agriculture under 

subchapter C of chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII of the 

Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837 et seq.) before 

the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, or any 

payments required to be made in connection with the contract, 

agreement, or easement. 

(2) FUNDING.— (A) USE OF PRIOR YEAR FUNDS.—Notwithstanding the 

repeal of subchapter C of chapter 1 of subtitle D of title 

XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837 

et seq.), any funds made available from the Commodity 

Credit Corporation to carry out the wetlands reserve program under that subchapter for fiscal years 2009 through 

2013 shall be made available to carry out contracts, agreements, or easements referred to in paragraph (1) that were 

entered into prior to the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (including the provision of technical 

assistance), provided that no such contract, agreement, or 

easement is modified so as to increase the amount of the 

payment received. 

(B) OTHER.—The Secretary may use funds made available to carry out the agricultural conservation easement 

program under subtitle H of title XII of the Food Security 

Act of 1985, as added by section 2301, to continue to 

carry out contracts, agreements, and easements referred 

to in paragraph (1) using the provisions of law and regulation applicable to such contracts, agreements, and easements as in existence on the day before the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014. 

SEC. 2704. FARMLAND PROTECTION PROGRAM AND FARM VIABILITY 

PROGRAM. 

(a) REPEAL.—Except as provided in subsection (b), subchapter 

C of chapter 2 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security 

Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3838h et seq.) is repealed. 

(b) TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS.— 

(1) EFFECT ON EXISTING AGREEMENTS AND EASEMENTS.— 

The amendment made by this section shall not affect the 

validity or terms of any agreement or easement entered into 

by the Secretary of Agriculture under subchapter C of chapter 

2 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 

(16 U.S.C. 3838h et seq.) before the date of enactment of the 

Agricultural Act of 2014, or any payments required to be made 

in connection with the agreement or easement. 

(2) FUNDING.— 

16 USC 3838h 

and note, 3838i, 

3838j. 

16 USC 3837 

and note, 

3837a–3837f. 


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(A) USE OF PRIOR YEAR FUNDS.—Notwithstanding the 

repeal of subchapter C of chapter 2 of subtitle D of title 

XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3838h 

et seq.), any funds made available from the Commodity 

Credit Corporation to carry out the farmland protection 

program under that subchapter for fiscal years 2009 

through 2013 shall be made available to carry out agreements and easements referred to in paragraph (1) that 

were entered into prior to the date of enactment of the 

Agricultural Act of 2014 (including the provision of technical assistance). 

(B) OTHER.—On exhaustion of funds made available 

under subparagraph (A), the Secretary may use funds made 

available to carry out the agricultural conservation easement program under subtitle H of title XII of the Food 

Security Act of 1985, as added by section 2301, to continue 

to carry out agreements and easements referred to in paragraph (1) using the provisions of law and regulation 

applicable to such agreements and easements as in existence on the day before the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014. 

SEC. 2705. GRASSLAND RESERVE PROGRAM. 

(a) REPEAL.—Except as provided in subsection (b), subchapter 

D of chapter 2 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security 

Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3838n et seq.) is repealed. 

(b) TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS.— 

(1) EFFECT ON EXISTING CONTRACTS, AGREEMENTS, AND

EASEMENTS.—The amendment made by this section shall not 

affect the validity or terms of any contract, agreement, or 

easement entered into by the Secretary of Agriculture under 

subchapter D of chapter 2 of subtitle D of title XII of the 

Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3838n et seq.) before 

the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, or any 

payments required to be made in connection with the contract, 

agreement, or easement. 

(2) FUNDING.— 

(A) USE OF PRIOR YEAR FUNDS.—Notwithstanding the 

repeal of subchapter D of chapter 2 of subtitle D of title 

XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3838n 

et seq.), any funds made available from the Commodity 

Credit Corporation to carry out the grassland reserve program under that subchapter for fiscal years 2009 through 

2013 shall be made available to carry out contracts, agreements, or easements referred to in paragraph (1) that were 

entered into prior to the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (including the provision of technical 

assistance), provided that no such contract, agreement, or 

easement is modified so as to increase the amount of the 

payment received. 

(B) OTHER.—The Secretary may use funds made available to carry out the agricultural conservation easement 

program under subtitle H of title XII of the Food Security 

Act of 1985, as added by section 2301, to continue to 

carry out contracts, agreements, and easements referred 

16 USC 3838n 

and note, 

3838o–3838q. 


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to in paragraph (1) using the provisions of law and regulation applicable to such contracts, agreements, and easements as in existence on the day before the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014. 

SEC. 2706. AGRICULTURAL WATER ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM. 

(a) REPEAL.—Except as provided in subsection (b), section 1240I 

of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–9) is repealed. 

(b) TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS.— (1) EFFECT ON EXISTING CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS.— The amendment made by this section shall not affect the 

validity or terms of any contract or agreement entered into 

by the Secretary of Agriculture under section 1240I of the 

Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–9) before the 

date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, or any 

payments required to be made in connection with the contract 

or agreement. 

(2) FUNDING.— (A) USE OF PRIOR YEAR FUNDS.—Notwithstanding the 

repeal of section 1240I of the Food Security Act of 1985 

(16 U.S.C. 3839aa–9), any funds made available from the 

Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out the agricultural 

water enhancement program under that section for fiscal 

years 2009 through 2013 shall be made available to carry 

out contracts and agreements referred to in paragraph 

(1) that were entered into prior to the date of enactment 

of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (including the provision 

of technical assistance). 

(B) OTHER.—On exhaustion of funds made available 

under subparagraph (A), the Secretary may use funds made 

available to carry out the regional conservation partnership 

program under subtitle I of title XII of the Food Security 

Act of 1985, as added by section 2401, to continue to 

carry out contracts and agreements referred to in paragraph (1) using the provisions of law and regulation 

applicable to such contracts and agreements as in existence 

on the day before the date of enactment of the Agricultural 

Act of 2014. 

SEC. 2707. WILDLIFE HABITAT INCENTIVE PROGRAM. 

(a) REPEAL.—Except as provided in subsection (b), section 

1240N of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839bb–1) 

is repealed. 

(b) TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS.— (1) EFFECT ON EXISTING CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS.— The amendment made by this section shall not affect the 

validity or terms of any contract or agreement entered into 

by the Secretary of Agriculture under section 1240N of the 

Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839bb–1) before the 

date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, or any 

payments required to be made in connection with the contract 

or agreement. 

(2) FUNDING.— 

(A) USE OF PRIOR YEAR FUNDS.—Notwithstanding the 

repeal of section 1240N of the Food Security Act of 1985 

(16 U.S.C. 3839bb–1), any funds made available from the 

Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out the wildlife 

habitat incentive program under that section for fiscal 

16 USC 

3839bb–1 note. 

16 USC 

3839aa–9 note. 


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years 2009 through 2013 shall be made available to carry 

out contracts or agreements referred to in paragraph (1) 

which were entered into prior to the date of enactment 

of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (including the provision 

of technical assistance). 

(B) OTHER.—On exhaustion of funds made available 

under subparagraph (A), the Secretary may use funds made 

available to carry out the environmental quality incentives 

program under chapter 4 of subtitle D of title XII of the 

Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa et seq.) to 

continue to carry out contracts or agreements referred to 

in paragraph (1) using the provisions of law and regulation 

applicable to such contracts or agreements as in existence 

on the day before the date of enactment of the Agricultural 

Act of 2014. 

SEC. 2708. GREAT LAKES BASIN PROGRAM. 

Section 1240P of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

3839bb–3) is repealed. 

SEC. 2709. CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED PROGRAM. 

(a) REPEAL.—Except as provided in subsection (b), section 

1240Q of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839bb–4) 

is repealed. 

(b) TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS.— 

(1) EFFECT ON EXISTING CONTRACTS, AGREEMENTS, AND

EASEMENTS.—The amendment made by this section shall not 

affect the validity or terms of any contract, agreement, or 

easement entered into by the Secretary of Agriculture under 

section 1240Q of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

3839bb–4) before the date of enactment of the Agricultural 

Act of 2014, or any payments required to be made in connection 

with the contract, agreement, or easement. 

(2) FUNDING.— 

(A) USE OF PRIOR YEAR FUNDS.—Notwithstanding the 

repeal of section 1240Q of the Food Security Act of 1985 

(16 U.S.C. 3839bb–4), any funds made available from the 

Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out the Chesapeake 

Bay watershed program under that section for fiscal years 

2009 through 2013 shall be made available to carry out 

contracts, agreements, and easements referred to in paragraph (1) that were entered into prior to the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (including the provision of technical assistance). 

(B) OTHER.—The Secretary may use funds made available to carry out the regional conservation partnership 

program under subtitle I of title XII of the Food Security 

Act of 1985, as added by section 2401, to continue to 

carry out contracts, agreements, and easements referred 

to in paragraph (1) using the provisions of law and regulation applicable to such contracts, agreements, and easements as in existence on the day before the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014. 

SEC. 2710. COOPERATIVE CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE. 

(a) REPEAL.—Except as provided in subsection (b), section 1243 

of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3843) is repealed. 

(b) TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS.— 

16 USC 3843 

note. 

16 USC 

3839bb–4 note. 


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(1) EFFECT ON EXISTING CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS.— The amendment made by this section shall not affect the 

validity or terms of any contract or agreement entered into 

by the Secretary of Agriculture under section 1243 of the Food 

Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3843) before the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, or any payments required 

to be made in connection with the contract or agreement. 

(2) FUNDING.— (A) USE OF PRIOR YEAR FUNDS.—Notwithstanding the 

repeal of section 1243 of the Food Security Act of 1985 

(16 U.S.C. 3843), any funds made available from the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out the cooperative 

conservation partnership initiative under that section for 

fiscal years 2009 through 2013 shall be made available 

to carry out contracts and agreements referred to in paragraph (1) that were entered into prior to the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (including the provision of technical assistance). 

(B) OTHER.—On exhaustion of funds made available 

under subparagraph (A), the Secretary may use funds made 

available to carry out the regional conservation partnership 

program under subtitle I of title XII of the Food Security 

Act of 1985, as added by section 2401, to continue to 

carry out contracts and agreements referred to in paragraph (1) using the provisions of law and regulation 

applicable to such contracts and agreements as in existence 

on the day before the date of enactment of the Agricultural 

Act of 2014. 

SEC. 2711. ENVIRONMENTAL EASEMENT PROGRAM. 

Chapter 3 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act 

of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839 et seq.) is repealed. 

SEC. 2712. TEMPORARY ADMINISTRATION OF CONSERVATION PROGRAMS. 

(a) APPLICABILITY.—This section is applicable to activities 

under— 

(1) the wetlands reserve program, the farmland protection 

program, and the farm viability program being merged into 

the agricultural conservation easement program under the 

amendment made by section 2301; 

(2) the wildlife habitat incentive program being merged 

into the environmental quality incentives program under the 

amendments made by subtitle C; 

(3) the agricultural water enhancement program, the 

Chesapeake Bay watershed program, the cooperative conservation partnership initiative, and the Great Lakes basin program 

being merged into the regional conservation partnership program under the amendment made by section 2401; and 

(4) the grassland reserve program being merged into the 

conservation reserve program under the amendments made 

by subtitle A and into the agricultural conservation easement 

program under the amendment made by section 2301. 

(b) INTERIM ADMINISTRATION.—Subject to subsection (d), with 

respect to the implementation of the agricultural conservation easement program under subtitle H of title XII of the Food Security 

Act of 1985, as added by section 2301, the amendments to the 

environmental quality incentives program made by subtitle C, the 

16 USC 

3839–3839d. 

16 USC 3801 

note. 


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regional conservation partnership program under subtitle I of title 

XII of the Food Security Act of 1985, as added by section 2401, 

and the amendments to the conservation reserve program made 

by subtitle A, the Secretary shall use the regulations in existence 

as of the day before the date of enactment of this Act that are 

applicable to the wetlands reserve program, the grassland reserve 

program, the farmland protection program, the farm viability program, the wildlife habitat incentive program, the agricultural water 

enhancement program, the Chesapeake Bay watershed program, 

the cooperative conservation partnership initiative, and the Great 

Lakes basin program repealed by this subtitle, to the extent that 

the terms and conditions of such regulations are consistent with— 

(1) the provisions of the agricultural conservation easement 

program and the regional conservation partnership program; 

and 

(2) the amendments to the environmental quality incentives 

program and the conservation reserve program made by this 

title. 

(c) FUNDING.—The Secretary may only use funds authorized 

in this title or in the amendments made by this title for the 

specific programs listed in subsection (b), including any restrictions 

on the use of those funds, for the purposes identified in paragraphs 

(1) and (2) of subsection (b). 

(d) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—The authority of the Secretary to carry out subsection (b) shall terminate on the date 

that is 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act. 

(e) PERMANENT ADMINISTRATION.—Effective beginning on the 

termination date described in subsection (d), the Secretary shall 

provide technical assistance, financial assistance, and easement 

enrollment in accordance with any final regulations that the Secretary considers necessary to carry out this title and the amendments made by this title. 

SEC. 2713. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS. 

(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 1201(a) of the Food Security Act of 

1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801(a)) is amended in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘E’’ and inserting ‘‘I’’. 

(b) PROGRAM INELIGIBILITY.—Section 1211(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3811(a)) is amended by striking 

‘‘predominate’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘predominant’’. 

(c) SPECIALTY CROP PRODUCERS.—Section 1242(i) of the Food 

Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3842(i)) is amended in the header 

by striking ‘‘SPECIALITY’’ and inserting ‘‘SPECIALTY’’. 

TITLE III—TRADE 

Subtitle A—Food for Peace Act 

SEC. 3001. GENERAL AUTHORITY. 

Section 201 of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1721) is 

amended— 

(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting 

‘‘(to be implemented by the Administrator)’’ after ‘‘under this 

title’’; and 

(2) by striking paragraph (7) and the second sentence and 

inserting the following new paragraph: 


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‘‘(7) build resilience to mitigate and prevent food crises 

and reduce the future need for emergency aid.’’. 

SEC. 3002. SET-ASIDE FOR SUPPORT FOR ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH 

WHICH NONEMERGENCY ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED. 

Section 202(e) of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1722(e)) 

is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1)— 

(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by 

striking ‘‘13 percent’’ and inserting ‘‘20 percent’’; 

(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘new’’ and 

inserting ‘‘and enhancing’’; 

(C) by striking subparagraph (B); 

(D) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (D); and 

(E) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following 

new subparagraphs: 

‘‘(B) meeting specific administrative, management, personnel, transportation, storage, and distribution costs for 

carrying out programs in foreign countries under this title; 

‘‘(C) implementing income-generating, community 

development, health, nutrition, cooperative development, 

agricultural, and other developmental activities within 1 

or more recipient countries or within 1 or more countries 

in the same region; and’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(4) INVESTMENT AUTHORITY.—An eligible organization that 

receives funds made available under paragraph (1) may invest 

the funds pending the eligible organization’s use of the funds. 

Any interest earned on such investment may be used for the 

purposes for which the assistance was provided to the eligible 

organization without further appropriation by Congress.’’. 

SEC. 3003. FOOD AID QUALITY. 

Section 202(h) of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1722(h)) 

is amended— 

(1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following 

new paragraph: 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall use funds made 

available for fiscal year 2014 and subsequent fiscal years to 

carry out this title— 

‘‘(A) to assess the types and quality of agricultural 

commodities and products donated for food aid; 

‘‘(B) to adjust products and formulations, including 

potential introduction of new fortificants and products, as 

necessary to cost-effectively meet nutrient needs of target 

populations; 

‘‘(C) to test prototypes; 

‘‘(D) to adopt new specifications or improve existing 

specifications for micronutrient fortified food aid products, 

based on the latest developments in food and nutrition 

science, and in coordination with other international partners; 

‘‘(E) to develop new program guidance to facilitate 

improved matching of products to purposes having nutritional intent, in coordination with other international partners; 


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‘‘(F) to develop improved guidance for implementing 

partners on how to address nutritional deficiencies that 

emerge among recipients for whom food assistance is the 

sole source of diet in emergency programs that extend 

beyond 1 year, in coordination with other international 

partners; and 

‘‘(G) to evaluate, in appropriate settings and as necessary, the performance and cost-effectiveness of new or 

modified specialized food products and program approaches 

designed to meet the nutritional needs of the most vulnerable groups, such as pregnant and lactating mothers, and 

children under the age of 5.’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘fiscal years 2009 through 

2011’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal years 2014 through 2018’’. 

SEC. 3004. MINIMUM LEVELS OF ASSISTANCE. 

Section 204(a) of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1724(a)) 

is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 3005. FOOD AID CONSULTATIVE GROUP. 

(a) MEMBERSHIP.—Section 205(b) of the Food for Peace Act 

(7 U.S.C. 1725(b)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph (6); 

(2) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (8); and 

(3) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(7) representatives from the United States agricultural 

processing sector involved in providing agricultural commodities 

for programs under this Act; and’’. 

(b) CONSULTATION.—Section 205(d) of the Food for Peace Act 

(7 U.S.C. 1725(d)) is amended— 

(1) by striking the first sentence and inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) CONSULTATION IN ADVANCE OF ISSUANCE OF

IMPLEMENTATION REGULATIONS, HANDBOOKS, AND GUIDELINES.— 

Not later than 45 days before a proposed regulation, handbook, 

or guideline implementing this title, or a proposed significant 

revision to a regulation, handbook, or guideline implementing 

this title, becomes final, the Administrator shall provide the 

proposal to the Group for review and comment.’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(2) CONSULTATION REGARDING FOOD AID QUALITY

EFFORTS.—The Administrator shall seek input from and consult 

with the Group on the implementation of section 202(h).’’. 

(c) REAUTHORIZATION.—Section 205(f) of the Food for Peace 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1725(f)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 3006. OVERSIGHT, MONITORING, AND EVALUATION. 

(a) REGULATIONS AND GUIDANCE.—Section 207(c) of the Food 

for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1726a(c)) is amended— 

(1) in the subsection heading, by inserting ‘‘AND GUIDANCE’’ 

after ‘‘REGULATIONS’’; 


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(2) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following 

new sentence: ‘‘Not later than 270 days after the date of the 

enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, the Administrator 

shall issue all regulations and revisions to agency guidance 

necessary to implement the amendments made to this title 

by such Act.’’; and 

(3) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘and guidance’’ after 

‘‘develop regulations’’. 

(b) FUNDING.—Section 207(f) of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 

1726a(f)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (2)(F), by striking ‘‘upgraded’’ and 

inserting ‘‘maintenance of’’; 

(2) by striking paragraphs (3) and (4); and 

(3) by redesignating paragraphs (5) and (6) as paragraphs 

(3) and (4), respectively; and 

(4) in paragraph (4) (as so redesignated)— (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘$22,000,000’’ and 

all that follows through the period at the end and inserting 

‘‘$17,000,000 of the funds made available under this title 

for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018, except for paragraph (2)(F), for which not more than $500,000 shall be 

made available for each of the fiscal years 2014 through 

2018.’’; and 

(B) in subparagraph (B)(i), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

(c) IMPLEMENTATION REPORTS.—Not later than 270 days after 

the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 

Agency for International Development shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and 

the Committees on Agriculture and Foreign Affairs of the House 

of Representatives a report describing— 

(1) the implementation of section 207(c) of the Food for 

Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1726a(c)); 

(2) the surveys, studies, monitoring, reporting, and audit 

requirements for programs conducted under title II of such 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1721 et seq.) by an eligible organization that 

is a nongovernmental organization (as such term is defined 

in section 402 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1732)); and 

(3) the surveys, studies, monitoring, reporting, and audit 

requirements for such programs by an eligible organization 

that is an intergovernmental organization, such as the World 

Food Program or other multilateral organization. 

SEC. 3007. ASSISTANCE FOR STOCKPILING AND RAPID TRANSPORTATION, DELIVERY, AND DISTRIBUTION OF SHELFSTABLE PREPACKAGED FOODS. 

Section 208(f) of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1726b(f)) 

is amended by striking ‘‘$8,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 

through 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

2014 through 2018’’. 

SEC. 3008. IMPACT ON LOCAL FARMERS AND ECONOMY AND REPORT 

ON USE OF FUNDS. 

(a) IMPACT ON LOCAL FARMERS AND ECONOMY.—Section 403(b) 

of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1733(b)) is amended by adding 

at the end the following new sentence: ‘‘The Secretary or the 

Administrator, as appropriate, shall seek information, as part of 

the regular proposal and submission process, from implementing 


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agencies on the potential costs and benefits to the local economy 

of sales of agricultural commodities within the recipient country.’’. 

(b) REPORT ON USE OF FUNDS.—Section 403 of the Food for 

Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1733) is amended by adding at the end the 

following new subsection: 

‘‘(m) REPORT ON USE OF FUNDS.— 

‘‘(1) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days after the 

date of the enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, and 

annually thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to Congress 

a report that— 

‘‘(A) specifies the amount of funds (including funds 

for administrative costs, indirect cost recovery, internal 

transportation, storage, and handling, and associated distribution costs) provided to each eligible organization that 

received assistance under this Act in the previous fiscal 

year; 

‘‘(B) describes how those funds were used by the eligible 

organization; 

‘‘(C) describes the actual rate of return for each commodity made available under this Act, including— 

‘‘(i) factors that influenced the rate of return; and 

‘‘(ii) for the commodity, the costs of bagging or 

further processing, ocean transportation, inland 

transportation in the recipient country, storage costs, 

and any other information that the Administrator 

determines to be necessary; and 

‘‘(D) for each instance in which a commodity was made 

available under this Act at a rate of return less than 

70 percent, describes the reasons for the rate of return 

realized. 

‘‘(2) RATE OF RETURN DESCRIBED.—For purposes of applying 

paragraph (1)(C), the rate of return for a commodity shall 

be equal to the proportion that— 

‘‘(A) the proceeds the implementing partners generate 

through monetization; bears to 

‘‘(B) the cost to the Federal Government to procure 

and ship the commodity to a recipient country for monetization.’’. 

SEC. 3009. PREPOSITIONING OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES. 

Section 407(c)(4) of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1736a(c)(4)) 

is amended— 

(1) in subparagraph (A)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘for each such fiscal year not more 

than $10,000,000 of such funds’’ and inserting ‘‘for each 

of fiscal years 2001 through 2013 not more than 

$10,000,000 of such funds and for each of fiscal years 

2014 through 2018 not more than $15,000,000 of such 

funds’’; and 

(2) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following 

new subparagraph: 

‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL PREPOSITIONING SITES.—The Administrator may establish additional sites for prepositioning in 

foreign countries or change the location of current sites 

for prepositioning in foreign countries after conducting, 


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and based on the results of, assessments of need, the availability of appropriate technology for long-term storage, feasibility, and cost.’’. 

SEC. 3010. ANNUAL REPORT REGARDING FOOD AID PROGRAMS AND 

ACTIVITIES. 

Section 407(f)(1) of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1736a(f)(1)) 

is amended— 

(1) in the paragraph heading, by striking ‘‘AGRICULTURAL

TRADE’’ and inserting ‘‘FOOD AID’’; 

(2) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by inserting before the semicolon at the end the following: ‘‘and the total number of beneficiaries of the project and the activities carried out through 

such project’’; and 

(3) in subparagraph (B)(iii)— 

(A) in the matter preceding subclause (I), by inserting 

‘‘, and the total number of beneficiaries in,’’ after ‘‘commodities made available to’’; 

(B) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subclause (I); 

(C) by inserting ‘‘and’’ at the end of subclause (II); 

and 

(D) by inserting after subclause (II) the following new 

subclause: 

‘‘(III) the McGovern-Dole International Food 

for Education and Child Nutrition Program established by section 3107 of the Farm Security and 

Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 1736o– 

1);’’. 

SEC. 3011. DEADLINE FOR AGREEMENTS TO FINANCE SALES OR TO 

PROVIDE OTHER ASSISTANCE. 

Section 408 of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1736b) is 

amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 3012. MINIMUM LEVEL OF NONEMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE. 

Subsection (e) of section 412 of the Food for Peace Act (7 

U.S.C. 1736f) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘(e) MINIMUM LEVEL OF NONEMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), of the amounts 

made available to carry out emergency and nonemergency food 

assistance programs under title II, not less than 20 nor more 

than 30 percent for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018 

shall be expended for nonemergency food assistance programs 

under title II. 

‘‘(2) MINIMUM LEVEL.—The amount made available to carry 

out nonemergency food assistance programs under title II shall 

not be less than $350,000,000 for any fiscal year.’’. 

SEC. 3013. MICRONUTRIENT FORTIFICATION PROGRAMS. 

(a) ELIMINATION OF OBSOLETE REFERENCE TO STUDY.—Section 

415(a)(2)(B) of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1736g–2(a)(2)(B)) 

is amended by striking ‘‘, using recommendations’’ and all that 

follows through ‘‘quality enhancements’’. 

(b) EXTENSION.—Section 415(c) of the Food for Peace Act (7 

U.S.C. 1736g–2(c)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’. 


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SEC. 3014. JOHN OGONOWSKI AND DOUG BEREUTER FARMER-TOFARMER PROGRAM. 

(a) FUNDING AND REAUTHORIZATION OF PROGRAM.—Section 501 

of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1737) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (d), in the matter preceding paragraph 

(1), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2013, and not less than 

the greater of $15,000,000 or 0.6 percent of the amounts made 

available for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018,’’; and 

(2) in subsection (e)(1), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’. 

(b) COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT.—Not later than 270 days 

after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 

of the United States shall submit to Congress a report that contains— 

(1) a review of the John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter 

Farmer-to-Farmer Program authorized by section 501 of the 

Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1737); and 

(2) recommendations relating to actions that the Comptroller General determines to be necessary to improve the monitoring and evaluation of assistance provided under such program. 

SEC. 3015. COORDINATION OF FOREIGN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS 

REPORT. 

Section 413 of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1736g) is 

amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—To the maximum’’ and 

inserting ‘‘To the maximum’’; and 

(2) by striking subsection (b). 

Subtitle B—Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 

SEC. 3101. EXPORT CREDIT GUARANTEE PROGRAM. 

(a) SHORT-TERM CREDIT GUARANTEES.—Section 202 of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5622) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘3-year’’ and inserting 

‘‘24-month’’; 

(2) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘country’’ and inserting 

‘‘obligor’’; 

(3) by striking subsection (i); 

(4) by redesignating subsections (j) and (k) as subsections 

(i) and (j), respectfully; and 

(5) in subsection (j)(2) (as so redesignated)— 

(A) by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B); 

(B) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) through (E) 

as subparagraphs (A) through (C), respectfully; 

(C) in subparagraph (B) (as so redesignated), by 

striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(D) in subparagraph (C) (as so redesignated)— 

(i) by striking ‘‘, but do not exceed,’’; and 

(ii) by striking the period at the end and inserting 

‘‘; and’’; and 

(E) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: 

‘‘(D) notwithstanding any other provision of this section, administer and carry out (only after consulting with 


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the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and 

Forestry of the Senate) the program pursuant to such terms 

as may be agreed between the parties to address the World 

Trade Organization dispute WTO/DS267 to the extent not 

superseded by any applicable international undertakings 

on officially supported export credits to which the United 

States is a party.’’. 

(b) FUNDING.—Subsection (b) of section 211 of the Agricultural 

Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5641) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘(b) EXPORT CREDIT GUARANTEE PROGRAM.—The Commodity 

Credit Corporation shall make available for each fiscal year 

$5,500,000,000 of credit guarantees under section 202(a).’’. 

SEC. 3102. FUNDING FOR MARKET ACCESS PROGRAM. 

Section 211(c)(1)(A) of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 

U.S.C. 5641(c)(1)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 3103. FOREIGN MARKET DEVELOPMENT COOPERATOR PROGRAM. 

Section 703(a) of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 

5723(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

Subtitle C—Other Agricultural Trade Laws 

SEC. 3201. FOOD FOR PROGRESS ACT OF 1985. 

(a) EXTENSION.—The Food for Progress Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 

1736o) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (f)(3), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’; 

(2) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’; 

(3) in subsection (k), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’; and 

(4) in subsection (l)(1), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’. 

(b) REPEAL OF COMPLETED PROJECT.—Subsection (f) of the Food 

for Progress Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1736o) is amended by striking 

paragraph (6). 

SEC. 3202. BILL EMERSON HUMANITARIAN TRUST ACT. 

Section 302 of the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust Act (7 

U.S.C. 1736f–1) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (b)(2)(B)(i), by striking ‘‘2012’’ both places 

it appears and inserting ‘‘2018’’; and 

(2) in subsection (h), by striking ‘‘2012’’ both places it 

appears and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 3203. PROMOTION OF AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS TO EMERGING 

MARKETS. 

(a) DIRECT CREDITS OR EXPORT CREDIT GUARANTEES.—Section 

1542(a) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 

1990 (Public Law 101–624; 7 U.S.C. 5622 note) is amended by 

striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

(b) DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS.—Section 

1542(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade 


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Act of 1990 (Public Law 101–624; 7 U.S.C. 5622 note) is amended 

by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 3204. MCGOVERN-DOLE INTERNATIONAL FOOD FOR EDUCATION 

AND CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM. 

(a) REAUTHORIZATION.—Section 3107(l)(2) of the Farm Security 

and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 1736o–1(l)(2)) is 

amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

(b) TECHNICAL CORRECTION.—Section 3107(d) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 1736o–1(d)) is 

amended by striking ‘‘to’’ in the matter preceding paragraph (1). 

SEC. 3205. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR SPECIALTY CROPS. 

(a) PURPOSE.—Section 3205(b) of the Farm Security and Rural 

Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 5680(b)) is amended by striking 

‘‘related barriers to trade’’ and inserting ‘‘technical barriers to 

trade’’. 

(b) FUNDING.—Section 3205(e)(2) of the Farm Security and 

Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 5680(e)(2)) is amended— 

(1) by inserting ‘‘and’’ at the end of subparagraph (C); 

and 

(2) by striking subparagraphs (D) and (E) and inserting 

the following new subparagraph: 

‘‘(D) $9,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011 through 

2018.’’. 

(c) U.S. ATLANTIC SPINY DOGFISH STUDY.—Not later than 90 

days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

shall conduct an economic study on the existing market in the 

United States for U.S. Atlantic Spiny Dogfish. 

SEC. 3206. GLOBAL CROP DIVERSITY TRUST. 

Section 3202(c) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act 

of 2008 (Public Law 110–246; 22 U.S.C. 2220a note) is amended 

by striking ‘‘2008 through 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2014 through 2018’’. 

SEC. 3207. LOCAL AND REGIONAL FOOD AID PROCUREMENT 

PROJECTS. 

Section 3206 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (7 U.S.C. 1726c) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (b)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘(b) STUDY; FIELD-BASED PROJECTS.— 

’’ and all that follows through ‘‘(2) FIELD-BASED PROJECTS.— 

’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘(b) FIELD-BASED PROJECTS.—’’; 

(B) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as 

paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively, and indenting appropriately; 

(C) in paragraph (1) (as so redesignated), by striking 

‘‘subparagraph (B)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph (2)’’; and 

(D) in paragraph (2) (as so redesignated), by striking 

‘‘subparagraph (A)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph (1)’’; 

(2) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ‘‘subsection (b)(2)’’ and 

inserting ‘‘subsection (b)’’; 

(3) by striking subsections (d), (f), and (g); 

(4) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (d); 

(5) in subsection (d) (as so redesignated)— 

(A) in paragraph (2)— 

(i) by striking subparagraph (B); and 


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(ii) in subparagraph (A)— 

(I) by striking ‘‘(A) APPLICATION.—’’ and all 

that follows through ‘‘To be eligible’’ in clause (i) 

and inserting the following: 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible’’; 

(II) by redesignating clause (ii) as subparagraph (B) and indenting appropriately; and 

(III) in subparagraph (B) (as so redesignated), 

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

(B) by striking paragraph (4); and 

(6) by adding at the end the following new subsection: 

‘‘(e) FUNDING.— 

‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $80,000,000 

for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018. 

‘‘(2) PREFERENCE.—In carrying out this section, the Secretary may give a preference to eligible organizations that 

have, or are working toward, projects under the McGovernDole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition 

Program established under section 3107 of the Farm Security 

and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 1736o–1). 

‘‘(3) REPORTING.—Each year, the Secretary shall submit 

to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that 

describes the use of funds under this section, including— 

‘‘(A) the impact of procurements and projects on— 

‘‘(i) local and regional agricultural producers; and 

‘‘(ii) markets and consumers, including low-income 

consumers; and 

‘‘(B) implementation time frames and costs.’’. 

SEC. 3208. UNDER SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE FOR TRADE AND 

FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS. 

(a) DEFINITION OF AGRICULTURE COMMITTEES AND SUBCOMMITTEES.—In this section, the term ‘‘agriculture committees and subcommittees’’ means— 

(1) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives; 

(2) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

of the Senate; and 

(3) the subcommittees on agriculture, rural development, 

food and drug administration, and related agencies of the 

Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives 

and the Senate. 

(b) PROPOSAL.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation with the 

agriculture committees and subcommittees, shall propose a 

reorganization of international trade functions for imports and 

exports of the Department of Agriculture. 

(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In producing the proposal under this 

section, the Secretary shall— 

(A) in recognition of the importance of agricultural 

exports to the farm economy and the economy as a whole, 

include a plan for the establishment of an Under Secretary 

of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs; 

7 USC 6935. 


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(B) take into consideration how the Under Secretary 

described in subparagraph (A) would serve as a multiagency coordinator of sanitary and phytosanitary issues 

and nontariff trade barriers in agriculture with respect 

to imports and exports of agricultural products; and 

(C) take into consideration all implications of a reorganization described in paragraph (1) on domestic programs 

and operations of the Department of Agriculture. 

(3) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 

enactment of this Act and before the reorganization described 

in paragraph (1) can take effect, the Secretary shall submit 

to the agriculture committees and subcommittees a report 

that— 

(A) includes the results of the proposal under this 

section; and 

(B) provides a notice of the reorganization plan. 

(4) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

of the submission of the report under paragraph (3), the Secretary shall implement a reorganization of international trade 

functions for imports and exports of the Department of Agriculture, including the establishment of an Under Secretary 

of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. 

(c) CONFIRMATION REQUIRED.—The position of Under Secretary 

of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs established 

under subsection (b)(2)(A) shall be appointed by the President, 

by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. 

TITLE IV—NUTRITION 

Subtitle A—Supplemental Nutrition 

Assistance Program 

SEC. 4001. PREVENTING PAYMENT OF CASH TO RECIPIENTS OF 

SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE BENEFITS FOR 

THE RETURN OF EMPTY BOTTLES AND CANS USED TO 

CONTAIN FOOD PURCHASED WITH BENEFITS PROVIDED 

UNDER THE PROGRAM. 

Section 3(k)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2012(k)(1)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘and hot foods’’ and inserting ‘‘hot foods’’; 

and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘and any deposit 

fee in excess of the amount of the State fee reimbursement 

(if any) required to purchase any food or food product contained 

in a returnable bottle or can, regardless of whether the fee 

is included in the shelf price posted for the food or food 

product,’’. 

SEC. 4002. RETAIL FOOD STORES. 

(a) DEFINITION OF RETAIL FOOD STORE.—Section 3(p)(1)(A) of 

the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(p)(1)(A)) is 

amended— 

(1) by inserting ‘‘at least 7’’ after ‘‘a variety of’’; and 

(2) by striking ‘‘at least 2’’ and inserting ‘‘at least 3’’. 


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(b) ALTERNATIVE BENEFIT DELIVERY.—Section 7(f) of the Food 

and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2016(f)) is amended— 

(1) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(2) IMPOSITION OF COSTS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subparagraph 

(B), the Secretary shall require participating retail food 

stores (including restaurants participating in a State option 

restaurant program intended to serve the elderly, disabled, 

and homeless) to pay 100 percent of the costs of acquiring, 

and arrange for the implementation of, electronic benefit 

transfer point-of-sale equipment and supplies, including 

related services. 

‘‘(B) EXEMPTIONS.—The Secretary may exempt from 

subparagraph (A)— 

‘‘(i) farmers’ markets and other direct-to-consumer 

markets, military commissaries, nonprofit food buying 

cooperatives, and establishments, organizations, programs, or group living arrangements described in paragraphs (5), (7), and (8) of section 3(k); and 

‘‘(ii) establishments described in paragraphs (3), 

(4), and (9) of section 3(k), other than restaurants 

participating in a State option restaurant program. 

‘‘(C) INTERCHANGE FEES.—Nothing in this paragraph 

permits the charging of fees relating to the redemption 

of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits, in 

accordance with subsection (h)(13).’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(4) TERMINATION OF MANUAL VOUCHERS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Effective beginning on the date of 

enactment of this paragraph, except as provided in 

subparagraph (B), no State shall issue manual vouchers 

to a household that receives supplemental nutrition assistance under this Act or allow retail food stores to accept 

manual vouchers as payment, unless the Secretary determines that the manual vouchers are necessary, such as 

in the event of an electronic benefit transfer system failure 

or a disaster situation. 

‘‘(B) EXEMPTIONS.—The Secretary may exempt categories of retail food stores or individual retail food stores 

from subparagraph (A) based on criteria established by 

the Secretary. 

‘‘(5) UNIQUE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER REQUIRED.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To enhance the anti-fraud protections of the program, the Secretary shall require all parties 

providing electronic benefit transfer services to provide for 

and maintain unique terminal identification number 

information through the supplemental nutrition assistance 

program electronic benefit transfer transaction routing 

system. 

‘‘(B) REGULATIONS.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Not earlier than 2 years after 

the date of enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary 

shall issue proposed regulations to carry out this paragraph. 

‘‘(ii) COMMERCIAL PRACTICES.—In issuing regulations to carry out this paragraph, the Secretary shall 


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consider existing commercial practices for other pointof-sale debit transactions.’’. 

(c) ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER AUDITABILITY.—Section 

7(h)(2)(C) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2016(h)(2)(C)) is amended by striking clause (ii) and inserting the 

following: 

‘‘(ii) unless determined by the Secretary to be 

located in an area with significantly limited access 

to food, measures that require an electronic benefit 

transfer system— 

‘‘(I) to set and enforce sales restrictions based 

on benefit transfer payment eligibility by using 

scanning or product lookup entry; and 

‘‘(II) to deny benefit tenders for manually 

entered sales of ineligible items.’’. 

(d) ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFERS.—Section 7(h)(3)(B) of the 

Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2016(h)(3)(B)) is amended 

by striking ‘‘is operational—’’ and all that follows through ‘‘(ii) 

in the case of other participating stores,’’ and inserting ‘‘is operational’’. 

(e) APPROVAL OF RETAIL FOOD STORES AND WHOLESALE FOOD

CONCERNS.—Section 9 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 

U.S.C. 2018) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a)(1), in the second sentence, by striking 

‘‘; and (C)’’ and inserting ‘‘; (C) whether the applicant is located 

in an area with significantly limited access to food; and (D)’’; 

(2) in subsection (c), in the first sentence, by inserting 

‘‘purchase invoices, or program-related records,’’ after ‘‘relevant 

income and sales tax filing documents,’’; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(g) EBT SERVICE REQUIREMENT.—An approved retail food store 

shall provide adequate EBT service as described in section 

7(h)(3)(B).’’. 

SEC. 4003. ENHANCING SERVICES TO ELDERLY AND DISABLED 

SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 

PARTICIPANTS. 

(a) ENHANCING SERVICES TO ELDERLY AND DISABLED PROGRAM

PARTICIPANTS.—Section 3(p) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 

(7 U.S.C. 2012(p)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end 

and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(3) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following: 

‘‘(5) a governmental or private nonprofit food purchasing 

and delivery service that— 

‘‘(A) purchases food for, and delivers the food to, 

individuals who are— 

‘‘(i) unable to shop for food; and 

‘‘(ii)(I) not less than 60 years of age; or 

‘‘(II) physically or mentally handicapped or otherwise disabled; 

‘‘(B) clearly notifies the participating household at the 

time the household places a food order— 

‘‘(i) of any delivery fee associated with the food 

purchase and delivery provided to the household by 

the service; and 


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‘‘(ii) that a delivery fee cannot be paid with benefits 

provided under supplemental nutrition assistance program; and 

‘‘(C) sells food purchased for the household at the price 

paid by the service for the food and without any additional 

cost markup.’’. 

(b) IMPLEMENTATION.— (1) ISSUANCE OF RULES.—The Secretary shall issue regulations that— 

(A) establish criteria to identify a food purchasing and 

delivery service referred to in section 3(p)(5) of the Food 

and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(p)(5)); and 

(B) establish procedures to ensure that the service— 

(i) does not charge more for a food item than 

the price paid by the service for the food item; 

(ii) offers food delivery service at no or low cost 

to households under that Act; 

(iii) ensures that benefits provided under the 

supplemental nutrition assistance program are used 

only to purchase food (as defined in section 3 of that 

Act (7 U.S.C. 2012)); 

(iv) limits the purchase of food, and the delivery 

of the food, to households eligible to receive services 

described in section 3(p)(5) of that Act (7 U.S.C. 

2012(p)(5)); 

(v) has established adequate safeguards against 

fraudulent activities, including unauthorized use of 

electronic benefit cards issued under that Act; and 

(vi) meets such other requirements as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. 

(2) LIMITATION.—Before the issuance of rules under paragraph (1), the Secretary may not approve more than 20 food 

purchasing and delivery services referred to in section 3(p)(5) 

of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(p)(5)) 

to participate as retail food stores under the supplemental 

nutrition assistance program. 

SEC. 4004. FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM ON INDIAN RESERVATIONS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 4(b)(6)(F) of the Food and Nutrition 

Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2013(b)(6)(F)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ 

and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

(b) FEASIBILITY STUDY, REPORT, AND DEMONSTRATION PROJECT

FOR INDIAN TRIBES.— 

(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

(A) INDIAN; INDIAN TRIBE.—The terms ‘‘Indian’’ and 

‘‘Indian tribe’’ have the meaning given the terms in section 

4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b). 

(B) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘tribal organization’’ has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 

Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act 

(25 U.S.C. 450b). 

(2) STUDY.—The Secretary shall conduct a study to determine the feasibility of tribal administration of Federal food 

assistance programs, services, functions, and activities (or portions thereof), in lieu of State agencies or other administrating 

entities. 

7 USC 2013 note. 

7 USC 2012 note. 


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(3) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the date of 

enactment of this Act, the Secretary 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 that— 

(A) contains a list of programs, services, functions, 

and activities with respect to which it would be feasible 

to be administered by a tribal organization; 

(B) a description of whether that administration would 

necessitate a statutory or regulatory change; and 

(C) such other issues that may be determined by the 

Secretary and developed through consultation pursuant to 

paragraph (4). 

(4) CONSULTATION WITH INDIAN TRIBES.—In developing the 

report required by paragraph (3), the Secretary shall consult 

with tribal organizations. 

(5) FUNDING.—Out of any funds made available under section 18 for fiscal year 2014, the Secretary shall make available 

to carry out the study and report described in paragraphs 

(2) and (3) $1,000,000, to remain available until expended. 

(6) TRADITIONAL AND LOCAL FOODS DEMONSTRATION

PROJECT.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary shall pilot a demonstration project 

by awarding a grant to 1 or more tribal organizations 

authorized to administer the food distribution program on 

Indian reservations under section 4(b) of the Food and 

Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2013(b)) for the purpose 

of purchasing nutritious and traditional foods, and when 

practicable, foods produced locally by Indian producers, 

for distribution to recipients of foods distributed under 

that program. 

(B) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary may award a 

grant on a noncompetitive basis to 1 or more tribal 

organizations that have the administrative and financial 

capability to conduct a demonstration project, as determined by the Secretary. 

(C) CONSULTATION, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND

TRAINING.—During the implementation phase of the demonstration project, the Secretary shall consult with Indian 

tribes and provide outreach to Indian farmers, ranchers, 

and producers regarding the training and capacity to 

participate in the demonstration project. 

(D) FUNDING.— 

(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

$2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018. 

(ii) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER AUTHORITIES.—The 

funds and authorities provided under this subparagraph are in addition to any other funds or authorities 

the Secretary may have to carry out activities described 

in this paragraph. 

SEC. 4005. EXCLUSION OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA FROM EXCESS MEDICAL EXPENSE DEDUCTION. 

Section 5(e)(5) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2014(e)(5)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 


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‘‘(C) EXCLUSION OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA.—The Secretary shall promulgate rules to ensure that medical marijuana is not treated as a medical expense for purposes 

of this paragraph.’’. 

SEC. 4006. STANDARD UTILITY ALLOWANCES BASED ON THE RECEIPT 

OF ENERGY ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS. 

(a) STANDARD UTILITY ALLOWANCES IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL

NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.—Section 5(e)(6)(C) of the Food 

and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014(e)(6)(C)) is amended— 

(1) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘, subject to clause (iv)’’ 

after ‘‘Secretary’’; and 

(2) in clause (iv), by striking subclause (I) and inserting 

the following: 

‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subclause (II), 

if a State agency elects to use a standard utility 

allowance that reflects heating and cooling costs, 

the standard utility allowance shall be made available to households that received a payment, or 

on behalf of which a payment was made, under 

the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 

1981 (42 U.S.C. 8621 et seq.) or other similar 

energy assistance program, if in the current month 

or in the immediately preceding 12 months, the 

household either received such a payment, or such 

a payment was made on behalf of the household, 

that was greater than $20 annually, as determined 

by the Secretary.’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 2605(f)(2)(A) of the 

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 

8624(f)(2)(A)) is amended by inserting before the semicolon the 

following: ‘‘, except that, for purposes of the supplemental nutrition 

assistance program established under the Food and Nutrition Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), such payments or allowances were 

greater than $20 annually, consistent with section 5(e)(6)(C)(iv)(I) 

of that Act (7 U.S.C. 2014(e)(6)(C)(iv)(I)), as determined by the 

Secretary of Agriculture’’. 

(c) APPLICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), this 

section and the amendments made by this section shall— 

(A) take effect 30 days after the date of enactment 

of this Act; and 

(B) apply with respect to certification periods that 

begin after that date. 

(2) STATE OPTION TO DELAY IMPLEMENTATION FOR CURRENT

RECIPIENTS.—A State may, at the option of the State, implement 

a policy that eliminates or reduces the effect of the amendments 

made by this section on households that received a standard 

utility allowance as of the date of enactment of this Act, for 

not more than a 5-month period beginning on the date on 

which the amendments would otherwise apply to the respective 

household. 

SEC. 4007. ELIGIBILITY DISQUALIFICATIONS. 

Section 6(e)(3)(B) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 

U.S.C. 2015(e)(3)(B)) is amended by striking ‘‘section;’’ and inserting 

the following: 

7 USC 2014 note. 


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‘‘section, subject to the condition that the course or 

program of study— 

‘‘(i) is part of a program of career and technical 

education (as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins 

Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 

2302)) that may be completed in not more than 4 

years at an institution of higher education (as defined 

in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

(20 U.S.C. 1002)); or 

‘‘(ii) is limited to remedial courses, basic adult 

education, literacy, or English as a second language;’’. 

SEC. 4008. ELIGIBILITY DISQUALIFICATIONS FOR CERTAIN CONVICTED 

FELONS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 6 of the Food and Nutrition Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015) is amended by adding at the end the 

following: 

‘‘(r) DISQUALIFICATION FOR CERTAIN CONVICTED FELONS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An individual shall not be eligible for 

benefits under this Act if— 

‘‘(A) the individual is convicted of— 

‘‘(i) aggravated sexual abuse under section 2241 

of title 18, United States Code; 

‘‘(ii) murder under section 1111 of title 18, United 

States Code; 

‘‘(iii) an offense under chapter 110 of title 18, 

United States Code; 

‘‘(iv) a Federal or State offense involving sexual 

assault, as defined in 40002(a) of the Violence Against 

Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13925(a)); or 

‘‘(v) an offense under State law determined by 

the Attorney General to be substantially similar to 

an offense described in clause (i), (ii), or (iii); and 

‘‘(B) the individual is not in compliance with the terms 

of the sentence of the individual or the restrictions under 

subsection (k). 

‘‘(2) EFFECTS ON ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS FOR OTHERS.— 

The amount of benefits otherwise required to be provided to 

an eligible household under this Act shall be determined by 

considering the individual to whom paragraph (1) applies not 

to be a member of the household, except that the income 

and resources of the individual shall be considered to be income 

and resources of the household. 

‘‘(3) ENFORCEMENT.—Each State shall require each individual applying for benefits under this Act to attest to whether 

the individual, or any member of the household of the individual, has been convicted of a crime described in paragraph 

(1).’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 5(a) of the Food and 

Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014(a)) is amended in the second 

sentence by striking ‘‘sections 6(b), 6(d)(2), and 6(g)’’ and inserting 

‘‘subsections (b), (d)(2), (g), and (r) of section 6’’. 

(c) INAPPLICABILITY TO CONVICTIONS OCCURRING ON OR BEFORE

ENACTMENT.—The amendments made by this section shall not apply 

to a conviction if the conviction is for conduct occurring on or 

before the date of enactment of this Act. 

7 USC 2014 note. 


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SEC. 4009. ENDING SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BENEFITS FOR LOTTERY OR GAMBLING WINNERS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 6 of the Food and Nutrition Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015) (as amended by section 4008) is amended 

by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(s) INELIGIBILITY FOR BENEFITS DUE TO RECEIPT OF SUBSTANTIAL LOTTERY OR GAMBLING WINNINGS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any household in which a member 

receives substantial lottery or gambling winnings, as determined by the Secretary, shall lose eligibility for benefits immediately upon receipt of the winnings. 

‘‘(2) DURATION OF INELIGIBILITY.—A household described 

in paragraph (1) shall remain ineligible for participation until 

the household meets the allowable financial resources and 

income eligibility requirements under subsections (c), (d), (e), 

(f), (g), (i), (k), (l), (m), and (n) of section 5. 

‘‘(3) AGREEMENTS.—As determined by the Secretary, each 

State agency, to the maximum extent practicable, shall establish agreements with entities responsible for the regulation 

or sponsorship of gaming in the State to determine whether 

individuals participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance program have received substantial lottery or gambling 

winnings.’’. 

SEC. 4010. IMPROVING SECURITY OF FOOD ASSISTANCE. 

Section 7(h)(8) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2016(h)(8)) is amended— 

(1) in the paragraph heading, by striking ‘‘CARD FEE’’ and 

inserting ‘‘OF CARDS’’; 

(2) by striking ‘‘A State’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘(A) FEES.—A State’’; and 

(3) by adding after subparagraph (A) (as so designated) 

the following: 

‘‘(B) PURPOSEFUL LOSS OF CARDS.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to terms and conditions 

established by the Secretary in accordance with clause 

(ii), if a household makes excessive requests for replacement of the electronic benefit transfer card of the 

household, the Secretary may require a State agency 

to decline to issue a replacement card to the household 

unless the household, upon request of the State agency, 

provides an explanation for the loss of the card. 

‘‘(ii) REQUIREMENTS.—The terms and conditions 

established by the Secretary shall provide that— 

‘‘(I) the household be given the opportunity 

to provide the requested explanation and meet 

the requirements under this paragraph promptly; 

‘‘(II) after an excessive number of lost cards, 

the head of the household shall be required to 

review program rights and responsibilities with 

State agency personnel authorized to make determinations under section 5(a); and 

‘‘(III) any action taken, including actions 

required under section 6(b)(2), other than the withholding of the electronic benefit transfer card until 

an explanation described in subclause (I) is provided, shall be consistent with the due process 


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protections under section 6(b) or 11(e)(10), as 

appropriate. 

‘‘(C) PROTECTING VULNERABLE PERSONS.—In implementing this paragraph, a State agency shall act to protect 

homeless persons, persons with disabilities, victims of 

crimes, and other vulnerable persons who lose electronic 

benefit transfer cards but are not intentionally committing 

fraud. 

‘‘(D) EFFECT ON ELIGIBILITY.—While a State may 

decline to issue an electronic benefits transfer card until 

a household satisfies the requirements under this paragraph, nothing in this paragraph shall be considered a 

denial of, or limitation on, the eligibility for benefits under 

section 5.’’. 

SEC. 4011. TECHNOLOGY MODERNIZATION FOR RETAIL FOOD STORES. 

(a) MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES.—Section 7(h) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2016(h)) (as amended by section 4030(e)) 

is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(14) MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subparagraph (B), the 

Secretary shall approve retail food stores to redeem benefits 

through electronic means other than wired point of sale 

devices for electronic benefit transfer transactions, if the 

retail food stores— 

‘‘(i) establish recipient protections regarding privacy, ease of use, access, and support similar to the 

protections provided for transactions made in retail 

food stores; 

‘‘(ii) bear the costs of obtaining, installing, and 

maintaining mobile technologies, including mechanisms needed to process EBT cards and transaction 

fees; 

‘‘(iii) demonstrate the foods purchased with benefits issued under this section through mobile technologies are purchased at a price not higher than the 

price of the same food purchased by other methods 

used by the retail food store, as determined by the 

Secretary; 

‘‘(iv) provide adequate documentation for each 

authorized transaction, as determined by the Secretary; and 

‘‘(v) meet other criteria as established by the Secretary. 

‘‘(B) DEMONSTRATION PROJECT ON ACCEPTANCE OF

BENEFITS OF MOBILE TRANSACTIONS.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Before authorizing implementation of subparagraph (A) in all States, the Secretary 

shall pilot the use of mobile technologies determined 

by the Secretary to be appropriate to test the feasibility 

and implications for program integrity, by allowing 

retail food stores to accept benefits from recipients 

of supplemental nutrition assistance through mobile 

transactions. 

‘‘(ii) DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.—To be eligible to 

participate in a demonstration project under clause 


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(i), a retail food store shall submit to the Secretary 

for approval a plan that includes— 

‘‘(I) a description of the technology; 

‘‘(II) the manner by which the retail food store 

will provide proof of the transaction to households; 

‘‘(III) the provision of data to the Secretary, 

consistent with requirements established by the 

Secretary, in a manner that allows the Secretary 

to evaluate the impact of the demonstration on 

participant access, ease of use, and program integrity; and 

‘‘(IV) such other criteria as the Secretary may 

require. 

‘‘(iii) DATE OF COMPLETION.—The demonstration 

projects under this subparagraph shall be completed 

and final reports submitted to the Secretary by not 

later than July 1, 2016. 

‘‘(C) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall— 

‘‘(i) by not later than January 1, 2017, authorize 

implementation of subparagraph (A) in all States, 

unless the Secretary makes a finding, based on the 

data provided under subparagraph (B), that 

implementation in all States is not in the best interest 

of the supplemental nutrition assistance program; and 

‘‘(ii) if the determination made in clause (i) is 

not to implement subparagraph (A) in all States, 

submit a report to the Committee on Agriculture of 

the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate that 

includes the basis of the finding.’’. 

(b) ACCEPTANCE OF BENEFITS THROUGH ON-LINE TRANSACTIONS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 7 of the Food and Nutrition Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2016) is amended by adding at the end 

the following: 

‘‘(k) OPTION TO ACCEPT PROGRAM BENEFITS THROUGH ON-LINE

TRANSACTIONS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (4), the Secretary 

shall approve retail food stores to accept benefits from recipients 

of supplemental nutrition assistance through on-line transactions. 

‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS TO ACCEPT BENEFITS.—A retail food 

store seeking to accept benefits from recipients of supplemental 

nutrition assistance through on-line transactions shall— 

‘‘(A) establish recipient protections regarding privacy, 

ease of use, access, and support similar to the protections 

provided for transactions made in retail food stores; 

‘‘(B) ensure benefits are not used to pay delivery, 

ordering, convenience, or other fees or charges; 

‘‘(C) clearly notify participating households at the time 

a food order is placed— 

‘‘(i) of any delivery, ordering, convenience, or other 

fee or charge associated with the food purchase; and 

‘‘(ii) that any such fee cannot be paid with benefits 

provided under this Act; 

‘‘(D) ensure the security of on-line transactions by using 

the most effective technology available that the Secretary 


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considers appropriate and cost-effective and that is comparable to the security of transactions at retail food stores; 

and 

‘‘(E) meet other criteria as established by the Secretary. 

‘‘(3) STATE AGENCY ACTION.—Each State agency shall 

ensure that recipients of supplemental nutrition assistance can 

use benefits on-line as described in this subsection as appropriate. 

‘‘(4) DEMONSTRATION PROJECT ON ACCEPTANCE OF BENEFITS

THROUGH ON-LINE TRANSACTIONS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Before the Secretary authorizes 

implementation of paragraph (1) in all States, the Secretary 

shall carry out a number of demonstration projects as 

determined by the Secretary to test the feasibility of 

allowing retail food stores to accept benefits through online transactions. 

‘‘(B) DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.—To be eligible to 

participate in a demonstration project under subparagraph 

(A), a retail food store shall submit to the Secretary for 

approval a plan that includes— 

‘‘(i) a method of ensuring that benefits may be 

used to purchase only eligible items under this Act; 

‘‘(ii) a description of the method of educating 

participant households about the availability and operation of on-line purchasing; 

‘‘(iii) adequate testing of the on-line purchasing 

option prior to implementation; 

‘‘(iv) the provision of data as requested by the 

Secretary for purposes of analyzing the impact of the 

project on participant access, ease of use, and program 

integrity; 

‘‘(v) reports on progress, challenges, and results, 

as determined by the Secretary; and 

‘‘(vi) such other criteria, including security criteria, 

as established by the Secretary. 

‘‘(C) DATE OF COMPLETION.—The demonstration 

projects under this paragraph shall be completed and final 

reports submitted to the Secretary by not later than July 

1, 2016. 

‘‘(5) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall— 

‘‘(A) by not later than January 1, 2017, authorize 

implementation of paragraph (1) in all States, unless the 

Secretary makes a finding, based on the data provided 

under paragraph (4), that implementation in all States 

is not in the best interest of the supplemental nutrition 

assistance program; and 

‘‘(B) if the determination made in subparagraph (A) 

is not to implement in all States, submit a report to the 

Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives 

and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

of the Senate that includes the basis of the finding.’’. 

(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

(A) Section 7(b) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 

(7 U.S.C. 2016(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘purchase food 

in retail food stores’’ and inserting ‘‘purchase food from 

retail food stores’’. 


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(B) Section 10 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 

(7 U.S.C. 2019) is amended in the first sentence by 

inserting ‘‘retail food stores authorized to accept and 

redeem benefits through on-line transactions shall be 

authorized to accept benefits prior to the delivery of food 

if the delivery occurs within a reasonable time of the purchase, as determined by the Secretary,’’ after ‘‘food so purchased,’’. 

(c) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this section or an amendment 

made by this section alters any requirements of the Food and 

Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) unless specifically 

authorized in this section or an amendment made by this section. 

SEC. 4012. USE OF BENEFITS FOR PURCHASE OF COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE SHARE. 

Subsection (o)(4) of section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012) (as redesignated by section 4030(a)(4)) 

is amended by inserting ‘‘, or agricultural producers who market 

agricultural products directly to consumers’’ after ‘‘such food’’. 

SEC. 4013. IMPROVED WAGE VERIFICATION USING THE NATIONAL 

DIRECTORY OF NEW HIRES. 

Section 11(e) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2020(e)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘and after compliance 

with the requirement specified in paragraph (24)’’ after ‘‘section 

16(e) of this Act’’; 

(2) in paragraph (22), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(3) in paragraph (23)(C), by striking the period at the 

end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(4) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(24) that the State agency shall request wage data directly 

from the National Directory of New Hires established under 

section 453(i) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 653(i)) relevant to determining eligibility to receive supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits and determining the correct 

amount of those benefits at the time of certification.’’. 

SEC. 4014. RESTAURANT MEALS PROGRAM. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 11(e) of the Food and Nutrition Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020(e)) (as amended by section 4013) is 

amended— 

(1) in paragraph (23)(C), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(2) in paragraph (24), by striking the period at the end 

and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(25) if the State elects to carry out a program to contract 

with private establishments to offer meals at concessional 

prices, as described in paragraphs (3), (4), and (9) of section 

3(k)— 

‘‘(A) the plans of the State agency for operating the 

program, including— 

‘‘(i) documentation of a need that eligible homeless, 

elderly, and disabled clients are underserved in a particular geographic area; 

‘‘(ii) the manner by which the State agency will 

limit participation to only those private establishments 

7 USC 2016 note. 


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that the State determines necessary to meet the need 

identified in clause (i); and 

‘‘(iii) any other conditions the Secretary may prescribe, such as the level of security necessary to ensure 

that only eligible recipients participate in the program; 

and 

‘‘(B) a report by the State agency to the Secretary 

annually, the schedule of which shall be established by 

the Secretary, that includes— 

‘‘(i) the number of households and individual recipients authorized to participate in the program, including 

any information on whether the individual recipient 

is elderly, disabled, or homeless; and 

‘‘(ii) an assessment of whether the program is 

meeting an established need, as documented under 

subparagraph (A)(i).’’. 

(b) APPROVAL OF RETAIL FOOD STORES AND WHOLESALE FOOD

CONCERNS.—Section 9 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 

U.S.C. 2018) (as amended by section 4002(d)(2)) is amended by 

adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(h) PRIVATE ESTABLISHMENTS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), no private 

establishment that contracts with a State agency to offer meals 

at concessional prices as described in paragraphs (3), (4), and 

(9) of section 3(k) may be authorized to accept and redeem 

benefits unless the Secretary determines that the participation 

of the private establishment is required to meet a documented 

need in accordance with section 11(e)(25). 

‘‘(2) EXISTING CONTRACTS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If, on the day before the date of 

enactment of this subsection, a State has entered into 

a contract with a private establishment described in paragraph (1) and the Secretary has not determined that the 

participation of the private establishment is necessary to 

meet a documented need in accordance with section 

11(e)(25), the Secretary shall allow the operation of the 

private establishment to continue without that determination of need for a period not to exceed 180 days from 

the date on which the Secretary establishes determination 

criteria, by regulation, under section 11(e)(25). 

‘‘(B) JUSTIFICATION.—If the Secretary determines to 

terminate a contract with a private establishment that 

is in effect on the date of enactment of this subsection, 

the Secretary shall provide justification to the State in 

which the private establishment is located for that termination. 

‘‘(3) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 90 days after 

September 30, 2014, and 90 days after the last day of each 

fiscal year thereafter, the Secretary 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 on the effectiveness of a program under this 

subsection using any information received from States under 

section 11(e)(25) as well as any other information the Secretary 

may have relating to the manner in which benefits are used.’’. 

(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 3(k) of the Food and 

Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(k)) is amended by inserting 


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‘‘subject to section 9(h)’’ after ‘‘concessional prices’’ each place it 

appears. 

SEC. 4015. MANDATING STATE IMMIGRATION VERIFICATION. 

Section 11 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2020) is amended by striking subsection (p) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(p) STATE VERIFICATION OPTION.—In carrying out the supplemental nutrition assistance program, a State agency shall be 

required to use an immigration status verification system established under section 1137 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

1320b–7), and an income and eligibility verification system, in 

accordance with standards set by the Secretary.’’. 

SEC. 4016. DATA EXCHANGE STANDARDIZATION FOR IMPROVED INTEROPERABILITY. 

(a) DATA EXCHANGE STANDARDIZATION.—Section 11 of the Food 

and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020) is amended by adding 

at the end the following: 

‘‘(v) DATA EXCHANGE STANDARDS FOR IMPROVED INTEROPER- ABILITY.— 

‘‘(1) DESIGNATION.—The Secretary shall, in consultation 

with an interagency work group established by the Office of 

Management and Budget, and considering State government 

perspectives, designate data exchange standards to govern, 

under this Act— 

‘‘(A) necessary categories of information that State 

agencies operating related programs are required under 

applicable law to electronically exchange with another 

State agency; and 

‘‘(B) Federal reporting and data exchange required 

under applicable law. 

‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The data exchange standards 

required by paragraph (1) shall, to the maximum extent practicable— 

‘‘(A) incorporate a widely accepted, nonproprietary, 

searchable, computer-readable format, such as the eXtensible Markup Language; 

‘‘(B) contain interoperable standards developed and 

maintained by intergovernmental partnerships, such as the 

National Information Exchange Model; 

‘‘(C) incorporate interoperable standards developed and 

maintained by Federal entities with authority over contracting and financial assistance; 

‘‘(D) be consistent with and implement applicable 

accounting principles; 

‘‘(E) be implemented in a manner that is cost-effective 

and improves program efficiency and effectiveness; and 

‘‘(F) be capable of being continually upgraded as necessary. 

‘‘(3) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this subsection 

requires a change to existing data exchange standards for Federal reporting found to be effective and efficient.’’. 

(b) APPLICATION DATE.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the date 

of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue a proposed 

rule to carry out the amendments made by this section. 

(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The rule shall— 

7 USC 2020 note. 


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(A) identify federally required data exchanges; 

(B) include specification and timing of exchanges to 

be standardized; 

(C) address the factors used in determining whether 

and when to standardize data exchanges; 

(D) specify State implementation options; and 

(E) describe future milestones. 

SEC. 4017. PILOT PROJECTS TO IMPROVE FEDERAL-STATE COOPERATION IN IDENTIFYING AND REDUCING FRAUD IN THE 

SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 

Section 12 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2021) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(i) PILOT PROJECTS TO IMPROVE FEDERAL-STATE COOPERATION

IN IDENTIFYING AND REDUCING FRAUD IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.— 

‘‘(1) PILOT PROJECTS REQUIRED.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry out, under 

such terms and conditions as are determined by the Secretary, pilot projects to test innovative Federal-State partnerships to identify, investigate, and reduce fraud by retail 

food stores and wholesale food concerns in the supplemental 

nutrition assistance program, including allowing States to 

operate programs to investigate that fraud. 

‘‘(B) REQUIREMENT.—At least 1 pilot project described 

in subparagraph (A) shall be carried out in an urban area 

that is among the 10 largest urban areas in the United 

States (based on population), if— 

‘‘(i) the supplemental nutrition assistance program 

is separately administered in the area; and 

‘‘(ii) if the administration of the supplemental 

nutrition assistance program in the area complies with 

the other applicable requirements of the program. 

‘‘(2) SELECTION CRITERIA.—Pilot projects shall be selected 

based on criteria the Secretary establishes, which shall 

include— 

‘‘(A) enhancing existing efforts by the Secretary to 

reduce fraud described in paragraph (1)(A); 

‘‘(B) requiring participant States to maintain the 

overall level of effort of the States at addressing recipient 

fraud, as determined by the Secretary, prior to participation 

in the pilot project; 

‘‘(C) collaborating with other law enforcement authorities as necessary to carry out an effective pilot project; 

‘‘(D) commitment of the participant State agency to 

follow Federal rules and procedures with respect to investigations described in paragraph (1)(A); and 

‘‘(E) the extent to which a State has committed 

resources to recipient fraud and the relative success of 

those efforts. 

‘‘(3) EVALUATION.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall evaluate the 

pilot projects selected under this subsection to measure 

the impact of the pilot projects. 

‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—The evaluation shall include— 


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‘‘(i) the impact of each pilot project on increasing 

the capacity of the Secretary to address fraud described 

in paragraph (1)(A); 

‘‘(ii) the effectiveness of the pilot projects in identifying, preventing and reducing fraud described in paragraph (1)(A); and 

‘‘(iii) the cost effectiveness of the pilot projects. 

‘‘(4) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than September 30, 

2017, the Secretary 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 

that includes a description of the results of each pilot project, 

including— 

‘‘(A) an evaluation of the impact of the pilot project 

on fraud described in paragraph (1)(A); and 

‘‘(B) the costs associated with the pilot project. 

‘‘(5) FUNDING.—Any costs incurred by a State to operate 

pilot projects under this subsection that are in excess of the 

amount expended under this Act to identify, investigate, and 

reduce fraud described in paragraph (1)(A) in the respective 

State in the previous fiscal year shall not be eligible for Federal 

reimbursement under this Act.’’. 

SEC. 4018. PROHIBITING GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED RECRUITMENT 

ACTIVITIES. 

(a) ADMINISTRATIVE COST-SHARING AND QUALITY CONTROL.— 

Section 16(a)(4) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2025(a)(4)) is amended by inserting after ‘‘recruitment activities’’ 

the following: ‘‘designed to persuade an individual to apply for 

program benefits or that promote the program through television, 

radio, or billboard advertisements’’. 

(b) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS AUTHORIZED TO BE APPROPRIATED UNDER ACT.—Section 18 of the Food and Nutrition Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2027) is amended by adding at the end the 

following: 

‘‘(g) BAN ON RECRUITMENT AND PROMOTION ACTIVITIES.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), 

no funds authorized to be appropriated under this Act shall 

be used by the Secretary for— 

‘‘(A) recruitment activities designed to persuade an 

individual to apply for supplemental nutrition assistance 

program benefits; 

‘‘(B) television, radio, or billboard advertisements that 

are designed to promote supplemental nutrition assistance 

program benefits and enrollment; or 

‘‘(C) any agreements with foreign governments 

designed to promote supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits and enrollment. 

‘‘(2) LIMITATION.—Paragraph (1)(B) shall not apply to programmatic activities undertaken with respect to benefits made 

under section 5(h).’’. 

(c) BAN ON RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES BY ENTITIES THAT RECEIVE

FUNDS.—Section 18 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2027) (as amended by subsection (b)) is amended by adding at 

the end the following: 

‘‘(h) BAN ON RECRUITMENT BY ENTITIES THAT RECEIVE FUNDS.— 

The Secretary shall issue regulations that prohibit entities that 


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receive funds under this Act to compensate any person for conducting outreach activities relating to participation in, or for 

recruiting individuals to apply to receive benefits under, the supplemental nutrition assistance program, if the amount of the compensation would be based on the number of individuals who apply to 

receive the benefits.’’. 

SEC. 4019. TOLERANCE LEVEL FOR EXCLUDING SMALL ERRORS. 

Section 16(c)(1)(A) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 

U.S.C. 2025(c)(1)(A)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘In carrying’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—In carrying’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(ii) TOLERANCE LEVEL FOR EXCLUDING SMALL

ERRORS.—The Secretary shall set the tolerance level 

for excluding small errors for the purposes of this 

subsection— 

‘‘(I) for fiscal year 2014, at an amount not greater than $37; and 

‘‘(II) for each fiscal year thereafter, the amount 

specified in subclause (I) adjusted by the percentage by which the thrifty food plan is adjusted 

under section 3(u)(4) between June 30, 2013, and 

June 30 of the immediately preceding fiscal year.’’. 

SEC. 4020. QUALITY CONTROL STANDARDS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 16(c)(1)(D)(i) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2025(c)(1)(D)(i)) is amended by striking 

subclause (I). 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

(1) Section 13(a)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 

(7 U.S.C. 2022(a)(1)) is amended in the first sentence by striking 

‘‘section 16(c)(1)(D)(i)(III)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 

16(c)(1)(D)(i)(II)’’. 

(2) Section 16(c)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 

(7 U.S.C. 2025(c)(1)) is amended— 

(A) in subparagraph (D)— 

(i) in clause (i)— 

(I) by redesignating subclauses (II) through 

(IV) as subclauses (I) through (III), respectively; 

and 

(II) in subclause (III) (as so redesignated), by 

striking ‘‘through (III)’’ and inserting ‘‘and (II)’’; 

and 

(ii) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘waiver amount or’’; 

(B) in subparagraph (E)(i), by striking ‘‘(D)(i)(III)’’ and 

inserting ‘‘(D)(i)(II)’’; and 

(C) in subparagraph (F), by striking ‘‘(D)(i)(II)’’ each 

place it appears and inserting ‘‘(D)(i)(I)’’. 

SEC. 4021. PERFORMANCE BONUS PAYMENTS. 

Section 16(d) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2025(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(5) USE OF PERFORMANCE BONUS PAYMENTS.—A State 

agency may use a performance bonus payment received under 

this subsection only to carry out the program established under 

this Act, including investments in— 

‘‘(A) technology; 


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‘‘(B) improvements in administration and distribution; 

and 

‘‘(C) actions to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.’’. 

SEC. 4022. PILOT PROJECTS TO REDUCE DEPENDENCY AND INCREASE 

WORK REQUIREMENTS AND WORK EFFORT UNDER 

SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 16(h) of the Food and Nutrition Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2025(h)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1)— 

(A) in subparagraph (A)— 

(i) by striking ‘‘15 months’’ and inserting ‘‘24 

months’’; and 

(ii) by striking ‘‘, except that for fiscal year 2013 

and fiscal year 2014, the amount shall be $79,000,000’’; 

(B) in subparagraph (C)— 

(i) by striking ‘‘If a State’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—If a State’’; and 

(ii) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(ii) TIMING.—The Secretary shall collect such 

information as the Secretary determines to be necessary about the expenditures and anticipated expenditures by the State agencies of the funds initially allocated to the State agencies under subparagraph (A) 

to make reallocations of unexpended funds under 

clause (i) within a timeframe that allows each State 

agency to which funds are reallocated at least 270 

days to expend the reallocated funds. 

‘‘(iii) OPPORTUNITY.—The Secretary shall ensure 

that all State agencies have an opportunity to obtain 

reallocated funds.’’; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(F) PILOT PROJECTS TO REDUCE DEPENDENCY AND

INCREASE WORK REQUIREMENTS AND WORK EFFORT UNDER

SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.— 

‘‘(i) PILOT PROJECTS REQUIRED.— 

‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry 

out pilot projects under which State agencies shall 

enter into cooperative agreements with the Secretary to develop and test methods, including operating work programs with certain features comparable to the program of block grants to States 

for temporary assistance for needy families established under part A of title IV of the Social Security 

Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), for employment and 

training programs and services to raise the number 

of work registrants under section 6(d) of this Act 

who obtain unsubsidized employment, increase the 

earned income of the registrants, and reduce the 

reliance of the registrants on public assistance, 

so as to reduce the need for supplemental nutrition 

assistance benefits. 

‘‘(II) REQUIREMENTS.—Pilot projects shall— 

‘‘(aa) meet such terms and conditions as 

the Secretary considers to be appropriate; and 


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‘‘(bb) except as otherwise provided in this 

subparagraph, be in accordance with the 

requirements of sections 6(d) and 20. 

‘‘(ii) SELECTION CRITERIA.— ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall select 

pilot projects under this subparagraph in accordance with the criteria established under this clause 

and additional criteria established by the Secretary. 

‘‘(II) QUALIFYING CRITERIA.—To be eligible to 

participate in a pilot project, a State agency shall— 

‘‘(aa) agree to participate in the evaluation 

described in clause (vii), including providing 

evidence that the State has a robust data 

collection system for program administration 

and cooperating to make available State data 

on the employment activities and post-participation employment, earnings, and public benefit receipt of participants to ensure proper 

and timely evaluation; 

‘‘(bb) commit to collaborate with the State 

workforce board and other job training programs in the State and local area; and 

‘‘(cc) commit to maintain at least the 

amount of State funding for employment and 

training programs and services under paragraphs (2) and (3) and under section 20 as 

the State expended for fiscal year 2013. 

‘‘(III) SELECTION CRITERIA.—In selecting pilot 

projects, the Secretary shall— 

‘‘(aa) consider the degree to which the pilot 

project would enhance existing employment 

and training programs in the State; 

‘‘(bb) consider the degree to which the pilot 

project would enhance the employment and 

earnings of program participants; 

‘‘(cc) consider whether there is evidence 

that the pilot project could be replicated easily 

by other States or political subdivisions; 

‘‘(dd) consider whether the State agency 

has a demonstrated capacity to operate high 

quality employment and training programs; 

and 

‘‘(ee) ensure the pilot projects, when 

considered as a group, test a range of strategies, including strategies that— 

‘‘(AA) target individuals with low 

skills or limited work experience, individuals subject to the requirements under 

section 6(o), and individuals who are 

working; 

‘‘(BB) are located in a range of 

geographic areas and States, including 

rural and urban areas; 

‘‘(CC) emphasize education and 

training, rehabilitative services for 

individuals with barriers to employment, 


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rapid attachment to employment, and 

mixed strategies; and 

‘‘(DD) test programs that assign work 

registrants to mandatory and voluntary 

participation in employment and training 

activities. 

‘‘(iii) ACCOUNTABILITY .— 

‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish and implement a process to terminate a pilot 

project for which the State has failed to meet 

the criteria described in clause (ii) or other criteria 

established by the Secretary. 

‘‘(II) TIMING.—The process shall include a 

reasonable time period, not to exceed 180 days, 

for State agencies found noncompliant to correct 

the noncompliance. 

‘‘(iv) EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES.— 

Allowable programs and services carried out under 

this subparagraph shall include those programs and 

services authorized under this Act and employment 

and training activities authorized under the program 

of block grants to States for temporary assistance for 

needy families established under part A of title IV 

of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), 

including: 

‘‘(I) Employment in the public or private sector 

that is not subsidized by any public program. 

‘‘(II) Employment in the private sector for 

which the employer receives a subsidy from public 

funds to offset all or a part of the wages and 

costs of employing an adult. 

‘‘(III) Employment in the public sector for 

which the employer receives a subsidy from public 

funds to offset all or a part of the wages and 

costs of employing an adult. 

‘‘(IV) A work activity that— 

‘‘(aa) is performed in return for public 

benefits; 

‘‘(bb) provides an adult with an opportunity to acquire the general skills, knowledge, 

and work habits necessary to obtain employment; 

‘‘(cc) is designed to improve the employability of those who cannot find unsubsidized 

employment; and 

‘‘(dd) is supervised by an employer, work 

site sponsor, or other responsible party on an 

ongoing basis. 

‘‘(V) Training in the public or private sector 

that— 

‘‘(aa) is given to a paid employee while 

the employee is engaged in productive work; 

and 

‘‘(bb) provides knowledge and skills essential to the full and adequate performance of 

the job. 


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‘‘(VI) Job search, obtaining employment, or 

preparation to seek or obtain employment, 

including— 

‘‘(aa) life skills training; 

‘‘(bb) substance abuse treatment or mental 

health treatment, determined to be necessary 

and documented by a qualified medical, substance abuse, or mental health professional; 

and 

‘‘(cc) rehabilitation activities, supervised 

by a public agency or other responsible party 

on an ongoing basis. 

‘‘(VII) Structured programs and embedded 

activities— 

‘‘(aa) in which adults perform work for 

the direct benefit of the community under the 

auspices of public or nonprofit organizations; 

‘‘(bb) that are limited to projects that serve 

useful community purposes in fields such as 

health, social service, environmental protection, education, urban and rural redevelopment, welfare, recreation, public facilities, 

public safety, and child care; 

‘‘(cc) that are designed to improve the 

employability of adults not otherwise able to 

obtain unsubsidized employment; 

‘‘(dd) that are supervised on an ongoing 

basis; and 

‘‘(ee) with respect to which a State agency 

takes into account, to the maximum extent 

practicable, the prior training, experience, and 

skills of a recipient in making appropriate 

community service assignments. 

‘‘(VIII) Career and technical training programs 

that are— 

‘‘(aa) directly related to the preparation 

of adults for employment in current or 

emerging occupations; and 

‘‘(bb) supervised on an ongoing basis. 

‘‘(IX) Training or education for job skills that 

are— 

‘‘(aa) required by an employer to provide 

an adult with the ability to obtain employment 

or to advance or adapt to the changing 

demands of the workplace; and 

‘‘(bb) supervised on an ongoing basis. 

‘‘(X) Education that is— 

‘‘(aa) related to a specific occupation, job, 

or job offer; and 

‘‘(bb) supervised on an ongoing basis. 

‘‘(XI) In the case of an adult who has not 

completed secondary school or received a certificate 

of general equivalence, regular attendance that 

is— 

‘‘(aa) in accordance with the requirements 

of the secondary school or course of study, 

at a secondary school or in a course of study 


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leading to a certificate of general equivalence; 

and 

‘‘(bb) supervised on an ongoing basis. 

‘‘(XII) Providing child care to enable another 

recipient of public benefits to participate in a 

community service program that— 

‘‘(aa) does not provide compensation for 

the community service; 

‘‘(bb) is a structured program designed to 

improve the employability of adults who 

participate in the program; and 

‘‘(cc) is supervised on an ongoing basis. 

‘‘(v) SANCTIONS.—Subject to clause (vi), no work 

registrant shall be eligible to participate in the supplemental nutrition assistance program if the individual 

refuses without good cause to participate in an employment and training program under this subparagraph, 

to the extent required by the State agency. 

‘‘(vi) STANDARDS.— 

‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—Employment and training 

activities under this subparagraph shall be considered to be carried out under section 6(d), including 

for the purpose of satisfying any conditions of 

participation and duration of ineligibility. 

‘‘(II) STANDARDS FOR CERTAIN EMPLOYMENT

ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary shall establish standards for employment activities described in subclauses (I), (II), and (III) of clause (iv) that ensure 

that failure to work for reasons beyond the control 

of an individual, such as involuntary reduction 

in hours of employment, shall not result in ineligibility. 

‘‘(III) PARTICIPATION IN OTHER PROGRAMS.— 

Before assigning a work registrant to mandatory 

employment and training activities, a State agency 

shall— 

‘‘(aa) assess whether the work registrant 

is participating in substantial employment and 

training activities outside of the pilot project 

that are expected to result in the work registrant gaining increased skills, training, 

work, or experience consistent with the objectives of the pilot project; and 

‘‘(bb) if determined to be acceptable, count 

hours engaged in the activities toward any 

minimum participation requirement. 

‘‘(vii) EVALUATION AND REPORTING.— 

‘‘(I) INDEPENDENT EVALUATION.— 

‘‘(aa) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, 

under such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, conduct 

for each State agency that enters into a 

cooperative agreement under clause (i) an 

independent longitudinal evaluation of each 

pilot project of the State agency under this 

subparagraph, with results reported not less 


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frequently than in consecutive 12-month increments. 

‘‘(bb) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the independent evaluation shall be to measure the 

impact of employment and training programs 

and services provided by each State agency 

under the pilot projects on the ability of adults 

in each pilot project target population to find 

and retain employment that leads to increased 

household income and reduced reliance on 

public assistance, as well as other measures 

of household well-being, compared to what 

would have occurred in the absence of the 

pilot project. 

‘‘(cc) METHODOLOGY.—The independent 

evaluation shall use valid statistical methods 

that can determine, for each pilot project, the 

difference, if any, between supplemental nutrition assistance and other public benefit receipt 

expenditures, employment, earnings and other 

impacts as determined by the Secretary— 

‘‘(AA) as a result of the employment 

and training programs and services provided by the State agency under the pilot 

project; as compared to 

‘‘(BB) a control group that is not subject to the employment and training programs and services provided by the State 

agency under the pilot project. 

‘‘(II) REPORTING.—Not later than December 31, 

2015, and each December 31 thereafter until the 

completion of the last evaluation under subclause 

(I), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee 

on Agriculture of the House of Representatives 

and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 

Forestry of the Senate and share broadly, including 

by posting on the Internet website of the Department of Agriculture, a report that includes a 

description of— 

‘‘(aa) the status of each pilot project carried out under this subparagraph; 

‘‘(bb) the results of the evaluation completed during the previous fiscal year; 

‘‘(cc) to the maximum extent practicable, 

baseline information relevant to the stated 

goals and desired outcomes of the pilot project; 

‘‘(dd) the employment and training programs and services each State tested under 

the pilot, including— 

‘‘(AA) the system of the State for 

assessing the ability of work registrants 

to participate in and meet the requirements of employment and training activities and assigning work registrants to 

appropriate activities; and 


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‘‘(BB) the employment and training 

activities and services provided under the 

pilot; 

‘‘(ee) the impact of the employment and 

training programs and services on appropriate 

employment, income, and public benefit 

receipt as well as other outcomes among 

households participating in the pilot project, 

relative to households not participating; and 

‘‘(ff) the steps and funding necessary to 

incorporate into State employment and 

training programs and services the components of the pilot projects that demonstrate 

increased employment and earnings. 

‘‘(viii) FUNDING.— ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subclause (II), 

from amounts made available under section 

18(a)(1), the Secretary shall use to carry out this 

subparagraph— ‘‘(aa) for fiscal year 2014, $10,000,000; and 

‘‘(bb) for fiscal year 2015, $190,000,000. 

‘‘(II) LIMITATIONS.— 

‘‘(aa) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

not fund more than 10 pilot projects under 

this subparagraph. 

‘‘(bb) DURATION.—Each pilot project shall 

be in effect for not more than 3 years. 

‘‘(III) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Funds made 

available under subclause (I) shall remain available through September 30, 2018. 

‘‘(ix) USE OF FUNDS.— 

‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—Funds made available under 

this subparagraph for pilot projects shall be used 

only for— 

‘‘(aa) pilot projects that comply with this 

Act; 

‘‘(bb) the program and administrative 

costs of carrying out the pilot projects; 

‘‘(cc) the costs incurred in developing systems and providing information and data for 

the independent evaluations under clause (vii); 

and 

‘‘(dd) the costs of the evaluations under 

clause (vii). 

‘‘(II) MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.—Funds made 

available under this subparagraph shall be used 

only to supplement, not to supplant, non-Federal 

funds used for existing employment and training 

activities or services. 

‘‘(III) OTHER FUNDS.—In carrying out pilot 

projects, States may contribute additional funds 

obtained from other sources, including Federal, 

State, or private funds, on the condition that the 

use of the contributions is permissible under Federal law.’’; and 

(2) by striking paragraph (5) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(5) MONITORING.— 


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128 STAT. 806 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall monitor the 

employment and training programs carried out by State 

agencies under section 6(d)(4) and assess the effectiveness 

of the programs in— 

‘‘(i) preparing members of households participating 

in the supplemental nutrition assistance program for 

employment, including the acquisition of basic skills 

necessary for employment; and 

‘‘(ii) increasing the number of household members 

who obtain and retain employment subsequent to 

participation in the employment and training programs. 

‘‘(B) REPORTING MEASURES.— ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation 

with the Secretary of Labor, shall develop State 

reporting measures that identify improvements in the 

skills, training, education, or work experience of members of households participating in the supplemental 

nutrition assistance program. 

‘‘(ii) REQUIREMENTS.—Measures shall— 

‘‘(I) be based on common measures of performance for Federal workforce training programs; and 

‘‘(II) include additional indicators that reflect 

the challenges facing the types of members of 

households participating in the supplemental 

nutrition assistance program who participate in 

a specific employment and training component. 

‘‘(iii) STATE REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary shall 

require that each State employment and training plan 

submitted under section 11(e)(19) identifies appropriate reporting measures for each proposed component 

that serves a threshold number of participants determined by the Secretary of at least 100 people a year. 

‘‘(iv) INCLUSIONS.—Reporting measures described 

in clause (iii) may include— 

‘‘(I) the percentage and number of program 

participants who received employment and 

training services and are in unsubsidized employment subsequent to the receipt of those services; 

‘‘(II) the percentage and number of program 

participants who obtain a recognized credential, 

including a registered apprenticeship, or a regular 

secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, while participating in, or within 1 year after 

receiving, employment and training services; 

‘‘(III) the percentage and number of program 

participants who are in an education or training 

program that is intended to lead to a recognized 

credential, including a registered apprenticeship 

or on-the-job training program, a regular secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, 

or unsubsidized employment; 

‘‘(IV) subject to terms and conditions established by the Secretary, measures developed by 

each State agency to assess the skills acquisition 

of employment and training program participants 

that reflect the goals of the specific employment 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 807 

and training program components of the State 

agency, which may include, at a minimum— 

‘‘(aa) the percentage and number of program participants who are meeting program 

requirements in each component of the education and training program of the State 

agency; 

‘‘(bb) the percentage and number of program participants who are gaining skills likely 

to lead to employment as measured through 

testing, quantitative or qualitative assessment, or other method; and 

‘‘(cc) the percentage and number of program participants who do not comply with 

employment and training requirements and 

who are ineligible under section 6(b); and 

‘‘(V) other indicators approved by the Secretary. 

‘‘(C) OVERSIGHT OF STATE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING

ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary shall assess State employment 

and training programs on a periodic basis to ensure— 

‘‘(i) compliance with Federal employment and 

training program rules and regulations; 

‘‘(ii) that program activities are appropriate to 

meet the needs of the individuals referred by the State 

agency to an employment and training program component; 

‘‘(iii) that reporting measures are appropriate to 

identify improvements in skills, training, work and 

experience for participants in an employment and 

training program component; and 

‘‘(iv) for States receiving additional allocations 

under paragraph (1)(E), any information the Secretary 

may require to evaluate the compliance of the State 

agency with paragraph (1), which may include— 

‘‘(I) a report for each fiscal year of the number 

of individuals in the State who meet the conditions 

of paragraph (1)(E)(ii), the number of individuals 

the State agency offers a position in a program 

described in subparagraph (B) or (C) of section 

6(o)(2), and the number who participate in such 

a program; 

‘‘(II) a description of the types of employment 

and training programs the State agency uses to 

comply with paragraph (1)(E) and the availability 

of those programs throughout the State; and 

‘‘(III) any additional information the Secretary 

determines to be appropriate. 

‘‘(D) STATE REPORT.—Each State agency shall annually 

prepare and submit to the Secretary a report on the State 

employment and training program that includes, using 

measures identified under subparagraph (B), the numbers 

of supplemental nutrition assistance program participants 

who have gained skills, training, work, or experience that 

will increase the ability of the participants to obtain regular 

employment. 


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128 STAT. 808 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

‘‘(E) MODIFICATIONS TO THE STATE EMPLOYMENT AND

TRAINING PLAN.—Subject to terms and conditions established by the Secretary, if the Secretary determines that 

the performance of a State agency with respect to employment and training outcomes is inadequate, the Secretary 

may require the State agency to make modifications to 

the State employment and training plan to improve the 

outcomes. 

‘‘(F) PERIODIC EVALUATION.—Subject to terms and 

conditions established by the Secretary, not later than 

October 1, 2016, and not less frequently than once every 

5 years thereafter, the Secretary shall conduct a study 

to review existing practice and research to identify employment and training program components and practices 

that— 

‘‘(i) effectively assist members of households 

participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance 

program in gaining skills, training, work, or experience 

that will increase the ability of the participants to 

obtain regular employment; and 

‘‘(ii) are best integrated with statewide workforce 

development systems.’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

(1) Section 5 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 

U.S.C. 2014) is amended— 

(A) in subsection (d)(14), by inserting ‘‘or a pilot project 

under section 16(h)(1)(F)’’ after ‘‘6(d)(4)(I)’’; 

(B) in subsection (e)(3)(B)(iii), by inserting ‘‘or a pilot 

project under section 16(h)(1)(F)’’ after ‘‘6(d)(4)’’; and 

(C) in subsection (g)(3), in the first sentence, by 

inserting ‘‘or a pilot project under section 16(h)(1)(F)’’ after 

‘‘6(d)’’. 

(2) Section 16(h) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 

(7 U.S.C. 2025(h)) is amended— 

(A) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘or a pilot project 

under paragraph (1)(F)’’ after ‘‘6(d)(4)’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘or a pilot project 

under paragraph (1)(F)’’ after ‘‘6(d)(4)’’. 

(3) Section 17(b)(1)(B)(iv)(III)(hh) of the Food and Nutrition 

Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2026(b)(1)(B)(iv)(III)(hh)) is amended by 

inserting ‘‘(h)(1)(F),’’ after ‘‘(g),’’. 

(c) APPLICATION DATE.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by this section 

(other than the amendments made by subsection (a)(2)) shall 

apply beginning on the date of enactment of this Act. 

(2) PROCESS FOR SELECTING PILOT PROGRAMS.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall— 

(i) develop and publish the process for selecting 

pilot projects under section 16(h)(1)(F) of the Food 

and Nutrition Act of 2008 (as added by subsection 

(a)(1)(C)); and 

(ii) issue such request for proposals for the independent evaluation as is determined appropriate by 

the Secretary. 

(B) APPLICATION.—The Secretary shall begin considering proposals not earlier than 90 days after the date 

7 USC 2025 note. 

7 USC 2014 note. 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 809 

on which the Secretary completes the actions described 

in subparagraph (A). 

(C) SELECTION.—Not later than 180 days after the 

date on which the Secretary completes the actions described 

in subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall select pilot projects 

from the applications submitted in response to the request 

for proposals issued under subparagraph (A). 

(3) MONITORING OF EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PRO- GRAMS.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after the 

date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue 

interim final regulations implementing the amendments 

made by subsection (a)(2). 

(B) STATE ACTION.—States shall include reporting 

measures required under section 16(h)(5) of the Food and 

Nutrition Act of 2008 (as amended by subsection (a)(2)) 

in the employment and training plans of the States for 

the first full fiscal year that begins not earlier than 180 

days after the date that the regulations described in 

subparagraph (A) are published. 

SEC. 4023. COOPERATION WITH PROGRAM RESEARCH AND EVALUATION. 

Section 17 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2026) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(l) COOPERATION WITH PROGRAM RESEARCH AND EVALUATION.—Subject to the requirements of this Act, including protections 

under section 11(e)(8), States, State agencies, local agencies, institutions, facilities such as data consortiums, and contractors participating in programs authorized under this Act shall— 

‘‘(1) cooperate with officials and contractors acting on behalf 

of the Secretary in the conduct of evaluations and studies 

under this Act; and 

‘‘(2) submit information at such time and in such manner 

as the Secretary may require.’’. 

SEC. 4024. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

Section 18(a)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2027(a)(1)) is amended in the first sentence by striking ‘‘2012’’ 

and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 4025. REVIEW, REPORT, AND REGULATION OF CASH NUTRITION 

ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BENEFITS PROVIDED IN PUERTO 

RICO. 

Section 19 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2028) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(e) REVIEW, REPORT, AND REGULATION OF CASH NUTRITION

ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BENEFITS PROVIDED IN PUERTO RICO.— 

‘‘(1) REVIEW.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall carry out a review 

of the provision of nutrition assistance in Puerto Rico in the 

form of cash benefits under this section that shall include— 

‘‘(A) an examination of the history of and purpose 

for distribution of a portion of monthly benefits in the 

form of cash; 

‘‘(B) an examination of current barriers to the redemption of non-cash benefits by current program participants 

and retailers; 

7 USC 2025 note. 


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‘‘(C) an examination of current usage of cash benefits 

for the purchase of non-food and other prohibited items; 

‘‘(D) an identification and assessment of potential 

adverse effects of the discontinuation of a portion of benefits 

in the form of cash for program participants and retailers; 

and 

‘‘(E) an examination of such other factors as the Secretary determines to be relevant. 

‘‘(2) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the date 

of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 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 that describes the results of the review conducted under this subsection. 

‘‘(3) REGULATION.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subparagraph 

(B), and notwithstanding the second sentence of subsection 

(b)(1)(B)(i), the Secretary shall disapprove any plan submitted pursuant to subsection (b)(1)(A)— 

‘‘(i) for fiscal year 2017 that provides for the distribution of more than 20 percent of the nutrition 

assistance benefit of a participant in the form of cash; 

‘‘(ii) for fiscal year 2018 that provides for the distribution of more than 15 percent of the nutrition 

assistance benefit of a participant in the form of cash; 

‘‘(iii) for fiscal year 2019 that provides for the 

distribution of more than 10 percent of the nutrition 

assistance benefit of a participant in the form of cash; 

‘‘(iv) for fiscal year 2020 that provides for the distribution of more than 5 percent of the nutrition assistance benefit of a participant in the form of cash; and 

‘‘(v) for fiscal year 2021 that provides for the distribution of any portion of the nutrition assistance 

benefit of a participant in the form of cash. 

‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), 

the Secretary, informed by the report required under paragraph (2), may approve a plan that exempts participants 

or categories of participants if the Secretary determines 

that discontinuation of benefits in the form of cash is 

likely to have significant adverse effects. 

‘‘(4) FUNDING.—Out of any funds made available under 

section 18 for fiscal year 2014, the Secretary shall make available to carry out the review and report described in paragraphs 

(1) and (2) $1,000,000, to remain available until expended.’’. 

SEC. 4026. ASSISTANCE FOR COMMUNITY FOOD PROJECTS. 

Section 25 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2034) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a)— 

(A) in paragraph (1)(B)— 

(i) in clause (i)— 

(I) in subclause (I), by inserting after ‘‘individuals’’ the following: ‘‘through food distribution, 

community outreach to assist in participation in 

Federally assisted nutrition programs, or 

improving access to food as part of a comprehensive service;’’; and 


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(II) in subclause (III), by inserting ‘‘food 

access,’’ after ‘‘food,’’; and 

(ii) in clause (ii), by striking subclause (I) and 

inserting the following: 

‘‘(I) equipment necessary for the efficient operation of a project;’’; and 

(B) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3) and inserting 

the following: 

‘‘(2) GLEANER.—The term ‘gleaner’ means an entity that— 

‘‘(A) collects edible, surplus food that would be thrown 

away and distributes the food to agencies or nonprofit 

organizations that feed the hungry; or 

‘‘(B) harvests for free distribution to the needy, or 

for donation to agencies or nonprofit organizations for ultimate distribution to the needy, an agricultural crop that 

has been donated by the owner of the crop. 

‘‘(3) HUNGER-FREE COMMUNITIES GOAL.—The term ‘hungerfree communities goal’ means any of the 14 goals described 

in House Concurrent Resolution 302, 102nd Congress, agreed 

to October 5, 1992.’’; 

(2) in subsection (b)(2)— 

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

(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2008 

and each fiscal year thereafter.’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘each of fiscal years 2008 through 2014; and 

‘‘(C) $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2015 and each fiscal 

year thereafter.’’; 

(3) in subsection (c)— 

(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 

‘‘private nonprofit entity’’ and inserting ‘‘public food program service provider, a tribal organization, or a private 

nonprofit entity, including gleaners,’’; 

(B) in paragraph (1)— 

(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘or’’ after the 

semicolon at the end; 

(ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘or’’ after 

the semicolon at the end; and 

(iii) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(C) efforts to reduce food insecurity in the community, 

including food distribution, improving access to services, 

or coordinating services and programs;’’; 

(C) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end; 

(D) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the 

end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(E) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(4) collaborate with 1 or more local partner organizations 

to achieve at least 1 hunger-free communities goal.’’; 

(4) in subsection (d)— 

(A) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘or’’ after the semicolon at the end; 

(B) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the 

end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(5) develop new resources and strategies to help reduce 

food insecurity in the community and prevent food insecurity 

in the future by— 


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128 STAT. 812 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

‘‘(A) developing creative food resources; 

‘‘(B) coordinating food services with park and recreation 

programs and other community-based outlets to reduce 

barriers to access; or 

‘‘(C) creating nutrition education programs for at- risk 

populations to enhance food-purchasing and food- preparation skills and to heighten awareness of the connection 

between diet and health.’’; 

(5) in subsection (f)(2), by striking ‘‘3 years’’ and inserting 

‘‘5 years’’; and 

(6) by striking subsections (h) and (i) and inserting the 

following: 

‘‘(h) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than September 30, 

2014, and each year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that describes each grant made under this section, 

including— 

‘‘(1) a description of any activity funded; 

‘‘(2) the degree of success of each activity funded in 

achieving hunger-free community goals; and 

‘‘(3) the degree of success in improving the long-term 

capacity of a community to address food and agriculture problems related to hunger or access to healthy food.’’. 

SEC. 4027. EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE. 

(a) PURCHASE OF COMMODITIES.—Section 27(a) of the Food and 

Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2036(a)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘2008 through 2012’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2014 through 2018’’; 

(2) in paragraph (2)— 

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

(B) in subparagraph (C)— 

(i) by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’; and 

(ii) by striking the period at the end and inserting 

a semicolon; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(D) for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2018, the 

sum obtained by adding the total dollar amount of commodities specified in subparagraph (C) and— 

‘‘(i) for fiscal year 2015, $50,000,000; 

‘‘(ii) for fiscal year 2016, $40,000,000; 

‘‘(iii) for fiscal year 2017, $20,000,000; and 

‘‘(iv) for fiscal year 2018, $15,000,000; and 

‘‘(E) for fiscal year 2019 and each subsequent fiscal 

year, the total dollar amount of commodities specified in 

subparagraph (D)(iv) adjusted by the percentage by which 

the thrifty food plan has been adjusted under section 3(u)(4) 

to reflect changes between June 30, 2017, and June 30 

of the immediately preceding fiscal year.’’; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(3) FUNDS AVAILABILITY.—For purposes of the funds 

described in this subsection, the Secretary shall— 

‘‘(A) make the funds available for 2 fiscal years; and 

‘‘(B) allow States to carry over unexpended balances 

to the next fiscal year pursuant to such terms and conditions as are determined by the Secretary.’’. 

(b) EMERGENCY FOOD PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS.— Section 209(d) of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (7 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 813 

U.S.C. 7511a(d)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 4028. NUTRITION EDUCATION. 

Section 28(b) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2036a(b)) is amended by inserting ‘‘and physical activity’’ after 

‘‘healthy food choices’’. 

SEC. 4029. RETAIL FOOD STORE AND RECIPIENT TRAFFICKING. 

The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) 

is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 29. RETAIL FOOD STORE AND RECIPIENT TRAFFICKING. 

‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to provide the 

Department of Agriculture with additional resources to prevent 

trafficking in violation of this Act by strengthening recipient and 

retail food store program integrity. 

‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Additional funds are provided under this 

section to supplement the retail food store and recipient integrity activities of the Department. 

‘‘(2) INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES.—The Secretary shall use 

an appropriate amount of the funds provided under this section 

to employ information technologies known as data mining and 

data warehousing and other available information technologies 

to administer the supplemental nutrition assistance program 

and enforce regulations promulgated under section 4(c). 

‘‘(c) FUNDING.— 

‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 

for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018. 

‘‘(2) MANDATORY FUNDING.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Out of any funds in the Treasury 

not otherwise appropriated, the Secretary of the Treasury 

shall transfer to the Secretary to carry out this section 

not less than $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2014, to remain 

available until expended. 

‘‘(B) RECEIPT AND ACCEPTANCE.—The Secretary shall 

be entitled to receive, shall accept, and shall use to carry 

out this section the funds transferred under subparagraph 

(A), without further appropriation. 

‘‘(C) MAINTENANCE OF FUNDING.—The funding provided 

under subparagraph (A) shall supplement (and not supplant) other Federal funding for programs carried out under 

this Act.’’. 

SEC. 4030. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 

(a) Section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2012) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘coupon,’’ the last place 

it appears and inserting ‘‘coupon’’; 

(2) in subsection (k)(7), by striking ‘‘or are’’ and inserting 

‘‘and’’; 

(3) by striking subsection (l); 

(4) by redesignating subsections (m) through (t) as subsections (l) through (s), respectively; and 

(5) by inserting after subsection (s) (as so redesignated) 

the following: 

7 USC 2036b. 


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128 STAT. 814 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

‘‘(t) ‘Supplemental nutrition assistance program’ means the program operated pursuant to this Act.’’. 

(b) Section 4(a) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 

U.S.C. 2013(a)) is amended in the last sentence by striking ‘‘benefits’’ and inserting ‘‘Benefits’’. 

(c) Section 5 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2014) is amended— 

(1) in the last sentence of subsection (i)(2)(D), by striking 

‘‘section 13(b)(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 13(b)’’; and 

(2) in subsection (k)(4)(A), by striking ‘‘paragraph (2)(H)’’ 

and inserting ‘‘paragraph (2)(G)’’. 

(d) Section 6(d)(4) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 

U.S.C. 2015(d)(4)) is amended in subparagraphs (B)(vii) and (F)(iii) 

by indenting both clauses appropriately. 

(e) Section 7(h) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 

U.S.C. 2016(h)) is amended by redesignating the second paragraph 

(12) (relating to interchange fees) as paragraph (13). 

(f) Section 9(a) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2018(a)) is amended by indenting paragraph (3) appropriately. 

(g) Section 12 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2021) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (b)(3)(C), by striking ‘‘civil money penalties’’ and inserting ‘‘civil penalties’’; and 

(2) in subsection (g)(1), by striking ‘‘(7 U.S.C. 1786)’’ and 

inserting ‘‘(42 U.S.C. 1786)’’. 

(h) Section 15(b)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 

(7 U.S.C. 2024(b)(1)) is amended in the first sentence by striking 

‘‘an benefit’’ both places it appears and inserting ‘‘a benefit’’. 

(i) Section 16(a) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 

U.S.C. 2025(a)) is amended in the proviso following paragraph 

(8) by striking ‘‘as amended.’’. 

(j) Section 18(e) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 

U.S.C. 2027(e)) is amended in the first sentence by striking ‘‘sections 

7(f)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 7(f)’’. 

(k) Section 22(b)(10)(B)(i) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 

2008 (7 U.S.C. 2031(b)(10)(B)(i)) is amended in the last sentence 

by striking ‘‘Food benefits’’ and inserting ‘‘Benefits’’. 

(l) Section 26(f)(3)(C) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 

(7 U.S.C. 2035(f)(3)(C)) is amended by striking ‘‘subsection’’ and 

inserting ‘‘subsections’’. 

(m) Section 27(a)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 

(7 U.S.C. 2036(a)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘(Public Law 98– 

8; 7 U.S.C. 612c note)’’ and inserting ‘‘(7 U.S.C. 7515)’’. 

(n) Section 115 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (21 U.S.C. 862a) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a)(2), by striking ‘‘food stamp program 

(as defined in section 3(l) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977) 

or any State program carried out under the Food Stamp Act 

of 1977’’ and inserting ‘‘supplemental nutrition assistance program (as defined in section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012)) or any State program carried out 

under that Act’’; 

(2) in subsection (b)(2)— 

(A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ‘‘THE FOOD

STAMP ACT OF 1977’’ and inserting ‘‘THE FOOD AND NUTRITION

ACT OF 2008’’; and 


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(B) by striking ‘‘food stamp program (as defined in 

section 3(l) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977), or any State 

program carried out under the Food Stamp Act of 1977’’ 

and inserting ‘‘supplemental nutrition assistance program 

(as defined in section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012)), or any State program carried 

out under that Act’’; and 

(3) in subsection (e)(2), by striking ‘‘section 3(s) of the 

Food Stamp Act of 1977, when referring to the food stamp 

program (as defined in section 3(l) of the Food Stamp Act 

of 1977) or any State program carried out under the Food 

Stamp Act of 1977’’ and inserting ‘‘section 3 of the Food and 

Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012), when referring to the 

supplemental nutrition assistance program (as defined in that 

section) or any State program carried out under that Act’’. 

(o) Section 3803(c)(2)(C)(vii) of title 31 of the United States 

Code is amended by striking ‘‘section 3(l)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 

3’’. 

(p) Section 453(j)(10) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

653(j)(10)) is amended in the paragraph heading by striking ‘‘FOOD

STAMP PROGRAMS’’ and inserting ‘‘SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BENEFITS’’. 

(q) Section 1137 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b– 

7)— 

(1) in subsection (a)(5)(B), by striking ‘‘food stamp’’ and 

inserting ‘‘supplemental nutrition assistance’’; and 

(2) in subsection (b)(4), by striking ‘‘food stamp program 

under the Food Stamp Act of 1977’’ and inserting ‘‘supplemental 

nutrition assistance program established under the Food and 

Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.)’’. 

(r) Section 1631(n) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1383) 

is amended in the subsection heading by striking ‘‘FOOD STAMP’’ 

and inserting ‘‘SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE’’. 

(s) Section 509 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 

3056g) is amended in the section heading by striking ‘‘FOOD STAMP

PROGRAMS’’ and inserting ‘‘SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE

PROGRAMS’’. 

(t) Section 4(a) of the Agriculture and Consumer Protection 

Act of 1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c note; Public Law 93–86) is amended 

by striking ‘‘Food Stamp Act of 1977’’ and inserting ‘‘Food and 

Nutrition Act of 2008’’. 

(u) Section 5 of the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act 

of 1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c note; Public Law 93–86) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (h)(1), by striking ‘‘food stamps’’ and 

inserting ‘‘the supplemental nutrition assistance program’’; 

(2) in subsection (i)(1), by striking ‘‘food stamps provided 

under the Food Stamp Act of 1977’’ and inserting ‘‘supplemental 

nutrition assistance benefits provided under the Food and 

Nutrition Act of 2008’’; and 

(3) in subsection (l)(2)(B), by striking ‘‘Food Stamp Act 

of 1977’’ and inserting ‘‘Food and Nutrition Act of 2008’’. 

(v) Section 4115(c)(2)(H) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy 

Act of 2008 (Public Law 110–246; 122 Stat. 1871) is amended 

by striking ‘‘531’’ and inserting ‘‘454’’. 

42 USC 654. 


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SEC. 4031. COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS 

PILOT PROGRAM. 

(a) STUDY.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Prior to establishing the pilot program 

under subsection (b), the Secretary shall conduct a study to 

be completed not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 

of this Act to assess— 

(A) the capabilities of the Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands to operate the supplemental 

nutrition assistance program established under the Food 

and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) in a 

similar manner as the program is operated in the States 

(as defined in section 3 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 2012)); and 

(B) alternative models of the supplemental nutrition 

assistance program operation and benefit delivery that best 

meet the nutrition assistance needs of the Commonwealth 

of the Northern Mariana Islands. 

(2) SCOPE.—The study conducted under paragraph (1)(A) 

shall assess the capability of the Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands to fulfill the responsibilities of a 

State agency (as defined in section 3 of the Food and Nutrition 

Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012)), including— 

(A) extending and limiting participation to eligible 

households, as required by sections 5 and 6 of that Act 

(7 U.S.C. 2014, 2015); 

(B) issuing benefits through EBT cards, as required 

by section 7 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 2016); 

(C) maintaining the integrity of the program, including 

operation of a quality control system, as required by section 

16(c) of that Act (7 U.S.C. 2025(c)); 

(D) implementing work requirements, including operating an employment and training program, as required 

by section 6(d) of that Act (7 U.S.C. 2015(d)); and 

(E) paying a share of administrative costs with nonFederal funds, as required by section 16(a) of that Act 

(7 U.S.C. 2016(a)). 

(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—If the Secretary determines that a pilot 

program is feasible, the Secretary shall establish a pilot program 

for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to operate 

the supplemental nutrition assistance program in the same manner 

in which the program is operated in the States. 

(c) SCOPE.—The Secretary shall use the information obtained 

from the study conducted under subsection (a) to establish the 

scope of the pilot program established under subsection (b). 

(d) REPORT.—Not later than June 30, 2019, the Secretary 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 on the pilot program carried out under 

this section, including an analysis of the feasibility of operating 

the supplemental nutrition assistance program in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in the same manner in 

which the program is operated in the States. 

(e) FUNDING.— 

(1) STUDY.—Of the funds made available under section 

18(a)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2027(a)(1)), the Secretary may use to conduct the study 

48 USC 1841 

note. 


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described in subsection (a) not more than $1,000,000 for each 

of fiscal years 2014 and 2015. 

(2) PILOT PROGRAM.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subparagraph 

(B), of the funds made available under section 18(a)(1) 

of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2027(a)(1)), 

the Secretary may use to establish and carry out the pilot 

program under subsection (b), including the Federal costs 

for providing technical assistance to the Commonwealth 

of the Northern Mariana Islands, authorizing and monitoring retail food stores, and assessing pilot operations, 

not more than— 

(i) $13,500,000 for fiscal year 2016; and 

(ii) $8,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 and 

2018. 

(B) EXCEPTION.—If the Secretary determines that a 

pilot program described in subsection (b) is not feasible, 

the Secretary shall provide to the Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands any unspent funds described 

in subparagraph (A), which shall— 

(i) be made available for obligation under the 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands nutrition assistance program block grant in addition to any 

other funds made available for that grant; and 

(ii) remain available until expended. 

SEC. 4032. ANNUAL STATE REPORT ON VERIFICATION OF SNAP 

PARTICIPATION. 

(a) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

specified by the Secretary during the 180-day period beginning 

on the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, 

each State agency that carries out the supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 

2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) shall submit to the Secretary a report 

containing sufficient information for the Secretary to determine 

whether the State agency has, for the most recently concluded 

fiscal year preceding that annual date, verified that the State 

agency in that fiscal year— 

(1) did not issue benefits to a deceased individual; and 

(2) did not issue benefits to an individual who had been 

permanently disqualified from receiving benefits. 

(b) PENALTY FOR NONCOMPLIANCE.—For any fiscal year for 

which a State agency fails to comply with subsection (a), the Secretary shall impose a penalty that includes a reduction of up to 

50 percent of the amount that would be otherwise payable to 

the State agency under section 16(a) of the Food and Nutrition 

Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2025(a)) with respect to that fiscal year. 

(c) REPORT OF PILOT PROGRAM TO TEST PREVENTION OF DUPLICATE PARTICIPATION.—Not later than 90 days after the completion 

in multiple States of a temporary pilot program to test the detection 

and prevention of duplicate participation by beneficiaries of the 

supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the 

Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), the Secretary 

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 assessing the feasibility, effectiveness, and cost for the expansion of the pilot program nationwide. 

7 USC 2036c. 


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SEC. 4033. SERVICE OF TRADITIONAL FOODS IN PUBLIC FACILITIES. 

(a) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this section are— 

(1) to provide access to traditional foods in food service 

programs; 

(2) to encourage increased consumption of traditional foods 

to decrease health disparities among Indians, particularly 

Alaska Natives; and 

(3) to provide alternative food options for food service programs. 

(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

(1) ALASKA NATIVE.—The term ‘‘Alaska Native’’ means a 

person who is a member of any Native village, Village Corporation, or Regional Corporation (as those terms are defined in 

section 3 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 

1602)). 

(2) COMMISSIONER.—The term ‘‘Commissioner’’ means the 

Commissioner of Food and Drugs. 

(3) FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘food service program’’ includes— 

(A) food service at residential child care facilities that 

have a license from an appropriate State agency; 

(B) any child nutrition program (as that term is defined 

in section 25(b) of the Richard B. Russell National School 

Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769f(b)); 

(C) food service at hospitals, clinics, and long-term 

care facilities; and 

(D) senior meal programs. 

(4) INDIAN; INDIAN TRIBE.—The terms ‘‘Indian’’ and ‘‘Indian 

tribe’’ have the meanings given those terms in section 4 of 

the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act 

(25 U.S.C. 450b). 

(5) TRADITIONAL FOOD.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘traditional food’’ means 

food that has traditionally been prepared and consumed 

by an Indian tribe. 

(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘traditional food’’ 

includes— 

(i) wild game meat; 

(ii) fish; 

(iii) seafood; 

(iv) marine mammals; 

(v) plants; and 

(vi) berries. 

(6) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘tribal organization’’ 

has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian 

Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 

450b). 

(c) PROGRAM.—The Secretary and the Commissioner shall allow 

the donation to and serving of traditional food through food service 

programs at public facilities and nonprofit facilities, including facilities operated by Indian tribes and facilities operated by tribal 

organizations, that primarily serve Indians if the operator of the 

food service program— 

(1) ensures that the food is received whole, gutted, gilled, 

as quarters, or as a roast, without further processing; 

(2) makes a reasonable determination that— 

(A) the animal was not diseased; 

25 USC 443d. 


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(B) the food was butchered, dressed, transported, and 

stored to prevent contamination, undesirable microbial 

growth, or deterioration; and 

(C) the food will not cause a significant health hazard 

or potential for human illness; 

(3) carries out any further preparation or processing of 

the food at a different time or in a different space from the 

preparation or processing of other food for the applicable program to prevent cross-contamination; 

(4) cleans and sanitizes food-contact surfaces of equipment 

and utensils after processing the traditional food; 

(5) labels donated traditional food with the name of the 

food; 

(6) stores the traditional food separately from other food 

for the applicable program, including through storage in a 

separate freezer or refrigerator or in a separate compartment 

or shelf in the freezer or refrigerator; 

(7) follows Federal, State, local, county, tribal, or other 

non-Federal law regarding the safe preparation and service 

of food in public or nonprofit facilities; and 

(8) follows other such criteria as established by the Secretary and Commissioner. 

(d) LIABILITY.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The United States, an Indian tribe, and 

a tribal organization shall not be liable in any civil action 

for any damage, injury, or death caused to any person by 

the donation to or serving of traditional foods through food 

service programs. 

(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in paragraph (1) 

alters any liability or other obligation of the United States 

under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 

Act (25 U.S.C. 1450 et seq.). 

Subtitle B—Commodity Distribution 

Programs 

SEC. 4101. COMMODITY DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM. 

Section 4(a) of the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act 

of 1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c note; Public Law 93–86) is amended in 

the first sentence by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 4102. COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM. 

Section 5 of the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 

1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c note; Public Law 93–86) is amended— 

(1) in paragraphs (1) and (2)(B) of subsection (a), by striking 

‘‘2012’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘2018’’; 

(2) in the first sentence of subsection (d)(2), by striking 

‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’; 

(3) by striking subsection (g) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(g) ELIGIBILITY.—Except as provided in subsection (m), the 

States shall only provide assistance under the commodity supplemental food program to low-income persons aged 60 and older.’’; 

and 

(4) by adding at the end the following: 


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‘‘(m) PHASE-OUT.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 

an individual who receives assistance under the commodity supplemental food program on the day before the date of enactment 

of this subsection shall continue to receive that assistance until 

the date on which the individual is no longer eligible for assistance 

under the eligibility requirements for the program in effect on 

the day before the date of enactment of this subsection.’’. 

SEC. 4103. DISTRIBUTION OF SURPLUS COMMODITIES TO SPECIAL 

NUTRITION PROJECTS. 

Section 1114(a)(2)(A) of the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 

(7 U.S.C. 1431e(2)(A)) is amended in the first sentence by striking 

‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 4104. PROCESSING OF COMMODITIES. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 17 of the Commodity Distribution 

Reform Act and WIC Amendments of 1987 (7 U.S.C. 612c note; 

Public Law 100–237) is amended— 

(1) in the section heading, by inserting ‘‘AND PROCESSING’’ 

after ‘‘DONATIONS’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(c) PROCESSING.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For any program included under subsection (b), the Secretary may, notwithstanding any other provision of Federal or State law relating to the procurement of 

goods and services— 

‘‘(A) retain title to commodities delivered to a processor, 

on behalf of a State (including a State distributing agency 

and a recipient agency), until such time as end products 

containing the commodities, or similar commodities as 

approved by the Secretary, are delivered to a State distributing agency or to a recipient agency; and 

‘‘(B) promulgate regulations to ensure accountability 

for commodities provided to a processor for processing into 

end products, and to facilitate processing of commodities 

into end products for use by recipient agencies. 

‘‘(2) REGULATIONS.—The regulations described in paragraph 

(1)(B) may provide that— 

‘‘(A) a processor that receives commodities for processing into end products, or provides a service with respect 

to the commodities or end products, in accordance with 

the agreement of the processor with a State distributing 

agency or a recipient agency, provide to the Secretary a 

bond or other means of financial assurance to protect the 

value of the commodities; and 

‘‘(B) in the event a processor fails to deliver to a State 

distributing agency or a recipient agency an end product 

in conformance with the processing agreement entered into 

under this Act, the Secretary— 

‘‘(i) take action with respect to the bond or other 

means of financial assurance pursuant to regulations 

promulgated under this subsection; and 

‘‘(ii) distribute any proceeds obtained by the Secretary to 1 or more State distributing agencies and 

recipient agencies, as determined appropriate by the 

Secretary.’’. 

(b) DEFINITIONS.—Section 18 of the Commodity Distribution 

Reform Act and WIC Amendments of 1987 (7 U.S.C. 612c note; 


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Public Law 100–237) is amended by striking paragraphs (1) and 

(2) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) COMMODITIES.—The term ‘commodities’ means agricultural commodities and their products that are donated by the 

Secretary for use by recipient agencies. 

‘‘(2) END PRODUCT.—The term ‘end product’ means a food 

product that contains processed commodities.’’. 

(c) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 3 of 

the Commodity Distribution Reform Act and WIC Amendments 

of 1987 (7 U.S.C. 612c note; Public Law 100–237) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a)— 

(A) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraph (B) 

and inserting the following: 

‘‘(B) the program established under section 4(b) of the 

Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2013(b));’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (3)(D), by striking ‘‘the Committee 

on Education and Labor’’ and inserting ‘‘the Committee 

on Education and the Workforce’’; 

(2) in subsection (b)(1)(A)(ii), by striking ‘‘section 32 of 

the Agricultural Adjustment Act (7 U.S.C. 601 et seq.)’’ and 

inserting ‘‘section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935 (7 U.S.C. 

612c)’’; 

(3) in subsection (e)(1)(D)(iii), by striking subclause (II) 

and inserting the following: 

‘‘(II) the program established under section 

4(b) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 

U.S.C. 2013(b));’’; and 

(4) in subsection (k), by striking ‘‘the Committee on Education and Labor’’ and inserting ‘‘the Committee on Education 

and the Workforce’’. 

Subtitle C—Miscellaneous 

SEC. 4201. PURCHASE OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FOR DISTRIBUTION TO SCHOOLS AND SERVICE INSTITUTIONS. 

Section 10603(b) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 

Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 612c–4(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ 

and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 4202. PILOT PROJECT FOR PROCUREMENT OF UNPROCESSED 

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 

Section 6 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 

Act (42 U.S.C. 1755) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(f) PILOT PROJECT FOR PROCUREMENT OF UNPROCESSED FRUITS

AND VEGETABLES.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct a pilot 

project under which the Secretary shall facilitate the procurement of unprocessed fruits and vegetables in not more than 

8 States receiving funds under this Act. 

‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the pilot project required 

by this subsection is to provide selected States flexibility for 

the procurement of unprocessed fruits and vegetables by permitting each State— 

‘‘(A) to utilize multiple suppliers and products established and qualified by the Secretary; and 


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‘‘(B) to allow geographic preference, if desired, in the 

procurement of the products under the pilot project. 

‘‘(3) SELECTION AND PARTICIPATION.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall select States 

for participation in the pilot project in accordance with 

criteria established by the Secretary and terms and conditions established for participation. 

‘‘(B) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary shall ensure that 

at least 1 project is located in a State in each of— 

‘‘(i) the Pacific Northwest Region; 

‘‘(ii) the Northeast Region; 

‘‘(iii) the Western Region; 

‘‘(iv) the Midwest Region; and 

‘‘(v) the Southern Region. 

‘‘(4) PRIORITY.—In selecting States for participation in the 

pilot project, the Secretary shall prioritize applications based 

on— 

‘‘(A) the quantity and variety of growers of local fruits 

and vegetables in the States on a per capita basis; 

‘‘(B) the demonstrated commitment of the States to 

farm-to-school efforts, as evidenced by prior efforts to 

increase and promote farm-to-school programs in the 

States; and 

‘‘(C) whether the States contain a sufficient quantity 

of local educational agencies, various population sizes, and 

geographical locations. 

‘‘(5) RECORDKEEPING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 

‘‘(A) RECORDKEEPING REQUIREMENT.—States selected to 

participate in the pilot project, and participating school 

food authorities within those States, shall keep records 

of the fruits and vegetables received under the pilot project 

in such manner and form as requested by the Secretary. 

‘‘(B) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Each participating 

State shall submit to the Secretary a report on the success 

of the pilot project in the State, including information 

on— 

‘‘(i) the quantity and cost of each type of fruit 

and vegetable received by the State under the pilot 

project; and 

‘‘(ii) the benefit provided by those procurements 

in conducting school food service in the State, including 

meeting school meal requirements.’’. 

SEC. 4203. SENIORS FARMERS’ MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 4402(a) of the Farm Security and 

Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3007(a)) is amended by 

striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by subsection (a) 

takes effect on October 1, 2013. 

SEC. 4204. DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS. 

Section 301(a) of the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related 

Research Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5341(a)) is amended by adding 

at the end the following: 

‘‘(3) PREGNANT WOMEN AND YOUNG CHILDREN.—Not later 

than the 2020 report and in each report thereafter, the Secretaries shall include national nutritional and dietary information 

7 USC 3007 note. 


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and guidelines for pregnant women and children from birth 

until the age of 2.’’. 

SEC. 4205. MULTIAGENCY TASK FORCE. 

Subtitle D of title II of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6951 et seq.) is amended by adding 

at the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 242. MULTIAGENCY TASK FORCE. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish, in the office 

of the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, 

a multiagency task force for the purpose of providing coordination 

and direction for commodity programs. 

‘‘(b) COMPOSITION.—The Task Force shall be composed of at 

least 4 members, including— 

‘‘(1) a representative from the Food Distribution Division 

of the Food and Nutrition Service, who shall— 

‘‘(A) be appointed by the Under Secretary for Food, 

Nutrition, and Consumer Services; and 

‘‘(B) serve as Chairperson of the Task Force; 

‘‘(2) at least 1 representative from the Agricultural Marketing Service, who shall be appointed by the Under Secretary 

for Marketing and Regulatory Programs; 

‘‘(3) at least 1 representative from the Farm Services 

Agency, who shall be appointed by the Under Secretary for 

Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services; and 

‘‘(4) at least 1 representative from the Food Safety and 

Inspection Service, who shall be appointed by the Under Secretary for Food Safety. 

‘‘(c) DUTIES.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force shall be responsible 

for evaluation and monitoring of the commodity programs to 

ensure that the commodity programs meet the mission of the 

Department— 

‘‘(A) to support the United States farm sector; and 

‘‘(B) to contribute to the health and well-being of 

individuals in the United States through the distribution 

of domestic agricultural products through commodity programs. 

‘‘(2) SPECIFIC DUTIES.—In carrying out paragraph (1), the 

Task Force shall— 

‘‘(A) review and make recommendations regarding the 

specifications used for the procurement of food commodities; 

‘‘(B) review and make recommendations regarding the 

efficient and effective distribution of food commodities; and 

‘‘(C) review and make recommendations regarding the 

degree to which the quantity, quality, and specifications 

of procured food commodities align the needs of producers 

and the preferences of recipient agencies. 

‘‘(d) REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 

submit to Congress a report that describes, for the period covered 

by the report— 

‘‘(1) the findings and recommendations of the Task Force; 

and 

‘‘(2) policies implemented for the improvement of commodity procurement programs.’’. 

7 USC 6952. 


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SEC. 4206. HEALTHY FOOD FINANCING INITIATIVE. 

Subtitle D of title II of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6951 et seq.) (as amended by section 

4205) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 243. HEALTHY FOOD FINANCING INITIATIVE. 

‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to enhance the 

authorities of the Secretary to support efforts to provide access 

to healthy food by establishing an initiative to improve access 

to healthy foods in underserved areas, to create and preserve quality 

jobs, and to revitalize low-income communities by providing loans 

and grants to eligible fresh, healthy food retailers to overcome 

the higher costs and initial barriers to entry in underserved areas. 

‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

‘‘(1) COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTION.— The term ‘community development financial institution’ has 

the meaning given the term in section 103 of the Community 

Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994 

(12 U.S.C. 4702). 

‘‘(2) INITIATIVE.—The term ‘Initiative’ means the Healthy 

Food Financing Initiative established under subsection (c)(1). 

‘‘(3) NATIONAL FUND MANAGER.—The term ‘national fund 

manager’ means a community development financial institution 

that is— 

‘‘(A) in existence on the date of enactment of this 

section; and 

‘‘(B) certified by the Community Development Financial 

Institution Fund of the Department of Treasury to manage 

the Initiative for purposes of— 

‘‘(i) raising private capital; 

‘‘(ii) providing financial and technical assistance 

to partnerships; and 

‘‘(iii) funding eligible projects to attract fresh, 

healthy food retailers to underserved areas, in accordance with this section. 

‘‘(4) PARTNERSHIP.—The term ‘partnership’ means a 

regional, State, or local public-private partnership that— 

‘‘(A) is organized to improve access to fresh, healthy 

foods; 

‘‘(B) provides financial and technical assistance to 

eligible projects; and 

‘‘(C) meets such other criteria as the Secretary may 

establish. 

‘‘(5) PERISHABLE FOOD.—The term ‘perishable food’ means 

a staple food that is fresh, refrigerated, or frozen. 

‘‘(6) QUALITY JOB.—The term ‘quality job’ means a job that 

provides wages and other benefits comparable to, or better 

than, similar positions in existing businesses of similar size 

in similar local economies. 

‘‘(7) STAPLE FOOD.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘staple food’ means food 

that is a basic dietary item. 

‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘staple food’ includes— 

‘‘(i) bread or cereal; 

‘‘(ii) flour; 

‘‘(iii) fruits; 

‘‘(iv) vegetables; 

7 USC 6953. 


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‘‘(v) meat; and 

‘‘(vi) dairy products. 

‘‘(c) INITIATIVE.— 

‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish an initiative to achieve the purpose described in subsection (a) in 

accordance with this subsection. 

‘‘(2) IMPLEMENTATION.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.— ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the Initiative, 

the Secretary shall provide funding to entities with 

eligible projects, as described in subparagraph (B), subject to the priorities described in subparagraph (C). 

‘‘(ii) USE OF FUNDS.—Funds provided to an entity 

pursuant to clause (i) shall be used— 

‘‘(I) to create revolving loan pools of capital 

or other products to provide loans to finance 

eligible projects or partnerships; 

‘‘(II) to provide grants for eligible projects or 

partnerships; 

‘‘(III) to provide technical assistance to funded 

projects and entities seeking Initiative funding; 

and 

‘‘(IV) to cover administrative expenses of the 

national fund manager in an amount not to exceed 

10 percent of the Federal funds provided. 

‘‘(B) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—Subject to the approval of 

the Secretary, the national fund manager shall establish 

eligibility criteria for projects under the Initiative, which 

shall include the existence or planned execution of agreements— 

‘‘(i) to expand or preserve the availability of staple 

foods in underserved areas with moderate- and lowincome populations by maintaining or increasing the 

number of retail outlets that offer an assortment of 

perishable food and staple food items, as determined 

by the Secretary, in those areas; and 

‘‘(ii) to accept benefits under the supplemental 

nutrition assistance program established under the 

Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et 

seq.). 

‘‘(C) PRIORITIES.—In carrying out the Initiative, priority 

shall be given to projects that— 

‘‘(i) are located in severely distressed low-income 

communities, as defined by the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund of the Department 

of Treasury; and 

‘‘(ii) include 1 or more of the following characteristics: 

‘‘(I) The project will create or retain quality 

jobs for low-income residents in the community. 

‘‘(II) The project supports regional food systems and locally grown foods, to the maximum 

extent practicable. 

‘‘(III) In areas served by public transit, the 

project is accessible by public transit. 

‘‘(IV) The project involves women- or minorityowned businesses. 


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‘‘(V) The project receives funding from other 

sources, including other Federal agencies. 

‘‘(VI) The project otherwise advances the purpose of this section, as determined by the Secretary. 

‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized 

to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section 

$125,000,000, to remain available until expended.’’. 

SEC. 4207. PURCHASE OF HALAL AND KOSHER FOOD FOR EMERGENCY 

FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 

Section 202 of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 

(7 U.S.C. 7502) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(h) KOSHER AND HALAL FOOD.—As soon as practicable after 

the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall finalize 

and implement a plan— 

‘‘(1) to increase the purchase of Kosher and Halal food 

from food manufacturers with a Kosher or Halal certification 

to carry out the program established under this Act if the 

Kosher and Halal food purchased is cost neutral as compared 

to food that is not from food manufacturers with a Kosher 

or Halal certification; and 

‘‘(2) to modify the labeling of the commodities list used 

to carry out the program in a manner that enables Kosher 

and Halal distribution entities to identify which commodities 

to obtain from local food banks.’’. 

SEC. 4208. FOOD INSECURITY NUTRITION INCENTIVE. 

Section 4405 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (7 U.S.C. 7517) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 4405. FOOD INSECURITY NUTRITION INCENTIVE. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In this section: 

‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible entity’ means— 

‘‘(A) a nonprofit organization (including an emergency 

feeding organization); 

‘‘(B) an agricultural cooperative; 

‘‘(C) a producer network or association; 

‘‘(D) a community health organization; 

‘‘(E) a public benefit corporation; 

‘‘(F) an economic development corporation; 

‘‘(G) a farmers’ market; 

‘‘(H) a community-supported agriculture program; 

‘‘(I) a buying club; 

‘‘(J) a retail food store participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance program; 

‘‘(K) a State, local, or tribal agency; and 

‘‘(L) any other entity the Secretary designates. 

‘‘(2) EMERGENCY FEEDING ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘emergency feeding organization’ has the meaning given the term 

in section 201A of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 

(7 U.S.C. 7501). 

‘‘(3) SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.—The 

term ‘supplemental nutrition assistance program’ means the 

supplemental nutrition assistance program established under 

the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.). 

‘‘(b) FOOD INSECURITY NUTRITION INCENTIVE GRANTS.— ‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION.— 


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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In each of the years specified in 

subsection (c), the Secretary shall make grants to eligible 

entities in accordance with paragraph (2). 

‘‘(B) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost 

of carrying out an activity under this subsection shall not 

exceed 50 percent of the total cost of the activity. 

‘‘(C) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The non-Federal share of the 

cost of an activity under this subsection may be provided— 

‘‘(I) in cash or in-kind contributions as determined by the Secretary, including facilities, equipment, or services; and 

‘‘(II) by a State or local government or a private source. 

‘‘(ii) LIMITATION.—In the case of a for-profit entity, 

the non-Federal share described in clause (i) shall not 

include services of an employee, including salaries paid 

or expenses covered by the employer. 

‘‘(2) CRITERIA.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this subsection, an 

eligible entity is a governmental agency or nonprofit 

organization that— 

‘‘(i) meets the application criteria set forth by the 

Secretary; and 

‘‘(ii) proposes a project that, at a minimum— 

‘‘(I) has the support of the State agency; 

‘‘(II) would increase the purchase of fruits and 

vegetables by low-income consumers participating 

in the supplemental nutrition assistance program 

by providing incentives at the point of purchase; 

‘‘(III) agrees to participate in the evaluation 

described in paragraph (4); 

‘‘(IV) ensures that the same terms and conditions apply to purchases made by individuals with 

benefits issued under this Act and incentives provided for in this subsection as apply to purchases 

made by individuals who are not members of 

households receiving benefits, such as provided for 

in section 278.2(b) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation); and 

‘‘(V) includes effective and efficient technologies for benefit redemption systems that may 

be replicated in other States and communities. 

‘‘(B) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this section, 

the Secretary shall give priority to projects that— 

‘‘(i) maximize the share of funds used for direct 

incentives to participants; 

‘‘(ii) use direct-to-consumer sales marketing; 

‘‘(iii) demonstrate a track record of designing and 

implementing successful nutrition incentive programs 

that connect low-income consumers and agricultural 

producers; 

‘‘(iv) provide locally or regionally produced fruits 

and vegetables; 

‘‘(v) are located in underserved communities; or 


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‘‘(vi) address other criteria as established by the 

Secretary. 

‘‘(3) APPLICABILITY.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The value of any benefit provided 

to a participant in any activity funded under this subsection 

shall be treated as supplemental nutrition benefits under 

section 8(b) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

2017(b)). 

‘‘(B) PROHIBITION ON COLLECTION OF SALES TAXES.— 

Each State shall ensure that no State or local tax is collected on a purchase of food under this subsection. 

‘‘(C) NO LIMITATION ON BENEFITS.—A grant made available under this subsection shall not be used to carry out 

any project that limits the use of benefits under the Food 

and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) or any 

other Federal nutrition law. 

‘‘(D) HOUSEHOLD ALLOTMENT.—Assistance provided 

under this subsection to households receiving benefits 

under the supplemental nutrition assistance program shall 

not— 

‘‘(i) be considered part of the supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits of the household; or 

‘‘(ii) be used in the collection or disposition of 

claims under section 13 of the Food and Nutrition 

Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2022). 

‘‘(4) EVALUATION.— 

‘‘(A) INDEPENDENT EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall 

provide for an independent evaluation of projects selected 

under this subsection that measures the impact of each 

project on— 

‘‘(i) improving the nutrition and health status of 

participating households receiving incentives under 

this subsection; and 

‘‘(ii) increasing fruit and vegetable purchases in 

participating households. 

‘‘(B) REQUIREMENT.—The independent evaluation 

under subparagraph (A) shall use rigorous methodologies 

capable of producing scientifically valid information 

regarding the effectiveness of a project. 

‘‘(C) COSTS.—The Secretary may use funds not to 

exceed 10 percent of the funding provided to carry out 

this section to pay costs associated with administering, 

monitoring, and evaluating each project. 

‘‘(c) FUNDING.— 

‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out subsection (b) $5,000,000 

for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018. 

‘‘(2) MANDATORY FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Commodity 

Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out subsection (b)— 

‘‘(A) $35,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2014 

and 2015; 

‘‘(B) $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 and 2017; 

and 

‘‘(C) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2018.’’. 


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SEC. 4209. FOOD AND AGRICULTURE SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAM. 

Title IV of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education 

Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7630 et seq.) is amended by adding 

at the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 413. FOOD AND AGRICULTURE SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAM. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of appropriations 

under subsection (e), the Secretary, acting through the Director 

of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and working 

in consultation with other appropriate Federal agencies that oversee 

national service programs, shall administer a competitively awarded 

food and agriculture service learning grant program (referred to 

in this section as the ‘Program’) to increase knowledge of agriculture 

and improve the nutritional health of children. 

‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Program are— 

‘‘(1) to increase capacity for food, garden, and nutrition 

education within host organizations or entities and school cafeterias and in the classroom; 

‘‘(2) to complement and build on the efforts of the farm 

to school programs implemented under section 18(g) of the 

Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 

1769(g)); 

‘‘(3) to complement efforts by the Department and school 

food authorities to implement the school lunch program established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 

Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) and the school breakfast program 

established by section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 

(42 U.S.C. 1773); 

‘‘(4) to carry out activities that advance the nutritional 

health of children and nutrition education in elementary schools 

and secondary schools (as those terms are defined in section 

9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 

(20 U.S.C. 7801)); and 

‘‘(5) to foster higher levels of community engagement and 

support the expansion of national service and volunteer 

opportunities. 

‘‘(c) GRANTS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the Program, the 

Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture shall 

make competitive grants to eligible entities that carry out the 

purposes described in paragraphs (1) through (5) of subsection 

(b). 

‘‘(2) PRIORITIES.—In making grants under this section, the 

Secretary may consider projects that are carried out by entities 

that— 

‘‘(A) have a proven track record in carrying out the 

purposes described in subsection (b); 

‘‘(B) work in underserved rural and urban communities; 

‘‘(C) teach and engage children in experiential learning 

about agriculture, gardening, nutrition, cooking, and where 

food comes from; and 

‘‘(D) facilitate a connection between elementary schools 

and secondary schools and agricultural producers in the 

local and regional area. 

‘‘(d) ACCOUNTABILITY.— 

7 USC 7633. 


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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may require a partner 

organization or other qualified entity to collect and report any 

data on the activities carried out under the Program, as determined by the Secretary. 

‘‘(2) EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall— 

‘‘(A) conduct regular evaluations of the activities carried out under the Program; and 

‘‘(B) 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 includes a description of the results of each evaluation 

conducted under subparagraph (A). 

‘‘(e) FUNDING.— ‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Program $25,000,000, 

to remain available until expended. 

‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATION.—Paragraphs (4), (7), (8), and (11)(B) 

of subsection (b) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities 

Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)) shall apply with respect 

to the making of a competitive grant under this section. 

‘‘(3) MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.—Funds made available 

under paragraph (1) shall be used only to supplement, not 

to supplant, the amount of Federal funding otherwise expended 

for nutrition, research, and extension programs of the Department.’’. 

SEC. 4210. NUTRITION INFORMATION AND AWARENESS PILOT PROGRAM. 

Section 4403 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act 

of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3171 note; Public Law 107–171) is repealed. 

SEC. 4211. TERMINATION OF EXISTING AGREEMENT. 

Effective beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, 

the memorandum of understanding entered into on July 22, 2004, 

by the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States Department 

of Agriculture and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic 

of Mexico and known as the ‘‘Partnership for Nutrition Assistance 

Initiative’’ is null and void. 

SEC. 4212. REVIEW OF SOLE-SOURCE CONTRACTS IN FEDERAL NUTRITION PROGRAMS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct an evaluation 

of sole-source contracts in Federal nutrition programs carried out 

by the Secretary, and the effect the contracts have on program 

participation, program goals, nonprogram consumers, retailers, and 

free market dynamics. 

(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 

of this Act, the Secretary 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 that 

describes the findings of the review conducted under subsection 

(a). 

SEC. 4213. PULSE CROP PRODUCTS. 

(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to encourage 

greater awareness and interest in the number and variety of pulse 

crop products available to schoolchildren, as recommended by the 

42 USC 1755b. 


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most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans published under section 301 of the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research 

Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5341). 

(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

(1) ELIGIBLE PULSE CROP.—The term ‘‘eligible pulse crop’’ 

means dry beans, dry peas, lentils, and chickpeas. 

(2) PULSE CROP PRODUCT.—The term ‘‘pulse crop product’’ 

means a food product derived in whole or in part from an 

eligible pulse crop. 

(c) PURCHASE OF PULSE CROPS AND PULSE CROP PRODUCTS.— In addition to the commodities delivered under section 6 of the 

Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1755), 

subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary shall 

purchase eligible pulse crops and pulse crop products for use in— 

(1) the school lunch program established under the Richard 

B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.); 

and 

(2) the school breakfast program established by section 

4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773). 

(d) EVALUATION.—Not later than September 30, 2016, the Secretary shall conduct an evaluation of the activities conducted under 

subsection (c), including— 

(1) an evaluation of whether children participating in the 

school lunch and breakfast programs described in subsection 

(c) increased overall consumption of eligible pulse crops as 

a result of the activities; 

(2) an evaluation of which eligible pulse crops and pulse 

crop products are most acceptable for use in the school lunch 

and breakfast programs; 

(3) any recommendations of the Secretary regarding the 

integration of the use of pulse crop products in carrying out 

the school lunch and breakfast programs; 

(4) an evaluation of any change in the nutrient composition 

in the school lunch and breakfast programs due to the activities; 

and 

(5) an evaluation of any other outcomes determined to 

be appropriate by the Secretary. 

(e) REPORT.—As soon as practicable after the completion of 

the evaluation under subsection (d), the Secretary shall submit 

to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the 

Senate and the Committee on Education and the Workforce of 

the House of Representative a report describing the results of 

the evaluation. 

(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000, to remain 

available until expended. 

SEC. 4214. PILOT PROJECT FOR CANNED, FROZEN, OR DRIED FRUITS 

AND VEGETABLES. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), in the 2014–2015 

school year, the Secretary shall carry out a pilot project in schools 

participating in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program under 

section 19 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act 

(42 U.S.C. 1769a) (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Program’’), 

in not less than 5 States, to evaluate the impact of allowing schools 

to offer canned, frozen, or dried fruits and vegetables as part of 

the Program. 

42 USC 1769a 

note. 


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(b) REQUIREMENTS.—Not later than 60 days after the date 

of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish criteria 

for the conditions under which canned, frozen, or dried fruits and 

vegetables may be offered, which shall be in accordance with the 

most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans published under section 301 of the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research 

Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5341). 

(c) EVALUATION.—With respect to the pilot project, the Secretary shall evaluate— 

(1) the impacts on fruit and vegetable consumption at 

the schools participating in the pilot project; 

(2) the impacts of the pilot project on school participation 

in the Program and operation of the Program; 

(3) the implementation strategies used by the schools 

participating in the pilot project; 

(4) the acceptance of the pilot project by key stakeholders; 

and 

(5) such other outcomes as are determined by the Secretary. 

(d) REPORTS.— 

(1) INTERIM REPORT.—Not later than January 1, 2015, the 

Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Education and 

Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee 

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

that describes the results of the evaluation under subsection 

(c). 

(2) FINAL REPORT.—On completion of the pilot project, the 

Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Education and 

Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee 

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

that describes the results of the evaluation under subsection 

(c). 

(e) NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY.—As soon as practicable after the 

date on which the Secretary establishes the criteria for the pilot 

project under subsection (b), the Secretary shall notify potentially 

eligible schools of the potential eligibility of the schools for participation in the pilot project. 

(f) RELATIONSHIP TO FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PROGRAM.— 

Nothing in this section permits a school that is not a part of 

the pilot project to offer anything other than fresh fruits and vegetables through the Program. 

(g) FUNDING.—The Secretary shall use $5,000,000 of amounts 

otherwise made available to the Secretary to carry out this section. 

TITLE V—CREDIT 

Subtitle A—Farm Ownership Loans 

SEC. 5001. ELIGIBILITY FOR FARM OWNERSHIP LOANS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 302(a) of the Consolidated Farm and 

Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1922(a)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The’’ and inserting the 

following: 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.— 

‘‘(1) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.—The’’; 


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(2) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘and limited liability 

companies’’ and inserting ‘‘limited liability companies, and such 

other legal entities as the Secretary considers appropriate,’’; 

(3) in the second sentence, by redesignating paragraphs 

(1) through (4) as subparagraphs (A) through (D), respectively; 

(4) in each of the second and third sentences, by striking 

‘‘and limited liability companies’’ each place it appears and 

inserting ‘‘limited liability companies, and such other legal entities’’; 

(5) in the third sentence— 

(A) by striking ‘‘clause (3)’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraph (C)’’; 

(B) by striking ‘‘clause (4)’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraph (D)’’; and 

(6) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(2) SPECIAL RULES.— 

‘‘(A) ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN OPERATING-ONLY ENTITIES.—An entity that is or will become only the operator 

of a family farm shall be considered to meet the owneroperator requirements of paragraph (1) if the individuals 

that are the owners of the family farm own more than 

50 percent (or such other percentage as the Secretary determines is appropriate) of the entity. 

‘‘(B) ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN EMBEDDED ENTITIES.—An 

entity that is an owner-operator described in paragraph 

(1), or an operator described in subparagraph (A) of this 

paragraph that is owned, in whole or in part, by other 

entities, shall be considered to meet the direct ownership 

requirement imposed under paragraph (1) if at least 75 

percent of the ownership interests of each embedded entity 

of the entity is owned directly or indirectly by the individuals that own the family farm.’’. 

(b) DIRECT FARM OWNERSHIP EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT.—Section 302(b)(1) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1922(b)(1)) is amended in the matter preceding 

subparagraph (A) by inserting ‘‘or has other acceptable experience 

for a period of time, as determined by the Secretary,’’ after ‘‘3 

years’’. 

(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

(1) Section 304(c)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1924(c)(2)) by striking ‘‘paragraphs 

(1) and (2) of section 302(a)’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraphs 

(A) and (B) of section 302(a)(1)’’. 

(2) Section 310D(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1934(a)) is amended in the second 

sentence— 

(A) by inserting after ‘‘partnership’’ the following: ‘‘, 

or such other legal entities as the Secretary considers 

appropriate,’’; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘or partners’’ each place it appears 

and inserting ‘‘partners, or owners’’. 

SEC. 5002. CONSERVATION LOAN AND LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM. 

(a) ELIGIBILITY.—Section 304(c) of the Consolidated Farm and 

Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1924(c)) is amended by striking 

‘‘or limited liability companies’’ and inserting ‘‘limited liability 


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companies, or such other legal entities as the Secretary considers 

appropriate’’. 

(b) LIMITATIONS APPLICABLE TO LOAN GUARANTEES.—Section 

304(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 

U.S.C. 1924(e)) is amended by striking ‘‘shall be 75 percent of 

the principal amount of the loan.’’ and inserting ‘‘shall be— 

‘‘(1) 80 percent of the principal amount of the loan; or 

‘‘(2) in the case of a producer that is a qualified socially 

disadvantaged farmer or rancher or a beginning farmer or 

rancher, 90 percent of the principal amount of the loan.’’. 

(c) EXTENSION OF PROGRAM.—Section 304 of the Consolidated 

Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1924) is amended 

by striking subsection (h) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized 

to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section 

$150,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

SEC. 5003. JOINT FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS. 

Section 307(a)(3) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1927(a)(3)) is amended by striking subparagraph 

(D) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(D) JOINT FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS.—If a direct farm 

ownership loan is made under this subtitle as part of 

a joint financing arrangement and the amount of the direct 

farm ownership loan does not exceed 50 percent of the 

total principal amount financed under the arrangement, 

the interest rate on the direct farm ownership loan shall 

be a rate equal to the greater of— 

‘‘(i) the difference between— 

‘‘(I) 2 percent; and 

‘‘(II) the interest rate for farm ownership loans 

under this subtitle; or 

‘‘(ii) 2.5 percent.’’. 

SEC. 5004. ELIMINATION OF MINERAL RIGHTS APPRAISAL REQUIREMENT. 

Section 307 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1927) is amended— 

(1) by striking subsection (d); and 

(2) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (d). 

SEC. 5005. DOWN PAYMENT LOAN PROGRAM. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 310E(b)(1)(C) of the Consolidated 

Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1935(b)(1)(C)) is 

amended by striking ‘‘$500,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$667,000’’. 

(b) TECHNICAL CORRECTION.—Section 310E(b) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1935(b)) is 

amended by striking paragraph (2) (as added by section 7(a) of 

Public Law 102–554; 106 Stat. 4145). 

Subtitle B—Operating Loans 

SEC. 5101. ELIGIBILITY FOR FARM OPERATING LOANS. 

Section 311(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1941(a)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The’’ and inserting the 

following: 


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‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.— ‘‘(1) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.—The’’; 

(2) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘and limited liability 

companies’’ and inserting ‘‘ limited liability companies, and 

such other legal entities as the Secretary considers appropriate,’’; 

(3) in the second sentence, by redesignating paragraphs 

(1) through (4) as subparagraphs (A) through (D), respectively; 

(4) in each of the second and third sentences, by striking 

‘‘and limited liability companies’’ each place it appears and 

inserting ‘‘limited liability companies, and such other legal entities’’; 

(5) in the third sentence— 

(A) by striking ‘‘clause (3)’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraph (C)’’; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘clause (4)’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraph (D)’’; and 

(6) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(2) SPECIAL RULE.—An entity that is an operator described 

in paragraph (1) that is owned, in whole or in part, by other 

entities, shall be considered to meet the direct ownership 

requirement imposed under paragraph (1) if at least 75 percent 

of the ownership interests of each embedded entity of the 

entity is owned directly or indirectly by the individuals that 

own the family farm.’’. 

SEC. 5102. ELIMINATION OF RURAL RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT FOR 

OPERATING LOANS TO YOUTH. 

Section 311(b)(1) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1941(b)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘who are 

rural residents’’. 

SEC. 5103. DEFAULTS BY YOUTH LOAN BORROWERS. 

Section 311(b) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1941(b)) is amended by adding at the end 

the following: 

‘‘(5) EQUITABLE CONSIDERATIONS FOR DEFAULT.— ‘‘(A) DEBT FORGIVENESS.— ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may, on a caseby-case basis, provide debt forgiveness to a borrower 

for a loan made under this subsection if the borrower 

was unable to timely repay the loan due to circumstances beyond the control of the borrower, as 

determined by the Secretary, including any natural 

disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster 

that results in an inordinate level of damage or disruption severely affecting the borrower. 

‘‘(ii) ELIGIBILITY FOR FUTURE LOANS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, debt forgiveness 

provided under this subparagraph shall not be used 

by any Federal agency in determining the eligibility 

of the borrower for any loan made or guaranteed by 

the agency. 

‘‘(B) EDUCATION LOANS.—Notwithstanding any other 

provision of law, if a borrower becomes delinquent or is 

provided with debt forgiveness with respect to a youth 

loan made under this subsection, the borrower shall not 

become ineligible, as a result of the delinquency or debt 


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forgiveness, to receive loans and loan guarantees from the 

Federal Government to pay for education expenses of the 

borrower.’’. 

SEC. 5104. TERM LIMITS ON DIRECT OPERATING LOANS. 

Section 311(c) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1941(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(5) ANNUAL REPORT ON TERM LIMITS ON DIRECT OPERATING

LOANS.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall prepare a report 

annually that describes— 

‘‘(i) the status of the direct operating loan program 

of the Department of Agriculture; and 

‘‘(ii) the impact of term limits on direct loan borrowers. 

‘‘(B) DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION.— ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The report shall provide a demographic breakdown, on a State-by-State basis, of— 

‘‘(I) all direct loan borrowers; and 

‘‘(II) borrowers that have reached the eligibility limit for direct lending programs during the 

previous calendar year. 

‘‘(ii) DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION.—The available 

demographic information shall include, to the maximum extent practicable, a description of race or ethnicity, gender, age, type of farm or ranch, financial 

classification, number of years of indebtedness, veteran 

status, and other similar information, as determined 

by the Secretary. 

‘‘(C) ADDITIONAL CONTENT.—In addition to information 

described in subparagraph (B), the report shall provide— 

‘‘(i) a demographic analysis of the borrowers 

impacted by term limits; 

‘‘(ii) information on the conditions impacting the 

direct lending portfolio of the Department of Agriculture, including impacts by region and agriculture 

sector, and credit availability within those regions and 

sectors; 

‘‘(iii) to the maximum extent practicable, information on the status of borrower operations impacted 

by term limits; and 

‘‘(iv) recommendations, if appropriate, to address 

any identifiable unmet credit needs. 

‘‘(D) SUBMISSION.—The Secretary shall— 

‘‘(i) annually submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the 

Senate a copy of the report; and 

‘‘(ii) make the report available to the public, 

including posting the report on the website of the 

Department of Agriculture.’’. 

SEC. 5105. VALUATION OF LOCAL OR REGIONAL CROPS. 

Section 312 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1942) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(e) VALUATION OF LOCAL OR REGIONAL CROPS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall develop ways to 

determine unit prices (or other appropriate forms of valuation) 


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for crops and other agricultural products, the end use of which 

is intended to be in locally or regionally produced agricultural 

food products, to facilitate lending to local and regional food 

producers. 

‘‘(2) PRICE HISTORY.—The Secretary shall implement a 

mechanism for local and regional food producers to establish 

price history for the crops and other agricultural products produced by local and regional food producers.’’. 

SEC. 5106. MICROLOANS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 313 of the Consolidated Farm and 

Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1943) is amended by adding 

at the end the following: 

‘‘(c) MICROLOANS.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary 

may establish a program to make or guarantee microloans. 

‘‘(2) LIMITATIONS.—The Secretary shall not make or guarantee a microloan under this subsection that would cause the 

total principal indebtedness outstanding at any 1 time for 

microloans made under this title to any 1 borrower to exceed 

$50,000. 

‘‘(3) APPLICATIONS.—To the maximum extent practicable, 

the Secretary shall limit the administrative burdens and 

streamline the application and approval process for microloans 

under this subsection. 

‘‘(4) COOPERATIVE LENDING PILOT PROJECTS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subparagraph (B), during 

each of the 2014 through 2018 fiscal years, the Secretary 

may carry out a pilot project to make loans to community 

development financial institutions, as the Secretary determines appropriate— 

‘‘(i) to make or guarantee microloans consistent 

with the terms provided under this subsection; and 

‘‘(ii) to provide business, financial, marketing, and 

credit management services to microloan borrowers. 

‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—Prior to making a loan to an 

institution described in subparagraph (A), the Secretary 

shall— 

‘‘(i) review and approve— 

‘‘(I) the loan loss reserve fund for microloans 

established by the institution; and 

‘‘(II) the underwriting standards for 

microloans of the institution; and 

‘‘(ii) establish such other requirements for making 

a loan to the institution as the Secretary determines 

necessary. 

‘‘(C) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for a loan under 

subparagraph (A), an institution described in subparagraph 

(A) shall, as determined by the Secretary— 

‘‘(i) have the legal authority necessary to carry 

out the actions described in subparagraph (A); 

‘‘(ii) have a proven track record of successfully 

assisting agricultural borrowers; and 

‘‘(iii) have the services of a staff with appropriate 

loan making and servicing expertise. 

‘‘(D) OVERSIGHT.—Not less often than annually, on a 

date determined by the Secretary, an institution that has 


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a loan under this paragraph shall provide to the Secretary 

such information as the Secretary may require to ensure 

that the services provided by the institution are serving 

the purposes of this subsection. 

‘‘(E) LIMITATION.—The Secretary shall not make more 

than $10,000,000 in loans under this paragraph in any 

fiscal year.’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

(1) Section 311(c) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1941(c)) is amended by striking 

paragraph (2) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(2) DEFINITION OF DIRECT OPERATING LOAN.—In this subsection, the term ‘direct operating loan’ does not include— 

‘‘(A) a loan made to a youth under subsection (b); 

or 

‘‘(B) a microloan made to a beginning farmer or rancher 

or a veteran farmer or rancher (as defined in section 2501(e) 

of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 

1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e)).’’. 

(2) Section 312(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1942(a)) is amended in the matter 

preceding paragraph (1) by inserting ‘‘(including a microloan, 

as defined by the Secretary)’’ after ‘‘A direct loan’’. 

(3) Section 316(a)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1946(a)(2)) is amended in the matter 

preceding subparagraph (A) by inserting ‘‘a microloan to a 

beginning farmer or rancher or veteran farmer or rancher (as 

defined in section 2501(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e)), or’’ after ‘‘The 

interest rate on’’. 

SEC. 5107. TERM LIMITS ON GUARANTEED OPERATING LOANS. 

Section 319 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1949) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘(a) GRADUATION PLAN.— 

’’; and 

(2) by striking subsection (b). 

Subtitle C—Emergency Loans 

SEC. 5201. ELIGIBILITY FOR EMERGENCY LOANS. 

Section 321(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1961(a)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘owner-operators (in the case of loans for 

a purpose under subtitle A) or operators (in the case of loans 

for a purpose under subtitle B)’’ each place it appears and 

inserting ‘‘(in the case of farm ownership loans in accordance 

with subtitle A) owner-operators or operators, or (in the case 

of loans for a purpose under subtitle B) operators’’; 

(2) in the first sentence— 

(A) by inserting ‘‘, or such other legal entities as the 

Secretary considers appropriate’’ after ‘‘limited liability 

companies’’ the first place it appears; 

(B) by inserting ‘‘, or other legal entities’’ after ‘‘limited 

liability companies’’ the second place it appears; and 


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(C) by striking ‘‘and limited liability companies,’’ and 

inserting ‘‘limited liability companies, and such other legal 

entities’’; 

(3) in the second sentence, by striking ‘‘ownership and 

operator’’ and inserting ‘‘ownership or operator’’; and 

(4) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘An entity that 

is an owner-operator or operator described in this subsection 

shall be considered to meet the direct ownership requirement 

imposed under this subsection if at least 75 percent of the 

ownership interests of each embedded entity of the entity is 

owned directly or indirectly by the individuals that own the 

family farm.’’. 

Subtitle D—Administrative Provisions 

SEC. 5301. BEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHER INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNTS PILOT PROGRAM. 

Section 333B(h) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1983b(h)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 5302. FARMER LOAN PILOT PROJECTS. 

Subtitle D of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 

Act is amended by inserting after section 333C (7 U.S.C. 1983c) 

the following: 

‘‘SEC. 333D. FARMER LOAN PILOT PROJECTS. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may conduct pilot projects 

of limited scope and duration that are consistent with subtitle 

A through this subtitle to evaluate processes and techniques that 

may improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the programs carried 

out under subtitle A through this subtitle. 

‘‘(b) NOTIFICATION.—The Secretary shall— 

‘‘(1) not less than 60 days before the date on which the 

Secretary initiates a pilot project under subsection (a), submit 

notice of the proposed pilot project to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee 

on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate; and 

‘‘(2) consider any recommendations or feedback provided 

to the Secretary in response to the notice provided under paragraph (1).’’. 

SEC. 5303. DEFINITION OF QUALIFIED BEGINNING FARMER OR 

RANCHER. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 343(a)(11) of the Consolidated Farm 

and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(11)) is amended in 

subparagraphs (C) and (D)— 

(1) by striking ‘‘or joint operation,’’ each place it appears 

and inserting ‘‘joint operation, or such other legal entity as 

the Secretary considers appropriate,’’; 

(2) by striking ‘‘or joint operators,’’ each place it appears 

and inserting ‘‘joint operators, or owners,’’; and 

(3) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘corporation, has stockholders,’’ each place it appears in clauses (i)(II)(bb) and 

(ii)(II)(bb) and inserting ‘‘cooperative, corporation, partnership, 

joint operation, or other such legal entity as the Secretary 

7 USC 1983d. 


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considers appropriate, has members, stockholders, partners, or 

joint operators,’’. 

(b) MODIFICATION OF ACREAGE OWNERSHIP LIMITATION.—Section 343(a)(11)(F) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(11)(F)) is amended by striking ‘‘median acreage’’ and inserting ‘‘average acreage’’. 

SEC. 5304. LOAN AUTHORIZATION LEVELS. 

Section 346(b)(1) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1994(b)(1)) is amended in the matter preceding 

subparagraph (A) by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 5305. LOAN FUND SET-ASIDES. 

Section 346(b)(2)(A)(ii)(III) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1994(b)(2)(A)(ii)(III)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’; and 

(2) by striking ‘‘of the total amount’’. 

SEC. 5306. BORROWER TRAINING. 

Section 359(c)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2006a(c)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘section 

302(a)(2) or 311(a)(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 302(a)(1)(B) or 

311(a)(1)(B)’’. 

Subtitle E—Miscellaneous 

SEC. 5401. STATE AGRICULTURAL MEDIATION PROGRAMS. 

Section 506 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 (7 U.S.C. 

5106) is amended by striking ‘‘2015’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 5402. LOANS TO PURCHASERS OF HIGHLY FRACTIONATED LAND. 

The first section of Public Law 91–229 (25 U.S.C. 488) is 

amended— 

(1) in subsection (a), in the first sentence, by striking 

‘‘loans from’’ and all that follows through ‘‘1929)’’ and inserting 

‘‘direct loans in a manner consistent with direct loans pursuant 

to subtitle D of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1981 et seq.)’’; and 

(2) in subsection (b)(1)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘pursuant to section 205(c) of the Indian 

Land Consolidation Act (25 U.S.C. 2204(c))’’; and 

(B) by inserting ‘‘or to intermediaries in order to establish revolving loan funds for the purchase of highly 

fractionated land under that section’’ before the period 

at the end. 

SEC. 5403. REMOVAL OF DUPLICATIVE APPRAISALS. 

Notwithstanding any other law (including regulations), in 

making loans under the first section of Public Law 91–229 (25 

U.S.C. 488), borrowers who are Indian tribes, members of Indian 

tribes, or tribal corporations shall only be required to obtain 1 

appraisal under an appraisal standard recognized as of the date 

of enactment of this Act by the Secretary or the Secretary of 

the Interior. 

SEC. 5404. COMPENSATION DISCLOSURE BY FARM CREDIT SYSTEM 

INSTITUTIONS. 

(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that — 

12 USC 2252 

note. 

25 USC 488a. 


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(1) the reasonable disclosure to stockholders by Farm 

Credit System institutions regarding the compensation of Farm 

Credit System institution senior officers is beneficial to stockholders’ understanding of the operation of their institutions; 

(2) transparency regarding compensation practices 

reinforces the cooperative nature of Farm Credit System institutions; 

(3) the unique cooperative structure of the Farm Credit 

System should be considered when promulgating rules; 

(4) the participation of stockholders in the election of the 

boards of directors of Farm Credit System institutions provides 

stockholders the opportunity to participate in the management 

of their institutions; 

(5) as representatives of stockholders, the boards of directors of Farm Credit System institutions importantly establish 

and oversee the compensation practices of Farm Credit System 

institutions to ensure the safe and sound operation of those 

institutions; and 

(6) any regulation should strengthen and not hinder the 

ability of Farm Credit System boards of directors to oversee 

compensation practices. 

(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 60 days after the date 

of enactment of this Act, the Farm Credit Administration shall 

review its rules to reflect Congressional intent that a primary 

responsibility of the boards of directors of Farm Credit System 

institutions, as elected representatives of their stockholders, is to 

oversee compensation practices. 

TITLE VI—RURAL DEVELOPMENT 

Subtitle A—Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act 

SEC. 6001. WATER, WASTE DISPOSAL, AND WASTEWATER FACILITY 

GRANTS. 

Section 306(a)(2)(B)(vii) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(2)(B)(vii)) is amended by striking 

‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 6002. ELIMINATION OF RESERVATION OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES 

GRANT PROGRAM FUNDS. 

Section 306(a)(19) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(19)) is amended by striking subparagraph (C). 

SEC. 6003. RURAL WATER AND WASTEWATER CIRCUIT RIDER PROGRAM. 

Section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)) is amended by striking paragraph 

(22) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(22) RURAL WATER AND WASTEWATER CIRCUIT RIDER PROGRAM.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall continue a 

national rural water and wastewater circuit rider program 

that— 


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‘‘(i) is consistent with the activities and results 

of the program conducted before the date of enactment 

of this clause, as determined by the Secretary; and 

‘‘(ii) receives funding from the Secretary, acting 

through the Rural Utilities Service. 

‘‘(B) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

authorized to be appropriated to carry out this paragraph 

$20,000,000 for fiscal year 2014 and each fiscal year thereafter.’’. 

SEC. 6004. USE OF LOAN GUARANTEES FOR COMMUNITY FACILITIES. 

Section 306(a)(24) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(24)) is amended by adding at the end 

the following: 

‘‘(C) USE OF LOAN GUARANTEES FOR COMMUNITY FACILI- TIES.—The Secretary shall consider the benefits to communities that result from using loan guarantees in carrying 

out the community facilities program and, to the maximum 

extent practicable, use guarantees to enhance community 

involvement.’’. 

SEC. 6005. TRIBAL COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY 

FACILITIES. 

Section 306(a)(25)(C) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(25)(C)) is amended by striking 

‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 6006. ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY FACILITIES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING. 

Section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)) is amended by adding at the end 

the following: 

‘‘(26) ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY FACILITIES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make grants 

to public bodies and private nonprofit corporations (such 

as States, counties, cities, townships, and incorporated 

towns and villages, boroughs, authorities, districts, and 

Indian tribes on Federal and State reservations) that will 

serve rural areas for the purpose of enabling the public 

bodies and private nonprofit corporations to provide to 

associations described in paragraph (1) technical assistance 

and training, with respect to essential community facilities 

programs authorized under this subsection— 

‘‘(i) to assist communities in identifying and planning for community facility needs; 

‘‘(ii) to identify public and private resources to 

finance community facility needs; 

‘‘(iii) to prepare reports and surveys necessary to 

request financial assistance to develop community 

facilities; 

‘‘(iv) to prepare applications for financial assistance; 

‘‘(v) to improve the management, including financial management, related to the operation of community facilities; or 

‘‘(vi) to assist with other areas of need identified 

by the Secretary. 


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‘‘(B) SELECTION PRIORITY.—In selecting recipients of 

grants under this paragraph, the Secretary shall give priority to private, nonprofit, or public organizations that 

have experience in providing technical assistance and 

training to rural entities. 

‘‘(C) FUNDING.—Not less than 3 nor more than 5 percent of any funds appropriated to carry out each of the 

essential community facilities grant, loan and loan guarantee programs as authorized under this subsection for 

a fiscal year shall be reserved for grants under this paragraph.’’. 

SEC. 6007. EMERGENCY AND IMMINENT COMMUNITY WATER ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. 

Section 306A(i)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926a(i)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ 

and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 6008. WATER SYSTEMS FOR RURAL AND NATIVE VILLAGES IN 

ALASKA. 

Section 306D(d)(1) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926d(d)(1)) is amended by striking 

‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 6009. HOUSEHOLD WATER WELL SYSTEMS. 

Section 306E(d) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926e(d)) is amended by striking ‘‘$10,000,000 

for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘$5,000,000 

for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018’’. 

SEC. 6010. RURAL BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY LOAN PROGRAM. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 310B(a)(2)(A) of the Consolidated 

Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(a)(2)(A)) is 

amended by inserting ‘‘(including through the financing of working 

capital)’’ after ‘‘employment’’. 

(b) GREATER FLEXIBILITY FOR ADEQUATE COLLATERAL THROUGH

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE.—Section 310B(g)(7) of the Consolidated 

Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(g)(7)) is 

amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘In determining’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In determining’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(B) ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE.—In the discretion of the 

Secretary, if the Secretary determines that the action would 

not create or otherwise contribute to an unreasonable risk 

of default or loss to the Federal Government, the Secretary 

may take accounts receivable as security for the obligations 

entered into in connection with loans and a borrower may 

use accounts receivable as collateral to secure a loan made 

or guaranteed under this subsection.’’. 

(c) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 

enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall promulgate such regulations as are necessary to implement the amendments made by 

this section. 

SEC. 6011. SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT GRANTS. 

Section 310B(b) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(b)) is amended— 

7 USC 1932 note. 


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(1) by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and by inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following 

‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $10,000,000 

for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

SEC. 6012. RURAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT GRANTS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 310B of the Consolidated Farm and 

Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932) is amended by striking 

subsection (c) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(c) RURAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make grants under 

this subsection to eligible entities described in paragraph (2) 

in rural areas that primarily serve rural areas for purposes 

described in paragraph (3). 

‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The Secretary may make grants 

under this subsection to— 

‘‘(A) governmental entities; 

‘‘(B) Indian tribes; and 

‘‘(C) nonprofit entities. 

‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE PURPOSES FOR GRANTS.—Eligible entities that 

receive grants under this subsection may use the grant funds 

for— 

‘‘(A) business opportunity projects that— 

‘‘(i) identify and analyze business opportunities; 

‘‘(ii) identify, train, and provide technical assistance to existing or prospective rural entrepreneurs and 

managers; 

‘‘(iii) assist in the establishment of new rural 

businesses and the maintenance of existing businesses, 

including through business support centers; 

‘‘(iv) conduct regional, community, and local economic development planning and coordination, and 

leadership development; and 

‘‘(v) establish centers for training, technology, and 

trade that will provide training to rural businesses 

in the use of interactive communications technologies 

to develop international trade opportunities and markets; and 

‘‘(B) projects that support the development of business 

enterprises that finance or facilitate— 

‘‘(i) the development of small and emerging private 

business enterprise; 

‘‘(ii) the establishment, expansion, and operation 

of rural distance learning networks; 

‘‘(iii) the development of rural learning programs 

that provide educational instruction or job training 

instruction related to potential employment or job 

advancement to adult students; and 

‘‘(iv) the provision of technical assistance and 

training to rural communities for the purpose of 

improving passenger transportation services or facilities. 

‘‘(4) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 


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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this subsection 

$65,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018, 

to remain available until expended. 

‘‘(B) ALLOCATION.—Of the funds made available under 

subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year, not more than 10 percent 

shall be used for the purposes described in paragraph 

(3)(A).’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)) is 

amended by striking paragraph (11). 

SEC. 6013. RURAL COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS. 

Section 310B(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(e)) is amended— 

(1) by redesignating paragraph (12) as paragraph (13); 

(2) by inserting after paragraph (11) the following: 

‘‘(12) INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.—Not later than 90 

days after the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 

2014, the Secretary shall coordinate and chair an interagency 

working group to foster cooperative development and ensure 

coordination with Federal agencies and national and local 

cooperative organizations that have cooperative programs and 

interests.’’; and 

(3) in paragraph (13) (as so redesignated), by striking ‘‘$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012’’ and 

inserting ‘‘$40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2018’’. 

SEC. 6014. LOCALLY OR REGIONALLY PRODUCED AGRICULTURAL 

FOOD PRODUCTS. 

Section 310B(g)(9)(B)(v)(I) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(g)(9)(B)(v)(I)) is amended by 

striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 6015. APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FOR RURAL AREAS 

PROGRAM. 

Section 310B(i)(4) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(i)(4)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 6016. RURAL ECONOMIC AREA PARTNERSHIP ZONES. 

Section 310B(j) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(j)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 6017. INTERMEDIARY RELENDING PROGRAM. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle A of the Consolidated Farm and 

Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1922 et seq.) is amended by 

adding at the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 310H. INTERMEDIARY RELENDING PROGRAM. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make or guarantee loans 

to eligible entities described in subsection (b) so that the eligible 

entities may relend the funds to individuals and entities for the 

purposes described in subsection (c). 

‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—Entities eligible for loans and loan 

guarantees described in subsection (a) are— 

‘‘(1) public agencies; 

7 USC 1936b. 


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‘‘(2) Indian tribes; 

‘‘(3) cooperatives; and 

‘‘(4) nonprofit corporations. 

‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE PURPOSES.—The proceeds from loans made or 

guaranteed by the Secretary pursuant to subsection (a) may be 

relent by eligible entities for projects that— 

‘‘(1) predominately serve communities in rural areas; and 

‘‘(2) as determined by the Secretary— 

‘‘(A) promote community development; 

‘‘(B) establish new businesses; 

‘‘(C) establish and support microlending programs; and 

‘‘(D) create or retain employment opportunities. 

‘‘(d) LIMITATION.—The Secretary shall not make loans under 

section 623(a) of the Community Economic Development Act of 

1981 (42 U.S.C. 9812(a)). 

‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $25,000,000 for 

each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 1323(b)(2) of the Food 

Security Act of 1985 (Public Law 99–198; 7 U.S.C. 1932 note) 

is amended— 

(1) in subparagraph (A), by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting 

a period; and 

(3) by striking subparagraph (C). 

SEC. 6018. RURAL COLLEGE COORDINATED STRATEGY. 

Section 331 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1981) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(d) RURAL COLLEGE COORDINATED STRATEGY.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall develop a coordinated strategy across the relevant programs within the Rural 

Development mission areas to serve the specific, local needs 

of rural communities when making investments in rural 

community colleges and technical colleges through other 

authorities in effect on the date of enactment of this subsection. 

‘‘(2) CONSULTATION.—In developing a coordinated strategy, 

the Secretary shall consult with groups representing ruralserving community colleges and technical colleges to coordinate 

critical investments in rural community colleges and technical 

colleges involved in workforce training. 

‘‘(3) ADMINISTRATION.—Nothing in this subsection provides 

a priority for funding under authorities in effect on the date 

of enactment of this subsection. 

‘‘(4) USE.—The Secretary shall use the coordinated strategy 

and information developed for the strategy to more effectively 

serve rural communities with respect to investments in community colleges and technical colleges.’’. 

SEC. 6019. RURAL WATER AND WASTE DISPOSAL INFRASTRUCTURE. 

Section 333 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1983) is amended— 

(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 

‘‘require’’; 

(2) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘require’’ after ‘‘(1)’’; 

(3) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘, require’’ after ‘‘314’’; 

(4) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘require’’ after ‘‘loans,’’; 

(5) in paragraph (4)— 


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(A) by inserting ‘‘require’’ after ‘‘(4)’’; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 

(6) in paragraph (5)— 

(A) by inserting ‘‘require’’ after ‘‘(5)’’; and 

(B) by striking the period at the end and inserting 

‘‘; and’’; and 

(7) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(6) in the case of water and waste disposal direct and 

guaranteed loans provided under section 306, encourage, to 

the maximum extent practicable, private or cooperative lenders 

to finance rural water and waste disposal facilities by— 

‘‘(A) maximizing the use of loan guarantees to finance 

eligible projects in rural communities in which the population exceeds 5,500; 

‘‘(B) maximizing the use of direct loans to finance 

eligible projects in rural communities if the impact on 

ratepayers will be material when compared to financing 

with a loan guarantee; 

‘‘(C) establishing and applying a materiality standard 

when determining the difference in impact on ratepayers 

between a direct loan and a loan guarantee; 

‘‘(D) in the case of projects that require interim 

financing in excess of $500,000, requiring that the projects 

initially seek the financing from private or cooperative 

lenders; and 

‘‘(E) determining if an existing direct loan borrower 

can refinance with a private or cooperative lender, 

including with a loan guarantee, prior to providing a new 

direct loan.’’. 

SEC. 6020. SIMPLIFIED APPLICATIONS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 333A of the Consolidated Farm and 

Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1983a) is amended by adding 

at the end the following: 

‘‘(h) SIMPLIFIED APPLICATION FORMS.—Except as provided in 

subsection (g)(2), the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, develop a simplified application process, including a single 

page application if practicable, for grants and relending authorized 

under sections 306, 306C, 306D, 306E, 310B(b), 310B(c), 310B(e), 

310B(f), 310H, 379B, and 379E.’’. 

(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 2 years after the 

date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 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 that contains an evaluation of the implementation of the 

amendment made by subsection (a). 

SEC. 6021. NATIONAL RURAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP. 

Section 378 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 

Act (7 U.S.C. 2008m) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (g)(1), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’; and 

(2) in subsection (h), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’. 


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SEC. 6022. GRANTS FOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO TRANSMITTERS. 

Section 379B(d) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008p(d)) is amended by striking subsection 

(d) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000 for each 

of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

SEC. 6023. RURAL MICROENTREPRENEUR ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 

Section 379E(d) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008s(d)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1)— 

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

semicolon 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) $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2018.’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 6024. HEALTH CARE SERVICES. 

Section 379G(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008u(e)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 6025. STRATEGIC ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. 

Subtitle D of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1981 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

the following: 

‘‘SEC. 379H. STRATEGIC ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In the case of any rural development program described in subsection (d)(2), the Secretary may give priority 

to an application for a project that, as determined and approved 

by the Secretary— 

‘‘(1) meets the applicable eligibility requirements of this 

title; 

‘‘(2) will be carried out solely in a rural area; and 

‘‘(3) supports strategic community and economic development plans on a multijurisdictional basis. 

‘‘(b) RURAL AREA.—For purposes of subsection (a)(2), the Secretary shall consider an application to be for a project that will 

be carried out solely in a rural area only if— 

‘‘(1) in the case of an application for a project in the 

rural community facilities category described in subsection 

(d)(2)(A), the project will be carried out in a rural area described 

in section 343(a)(13)(C); 

‘‘(2) in the case of an application for a project in the 

rural utilities category described in subsection (d)(2)(B), the 

project will be carried out in a rural area described in section 

343(a)(13)(B); and 

‘‘(3) in the case of an application for a project in the 

rural business and cooperative development category described 

in subsection (d)(2)(C), the project will be carried out in a 

rural area described in section 343(a)(13)(A). 

‘‘(c) EVALUATION.— 

7 USC 2008v. 


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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In evaluating strategic applications, the 

Secretary shall give a higher priority to strategic applications 

for a plan described in subsection (a) that demonstrates to 

the Secretary— 

‘‘(A) the plan was developed through the collaboration 

of multiple stakeholders in the service area of the plan, 

including the participation of combinations of stakeholders 

such as State, local, and tribal governments, nonprofit 

institutions, institutions of higher education, and private 

entities; 

‘‘(B) an understanding of the applicable regional 

resources that could support the plan, including natural 

resources, human resources, infrastructure, and financial 

resources; 

‘‘(C) investment from other Federal agencies; 

‘‘(D) investment from philanthropic organizations; and 

‘‘(E) clear objectives for the plan and the ability to 

establish measurable performance measures and to track 

progress toward meeting the objectives. 

‘‘(2) CONSISTENCY WITH PLANS.—Applications involving 

State, county, municipal, or tribal governments shall include 

an indication of consistency with an adopted regional economic 

or community development plan. 

‘‘(d) FUNDS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (3) and subsection 

(e), the Secretary may reserve for projects that support multijurisdictional strategic community and economic development 

plans described in subsection (a) an amount that does not 

exceed 10 percent of the funds made available for a fiscal 

year for a functional category described in paragraph (2). 

‘‘(2) FUNCTIONAL CATEGORIES.—The functional categories 

described in this subsection are the following: 

‘‘(A) RURAL COMMUNITY FACILITIES CATEGORY.—The 

rural community facilities category consists of all amounts 

made available for community facility grants and direct 

and guaranteed loans under paragraph (1), (19), (20), (21), 

(24), or (25) of section 306(a). 

‘‘(B) RURAL UTILITIES CATEGORY.—The rural utilities 

category consists of all amounts made available for— 

‘‘(i) water or waste disposal grants or direct or 

guaranteed loans under paragraph (1), (2), or (24) of 

section 306(a); 

‘‘(ii) rural water or wastewater technical assistance 

and training grants under section 306(a)(14); 

‘‘(iii) emergency community water assistance 

grants under section 306A; or 

‘‘(iv) solid waste management grants under section 

310B(b). 

‘‘(C) RURAL BUSINESS AND COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT

CATEGORY.—The rural business and cooperative development category consists of all amounts made available for— 

‘‘(i) business and industry direct and guaranteed 

loans under section 310B(a)(2)(A); or 

‘‘(ii) rural business development grants under section 310B(c). 


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‘‘(3) PERIOD.—The reservation of funds described in paragraph (2) may only extend through June 30 of the fiscal year 

in which the funds were first made available. 

‘‘(e) APPROVED APPLICATIONS.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any applicant who submitted a rural 

development application that was approved before the date 

of enactment of this section may amend the application to 

qualify for the funds reserved under subsection (d)(1). 

‘‘(2) RURAL UTILITIES.—Any rural development application 

authorized under section 306(a)(2), 306(a)(14), 306(a)(24), 306A, 

or 310B(b) and approved by the Secretary before the date 

of enactment of this section shall be eligible for the funds 

reserved under subsection (d)(1) on the same basis as the 

applications submitted under this section until September 30, 

2016.’’. 

SEC. 6026. DELTA REGIONAL AUTHORITY. 

(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 382M(a) of 

the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 

2009aa–12(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

(b) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—Section 382N of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009aa–13) is 

amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 6027. NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS REGIONAL AUTHORITY. 

(a) AUDIT.—Section 383L(c) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Ac (7 U.S.C. 2009bb-10(c)) is amended by inserting 

‘‘for any fiscal year for which funds are appropriated’’ after ‘‘annual 

basis’’. 

(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 383N(a) of 

the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 

2009bb–12(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

(c) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—Section 383O of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009bb–13) is 

amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 6028. RURAL BUSINESS INVESTMENT PROGRAM. 

Section 384S of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009cc–18) is amended by striking ‘‘$50,000,000 for 

the period of fiscal years 2008 through 2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018’’. 

Subtitle B—Rural Electrification Act of 

1936 

SEC. 6101. FEES FOR CERTAIN LOAN GUARANTEES. 

The Rural Electrification Act of 1936 is amended by inserting 

after section 4 (7 U.S.C. 904) the following: 

‘‘SEC. 5. FEES FOR CERTAIN LOAN GUARANTEES. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—For electrification baseload generation loan 

guarantees, the Secretary shall, at the request of the borrower, 

charge an upfront fee to cover the costs of the loan guarantee. 

‘‘(b) FEE.—The fee described in subsection (a) for a loan guarantee shall be equal to the costs of the loan guarantee (within 

the meaning of section 502(5)(C) of the Federal Credit Reform 

Act of 1990 (2 U.S.C. 661a(5)(C))). 

7 USC 905. 


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‘‘(c) LIMITATION.—Funds received from a borrower to pay the 

fee described in this section shall not be derived from a loan 

or other debt obligation that is made or guaranteed by the Federal 

Government.’’. 

SEC. 6102. GUARANTEES FOR BONDS AND NOTES ISSUED FOR ELECTRIFICATION OR TELEPHONE PURPOSES. 

Section 313A(f) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 

940c–1(f)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 6103. EXPANSION OF 911 ACCESS. 

Section 315(d) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 

940e(d)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 6104. ACCESS TO BROADBAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES 

IN RURAL AREAS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 601 of the Rural Electrification Act 

of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (c), by striking paragraph (2) and inserting 

the following: 

‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—In making loans or loan guarantees under 

paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— 

‘‘(A) establish not less than 2 evaluation periods for 

each fiscal year to compare loan and loan guarantee 

applications and to prioritize loans and loan guarantees 

to all or part of rural communities that do not have residential broadband service that meets the minimum acceptable 

level of broadband service established under subsection 

(e); 

‘‘(B) give the highest priority to applicants that offer 

to provide broadband service to the greatest proportion 

of unserved households or households that do not have 

residential broadband service that meets the minimum 

acceptable level of broadband service established under 

subsection (e), as— 

‘‘(i) certified by the affected community, city, 

county, or designee; or 

‘‘(ii) demonstrated on— 

‘‘(I) the broadband map of the affected State 

if the map contains address-level data; or 

‘‘(II) the National Broadband Map if addresslevel data is unavailable; and 

‘‘(C) provide equal consideration to all qualified 

applicants, including applicants that have not previously 

received loans or loan guarantees under paragraph (1); 

and 

‘‘(D) give priority to applicants that offer in the applications of the applicants to provide broadband service not 

predominantly for business service, if at least 25 percent 

of the customers in the proposed service territory are 

commercial interests.’’; 

(2) in subsection (d)— 

(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking clause (i) and 

inserting the following: 

‘‘(i) demonstrate the ability to furnish, improve 

in order to meet the minimum acceptable level of 

broadband service established under subsection (e), or 

extend broadband service to all or part of an unserved 


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rural area or an area below the minimum acceptable 

level of broadband service established under subsection 

(e);’’; 

(B) in paragraph (2)— 

(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking clause (i) and 

inserting the following: 

‘‘(i) not less than 15 percent of the households 

in the proposed service territory are unserved or have 

service levels below the minimum acceptable level of 

broadband service established under subsection (e); 

and’’; 

(ii) in the heading of subparagraph (B), by striking 

‘‘25’’; and 

(iii) in subparagraph (C)— 

(I) in the subparagraph heading, by striking 

‘‘3 OR MORE’’; and 

(II) by striking clause (i) and inserting the 

following: 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in clause 

(ii), subparagraph (A)(ii) shall not apply to an incumbent service provider in the portion of a proposed 

service territory in which the provider is upgrading 

broadband service to meet the minimum acceptable 

level of broadband service established under subsection 

(e) for the existing territory of the incumbent service 

provider.’’; 

(C) in paragraph (3)(B), by adding at the end the 

following: 

‘‘(iii) INFORMATION.—Information submitted under 

this subparagraph shall be— 

‘‘(I) certified by the affected community, city, 

county, or designee; or 

‘‘(II) demonstrated on— 

‘‘(aa) the broadband map of the affected 

State if the map contains address-level data; 

or 

‘‘(bb) the National Broadband Map if 

address-level data is unavailable.’’; 

(D) by striking paragraph (5) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(5) NOTICE REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary shall promptly 

provide a fully searchable database on the website of the Rural 

Utilities Service that contains, at a minimum— 

‘‘(A) notice of each application for a loan or loan guarantee under this section describing the application, 

including— 

‘‘(i) the identity of the applicant; 

‘‘(ii) a description of each application, including— 

‘‘(I) each area proposed to be served by the 

applicant; and 

‘‘(II) the amount and type of support requested 

by each applicant; 

‘‘(iii) the status of each application; 

‘‘(iv) the estimated number and proportion relative 

to the service territory of households without terrestrial-based broadband service in those areas; and 


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‘‘(v) a list of the census block groups or proposed 

service territory, in a manner specified by the Secretary, that the applicant proposes to service; 

‘‘(B) notice of each entity receiving assistance under 

this section, including— 

‘‘(i) the name of the entity; 

‘‘(ii) the type of assistance being received; 

‘‘(iii) the purpose for which the entity is receiving 

the assistance; 

‘‘(iv) each semiannual report submitted under 

paragraph (8)(A) (redacted to protect any proprietary 

information in the report); and 

‘‘(C) such other information as is sufficient to allow 

the public to understand assistance provided under this 

section.’’; 

(E) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(8) REPORTING.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall require any 

entity receiving assistance under this section to submit 

a semiannual report for 3 years after completion of the 

project, in a format specified by the Secretary, that 

describes— 

‘‘(i) the use by the entity of the assistance, 

including new equipment and capacity enhancements 

that support high-speed broadband access for educational institutions, health care providers, and public 

safety service providers (including the estimated 

number of end users who are currently using or forecasted to use the new or upgraded infrastructure); 

and 

‘‘(ii) the progress towards fulfilling the objectives 

for which the assistance was granted, including— 

‘‘(I) the number and location of residences and 

businesses that will receive new broadband service, 

existing network service improvements, and 

facility upgrades resulting from the Federal assistance; 

‘‘(II) the speed of broadband service; 

‘‘(III) the average price of broadband service 

in a proposed service area; 

‘‘(IV) any changes in broadband service adoption rates, including new subscribers generated 

from demand-side projects; and 

‘‘(V) any metrics the Secretary determines to 

be appropriate; 

‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL REPORTING.—The Secretary may 

require any additional reporting and information by any 

recipient of any assistance under this section so as to 

ensure compliance with this section. 

‘‘(9) DEFAULT AND DEOBLIGATION.—In addition to other 

authority under applicable law, the Secretary shall establish 

written procedures for all broadband programs administered 

by the Rural Utilities Service under this or any other Act 

that, to the maximum extent practicable— 

‘‘(A) recover funds from loan defaults; 

‘‘(B) deobligate any awards, less allowable costs that 

demonstrate an insufficient level of performance (including 


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metrics determined by the Secretary) or fraudulent 

spending, to the extent funds with respect to the award 

are available in the account relating to the program established by this section; 

‘‘(C) award those funds, on a competitive basis, to 

new or existing applicants consistent with this section; 

and 

‘‘(D) minimize overlap among the programs. 

‘‘(10) SERVICE AREA ASSESSMENT.—The Secretary shall, 

with respect to an application for assistance under this section— 

‘‘(A) provide not less than 15 days for broadband service 

providers to voluntarily submit information concerning the 

broadband services that the providers offer in the census 

block groups or tracts described in paragraph (5)(A)(v) so 

that the Secretary may assess whether the applications 

submitted meet the eligibility requirements under this section; and 

‘‘(B) if no broadband service provider submits information under subparagraph (A), consider the number of providers in the census block group or tract to be established 

by using— 

‘‘(i) the most current National Broadband Map of 

the National Telecommunications and Information 

Administration; or 

‘‘(ii) any other data regarding the availability of 

broadband service that the Secretary may collect or 

obtain through reasonable efforts.’’; 

(3) in subsection (e)— 

(A) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); 

and 

(B) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), for purposes 

of this section, the minimum acceptable level of broadband 

service for a rural area shall be at least— 

‘‘(A) a 4-Mbps downstream transmission capacity; and 

‘‘(B) a 1-Mbps upstream transmission capacity. 

‘‘(2) ADJUSTMENTS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—At least once every 2 years, the 

Secretary shall review, and may adjust through notice published in the Federal Register, the minimum acceptable 

level of broadband service established under paragraph 

(1) to ensure that high quality, cost-effective broadband 

service is provided to rural areas over time. 

‘‘(B) CONSIDERATIONS.—In making an adjustment to 

the minimum acceptable level of broadband service under 

subparagraph (A), the Secretary may consider establishing 

different transmission rates for fixed broadband service 

and mobile broadband service.’’; 

(4) in subsection (g), by striking paragraph (2) and inserting 

the following: 

‘‘(2) TERMS.—In determining the term and conditions of 

a loan or loan guarantee, the Secretary may— 

‘‘(A) consider whether the recipient is or would be 

serving an area that is unserved or has service levels 


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below the minimum acceptable level of broadband service 

established under subsection (e); and 

‘‘(B) if the Secretary makes a determination in the 

affirmative under subparagraph (A), establish a limited 

initial deferral period or comparable terms necessary to 

achieve the financial feasibility and long-term sustainability of the project.’’; 

(5) in subsection (j)— 

(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘, including any 

loan terms or conditions for which the Secretary provided 

additional assistance to unserved areas’’ before the semicolon at the end; 

(B) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end; 

(C) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the 

end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(D) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(7) the overall progress towards fulfilling the goal of 

improving the quality of rural life by expanding rural 

broadband access, as demonstrated by metrics, including— 

‘‘(A) the number of residences and businesses receiving 

new broadband services; 

‘‘(B) network improvements, including facility upgrades 

and equipment purchases; 

‘‘(C) average broadband speeds and prices on a local 

and statewide basis; 

‘‘(D) any changes in broadband adoption rates; and 

‘‘(E) any specific activities that increased high speed 

broadband access for educational institutions, health care 

providers, and public safety service providers.’’; and 

(6) in subsections (k)(1) and (l), by striking ‘‘2012’’ each 

place it appears and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

(b) STUDY ON PROVIDING EFFECTIVE DATA FOR NATIONAL

BROADBAND MAP.—. 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation with the 

Secretary of Commerce and the Chairman of the Federal 

Communications Commission, shall conduct a study of the ways 

that data collected under the broadband programs of the Secretary of Agriculture could be most effectively shared with 

the Commission to support the development and maintenance 

of the National Broadband Map by the Commission. 

(2) INCLUSIONS.—The study shall include a consideration 

of the circumstances under which address-level data could be 

collected by the Secretary and appropriately shared with the 

Commission. 

(3) COMPLETION.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall complete the 

study required under this subsection. 

(4) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the date of 

completion of the study, the Secretary shall submit a report 

describing the results of the study to— 

(A) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives; 

(B) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 

House of Representatives; 

(C) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate; and 


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(D) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation of the Senate. 

SEC. 6105. RURAL GIGABIT NETWORK PILOT PROGRAM. 

Title VI of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 

950bb et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 603. RURAL GIGABIT NETWORK PILOT PROGRAM. 

‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF ULTRA-HIGH SPEED SERVICE.—In this section, the term ‘ultra-high speed service’ means broadband service 

operating at a 1 gigabit per second downstream transmission 

capacity. 

‘‘(b) PILOT PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall establish a pilot 

program to be known as the ‘Rural Gigabit Network Pilot Program’, 

under which the Secretary may, at the discretion of the Secretary, 

provide grants, loans, or loan guarantees to eligible entities. 

‘‘(c) ELIGIBILITY.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to obtain assistance under 

this section, an entity shall— 

‘‘(A) demonstrate to the Secretary the ability to furnish 

or extend ultra-high speed service to a rural area; 

‘‘(B) submit to the Secretary an application at such 

time, in such manner, and containing such information 

as the Secretary may require; 

‘‘(C) not already provide ultra-high speed service to 

a rural area within any State in the proposed service 

territory; and 

‘‘(D) agree to complete buildout of ultra-high speed 

service by not later than 3 years after the initial date 

on which assistance under this section is made available. 

‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—Assistance under this section may 

only be used to carry out a project in a proposed service territory 

if— 

‘‘(A) the proposed service territory is a rural area; 

and 

‘‘(B) ultra-high speed service is not provided in any 

part of the proposed service territory. 

‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each 

of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

Subtitle C—Miscellaneous 

SEC. 6201. DISTANCE LEARNING AND TELEMEDICINE. 

(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 2335A of the 

Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 

950aaa–5) is amended by striking ‘‘$100,000,000 for each of fiscal 

years 1996 through 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘$75,000,000 for each of 

fiscal years 2014 through 2018’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 1(b) of Public Law 102– 

551 (7 U.S.C. 950aaa note) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 6202. AGRICULTURAL TRANSPORTATION. 

Section 203(j) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 

U.S.C. 1622(j)) is amended by striking ‘‘the Interstate Commerce 

7 USC 950bb–2. 


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Commission, the Maritime Commission,,’’ and inserting ‘‘the Surface 

Transportation Board, the Federal Maritime Commission,’’. 

SEC. 6203. VALUE-ADDED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT MARKET 

DEVELOPMENT GRANTS. 

Section 231(b) of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 

(7 U.S.C. 1632a(b)) is amended— 

(1) by striking paragraph (6) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(6) PRIORITY.— ‘‘(A) ELIGIBLE INDEPENDENT PRODUCERS OF VALUE- ADDED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.—In awarding grants 

under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall give priority 

to— 

‘‘(i) operators of small- and medium-sized farms 

and ranches that are structured as family farms; 

‘‘(ii) beginning farmers or ranchers; 

‘‘(iii) socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers; 

and 

‘‘(iv) veteran farmers or ranchers (as defined in 

section 2501(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, 

and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e))). 

‘‘(B) ELIGIBLE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCER GROUPS, 

FARMER OR RANCHER COOPERATIVES, AND MAJORITY-CONTROLLED PRODUCER-BASED BUSINESS VENTURE.—In 

awarding grants under paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary 

shall give priority to projects (including farmer or rancher 

cooperative projects) that best contribute to creating or 

increasing marketing opportunities for operators, farmers, 

and ranchers described in subparagraph (A).’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (7)— 

(A) in subparagraph (A)— 

(i) by striking ‘‘On October 1, 2008,’’ and inserting 

‘‘On the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act 

of 2014,’’; and 

(ii) by striking ‘‘$15,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$63,000,000’’; and 

(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 6204. AGRICULTURE INNOVATION CENTER DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM. 

Section 6402(i) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 

Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 1632b(i)) is amended by striking ‘‘$6,000,000 

for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘$1,000,000 

for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018’’. 

SEC. 6205. RURAL ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM. 

Subtitle E of title VI of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 

Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–171; 116 Stat. 424) is amended by 

adding at the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 6407. RURAL ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM. 

‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to help rural 

families and small businesses achieve cost savings by providing 

loans to qualified consumers to implement durable cost-effective 

energy efficiency measures. 

‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible entity’ means— 

7 USC 8107a. 


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‘‘(A) any public power district, public utility district, 

or similar entity, or any electric cooperative described in 

section 501(c)(12) or 1381(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue 

Code of 1986, that borrowed and repaid, prepaid, or is 

paying an electric loan made or guaranteed by the Rural 

Utilities Service (or any predecessor agency); 

‘‘(B) any entity primarily owned or controlled by 1 

or more entities described in subparagraph (A); or 

‘‘(C) any other entity that is an eligible borrower of 

the Rural Utilities Service, as determined under section 

1710.101 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation). 

‘‘(2) ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES.—The term ‘energy efficiency measures’ means, for or at property served by an eligible 

entity, structural improvements and investments in cost-effective, commercial technologies to increase energy efficiency. 

‘‘(3) QUALIFIED CONSUMER.—The term ‘qualified consumer’ 

means a consumer served by an eligible entity that has the 

ability to repay a loan made under subsection (d), as determined 

by the eligible entity. 

‘‘(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary 

of Agriculture, acting through the Administrator of the Rural 

Utilities Service. 

‘‘(c) LOANS TO ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary 

shall make loans to eligible entities that agree to use the 

loan funds to make loans to qualified consumers for the purpose 

of implementing energy efficiency measures. 

‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—As a condition of receiving a loan 

under this subsection, an eligible entity shall— 

‘‘(i) establish a list of energy efficiency measures 

that is expected to decrease energy use or costs of 

qualified consumers; 

‘‘(ii) prepare an implementation plan for use of 

the loan funds, including use of any interest to be 

received pursuant to subsection (d)(1)(A); 

‘‘(iii) provide for appropriate measurement and 

verification to ensure— 

‘‘(I) the effectiveness of the energy efficiency 

loans made by the eligible entity; and 

‘‘(II) that there is no conflict of interest in 

carrying out this section; and 

‘‘(iv) demonstrate expertise in effective use of 

energy efficiency measures at an appropriate scale. 

‘‘(B) REVISION OF LIST OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES.—Subject to the approval of the Secretary, an eligible 

entity may update the list required under subparagraph 

(A)(i) to account for newly available efficiency technologies. 

‘‘(C) EXISTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS.—An 

eligible entity that, at any time before the date that is 

60 days after the date of enactment of this section, has 

established an energy efficiency program for qualified consumers may use an existing list of energy efficiency measures, implementation plan, or measurement and 

verification system of that program to satisfy the requirements of subparagraph (A) if the Secretary determines 


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the list, plan, or systems are consistent with the purposes 

of this section. 

‘‘(3) NO INTEREST.—A loan under this subsection shall bear 

no interest. 

‘‘(4) REPAYMENT.—With respect to a loan under paragraph 

(1)— 

‘‘(A) the term shall not exceed 20 years from the date 

on which the loan is closed; and 

‘‘(B) except as provided in paragraph (6), the repayment 

of each advance shall be amortized for a period not to 

exceed 10 years. 

‘‘(5) AMOUNT OF ADVANCES.—Any advance of loan funds 

to an eligible entity in any single year shall not exceed 50 

percent of the approved loan amount. 

‘‘(6) SPECIAL ADVANCE FOR START-UP ACTIVITIES.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In order to assist an eligible entity 

in defraying the appropriate start-up costs (as determined 

by the Secretary) of establishing new programs or modifying existing programs to carry out subsection (d), the 

Secretary shall allow an eligible entity to request a special 

advance. 

‘‘(B) AMOUNT.—No eligible entity may receive a special 

advance under this paragraph for an amount that is greater 

than 4 percent of the loan amount received by the eligible 

entity under paragraph (1). 

‘‘(C) REPAYMENT.—Repayment of the special advance— 

‘‘(i) shall be required during the 10-year period 

beginning on the date on which the special advance 

is made; and 

‘‘(ii) at the election of the eligible entity, may be 

deferred to the end of the 10-year period. 

‘‘(7) LIMITATION.—All special advances shall be made under 

a loan described in paragraph (1) during the first 10 years 

of the term of the loan. 

‘‘(d) LOANS TO QUALIFIED CONSUMERS.— ‘‘(1) TERMS OF LOANS.—Loans made by an eligible entity 

to qualified consumers using loan funds provided by the Secretary under subsection (c)— 

‘‘(A) may bear interest, not to exceed 3 percent, to 

be used for purposes that include— 

‘‘(i) to establish a loan loss reserve; and 

‘‘(ii) to offset personnel and program costs of 

eligible entities to provide the loans; 

‘‘(B) shall finance energy efficiency measures for the 

purpose of decreasing energy usage or costs of the qualified 

consumer by an amount that ensures, to the maximum 

extent practicable, that a loan term of not more than 10 

years will not pose an undue financial burden on the qualified consumer, as determined by the eligible entity; 

‘‘(C) shall not be used to fund purchases of, or modifications to, personal property unless the personal property 

is or becomes attached to real property (including a manufactured home) as a fixture; 

‘‘(D) shall be repaid through charges added to the 

electric bill for the property for, or at which, energy efficiency measures are or will be implemented, on the condition that this requirement does not prohibit— 


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‘‘(i) the voluntary prepayment of a loan by the 

owner of the property; or 

‘‘(ii) the use of any additional repayment mechanisms that are— 

‘‘(I) demonstrated to have appropriate risk 

mitigation features, as determined by the eligible 

entity; or 

‘‘(II) required if the qualified consumer is no 

longer a customer of the eligible entity; and 

‘‘(E) shall require an energy audit by an eligible entity 

to determine the impact of proposed energy efficiency measures on the energy costs and consumption of the qualified 

consumer. 

‘‘(2) CONTRACTORS.—In addition to any other qualified general contractor, eligible entities may serve as general contractors. 

‘‘(e) CONTRACT FOR MEASUREMENT AND VERIFICATION, 

TRAINING, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

of enactment of this section, the Secretary— 

‘‘(A) shall establish a plan for measurement and 

verification, training, and technical assistance of the program; and 

‘‘(B) may enter into 1 or more contracts with a qualified 

entity for the purposes of— 

‘‘(i) providing measurement and verification activities; and 

‘‘(ii) developing a program to provide technical 

assistance and training to the employees of eligible 

entities to carry out this section. 

‘‘(2) USE OF SUBCONTRACTORS AUTHORIZED.—A qualified 

entity that enters into a contract under paragraph (1) may 

use subcontractors to assist the qualified entity in carrying 

out the contract. 

‘‘(f) ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY.—The authority provided in this 

section is in addition to any other authority of the Secretary to 

offer loans under any other law. 

‘‘(g) EFFECTIVE PERIOD.—Subject to the availability of funds 

and except as otherwise provided in this section, the loans and 

other expenditures required to be made under this section shall 

be available until expended, with the Secretary authorized to make 

new loans as loans are repaid. 

‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this section $75,000,000 for each 

of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

SEC. 6206. STUDY OF RURAL TRANSPORTATION ISSUES. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Transportation shall publish an updated version of the 

study described in section 6206 of the Food, Conservation, and 

Energy Act of 2008 (as amended by subsection (b)). 

(b) ADDITION TO STUDY.—Section 6206(b) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Public Law 110–246; 122 Stat. 1971) 

is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end 

and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 


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(3) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(5) the sufficiency of infrastructure along waterways in 

the United States and the impact of the infrastructure on 

the movement of agricultural goods in terms of safety, efficiency 

and speed, as well as the benefits derived through upgrades 

and repairs to locks and dams.’’. 

(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year after the 

date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture and 

the Secretary of Transportation shall submit to Congress the 

updated version of the study required by subsection (a). 

SEC. 6207. REGIONAL ECONOMIC AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT. 

Section 15751 of title 40, United States Code, is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’; and 

(2) in subsection (b)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘Not more than’’ and inserting the 

following: 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), 

not more than’’; and 

(B) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(2) LIMITED FUNDING.—In a case in which less than 

$10,000,000 is made available to a Commission for a fiscal 

year under this section, paragraph (1) shall not apply.’’. 

SEC. 6208. DEFINITION OF RURAL AREA FOR PURPOSES OF THE 

HOUSING ACT OF 1949. 

The second sentence of section 520 of the Housing Act of 1949 

(42 U.S.C. 1490) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘1990 or 2000 decennial census shall continue to be so classified until the receipt of data from the 

decennial census in the year 2010’’ and inserting ‘‘1990, 2000, 

or 2010 decennial census, and any area deemed to be a ‘rural 

area’ for purposes of this title under any other provision of 

law at any time during the period beginning January 1, 2000, 

and ending December 31, 2010, shall continue to be so classified 

until the receipt of data from the decennial census in the 

year 2020’’; and 

(2) by striking ‘‘25,000’’ and inserting ‘‘35,000’’. 

SEC. 6209. PROGRAM METRICS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall collect data regarding 

economic activities created through grants and loans, including 

any technical assistance provided as a component of the grant 

or loan program, and measure the short- and long-term viability 

of award recipients and any entities to whom those recipients 

provide assistance using award funds, under— 

(1) section 231 of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act 

of 2000 (7 U.S.C. 1632a); 

(2) section 313(b)(2) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 

(7 U.S.C. 940c(b)(2)); or 

(3) section 310B(c), 310B(e), 310B(g), 310H, or 379E, or 

subtitle E, of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(c), 1932(e), 1932(g), 2008s, 2009 et seq.). 

(b) DATA.—The data collected under subsection (a) shall include 

information collected from recipients both during the award period 

7 USC 2207b. 


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and for a period of time, as determined by the Secretary, which 

is not less than 2 years after the award period ends. 

(c) REPORT.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 4 years after the date 

of enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the 

Secretary 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 that 

contains the data described in subsection (a). 

(2) DETAILED INFORMATION.—The report shall include 

detailed information regarding— 

(A) actions taken by the Secretary to use the data; 

(B) the percentage increase of employees; 

(C) the number of business starts and clients served; 

(D) any benefit, such as an increase in revenue or 

customer base; and 

(E) such other information as the Secretary considers 

appropriate. 

SEC. 6210. FUNDING OF PENDING RURAL DEVELOPMENT LOAN AND 

GRANT APPLICATIONS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall use funds made available 

under subsection (b) to provide funds for applications that are 

pending on the date of enactment of this Act in accordance with 

the terms and conditions of section 6029 of the Food, Conservation, 

and Energy Act of 2008 (Public Law 110–246; 122 Stat. 1955). 

(b) FUNDING.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 

beginning in fiscal year 2014, of the funds of the Commodity Credit 

Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this section 

$150,000,000, to remain available until expended. 

TITLE VII—RESEARCH, EXTENSION, 

AND RELATED MATTERS 

Subtitle A—National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy 

Act of 1977 

SEC. 7101. OPTION TO BE INCLUDED AS NON-LAND-GRANT COLLEGE 

OF AGRICULTURE. 

Section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103) is amended— 

(1) by striking paragraph (5) and inserting the following 

new paragraph: 

‘‘(5) COOPERATING FORESTRY SCHOOL.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘cooperating forestry 

school’ means an institution— 

‘‘(i) that is eligible to receive funds under Public 

Law 87–788 (commonly known as the McIntire-Stennis 

Cooperative Forestry Act; 16 U.S.C. 582a et seq.); and 

‘‘(ii) with respect to which the Secretary has not 

received a declaration of the intent of that institution 

to not be considered a cooperating forestry school. 


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‘‘(B) TERMINATION OF DECLARATION.—A declaration of 

the intent of an institution to not be considered a cooperating forestry school submitted to the Secretary shall be 

in effect until September 30, 2018.’’; 

(2) in paragraph (10)— 

(A) in subparagraph (A)— 

(i) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 

‘‘that’’; 

(ii) in clause (i)— 

(I) by inserting ‘‘that’’ before ‘‘qualify’’; and 

(II) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(iii) in clause (ii)— 

(I) by inserting ‘‘that’’ before ‘‘offer’’; and 

(II) by striking the period at the end and 

inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(iv) by adding at the end the following new clause: 

‘‘(iii) with respect to which the Secretary has not 

received a declaration of the intent of a college or 

university to not be considered a Hispanic-serving agricultural college or university.’’; and 

(B) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: 

‘‘(C) TERMINATION OF DECLARATION OF INTENT.—A declaration of the intent of a college or university to not 

be considered a Hispanic-serving agricultural college or 

university submitted to the Secretary shall be in effect 

until September 30, 2018.’’; and 

(3) in paragraph (14)— 

(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘agriculture or 

forestry’’ and inserting ‘‘food and agricultural sciences’’; 

(B) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C); and 

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

new subparagraph: 

‘‘(B) DESIGNATION.—Not later than 90 days after the 

date of the enactment of this subparagraph, the Secretary 

shall establish an ongoing process through which public 

colleges or universities may apply for designation as an 

NLGCA Institution.’’. 

SEC. 7102. NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, EDUCATION, AND ECONOMICS ADVISORY BOARD. 

(a) EXTENSION OF TERMINATION DATE.—Section 1408(h) of the 

National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy 

Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123(h)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

(b) DUTIES OF NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, 

EDUCATION, AND ECONOMICS ADVISORY BOARD.—Section 1408(c) of 

the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy 

Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123(c)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘Committee on Appropriations of the 

Senate’’ and all that follows through the semi-colon and 

inserting ‘‘Committee on Appropriations of the Senate on— 

’’; and 

(B) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs: 


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‘‘(A) long-term and short-term national policies and 

priorities consistent with the purposes specified in section 

1402 for agricultural research, extension, education, and 

economics; and 

‘‘(B) the annual establishment of priorities that— 

‘‘(i) are in accordance with the purposes specified 

in a provision of a covered law (as defined in subsection 

(d) of section 1492) under which competitive grants 

(described in subsection (c) of such section) are 

awarded; and 

‘‘(ii) the Board determines are national priorities.’’; 

(2) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(3) in paragraph (4)— 

(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘the national 

research policies and priorities set forth in’’ inserting 

‘‘national research policies and priorities that are consistent 

with the purposes specified in’’; and 

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

the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(4) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(5) consult with industry groups on agricultural research, 

extension, education, and economics, and make recommendations to the Secretary based on that consultation.’’. 

SEC. 7103. SPECIALTY CROP COMMITTEE. 

(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF SUBCOMMITTEE.—Section 1408A(a) of 

the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy 

Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123a(a)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘Not later than’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(2) CITRUS DISEASE SUBCOMMITTEE.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 45 days after the 

date of the enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, 

the Secretary shall establish within the speciality 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 412 of the Agricultural 

Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 

(7 U.S.C. 7632). 

‘‘(B) COMPOSITION.—The citrus disease subcommittee 

shall be composed of 9 members, each of whom is a 

domestic producer of citrus in a State, represented as follows: 

‘‘(i) Three 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 1408 as 

members of the citrus disease subcommittee 

‘‘(D) TERMINATION.—The subcommittee established 

under subparagraph (A) shall terminate on September 30, 

2018. 


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‘‘(E) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT.—The subcommittee established under subparagraph (A) shall be 

covered by the exemption to section 9(c) of the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) applicable to the 

Advisory Board under section 1408(f).’’. 

(b) MEMBERS.—Section 1408A(b) of the National Agricultural 

Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 

3123a(b)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘Individuals’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) ELIGIBILITY.—Individuals’’; 

(2) by striking ‘‘Members’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘(2) SERVICE.—Members’’; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(3) DIVERSITY.—Membership of the specialty crops committee shall reflect diversity in the specialty crops represented.’’. 

(c) ANNUAL COMMITTEE REPORT.—Section 1408A(c) of the 

National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy 

Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123a(c)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Measures’’ and inserting 

‘‘Programs’’; 

(2) by striking paragraph (2); 

(3) by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) as paragraphs (2), (3), and (4), respectively; 

(4) in paragraph (2) (as so redesignated)— 

(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by 

striking ‘‘Programs that would’’ and inserting ‘‘Research, 

extension, and teaching programs designed to improve 

competitiveness in the specialty crop industry, including 

programs that would’’; 

(B) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ‘‘, including 

improving the quality and taste of processed specialty 

crops’’ before the semicolon; and 

(C) in subparagraph (G), by inserting ‘‘the remote 

sensing and the’’ before ‘‘mechanization’’; and 

(5) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(5) Analysis of the alignment of specialty crops committee 

recommendations with grants awarded through the specialty 

crop research initiative established under section 412 of the 

Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act 

of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7632).’’. 

(d) CONSULTATION WITH SPECIALTY CROP INDUSTRY.—Section 

1408A of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and 

Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123a) is amended— 

(1) by redesignating subsections (d) and (e) as subsections 

(e) and (f), respectively; 

(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following: 

‘‘(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.’’; and 

(3) in subsection (f) (as redesignated by paragraph (1)), 

by striking ‘‘subsection (d)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (e)’’. 

(e) DUTIES OF CITRUS DISEASE SUBCOMMITTEE.—Section 1408A 

of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching 

Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123a), as amended by subsection 


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128 STAT. 866 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

(d), is further amended by adding at the end the following new 

subsection: 

‘‘(g) CITRUS DISEASE SUBCOMMITTEE DUTIES.—For the purposes 

of subsection (j) of section 412 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7632), 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.’’. 

SEC. 7104. VETERINARY SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM. 

The National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching 

Policy Act of 1977 is amended by inserting after section 1415A 

(7 U.S.C. 3151a) the following new section: 

‘‘SEC. 1415B. VETERINARY SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM. 

‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

‘‘(1) QUALIFIED ENTITY.—The term ‘qualified entity’ 

means— 

‘‘(A) a for-profit or nonprofit entity located in the 

United States that, or an individual who, operates a veterinary clinic providing veterinary services— 

‘‘(i) in a rural area, as defined in section 343(a) 

of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act 

(7 U.S.C. 1991(a)); and 

‘‘(ii) in a veterinarian shortage situation; 

‘‘(B) a State, national, allied, or regional veterinary 

organization or specialty board recognized by the American 

Veterinary Medical Association; 

‘‘(C) a college or school of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association; 

‘‘(D) a university research foundation or veterinary 

medical foundation; 

7 USC 3151b. 


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‘‘(E) a department of veterinary science or department 

of comparative medicine accredited by the Department of 

Education; 

‘‘(F) a State agricultural experiment station; or 

‘‘(G) a State, local, or tribal government agency. 

‘‘(2) VETERINARIAN SHORTAGE SITUATION.—The term ‘veterinarian shortage situation’ means a veterinarian shortage situation as determined by the Secretary under section 1415A. 

‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT.— ‘‘(1) COMPETITIVE GRANTS.—The Secretary shall carry out 

a program to make competitive grants to qualified entities 

that carry out programs or activities described in paragraph 

(2) for the purpose of developing, implementing, and sustaining 

veterinary services. 

‘‘(2) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.—A qualified entity shall 

be eligible to receive a grant described in paragraph (1) if 

the entity carries out programs or activities that the Secretary 

determines will— 

‘‘(A) substantially relieve veterinarian shortage situations; 

‘‘(B) support or facilitate private veterinary practices 

engaged in public health activities; or 

‘‘(C) support or facilitate the practices of veterinarians 

who are providing or have completed providing services 

under an agreement entered into with the Secretary under 

section 1415A(a)(2). 

‘‘(c) AWARD PROCESSES AND PREFERENCES.— 

‘‘(1) APPLICATION, EVALUATION, AND INPUT PROCESSES.— 

In administering the grant program established under this 

section, the Secretary shall— 

‘‘(A) use an appropriate application and evaluation 

process, as determined by the Secretary; and 

‘‘(B) seek the input of interested persons. 

‘‘(2) COORDINATION PREFERENCE.—In selecting recipients 

of grants to be used for any of the purposes described in 

subsection (d)(1), the Secretary shall give a preference to qualified entities that provide documentation of coordination with 

other qualified entities, with respect to any such purpose. 

‘‘(3) CONSIDERATION OF AVAILABLE FUNDS.—In selecting 

recipients of grants to be used for any of the purposes described 

in subsection (d), the Secretary shall take into consideration 

the amount of funds available for grants and the purposes 

for which the grant funds will be used. 

‘‘(4) NATURE OF GRANTS.—A grant awarded under this section shall be considered to be a competitive research, extension, 

or education grant. 

‘‘(d) USE OF GRANTS TO RELIEVE VETERINARIAN SHORTAGE

SITUATIONS AND SUPPORT VETERINARY SERVICES.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), 

a qualified entity may use funds provided by a grant awarded 

under this section to relieve veterinarian shortage situations 

and support veterinary services for any of the following purposes: 

‘‘(A) To promote recruitment (including for programs 

in secondary schools), placement, and retention of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, students of veterinary 

medicine, and students of veterinary technology. 


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‘‘(B) To allow veterinary students, veterinary interns, 

externs, fellows, and residents, and veterinary technician 

students to cover expenses (other than the types of 

expenses described in section 1415A(c)(5)) to attend 

training programs in food safety or food animal medicine. 

‘‘(C) To establish or expand accredited veterinary education programs (including faculty recruitment and retention), veterinary residency and fellowship programs, or veterinary internship and externship programs carried out 

in coordination with accredited colleges of veterinary medicine. 

‘‘(D) To provide continuing education and extension, 

including veterinary telemedicine and other distance-based 

education, for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and 

other health professionals needed to strengthen veterinary 

programs and enhance food safety. 

‘‘(E) To provide technical assistance for the preparation 

of applications submitted to the Secretary for designation 

as a veterinarian shortage situation under this section 

or section 1415A. 

‘‘(2) QUALIFIED ENTITIES OPERATING VETERINARY CLINICS.— 

A qualified entity described in subsection (a)(1)(A) may only 

use funds provided by a grant awarded under this section 

to establish or expand veterinary practices, including— 

‘‘(A) equipping veterinary offices; 

‘‘(B) sharing in the reasonable overhead costs of such 

veterinary practices, as determined by the Secretary; or 

‘‘(C) establishing mobile veterinary facilities in which 

a portion of the facilities will address education or extension 

needs. 

‘‘(e) SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN GRANTS.— 

‘‘(1) TERMS OF SERVICE REQUIREMENTS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Funds provided through a grant 

made under this section to a qualified entity described 

in subsection (a)(1)(A) and used by such entity under subsection (d)(2) shall be subject to an agreement between 

the Secretary and such entity that includes a required 

term of service for such entity (including a qualified entity 

operating as an individual), as established by the Secretary. 

‘‘(B) CONSIDERATIONS.—In establishing a term of 

service under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall consider only— 

‘‘(i) the amount of the grant awarded; and 

‘‘(ii) the specific purpose of the grant. 

‘‘(2) BREACH REMEDIES.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An agreement under paragraph (1) 

shall provide remedies for any breach of the agreement 

by the qualified entity referred to in paragraph (1)(A), 

including repayment or partial repayment of the grant 

funds, with interest. 

‘‘(B) WAIVER.—The Secretary may grant a waiver of 

the repayment obligation for breach of contract if the Secretary determines that such qualified entity demonstrates 

extreme hardship or extreme need. 

‘‘(C) TREATMENT OF AMOUNTS RECOVERED.—Funds 

recovered under this paragraph shall— 


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‘‘(i) be credited to the account available to carry 

out this section; and 

‘‘(ii) remain available until expended without further appropriation. 

‘‘(f) PROHIBITION ON USE OF GRANT FUNDS FOR CONSTRUC- TION.—Except as provided in subsection (d)(2), funds made available 

for grants under this section may not be used— 

‘‘(1) to construct a new building or facility; or 

‘‘(2) to acquire, expand, remodel, or alter an existing 

building or facility, including site grading and improvement 

and architect fees. 

‘‘(g) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 

the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations to carry out this section. 

‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 

to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section 

$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2014 and each fiscal year thereafter, 

to remain available until expended.’’. 

SEC. 7105. GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 

SCIENCES EDUCATION. 

Section 1417(m) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3152(m)) is amended 

by striking ‘‘section $60,000,000’’ and all that follows and inserting 

the following: ‘‘section— 

‘‘(1) $60,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1990 through 2013; 

and 

‘‘(2) $40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2018.’’. 

SEC. 7106. AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD POLICY RESEARCH CENTERS. 

Section 1419A of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3155) is amended— 

(1) in the section heading, by inserting ‘‘AGRICULTURAL

AND FOOD’’ before ‘‘POLICY’’; 

(2) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph 

(1)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘Secretary may’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary shall, acting through the Office of the Chief Economist,’’; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘make grants, competitive grants, and 

special research grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements and other contracting instruments with,’’ and 

inserting ‘‘make competitive grants to, or enter into 

cooperative agreements with,’’; 

(3) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following 

new subsection: 

‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS.—An entity eligible to apply for 

funding under subsection (a) is a State agricultural experiment 

station, college or university, or other public research institution 

or organization that has a history of providing— 

‘‘(1) unbiased, nonpartisan economic analysis to Congress 

on the areas specified in paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (a); or 

‘‘(2) objective, scientific information to Federal agencies 

and the public to support and enhance efficient, accurate 

implementation of Federal drought preparedness and drought 


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response programs, including interagency thresholds used to 

determine eligibility for mitigation or emergency assistance.’’; 

(4) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections 

(d) and (e), respectively; 

(5) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection: 

‘‘(c) PREFERENCE.—In making awards under this section, the 

Secretary shall give a preference to policy research centers that 

have— 

‘‘(1) extensive databases, models, and demonstrated experience in providing Congress with agricultural market projections, rural development analysis, agricultural policy analysis, 

and baseline projections at the farm, multiregional, national, 

and international levels; or 

‘‘(2) information, analysis, and research relating to drought 

mitigation.’’; 

(6) in subsection (d)(2) (as redesignated by paragraph (4)), 

by inserting ‘‘applied’’ after ‘‘theoretical and’’; and 

(7) by striking subsection (e) (as redesignated by paragraph 

(4)) and inserting the following new subsection: 

‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each 

of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

SEC. 7107. EDUCATION GRANTS TO ALASKA NATIVE SERVING INSTITUTIONS AND NATIVE HAWAIIAN SERVING INSTITUTIONS. 

Section 1419B of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3156) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a)— 

(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘(or grants without 

regard to any requirement for competition)’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’; and 

(2) in subsection (b)— 

(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘(or grants without 

regard to any requirement for competition)’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 7108. REPEAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION INTERVENTION AND 

HEALTH PROMOTION RESEARCH PROGRAM. 

Section 1424 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3174) is repealed. 

SEC. 7109. REPEAL OF PILOT RESEARCH PROGRAM TO COMBINE MEDICAL AND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH. 

Section 1424A of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3174a) is repealed. 

SEC. 7110. NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAM. 

Section 1425(f) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3175(f)) is amended 

by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 


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SEC. 7111. CONTINUING ANIMAL HEALTH AND DISEASE RESEARCH 

PROGRAMS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1433 of the National Agricultural 

Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 

3195) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 1433. CONTINUING ANIMAL HEALTH AND DISEASE, FOOD SECURITY, AND STEWARDSHIP RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND 

EXTENSION PROGRAMS. 

‘‘(a) CAPACITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In each State with one or more accredited colleges of veterinary medicine, the deans of the accredited 

college or colleges and the director of the State agricultural 

experiment station shall develop a comprehensive animal 

health and disease research program for the State based on 

the animal health research capacity of each eligible institution 

in the State, which shall be submitted to the Secretary for 

approval and shall be used for the allocation of funds available 

to the State under this section. 

‘‘(2) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible institution allocated funds 

to carry out animal health and disease research under this 

section may only use such funds— 

‘‘(A) to meet the expenses of conducting animal health 

and disease research, publishing and disseminating the 

results of such research, and contributing to the retirement 

of employees subject to the Act of March 4, 1940 (7 U.S.C. 

331); 

‘‘(B) for administrative planning and direction; and 

‘‘(C) to purchase equipment and supplies necessary 

for conducting research described in subparagraph (A). 

‘‘(3) COOPERATION AMONG ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS.—The Secretary, to the maximum extent practicable, shall encourage 

eligible institutions to cooperate in setting research priorities 

under this section through conducting regular regional and 

national meetings. 

‘‘(b) COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, for purposes of addressing 

the critical needs of animal agriculture, shall award competitive 

grants to eligible entities under which such eligible entities— 

‘‘(A) conduct research— 

‘‘(i) to promote food security, such as by— 

‘‘(I) improving feed efficiency; 

‘‘(II) improving energetic efficiency; 

‘‘(III) connecting genomics, proteomics, 

metabolomics and related phenomena to animal 

production; 

‘‘(IV) improving reproductive efficiency; and 

‘‘(V) enhancing pre- and post-harvest food 

safety systems; and 

‘‘(ii) on the relationship between animal and 

human health, such as by— 

‘‘(I) exploring new approaches for vaccine 

development; 

‘‘(II) understanding and controlling zoonosis, 

including its impact on food safety; 

‘‘(III) improving animal health through feed; 

and 


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‘‘(IV) enhancing product quality and nutritive 

value; and 

‘‘(B) develop and disseminate to the public tools and 

information based on the research conducted under 

subparagraph (A) and sound science. 

‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—An entity eligible to receive a 

grant under this subsection is any of the following: 

‘‘(A) A State cooperative institution. 

‘‘(B) An NLGCA Institution. 

‘‘(3) ADMINISTRATION.—In carrying out this subsection, the 

Secretary shall establish procedures— 

‘‘(A) to seek and accept proposals for grants; 

‘‘(B) to review and determine the relevance and merit 

of proposals, in consultation with representatives of the 

animal agriculture industry; 

‘‘(C) to provide a scientific peer review of each proposal 

conducted by a panel of subject matter experts from Federal 

agencies, academic institutions, State animal health agencies, and the animal agriculture industry; and 

‘‘(D) to award competitive grants on the basis of merit, 

quality, and relevance. 

‘‘(c) FUNDING.— 

‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are 

authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018. 

‘‘(2) RESERVATION OF FUNDS.—The Secretary shall reserve 

not less than $5,000,000 of the funds made available under 

paragraph (1) to carry out the capacity and infrastructure program under subsection (a). 

‘‘(3) INITIAL APPORTIONMENT.—The amounts made available 

under paragraph (1) that are remaining after the reservation 

of funds under paragraph (2), shall be apportioned as follows: 

‘‘(A) 15 percent of such amounts shall be used to carry 

out the capacity and infrastructure program under subsection (a). 

‘‘(B) 85 percent of such funds shall be used to carry 

out the competitive grant program under subsection (b). 

‘‘(4) ADDITIONAL APPORTIONMENT.—The funds reserved 

under paragraph (2) and apportioned under paragraph (3)(A) 

to carry out the capacity and infrastructure program under 

subsection (a) shall be apportioned as follows: 

‘‘(A) Four percent shall be retained by the Department 

of Agriculture for administration, program assistance to 

the eligible institutions, and program coordination. 

‘‘(B) 48 percent shall be distributed among the several 

States in the proportion that the value of and income 

to producers from domestic livestock, poultry, and commercial aquaculture species in each State bears to the total 

value of and income to producers from domestic livestock, 

poultry, and commercial aquaculture species in all the 

States. The Secretary shall determine the total value of 

and income from domestic livestock, poultry, and commercial aquaculture species in all the States and the proportionate value of and income from domestic livestock, 

poultry, and commercial aquaculture species for each State, 

based on the most current inventory of all cattle, sheep, 


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swine, horses, poultry, and commercial aquaculture species 

published by the Department of Agriculture. 

‘‘(C) 48 percent shall be distributed among the several 

States in the proportion that the animal health research 

capacity of the eligible institutions in each State bears 

to the total animal health research capacity in all the 

States. The Secretary shall determine the animal health 

research capacity of the eligible institutions. 

‘‘(5) SPECIAL RULES FOR APPORTIONMENT OF CERTAIN

FUNDS.—With respect to funds reserved under paragraph (2) 

and apportioned under paragraph (3)(A) to carry out the 

capacity and infrastructure program under subsection (a), the 

following shall apply: 

‘‘(A) When the amount available under this section 

for allotment to any State on the basis of domestic livestock, 

poultry, and commercial aquaculture species values and 

incomes exceeds the amount for which the eligible institution or institutions in the State are eligible on the basis 

of animal health research capacity, the excess may be 

used, at the discretion of the Secretary, for remodeling 

of facilities, construction of new facilities, or increase in 

staffing, proportionate to the need for added research 

capacity. 

‘‘(B) Whenever a new college of veterinary medicine 

is established in a State and is accredited, the Secretary, 

after consultation with the dean of such college and the 

director of the State agricultural experiment station and 

where applicable, deans of other accredited colleges in the 

State, shall provide for the reallocation of funds available 

to the State pursuant to paragraph (4) between the new 

college and other eligible institutions in the State, based 

on the animal health research capacity of each eligible 

institution. 

‘‘(C) Whenever two or more States jointly establish 

an accredited regional college of veterinary medicine or 

jointly support an accredited college of veterinary medicine 

serving the States involved, the Secretary is authorized 

to make funds which are available to such States pursuant 

to paragraph (4) available for such college in such amount 

that reflects the combined relative value of, and income 

from, domestic livestock, poultry, and commercial aquaculture species in the cooperating States, such amount 

to be adjusted, as necessary, pursuant to subsection (a)(1) 

and subparagraph (B).’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

(1) DEFINITION OF STATE COOPERATIVE INSTITUTION.—Section 1404(18) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103(18)) is 

amended— 

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

(B) in subparagraph (F), by striking ‘‘subtitles E, G,’’ 

and inserting ‘‘subtitles G,’’; 

(C) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as subparagraph 

(G); and 

(D) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following 

new subparagraph: 

‘‘(F) section 1430; and’’. 


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(2) DEFINITION OF CAPACITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE PRO- GRAM.—Section 251(f)(1)(C)(vi) of the Department of Agriculture 

Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6971(f)(1)(C)(vi)) is 

amended by inserting ‘‘except for the competitive grant program 

under section 1433(b)’’ before the period at the end. 

(3) SUBTITLE E OF THE NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND TEACHING POLICY ACT OF 1977.—Subtitle E 

of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching 

Policy Act of 1977 is amended— 

(A) in section 1431(a) (7 U.S.C. 3193(a)), by inserting 

‘‘under sections 1433(a) and 1434’’ after ‘‘eligible institutions’’; 

(B) in section 1435 (7 U.S.C. 3197), by striking ‘‘for 

allocation under the terms of this subtitle’’ and inserting 

‘‘to carry out sections 1433(a) and 1434’’; 

(C) in section 1436 (7 U.S.C. 3198), in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘section 1433 of this title’’ and inserting 

‘‘subsection (c) of section 1433 to carry out subsection (a) 

of such section’’; 

(D) in section 1437 (7 U.S.C. 3199), in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘States under section 1433 of this title’’ 

and inserting ‘‘States under subsection (c) of section 1433 

to carry out subsection (a) of such section’’; 

(E) in section 1438 (7 U.S.C. 3200), in the first sentence 

by striking ‘‘under this subtitle’’ and inserting ‘‘under subsection (c) of section 1433 to carry out subsection (a) of 

such section’’; and 

(F) in section 1439 (7 U.S.C. 3201), by striking ‘‘under 

this subtitle’’ and inserting ‘‘under subsection (c) of section 

1433 to carry out subsection (a) of such section or section 

1434, as applicable,’’. 

(4) AUTHORIZATION FOR APPROPRIATIONS FOR EXISTING AND

CERTAIN NEW AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS.—Section 

1463(c) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and 

Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3311(c)) is amended 

by striking ‘‘sections 1433 and 1434’’ and inserting ‘‘sections 

1433(a) and 1434’’. 

SEC. 7112. GRANTS TO UPGRADE AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SCIENCES 

FACILITIES AT 1890 LAND-GRANT COLLEGES, INCLUDING 

TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY. 

Section 1447(b) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3222b(b)) is amended 

by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 7113. GRANTS TO UPGRADE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SCIENCE 

FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT AT INSULAR AREA LANDGRANT INSTITUTIONS. 

(a) SUPPORTING TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL AGRICULTURAL

RESEARCH.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1447B(a) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 

(7 U.S.C. 3222b–2(a)) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—It is the intent of Congress to assist the landgrant colleges and universities in the insular areas in efforts to— 

‘‘(1) acquire, alter, or repair facilities or relevant equipment 

necessary for conducting agricultural research; and 


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‘‘(2) support tropical and subtropical agricultural research, 

including pest and disease research.’’. 

(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 1447B of the 

National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy 

Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3222b–2) is amended in the heading— 

(A) by inserting ‘‘AND SUPPORT TROPICAL AND SUB- TROPICAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH’’ after ‘‘EQUIPMENT’’; 

and 

(B) by striking ‘‘INSTITUTIONS’’ and inserting ‘‘COL- LEGES AND UNIVERSITIES’’. 

(b) EXTENSION.—Section 1447B(d) of the National Agricultural 

Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 

3222b–2(d)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 7114. REPEAL OF NATIONAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING VIRTUAL 

CENTERS. 

Section 1448 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3222c) is repealed. 

SEC. 7115. HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS. 

Section 1455(c) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3241(c)) is amended 

by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 7116. COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM FOR HISPANIC AGRICULTURAL WORKERS AND YOUTH. 

Section 1456(e)(1) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3243(e)(1)) is 

amended to read as follows: 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a competitive grants program— 

‘‘(A) to fund fundamental and applied research and 

extension at Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and 

universities in agriculture, human nutrition, food science, 

bioenergy, and environmental science; and 

‘‘(B) to award competitive grants to Hispanic-serving 

agricultural colleges and universities to provide for training 

in the food and agricultural sciences of Hispanic agricultural workers and Hispanic youth working in the food 

and agricultural sciences.’’. 

SEC. 7117. COMPETITIVE GRANTS FOR INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS. 

Section 1459A(c) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3292b(c)) is amended 

to read as follows: 

‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this section— 

‘‘(1) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 

1999 through 2013; and 

‘‘(2) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

SEC. 7118. REPEAL OF RESEARCH EQUIPMENT GRANTS. 

Section 1462A of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3310a) is repealed. 

SEC. 7119. UNIVERSITY RESEARCH. 

Section 1463 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3311) is amended by 


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striking ‘‘2012’’ each place it appears in subsections (a) and (b) 

and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 7120. EXTENSION SERVICE. 

Section 1464 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3312) is amended by 

striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 7121. AUDITING, REPORTING, BOOKKEEPING, AND ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS. 

Section 1469 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3315) is amended— 

(1) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), and (d) as subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively; and 

(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new subsection: 

‘‘(b) AGREEMENTS WITH FORMER AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT.—To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary, for purposes of supporting ongoing research 

and information dissemination activities, including supporting 

research and those activities through co-locating scientists and other 

technical personnel, sharing of laboratory and field equipment, and 

providing financial support, shall enter into grants, contracts, 

cooperative agreements, or other legal instruments with former 

Department of Agriculture agricultural research facilities.’’. 

SEC. 7122. SUPPLEMENTAL AND ALTERNATIVE CROPS. 

(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS AND TERMINATION.— 

Section 1473D of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3319d) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: 

‘‘(e) There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 

section— 

‘‘(1) such sums as are necessary for fiscal year 2013; and 

‘‘(2) $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

(b) COMPETITIVE GRANTS.—Section 1473D(c)(1) of the National 

Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 

(7 U.S.C. 3319d(c)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘use such research 

funding, special or competitive grants, or other means, as the Secretary determines,’’ and inserting ‘‘make competitive grants’’. 

SEC. 7123. CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS FOR NLGCA INSTITUTIONS. 

Section 1473F(b) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3319i(b)) is amended 

by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 7124. AQUACULTURE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. 

(a) COMPETITIVE GRANTS.—Section 1475(b) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 

U.S.C. 3322(b)) is amended in the matter preceding paragraph 

(1), by inserting ‘‘competitive’’ before ‘‘grants’’. 

(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 1477 of the 

National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy 

Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3324) is amended to read as follows: 


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‘‘SEC. 1477. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appropriated 

to carry out this subtitle— ‘‘(1) $7,500,000 for each of fiscal years 1991 through 2013; 

and 

‘‘(2) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018. 

‘‘(b) PROHIBITION ON USE.—Funds made available under this 

section may not be used to acquire or construct a building.’’. 

SEC. 7125. RANGELAND RESEARCH PROGRAMS. 

Section 1483(a) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3336(a)) is amended 

by striking ‘‘subtitle’’ and all that follows and inserting the following: ‘‘subtitle— 

‘‘(1) $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1991 through 2013; 

and 

‘‘(2) $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

SEC. 7126. SPECIAL AUTHORIZATION FOR BIOSECURITY PLANNING 

AND RESPONSE. 

Section 1484(a) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3351(a)) is amended 

by striking ‘‘response such sums as are necessary’’ and all that 

follows and inserting the following: ‘‘response— 

‘‘(1) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 

2002 through 2013; and 

‘‘(2) $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2018.’’. 

SEC. 7127. DISTANCE EDUCATION AND RESIDENT INSTRUCTION 

GRANTS PROGRAM FOR INSULAR AREA INSTITUTIONS OF 

HIGHER EDUCATION. 

(a) DISTANCE EDUCATION GRANTS FOR INSULAR AREAS.— (1) COMPETITIVE GRANTS.—Section 1490(a) of the National 

Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 

1977 (7 U.S.C. 3362(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘or noncompetitive’’. 

(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 1490(f) of 

the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching 

Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3362(f)) is amended by striking 

‘‘section’’ and all that follows and inserting the following: ‘‘section— 

‘‘(1) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 

2002 through 2013; and ‘‘(2) $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

(b) RESIDENT INSTRUCTION GRANTS FOR INSULAR AREAS.—Section 1491(c) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and 

Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3363(c)) is amended by 

striking ‘‘such sums as are necessary’’ and all that follows and 

inserting the following: ‘‘to carry out this section— 

‘‘(1) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 

2002 through 2013; and 

‘‘(2) $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

SEC. 7128. MATCHING FUNDS REQUIREMENT. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) 

is amended by adding at the end the following new subtitle: 


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‘‘Subtitle P—General Provisions 

‘‘SEC. 1492. MATCHING FUNDS REQUIREMENT. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The recipient of a competitive grant that 

is awarded by the Secretary under a covered law shall provide 

funds, in-kind contributions, or a combination of both, from sources 

other than funds provided through such grant in an amount that 

is at least equal to the amount of such grant. 

‘‘(b) EXCEPTION.—The matching funds requirement under subsection (a) shall not apply to grants awarded— 

‘‘(1) to a research agency of the Department of Agriculture; 

or 

‘‘(2) to an entity eligible to receive funds under a capacity 

and infrastructure program (as defined in section 251(f)(1)(C) 

of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 

(7 U.S.C. 6971(f)(1)(C))), including a partner of such entity. 

‘‘(c) WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive the matching funds 

requirement under subsection (a) for a year with respect to a 

competitive grant that involves research or extension activities that 

are consistent with the priorities established by the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory 

Board under section 1408(c)(1)(B) for the year involved. 

‘‘(d) COVERED LAW.—In this section, the term ‘covered law’ 

means each of the following provisions of law: 

‘‘(1) This title. 

‘‘(2) Title XVI of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and 

Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5801 et seq.). 

‘‘(3) The Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education 

Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601 et seq.). 

‘‘(4) Part III of subtitle E of title VII of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. 

‘‘(5) The Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research 

Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i).’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

(1) NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND

TEACHING POLICY ACT OF 1977.—The National Agricultural 

Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 is 

amended— 

(A) in section 1415(a) (7 U.S.C. 3151(a)), by striking 

the second sentence; 

(B) in section 1475(b) (7 U.S.C. 3322(b)), in the matter 

following paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘Except in the case 

of’’ and all that follows; and 

(C) in section 1480 (7 U.S.C. 3333)— 

(i) by striking subsection (b); and 

(ii) by striking ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’ 

and inserting ‘‘The Secretary’’. 

(2) FOOD, AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION, AND TRADE ACT

OF 1990.—The Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act 

of 1990 is amended— 

(A) in section 1623(d)(2) (7 U.S.C. 5813(d)(2)), by 

adding at the end the following: ‘‘The matching funds 

requirement under section 1492 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 

shall not apply to grants awarded under this section.’’; 

(B) in section 1671 (7 U.S.C. 5924)— 

7 USC 3371. 


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(i) by striking subsection (e); and 

(ii) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection 

(e); 

(C) in section 1672 (7 U.S.C. 5925)— 

(i) by striking subsection (c); and 

(ii) by redesignating subsections (d) through (j) 

as subsections (c) through (i), respectively; and 

(D) in section 1672B (7 U.S.C. 5925b)— 

(i) by striking subsection (c); and 

(ii) by redesignating subsections (d), (e), and (f) 

as subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively. 

(3) AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND EDUCATION

REFORM ACT OF 1998.—The Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Education Reform Act of 1998 is amended— 

(A) in section 406 (7 U.S.C. 7626)— 

(i) by striking subsection (d); and 

(ii) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections (d) and (e), respectively; and 

(B) in section 412(e) (7 U.S.C. 7632(e))— 

(i) by striking paragraph (3); and 

(ii) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph 

(3). 

(4) COMPETITIVE, SPECIAL, AND FACILITIES RESEARCH GRANT

ACT.—Subsection (b)(9) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)(9)) is amended— 

(A) in subparagraph (A), by adding at the end the 

following new clause: 

‘‘(iii) EXEMPTION.—The matching funds requirement under section 1492 of the National Agricultural 

Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 

shall not apply in the case of a grant made under 

paragraph (6)(A).’’; and 

(B) by striking subparagraph (B). 

(5) SUN GRANT PROGRAM.—Section 7526(c)(1)(D)(iv) of the 

Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

8114(c)(1)(D)(iv)) is amended by adding at the end the following 

new subclause: 

‘‘(IV) RELATION TO OTHER MATCHING FUND

REQUIREMENT.—The matching funds requirement 

under section 1492 of the National Agricultural 

Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 

1977 shall not apply in the case of a grant provided 

by a sun grant center or subcenter under this 

paragraph.’’. 

(c) APPLICATION TO AMENDMENTS.— 

(1) NEW GRANTS.—Section 1492 of the National Agricultural 

Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as added 

by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to grants described 

in such section awarded after October 1, 2014, unless the 

provision of a covered law under which such grants are awarded 

specifically exempts such grants from the matching funds 

requirement under such section. 

(2) GRANTS AWARDED ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2014.— 

Notwithstanding the amendments made by subsection (b), a 

matching funds requirement in effect on or before the date 

of the enactment of this section under a provision of a covered 

7 USC 3371 note. 


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128 STAT. 880 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

law shall continue to apply to a grant awarded under such 

provision on or before October 1, 2014. 

SEC. 7129. DESIGNATION OF CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY AS 1890 

INSTITUTION. 

(a) DESIGNATION.—Any provision of a Federal law relating to 

colleges and universities eligible to receive funds under the Act 

of August 30, 1890 (7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.), including Tuskegee 

University, shall apply to Central State University. 

(b) FUNDING RESTRICTION.—Notwithstanding the designation 

under subsection (a), for fiscal years 2014 and 2015, Central State 

University shall not be eligible to receive formula funds under— 

(1) section 1444 or 1445 of the National Agricultural 

Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 

3221 and 3222); 

(2) section 3(d) of the Smith-Lever Act (7 U.S.C. 343(d)) 

to carry out the national education program established under 

section 1425 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3175); 

(3) the Renewable Resources Extension Act of 1978 (16 

U.S.C. 1671 et seq.); or 

(4) Public Law 87–788 (commonly known as the McIntireStennis Cooperative Forestry Act; 16 U.S.C. 582a et seq.). 

Subtitle B—Food, Agriculture, 

Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 

SEC. 7201. BEST UTILIZATION OF BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS. 

Section 1624 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade 

Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5814) is amended in the first sentence— 

(1) by striking ‘‘$40,000,000 for each fiscal year’’; and 

(2) by inserting ‘‘$40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2013 

through 2018’’ after ‘‘chapter’’. 

SEC. 7202. INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. 

Section 1627(d) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and 

Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5821(d)) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this section through the National 

Institute of Food and Agriculture $20,000,000 for each of fiscal 

years 2013 through 2018.’’. 

SEC. 7203. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT 

AND TRANSFER PROGRAM. 

Section 1628(f) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and 

Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5831(f)) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this section— 

‘‘(1) such sums as are necessary for fiscal year 2013; and 

‘‘(2) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

SEC. 7204. NATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM. 

Section 1629(i) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and 

Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5832(i)) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out the National Training Program 

$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2013 through 2018.’’. 

7 USC 321 note. 


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SEC. 7205. NATIONAL GENETICS RESOURCES PROGRAM. 

Section 1635(b) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and 

Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5844(b)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘such funds as may be necessary’’; and 

(2) by striking ‘‘subtitle’’ and all that follows and inserting 

the following: ‘‘subtitle— 

‘‘(1) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 

1991 through 2013; and 

‘‘(2) $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

SEC. 7206. NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL WEATHER INFORMATION 

SYSTEM. 

Section 1641(c) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and 

Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5855(c)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘$5,000,000 to carry out this subtitle’’ and 

inserting ‘‘to carry out this subtitle $5,000,000’’; and 

(2) by inserting ‘‘and $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

2014 through 2018’’ before the period at the end. 

SEC. 7207. REPEAL OF RURAL ELECTRONIC COMMERCE EXTENSION 

PROGRAM. 

Section 1670 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade 

Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5923) is repealed. 

SEC. 7208. AGRICULTURAL GENOME INITIATIVE. 

Section 1671(c) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and 

Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5924(c)) is amended by adding at 

the end the following: 

‘‘(3) CONSORTIA.—The Secretary shall encourage awards 

under this section to consortia of eligible entities.’’. 

SEC. 7209. HIGH-PRIORITY RESEARCH AND EXTENSION INITIATIVES. 

Section 1672 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade 

Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925) is amended— 

(1) in the first sentence of subsection (a), by striking ‘‘subsections (e) through (i)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsections (d) through 

(g)’’; 

(2) in subsection (b)(2), in the first sentence, by striking 

‘‘subsections (e) through (i)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsections (d) 

through (g)’’; 

(3) by striking subsection (h) (as redesignated by section 

7128(b)(2)(C)(ii)); 

(4) by redesignating subsection (i) (as redesignated by such 

section) as subsection (h); 

(5) in subsection (d) (as redesignated by such section)— 

(A) by striking paragraphs (1) through (5), (7), (8), 

(11) through (43), (47), (48), (51), and (52); 

(B) by redesignating paragraphs (6), (9), (10), (44), 

(45), (46), (49), and (50) as paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), 

(5), (6), (7), and (8), respectively; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: 

‘‘(9) COFFEE PLANT HEALTH INITIATIVE.—Research and 

extension grants may be made under this section for the purposes of— 

‘‘(A) developing and disseminating science-based tools 

and treatments to combat the coffee berry borer 

(Hypothenemus hampei); and 


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‘‘(B) establishing an areawide integrated pest management program in areas affected by, or areas at risk of, 

being affected by the coffee berry borer. 

‘‘(10) CORN, SOYBEAN MEAL, CEREAL GRAINS, AND GRAIN

BYPRODUCTS RESEARCH AND EXTENSION.—Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purpose 

of carrying out or enhancing research to improve the digestibility, nutritional value, and efficiency of the use of corn, 

soybean meal, cereal grains, and grain byproducts for the 

poultry and food animal production industries.’’; 

(6) by striking subsection (e) (as redesignated by such 

section) and inserting the following new subsection: 

‘‘(e) PULSE CROP HEALTH INITIATIVE.— 

‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

‘‘(A) INITIATIVE.—The term ‘Initiative’ means the pulse 

crop health initiative established by paragraph (2). 

‘‘(B) PULSE CROP.—The term ‘pulse crop’ means dry 

beans, dry peas, lentils, and chickpeas. 

‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall carry out a pulse 

crop health competitive research and extension initiative to 

address the critical needs of the pulse crop industry by developing and disseminating science-based tools and information, 

including— 

‘‘(A) research conducted with respect to pulse crops 

in the areas of health and nutrition, such as— 

‘‘(i) pulse crop diets and the ability of such diets 

to reduce obesity and associated chronic disease; and 

‘‘(ii) the underlying mechanisms of the health benefits of pulse crop consumption; 

‘‘(B) research related to the functionality of pulse crops, 

such as— 

‘‘(i) improving the functional properties of pulse 

crops and pulse crop fractions; and 

‘‘(ii) developing new and innovative technologies 

to improve pulse crops as an ingredient in food products; 

‘‘(C) research conducted with respect to pulse crops 

for purposes of enhancing sustainability and global food 

security, such as— 

‘‘(i) improving pulse crop productivity, nutrient 

density, and phytonutrient content using plant 

breeding, genetics, and genomics; 

‘‘(ii) improving pest and disease management, 

including resistance to pests and diseases; and 

‘‘(iii) improving nitrogen fixation and water use 

efficiency to reduce the carbon and energy footprint 

of agriculture; 

‘‘(D) the optimization of systems used in producing 

pulse crops to reduce water usage; and 

‘‘(E) education and technical assistance programs with 

respect to pulse crops, such as programs— 

‘‘(i) providing technical expertise to help food 

companies include pulse crops in innovative and 

healthy food; and 

‘‘(ii) establishing an educational program to encourage pulse crop consumption in the United States. 


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‘‘(3) ADMINISTRATION.—Paragraphs (4), (7), (8), and (11)(B) 

of subsection (b) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities 

Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)) shall apply with respect 

to the making of a competitive grant under this subsection. 

‘‘(4) PRIORITIES.—In making competitive grants under this 

subsection, the Secretary shall provide a higher priority to 

projects that— 

‘‘(A) are multistate, multiinstitutional, and multidisciplinary; and 

‘‘(B) include explicit mechanisms to communicate 

results to the pulse crop industry and the public. 

‘‘(5) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are 

authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection 

$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’; 

(7) by striking subsection (f) (as redesignated by such section) and inserting the following new subsection: 

‘‘(f) TRAINING COORDINATION FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

PROTECTION.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make a competitive 

grant to, or enter into a contract or a cooperative agreement 

with, an eligible entity (described in paragraph (2)) for purposes 

of establishing an internationally integrated training system 

to enhance the protection of the food supply in the United 

States, to be known as the ‘Comprehensive Food Safety 

Training Network’ (referred to in this subsection as the ‘Network’). 

‘‘(2) ELIGIBILITY.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this subsection, an 

eligible entity is a multiinstitutional consortium that 

includes— 

‘‘(i) a nonprofit institution that provides food safety 

protection training; and 

‘‘(ii) one or more training centers in institutions 

of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the 

Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) that 

have demonstrated expertise in developing and delivering community-based training in food supply and 

agricultural safety and defense. 

‘‘(B) COLLECTIVE CONSIDERATION.—The Secretary may 

consider such consortium collectively and not on an institution-by-institution basis. 

‘‘(3) DUTIES OF ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—As a condition of 

receiving a competitive grant or entering into a contract or 

a cooperative agreement with the Secretary under this subsection, the eligible entity, in cooperation with the Secretary, 

shall establish and maintain the Network, including by— 

‘‘(A) providing basic, technical, management, and 

leadership training (including by developing curricula) to 

regulatory and public health officials, producers, processors, 

and other agribusinesses; 

‘‘(B) serving as the hub for the administration of the 

Network; 

‘‘(C) implementing a standardized national curriculum 

to ensure the consistent delivery of quality training 

throughout the United States; 


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‘‘(D) building and overseeing a nationally recognized 

instructor cadre to ensure the availability of highly qualified instructors; 

‘‘(E) reviewing training proposed through the National 

Institute of Food and Agriculture and other relevant Federal agencies that report to the Secretary on the quality 

and content of proposed and existing courses; 

‘‘(F) assisting Federal agencies in the implementation 

of food safety protection training requirements including 

requirements under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic 

Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.), the Agricultural Act of 2014, 

and any provision of law amended by such Act; and 

‘‘(G) performing evaluation and outcome-based studies 

to provide to the Secretary information on the effectiveness 

and impact of training and metrics on jurisdictions and 

sectors within the food safety system. 

‘‘(4) MEMBERSHIP.—An eligible entity may alter the consortium membership to meet specific training expertise needs. 

‘‘(5) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are 

authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection 

$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018, to 

remain available until expended.’’; 

(8) in subsection (g) (as redesignated by such section)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘2012’’ each place it appears in paragraphs (1)(B), (2)(B), and (3) and inserting ‘‘2018’’; 

(B) in paragraph (3)— 

(i) in the heading, by striking ‘‘PEST AND

PATHOGEN’’; and 

(ii) by striking ‘‘pest and pathogen surveillance’’ 

and inserting ‘‘pest, pathogen, health, and population 

status surveillance’’; 

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

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

paragraph: 

‘‘(4) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary, in consultation with 

the Secretary of the Interior and the Administrator of the 

Environmental Protection Agency, shall publish guidance on 

enhancing pollinator health and the long-term viability of populations of pollinators, including recommendations related to— 

‘‘(A) allowing for managed honey bees to forage on 

National Forest System lands where compatible with other 

natural resource management priorities; and 

‘‘(B) planting and maintaining managed honey bee and 

native pollinator foraging on National Forest System lands 

where compatible with other natural resource management 

priorities.’’; and 

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

(C))— 

(i) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) 

as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively, and moving the 

margins of such subparagraphs two ems to the right; 

(ii) by striking ‘‘annual report describing’’ and 

inserting the following: ‘‘annual report— 

‘‘(A) describing’’; 

(iii) in clause (i) (as redesignated by clause (i) 

of this subparagraph)— 


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(I) by inserting ‘‘and honey bee health disorders’’ after ‘‘collapse’’; and 

(II) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(iv) in clause (ii) (as redesignated by clause (i) 

of this subparagraph)— 

(I) by inserting ‘‘, including best management 

practices’’ after ‘‘strategies’’; and 

(II) by striking the period at the end and 

inserting ‘‘; and’’; 

(v) by adding at the end the following new clause: 

‘‘(iii) addressing the decline of managed honey bees 

and native pollinators;’’; and 

(vi) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs: 

‘‘(B) assessing Federal efforts to mitigate pollinator 

losses and threats to the United States commercial beekeeping industry; and 

‘‘(C) providing recommendations to Congress regarding 

how to better coordinate Federal agency efforts to address 

the decline of managed honey bees and native pollinators.’’; 

and 

(9) in subsection (h) (as redesignated by paragraph (4)), 

by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 7210. REPEAL OF NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT RESEARCH AND 

EXTENSION INITIATIVE. 

Section 1672A of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and 

Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925a) is repealed. 

SEC. 7211. ORGANIC AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION INITIATIVE. 

Section 1672B of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and 

Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925b) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a)— 

(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting 

‘‘, education,’’ after ‘‘support research’’; 

(B) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘and improvement’’ 

after ‘‘development’’; 

(C) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘to producers and 

processors who use organic methods’’ and inserting ‘‘of 

organic agricultural production and methods to producers, 

processors, and rural communities’’; and 

(D) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘and marketing and 

to socioeconomic conditions’’ and inserting ‘‘, marketing, 

food safety, socioeconomic conditions, and farm business 

management’’; and 

(2) in subsection (e) (as redesignated by section 

7128(b)(2)(D)(ii))— 

(A) in paragraph (1)— 

(i) in the heading, by striking ‘‘FOR FISCAL YEARS

2009 THROUGH 2012’’; 

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

end; 

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

at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(iv) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(C) $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2018.’’; and 


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(B) in paragraph (2)— 

(i) in the heading, by striking ‘‘2009 THROUGH 2012’’ 

and inserting ‘‘2014 THROUGH 2018’’; and 

(ii) by striking ‘‘2009 through 2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2014 through 2018’’. 

SEC. 7212. REPEAL OF AGRICULTURAL BIOENERGY FEEDSTOCK AND 

ENERGY EFFICIENCY RESEARCH AND EXTENSION INITIATIVE. 

(a) REPEAL.—Section 1672C of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925e) is repealed. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 251(f)(1)(D) of the 

Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 

6971(f)(1)(D)) is amended— 

(1) by striking clause (xi); and 

(2) by redesignating clauses (xii) and (xiii) as clauses (xi) 

and (xii), respectively. 

SEC. 7213. FARM BUSINESS MANAGEMENT. 

Section 1672D(d) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and 

Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925f(d)) is amended by striking ‘‘such 

sums as are necessary to carry out this section.’’ and inserting 

the following: ‘‘to carry out this section— 

‘‘(1) such sums as are necessary for fiscal year 2013; and 

‘‘(2) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

SEC. 7214. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and 

Trade Act of 1990 is amended by inserting after section 1672D 

(7 U.S.C. 5925f) the following new section: 

‘‘SEC. 1673. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE. 

‘‘(a) FUNDING PRIORITIES.—The Secretary shall prioritize centers of excellence established for purposes of carrying out research, 

extension, and education activities relating to the food and agricultural sciences (as defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 

U.S.C. 3103)) for the receipt of funding for any competitive research 

or extension program administered by the Secretary. 

‘‘(b) COMPOSITION.—A center of excellence is composed of 1 

or more of the eligible entities specified in subsection (b)(7) of 

the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 

U.S.C. 450i(b)(7)) that provide financial or in-kind support to the 

center of excellence. 

‘‘(c) CRITERIA FOR CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE.— 

‘‘(1) REQUIRED EFFORTS.—The criteria for recognition as 

a center of excellence shall include efforts— 

‘‘(A) to ensure coordination and cost effectiveness by 

reducing unnecessarily duplicative efforts regarding 

research, teaching, and extension; 

‘‘(B) to leverage available resources by using publicprivate partnerships among agricultural industry groups, 

institutions of higher education, and the Federal Government; 

‘‘(C) to implement teaching initiatives to increase 

awareness and effectively disseminate solutions to target 

audiences through extension activities; and 

7 USC 5926. 


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‘‘(D) to increase the economic returns to rural communities by identifying, attracting, and directing funds to 

high-priority agricultural issues. 

‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL EFFORTS.—Where practicable, the criteria 

for recognition as a center of excellence shall include efforts 

to improve teaching capacity and infrastructure at colleges 

and universities (including land-grant colleges and universities, 

cooperating forestry schools, NLGCA Institutions (as those 

terms are defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural 

Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 

3103)), and schools of veterinary medicine).’’. 

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by subsection 

(a) shall take effect on October 1, 2014. 

SEC. 7215. REPEAL OF RED MEAT SAFETY RESEARCH CENTER. 

Section 1676 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade 

Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5929) is repealed. 

SEC. 7216. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM FOR FARMERS WITH 

DISABILITIES. 

Section 1680(c)(1) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and 

Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5933(c)(1)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘is’’ and inserting ‘‘are’’; and 

(2) by striking ‘‘section’’ and all that follows and inserting 

the following: ‘‘section— ‘‘(A) $6,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1999 through 

2013; and ‘‘(B) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2018.’’. 

SEC. 7217. NATIONAL RURAL INFORMATION CENTER CLEARINGHOUSE. 

Section 2381(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and 

Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 3125b(e)) is amended by striking 

‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

Subtitle C—Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 

SEC. 7301. RELEVANCE AND MERIT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, 

EXTENSION, AND EDUCATION FUNDED BY THE DEPARTMENT. 

Section 103(a)(2) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and 

Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7613(a)(2)) is amended— 

(1) in the heading by striking ‘‘MERIT REVIEW OF EXTENSION’’ and inserting ‘‘RELEVANCE AND MERIT REVIEW OF

RESEARCH, EXTENSION,’’; 

(2) in subparagraph (A)— 

(A) by inserting ‘‘relevance and’’ before ‘‘merit’’; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘extension or education’’ and inserting 

‘‘research, extension, or education’’; and 

(3) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘on a continuous 

basis’’ after ‘‘procedures’’. 

SEC. 7302. INTEGRATED RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION 

COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM. 

Subsection (e) of section 406 of the Agricultural Research, 

Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7626) (as 

7 USC 5926 note. 


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redesignated by section 7128(b)(3)(A)(ii)) is amended by striking 

‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 7303. SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH REGARDING DISEASES OF WHEAT, 

TRITICALE, AND BARLEY CAUSED BY FUSARIUM 

GRAMINEARUM OR BY TILLETIA INDICA. 

Section 408(e) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and 

Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7628(e)) is amended to 

read as follows: 

‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this section— 

‘‘(1) such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal 

years 1999 through 2013; and 

‘‘(2) $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2018.’’. 

SEC. 7304. REPEAL OF BOVINE JOHNE’S DISEASE CONTROL PROGRAM. 

Section 409 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7629) is repealed. 

SEC. 7305. GRANTS FOR YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS. 

Section 410(d) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and 

Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7630(d)) is amended by 

striking ‘‘section such sums as are necessary’’ and all that follows 

and inserting the following: ‘‘section— 

‘‘(1) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 

2008 through 2013; and 

‘‘(2) $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

SEC. 7306. SPECIALTY CROP RESEARCH INITIATIVE. 

Section 412 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7632) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a)— 

(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively; 

(B) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so redesignated), the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(1) CITRUS DISEASE SUBCOMMITTEE.—The term ‘citrus disease subcommittee’ means the subcommittee established under 

section 1408A(a)(2) of the National Agricultural Research, 

Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977.’’; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(4) SPECIALTY CROPS COMMITTEE.—The term ‘specialty 

crops committee’ means the committee established under section 1408A of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123a).’’; 

(2) in subsection (b)— 

(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and genomics’’ and 

inserting ‘‘genomics, and other methods’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘handling and processing,’’ after ‘‘production efficiency,’’; 

(3) in subsection (c), in the matter preceding paragraph 

(1), by striking ‘‘the Initiative’’ and inserting ‘‘this section’’; 

(4) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following 

new subsection: 

‘‘(d) REVIEW OF PROPOSALS.—In carrying out this section, the 

Secretary shall award competitive grants on the basis of— 


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‘‘(1) a scientific peer review conducted by a panel of subject 

matter experts from Federal agencies, non-Federal entities, 

and the specialty crop industry; and 

‘‘(2) a review and ranking for merit, relevance, and impact 

conducted by a panel of specialty crop industry representatives 

for the specific specialty crop.’’; 

(5) by redesignating subsections (e) (as amended by section 

7128(b)(3)(B)), (f), (g), and (h) as subsections (g), (h), (i), and 

(k), respectively; 

(6) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new subsections: 

‘‘(e) CONSULTATION.—Each fiscal year, before conducting the 

scientific peer review described in paragraph (1) of subsection (d) 

and the merit and relevancy review described in paragraph (2) 

of such subsection, the Secretary shall consult with the specialty 

crops committee regarding such reviews. The committee shall provide the Secretary— 

‘‘(1) in the first fiscal year in which that consultation occurs, 

any recommendations for conducting such reviews in such fiscal 

year; and 

‘‘(2) in any subsequent fiscal year in which such consultation occurs— 

‘‘(A) an assessment of the procedures and objectives 

used by the Secretary for such reviews in the previous 

fiscal year; 

‘‘(B) any recommendations for such reviews for the 

current fiscal year; and 

‘‘(C) any comments on grants awarded under subsection 

(d) during the previous fiscal year. 

‘‘(f) REPORT.—The Secretary 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 

on— 

‘‘(1) the results of the consultations with the specialty crops 

committee (and subcommittees thereof) conducted under subsection (e) of this section and subsection (g) of section 1408A 

of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching 

Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123a); 

‘‘(2) the specialty crops committee’s (and subcommittees 

thereof) recommendations, if any, provided to the Secretary 

during such consultations; and 

‘‘(3) the specialty crops committee’s (and subcommittees 

thereof) review of the grants awarded under subsection (d) 

and (j), as applicable, in the previous fiscal year.’’; 

(7) in subsection (g) (as so redesignated)— 

(A) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—With respect to grants awarded under 

this section, the Secretary shall seek and accept proposals 

for grants.’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (3) (as redesignated by section 

7128(b)(3)(B)), by striking ‘‘this section’’ and inserting ‘‘the 

Initiative’’; 

(8) in subsection (h) (as so redesignated), in the matter 

preceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘this section’’ and inserting 

‘‘the Initiative’’; 

(9) in subsection (k) (as so redesignated)— 


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(A) in paragraph (1)— 

(i) by striking ‘‘(1) MANDATORY FUNDING FOR

FISCAL YEARS 2008 THROUGH 2012.—Of the funds’’ and 

inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) MANDATORY FUNDING.— ‘‘(A) FISCAL YEARS 2008 THROUGH 2012.—Of the funds’’; 

and 

(ii) by adding at the end the following new 

subparagraph: 

‘‘(B) SUBSEQUENT FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall make available to carry out this section $80,000,000 for fiscal year 

2014 and each fiscal year thereafter. 

‘‘(C) RESERVATION.—For each of fiscal years 2014 

through 2018, the Secretary shall reserve not less than 

$25,000,000 of the funds made available under subparagraph (B) to carry out the program established under subsection (j). 

‘‘(D) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Funds reserved under 

subparagraph (C) shall remain available and reserved for 

the purpose described in such subparagraph until 

expended.’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (2)— 

(i) in the heading, by striking ‘‘2008 THROUGH 2012’’ 

and inserting ‘‘2014 THROUGH 2018’’ ; and 

(ii) by striking ‘‘2008 through 2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2014 through 2018’’; and 

(10) by inserting after subsection (i) the following new 

subsection: 

‘‘(j) EMERGENCY CITRUS DISEASE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION

PROGRAM.— 

‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE.—The Secretary shall 

establish a competitive research and extension grant program 

to combat diseases of citrus under which the Secretary awards 

competitive grants to eligible entities— 

‘‘(A) to conduct scientific research and extension activities, technical assistance, and development activities to 

combat citrus diseases and pests, both domestic and 

invasive, which pose imminent harm to the United States 

citrus production and threaten the future viability of the 

citrus industry, including huanglongbing and the Asian 

Citrus Psyllid; and 

‘‘(B) to provide support for the dissemination and 

commercialization of relevant information, techniques, and 

technologies discovered pursuant to research and extension 

activities funded through— 

‘‘(i) the emergency citrus disease research and 

extension program; or 

‘‘(ii) other research and extension projects intended 

to solve problems caused by citrus production diseases 

and invasive pests. 

‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this subsection, 

the Secretary shall give priority to grants that address the 

research and extension priorities established pursuant to subsection (g)(4) of section 1408A of the National Agricultural 

Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 

3123a). 


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‘‘(3) COORDINATION.—When developing the proposed 

research and extension agenda and budget under subsection 

(g)(2) of section 1408A of the National Agricultural Research, 

Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123a) 

for the funds made available under this subsection for a fiscal 

year, the citrus disease subcommittee shall— 

‘‘(A) seek input from Federal and State agencies and 

other entities involved in citrus disease response; and 

‘‘(B) take into account other public and private citrusrelated research and extension projects and the funding 

for such projects. 

‘‘(4) NONDUPLICATION.—The Secretary shall ensure that 

funds made available to carry out the emergency citrus disease 

research and extension activities under this subsection shall 

be in addition to and not supplant funds made available to 

carry out other citrus disease activities carried out by the 

Department of Agriculture in consultation with State agencies. 

‘‘(5) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In addition to 

the amounts reserved under subsection (k)(1)(C), there are 

authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection, 

$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018. 

‘‘(6) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

‘‘(A) CITRUS.—The term ‘citrus’ means edible fruit of 

the family Rutaceae, including any hybrid of such fruits 

and products of such hybrids that are produced for commercial purposes in the United States. 

‘‘(B) CITRUS PRODUCER.—The term ‘citrus producer’ 

means any person that is engaged in the domestic production and commercial sale of citrus in the United States. 

‘‘(C) EMERGENCY CITRUS DISEASE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION PROGRAM.—The term ‘emergency citrus disease 

research and extension program’ means the emergency 

citrus research and extension grant program established 

under this subsection.’’. 

SEC. 7307. [H7308] FOOD ANIMAL RESIDUE AVOIDANCE DATABASE PROGRAM. 

Section 604(e) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and 

Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7642(e)) is amended by 

striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 7308. REPEAL OF NATIONAL SWINE RESEARCH CENTER. 

Section 612 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (Public Law 105–185; 112 Stat. 605) 

is repealed. 

SEC. 7309. OFFICE OF PEST MANAGEMENT POLICY. 

Section 614(f) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and 

Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7653(f)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘such sums as are necessary’’; and 

(2) by striking ‘‘section’’ and all that follows and inserting 

the following: ‘‘section— 

‘‘(1) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 

1999 through 2013; and 

‘‘(2) $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 


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SEC. 7310. FORESTRY PRODUCTS ADVANCED UTILIZATION RESEARCH. 

Subtitle B of title VI of the Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7651 et seq.) is 

amended by inserting after section 616 (7 U.S.C. 7655) the following 

new section: 

‘‘SEC. 617. FORESTRY PRODUCTS ADVANCED UTILIZATION RESEARCH. 

‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish a forestry 

and forestry products research and extension initiative to develop 

and disseminate science-based tools that address the needs of the 

forestry sector and their respective regions, forest and timberland 

owners and managers, and forestry products engineering, manufacturing, and related interests. 

‘‘(b) ACTIVITIES.—The initiative described in subsection (a) shall 

include the following activities: 

‘‘(1) Research conducted for purposes of— 

‘‘(A) wood quality improvement with respect to lumber 

strength and grade yield; 

‘‘(B) the development of novel engineered lumber products and renewable energy from wood; and 

‘‘(C) enhancing the longevity, sustainability, and profitability of timberland through sound management and utilization. 

‘‘(2) Demonstration activities and technology transfer to 

demonstrate the beneficial characteristics of wood as a green 

building material, including investments in life cycle assessment for wood products. 

‘‘(3) Projects designed to improve— 

‘‘(A) forestry products, lumber, and evaluation standards and valuation techniques; 

‘‘(B) lumber quality and value-based, on-forest management techniques; and 

‘‘(C) forestry products conversion and manufacturing 

efficiency, productivity, and profitability over the long term 

(including forestry product marketing). 

‘‘(c) GRANTS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make competitive 

grants to carry out the activities described in subsection (b). 

‘‘(2) PRIORITIES.—In making grants under this section, the 

Secretary shall give higher priority to activities that are carried 

out by entities that— 

‘‘(A) are multistate, multiinstitutional, or multidisciplinary; 

‘‘(B) have explicit mechanisms to communicate results 

to producers, forestry industry stakeholders, policymakers, 

and the public; and 

‘‘(C) have— 

‘‘(i) extensive history and demonstrated experience 

in forestry and forestry products research; 

‘‘(ii) existing capacity in forestry products research 

and dissemination; and 

‘‘(iii) a demonstrated means of evaluating and 

responding to the needs of the related commercial 

sector. 

‘‘(3) ADMINISTRATION.—In making grants under this section, the Secretary shall follow the requirements of paragraphs 

7 USC 7655b. 


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(4), (7), (8), and (11)(B) of subsection (b) of the Competitive, 

Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i). 

‘‘(4) TERM.—The term of a grant made under this section 

may not exceed 10 years. 

‘‘(d) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall ensure that any 

activities carried out under this section are carried out in coordination with the Forest Service, including the Forest Products Laboratory, and other appropriate agencies of the Department. 

‘‘(e) REPORT.—The Secretary shall submit an annual report 

to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives 

and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the 

Senate describing, for the period covered by the report— 

‘‘(1) the research that has been conducted under paragraph 

(2) of subsection (b); 

‘‘(2) the number of buildings the Forest Service has built 

with wood as the primary structural material; and 

‘‘(3) the investments made by the Forest Service in green 

building and wood promotion. 

‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appropriated 

to carry out this section $7,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

2014 through 2018. 

‘‘(2) MATCHING FUNDS.—To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall match any funds made available under paragraph 

(1) with funds made available under section 7 of the Forest 

and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978 

(16 U.S.C.1646).’’. 

SEC. 7311. REPEAL OF STUDIES OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND EDUCATION. 

Subtitle C of title VI of the Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7671 et seq.) is 

repealed. 

Subtitle D—Other Laws 

SEC. 7401. CRITICAL AGRICULTURAL MATERIALS ACT. 

Section 16(a) of the Critical Agricultural Materials Act (7 U.S.C. 

178n(a)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘such sums as are necessary’’; and 

(2) by striking ‘‘Act’’ and all that follows and inserting 

the following: ‘‘Act— 

‘‘(1) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 

1991 through 2013; and 

‘‘(2) $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

SEC. 7402. EQUITY IN EDUCATIONAL LAND-GRANT STATUS ACT OF 

1994. 

(a) DEFINITION OF 1994 INSTITUTION.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 532 of the Equity in Educational 

Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; Public 

Law 103–382) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 532. DEFINITION OF 1994 INSTITUTION. 

‘‘In this part, the term ‘1994 Institution’ means any of the 

following colleges: 

‘‘(1) Aaniiih Nakoda College. 


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‘‘(2) Bay Mills Community College. 

‘‘(3) Blackfeet Community College. 

‘‘(4) Cankdeska Cikana Community College. 

‘‘(5) Chief Dull Knife College. 

‘‘(6) College of Menominee Nation. 

‘‘(7) College of the Muscogee Nation. 

‘‘(8) D–Q University. 

‘‘(9) Dine College. 

‘‘(10) Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. 

‘‘(11) Fort Berthold Community College. 

‘‘(12) Fort Peck Community College. 

‘‘(13) Haskell Indian Nations University. 

‘‘(14) Ilisagvik College. 

‘‘(15) Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development. 

‘‘(16) Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College. 

‘‘(17) Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College. 

‘‘(18) Leech Lake Tribal College. 

‘‘(19) Little Big Horn College. 

‘‘(20) Little Priest Tribal College. 

‘‘(21) Navajo Technical College. 

‘‘(22) Nebraska Indian Community College. 

‘‘(23) Northwest Indian College. 

‘‘(24) Oglala Lakota College. 

‘‘(25) Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College. 

‘‘(26) Salish Kootenai College. 

‘‘(27) Sinte Gleska University. 

‘‘(28) Sisseton Wahpeton College. 

‘‘(29) Sitting Bull College. 

‘‘(30) Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute. 

‘‘(31) Stone Child College. 

‘‘(32) Tohono O’odham Community College. 

‘‘(33) Turtle Mountain Community College. 

‘‘(34) United Tribes Technical College. 

‘‘(35) White Earth Tribal and Community College.’’. 

(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by paragraph 

(1) shall take effect on October 1, 2014. 

(b) ENDOWMENT FOR 1994 INSTITUTIONS.—Section 533(b) of the 

Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 

301 note; Public Law 103–382) is amended in the first sentence 

by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

(c) INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS.—Section 535 

of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 

U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103–382) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ 

each place it appears in subsections (b)(1) and (c) and inserting 

‘‘2018’’. 

(d) RESEARCH GRANTS.— 

(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 536(c) of 

the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 

U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103–382) is amended in the first 

sentence by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

(2) RESEARCH GRANT REQUIREMENTS.—Section 536(b) of the 

Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 

301 note; Public Law 103–382) is amended by striking ‘‘with 

at least 1 other land-grant college or university’’ and all that 

follows and inserting the following: ‘‘with— 

7 USC 301 note. 


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‘‘(1) the Agricultural Research Service of the Department 

of Agriculture; or 

‘‘(2) at least 1— 

‘‘(A) other land-grant college or university (exclusive 

of another 1994 Institution); 

‘‘(B) non-land-grant college of agriculture (as defined 

in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, 

Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 

3103)); or 

‘‘(C) cooperating forestry school (as defined in that 

section).’’. 

SEC. 7403. RESEARCH FACILITIES ACT. 

Section 6(a) of the Research Facilities Act (7 U.S.C. 390d(a)) 

is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 7404. COMPETITIVE, SPECIAL, AND FACILITIES RESEARCH GRANT 

ACT. 

(a) EXTENSION.—Subsection (b)(11)(A) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)(11)(A)) 

is amended, in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking ‘‘2012’’ 

and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

(b) PRIORITY AREAS.—Subsection (b)(2) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)(2)) is 

amended— 

(1) in subparagraph (B)— 

(A) in clause (vii), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(B) in clause (viii), by striking the period at the end 

and inserting a semicolon; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following new clauses: 

‘‘(ix) the research and development of surveillance 

methods, vaccines, vaccination delivery systems, or 

diagnostic tests for pests and diseases, including— 

‘‘(I) epizootic diseases in domestic livestock 

(including deer, elk, bison, and other animals of 

the family Cervidae); and 

‘‘(II) zoonotic diseases (including bovine brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis) in domestic livestock 

or wildlife reservoirs that present a potential concern to public health; and 

‘‘(x) the identification of animal drug needs and 

the generation and dissemination of data for safe and 

effective therapeutic applications of animal drugs for 

minor species and minor uses of such drugs in major 

species.’’; 

(2) in subparagraph (D)— 

(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘RENEWABLE ENERGY’’ 

and inserting ‘‘BIOENERGY’’; 

(B) by redesignating clauses (iv), (v), and (vi) as clauses 

(v), (vi), and (vii), respectively; and 

(C) by inserting after clause (iii) the following new 

clause: 

‘‘(iv) the effectiveness of conservation practices and 

technologies designed to address nutrient losses and 

improve water quality;’’; and 

(3) in subparagraph (F)— 

(A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting 

‘‘economics,’’ after ‘‘trade,’’; 


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(B) by redesignating clauses (v) and (vi) as clauses 

(vi) and (vii), respectively; and 

(C) by inserting after clause (iv) the following new 

clause: 

‘‘(v) the economic costs, benefits, and viability of 

producers adopting conservation practices and technologies designed to improve water quality;’’. 

(c) GENERAL ADMINISTRATION.—Subsection (b)(4) of the 

Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 

450i(b)(4)) is amended— 

(1) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(2) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the 

end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: 

‘‘(F) establish procedures, including timelines, under 

which an entity established under a commodity promotion 

law (as such term is defined under section 501(a) of the 

Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 

(7 U.S.C. 7401(a))) or a State commodity board (or other 

equivalent State entity) may directly submit to the Secretary for consideration proposals for requests for applications that specifically address particular issues related to 

the priority areas specified in paragraph (2). ’’. 

(d) SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS.—Subsection (b)(6) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)(6)) 

is amended— 

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

(2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the 

end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: 

‘‘(E) to eligible entities to carry out the specific proposals submitted under procedures established under paragraph (4)(F) only if such specific proposals are consistent 

with a priority area specified in paragraph (2).’’. 

(e) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—Subsection (b)(7)(G) of the Competitive, 

Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)(7)(G)) 

is amended by striking ‘‘or corporations’’ and inserting ‘‘, foundations, or corporations’’. 

(f) SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION REQUIREMENT FOR CERTAIN

GRANTS.—Subsection (b)(9) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)(9)) (as amended by section 

7128(b)(4)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 

subparagraph: 

‘‘(B) CONTRIBUTION REQUIREMENT FOR COMMODITY PROMOTION GRANTS.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to clauses (ii) and (iii), 

as a condition of funding a grant under paragraph 

(6)(E), the Secretary shall require that the grant be 

matched with an equal contribution of funds from the 

entities described in paragraph (4)(F) submitting proposals under procedures established under such paragraph. 

‘‘(ii) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.— 

‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—Contributions required by 

clause (i) shall be available to the Secretary for 

obligation and remain available until expended for 


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the purpose of making grants under paragraph 

(6)(E). 

‘‘(II) ADMINISTRATION.—Of amounts contributed to the Secretary under clause (i), not more 

than 4 percent may be retained by the Secretary 

to pay administrative costs incurred by the Secretary in carrying out this subsection. 

‘‘(III) RESTRICTION.—Funds contributed to the 

Secretary by an entity under clause (i) in connection with a proposal submitted by that entity under 

procedures established under paragraph (4)(F) may 

only be used to fund grants in connection with 

that proposal. 

‘‘(IV) REMAINING FUNDS.—Funds contributed 

to the Secretary by an entity under clause (i) that 

remain unobligated at the time of grant closeout 

shall be returned to that entity. 

‘‘(V) INDIRECT COSTS.—The indirect cost rate 

applicable to appropriated funds for a grant funded 

under paragraph (6)(E) shall apply to amounts 

contributed by an entity under clause (i). 

‘‘(iii) OTHER MATCHING FUNDS REQUIREMENTS.— 

The contribution requirement under clause (i) shall 

be in addition to any matching funds requirement for 

grant recipients required by section 1492 of the 

National Agricultural Research, Extension, and 

Teaching Policy Act of 1977.’’. 

(g) INTER-REGIONAL RESEARCH PROJECT NUMBER 4.—Subsection (e) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant 

Act (7 U.S.C. 450i(e)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ‘‘minor use pesticides’’ 

and inserting ‘‘pesticides for minor agricultural use and for 

use on specialty crops (as defined in section 3 of the Specialty 

Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (7 U.S.C. 1621 note)),’’; 

and 

(2) in paragraph (4)— 

(A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘and for use 

on specialty crops’’ after ‘‘minor agricultural use’’; 

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

(C) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (G); and 

(D) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following 

new subparagraphs: 

‘‘(C) prioritize potential pest management technology 

for minor agricultural use and for use on specialty crops; 

‘‘(D) conduct research to develop the data necessary 

to facilitate pesticide registrations, reregistrations, and 

associated tolerances; 

‘‘(E) assist in removing trade barriers caused by residues of pesticides registered for minor agricultural use 

and for use on domestically grown specialty crops; 

‘‘(F) assist in the registration and reregistration of 

pest management technologies for minor agricultural use 

and for use on specialty crops; and’’. 


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SEC. 7405. RENEWABLE RESOURCES EXTENSION ACT OF 1978. 

(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 6 of the 

Renewable Resources Extension Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 1675) is 

amended in the first sentence by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’. 

(b) TERMINATION DATE.—Section 8 of the Renewable Resources 

Extension Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 1671 note; Public Law 95–306) 

is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 7406. NATIONAL AQUACULTURE ACT OF 1980. 

Section 10 of the National Aquaculture Act of 1980 (16 U.S.C. 

2809) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ each place it appears and 

inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 7407. REPEAL OF USE OF REMOTE SENSING DATA. 

Section 892 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and 

Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 5935) is repealed. 

SEC. 7408. REPEAL OF REPORTS UNDER FARM SECURITY AND RURAL 

INVESTMENT ACT OF 2002. 

(a) REPEAL OF REPORT ON PRODUCERS AND HANDLERS FOR

ORGANIC PRODUCTS.—Section 7409 of the Farm Security and Rural 

Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 5925b note; Public Law 107– 

171) is repealed. 

(b) REPEAL OF REPORT ON GENETICALLY MODIFIED PEST-PROTECTED PLANTS.—Section 7410 of the Farm Security and Rural 

Investment Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–171; 116 Stat. 462) is 

repealed. 

(c) REPEAL OF STUDY ON NUTRIENT BANKING.—Section 7411 

of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 

5925a note; Public Law 107–171) is repealed. 

SEC. 7409. BEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. 

Section 7405 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act 

of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3319f) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (c)— 

(A) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraphs (A) 

through (R) and inserting the following new subparagraphs: 

‘‘(A) basic livestock, forest management, and crop 

farming practices; 

‘‘(B) innovative farm, ranch, and private, nonindustrial 

forest land transfer strategies; 

‘‘(C) entrepreneurship and business training; 

‘‘(D) financial and risk management training (including 

the acquisition and management of agricultural credit); 

‘‘(E) natural resource management and planning; 

‘‘(F) diversification and marketing strategies; 

‘‘(G) curriculum development; 

‘‘(H) mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships; 

‘‘(I) resources and referral; 

‘‘(J) farm financial benchmarking; 

‘‘(K) assisting beginning farmers or ranchers in 

acquiring land from retiring farmers and ranchers; 

‘‘(L) agricultural rehabilitation and vocational training 

for veterans; 

‘‘(M) farm safety and awareness; and 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 899 

‘‘(N) other similar subject areas of use to beginning 

farmers or ranchers.’’; 

(B) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking ‘‘and nongovernmental organization’’ and inserting ‘‘or nongovernmental 

organization’’; 

(C) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘and community-based 

organizations’’ and inserting ‘‘, community-based organizations, and school-based agricultural educational organizations’’; 

(D) by striking paragraph (8) and inserting the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(8) SET-ASIDES.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not less than 5 percent of the funds 

used to carry out this subsection for a fiscal year shall 

be used to support programs and services that address 

the needs of— 

‘‘(i) limited resource beginning farmers or ranchers 

(as defined by the Secretary); 

‘‘(ii) socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers 

(as defined in section 355(e) of the Consolidated Farm 

and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2003(e)) who 

are beginning farmers or ranchers; and 

‘‘(iii) farmworkers desiring to become farmers or 

ranchers. 

‘‘(B) VETERAN FARMERS AND RANCHERS.—Not less than 

5 percent of the funds used to carry out this subsection 

for a fiscal year shall be used to support programs and 

services that address the needs of veteran farmers and 

ranchers (as defined in section 2501(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 

2279(e))). ’’; and 

(E) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: 

‘‘(11) LIMITATION ON INDIRECT COSTS.—A recipient of a 

grant under this subsection may not use more than 10 percent 

of the funds provided by the grant for the indirect costs of 

carrying out the initiatives described in paragraph (1). 

‘‘(12) COORDINATION PERMITTED.—A recipient of a grant 

under this subsection using the grant as described in paragraph 

(8)(B) may coordinate with a recipient of a grant under section 

1680 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act 

of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5933) in addressing the needs of veteran 

farmers and ranchers with disabilities.’’; 

(2) in subsection (h)(1)— 

(A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ‘‘2012’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2018’’; 

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

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

the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(D) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: 

‘‘(C) $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2018, to remain available until expended.’’; and 

(3) in subsection (h)(2)— 

(A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ‘‘2008

THROUGH 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2014 THROUGH 2018’’; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘2008 through 2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2014 through 2018’’. 


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128 STAT. 900 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

SEC. 7410. NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND 

TEACHING POLICY ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1985. 

Section 1431 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Teaching Policy Act Amendments of 1985 (Public Law 99– 

198; 99 Stat. 1556) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’. 

Subtitle E—Food, Conservation, and 

Energy Act of 2008 

PART I—AGRICULTURAL SECURITY 

SEC. 7501. AGRICULTURAL BIOSECURITY COMMUNICATION CENTER. 

Section 14112(c) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8912(c)) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this section— 

‘‘(1) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 

2008 through 2013; and 

‘‘(2) $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

SEC. 7502. ASSISTANCE TO BUILD LOCAL CAPACITY IN AGRICULTURAL 

BIOSECURITY PLANNING, PREPARATION, AND RESPONSE. 

Section 14113 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (7 U.S.C. 8913) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a)(2)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘such sums as may be necessary’’; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘subsection’’ and all that follows and 

inserting the following: ‘‘subsection— 

‘‘(A) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal 

years 2008 through 2013; and 

‘‘(B) $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2018.’’; and 

(2) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ‘‘is authorized to be 

appropriated to carry out this subsection’’ and all that follows 

and inserting the following: ‘‘are authorized to be appropriated 

to carry out this subsection— 

‘‘(A) $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 

2013; and 

‘‘(B) $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2018.’’. 

SEC. 7503. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL 

COUNTERMEASURES. 

Section 14121(b) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8921(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘is authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this section’’ and all that follows 

and inserting the following: ‘‘are authorized to be appropriated 

to carry out this section— 

‘‘(1) $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2013; 

and 

‘‘(2) $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2018.’’. 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 901 

SEC. 7504. AGRICULTURAL BIOSECURITY GRANT PROGRAM. 

Section 14122(e) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8922(e)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘sums as are necessary’’; and 

(2) by striking ‘‘section’’ and all that follows and inserting 

the following: ‘‘section— 

‘‘(1) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 

2008 through 2013, to remain available until expended; and 

‘‘(2) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018, 

to remain available until expended.’’. 

PART II—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 

SEC. 7511. ENHANCED USE LEASE AUTHORITY PILOT PROGRAM. 

Section 308 of the Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 3125a) 

is amended— 

(1) in subsection (b)(6)(A), by striking ‘‘5 years’’ and 

inserting ‘‘10 years’’; and 

(2) in subsection (d)(2), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘1, 3, and 5 years’’ and inserting ‘‘6, 

8, and 10 years’’. 

SEC. 7512. GRAZINGLANDS RESEARCH LABORATORY. 

Section 7502 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (Public Law 110–246; 122 Stat. 2019) is amended by striking 

‘‘5-year period’’ and inserting ‘‘10-year period’’. 

SEC. 7513. BUDGET SUBMISSION AND FUNDING. 

Section 7506 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (7 U.S.C. 7614c) is amended— 

(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following 

new subsection: 

‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

‘‘(1) COVERED PROGRAM.—The term ‘covered program’ 

means— 

‘‘(A) each research program carried out by the Agricultural Research Service or the Economic Research Service 

for which annual appropriations are requested in the 

annual budget submission of the President; and 

‘‘(B) each competitive program carried out by the 

National Institute of Food and Agriculture for which annual 

appropriations are requested in the annual budget submission of the President. 

‘‘(2) REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS.—The term ‘request for 

applications’ means a funding announcement published by the 

National Institute of Food and Agriculture that provides 

detailed information on funding opportunities at the Institute, 

including the purpose, eligibility, restriction, focus areas, 

evaluation criteria, regulatory information, and instructions on 

how to apply for such opportunities.’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following new subsections: 

‘‘(e) ADDITIONAL PRESIDENTIAL BUDGET SUBMISSION REQUIREMENT.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each year, the President shall submit 

to Congress for each funding request for a covered program— 

7 USC 3125a 

note. 


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‘‘(A) in the case of the information described in paragraph (2), such information together with the annual 

budget submission of the President; and 

‘‘(B) in the case of any additional information described 

in paragraph (3), such additional information within a 

reasonable period that begins after the date of the annual 

budget submission of the President. 

‘‘(2) INFORMATION DESCRIBED.—The information described 

in this paragraph includes— 

‘‘(A) baseline information, including with respect to 

each covered program— 

‘‘(i) the funding level for the program for the fiscal 

year preceding the year for which the annual budget 

submission of the President is submitted; 

‘‘(ii) the funding level requested in the annual 

budget submission of the President, including any 

increase or decrease in the funding level; and 

‘‘(iii) an explanation justifying any change from 

the funding level specified in clause (i) to the level 

specified in clause (ii); 

‘‘(B) with respect to each covered program that is carried out by the Economic Research Service or the Agricultural Research Service, the location and staff years of the 

program; 

‘‘(C) the proposed funding levels to be allocated to, 

and the expected publication date, scope, and allocation 

level for, each request for applications to be published 

under or associated with— 

‘‘(i) each priority area specified in subsection (b)(2) 

of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research 

Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)(2)); 

‘‘(ii) each research and extension project carried 

out under section 1621(a) of the Food, Agriculture, 

Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5811(a)); 

‘‘(iii) each grant awarded under section 1672B(a) 

of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act 

of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925b(a)); 

‘‘(iv) each grant awarded under section 412(d) of 

the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education 

Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7632(d)); and 

‘‘(v) each grant awarded under section 7405(c)(1) 

of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 

2002 (7 U.S.C. 3319f(c)(1)); and 

‘‘(D) any other information the Secretary determines 

will increase congressional oversight with respect to covered programs. 

‘‘(3) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DESCRIBED.—The additional 

information described in this paragraph is information that 

the Secretary, after consulting with the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, and the 

Subcommittees on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and 

Drug Administration, and Related Agencies of the Committee 

on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the 

Senate, determines is a necessary revision or clarification to 

the information described in paragraph (2). 


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‘‘(4) PROHIBITION.—Unless the President submits the 

information described in paragraph (2)(C) for a fiscal year, 

the President may not carry out any program during that 

fiscal year that is authorized under— 

‘‘(A) subsection (b) of the Competitive, Special, and 

Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)); 

‘‘(B) section 1621 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5811); 

‘‘(C) section 1672B of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925b); 

‘‘(D) section 412 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7632); 

or 

‘‘(E) section 7405 of the Farm Security and Rural 

Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3319f). 

‘‘(f) REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE.—Each year 

on a date that is not later than the date on which the President 

submits the annual budget, the Secretary shall submit to Congress 

a report containing a description of the agricultural research, extension, and education activities carried out by the Federal Government 

during the fiscal year that immediately precedes the year for which 

the report is submitted, including— 

‘‘(1) a review of the extent to which those activities— 

‘‘(A) are duplicative or overlap within the Department 

of Agriculture; or 

‘‘(B) are similar to activities carried out by— 

‘‘(i) other Federal agencies; 

‘‘(ii) the States (including the District of Columbia, 

the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and other territories 

or possessions of the United States); 

‘‘(iii) institutions of higher education (as defined 

in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

(20 U.S.C. 1001)); or 

‘‘(iv) the private sector; and 

‘‘(2) for each report submitted under this section on or 

after January 1, 2014, a 5-year projection of national priorities 

with respect to agricultural research, extension, and education, 

taking into account domestic needs. 

‘‘(g) INTERCHANGEABILITY OF FUNDS.—Nothing in this section 

shall be construed so as to limit the authority of the Secretary 

under section 702(b) of the Department of Agriculture Organic 

Act of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2257(b)), with respect to the reprogramming 

or transfer of funds.’’. 

SEC. 7514. REPEAL OF SEED DISTRIBUTION. 

Section 7523 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (7 U.S.C. 415–1) is repealed. 

SEC. 7515. NATURAL PRODUCTS RESEARCH PROGRAM. 

Section 7525(e) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 5937(e)) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this section $7,000,000 for each 

of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

SEC. 7516. SUN GRANT PROGRAM. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 7526 of the Food, Conservation, and 

Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8114) is amended— 


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(1) in subsection (a)(4)(B), by striking ‘‘the Department 

of Energy’’ and inserting ‘‘other appropriate Federal agencies 

(as determined by the Secretary)’’; 

(2) in subsection (b)(1)— 

(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘at South Dakota 

State University’’; 

(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘at the University 

of Tennessee at Knoxville’’; 

(C) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘at Oklahoma 

State University’’; 

(D) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘at Oregon State 

University’’; 

(E) in subparagraph (E), by striking ‘‘at Cornell University’’; and 

(F) in subparagraph (F), by striking ‘‘at the University 

of Hawaii’’; 

(3) in subsection (c)(1)— 

(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘multistate’’ and 

all that follows through ‘‘technology implementation’’ and 

inserting ‘‘integrated, multistate research, extension, and 

education programs on technology development and technology implementation’’; 

(B) by striking subparagraph (C); and 

(C) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (C); 

(4) in subsection (d)— 

(A) in paragraph (1)— 

(i) by striking ‘‘in accordance with paragraph (2)’’; 

(ii) by striking ‘‘gasification’’ and inserting ‘‘bioproducts’’; and 

(iii) by striking ‘‘the Department of Energy’’ and 

inserting ‘‘other appropriate Federal agencies’’; 

(B) by striking paragraph (2); and 

(C) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively; and 

(5) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 7526(f)(1) of the Food, 

Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8114(f)) is amended 

by striking ‘‘subsection (c)(1)(D)(i)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection 

(c)(1)(C)(i)’’. 

SEC. 7517. REPEAL OF STUDY AND REPORT ON FOOD DESERTS. 

Section 7527 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (Public Law 110–246; 122 Stat. 2039) is repealed. 

SEC. 7518. REPEAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL TRANSPORTATION 

RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. 

Section 7529 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (7 U.S.C. 5938) is repealed. 

Subtitle F—Miscellaneous Provisions 

SEC. 7601. FOUNDATION FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE RESEARCH. 

(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

(1) BOARD.—The term ‘‘Board’’ means the Board of Directors described in subsection (e). 

7 USC 5939. 


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(2) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’ means the 

Department of Agriculture. 

(3) FOUNDATION.—The term ‘‘Foundation’’ means the 

Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research established 

under subsection (b). 

(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

of Agriculture. 

(b) ESTABLISHMENT.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a nonprofit 

corporation to be known as the ‘‘Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research’’. 

(2) STATUS.—The Foundation shall not be an agency or 

instrumentality of the United States Government. 

(c) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Foundation shall be— 

(1) to advance the research mission of the Department 

by supporting agricultural research activities focused on 

addressing key problems of national and international significance including— 

(A) plant health, production, and plant products; 

(B) animal health, production, and products; 

(C) food safety, nutrition, and health; 

(D) renewable energy, natural resources, and the 

environment; 

(E) agricultural and food security; 

(F) agriculture systems and technology; and 

(G) agriculture economics and rural communities; and 

(2) to foster collaboration with agricultural researchers 

from the Federal Government, State (as defined in section 

1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and 

Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103)) governments, 

institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101 of 

the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), industry, 

and nonprofit organizations. 

(d) DUTIES.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Foundation shall— 

(A) award grants to, or enter into contracts, memoranda of understanding, or cooperative agreements with, 

scientists and entities, which may include agricultural 

research agencies in the Department, university consortia, 

public-private partnerships, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and industry, to efficiently 

and effectively advance the goals and priorities of the 

Foundation; 

(B) in consultation with the Secretary— 

(i) identify existing and proposed Federal intramural and extramural research and development programs relating to the purposes of the Foundation 

described in subsection (c); and 

(ii) coordinate Foundation activities with those programs so as to minimize duplication of existing efforts 

and to avoid conflicts; 

(C) identify unmet and emerging agricultural research 

needs after reviewing the roadmap for agricultural 

research, education, and extension authorized by section 

7504 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 

(7 U.S.C. 7614a); 


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(D) facilitate technology transfer and release of 

information and data gathered from the activities of the 

Foundation to the agricultural research community; 

(E) promote and encourage the development of the 

next generation of agricultural research scientists; and 

(F) carry out such other activities as the Board determines to be consistent with the purposes of the Foundation. 

(2) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER ACTIVITIES.—The activities 

described in paragraph (1) shall be supplemental to any other 

activities at the Department and shall not preempt any 

authority or responsibility of the Department under another 

provision of law. 

(e) BOARD OF DIRECTORS.— (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Foundation shall be governed 

by a Board of Directors. 

(2) COMPOSITION.— (A) IN GENERAL.—The Board shall be composed of 

appointed and ex-officio, nonvoting members. 

(B) EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS.—The ex-officio members of 

the Board shall be the following individuals or designees 

of such individuals: 

(i) The Secretary. 

(ii) The Under Secretary of Agriculture for 

Research, Education, and Economics. 

(iii) The Administrator of the Agricultural 

Research Service. 

(iv) The Director of the National Institute of Food 

and Agriculture. 

(v) The Director of the National Science Foundation. 

(C) APPOINTED MEMBERS.— 

(i) IN GENERAL.—The ex-officio members of the 

Board (as specified in subparagraph (B)) shall, by 

majority vote, appoint to the Board 15 individuals, 

of whom— 

(I) 8 shall be selected from a list of candidates 

to be provided by the National Academy of 

Sciences; and 

(II) 7 shall be selected from lists of candidates 

provided by industry. 

(ii) REQUIREMENTS.— 

(I) EXPERTISE.—The ex-officio members shall 

ensure that a majority of the appointed members 

of the Board have actual experience in agricultural 

research and, to the extent practicable, represent 

diverse sectors of agriculture. 

(II) LIMITATION.—No employee of the Federal 

Government may serve as an appointed member 

of the Board under this subparagraph. 

(III) NOT FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT.—Appointment to the Board under this subparagraph shall 

not constitute Federal employment. 

(iii) AUTHORITY.—All appointed members of the 

Board shall be voting members. 

(D) CHAIR.—The Board shall, from among the members 

of the Board, designate an individual to serve as Chair 

of the Board. 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 907 

(3) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 60 days after the 

date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall convene 

a meeting of the ex-officio members of the Board— 

(A) to incorporate the Foundation; and 

(B) to appoint the members of the Board in accordance 

with paragraph (2)(C)(i). 

(4) DUTIES.— (A) IN GENERAL.—The Board shall— 

(i) establish bylaws for the Foundation that, at 

a minimum, include— 

(I) policies for the selection of future Board 

members, officers, employees, agents, and contractors of the Foundation; 

(II) policies, including ethical standards, for— 

(aa) the acceptance, solicitation, and disposition of donations and grants to the 

Foundation; and 

(bb) the disposition of assets of the 

Foundation, including appropriate limits on 

the ability of donors to designate, by stipulation or restriction, the use or recipient of 

donated funds; 

(III) policies that would subject all employees, 

fellows, trainees, and other agents of the Foundation (including members of the Board) to conflict 

of interest standards in the same manner as Federal employees are subject to the conflict of interest 

standards under section 208 of title 18, United 

States Code; 

(IV) policies for writing, editing, printing, publishing, and vending of books and other materials; 

(V) policies for the conduct of the general operations of the Foundation, including a cap on 

administrative expenses for recipients of a grant, 

contract, or cooperative agreement from the 

Foundation; and 

(VI) specific duties for the Executive Director; 

(ii) prioritize and provide overall direction for the 

activities of the Foundation; 

(iii) evaluate the performance of the Executive 

Director; and 

(iv) carry out any other necessary activities 

regarding the Foundation. 

(B) ESTABLISHMENT OF BYLAWS.—In establishing 

bylaws under subparagraph (A)(i), the Board shall ensure 

that the bylaws do not— 

(i) reflect unfavorably on the ability of the Foundation to carry out the duties of the Foundation in a 

fair and objective manner; or 

(ii) compromise, or appear to compromise, the 

integrity of any governmental agency or program, or 

any officer or employee employed by, or involved in, 

a governmental agency or program. 

(5) TERMS AND VACANCIES.— 

(A) TERMS.— (i) IN GENERAL.—The term of each member of the 

Board appointed under paragraph (2)(C) shall be 5 


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years, except that of the members initially appointed, 

8 of the members shall each be appointed for a term 

of 3 years and 7 of the members shall each be appointed 

for a term of 2 years. 

(ii) PARTIAL TERMS.—If a member of the Board 

does not serve the full term applicable under clause 

(i), the individual appointed to fill the resulting vacancy 

shall be appointed for the remainder of the term of 

the predecessor of the individual. 

(iii) TRANSITION.—A member of the Board may 

continue to serve after the expiration of the term of 

the member until a successor is appointed. 

(B) VACANCIES.—After the initial appointment of the 

members of the Board under paragraph (2)(C), any vacancy 

in the membership of the Board shall be filled as provided 

in the bylaws established under paragraph (4)(A)(i). 

(6) COMPENSATION.—Members of the Board may not receive 

compensation for service on the Board but may be reimbursed 

for travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred 

in carrying out the duties of the Board. 

(7) MEETINGS AND QUORUM.—A majority of the members 

of the Board shall constitute a quorum for purposes of conducting the business of the Board. 

(f) ADMINISTRATION.— 

(1) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—The Board shall hire an Executive 

Director who shall carry out such duties and responsibilities as the Board may prescribe. 

(B) SERVICE.—The Executive Director shall serve at 

the pleasure of the Board. 

(2) ADMINISTRATIVE POWERS.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this section, the 

Board, acting through the Executive Director, may— 

(i) adopt, alter, and use a corporate seal, which 

shall be judicially noticed; 

(ii) hire, promote, compensate, and discharge 1 

or more officers, employees, and agents, as may be 

necessary, and define the duties of the officers, 

employees, and agents; 

(iii) solicit and accept any funds, gifts, grants, 

devises, or bequests of real or personal property made 

to the Foundation, including such support from private 

entities; 

(iv) prescribe the manner in which— 

(I) real or personal property of the Foundation 

is acquired, held, and transferred; 

(II) general operations of the Foundation are 

to be conducted; and 

(III) the privileges granted to the Board by 

law are exercised and enjoyed; 

(v) with the consent of the applicable executive 

department or independent agency, use the information, services, and facilities of the department or agency 

in carrying out this section on a reimbursable basis; 

(vi) enter into contracts with public and private 

organizations for the writing, editing, printing, and 

publishing of books and other material; 


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(vii) hold, administer, invest, and spend any funds, 

gifts, grant, devise, or bequest of real or personal property made to the Foundation; 

(viii) enter into such contracts, leases, cooperative 

agreements, and other transactions as the Board considers appropriate to conduct the activities of the 

Foundation; 

(ix) modify or consent to the modification of any 

contract or agreement to which the Foundation is a 

party or in which the Foundation has an interest; 

(x) take such action as may be necessary to obtain 

and maintain patents for and to license inventions 

(as defined in section 201 of title 35, United States 

Code) developed by the Foundation, employees of the 

Foundation, or derived from the collaborative efforts 

of the Foundation; 

(xi) sue and be sued in the corporate name of 

the Foundation, and complain and defend in courts 

of competent jurisdiction; 

(xii) appoint other groups of advisors as may be 

determined necessary to carry out the functions of 

the Foundation; and 

(xiii) exercise such other incidental powers as are 

necessary to carry out the duties and functions of 

the Foundation in accordance with this section. 

(B) LIMITATION.—No appointed member of the Board 

or officer or employee of the Foundation or of any program 

established by the Foundation (other than ex-officio members of the Board) shall exercise administrative control 

over any Federal employee. 

(3) RECORDS.— 

(A) AUDITS.—The Foundation shall— 

(i) provide for annual audits of the financial condition of the Foundation; and 

(ii) make the audits, and all other records, documents, and other papers of the Foundation, available 

to the Secretary and the Comptroller General of the 

United States for examination or audit. 

(B) REPORTS.— 

(i) ANNUAL REPORT ON FOUNDATION.— 

(I) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 5 months following the end of each fiscal year, the Foundation 

shall publish a report for the preceding fiscal year 

that includes— 

(aa) a description of Foundation activities, 

including accomplishments; and 

(bb) a comprehensive statement of the 

operations and financial condition of the 

Foundation. 

(II) FINANCIAL CONDITION.—Each report under 

subclause (I) shall include a description of all gifts, 

grants, devises, or bequests to the Foundation of 

real or personal property or money, which shall 

include— 

(aa) the source of the gifts, grants, devises, 

or bequests; and 


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(bb) any restrictions on the purposes for 

which the gift, grant, devise, or bequest may 

be used. 

(III) AVAILABILITY.—The Foundation shall— 

(aa) make copies of each report submitted 

under subclause (I) available for public inspection; and 

(bb) on request, provide a copy of the 

report to any individual. 

(IV) PUBLIC MEETING.—The Board shall hold 

an annual public meeting to summarize the activities of the Foundation. 

(ii) GRANT REPORTING.—Any recipient of a grant 

under subsection (d)(1)(A) shall provide the Foundation 

with a report at the conclusion of any research or 

studies conducted that describes the results of the 

research or studies, including any data generated. 

(4) INTEGRITY.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—To ensure integrity in the operations 

of the Foundation, the Board shall develop and enforce 

procedures relating to standards of conduct, financial 

disclosure statements, conflicts of interest (including 

recusal and waiver rules), audits, and any other matters 

determined appropriate by the Board. 

(B) FINANCIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.—Any individual who is an officer, employee, or member of the Board 

is prohibited from any participation in deliberations by 

the Foundation of a matter that would directly or predictably affect any financial interest of— 

(i) the individual; 

(ii) a relative (as defined in section 109 of the 

Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.)) 

of that individual; or 

(iii) a business organization or other entity in 

which the individual has an interest, including an 

organization or other entity with which the individual 

is negotiating employment. 

(5) INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.—The Board shall adopt written standards to govern the ownership and licensing of any 

intellectual property rights derived from the collaborative 

efforts of the Foundation. 

(6) LIABILITY.—The United States shall not be liable for 

any debts, defaults, acts, or omissions of the Foundation nor 

shall the full faith and credit of the United States extend 

to any obligations of the Foundation. 

(g) FUNDS.— 

(1) MANDATORY FUNDING.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—On the date of the enactment of 

this Act, of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, 

the Secretary shall transfer to the Foundation to carry 

out this section $200,000,000, to remain available until 

expended under the conditions described in subparagraph 

(B). 

(B) CONDITIONS ON EXPENDITURE.—The Foundation 

may use the funds made available under subparagraph 

(A) to carry out the purposes of the Foundation only to 


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the extent that the Foundation secures an equal amount 

of non-Federal matching funds for each expenditure. 

(C) PROHIBITION ON CONSTRUCTION.—None of the funds 

made available under subparagraph (A) may be used for 

construction. 

(2) SEPARATION OF FUNDS.—The Executive Director shall 

ensure that any funds received under paragraph (1) are held 

in separate accounts from funds received from nongovernmental 

entities as described in subsection (f)(2)(A)(iii). 

SEC. 7602. CONCESSIONS AND AGREEMENTS WITH NONPROFIT 

ORGANIZATIONS FOR NATIONAL ARBORETUM. 

Section 6 of the Act of March 4, 1927 (20 U.S.C. 196), is 

amended— 

(1) in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (1) and inserting 

the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(1) negotiate concessions and agreements for the National 

Arboretum with nonprofit scientific or educational organizations, the interests of which are complementary to the mission 

of the National Arboretum, or nonprofit organizations that support the purpose of the National Arboretum, except that the 

net proceeds of the organizations from the concessions or agreements, as applicable, shall be used exclusively for— 

‘‘(A) the research and educational work for the benefit 

of the National Arboretum; and 

‘‘(B) the operation and maintenance of the facilities 

of the National Arboretum, including enhancements, 

upgrades, restoration, and conservation;’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: 

‘‘(d) RECOGNITION OF DONORS.—A nonprofit organization that 

entered into a concession or agreement under subsection (a)(1) 

may recognize donors if that recognition is approved in advance 

by the Secretary of Agriculture. In considering whether to approve 

such recognition, the Secretary shall broadly exercise the discretion 

of the Secretary to the fullest extent allowed under Federal law.’’. 

SEC. 7603. AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD LAW RESEARCH, LEGAL TOOLS, 

AND INFORMATION. 

(a) PARTNERSHIPS.—The Secretary of Agriculture, acting 

through the National Agricultural Library, shall support the 

dissemination of objective, scholarly, and authoritative agricultural 

and food law research, legal tools, and information by entering 

into cooperative agreements with institutions of higher education 

(as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

(20 U.S.C. 1001)) that on the date of enactment of this Act are 

carrying out objective programs for research, legal tools, and 

information in agricultural and food law. 

(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for fiscal 

year 2014 and each fiscal year thereafter. 

SEC. 7604. COTTON DISEASE RESEARCH REPORT. 

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

this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the 

fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum race 4 (referred 

to in this section as ‘‘FOV Race 4’’) and the impact of such fungus 

on cotton, including— 

7 USC 3125a–1. 


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(1) an overview of the threat FOV Race 4 poses to the 

cotton industry in the United States; 

(2) the status and progress of Federal research initiatives 

to detect, contain, or eradicate FOV Race 4, including current 

FOV Race 4-specific research projects; and 

(3) a comprehensive strategy to combat FOV Race 4 that 

establishes— 

(A) detection and identification goals; 

(B) containment goals; 

(C) eradication goals; and 

(D) a plan to partner with the cotton industry in the 

United States to maximize resources, information sharing, 

and research responsiveness and effectiveness. 

SEC. 7605. MISCELLANEOUS TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS. 

Sections 7408 and 7409 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy 

Act of 2008 (Public Law 110–246; 122 Stat. 2013) are both amended 

by striking ‘‘Title III of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994’’ and inserting ‘‘Title III of the Federal Crop 

Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization 

Act of 1994’’. 

SEC. 7606. LEGITIMACY OF INDUSTRIAL HEMP RESEARCH. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding the Controlled Substances 

Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and 

Communities Act (20 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), chapter 81 of title 41, 

United States Code, or any other Federal law, an institution of 

higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education 

Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) or a State department of agriculture 

may grow or cultivate industrial hemp if— 

(1) the industrial hemp is grown or cultivated for purposes 

of research conducted under an agricultural pilot program or 

other agricultural or academic research; and 

(2) the growing or cultivating of industrial hemp is allowed 

under the laws of the State in which such institution of higher 

education or State department of agriculture is located and 

such research occurs. 

(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

(1) AGRICULTURAL PILOT PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘agricultural 

pilot program’’ means a pilot program to study the growth, 

cultivation, or marketing of industrial hemp— 

(A) in States that permit the growth or cultivation 

of industrial hemp under the laws of the State; and 

(B) in a manner that— 

(i) ensures that only institutions of higher education and State departments of agriculture are used 

to grow or cultivate industrial hemp; 

(ii) requires that sites used for growing or cultivating industrial hemp in a State be certified by, and 

registered with, the State department of agriculture; 

and 

(iii) authorizes State departments of agriculture 

to promulgate regulations to carry out the pilot program in the States in accordance with the purposes 

of this section. 

(2) INDUSTRIAL HEMP.—The term ‘‘industrial hemp’’ means 

the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, 

whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol 

7 USC 5940. 

7 USC 2241a, 

3125a note. 


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concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight 

basis. 

(3) STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.—The term ‘‘State 

department of agriculture’’ means the agency, commission, or 

department of a State government responsible for agriculture 

within the State. 

TITLE VIII—FORESTRY 

Subtitle A—Repeal of Certain Forestry 

Programs 

SEC. 8001. FOREST LAND ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM. 

(a) REPEAL.—Section 4 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance 

Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2103) is repealed. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 8002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–171; 16 

U.S.C. 2103 note) is amended by striking subsection (a). 

SEC. 8002. WATERSHED FORESTRY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 

Section 6 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 

(16 U.S.C. 2103b) is repealed. 

SEC. 8003. EXPIRED COOPERATIVE NATIONAL FOREST PRODUCTS 

MARKETING PROGRAM. 

Section 18 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 

(16 U.S.C. 2112) is repealed. 

SEC. 8004. HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTION AGRICULTURAL LAND 

NATIONAL RESOURCES LEADERSHIP PROGRAM. 

Section 8402 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (16 U.S.C. 1649a) is repealed. 

SEC. 8005. TRIBAL WATERSHED FORESTRY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 

Section 303 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 

(16 U.S.C. 6542) is repealed. 

SEC. 8006. SEPARATE FOREST SERVICE DECISIONMAKING AND 

APPEALS PROCESS. 

(a) REPEAL.—Section 322 of the Department of the Interior 

and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1612 

note; Public Law 102–381) is repealed. 

(b) FOREST SERVICE PRE-DECISIONAL OBJECTION PROCESS.— 

Section 428 of division E of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 

2012 (16 U.S.C. 6515 note; Public Law 112–74) shall not apply 

to any project or activity implementing a land and resource management plan developed under section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland 

Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604) that 

is categorically excluded from documentation in an environmental 

assessment or an environmental impact statement under the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 

seq.). 


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Subtitle B—Reauthorization of Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 Programs 

SEC. 8101. STATE-WIDE ASSESSMENT AND STRATEGIES FOR FOREST 

RESOURCES. 

Section 2A of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 

(16 U.S.C. 2101a) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (c)— 

(A) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’; 

(B) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (6); 

and 

(C) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following new 

paragraph: 

‘‘(5) as feasible, appropriate military installations where 

the voluntary participation and management of private or 

State-owned or other public forestland is able to support, promote, and contribute to the missions of such installations; and’’; 

and 

(2) in subsection (f)(1), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’. 

Subtitle C—Reauthorization of Other 

Forestry-Related Laws 

SEC. 8201. RURAL REVITALIZATION TECHNOLOGIES. 

Section 2371(d)(2) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and 

Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6601(d)(2)) is amended by striking 

‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 8202. OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL FORESTRY. 

Section 2405(d) of the Global Climate Change Prevention Act 

of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6704(d)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 8203. HEALTHY FORESTS RESERVE PROGRAM. 

(a) DEFINITION OF ACREAGE OWNED BY INDIAN TRIBES.—Section 

502(e)(3) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 

6572(e)(3)) is amended— 

(1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘subparagraphs (A) 

and (B)’’ and inserting ‘‘clauses (i) and (ii)’’; 

(2) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (C) as 

clauses (i) through (iii), respectively, and indenting appropriately; and 

(3) by striking ‘‘In the case of’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘(A) DEFINITION OF ACREAGE OWNED BY INDIAN

TRIBES.—In this paragraph, the term ‘acreage owned by 

Indian tribes’ includes— 

‘‘(i) land that is held in trust by the United States 

for Indian tribes or individual Indians; 

‘‘(ii) land, the title to which is held by Indian 

tribes or individual Indians subject to Federal restrictions against alienation or encumbrance; 


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‘‘(iii) land that is subject to rights of use, occupancy, and benefit of certain Indian tribes; 

‘‘(iv) land that is held in fee title by an Indian 

tribe; or 

‘‘(v) land that is owned by a native corporation 

formed under section 17 of the Act of June 18, 1934 

(commonly known as the ‘Indian Reorganization Act’) 

(25 U.S.C. 477) or section 8 of the Alaska Native 

Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1607); or 

‘‘(vi) a combination of 1 or more types of land 

described in clauses (i) through (v). 

‘‘(B) ENROLLMENT OF ACREAGE.—In the case of’’. 

(b) CHANGE IN FUNDING SOURCE FOR HEALTHY FORESTS

RESERVE PROGRAM.—Section 508 of the Healthy Forests Restoration 

Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6578) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘IN GENERAL’’ and inserting 

‘‘FISCAL YEARS 2009 THROUGH 2013’’; 

(2) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (d); and 

(3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following: 

‘‘(b) FISCAL YEARS 2014 THROUGH 2018.—There is authorized 

to be appropriated to the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out 

this section $12,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018. 

‘‘(c) ADDITIONAL SOURCE OF FUNDS.—In addition to funds appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in subsection (b) for a fiscal year, the Secretary may use such amount 

of the funds appropriated for that fiscal year to carry out the 

Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act (16 U.S.C. 590a 

et seq.) as the Secretary determines necessary to cover the cost 

of technical assistance, management, and enforcement responsibilities for land enrolled in the healthy forests reserve program pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of section 504.’’. 

SEC. 8204. INSECT AND DISEASE INFESTATION. 

Title VI of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 

U.S.C. 6591 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 602. DESIGNATION OF TREATMENT AREAS. 

‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF DECLINING FOREST HEALTH.—In this section, the term ‘declining forest health’ means a forest that is experiencing— 

‘‘(1) substantially increased tree mortality due to insect 

or disease infestation; or 

‘‘(2) dieback due to infestation or defoliation by insects 

or disease. 

‘‘(b) DESIGNATION OF TREATMENT AREAS.— ‘‘(1) INITIAL AREAS.—Not later than 60 days after the date 

of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, the Secretary 

shall, if requested by the Governor of the State, designate 

as part of an insect and disease treatment program 1 or more 

landscape-scale areas, such as subwatersheds (sixth-level 

hydrologic units, according to the System of Hydrologic Unit 

Codes of the United States Geological Survey), in at least 

1 national forest in each State that is experiencing an insect 

or disease epidemic. 

‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL AREAS.—After the end of the 60-day period 

described in paragraph (1), the Secretary may designate additional landscape-scale areas under this section as needed to 

address insect or disease threats. 

16 USC 6591a. 


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‘‘(c) REQUIREMENTS.—To be designated a landscape-scale area 

under subsection (b), the area shall be— 

‘‘(1) experiencing declining forest health, based on annual 

forest health surveys conducted by the Secretary; 

‘‘(2) at risk of experiencing substantially increased tree 

mortality over the next 15 years due to insect or disease infestation, based on the most recent National Insect and Disease 

Risk Map published by the Forest Service; or 

‘‘(3) in an area in which the risk of hazard trees poses 

an imminent risk to public infrastructure, health, or safety. 

‘‘(d) TREATMENT OF AREAS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may carry out priority 

projects on Federal land in the areas designated under subsection (b) to reduce the risk or extent of, or increase the 

resilience to, insect or disease infestation in the areas. 

‘‘(2) AUTHORITY.—Any project under paragraph (1) for 

which a public notice to initiate scoping is issued on or before 

September 30, 2018, may be carried out in accordance with 

subsections (b), (c), and (d) of section 102, and sections 104, 

105, and 106. 

‘‘(3) EFFECT.—Projects carried out under this subsection 

shall be considered authorized hazardous fuel reduction projects 

for purposes of the authorities described in paragraph (2). 

‘‘(4) REPORT.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with the schedule 

described in subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall issue 

2 reports on actions taken to carry out this subsection, 

including— 

‘‘(i) an evaluation of the progress towards project 

goals; and 

‘‘(ii) recommendations for modifications to the 

projects and management treatments. 

‘‘(B) SCHEDULE.—The Secretary shall— 

‘‘(i) not earlier than September 30, 2018, issue 

the initial report under subparagraph (A); and 

‘‘(ii) not earlier than September 30, 2024, issue 

the second report under that subparagraph. 

‘‘(e) TREE RETENTION.—The Secretary shall carry out projects 

under subsection (d) in a manner that maximizes the retention 

of old-growth and large trees, as appropriate for the forest type, 

to the extent that the trees promote stands that are resilient 

to insects and disease. 

‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this section $200,000,000 for each 

of fiscal years 2014 through 2024. 

‘‘SEC. 603. ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection (d), a 

project described in subsection (b) that is conducted in accordance 

with section 602(d) may be— 

‘‘(1) considered an action categorically excluded from the 

requirements of Public Law 91–190 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); 

and 

‘‘(2) exempt from the special administrative review process 

under section 105. 

‘‘(b) COLLABORATIVE RESTORATION PROJECT.— 

16 USC 6591b. 


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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A project referred to in subsection (a) 

is a project to carry out forest restoration treatments that— 

‘‘(A) maximizes the retention of old-growth and large 

trees, as appropriate for the forest type, to the extent 

that the trees promote stands that are resilient to insects 

and disease; 

‘‘(B) considers the best available scientific information 

to maintain or restore the ecological integrity, including 

maintaining or restoring structure, function, composition, 

and connectivity; and 

‘‘(C) is developed and implemented through a collaborative process that— 

‘‘(i) includes multiple interested persons representing diverse interests; and 

‘‘(ii)(I) is transparent and nonexclusive; or 

‘‘(II) meets the requirements for a resource 

advisory committee under subsections (c) through (f) 

of section 205 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7125). 

‘‘(2) INCLUSION.—A project under this subsection may carry 

out part of a proposal that complies with the eligibility requirements of the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program under section 4003(b) of the Omnibus Public Land 

Management Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 7303(b)). 

‘‘(c) LIMITATIONS.— 

‘‘(1) PROJECT SIZE.—A project under this section may not 

exceed 3000 acres. 

‘‘(2) LOCATION.—A project under this section shall be limited to areas— 

‘‘(A) in the wildland-urban interface; or 

‘‘(B) Condition Classes 2 or 3 in Fire Regime Groups 

I, II, or III, outside the wildland-urban interface. 

‘‘(3) ROADS.— 

‘‘(A) PERMANENT ROADS.— 

‘‘(i) PROHIBITION ON ESTABLISHMENT.—A project 

under this section shall not include the establishment 

of permanent roads. 

‘‘(ii) EXISTING ROADS.—The Secretary may carry 

out necessary maintenance and repairs on existing 

permanent roads for the purposes of this section. 

‘‘(B) TEMPORARY ROADS.—The Secretary shall 

decommission any temporary road constructed under a 

project under this section not later than 3 years after 

the date on which the project is completed. 

‘‘(d) EXCLUSIONS.—This section does not apply to— 

‘‘(1) a component of the National Wilderness Preservation 

System; 

‘‘(2) any Federal land on which, by Act of Congress or 

Presidential proclamation, the removal of vegetation is 

restricted or prohibited; 

‘‘(3) a congressionally designated wilderness study area; 

or 

‘‘(4) an area in which activities under subsection (a) would 

be inconsistent with the applicable land and resource management plan. 

‘‘(e) FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANS.—All projects and activities 

carried out under this section shall be consistent with the land 


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and resource management plan established under section 6 of the 

Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 

(16 U.S.C. 1604) for the unit of the National Forest System containing the projects and activities. 

‘‘(f) PUBLIC NOTICE AND SCOPING.—The Secretary shall conduct 

public notice and scoping for any project or action proposed in 

accordance with this section. 

‘‘(g) ACCOUNTABILITY.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall prepare an annual 

report on the use of categorical exclusions under this section 

that includes a description of all acres (or other appropriate 

unit) treated through projects carried out under this section. 

‘‘(2) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

of enactment of this section, and each year thereafter, the 

Secretary shall submit the reports required under paragraph 

(1) to— 

‘‘(A) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate; 

‘‘(B) the Committee on Environment and Public Works 

of the Senate; 

‘‘(C) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 

Representatives; 

‘‘(D) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House 

of Representatives; and 

‘‘(E) the Government Accountability Office.’’. 

SEC. 8205. STEWARDSHIP END RESULT CONTRACTING PROJECTS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Title VI of the Healthy Forests Restoration 

Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591) (as amended by section 8204) is 

amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 604. STEWARDSHIP END RESULT CONTRACTING PROJECTS. 

‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

‘‘(1) CHIEF.—The term ‘Chief’ means the Chief of the Forest 

Service. 

‘‘(2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘Director’ means the Director 

of the Bureau of Land Management. 

‘‘(b) PROJECTS.—The Chief and the Director, via agreement 

or contract as appropriate, may enter into stewardship contracting 

projects with private persons or other public or private entities 

to perform services to achieve land management goals for the 

national forests and the public lands that meet local and rural 

community needs. 

‘‘(c) LAND MANAGEMENT GOALS.—The land management goals 

of a project under subsection (b) may include any of the following: 

‘‘(1) Road and trail maintenance or obliteration to restore 

or maintain water quality. 

‘‘(2) Soil productivity, habitat for wildlife and fisheries, 

or other resource values. 

‘‘(3) Setting of prescribed fires to improve the composition, 

structure, condition, and health of stands or to improve wildlife 

habitat. 

‘‘(4) Removing vegetation or other activities to promote 

healthy forest stands, reduce fire hazards, or achieve other 

land management objectives. 

‘‘(5) Watershed restoration and maintenance. 

‘‘(6) Restoration and maintenance of wildlife and fish. 

16 USC 6591c. 


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‘‘(7) Control of noxious and exotic weeds and reestablishing 

native plant species. 

‘‘(d) AGREEMENTS OR CONTRACTS.— 

‘‘(1) PROCUREMENT PROCEDURE.—A source for performance 

of an agreement or contract under subsection (b) shall be 

selected on a best-value basis, including consideration of source 

under other public and private agreements or contracts. 

‘‘(2) CONTRACT FOR SALE OF PROPERTY.—A contract entered 

into under this section may, at the discretion of the Secretary 

of Agriculture, be considered a contract for the sale of property 

under such terms as the Secretary may prescribe without 

regard to any other provision of law. 

‘‘(3) TERM.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subparagraph 

(B), the Chief and the Director may enter into a contract 

under subsection (b) in accordance with section 3903 of 

title 41, United States Code. 

‘‘(B) MAXIMUM.—The period of the contract under subsection (b) may exceed 5 years but may not exceed 10 

years. 

‘‘(4) OFFSETS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Chief and the Director may 

apply the value of timber or other forest products removed 

as an offset against the cost of services received under 

the agreement or contract described in subsection (b). 

‘‘(B) METHODS OF APPRAISAL.—The value of timber or 

other forest products used as an offset under subparagraph 

(A)— 

‘‘(i) shall be determined using appropriate methods 

of appraisal commensurate with the quantity of products to be removed; and 

‘‘(ii) may— 

‘‘(I) be determined using a unit of measure 

appropriate to the contracts; and 

‘‘(II) may include valuing products on a peracre basis. 

‘‘(5) RELATION TO OTHER LAWS.—Notwithstanding subsections (d) and (g) of section 14 of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a), the Chief may enter into 

an agreement or contract under subsection (b). 

‘‘(6) CONTRACTING OFFICER.—Notwithstanding any other 

provision of law, the Secretary or the Secretary of the Interior 

may determine the appropriate contracting officer to enter into 

and administer an agreement or contract under subsection 

(b). 

‘‘(7) FIRE LIABILITY PROVISIONS.—Not later than 90 days 

after the date of enactment of this section, the Chief and 

the Director shall issue for use in all contracts and agreements 

under this section fire liability provisions that are in substantially the same form as the fire liability provisions contained 

in— 

‘‘(A) integrated resource timber contracts, as described 

in the Forest Service contract numbered 2400–13, part 

H, section H.4; and 

‘‘(B) timber sale contracts conducted pursuant to section 14 of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 

(16 U.S.C. 472a). 


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‘‘(e) RECEIPTS.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Chief and the Director may collect 

monies from an agreement or contract under subsection (b) 

if the collection is a secondary objective of negotiating the 

contract that will best achieve the purposes of this section. 

‘‘(2) USE.—Monies from an agreement or contract under 

subsection (b)— 

‘‘(A) may be retained by the Chief and the Director; 

and 

‘‘(B) shall be available for expenditure without further 

appropriation at the project site from which the monies 

are collected or at another project site. 

‘‘(3) RELATION TO OTHER LAWS.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the value of services received by the Chief 

or the Director under a stewardship contract project conducted under this section, and any payments made or 

resources provided by the contractor, Chief, or Director 

shall not be considered monies received from the National 

Forest System or the public lands. 

‘‘(B) KNUTSON-VANDERBERG ACT.—The Act of June 9, 

1930 (commonly known as the ‘Knutson-Vanderberg Act’) 

(16 U.S.C. 576 et seq.) shall not apply to any agreement 

or contract under subsection (b). 

‘‘(f) COSTS OF REMOVAL.—Notwithstanding the fact that a contractor did not harvest the timber, the Chief may collect deposits 

from a contractor covering the costs of removal of timber or other 

forest products under— 

‘‘(1) the Act of August 11, 1916 (16 U.S.C. 490); and 

‘‘(2) the Act of June 30, 1914 (16 U.S.C. 498). 

‘‘(g) PERFORMANCE AND PAYMENT GUARANTEES.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Chief and the Director may require 

performance and payment bonds under sections 28.103–2 and 

28.103–3 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, in an amount 

that the contracting officer considers sufficient to protect the 

investment in receipts by the Federal Government generated 

by the contractor from the estimated value of the forest products 

to be removed under a contract under subsection (b). 

‘‘(2) EXCESS OFFSET VALUE.—If the offset value of the forest 

products exceeds the value of the resource improvement treatments, the Chief and the Director may— 

‘‘(A) collect any residual receipts under the Act of June 

9, 1930 (commonly known as the ‘Knutson-Vanderberg Act’) 

(16 U.S.C. 576 et seq.); and 

‘‘(B) apply the excess to other authorized stewardship 

projects. 

‘‘(h) MONITORING AND EVALUATION.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Chief and the Director shall establish a multiparty monitoring and evaluation process that 

accesses the stewardship contracting projects conducted under 

this section. 

‘‘(2) PARTICIPANTS.—Other than the Chief and Director, 

participants in the process described in paragraph (1) may 

include— 

‘‘(A) any cooperating governmental agencies, including 

tribal governments; and 

‘‘(B) any other interested groups or individuals. 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 921 

‘‘(i) REPORTING.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Chief and the 

Director shall report to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 

and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture 

of the House of Representatives on— 

‘‘(1) the status of development, execution, and administration of agreements or contracts under subsection (b); 

‘‘(2) the specific accomplishments that have resulted; and 

‘‘(3) the role of local communities in the development of 

agreements or contract plans.’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 347 of the Department 

of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 (16 

U.S.C. 2104 note; Public Law 105–277) is repealed. 

SEC. 8206. GOOD NEIGHBOR AUTHORITY. 

(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

(1) AUTHORIZED RESTORATION SERVICES.—The term 

‘‘authorized restoration services’’ means similar and complementary forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration services carried out— 

(A) on Federal land and non-Federal land; and 

(B) by either the Secretary or a Governor pursuant 

to a good neighbor agreement. 

(2) FEDERAL LAND.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘Federal land’’ means land 

that is— 

(i) National Forest System land; or 

(ii) public land (as defined in section 103 of the 

Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 

(43 U.S.C. 1702)). 

(B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘Federal land’’ does not 

include— 

(i) a component of the National Wilderness 

Preservation System; 

(ii) Federal land on which the removal of vegetation is prohibited or restricted by Act of Congress or 

Presidential proclamation (including the applicable 

implementation plan); or 

(iii) a wilderness study area. 

(3) FOREST, RANGELAND, AND WATERSHED RESTORATION

SERVICES.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘forest, rangeland, and 

watershed restoration services’’ means— 

(i) activities to treat insect- and disease-infected 

trees; 

(ii) activities to reduce hazardous fuels; and 

(iii) any other activities to restore or improve 

forest, rangeland, and watershed health, including fish 

and wildlife habitat. 

(B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘forest, rangeland, and 

watershed restoration services’’ does not include— 

(i) construction, reconstruction, repair, or restoration of paved or permanent roads or parking areas; 

or 

(ii) construction, alteration, repair or replacement 

of public buildings or works. 

16 USC 2113a. 


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(4) GOOD NEIGHBOR AGREEMENT.—The term ‘‘good neighbor 

agreement’’ means a cooperative agreement or contract 

(including a sole source contract) entered into between the 

Secretary and a Governor to carry out authorized restoration 

services under this section. 

(5) GOVERNOR.—The term ‘‘Governor’’ means the Governor 

or any other appropriate executive official of an affected State 

or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 

(6) ROAD.—The term ‘‘road’’ has the meaning given the 

term in section 212.1 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations 

(as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act). 

(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means— 

(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to 

National Forest System land; and 

(B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to Bureau 

of Land Management land. 

(b) GOOD NEIGHBOR AGREEMENTS.— 

(1) GOOD NEIGHBOR AGREEMENTS.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may enter into a good 

neighbor agreement with a Governor to carry out authorized restoration services in accordance with this section. 

(B) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary shall make 

each good neighbor agreement available to the public. 

(2) TIMBER SALES.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—Subsections (d) and (g) of section 

14 of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 

U.S.C. 472a(d) and (g)) shall not apply to services performed under a cooperative agreement or contract entered 

into under subsection (a). 

(B) APPROVAL OF SILVICULTURE PRESCRIPTIONS AND

MARKING GUIDES.—The Secretary shall provide or approve 

all silviculture prescriptions and marking guides to be 

applied on Federal land in all timber sale projects conducted under this section. 

(3) RETENTION OF NEPA RESPONSIBILITIES.—Any decision 

required to be made under the National Environmental Policy 

Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) with respect to any authorized restoration services to be provided under this section on 

Federal land shall not be delegated to a Governor. 

Subtitle D—Miscellaneous Provisions 

SEC. 8301. REVISION OF STRATEGIC PLAN FOR FOREST INVENTORY 

AND ANALYSIS. 

(a) REVISION REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days after the 

date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall revise the strategic 

plan for forest inventory and analysis initially prepared pursuant 

to section 3(e) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources 

Research Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 1642(e)) to address the requirements imposed by subsection (b). 

(b) ELEMENTS OF REVISED STRATEGIC PLAN.—In revising the 

strategic plan, the Secretary shall describe in detail the organization, procedures, and funding needed to achieve each of the following: 

16 USC 1642 

note. 


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(1) Complete the transition to a fully annualized forest 

inventory program and include inventory and analysis of 

interior Alaska. 

(2) Implement an annualized inventory of trees in urban 

settings, including the status and trends of trees and forests, 

and assessments of their ecosystem services, values, health, 

and risk to pests and diseases. 

(3) Report information on renewable biomass supplies and 

carbon stocks at the local, State, regional, and national level, 

including by ownership type. 

(4) Engage State foresters and other users of information 

from the forest inventory and analysis in reevaluating the 

list of core data variables collected on forest inventory and 

analysis plots with an emphasis on demonstrated need. 

(5) Improve the timeliness of the timber product output 

program and accessibility of the annualized information on 

that database. 

(6) Foster greater cooperation among the forest inventory 

and analysis program, research station leaders, and State foresters and other users of information from the forest inventory 

and analysis. 

(7) Promote availability of and access to non-Federal 

resources to improve information analysis and information 

management. 

(8) Collaborate with the Natural Resources Conservation 

Service, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and United 

States Geological Survey to integrate remote sensing, spatial 

analysis techniques, and other new technologies in the forest 

inventory and analysis program. 

(9) Understand and report on changes in land cover and 

use. 

(10) Expand existing programs to promote sustainable 

forest stewardship through increased understanding, in partnership with other Federal agencies, of the over 10,000,000 

family forest owners, their demographics, and the barriers to 

forest stewardship. 

(11) Implement procedures to improve the statistical precision of estimates at the sub-State level. 

(c) SUBMISSION OF REVISED STRATEGIC PLAN.—The Secretary 

shall submit the revised strategic plan to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate. 

SEC. 8302. FOREST SERVICE PARTICIPATION IN ACES PROGRAM. 

The Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, 

may use funds derived from conservation-related programs executed 

on National Forest System land to utilize the Agriculture Conservation Experienced Services Program established pursuant to section 

1252 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3851) to provide 

technical services for conservation-related programs and authorities 

carried out by the Secretary on National Forest System land. 

16 USC 3851a. 


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128 STAT. 924 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

SEC. 8303. EXTENSION OF STEWARDSHIP CONTRACTS AUTHORITY 

REGARDING USE OF DESIGNATION BY PRESCRIPTION TO 

ALL THINNING SALES UNDER NATIONAL FOREST 

MANAGEMENT ACT OF 1976. 

Section 14 of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 

(16 U.S.C. 472a) is amended by striking subsection (g) and inserting 

the following: 

‘‘(g) DESIGNATION AND SUPERVISION OF HARVESTING.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Designation, including marking when 

necessary, designation by description, or designation by 

prescription, and supervision of harvesting of trees, portions 

of trees, or forest products shall be conducted by persons 

employed by the Secretary of Agriculture. 

‘‘(2) REQUIREMENT.—Persons employed by the Secretary 

of Agriculture under paragraph (1)— 

‘‘(A) shall have no personal interest in the purchase 

or harvest of the products; and 

‘‘(B) shall not be directly or indirectly in the employment of the purchaser of the products. 

‘‘(3) METHODS FOR DESIGNATION.—Designation by prescription and designation by description shall be considered valid 

methods for designation, and may be supervised by use of 

post-harvest cruise, sample weight scaling, or other methods 

determined by the Secretary of Agriculture to be appropriate.’’. 

SEC. 8304. REIMBURSEMENT OF FIRE FUNDS. 

(a) DEFINITION OF STATE.—In this section, the term ‘‘State’’ 

means— 

(1) a State; and 

(2) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 

(b) IN GENERAL.—If a State seeks reimbursement for amounts 

expended for resources and services provided to another State for 

the management and suppression of a wildfire, the Secretary, subject to subsections (c) and (d)— 

(1) may accept the reimbursement amounts from the other 

State; and 

(2) shall pay those amounts to the State seeking reimbursement. 

(c) MUTUAL ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.—As a condition of seeking 

and providing reimbursement under subsection (b), the State 

seeking reimbursement and the State providing reimbursement 

must each have a mutual assistance agreement with the Forest 

Service or another Federal agency for providing and receiving wildfire management and suppression resources and services. 

(d) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—The Secretary may prescribe the 

terms and conditions determined to be necessary to carry out subsection (b). 

(e) EFFECT ON PRIOR REIMBURSEMENTS.—Any acceptance of 

funds or reimbursements made by the Secretary before the date 

of enactment of this Act that otherwise would have been authorized 

under this section shall be considered to have been made in accordance with this section. 

(f) AMENDMENT.—Section 5(b) of the Act of May 27, 1955 (42 

U.S.C. 1856d(b)) is amended in the first sentence by inserting 

‘‘or Department of Agriculture’’ after ‘‘Department of Defense’’. 

42 USC 1856e. 


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SEC. 8305. FOREST SERVICE LARGE AIRTANKER AND AERIAL ASSET 

FIREFIGHTING RECAPITALIZATION PILOT PROGRAM. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of appropriations, 

the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, may 

establish a large airtanker and aerial asset lease program in accordance with this section. 

(b) AIRCRAFT REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the program 

described in subsection (a), the Secretary may enter into a multiyear 

lease contract for up to 5 aircraft that meet the criteria— 

(1) described in the Forest Service document entitled ‘‘Large 

Airtanker Modernization Strategy’’ and dated February 10, 

2012, for large airtankers; and 

(2) determined by the Secretary, for other aerial assets. 

(c) LEASE TERMS.—The term of any individual lease agreement 

into which the Secretary enters under this section shall be— 

(1) up to 5 years, inclusive of any options to renew or 

extend the initial lease term; and 

(2) in accordance with section 3903 of title 41, United 

States Code. 

(d) PROHIBITION.—No lease entered into under this section shall 

provide for the purchase of the aircraft by, or the transfer of 

ownership to, the Forest Service. 

SEC. 8306. LAND CONVEYANCE, JEFFERSON NATIONAL FOREST IN 

WISE COUNTY, VIRGINIA. 

(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

(1) ASSOCIATION.—The term ‘‘Association’’ means the 

Mullins and Sturgill Cemetery Association of Pound, Virginia. 

(2) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map titled ‘‘Mullins 

and Sturgill Cemetery’’ dated March 1, 2013. 

(b) CONVEYANCE REQUIRED.—Upon payment by the Association 

of the consideration under subsection (c) and the costs under subsection (e), the Secretary shall, subject to valid existing rights, 

convey to the Association all right, title, and interest of the United 

States in and to a parcel of National Forest System land in the 

Jefferson National Forest in Wise County, Virginia, consisting of 

approximately 0.70 acres and containing the Mullins and Sturgill 

Cemetery and an easement to provide access to the parcel, as 

generally depicted on the map. 

(c) CONSIDERATION.— 

(1) FAIR MARKET VALUE.—As consideration for the land 

conveyed under subsection (b), the Association shall pay to 

the Secretary cash in an amount equal to the market value 

of the land, as determined by an appraisal approved by the 

Secretary and conducted in conformity with the Uniform 

Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions and section 

206 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 

(43 U.S.C. 1716). 

(2) DEPOSIT.—The consideration received by the Secretary 

under paragraph (1) shall be deposited into the general fund 

of the Treasury of the United States for the purposes of deficit 

reduction. 

(d) DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY.—The exact acreage and legal 

description of the land to be conveyed under subsection (b) shall 

be determined by a survey satisfactory to the Secretary. 

16 USC 551c 

note. 


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128 STAT. 926 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

(e) COSTS.—The Association shall pay to the Secretary at closing 

the reasonable costs of the survey, the appraisal, and any administrative and environmental analyses required by law. 

(f) ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—The Secretary may 

require such additional terms and conditions in connection with 

the conveyance under subsection (b) as the Secretary considers 

appropriate to protect the interests of the United States. 

TITLE IX—ENERGY 

SEC. 9001. DEFINITIONS. 

Section 9001 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act 

of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8101) is amended by— 

(1) redesignating paragraphs (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), and 

(14) as paragraphs (10), (11), (12), (13), (15), and (17); 

(2) inserting after paragraph (8), the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(9) FOREST PRODUCT.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘forest product’ means 

a product made from materials derived from the practice 

of forestry or the management of growing timber. 

‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘forest product’ includes— 

‘‘(i) pulp, paper, paperboard, pellets, lumber, and 

other wood products; and 

‘‘(ii) any recycled products derived from forest 

materials.’’; 

(3) by inserting after paragraph (13) (as redesignated by 

paragraph (1) of this section) the following: 

‘‘(14) RENEWABLE CHEMICAL.—The term ‘renewable chemical’ means a monomer, polymer, plastic, formulated product, 

or chemical substance produced from renewable biomass.’’; and 

(4) inserting after paragraph (15) (as so redesignated), the 

following new paragraph: 

‘‘(16) RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEM.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subparagraph (B), the 

term ‘renewable energy system’ means a system that— 

‘‘(i) produces usable energy from a renewable 

energy source; and 

‘‘(ii) may include distribution components necessary to move energy produced by such system to 

the initial point of sale. 

‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—A system described in subparagraph 

(A) may not include a mechanism for dispensing energy 

at retail.’’. 

SEC. 9002. BIOBASED MARKETS PROGRAM. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural 

Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8102) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a)— 

(A) in paragraph (2)(A)(i)— 

(i) in subclause (I), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(ii) in subclause (II)(bb), by striking the period 

at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(iii) by adding at the end the following: 


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‘‘(III) establish a targeted biobased-only 

procurement requirement under which the procuring agency shall issue a certain number of 

biobased-only contracts when the procuring agency 

is purchasing products, or purchasing services that 

include the use of products, that are included in 

a biobased product category designated by the Secretary.’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (3)— 

(i) in subparagraph (B)— 

(I) in clause (v), by inserting ‘‘as determined 

to be necessary by the Secretary based on the 

availability of data,’’ before ‘‘provide information’’; 

(II) by redesignating clauses (v) and (vi) as 

clauses (vii) and (viii), respectively; and 

(III) by inserting after clause (iv) the following: 

‘‘(v) require reporting of quantities and types of 

biobased products purchased by procuring agencies; 

‘‘(vi) promote biobased products, including forest 

products, that apply an innovative approach to 

growing, harvesting, sourcing, procuring, processing, 

manufacturing, or application of biobased products 

regardless of the date of entry into the marketplace;’’; 

and 

(ii) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(F) REQUIRED DESIGNATIONS.—Not later than 1 year 

after the date of enactment of this subparagraph, the Secretary shall begin to designate intermediate ingredients 

or feedstocks and assembled and finished biobased products 

in the guidelines issued under this paragraph.’’; 

(2) in subsection (b)— 

(A) in paragraph (3)— 

(i) by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and inserting the 

following: 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; and 

(ii) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(B) AUDITING AND COMPLIANCE.—The Secretary may 

carry out such auditing and compliance activities as the 

Secretary determines to be necessary to ensure compliance 

with subparagraph (A).’’; and 

(B) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(4) ASSEMBLED AND FINISHED PRODUCTS.—Not later than 

1 year after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the 

Secretary shall begin issuing criteria for determining which 

assembled and finished products may qualify to receive the 

label under paragraph (1).’’; 

(3) in subsection (g)— 

(A) in paragraph (2)— 

(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) by 

striking ‘‘The report’’ and inserting ‘‘Each report under 

paragraph (1)’’; 

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

end; 

(iii) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking the period 

at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(iv) by adding at the end the following new 

subparagraph: 


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‘‘(C) the progress made by other Federal agencies in 

compliance with the biobased procurement requirements, 

including the quantity of purchases made.’’; and 

(B) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(3) ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY AND REPORT.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct a study 

to assess the economic impact of the biobased products 

industry, including— 

‘‘(i) the quantity of biobased products sold; 

‘‘(ii) the value of the biobased products; 

‘‘(iii) the quantity of jobs created; 

‘‘(iv) the quantity of petroleum displaced; 

‘‘(v) other environmental benefits; and 

‘‘(vi) areas in which the use or manufacturing of 

biobased products could be more effectively used, 

including identifying any technical and economic 

obstacles and recommending how those obstacles can 

be overcome. 

‘‘(B) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

of enactment of this subparagraph, the Secretary shall 

submit to Congress a report describing the results of the 

study conducted under subparagraph (A).’’; 

(4) by redesignating subsections (g) and (h) as subsections 

(h) and (i), respectively; 

(5) by inserting after subsection (f) the following new subsection: 

‘‘(g) FOREST PRODUCTS LABORATORY COORDINATION.—In determining whether products are eligible for the ‘USDA Certified 

Biobased Product’ label, the Secretary (acting through the Forest 

Products Laboratory) shall provide appropriate technical and other 

assistance to the program and applicants for forest products.’’; and 

(6) in subsection (i) (as redesignated by paragraph (4)), 

by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) and inserting the following 

new paragraphs: 

‘‘(1) MANDATORY FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Commodity 

Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this 

section $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018. 

‘‘(2) DISCRETIONARY FUNDING.—There is authorized to be 

appropriated to carry out this section $2,000,000 for each of 

fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’; and 

(7) by adding at the end the following new subsection: 

‘‘(j) BIOBASED PRODUCT INCLUSION.—In this section, the term 

‘biobased product’ (as defined in section 9001) includes, with respect 

to forestry materials, forest products that meet biobased content 

requirements, notwithstanding the market share the product holds, 

the age of the product, or whether the market for the product 

is new or emerging.’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 944(c)(2)(A) of the 

Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16253(c)(2)(A)) is amended 

by striking ‘‘section 9002(h)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 9002(b)’’. 

SEC. 9003. BIOREFINERY ASSISTANCE. 

(a) PROGRAM ADJUSTMENTS.—Section 9003 of the Farm Security 

and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8103) is amended— 

(1) in the section heading, by inserting ‘‘, RENEWABLE

CHEMICAL, AND BIOBASED PRODUCT MANUFACTURING’’ after ‘‘BIOREFINERY’’; 


ccoleman on DSK8P6SHH1PROD with PUBLIC LAWS
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(2) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph 

(1), by inserting ‘‘renewable chemicals, and biobased product 

manufacturing’’ after ‘‘advanced biofuels,’’; 

(3) in subsection (b)— 

(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively; and 

(B) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so redesignated) the following: 

‘‘(1) BIOBASED PRODUCT MANUFACTURING.—The term 

‘biobased product manufacturing’ means development, construction, and retrofitting of technologically new commercial-scale 

processing and manufacturing equipment and required facilities 

that will be used to convert renewable chemicals and other 

biobased outputs of biorefineries into end-user products on a 

commercial scale.’’; 

(4) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘to eligible entities’’ and 

all that follows through ‘‘guarantees for loans’’ and inserting 

‘‘to eligible entities guarantees for loans’’; 

(5) by striking subsection (d); 

(6) by redesignating subsections (e), (f), (g), and (h) as 

subsections (d), (e), (f), and (g), respectively; and 

(7) in subsection (d) (as so redesignated)— 

(A) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following 

new subparagraph: 

‘‘(D) PROJECT DIVERSITY.—In approving loan guarantee 

applications, the Secretary shall ensure that, to the extent 

practicable, there is diversity in the types of projects 

approved for loan guarantees to ensure that as wide a 

range as possible of technologies, products, and approaches 

are assisted.’’. 

(B) by striking ‘‘subsection (c)(2)’’ each place it appears 

and inserting ‘‘subsection (c)’’; and 

(C) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking ‘‘subsection (h)’’ 

and inserting ‘‘subsection (g)’’. 

(b) FUNDING.—Subsection (g) of section 9003 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8103) (as redesignated by paragraph (6)) is amended— 

(1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) MANDATORY FUNDING.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subparagraph (B), of the 

funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary 

shall use for the cost of loan guarantees under this section, 

to remain available until expended— 

‘‘(i) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2014; and 

‘‘(ii) $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 and 

2016. 

‘‘(B) BIOBASED PRODUCT MANUFACTURING.—Of the total 

amount of funds made available for fiscal years 2014 and 

2015 under subparagraph (A), the Secretary may use for 

the cost of loan guarantees under this section not more 

than 15 percent of such funds to promote biobased product 

manufacturing.’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘$150,000,000 for each 

of fiscal years 2009 through 2013’’ and inserting ‘‘$75,000,000 

for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018’’. 


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SEC. 9004. REPOWERING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 

Section 9004(d) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 

Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8104(d)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘$35,000,000 for fiscal 

year 2009’’ and inserting ‘‘$12,000,000 for fiscal year 2014’’; 

and 

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘$15,000,000 for each 

of fiscal years 2009 through 2013’’ and inserting ‘‘$10,000,000 

for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018’’. 

SEC. 9005. BIOENERGY PROGRAM FOR ADVANCED BIOFUELS. 

Section 9005(g) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 

Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8105(g)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1)— 

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

inserting a semicolon; 

(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period and 

inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: 

‘‘(E) $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2018.’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘$25,000,000 for each 

of fiscal years 2009 through 2013’’ and inserting ‘‘$20,000,000 

for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018’’. 

SEC. 9006. BIODIESEL FUEL EDUCATION PROGRAM. 

Section 9006(d) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 

Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8106(d)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1)— 

(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘FISCAL YEARS 2009

THROUGH 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘MANDATORY FUNDING’’ ; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (2)— 

(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘AUTHORIZATION OF

APPROPRIATIONS’’ and inserting ‘‘DISCRETIONARY FUNDING’’ 

; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2013’’ and inserting ‘‘each 

of fiscal years 2014 through 2018’’. 

SEC. 9007. RURAL ENERGY FOR AMERICA PROGRAM. 

(a) PROGRAM ADJUSTMENTS.—Section 9007 of the Farm Security 

and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (b)(2)— 

(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 council (as defined in section 1528 of the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3451)); and’’; 

and 

(2) in subsection (c)— 

(A) by striking paragraph (3); 

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

and 

(C) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(4) TIERED APPLICATION PROCESS.— 


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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In providing loan guarantees and 

grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall use a 

3-tiered application process that reflects the size of proposed projects in accordance with this paragraph. 

‘‘(B) TIER 1.—The Secretary shall establish a separate 

application process for projects for which the cost of the 

activity funded under this subsection is not more than 

$80,000. 

‘‘(C) TIER 2.—The Secretary shall establish a separate 

application process for projects for which the cost of the 

activity funded under this subsection is greater than 

$80,000 but less than $200,000. 

‘‘(D) TIER 3.—The Secretary shall establish a separate 

application process for projects for which the cost of the 

activity funded under this subsection is equal to or greater 

than $200,000. 

‘‘(E) APPLICATION PROCESS.—The Secretary shall establish an application, evaluation, and oversight process that 

is the most simplified for tier I projects and more comprehensive for each subsequent tier.’’. 

(b) FUNDING.—Section 9007(g) of the Farm Security and Rural 

Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107(g)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1)— 

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

inserting a semicolon; 

(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period and 

inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: 

‘‘(E) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2014 and each fiscal 

year thereafter.’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘$25,000,000 for each 

of fiscal years 2009 through 2013’’ and inserting ‘‘$20,000,000 

for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018’’. 

SEC. 9008. BIOMASS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. 

Section 9008(h) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 

Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8108(h)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1)— 

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

inserting a semicolon; 

(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period and 

inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: 

‘‘(E) $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2017.’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘$35,000,000 for each 

of fiscal years 2009 through 2013’’ and inserting ‘‘$20,000,000 

for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018’’. 

SEC. 9009. FEEDSTOCK FLEXIBILITY PROGRAM FOR BIOENERGY PRODUCERS. 

Section 9010(b) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 

Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8110(b)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ‘‘2013’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’; and 


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128 STAT. 932 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

(2) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ‘‘2013’’ and inserting 

‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 9010. BIOMASS CROP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 

Section 9011 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act 

of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8111) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 9011. BIOMASS CROP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 

‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

‘‘(1) BCAP.—The term ‘BCAP’ means the Biomass Crop 

Assistance Program established under this section. 

‘‘(2) BCAP PROJECT AREA.—The term ‘BCAP project area’ 

means an area that— 

‘‘(A) has specified boundaries that are submitted to 

the Secretary by the project sponsor and subsequently 

approved by the Secretary; 

‘‘(B) includes producers with contract acreage that will 

supply a portion of the renewable biomass needed by a 

biomass conversion facility; and 

‘‘(C) is physically located within an economically practicable distance from the biomass conversion facility. 

‘‘(3) CONTRACT ACREAGE.—The term ‘contract acreage’ 

means eligible land that is covered by a BCAP contract entered 

into with the Secretary. 

‘‘(4) ELIGIBLE CROP.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘eligible crop’ means a 

crop of renewable biomass. 

‘‘(B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘eligible crop’ does not 

include— 

‘‘(i) any crop that is eligible to receive payments 

under title I of the Agricultural Act of 2014 or an 

amendment made by that title; or 

‘‘(ii) any plant that is invasive or noxious or species 

or varieties of plants that credible risk assessment 

tools or other credible sources determine are potentially 

invasive, as determined by the Secretary in consultation with other appropriate Federal or State departments and agencies. 

‘‘(5) ELIGIBLE LAND.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘eligible land’ includes— 

‘‘(i) agricultural and nonindustrial private forest 

lands (as defined in section 5(c) of the Cooperative 

Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2103a(c)); 

and 

‘‘(ii) land enrolled in the conservation reserve program established under subchapter B of chapter I of 

subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 

1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831 et seq.), or the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program established under subtitle H of title XII of that Act, under a contract that 

will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. 

‘‘(B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘eligible land’ does not 

include— 

‘‘(i) Federal- or State-owned land; 

‘‘(ii) land that is native sod, as of the date of 

enactment of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8701 et seq.); 


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‘‘(iii) land enrolled in the conservation reserve program established under subchapter B of chapter 1 

of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act 

of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831 et seq.), other than land 

described in subparagraph (A)(ii); or 

‘‘(iv) land enrolled in the Agricultural Conservation 

Easement Program established under subtitle H of 

title XII of that Act, other than land described in 

subparagraph (A)(ii). 

‘‘(6) ELIGIBLE MATERIAL.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘eligible material’ means 

renewable biomass harvested directly from the land, 

including crop residue from any crop that is eligible to 

receive payments under title I of the Agricultural Act of 

2014 or an amendment made by that title. 

‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘eligible material’ shall 

only include— 

‘‘(i) eligible material that is collected or harvested 

by the eligible material owner— 

‘‘(I) directly from— 

‘‘(aa) National Forest System; 

‘‘(bb) Bureau of Land Management land; 

‘‘(cc) non-Federal land; or 

‘‘(dd) land owned by an individual Indian 

or Indian tribe that is held in trust by the 

United States for the benefit of the individual 

Indian or Indian tribe or subject to a restriction against alienation imposed by the United 

States; 

‘‘(II) in a manner that is consistent with— 

‘‘(aa) a conservation plan; 

‘‘(bb) a forest stewardship plan; or 

‘‘(cc) a plan that the Secretary determines 

is equivalent to a plan described in item (aa) 

or (bb) and consistent with Executive Order 

13112 (42 U.S.C. 4321 note; relating to 

invasive species); 

‘‘(ii) if woody eligible material, woody eligible material that is produced on land other than contract acreage that— 

‘‘(I) is a byproduct of a preventative treatment 

that is removed to reduce hazardous fuel or to 

reduce or contain disease or insect infestation; and 

‘‘(II) if harvested from Federal land, is harvested in accordance with section 102(e) of the 

Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 

6512(e)); and 

‘‘(iii) eligible material that is delivered to a qualified biomass conversion facility to be used for heat, 

power, biobased products, research, or advanced 

biofuels. 

‘‘(C) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘eligible material’ does not 

include— 

‘‘(i) material that is whole grain from any crop 

that is eligible to receive payments under title I of 

the Agricultural Act of 2014 or an amendment made 

by that title, including— 


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‘‘(I) barley, corn, grain sorghum, oats, rice, 

or wheat; 

‘‘(II) honey; 

‘‘(III) mohair; 

‘‘(IV) oilseeds, including canola, crambe, 

flaxseed, mustard seed, rapeseed, safflower seed, 

soybeans, sesame seed, and sunflower seed; 

‘‘(V) peanuts; 

‘‘(VI) pulse; 

‘‘(VII) chickpeas, lentils, and dry peas; 

‘‘(VIII) dairy products; 

‘‘(IX) sugar; and 

‘‘(X) wool and cotton boll fiber; 

‘‘(ii) animal waste and byproducts, including fat, 

oil, grease, and manure; 

‘‘(iii) food waste and yard waste; 

‘‘(iv) algae; 

‘‘(v) woody eligible material that— 

‘‘(I) is removed outside contract acreage; and 

‘‘(II) is not a byproduct of a preventative treatment to reduce hazardous fuel or to reduce or 

contain disease or insect infestation; 

‘‘(vi) any woody eligible material collected or harvested outside contract acreage that would otherwise 

be used for existing market products; or 

‘‘(vii) bagasse. 

‘‘(7) PRODUCER.—The term ‘producer’ means an owner or 

operator of contract acreage that is physically located within 

a BCAP project area. 

‘‘(8) PROJECT SPONSOR.—The term ‘project sponsor’ means— 

‘‘(A) a group of producers; or 

‘‘(B) a biomass conversion facility. 

‘‘(9) SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMER OR RANCHER.—The 

term ‘socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher’ has the 

meaning given the term in section 2501(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e)). 

‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE.—The Secretary shall establish and administer a Biomass Crop Assistance Program to— 

‘‘(1) support the establishment and production of eligible 

crops for conversion to bioenergy in selected BCAP project 

areas; and 

‘‘(2) assist agricultural and forest land owners and operators with the collection, harvest, storage, and transportation 

of eligible material for use in a biomass conversion facility. 

‘‘(c) BCAP PROJECT AREA.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide financial 

assistance to a producer of an eligible crop in a BCAP project 

area. 

‘‘(2) SELECTION OF PROJECT AREAS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To be considered for selection as 

a BCAP project area, a project sponsor shall submit to 

the Secretary a proposal that, at a minimum, includes— 

‘‘(i) a description of the eligible land and eligible 

crops of each producer that will participate in the 

proposed BCAP project area; 

‘‘(ii) a letter of commitment from a biomass conversion facility that the facility will use the eligible crops 


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intended to be produced in the proposed BCAP project 

area; 

‘‘(iii) evidence that the biomass conversion facility 

has sufficient equity available, as determined by the 

Secretary, if the biomass conversion facility is not operational at the time the proposal is submitted to the 

Secretary; and 

‘‘(iv) any other information about the biomass 

conversion facility or proposed biomass conversion 

facility that the Secretary determines necessary for 

the Secretary to be reasonably assured that the plant 

will be in operation by the date on which the eligible 

crops are ready for harvest. 

‘‘(B) BCAP PROJECT AREA SELECTION CRITERIA.—In 

selecting BCAP project areas, the Secretary shall consider— 

‘‘(i) the volume of the eligible crops proposed to 

be produced in the proposed BCAP project area and 

the probability that those crops will be used for the 

purposes of the BCAP; 

‘‘(ii) the volume of renewable biomass projected 

to be available from sources other than the eligible 

crops grown on contract acres; 

‘‘(iii) the anticipated economic impact in the proposed BCAP project area; 

‘‘(iv) the opportunity for producers and local investors to participate in the ownership of the biomass 

conversion facility in the proposed BCAP project area; 

‘‘(v) the participation rate by— 

‘‘(I) beginning farmers or ranchers (as defined 

in accordance with section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 

1991(a))); or 

‘‘(II) socially disadvantaged farmers or 

ranchers; 

‘‘(vi) the impact on soil, water, and related 

resources; 

‘‘(vii) the variety in biomass production approaches 

within a project area, including (as appropriate)— 

‘‘(I) agronomic conditions; 

‘‘(II) harvest and postharvest practices; and 

‘‘(III) monoculture and polyculture crop mixes; 

‘‘(viii) the range of eligible crops among project 

areas; 

‘‘(ix) existing project areas that have received 

funding under this section and the continuation of 

funding of such project areas to advance the maturity 

of such project areas; and 

‘‘(x) any additional information that the Secretary 

determines to be necessary. 

‘‘(3) CONTRACT.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—On approval of a BCAP project area 

by the Secretary, each producer in the BCAP project area 

shall enter into a contract directly with the Secretary. 

‘‘(B) MINIMUM TERMS.—At a minimum, a contract 

under this subsection shall include terms that cover— 


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‘‘(i) an agreement to make available to the Secretary, or to an institution of higher education or other 

entity designated by the Secretary, such information 

as the Secretary considers to be appropriate to promote 

the production of eligible crops and the development 

of biomass conversion technology; 

‘‘(ii) compliance with the highly erodible land conservation requirements of subtitle B of title XII of 

the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3811 et seq.) 

and the wetland conservation requirements of subtitle 

C of title XII of that Act (16 U.S.C. 3821 et seq.); 

‘‘(iii) the implementation of (as determined by the 

Secretary)— 

‘‘(I) a conservation plan; 

‘‘(II) a forest stewardship plan; or 

‘‘(III) a plan that is equivalent to a conservation or forest stewardship plan; and 

‘‘(iv) any additional requirements that Secretary 

determines to be necessary. 

‘‘(C) DURATION.—A contract under this subsection shall 

have a term of not more than— 

‘‘(i) 5 years for annual and perennial crops; or 

‘‘(ii) 15 years for woody biomass. 

‘‘(4) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PROGRAMS.—In carrying out 

this subsection, the Secretary shall provide for the preservation 

of cropland base and yield history applicable to the land 

enrolled in a BCAP contract. 

‘‘(5) PAYMENTS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make establishment and annual payments directly to producers to support 

the establishment and production of eligible crops on contract acreage. 

‘‘(B) AMOUNT OF ESTABLISHMENT PAYMENTS.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to clause (ii), the amount 

of an establishment payment under this subsection 

shall be not more than 50 percent of the costs of 

establishing an eligible perennial crop covered by the 

contract but not to exceed $500 per acre, including— 

‘‘(I) the cost of seeds and stock for perennials; 

‘‘(II) the cost of planting the perennial crop, 

as determined by the Secretary; and 

‘‘(III) in the case of nonindustrial private 

forestland, the costs of site preparation and tree 

planting. 

‘‘(ii) SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS OR

RANCHERS.—In the case of socially disadvantaged 

farmers or ranchers, the costs of establishment may 

not exceed $750 per acre. 

‘‘(C) AMOUNT OF ANNUAL PAYMENTS.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to clause (ii), the amount 

of an annual payment under this subsection shall be 

determined by the Secretary. 

‘‘(ii) REDUCTION.—The Secretary shall reduce an 

annual payment by an amount determined to be appropriate by the Secretary, if— 


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‘‘(I) an eligible crop is used for purposes other 

than the production of energy at the biomass 

conversion facility; 

‘‘(II) an eligible crop is delivered to the biomass 

conversion facility; 

‘‘(III) the producer receives a payment under 

subsection (d); 

‘‘(IV) the producer violates a term of the contract; or 

‘‘(V) the Secretary determines a reduction is 

necessary to carry out this section. 

‘‘(D) EXCLUSION.—The Secretary shall not make any 

BCAP payments on land for which payments are received 

under the conservation reserve program established under 

subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII of 

the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831 et seq.) 

or the agricultural conservation easement program established under subtitle H of title XII of that Act. 

‘‘(d) ASSISTANCE WITH COLLECTION, HARVEST, STORAGE, AND

TRANSPORTATION.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make a payment 

for the delivery of eligible material to a biomass conversion 

facility to— 

‘‘(A) a producer of an eligible crop that is produced 

on BCAP contract acreage; or 

‘‘(B) a person with the right to collect or harvest eligible 

material, regardless of whether the eligible material is 

produced on contract acreage. 

‘‘(2) PAYMENTS.— 

‘‘(A) COSTS COVERED.—A payment under this subsection shall be in an amount described in subparagraph 

(B) for— 

‘‘(i) collection; 

‘‘(ii) harvest; 

‘‘(iii) storage; and 

‘‘(iv) transportation to a biomass conversion 

facility. 

‘‘(B) AMOUNT.—Subject to paragraph (3), the Secretary 

may provide matching payments at a rate of up to $1 

for each $1 per ton provided by the biomass conversion 

facility, in an amount not to exceed $20 per dry ton for 

a period of 2 years. 

‘‘(3) LIMITATION ON ASSISTANCE FOR BCAP CONTRACT ACREAGE.—As a condition of the receipt of an annual payment 

under subsection (c), a producer receiving a payment under 

this subsection for collection, harvest, storage, or transportation 

of an eligible crop produced on BCAP acreage shall agree to 

a reduction in the annual payment. 

‘‘(e) REPORT.—Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment 

of the Agricultural Act of 2014, the Secretary 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 on the dissemination by the Secretary of the best 

practice data and information gathered from participants receiving 

assistance under this section. 

‘‘(f) FUNDING.— 


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128 STAT. 938 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit 

Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this section 

$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018. 

‘‘(2) COLLECTION, HARVEST, STORAGE, AND TRANSPORTATION

PAYMENTS.—Of the amount made available under paragraph 

(1) for each fiscal year, the Secretary shall use not less than 

10 percent, nor more than 50 percent, of the amount to make 

collection, harvest, transportation, and storage payments under 

subsection (d)(2). 

‘‘(3) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Effective for fiscal year 2014 and 

each subsequent fiscal year, funds made available under 

this subsection shall be available for the provision of technical assistance with respect to activities authorized under 

this section. 

‘‘(B) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS.—To the extent 

funds obligated or expended under subparagraph (A) 

include funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, such 

funds shall not be considered an allotment or fund transfer 

from the Commodity Credit Corporation for purposes of 

the limit on expenditures for technical assistance imposed 

by section 11 of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter 

Act (15 U.S.C. 714i).’’. 

SEC. 9011. REPEAL OF FOREST BIOMASS FOR ENERGY. 

Section 9012 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act 

of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8112) is repealed. 

SEC. 9012. COMMUNITY WOOD ENERGY PROGRAM. 

(a) DEFINITION OF BIOMASS CONSUMER COOPERATIVE.—Section 

9013(a) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 

(7 U.S.C. 8113(a)) is amended— 

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as paragraphs 

(2) and (3), respectively; and 

(2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so redesignated) 

the following: 

‘‘(1) BIOMASS CONSUMER COOPERATIVE.—The term ‘biomass 

consumer cooperative’ means a consumer membership organization the purpose of which is to provide members with services 

or discounts relating to the purchase of biomass heating products or biomass heating systems.’’. 

(b) GRANT PROGRAM.—Section 9013(b)(1) of the Farm Security 

and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8113(b)(1)) is 

amended— 

(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end; 

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

end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(C) grants of up to $50,000 to biomass consumer 

cooperatives for the purpose of establishing or expanding 

biomass consumer cooperatives that will provide consumers 

with services or discounts relating to— 

‘‘(i) the purchase of biomass heating systems; 

‘‘(ii) biomass heating products, including wood 

chips, wood pellets, and advanced biofuels; or 

‘‘(iii) the delivery and storage of biomass of heating 

products.’’. 


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(c) MATCHING FUNDS.—Section 9013(d) of the Farm Security 

and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8113(d)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘A State or local government that receives 

a grant under subsection (b)’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.—A State or local 

government that receives a grant under subparagraph (A) or 

(B) of subsection (b)(1)’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(2) BIOMASS CONSUMER COOPERATIVES.—A biomass consumer cooperative that receives a grant under subsection 

(b)(1)(C) shall contribute an amount of non-Federal funds 

(which may include State, local, and nonprofit funds and membership dues) toward the establishment or expansion of a biomass consumer cooperative that is at least equal to 50 percent 

of the amount of Federal funds received for that purpose.’’. 

(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 9013(e) of the 

Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8113(e)) 

is amended by striking ‘‘2013’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 9013. REPEAL OF BIOFUELS INFRASTRUCTURE STUDY. 

Section 9002 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (Public Law 110–246; 122 Stat. 2095) is repealed. 

SEC. 9014. REPEAL OF RENEWABLE FERTILIZER STUDY. 

Section 9003 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (Public Law 110–246; 122 Stat. 2096) is repealed. 

SEC. 9015. ENERGY EFFICIENCY REPORT FOR USDA FACILITIES. 

(a) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the 

enactment of this Act, 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 on energy use and energy efficiency projects at 

the Washington, District of Columbia, headquarters and the major 

regional facilities of the Department of Agriculture. 

(b) CONTENTS.—The report required by subsection (a) shall 

include the following: 

(1) An analysis of energy use by the Department of Agriculture headquarters and major regional facilities. 

(2) A list of energy audits that have been conducted at 

such facilities. 

(3) A list of energy efficiency projects that have been conducted at such facilities. 

(4) A list of energy savings projects that could be achieved 

with enacting a consistent, timely, and proper mechanical 

insulation maintenance program and upgrading mechanical 

insulation at such facilities. 

TITLE X—HORTICULTURE 

SEC. 10001. SPECIALTY CROPS MARKET NEWS ALLOCATION. 

Section 10107(b) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 1622b(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2018’’. 


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128 STAT. 940 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

SEC. 10002. REPEAL OF GRANT PROGRAM TO IMPROVE MOVEMENT 

OF SPECIALTY CROPS. 

Effective October 1, 2013, section 10403 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 1622c) is repealed. 

SEC. 10003. FARMERS’ MARKET AND LOCAL FOOD PROMOTION PROGRAM. 

Section 6 of the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act 

of 1976 (7 U.S.C. 3005) is amended— 

(1) in the section heading, by inserting ‘‘AND LOCAL FOOD’’ 

after ‘‘FARMERS’ MARKET’’; 

(2) in subsection (a)— 

(A) by inserting ‘‘and Local Food’’ after ‘‘Farmers’ 

Market’’; 

(B) by striking ‘‘farmers’ markets and to promote’’; 

and 

(C) by striking the period and inserting ‘‘and assist 

in the development of local food business enterprises.’’; 

(3) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(b) PROGRAM PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Program are 

to increase domestic consumption of and access to locally and regionally produced agricultural products, and to develop new market 

opportunities for farm and ranch operations serving local markets, 

by developing, improving, expanding, and providing outreach, 

training, and technical assistance to, or assisting in the development, improvement and expansion of— 

‘‘(1) domestic farmers’ markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, agritourism activities, and 

other direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities; and 

‘‘(2) local and regional food business enterprises (including 

those that are not direct producer-to-consumer markets) that 

process, distribute, aggregate, or store locally or regionally produced food products.’’; 

(4) in subsection (c)(1)— 

(A) by inserting ‘‘or other agricultural business entity’’ 

after ‘‘cooperative’’; and 

(B) by inserting ‘‘, including a community supported 

agriculture network or association’’ after ‘‘association’’; 

(5) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (g); 

(6) by inserting after subsection (d) the following: 

‘‘(e) PRIORITIES.—In providing grants under the Program, priority shall be given to applications that include projects that benefit 

underserved communities, including communities that— 

‘‘(1) are located in areas of concentrated poverty with limited access to fresh locally or regionally grown foods; and 

‘‘(2) have not received benefits from the Program in the 

recent past. 

‘‘(f) FUNDS REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 

‘‘(1) MATCHING FUNDS.—An entity receiving a grant under 

this section for a project to carry out a purpose described 

in subsection (b)(2) shall provide matching funds in the form 

of cash or an in-kind contribution in an amount equal to 25 

percent of the total cost of the project. 

‘‘(2) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity may 

not use a grant or other assistance provided under this section 

for the purchase, construction, or rehabilitation of a building 

or structure.’’; and 

7 USC 1622c 

note. 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 941 

(7) in subsection (g) (as redesignated by paragraph (5))— 

(A) in paragraph (1)— 

(i) in the paragraph heading, by striking ‘‘FISCAL

YEARS 2008 THROUGH 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘MANDATORY

FUNDING’’; 

(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

end; 

(iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period 

at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(iv) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(D) $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2018.’’; 

(B) by striking paragraphs (3) and (5); 

(C) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (6); 

and 

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

‘‘(3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 

for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018. 

‘‘(4) USE OF FUNDS.—Of the funds made available to carry 

out this section for a fiscal year— 

‘‘(A) 50 percent of the funds shall be used for the 

purposes described in subsection (b)(1); and 

‘‘(B) 50 percent of the funds shall be used for the 

purposes described in subsection (b)(2). 

‘‘(5) LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Not more 

than 4 percent of the total amount made available to carry 

out this section for a fiscal year may be used for administrative 

expenses.’’. 

SEC. 10004. ORGANIC AGRICULTURE. 

(a) ORGANIC PRODUCTION AND MARKET DATA INITIATIVES.— 

Section 7407 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 

2002 (7 U.S.C. 5925c) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (c)— 

(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting 

‘‘and annually thereafter’’ after ‘‘this subsection’’; 

(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(C) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); 

and 

(D) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following: 

‘‘(2) describes how data collection agencies (such as the 

Agricultural Marketing Service and the National Agricultural 

Statistics Service) are coordinating with data user agencies 

(such as the Risk Management Agency) to ensure that data 

collected under this section can be used by data user agencies, 

including by the Risk Management Agency to offer price elections for all organic crops; and’’; and 

(2) in subsection (d)— 

(A) by striking paragraph (3); 

(B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); 

(C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following: 

‘‘(2) MANDATORY FUNDING.—In addition to any funds made 

available under paragraph (1), of the funds of the Commodity 

Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this 

section $5,000,000, to remain available until expended.’’; and 


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128 STAT. 942 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

(D) in paragraph (3) (as redesignated by subparagraph 

(B))— 

(i) in the paragraph heading, by striking ‘‘FOR

FISCAL YEARS 2008 THROUGH 2012’’; 

(ii) by striking ‘‘paragraph (1)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraphs (1) and (2)’’; and 

(iii) by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

(b) MODERNIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY UPGRADE FOR NATIONAL

ORGANIC PROGRAM.—Section 2123 of the Organic Foods Production 

Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6522) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (b)— 

(A) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(B) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (7); 

and 

(C) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following: ‘‘(6) $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018; 

and’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(c) MODERNIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY UPGRADE FOR NATIONAL

ORGANIC PROGRAM.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall modernize database 

and technology systems of the national organic program. 

‘‘(2) FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation and in addition to any other funds made available 

for that purpose, the Secretary shall make available to carry 

out this subsection $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2014, to remain 

available until expended.’’. 

(c) NATIONAL ORGANIC CERTIFICATION COST-SHARE PROGRAM.— 

Section 10606(d) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act 

of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 6523(d)) is amended by striking paragraph (1) 

and inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) MANDATORY FUNDING FOR FISCAL YEARS 2014 THROUGH

2018.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the 

Secretary shall make available to carry out this section 

$11,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018, to 

remain available until expended.’’. 

(d) EXEMPTION OF CERTIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCTS FROM PROMOTION ORDER ASSESSMENTS.—Section 501 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7401) is 

amended by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following; 

‘‘(e) EXEMPTION OF CERTIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCTS FROM PROMOTION ORDER ASSESSMENTS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any provision of a commodity promotion law, a person that produces, handles, markets, or imports organic products may be exempt from the 

payment of an assessment under a commodity promotion law 

with respect to any agricultural commodity that is certified 

as ‘organic’ or ‘100 percent organic’ (as defined in part 205 

of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation)). 

‘‘(2) SPLIT OPERATIONS.—The exemption described in paragraph (1) shall apply to the certified ‘organic’ or ‘100 percent 

organic’ (as defined in part 205 of title 7 of the Code of Federal 

Regulations (or a successor regulation)) products of a producer, 

handler, or marketer regardless of whether the agricultural 

commodity subject to the exemption is produced, handled, or 

marketed by a person that also produces, handles, or markets 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 943 

conventional or nonorganic agricultural products, including 

conventional or nonorganic agricultural products of the same 

agricultural commodity as that for which the exemption is 

claimed. 

‘‘(3) APPROVAL.—The Secretary shall approve the exemption 

of a person under this subsection if the person maintains a 

valid organic certificate issued under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.). 

‘‘(4) TERMINATION OF EFFECTIVENESS.—This subsection 

shall be effective until the date on which the Secretary issues 

an organic commodity promotion order in accordance with subsection (f). 

‘‘(5) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall promulgate regulations concerning eligibility and compliance for an exemption 

under paragraph (1).’’. 

(e) ORGANIC COMMODITY PROMOTION ORDER.—Section 501 of 

the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 

U.S.C. 7401) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(f) ORGANIC COMMODITY PROMOTION ORDER.— 

‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

‘‘(A) CERTIFIED ORGANIC FARM.—The term ‘certified 

organic farm’ has the meaning given the term in section 

2103 of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 

6502). 

‘‘(B) COVERED PERSON.—The term ‘covered person’ 

means a producer, handler, marketer, or importer of an 

organic agricultural commodity. 

‘‘(C) DUAL-COVERED AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY.—The 

term ‘dual-covered agricultural commodity’ means an agricultural commodity that— 

‘‘(i) is produced on a certified organic farm; and 

‘‘(ii) is covered under both— 

‘‘(I) an organic commodity promotion order 

issued pursuant to paragraph (2); and 

‘‘(II) any other agricultural commodity promotion order issued under section 514. 

‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary may issue an organic 

commodity promotion order under section 514 that includes 

any agricultural commodity that— 

‘‘(A) is produced or handled (as defined in section 2103 

of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 

6502)) and that is certified to be sold or labeled as ‘organic’ 

or ‘100 percent organic’ (as defined in part 205 of title 

7, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation)); 

or 

‘‘(B) is imported with a valid organic certificate (as 

defined in that part). 

‘‘(3) ELECTION.—If the Secretary issues an organic commodity promotion order described in paragraph (2), a covered 

person may elect, for applicable dual-covered agricultural 

commodities and in the sole discretion of the covered person, 

whether to be assessed under the organic commodity promotion 

order or another applicable agricultural commodity promotion 

order. 

‘‘(4) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall promulgate regulations concerning eligibility and compliance for an exemption 

under paragraph (1).’’. 


ccoleman on DSK8P6SHH1PROD with PUBLIC LAWS
128 STAT. 944 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

(f) DEFINITION OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY.—Section 513(1) 

of the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 

1996 (7 U.S.C. 7412(1)) is amended— 

(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) and (F) as subparagraphs (F) and (G), respectively; and 

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

‘‘(E) products, as a class, that are— 

‘‘(i) produced on a certified organic farm (as defined 

in section 2103 of the Organic Foods Production Act 

of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6502)); and 

‘‘(ii) certified to be sold or labeled as ‘organic’ or 

‘100 percent organic’ (as defined in part 205 of title 

7, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation));’’. 

SEC. 10005. INVESTIGATIONS AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE ORGANIC 

FOODS PRODUCTION ACT OF 1990. 

(a) RECORDKEEPING BY CERTIFIED OPERATIONS.—Section 2112 

of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6511) is 

amended by striking subsection (d). 

(b) RECORDKEEPING BY CERTIFYING AGENTS.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 2116 of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6515) is amended— 

(A) by striking subsection (c); 

(B) by redesignating subsections (d) through (j) as subsections (c) through (i), respectively; and 

(C) in subsection (d) (as so redesignated), in the matter 

preceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘subsection (d)’’ and 

inserting ‘‘subsection (c)’’. 

(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 2107(a)(8) of the 

Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6506(a)(8)) 

is amended by striking ‘‘section 2116(h)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 

2116(g)’’. 

(c) RECORDKEEPING, INVESTIGATIONS, AND ENFORCEMENT.—Section 2120 of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 

6519) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 2120. RECORDKEEPING, INVESTIGATIONS, AND ENFORCEMENT. 

‘‘(a) RECORDKEEPING.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise provided in this 

title, each person who sells, labels, or represents any agricultural product as having been produced or handled using organic 

methods shall make available to the Secretary or the applicable 

governing State official, on request by the Secretary or official, 

all records associated with the agricultural product. 

‘‘(2) CERTIFIED OPERATIONS.—Each producer that operates 

a certified organic farm or certified organic handling operation 

under this title shall maintain, for a period of not less than 

5 years, all records concerning the production or handling of 

any agricultural product sold or labeled as organically produced 

under this title, including— 

‘‘(A) a detailed history of substances applied to fields 

or agricultural products; 

‘‘(B) the name and address of each person who applied 

such a substance; and 

‘‘(C) the date, rate, and method of application of each 

such substance. 

‘‘(3) CERTIFYING AGENTS.— 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 945 

‘‘(A) MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS.—A certifying agent 

shall maintain all records concerning the activities of the 

certifying agent under this title for a period of not less 

than 10 years. 

‘‘(B) ACCESS FOR SECRETARY.—A certifying agent shall 

provide to the Secretary and the applicable governing State 

official (or a representative) access to all records concerning 

the activities of the certifying agent under this title. 

‘‘(C) TRANSFERENCE OF RECORDS.—If a private person 

that was certified under this title is dissolved or loses 

accreditation, all records and copies of records concerning 

the activities of the person under this title shall be— 

‘‘(i) transferred to the Secretary; and 

‘‘(ii) made available to the applicable governing 

State official. 

‘‘(4) UNLAWFUL ACT.—It shall be unlawful and a violation 

of this title for any person covered by this title to fail or 

refuse to provide accurate information (including a delay in 

the timely delivery of such information) required by the Secretary under this title. 

‘‘(5) CONFIDENTIALITY.—Except as provided in section 

2107(a)(9), or as otherwise directed by the Secretary or the 

Attorney General for enforcement purposes, no officer, 

employee, or agent of the United States shall make available 

to the public any information, statistic, or document obtained 

from, or made available by, any person under this title, other 

than in a manner that ensures that confidentiality is preserved 

regarding— 

‘‘(A) the identity of all relevant persons (including parties to a contract); and 

‘‘(B) proprietary business information. 

‘‘(b) INVESTIGATIONS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may take such investigative actions as the Secretary considers to be necessary— 

‘‘(A) to verify the accuracy of any information reported 

or made available under this title; and 

‘‘(B) to determine whether a person covered by this 

title has committed a violation of any provision of this 

title, including an order or regulation promulgated by the 

Secretary pursuant to this title. 

‘‘(2) SPECIFIC INVESTIGATIVE POWERS.—In carrying out this 

title, the Secretary may— 

‘‘(A) administer oaths and affirmations; 

‘‘(B) subpoena witnesses; 

‘‘(C) compel attendance of witnesses; 

‘‘(D) take evidence; and 

‘‘(E) require the production of any records required 

to be maintained under this title that are relevant to 

an investigation. 

‘‘(c) VIOLATIONS OF TITLE.— 

‘‘(1) MISUSE OF LABEL.—Any person who knowingly sells 

or labels a product as organic, except in accordance with this 

title, shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $10,000. 

‘‘(2) FALSE STATEMENT.—Any person who makes a false 

statement under this title to the Secretary, a governing State 

official, or a certifying agent shall be punished in accordance 

with section 1001 of title 18, United States Code. 


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128 STAT. 946 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

‘‘(3) INELIGIBILITY.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subparagraph 

(C), any person that carries out an activity described in 

subparagraph (B), after notice and an opportunity to be 

heard, shall not be eligible, for the 5-year period beginning 

on the date of the occurrence, to receive a certification 

under this title with respect to any farm or handling operation in which the person has an interest. 

‘‘(B) DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES.—An activity referred 

to in subparagraph (A) is— 

‘‘(i) making a false statement; 

‘‘(ii) attempting to have a label indicating that 

an agricultural product is organically produced affixed 

to an agricultural product that a person knows, or 

should have reason to know, to have been produced 

or handled in a manner that is not in accordance 

with this title; or 

‘‘(iii) otherwise violating the purposes of the 

applicable organic certification program, as determined 

by the Secretary. 

‘‘(C) WAIVER.—Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the 

Secretary may modify or waive a period of ineligibility 

under this paragraph if the Secretary determines that the 

modification or waiver is in the best interests of the 

applicable organic certification program established under 

this title. 

‘‘(4) REPORTING OF VIOLATIONS.—A certifying agent shall 

immediately report any violation of this title to the Secretary 

or the applicable governing State official. 

‘‘(5) VIOLATIONS BY CERTIFYING AGENT.—A certifying agent 

that is a private person that violates the provisions of this 

title or falsely or negligently certifies any farming or handling 

operation that does not meet the terms and conditions of the 

applicable organic certification program as an organic operation, 

as determined by the Secretary or the applicable governing 

State official shall, after notice and an opportunity to be 

heard— 

‘‘(A) lose accreditation as a certifying agent under this 

title; and 

‘‘(B) be ineligible to be accredited as a certifying agent 

under this title for a period of not less than 3 years, 

beginning on the date of the determination. 

‘‘(6) EFFECT ON OTHER LAW.—Nothing in this title alters— 

‘‘(A) the authority of the Secretary concerning meat, 

poultry and egg products under— 

‘‘(i) the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 

601 et seq.); 

‘‘(ii) the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 

451 et seq.); or 

‘‘(iii) the Egg Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 

1031 et seq.); 

‘‘(B) the authority of the Secretary of Health and 

Human Services under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.); or 

‘‘(C) the authority of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under the Federal Insecticide, 

Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.).’’. 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 947 

SEC. 10006. FOOD SAFETY EDUCATION INITIATIVES. 

Section 10105(c) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 7655a(c)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 10007. CONSOLIDATION OF PLANT PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT AND DISASTER PREVENTION PROGRAMS. 

(a) RELOCATION OF LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE RELATING TO

NATIONAL CLEAN PLANT NETWORK.—Section 420 of the Plant 

Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7721) is amended— 

(1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and 

(2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following: 

‘‘(e) NATIONAL CLEAN PLANT NETWORK.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a program 

to be known as the ‘National Clean Plant Network’ (referred 

to in this subsection as the ‘Program’). 

‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—Under the Program, the Secretary 

shall establish a network of clean plant centers for diagnostic 

and pathogen elimination services— 

‘‘(A) to produce clean propagative plant material; and 

‘‘(B) to maintain blocks of pathogen-tested plant material in sites located throughout the United States. 

‘‘(3) AVAILABILITY OF CLEAN PLANT SOURCE MATERIAL.— 

Clean plant source material may be made available to— 

‘‘(A) a State for a certified plant program of the State; 

and 

‘‘(B) private nurseries and producers. 

‘‘(4) CONSULTATION AND COLLABORATION.—In carrying out 

the Program, the Secretary shall— 

‘‘(A) consult with— 

‘‘(i) State departments of agriculture; and 

‘‘(ii) land-grant colleges and universities and 

NLGCA Institutions (as those terms are defined in 

section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, 

Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 

3103)); and 

‘‘(B) to the extent practicable and with input from 

the appropriate State officials and industry representatives, 

use existing Federal or State facilities to serve as clean 

plant centers. 

‘‘(5) FUNDING FOR FISCAL YEAR 2013.—There is authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out the Program $5,000,000 for 

fiscal year 2013.’’. 

(b) FUNDING.—Subsection (f) of section 420 of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7721) (as so redesignated) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(2) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and each fiscal year 

thereafter.’’ and inserting a semicolon; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(5) $62,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2017; 

and 

‘‘(6) $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2018 and each fiscal year 

thereafter.’’. 

(c) REPEAL OF EXISTING PROVISION.—Section 10202 of the Food, 

Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 7761) is repealed. 


ccoleman on DSK8P6SHH1PROD with PUBLIC LAWS
128 STAT. 948 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

(d) USE OF FUNDS FOR CLEAN PLANT NETWORK.—Section 420 

of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7721) (as amended by subsection (a)), is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(g) USE OF FUNDS FOR CLEAN PLANT NETWORK.—Of the funds 

made available under subsection (f) to carry out this section for 

a fiscal year, not less than $5,000,000 shall be available to carry 

out the National Clean Plant Network under subsection (e). 

‘‘(h) LIMITATION ON INDIRECT COSTS FOR THE CONSOLIDATION

OF PLANT PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT AND DISASTER PREVENTION PROGRAMS.—Indirect costs charged against a cooperative 

agreement under this section shall not exceed the lesser of— 

‘‘(1) 15 percent of the total Federal funds provided under 

the cooperative agreement, as determined by the Secretary; 

and 

‘‘(2) the indirect cost rate applicable to the recipient as 

otherwise established by law.’’. 

SEC. 10008. IMPORTATION OF SEED. 

Section 17(c) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 

Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136o(c)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(2) IMPORTATION OF SEED.—Notwithstanding any other 

provision of law, no person is required to notify the Administrator of the arrival of a plant-incorporated protectant (as 

defined in section 174.3 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations 

(or any successor regulation)) that is contained in a seed, if— 

‘‘(A) that plant-incorporated protectant is registered 

under section 3; 

‘‘(B) the Administrator has issued an experimental use 

permit for that plant-incorporated protectant under section 

5; or 

‘‘(C) the seed is covered by a permit (as defined in 

part 340 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (or any 

successor regulation)) or a notification. 

‘‘(3) COOPERATION.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In response to a request from the 

Administrator, the Secretary of Agriculture shall provide 

to the Administrator a list of seed containing plant-incorporated protectants (as defined in section 174.3 of title 

40, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation)) if the importation of that seed into the United States 

has been approved under a permit or notification referred 

to in paragraph (2). 

‘‘(B) CONTENTS.—The list under subparagraph (A) shall 

be provided in a form and at such intervals as may be 

agreed to by the Secretary and the Administrator. 

‘‘(4) APPLICABILITY.—Nothing in this subsection precludes 

or limits the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture with 

respect to the importation or movement of plants, plant products, or seeds under— 

‘‘(A) the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.); 

and 

‘‘(B) the Federal Seed Act (7 U.S.C. 1551 et seq.).’’. 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 949 

SEC. 10009. BULK SHIPMENTS OF APPLES TO CANADA. 

(a) BULK SHIPMENT OF APPLES TO CANADA.—Section 4 of the 

Export Apple Act (7 U.S.C. 584) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘SEC. 4. Apples in’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘SEC. 4. EXEMPTIONS. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Apples in’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(b) BULK CONTAINERS.—Apples may be shipped to Canada 

in bulk containers without complying with the provisions of this 

Act.’’. 

(b) DEFINITION OF BULK CONTAINER.—Section 9 of the Export 

Apple Act (7 U.S.C. 589) is amended by adding at the end the 

following: 

‘‘(5) The term ‘bulk container’ means a container that contains 

a quantity of apples weighing more than 100 pounds.’’. 

(c) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 60 days after the date of 

enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue regulations to 

carry out the amendments made by this section. 

SEC. 10010. SPECIALTY CROP BLOCK GRANTS. 

Section 101 of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 

(7 U.S.C. 1621 note; Public Law 108–465) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘subsection (j)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (l)’’; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’; 

(2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(b) GRANTS BASED ON VALUE AND ACREAGE.—Subject to subsection (c), for each State whose application for a grant for a 

fiscal year that is accepted by the Secretary under subsection (f), 

the amount of the grant for that fiscal year to the State under 

this section shall bear the same ratio to the total amount made 

available under subsection (l)(1) for that fiscal year as— 

‘‘(1) the average of the most recent available value of specialty crop production in the State and the acreage of specialty 

crop production in the State, as demonstrated in the most 

recent Census of Agriculture data; bears to 

‘‘(2) the average of the most recent available value of specialty crop production in all States and the acreage of specialty 

crop production in all States, as demonstrated in the most 

recent Census of Agriculture data.’’; 

(3) by redesignating subsection (j) as subsection (l); 

(4) by inserting after subsection (i) the following: 

‘‘(j) MULTISTATE PROJECTS.—Not later than 180 days after the 

effective date of the Agricultural Act of 2014, the Secretary of 

Agriculture shall issue guidance for the purpose of making grants 

to multistate projects under this section for projects involving— 

‘‘(1) food safety; 

‘‘(2) plant pests and disease; 

‘‘(3) research; 

‘‘(4) crop-specific projects addressing common issues; and 

‘‘(5) any other area that furthers the purposes of this section, as determined by the Secretary. 

‘‘(k) ADMINISTRATION.— 


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‘‘(1) DEPARTMENT.—The Secretary of Agriculture may not 

use more than 3 percent of the funds made available to carry 

out this section for a fiscal year for administrative expenses. 

‘‘(2) STATES.—A State receiving a grant under this section 

may not use more than 8 percent of the funds received under 

the grant for a fiscal year for administrative expenses.’’; and 

(5) in subsection (l) (as redesignated by paragraph (3))— 

(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) as 

subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C), respectively, and indenting 

appropriately; 

(B) by striking ‘‘Of the funds’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Of the funds’’; 

(C) in paragraph (1) (as so designated)— 

(i) in subparagraph (B) (as redesignated by 

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

(ii) in subparagraph (C) (as redesignated by 

subparagraph (A)), by striking the period at the end 

and inserting a semicolon; and 

(iii) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(D) $72,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2017; and 

‘‘(E) $85,000,000 for fiscal year 2018 and each fiscal 

year thereafter.’’; and 

(D) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(2) MULTISTATE PROJECTS.—Of the funds made available 

under paragraph (1), the Secretary may use to carry out subsection (j), to remain available until expended— 

‘‘(A) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2014; 

‘‘(B) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; 

‘‘(C) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2016; 

‘‘(D) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2017; and 

‘‘(E) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2018.’’. 

SEC. 10011. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSULTATION 

REGARDING ENFORCEMENT OF CERTAIN LABOR LAW 

PROVISIONS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the date of 

enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall consult with the Secretary 

of Labor regarding the restraining of shipments of agricultural 

commodities, or the confiscation of agricultural commodities, by 

the Department of Labor for actual or suspected labor law violations 

in order to consider— 

(1) the perishable nature of the commodities; 

(2) the impact of the restraining or confiscation on the 

economic viability of farming operations; and 

(3) the competitiveness of specialty crops through grants 

awarded to States under section 101 of the Specialty Crops 

Competitiveness Act of 2004 (7 U.S.C. 1621 note; Public Law 

108–465). 

(b) REPORT.—The Secretary of Labor shall submit to the 

Committees on Agriculture and Education and Workforce of the 

House of Representative and the Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

of the Senate a report that describes the number of instances 

during the period of fiscal years 2008 through 2013 that the Department of Labor has contacted a purchaser of perishable agricultural 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 951 

commodities to notify that purchaser of an investigation or pending 

enforcement action against a producer from whom the purchaser 

has purchased perishable agricultural commodities. 

SEC. 10012. REPORT ON HONEY. 

(a) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with persons affected 

by the potential establishment of a Federal standard for the identity 

of honey, shall submit to the Commissioner of Food and Drugs 

a report describing how an appropriate Federal standard for the 

identity of honey would be in the interest of consumers, the honey 

industry, and United States agriculture. 

(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In preparing the report required under 

subsection (a), the Secretary shall take into consideration the March 

2006, Standard of Identity citizens petition filed with the Food 

and Drug Administration, including any current industry amendments or clarifications necessary to update that petition. 

SEC. 10013. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days and 1 year after 

the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and Secretaries of Commerce, Agriculture 

and the Interior shall submit to the Committees on Agriculture 

and Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the 

Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and Environment and Public Works of the Senate, 2 reports that describe 

approaches and actions taken by the Environmental Protection 

Agency, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the 

National Marine Fisheries Service— 

(1) to implement recommendations, including an analysis 

of how any identified delays to implementation will be overcome, of the 2013 Expert Report authored by the National 

Research Council of the National Academies entitled ‘‘Assessing 

Risks to Endangered and Threatened Species from Pesticides’’; 

(2) to otherwise minimize delays in integrating— 

(A) the pesticide registration and registration review 

requirements of sections 3 and 33 of the Federal Insecticide, 

Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136a, 136w–8); 

and 

(B) the species and habitat protection processes 

described in sections 7 and 10 of the Endangered Species 

Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536, 1539); and 

(3) to ensure public participation and transparency during 

the development, implementation, and evaluation of the 

approaches to implement the recommendations contained in 

the report described in paragraph (1). 

(b) REQUIREMENT FOR FINAL REPORT.—In addition to the 

requirements of subsection (a), the final report submitted to Congress under that subsection shall— 

(1) inform Congress of specific actions that have been and 

will be taken to address the recommendations identified in 

subsection (a)(1), including an evaluation to establish that— 

(A) the approaches utilize the best available science; 

(B) reasonable and prudent alternatives within 

biological opinions are technologically and economically feasible; 

(C) reasonable and prudent measures are necessary 

and appropriate; and 


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(D) the agencies ensure public participation and transparency in the development of reasonable and prudent 

alternatives and reasonable and prudent measures; and 

(2) update the study and report required by subsections 

(b) and (c) of section 1010 of Public Law 100–478 (7 U.S.C. 

136a note). 

SEC. 10014. STAY OF REGULATIONS. 

Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this 

Act, the Secretary shall lift the administrative stay imposed under 

the rule of the Secretary entitled ‘‘Christmas Tree Promotion, 

Research, and Information Order; Stay of Regulations’’ and published by the Department of Agriculture on November 17, 2011 

(76 Fed. Reg. 71241), on the regulations in subpart A of part 

1214 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, establishing an 

industry-funded promotion, research, and information program for 

fresh-cut Christmas trees. 

SEC. 10015. REGULATION OF SULFURYL FLUORIDE. 

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Administrator 

of the Environmental Protection Agency shall exclude nonpesticideal 

sources of fluoride from any aggregate exposure assessment 

required under section 408 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic 

Act (21 U.S.C. 346a) when assessing tolerances associated with 

residues from the pesticide. 

SEC. 10016. LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION AND PROGRAM EVALUATION. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall— 

(1) collect data on— 

(A) the production and marketing of locally or regionally produced agricultural food products; and 

(B) direct and indirect regulatory compliance costs 

affecting the production and marketing of locally or regionally produced agricultural food products; 

(2) facilitate interagency collaboration and data sharing 

on programs relating to local and regional food systems; 

(3) monitor— 

(A) the effectiveness of programs designed to expand 

or facilitate local food systems; and 

(B) barriers to local and regional market access due 

to Federal regulation of small-scale production; and 

(4) evaluate the manner in which local food systems— 

(A) contribute to improving community food security; 

and 

(B) assist populations with limited access to healthy 

food. 

(b) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out this section, the Secretary 

shall, at a minimum— 

(1) collect and distribute comprehensive reporting of prices 

and volume of locally or regionally produced agricultural food 

products; 

(2) conduct surveys and analysis and publish reports 

relating to the production, handling, distribution, retail sales, 

and trend studies (including consumer purchasing patterns) 

of or on locally or regionally produced agricultural food products; 

(3) evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs in 

growing local and regional food systems, including— 

7 USC 2204h. 

21 USC 346a 

note. 


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(A) the impact of local food systems on job creation 

and economic development; 

(B) the level of participation in the Farmers’ Market 

and Local Food Promotion Program established under section 6 of the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act 

of 1976 (7 U.S.C. 3005), including the percentage of projects 

funded in comparison to applicants and the types of eligible 

entities receiving funds; 

(C) the ability of participants to leverage private capital 

and a synopsis of the places from which non-Federal funds 

are derived; and 

(D) any additional resources required to aid in the 

development or expansion of local and regional food systems; 

(4) evaluate the impact that Federal regulation of small 

commercial producers of agricultural food products intended 

for local and regional consumption may have on— 

(A) local job creation and economic development; 

(B) access to local and regional fruit and vegetable 

markets, including for new and beginning small commercial 

producers; and 

(C) participation in— 

(i) supplier networks; 

(ii) high volume distribution systems; and 

(iii) retail sales outlets; 

(5) expand the Agricultural Resource Management Survey 

of the Department to include questions on locally or regionally 

produced agricultural food products; and 

(6) seek to establish or expand private-public partnerships 

to facilitate, to the maximum extent practicable, the collection 

of data on locally or regionally produced agricultural food products, including the development of a nationally coordinated 

and regionally balanced evaluation of the redevelopment of 

locally or regionally produced food systems. 

(c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 

of this Act and annually thereafter, the Secretary 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 describing the progress that has been made in 

implementing this section and identifying any additional needs 

and barriers related to developing local and regional food systems. 

SEC. 10017. CLARIFICATION OF USE OF FUNDS FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 

In the case of each program established or amended by this 

title that is authorized or required to be carried out using funds 

of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the use of those funds to 

provide technical assistance shall not be considered an allotment 

or fund transfer from the Commodity Credit Corporation for purposes of the limit on expenditures for technical assistance imposed 

by section 11 of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act 

(15 U.S.C. 714i). 

15 USC 714i 

note. 


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128 STAT. 954 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

TITLE XI—CROP INSURANCE 

SEC. 11001. INFORMATION SHARING. 

Section 502(c) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 

1502(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(4) INFORMATION.— ‘‘(A) REQUEST.—Subject to subparagraph (B), the Farm 

Service Agency shall, in a timely manner, provide to an 

agent or an approved insurance provider authorized by 

the producer any information (including Farm Service 

Agency Form 578s (or any successor form)) or maps (or 

any corrections to those forms or maps) that may assist 

the agent or approved insurance provider in insuring the 

producer under a policy or plan of insurance under this 

subtitle. 

‘‘(B) PRIVACY.—Except as provided in subparagraph 

(C), an agent or approved insurance provider that receives 

the information of a producer pursuant to subparagraph 

(A) shall treat the information in accordance with paragraph (1). 

‘‘(C) SHARING.—Nothing in this section prohibits the 

sharing of the information of a producer pursuant to 

subparagraph (A) between the agent and the approved 

insurance provider of the producer.’’. 

SEC. 11002. PUBLICATION OF INFORMATION ON VIOLATIONS OF 

PROHIBITION ON PREMIUM ADJUSTMENTS. 

Section 508(a)(9) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 

1508(a)(9)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(C) PUBLICATION OF VIOLATIONS.— ‘‘(i) PUBLICATION REQUIRED.—Subject to clause (ii), 

the Corporation shall publish in a timely manner on 

the website of the Risk Management Agency information regarding each violation of this paragraph, 

including any sanctions imposed in response to the 

violation, in sufficient detail so that the information 

may serve as effective guidance to approved insurance 

providers, agents, and producers. 

‘‘(ii) PROTECTION OF PRIVACY.—In providing 

information under clause (i) regarding violations of 

this paragraph, the Corporation shall redact the 

identity of the persons and entities committing the 

violations in order to protect the privacy of those persons and entities.’’. 

SEC. 11003. SUPPLEMENTAL COVERAGE OPTION. 

(a) AVAILABILITY OF SUPPLEMENTAL COVERAGE OPTION.—Section 508(c) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(c)) 

is amended by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(3) YIELD AND LOSS BASIS OPTIONS.—A producer shall have 

the option of purchasing additional coverage based on— 

‘‘(A)(i) an individual yield and loss basis; or 

‘‘(ii) an area yield and loss basis; or 

‘‘(B) an individual yield and loss basis, supplemented 

with coverage based on an area yield and loss basis to 

cover a part of the deductible under the individual yield 

and loss policy, as described in paragraph (4)(C).’’. 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 955 

(b) LEVEL OF COVERAGE.—Section 508(c) of the Federal Crop 

Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(c)) is amended by striking paragraph 

(4) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(4) LEVEL OF COVERAGE.— 

‘‘(A) DOLLAR DENOMINATION AND PERCENTAGE OF

YIELD.—Except as provided in subparagraph (C), the level 

of coverage— 

‘‘(i) shall be dollar denominated; and 

‘‘(ii) may be purchased at any level not to exceed 

85 percent of the individual yield or 95 percent of 

the area yield (as determined by the Corporation). 

‘‘(B) INFORMATION.—The Corporation shall provide producers with information on catastrophic risk and additional 

coverage in terms of dollar coverage (within the allowable 

limits of coverage provided in this paragraph). 

‘‘(C) SUPPLEMENTAL COVERAGE OPTION.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding subparagraph 

(A), in the case of the supplemental coverage option 

described in paragraph (3)(B), the Corporation shall 

offer producers the opportunity to purchase coverage 

in combination with a policy or plan of insurance 

offered under this subtitle that would allow indemnities to be paid to a producer equal to a part of 

the deductible under the policy or plan of insurance— 

‘‘(I) at a county-wide level to the fullest extent 

practicable; or 

‘‘(II) in counties that lack sufficient data, on 

the basis of such larger geographical area as the 

Corporation determines to provide sufficient data 

for purposes of providing the coverage. 

‘‘(ii) TRIGGER.—Coverage offered under paragraph 

(3)(B) and clause (i) shall be triggered only if the 

losses in the area exceed 14 percent of normal levels 

(as determined by the Corporation). 

‘‘(iii) COVERAGE.—Subject to the trigger described 

in clause (ii), coverage offered under paragraph (3)(B) 

and clause (i) shall not exceed the difference between— 

‘‘(I) 86 percent; and 

‘‘(II) the coverage level selected by the producer for the underlying policy or plan of insurance. 

‘‘(iv) INELIGIBLE CROPS AND ACRES.—Crops for 

which the producer has elected under section 1116 

of the Agricultural Act of 2014 to receive agriculture 

risk coverage and acres that are enrolled in the stacked 

income protection plan under section 508B shall not 

be eligible for supplemental coverage under this 

subparagraph. 

‘‘(v) CALCULATION OF PREMIUM.—Notwithstanding 

subsection (d), the premium for coverage offered under 

paragraph (3)(B) and clause (i) shall— 

‘‘(I) be sufficient to cover anticipated losses 

and a reasonable reserve; and 

‘‘(II) include an amount for operating and 

administrative expenses established in accordance 

with subsection (k)(4)(F).’’. 


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128 STAT. 956 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

(c) PAYMENT OF PORTION OF PREMIUM BY CORPORATION.—Section 508(e)(2) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(e)(2)) 

is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(H) In the case of the supplemental coverage option 

authorized in subsection (c)(4)(C), the amount shall be 

equal to the sum of— 

‘‘(i) 65 percent of the additional premium associated with the coverage; and 

‘‘(ii) the amount determined under subsection 

(c)(4)(C)(v)(II), subject to subsection (k)(4)(F), for the 

coverage to cover operating and administrative 

expenses.’’. 

(d) APPLICATION DATE.—The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation shall begin to provide additional coverage based on an individual yield and loss basis, supplemented with coverage based on 

an area yield and loss basis, as described in the amendments 

made by this section, not later than for the 2015 crop year. 

SEC. 11004. CROP MARGIN COVERAGE OPTION. 

Section 508(c)(3) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 

1508(c)(3)) (as amended by section 11003) is amended— 

(1) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end; 

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

end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(C) a margin basis alone or in combination with the 

coverages available under subparagraph (A) or (B).’’. 

SEC. 11005. PREMIUM AMOUNTS FOR CATASTROPHIC RISK PROTECTION. 

Section 508(d)(2) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 

1508(d)(2)) is amended by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting 

the following: 

‘‘(A) In the case of catastrophic risk protection, the 

amount of the premium established by the Corporation 

for each crop for which catastrophic risk protection is available shall be reduced by the percentage equal to the difference between the average loss ratio for the crop and 

100 percent, plus a reasonable reserve, as determined by 

the Corporation.’’. 

SEC. 11006. PERMANENT ENTERPRISE UNIT SUBSIDY. 

Section 508(e)(5) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 

1508(e)(5)) is amended by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting 

the following: 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Corporation may pay a portion 

of the premiums for plans or policies of insurance for which 

the insurable unit is defined on a whole farm or enterprise 

unit basis that is higher than would otherwise be paid 

in accordance with paragraph (2).’’. 

SEC. 11007. ENTERPRISE UNITS FOR IRRIGATED AND NONIRRIGATED 

CROPS. 

Section 508(e)(5) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 

1508(e)(5)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(D) NONIRRIGATED CROPS.—Beginning with the 2015 

crop year, the Corporation shall make available separate 

7 USC 1508 note. 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 957 

enterprise units for irrigated and nonirrigated acreage of 

crops in counties.’’. 

SEC. 11008. DATA COLLECTION. 

Section 508(g)(2) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 

1508(g)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(E) SOURCES OF YIELD DATA.—To determine yields 

under this paragraph, the Corporation— 

‘‘(i) shall use county data collected by the Risk 

Management Agency, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, or both; or 

‘‘(ii) if sufficient county data is not available, may 

use other data considered appropriate by the Secretary.’’. 

SEC. 11009. ADJUSTMENT IN ACTUAL PRODUCTION HISTORY TO 

ESTABLISH INSURABLE YIELDS. 

Section 508(g) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 

1508(g)) (as amended by section 11008) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting ‘‘and paragraph (4)(C)’’ 

after ‘‘(B)’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (4)— 

(A) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (D); 

(B) in subparagraph (D) (as so redesignated), by 

inserting ‘‘or (C)’’ after ‘‘(B)’’; and 

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

‘‘(C) ELECTION TO EXCLUDE CERTAIN HISTORY.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding paragraph (2), 

with respect to 1 or more of the crop years used to 

establish the actual production history of an agricultural commodity of the producer, the producer may 

elect to exclude any recorded or appraised yield for 

any crop year in which the per planted acre yield 

of the agricultural commodity in the county of the 

producer was at least 50 percent below the simple 

average of the per planted acre yield of the agricultural 

commodity in the county during the previous 10 

consecutive crop years. 

‘‘(ii) CONTIGUOUS COUNTIES.—In any crop year that 

a producer in a county is eligible to make an election 

to exclude a yield under clause (i), a producer in a 

contiguous county is eligible to make such an election. 

‘‘(iii) IRRIGATION PRACTICE.—For purposes of determining whether the per planted acre yield of the agricultural commodity in the county of the producer was 

at least 50 percent below the simple average of the 

per planted acre yield of the agricultural commodity 

in the county during the previous 10 consecutive crop 

years, the Corporation shall make a separate determination for irrigated and nonirrigated acreage.’’. 

SEC. 11010. SUBMISSION OF POLICIES AND BOARD REVIEW AND 

APPROVAL. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 508(h) of the Federal Crop Insurance 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(h)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1)— 


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(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as 

clauses (i) and (ii), respectively, and indenting appropriately; 

(B) by striking ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In addition’’ and 

inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) AUTHORITY TO SUBMIT.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In addition’’; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(B) REVIEW AND SUBMISSION BY CORPORATION.—The 

Corporation shall review any policy developed under section 

522(c) or any pilot program developed under section 523 

and submit the policy or program to the Board under 

this subsection if the Corporation, at the sole discretion 

of the Corporation, finds that the policy or program— 

‘‘(i) will likely result in a viable and marketable 

policy consistent with this subsection; 

‘‘(ii) would provide crop insurance coverage in a 

significantly improved form; and 

‘‘(iii) adequately protects the interests of producers.’’; and 

(2) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(3) REVIEW AND APPROVAL BY THE BOARD.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A policy, plan of insurance, or other 

material submitted to the Board under this subsection 

shall be reviewed by the Board and shall be approved 

by the Board for reinsurance and for sale by approved 

insurance providers to producers at actuarially appropriate 

rates and under appropriate terms and conditions if the 

Board determines that— 

‘‘(i) the interests of producers are adequately protected; 

‘‘(ii) the proposed policy or plan of insurance will— 

‘‘(I) provide a new kind of coverage that is 

likely to be viable and marketable; 

‘‘(II) provide crop insurance coverage in a 

manner that addresses a clear and identifiable 

flaw or problem in an existing policy; or 

‘‘(III) provide a new kind of coverage for a 

commodity that previously had no available crop 

insurance, or has demonstrated a low level of 

participation or coverage level under existing coverage; and 

‘‘(iii) the proposed policy or plan of insurance will 

not have a significant adverse impact on the crop insurance delivery system. 

‘‘(B) CONSIDERATION.—In approving policies or plans 

of insurance, the Board shall in a timely manner— 

‘‘(i) first, consider policies or plans of insurance 

that address underserved commodities, including 

commodities for which there is no insurance; 

‘‘(ii) second, consider existing policies or plans of 

insurance for which there is inadequate coverage or 

there exists low levels of participation; and 

‘‘(iii) last, consider all policies or plans of insurance 

submitted to the Board that do not meet the criteria 

described in clause (i) or (ii). 


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‘‘(C) SPECIFIED REVIEW AND APPROVAL PRIORITIES.—In 

reviewing policies and other materials submitted to the 

Board under this subsection for approval, the Board— 

‘‘(i) shall make the development and approval of 

a revenue policy for peanut producers a priority so 

that a revenue policy is available to peanut producers 

in time for the 2015 crop year; 

‘‘(ii) shall make the development and approval of 

a margin coverage policy for rice producers a priority 

so that a margin coverage policy is available to rice 

producers in time for the 2015 crop year; and 

‘‘(iii) may approve a submission that is made 

pursuant to this subsection that would, beginning with 

the 2015 crop year, allow producers that purchase policies in accordance with subsection (e)(5)(A) to separate 

enterprise units by risk rating for acreage of crops 

in counties.’’. 

(b) APPROVAL OF COSTS FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.— 

Section 522(b)(2) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 

1522(b)(2)) is amended by striking subparagraph (E) and inserting 

the following: 

‘‘(E) APPROVAL.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Board may approve up to 

50 percent of the projected total research and development costs to be paid in advance to an applicant, 

in accordance with the procedures developed by the 

Board for the making of the payments, if, after consideration of the reviewer reports described in subparagraph (D) and such other information as the Board 

determines appropriate, the Board determines that— 

‘‘(I) the concept, in good faith, will likely result 

in a viable and marketable policy consistent with 

section 508(h); 

‘‘(II) at the sole discretion of the Board, the 

concept, if developed into a policy and approved 

by the Board, would provide crop insurance coverage— 

‘‘(aa) in a significantly improved form; 

‘‘(bb) to a crop or region not traditionally 

served by the Federal crop insurance program; 

or 

‘‘(cc) in a form that addresses a recognized 

flaw or problem in the program; 

‘‘(III) the applicant agrees to provide such 

reports as the Corporation determines are necessary to monitor the development effort; 

‘‘(IV) the proposed budget and timetable are 

reasonable, as determined by the Board; and 

‘‘(V) the concept proposal meets any other 

requirements that the Board determines appropriate. 

‘‘(ii) WAIVER.—The Board may waive the 50-percent limitation and, upon request of the submitter 

after the submitter has begun research and development activities, the Board may approve an additional 

25 percent advance payment to the submitter for 


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research and development costs, if, at the sole discretion of the Board, the Board determines that— 

‘‘(I) the intended policy or plan of insurance 

developed by the submitter will provide coverage 

for a region or crop that is underserved by the 

Federal crop insurance program, including specialty crops; and 

‘‘(II) the submitter is making satisfactory 

progress towards developing a viable and marketable policy or plan of insurance consistent with 

section 508(h).’’. 

SEC. 11011. CONSULTATION. 

Section 508(h)(4) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 

1508(h)(4)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(E) CONSULTATION.— 

‘‘(i) REQUIREMENT.—As part of the feasibility and 

research associated with the development of a policy 

or other material for fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, 

dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops 

(including floriculture), the submitter prior to making 

a submission under this subsection shall consult with 

groups representing producers of those agricultural 

commodities in all major producing areas for the 

commodities to be served or potentially impacted, 

either directly or indirectly. 

‘‘(ii) SUBMISSION TO THE BOARD.—Any submission 

made to the Board under this subsection shall contain 

a summary and analysis of the feasibility and research 

findings from the impacted groups described in clause 

(i), including a summary assessment of the support 

for or against development of the policy and an assessment on the impact of the proposed policy to the general marketing and production of the crop from both 

a regional and national perspective. 

‘‘(iii) EVALUATION BY THE BOARD.—In evaluating 

whether the interests of producers are adequately protected pursuant to paragraph (3) with respect to a 

submission made under this subsection, the Board 

shall review the information provided pursuant to 

clause (ii) to determine if the submission will create 

adverse market distortions with respect to the production of commodities that are the subject of the submission.’’. 

SEC. 11012. BUDGET LIMITATIONS ON RENEGOTIATION OF THE 

STANDARD REINSURANCE AGREEMENT. 

Section 508(k)(8) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 

1508(k)(8)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(F) BUDGET.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Board shall ensure that any 

Standard Reinsurance Agreement negotiated under 

subparagraph (A)(ii) shall— 

‘‘(I) to the maximum extent practicable, be 

estimated as budget neutral with respect to the 

total amount of payments described in paragraph 


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(9) as compared to the total amount of such payments estimated to be made under the immediately preceding Standard Reinsurance Agreement if that Agreement were extended over the 

same period of time; 

‘‘(II) comply with the applicable provisions of 

this Act establishing the rates of reimbursement 

for administrative and operating costs for approved 

insurance providers and agents, except that, to 

the maximum extent practicable, the estimated 

total amount of reimbursement for those costs 

shall not be less than the total amount of the 

payments to be made under the immediately preceding Standard Reinsurance Agreement if that 

Agreement were extended over the same period 

of time, as estimated on the date of enactment 

of the Agricultural Act of 2014; and 

‘‘(III) in no event significantly depart from 

budget neutrality unless otherwise required by this 

Act. 

‘‘(ii) USE OF SAVINGS.—To the extent that any 

budget savings are realized in the renegotiation of 

a Standard Reinsurance Agreement under subparagraph (A)(ii), and the savings are determined not to 

be a significant departure from budget neutrality under 

clause (i), the savings shall be used to increase 

reimbursements or payments described under paragraphs (4) and (9).’’. 

SEC. 11013. TEST WEIGHT FOR CORN. 

Section 508(m) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 

1508(m)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(6) TEST WEIGHT FOR CORN.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Corporation shall establish 

procedures to allow insured producers not more than 120 

days to settle claims, in accordance with procedures established by the Secretary, involving corn that is determined 

to have low test weight. 

‘‘(B) IMPLEMENTATION.—As soon as practicable after 

the date of enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation 

shall implement subparagraph (A) on a regional basis based 

on market conditions and the interests of producers. 

‘‘(C) TERMINATION OF EFFECTIVENESS.—The authority 

provided by this paragraph terminates effective on the 

date that is 5 years after the date on which subparagraph 

(A) is implemented.’’. 

SEC. 11014. CROP PRODUCTION ON NATIVE SOD. 

(a) FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE.—Section 508(o) of the Federal 

Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(o)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting ‘‘, or the producer 

cannot substantiate that the ground has ever been tilled,’’ after 

‘‘tilled’’; 

(2) in paragraph (2)— 

(A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ‘‘INELIGIBILITY FOR’’ and inserting ‘‘REDUCTION IN’’; 

(B) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the 

following: 


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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—During the first 4 crop years of 

planting, as determined by the Secretary, native sod acreage that has been tilled for the production of an annual 

crop after the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act 

of 2014 shall be subject to a reduction in benefits under 

this subtitle as described in this paragraph.’’; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(C) ADMINISTRATION.— 

‘‘(i) REDUCTION.—For purposes of the reduction in 

benefits for the acreage described in subparagraph 

(A)— 

‘‘(I) the crop insurance guarantee shall be 

determined by using a yield equal to 65 percent 

of the transitional yield of the producer; and 

‘‘(II) the crop insurance premium subsidy provided for the producer under this subtitle, except 

for coverage authorized pursuant to subsection 

(b)(1), shall be 50 percentage points less than the 

premium subsidy that would otherwise apply. 

‘‘(ii) YIELD SUBSTITUTION.—During the period 

native sod acreage is covered by this subsection, a 

producer may not substitute yields for the native sod.’’; 

(3) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—This subsection shall only apply to 

native sod acreage in the States of Minnesota, Iowa, North 

Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Nebraska.’’. 

(b) NONINSURED CROP DISASTER ASSISTANCE.—Section 196(a)(4) 

of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 

(7 U.S.C. 7333(a)(4)) is amended— 

(1) in the paragraph heading, by striking ‘‘INELIGIBILITY’’ 

and inserting ‘‘REDUCTION IN BENEFITS’’; 

(2) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by inserting ‘‘, or the producer 

cannot substantiate that the ground has ever been tilled,’’ after 

‘‘tilled’’; 

(3) in subparagraph (B)— 

(A) in the subparagraph heading, by striking ‘‘INELIGIBILITY FOR’’ and inserting ‘‘REDUCTION IN’’; 

(B) by striking clause (i) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—During the first 4 crop years 

of planting, as determined by the Secretary, native 

sod acreage that has been tilled for the production 

of an annual crop after the date of enactment of the 

Agricultural Act of 2014 shall be subject to a reduction 

in benefits under this section as described in this 

subparagraph.’’; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(iii) REDUCTION.—For purposes of the reduction 

in benefits for the acreage described in clause (i)— 

‘‘(I) the approved yield shall be determined 

by using a yield equal to 65 percent of the transitional yield of the producer; and 

‘‘(II) the service fees or premiums for crops 

planted on native sod shall be equal to 200 percent 

of the amount determined in subsections (l)(2) or 

(k), as applicable, but in no case shall exceed the 

amount determined in subsection (l)(2)(B)(ii).’’; and 


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(4) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(C) APPLICATION.—This paragraph shall only apply 

to native sod acreage in the States of Minnesota, Iowa, 

North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Nebraska.’’. 

(c) CROPLAND REPORT.— (1) BASELINE.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 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 that describes the cropland acreage in each 

applicable county and State, and the change in cropland acreage 

from the preceding year in each applicable county and State, 

beginning with calendar year 2000 and including that information for the most recent year for which that information is 

available. 

(2) ANNUAL UPDATES.—Not later than January 1, 2015, 

and each January 1 thereafter through January 1, 2018, the 

Secretary 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 that 

describes— 

(A) the cropland acreage in each applicable county 

and State as of the date of submission of the report; and 

(B) the change in cropland acreage from the preceding 

year in each applicable county and State. 

SEC. 11015. COVERAGE LEVELS BY PRACTICE. 

Section 508 of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508) 

is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(p) COVERAGE LEVELS BY PRACTICE.—Beginning with the 2015 

crop year, a producer that produces an agricultural commodity 

on both dry land and irrigated land may elect a different coverage 

level for each production practice.’’. 

SEC. 11016. BEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHER PROVISIONS. 

(a) DEFINITION.—Section 502(b) of the Federal Crop Insurance 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1502(b)) is amended— 

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (9) as paragraphs (4) through (10), respectively; and 

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

‘‘(3) BEGINNING FARMER OR RANCHER.—The term ‘beginning 

farmer or rancher’ means a farmer or rancher who has not 

actively operated and managed a farm or ranch with a bona 

fide insurable interest in a crop or livestock as an owneroperator, landlord, tenant, or sharecropper for more than 5 

crop years, as determined by the Secretary.’’. 

(b) PREMIUM ADJUSTMENTS.—Section 508 of the Federal Crop 

Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (b)(5)(E), by inserting ‘‘and beginning 

farmers or ranchers’’ after ‘‘limited resource farmers’’; 

(2) in subsection (e), by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(8) PREMIUM FOR BEGINNING FARMERS OR RANCHERS.— 

Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection 

regarding payment of a portion of premiums, a beginning 

farmer or rancher shall receive premium assistance that is 

10 percentage points greater than premium assistance that 

would otherwise be available under paragraphs (2) (except for 


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subparagraph (A) of that paragraph), (5), (6), and (7) for the 

applicable policy, plan of insurance, and coverage level selected 

by the beginning farmer or rancher.’’; and 

(3) in subsection (g)— 

(A) in paragraph (2)(B)— 

(i) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end; 

(ii) in clause (ii)(III), by striking the period at 

the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

(iii) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(iii) if the producer is a beginning farmer or 

rancher who was previously involved in a farming or 

ranching operation, including involvement in the 

decisionmaking or physical involvement in the production of the crop or livestock on the farm, for any acreage 

obtained by the beginning farmer or rancher, a yield 

that is the higher of— 

‘‘(I) the actual production history of the previous producer of the crop or livestock on the acreage determined under subparagraph (A); or 

‘‘(II) a yield of the producer, as determined 

in clause (i).’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (4)(B)(ii)— 

(i) by inserting ‘‘(I)’’ after ‘‘(ii)’’; 

(ii) by striking the period at the end and inserting 

‘‘; or’’; and 

(iii) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(II) in the case of beginning farmers or ranchers, 

replace each excluded yield with a yield equal to 80 

percent of the applicable transitional yield.’’. 

SEC. 11017. STACKED INCOME PROTECTION PLAN FOR PRODUCERS 

OF UPLAND COTTON. 

(a) AVAILABILITY OF STACKED INCOME PROTECTION PLAN FOR

PRODUCERS OF UPLAND COTTON.—The Federal Crop Insurance Act 

is amended by inserting after section 508A (7 U.S.C. 1508a) the 

following: 

‘‘SEC. 508B. STACKED INCOME PROTECTION PLAN FOR PRODUCERS 

OF UPLAND COTTON. 

‘‘(a) AVAILABILITY.—Beginning not later than the 2015 crop 

of upland cotton, the Corporation shall make available to producers 

of upland cotton an additional policy (to be known as the ‘Stacked 

Income Protection Plan’), which shall provide coverage consistent 

with the Group Risk Income Protection Plan (and the associated 

Harvest Revenue Option Endorsement) offered by the Corporation 

for the 2011 crop year. 

‘‘(b) REQUIRED TERMS.—The Corporation may modify the 

Stacked Income Protection Plan on a program-wide basis, except 

that the Stacked Income Protection Plan shall comply with the 

following requirements: 

‘‘(1) Provide coverage for revenue loss of not less than 

10 percent and not more than 30 percent of expected county 

revenue, specified in increments of 5 percent. The deductible 

shall be the minimum percent of revenue loss at which indemnities are triggered under the plan, not to be less than 10 

percent of the expected county revenue. 

‘‘(2) Be offered to producers of upland cotton in all counties 

with upland cotton production— 

7 USC 1508b. 


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‘‘(A) at a county-wide level to the fullest extent practicable; or 

‘‘(B) in counties that lack sufficient data, on the basis 

of such larger geographical area as the Corporation determines to provide sufficient data for purposes of providing 

the coverage. 

‘‘(3) Be purchased in addition to any other individual or 

area coverage in effect on the producer’s acreage or as a standalone policy, except that if a producer has an individual or 

area coverage for the same acreage, the maximum coverage 

available under the Stacked Income Protection Plan shall not 

exceed the deductible for the individual or area coverage. 

‘‘(4) Establish coverage based on— 

‘‘(A) the expected price established under existing 

Group Risk Income Protection or area wide policy offered 

by the Corporation for the applicable county (or area) and 

crop year; and 

‘‘(B) an expected county yield that is the higher of— 

‘‘(i) the expected county yield established for the 

existing area-wide plans offered by the Corporation 

for the applicable county (or area) and crop year (or, 

in geographic areas where area-wide plans are not 

offered, an expected yield determined in a manner 

consistent with those of area-wide plans); or 

‘‘(ii) the average of the applicable yield data for 

the county (or area) for the most recent 5 years, 

excluding the highest and lowest observations, from 

the Risk Management Agency or the National Agricultural Statistics Service (or both) or, if sufficient county 

data is not available, such other data considered appropriate by the Secretary. 

‘‘(5) Use a multiplier factor to establish maximum protection per acre (referred to as a ‘protection factor’) of not less 

than the higher of the level established on a program wide 

basis or 120 percent. 

‘‘(6) Pay an indemnity based on the amount that the 

expected county revenue exceeds the actual county revenue, 

as applied to the individual coverage of the producer. Indemnities under the Stacked Income Protection Plan shall not 

include or overlap the amount of the deductible selected under 

paragraph (1). 

‘‘(7) In all counties for which data are available, establish 

separate coverage levels for irrigated and nonirrigated practices. 

‘‘(c) PREMIUM.—Notwithstanding section 508(d), the premium 

for the Stacked Income Protection Plan shall— 

‘‘(1) be sufficient to cover anticipated losses and a reasonable reserve; and 

‘‘(2) include an amount for operating and administrative 

expenses established in accordance with section 508(k)(4)(F). 

‘‘(d) PAYMENT OF PORTION OF PREMIUM BY CORPORATION.— 

Subject to section 508(e)(4), the amount of premium paid by the 

Corporation for all qualifying coverage levels of the Stacked Income 

Protection Plan shall be— 

‘‘(1) 80 percent of the amount of the premium established 

under subsection (c) for the coverage level selected; and 


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‘‘(2) the amount determined under subsection (c)(2), subject 

to section 508(k)(4)(F), for the coverage to cover administrative 

and operating expenses. 

‘‘(e) RELATION TO OTHER COVERAGES.—The Stacked Income 

Protection Plan is in addition to all other coverages available to 

producers of upland cotton.’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 508(k)(4)(F) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(k)(4)(F)) is amended by 

inserting ‘‘or authorized under subsection (c)(4)(C) or section 508B’’ 

after ‘‘of this subparagraph’’. 

SEC. 11018. PEANUT REVENUE CROP INSURANCE. 

The Federal Crop Insurance Act is amended by inserting after 

section 508B (as added by section 11017), the following: 

‘‘SEC. 508C. PEANUT REVENUE CROP INSURANCE. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Effective beginning with the 2015 crop year, 

the Risk Management Agency and the Corporation shall make 

available to producers of peanuts a revenue crop insurance program 

for peanuts. 

‘‘(b) EFFECTIVE PRICE.—Subject to subsection (c), for purposes 

of the revenue crop insurance program and the multiperil crop 

insurance program under this Act, the effective price for peanuts 

shall be equal to the Rotterdam price index for peanuts or other 

appropriate price as determined by the Secretary, as adjusted to 

reflect the farmer stock price of peanuts in the United States. 

‘‘(c) ADJUSTMENTS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The effective price for peanuts established under subsection (b) may be adjusted by the Risk 

Management Agency and the Corporation to correct distortions. 

‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATION.—If an adjustment is made under 

paragraph (1), the Risk Management Agency and the Corporation shall— 

‘‘(A) make the adjustment in an open and transparent 

manner; and 

‘‘(B) 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 the reasons for the adjustment.’’. 

SEC. 11019. AUTHORITY TO CORRECT ERRORS. 

Section 515(c) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 

1515(c)) is amended— 

(1) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and 

inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; 

(2) in the second sentence, by striking ‘‘Beginning with’’ 

and inserting the following: 

‘‘(2) FREQUENCY.—Beginning with’’; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(3) CORRECTIONS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In addition to the corrections permitted by the Corporation as of the day before the date 

of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, the Corporation shall establish procedures that allow an agent or an 

approved insurance provider, subject to subparagraph (B)— 

‘‘(i) within a reasonable amount of time following 

the applicable sales closing date, to correct errors in 

7 USC 1508c. 


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information that is provided by a producer for the 

purpose of obtaining coverage under any policy or plan 

of insurance made available under this subtitle to 

ensure that the eligibility information is correct and 

consistent with information reported by the producer 

for other programs administered by the Secretary; 

‘‘(ii) within a reasonable amount of time following— 

‘‘(I) the acreage reporting date, to reconcile 

errors in the information reported by the producer 

with correct information determined from any 

other program administered by the Secretary; or 

‘‘(II) the date of any subsequent correction of 

data by the Farm Service Agency made as a result 

of the verification of information, to make conforming corrections; and 

‘‘(iii) at any time, to correct electronic transmission 

errors that were made by an agent or approved insurance provider, or such errors made by the Farm Service 

Agency or any other agency of the Department of Agriculture in transmitting the information provided by 

the producer for purposes of other programs of the 

Department to the extent an agent or approved insurance provider relied upon the erroneous information 

for crop insurance purposes. 

‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—In accordance with the procedures 

of the Corporation, correction to the information described 

in clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (A) may only be 

made if the corrections do not allow the producer— 

‘‘(i) to avoid ineligibility requirements for insurance 

or obtain a disproportionate benefit under the crop 

insurance program or any related program administered by the Secretary; 

‘‘(ii) to obtain, enhance, or increase an insurance 

guarantee or indemnity if a cause of loss exists or 

has occurred before any correction has been made, 

or avoid premium owed if no loss is likely to occur; 

or 

‘‘(iii) to avoid an obligation or requirement under 

any Federal or State law. 

‘‘(C) EXCEPTION TO LATE FILING SANCTIONS.—Any 

corrections made within a reasonable amount of time, in 

accordance with established procedures, pursuant to this 

paragraph shall not be subject to any late filing sanctions 

authorized in the reinsurance agreement with the Corporation. 

‘‘(D) LATE PAYMENT OF DEBT.—In the case of a producer 

that has inadvertently failed to pay a debt due as specified 

by regulations of the Corporation and has been determined 

to be ineligible for crop insurance pursuant to the terms 

of the policy as a result of that failure, the Corporation 

may determine to allow the producer to pay the debt and 

purchase the crop insurance after the sales closing date, 

in accordance with procedures and limitations established 

by the Corporation.’’. 


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SEC. 11020. IMPLEMENTATION. 

Section 515 of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1515) 

is amended— 

(1) in subsection (j), by striking paragraph (1) and inserting 

the following: 

‘‘(1) SYSTEMS MAINTENANCE AND UPGRADES.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall maintain and 

upgrade the information management systems of the Corporation used in the administration and enforcement of 

this subtitle. 

‘‘(B) REQUIREMENT.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—In maintaining and upgrading 

the systems, the Secretary shall ensure that new hardware and software are compatible with the hardware 

and software used by other agencies of the Department 

to maximize data sharing and promote the purposes 

of this section. 

‘‘(ii) ACREAGE REPORT STREAMLINING INITIATIVE

PROJECT.—As soon as practicable, the Secretary shall 

develop and implement an acreage report streamlining 

initiative project to allow producers to report acreage 

and other information directly to the Department.’’; 

and 

(2) in subsection (k), by striking paragraph (1) and inserting 

the following: 

‘‘(1) INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of subsection (j)(1), 

the Corporation may use, from amounts made available 

from the insurance fund established under section 516(c), 

not more than— 

‘‘(i)(I) for fiscal year 2014, $14,000,000; and 

‘‘(II) for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2018, 

$9,000,000; or 

‘‘(ii) if the Acreage Crop Reporting Streamlining 

Initiative (ACRSI) project is substantially completed 

by September 30, 2015, not more than $14,000,000 

for each of the fiscal years 2015 through 2018. 

‘‘(B) NOTIFICATION.—The Secretary shall notify the 

Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives 

and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

of the Senate of the substantial completion of the Acreage 

Crop Reporting Streamlining Initiative (ACRSI) project not 

later than July 1, 2015.’’. 

SEC. 11021. CROP INSURANCE FRAUD. 

Section 516(b)(2) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 

1516(b)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(C) REVIEWS, COMPLIANCE, AND INTEGRITY.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—For each of the 2014 and subsequent reinsurance years, the Corporation may use the 

insurance fund established under subsection (c), but 

not to exceed $9,000,000 for each fiscal year, to pay 

costs— 

‘‘(I) to reimburse expenses incurred for the 

operations and review of policies, plans of insurance, and related materials (including actuarial 

and related information); and 


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‘‘(II) to assist the Corporation in maintaining 

program actuarial soundness and financial integrity. 

‘‘(ii) SECRETARIAL ACTION.—For the purposes 

described in clause (i), the Secretary may, without 

further appropriation— 

‘‘(I) merge some or all of the funds made available under this subparagraph into the accounts 

of the Risk Management Agency; and 

‘‘(II) obligate those funds. 

‘‘(iii) MAINTENANCE OF FUNDING.—Funds made 

available under this subparagraph shall be in addition 

to other funds made available for costs incurred by 

the Corporation or the Risk Management Agency.’’. 

SEC. 11022. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES. 

(a) AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, 

PRIORITIES.—Section 522(c) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 

U.S.C. 1522(c)) is amended— 

(1) in the subsection heading, by striking ‘‘CONTRACTING’’; 

(2) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph 

(A), by striking ‘‘may enter into contracts to carry out research 

and development to’’ and inserting ‘‘may conduct activities or 

enter into contracts to carry out research and development 

to maintain or improve existing policies or develop new policies 

to’’; 

(3) in paragraph (2)— 

(A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘conduct research 

and development or’’ after ‘‘The Corporation may’’; and 

(B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘conducting 

research and development or’’ after ‘‘Before’’; 

(4) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘after expert review in 

accordance with section 505(e)’’ after ‘‘approved by the Board’’; 

(5) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘a pasture, range, and 

forage program’’ and inserting ‘‘policies that increase participation by producers of underserved agricultural commodities, 

including sweet sorghum, biomass sorghum, rice, peanuts, 

sugarcane, alfalfa, pennycress, dedicated energy crops, and specialty crops’’; 

(6) by redesignating paragraph (17) as paragraph (25); 

and 

(7) by inserting after paragraph (16), the following: 

‘‘(17) MARGIN COVERAGE FOR CATFISH.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Corporation shall offer to enter 

into a contract with a qualified entity to conduct research 

and development regarding a policy to insure producers 

against reduction in the margin between the market value 

of catfish and selected costs incurred in the production 

of catfish. 

‘‘(B) ELIGIBILITY.—Eligibility for the policy described 

in subparagraph (A) shall be limited to freshwater species 

of catfish that are propagated and reared in controlled 

or selected environments. 

‘‘(C) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Board shall review the 

policy described in subparagraph (B) under section 508(h) 

and approve the policy if the Board finds that the policy— 


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‘‘(i) will likely result in a viable and marketable 

policy consistent with this subsection; 

‘‘(ii) would provide crop insurance coverage in a 

significantly improved form; 

‘‘(iii) adequately protects the interests of producers; 

and 

‘‘(iv) meets other requirements of this subtitle 

determined appropriate by the Board. 

‘‘(18) BIOMASS AND SWEET SORGHUM ENERGY CROP INSUR- ANCE POLICIES.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Corporation shall offer to enter 

into 1 or more contracts with qualified entities to carry 

out research and development regarding— 

‘‘(i) a policy to insure biomass sorghum that is 

grown expressly for the purpose of producing a feedstock for renewable biofuel, renewable electricity, or 

biobased products; and 

‘‘(ii) a policy to insure sweet sorghum that is grown 

for a purpose described in clause (i). 

‘‘(B) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.—Research and 

development with respect to each of the policies required 

in subparagraph (A) shall evaluate the effectiveness of 

risk management tools for the production of biomass sorghum or sweet sorghum, including policies and plans of 

insurance that— 

‘‘(i) are based on market prices and yields; 

‘‘(ii) to the extent that insufficient data exist to 

develop a policy based on market prices and yields, 

evaluate the policies and plans of insurance based 

on the use of weather indices, including excessive or 

inadequate rainfall, to protect the interest of crop producers; and 

‘‘(iii) provide protection for production or revenue 

losses, or both. 

‘‘(19) STUDY ON SWINE CATASTROPHIC DISEASE PROGRAM.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Corporation shall contract with 

1 or more qualified entities to conduct a study to determine 

the feasibility of insuring swine producers for a catastrophic 

event. 

‘‘(B) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

of the enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation 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 that describes 

the results of the study conducted under subparagraph 

(A). 

‘‘(20) WHOLE FARM DIVERSIFIED RISK MANAGEMENT INSURANCE PLAN.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Unless the Corporation approves 

a whole farm insurance plan, similar to the plan described 

in this paragraph, to be available to producers for the 

2016 reinsurance year, the Corporation shall conduct activities or enter into contracts to carry out research and 

development to develop a whole farm risk management 

insurance plan, with a liability limitation of $1,500,000, 

that allows a diversified crop or livestock producer the 

option to qualify for an indemnity if actual gross farm 


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revenue is below 85 percent of the average gross farm 

revenue or the expected gross farm revenue that can 

reasonably be expected of the producer, as determined by 

the Corporation. 

‘‘(B) ELIGIBLE PRODUCERS.—The Corporation shall 

permit producers (including direct-to-consumer marketers 

and producers servicing local and regional and farm 

identity-preserved markets) who produce multiple agricultural commodities, including specialty crops, industrial 

crops, livestock, and aquaculture products, to participate 

in the plan developed under subparagraph (A) in lieu of 

any other plan under this subtitle. 

‘‘(C) DIVERSIFICATION.—The Corporation may provide 

diversification-based additional coverage payment rates, 

premium discounts, or other enhanced benefits in recognition of the risk management benefits of crop and livestock 

diversification strategies for producers that— 

‘‘(i) grow multiple crops; or 

‘‘(ii) may have income from the production of livestock that uses a crop grown on the farm. 

‘‘(D) MARKET READINESS.—The Corporation may 

include coverage for the value of any packing, packaging, 

or any other similar on-farm activity the Corporation determines to be the minimum required in order to remove 

the commodity from the field. 

‘‘(21) STUDY ON POULTRY CATASTROPHIC DISEASE PROGRAM.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Corporation shall contract with 

a qualified person to conduct a study to determine the 

feasibility of insuring poultry producers for a catastrophic 

event. 

‘‘(B) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

of the enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation 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 that describes 

the results of the study conducted under subparagraph 

(A). 

‘‘(22) POULTRY BUSINESS INTERRUPTION INSURANCE

POLICY.— 

‘‘(A) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph, the terms 

‘poultry’ and ‘poultry grower’ have the meanings given 

those terms in section 2(a) of the Packers and Stockyards 

Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 182(a)). 

‘‘(B) AUTHORITY.—The Corporation shall offer to enter 

into a contract or cooperative agreement with an institution 

of higher education or other legal entity to carry out 

research and development regarding a policy to insure 

the commercial production of poultry against business 

interruptions caused by integrator bankruptcy. 

‘‘(C) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.—As part of the 

research and development conducted pursuant to a contract 

or cooperative agreement entered into under subparagraph 

(B), the entity shall— 

‘‘(i) evaluate the market place for business 

interruption insurance that is available to poultry 

growers; 


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‘‘(ii) determine what statutory authority would be 

necessary to implement a business interruption insurance through the Corporation; 

‘‘(iii) assess the feasibility of a policy or plan of 

insurance offered under this subtitle to insure against 

a portion of losses due to business interruption or 

to the bankruptcy of an business integrator; and 

‘‘(iv) analyze the costs to the Federal Government 

of a Federal business interruption insurance program 

for poultry growers or producers. 

‘‘(D) DEADLINE FOR CONTRACT OR COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 

of this paragraph, the Corporation shall offer to enter into 

the contract or cooperative agreement required by subparagraph (B). 

‘‘(E) DEADLINE FOR COMPLETION OF RESEARCH AND

DEVELOPMENT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 

enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation 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 that describes the results 

of the research and development conducted pursuant to 

the contract or cooperative agreement entered into under 

subparagraph (B).] 

‘‘(23) STUDY OF FOOD SAFETY INSURANCE.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Corporation shall offer to enter 

into a contract with 1 or more qualified entities to conduct 

a study to determine whether offering policies that provide 

coverage for specialty crops from food safety and contamination issues would benefit agricultural producers. 

‘‘(B) SUBJECT.—The study described in subparagraph 

(A) shall evaluate policies and plans of insurance coverage 

that provide protection for production or revenue impacted 

by food safety concerns including, at a minimum, government, retail, or national consumer group announcements 

of a health advisory, removal, or recall related to a contamination concern. 

‘‘(C) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

of enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation 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 that describes 

the results of the study conducted under subparagraph 

(A).’’. 

‘‘(24) ALFALFA CROP INSURANCE POLICY.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Corporation shall offer to enter 

into 1 or more contracts with qualified entities to carry 

out research and development regarding a policy to insure 

alfalfa. 

‘‘(B) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

of enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation 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 that describes 

the results of the study conducted under subparagraph 

(A).’’. 


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(b) FUNDING.—Section 522(e) of the Federal Crop Insurance 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(e)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (2)— 

(A) in subparagraph (A)— 

(i) in the subparagraph heading, by striking 

‘‘AUTHORITY.—’’ and inserting ‘‘CONDUCTING AND CONTRACTING FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.—’’; and 

(ii) by inserting ‘‘conduct research and development 

and’’ after ‘‘the Corporation may use to’’; and 

(B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘conduct research 

and development and’’ after ‘‘for the fiscal year to’’; 

(2) in paragraph (3), in the matter preceding subparagraph 

(A), by striking ‘‘to provide either reimbursement payments 

or contract payments’’; and 

(3) by striking paragraph (4). 

SEC. 11023. CROP INSURANCE FOR ORGANIC CROPS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 508(c)(6) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(c)(6)) is amended by adding at the end 

the following: 

‘‘(D) ORGANIC CROPS.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—As soon as possible, but not later 

than the 2015 reinsurance year, the Corporation shall 

offer producers of organic crops price elections for all 

organic crops produced in compliance with standards 

issued by the Department of Agriculture under the 

national organic program established under the 

Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 

et seq.) that reflect the actual retail or wholesale prices, 

as appropriate, received by producers for organic crops, 

as determined by the Secretary using all relevant 

sources of information. 

‘‘(ii) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Corporation shall 

submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House 

of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, 

Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate an annual report 

on progress made in developing and improving Federal 

crop insurance for organic crops, including— 

‘‘(I) the numbers and varieties of organic crops 

insured; 

‘‘(II) the progress of implementing the price 

elections required under this subparagraph, 

including the rate at which additional price elections are adopted for organic crops; 

‘‘(III) the development of new insurance 

approaches relevant to organic producers; and 

‘‘(IV) any recommendations the Corporation 

considers appropriate to improve Federal crop 

insurance coverage for organic crops.’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 522(c) of the Federal 

Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(c)) (as amended by section 

11022) is amended— 

(1) by striking paragraph (10); and 

(2) by redesignating paragraphs (11) through (25) as paragraphs (10) through (24), respectively. 


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SEC. 11024. PROGRAM COMPLIANCE PARTNERSHIPS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 522(d) of the Federal Crop Insurance 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(d)) is amended by striking paragraph (1) and 

inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this subsection is to 

authorize the Corporation to enter into partnerships with public 

and private entities for the purpose of either— 

‘‘(A) increasing the availability of loss mitigation, financial, and other risk management tools for producers, with 

a priority given to risk management tools for producers 

of agricultural commodities covered by section 196 of the 

Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7333), specialty crops, and underserved agricultural commodities; or 

‘‘(B) improving analysis tools and technology regarding 

compliance or identifying and using innovative compliance 

strategies.’’. 

(b) OBJECTIVES.—Section 522(d)(3) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(d)(3)) is amended— 

(1) in subparagraph (F), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(2) by redesignating subparagraph (G) as subparagraph 

(H); and 

(3) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the following: 

‘‘(G) to improve analysis tools and technology regarding 

compliance or identifying and using innovative compliance 

strategies; and’’. 

SEC. 11025. PILOT PROGRAMS. 

Section 523(a) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 

1523(a)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘, at the sole discretion 

of the Corporation,’’ after ‘‘may’’; and 

(2) by striking paragraph (5). 

SEC. 11026. INDEX-BASED WEATHER INSURANCE PILOT PROGRAM. 

Section 523 of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1523) 

is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(i) UNDERSERVED CROPS AND REGIONS PILOT PROGRAMS.— 

‘‘(1) DEFINITION OF LIVESTOCK COMMODITY.—In this subsection, the term ‘livestock commodity’ includes cattle, sheep, 

swine, goats, and poultry, including pasture, rangeland, and 

forage as a source of feed for that livestock. 

‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION.—Notwithstanding subsection (a)(2), 

the Corporation may conduct 2 or more pilot programs to provide producers of underserved specialty crops and livestock 

commodities with index-based weather insurance, subject to 

the requirements of this section. 

‘‘(3) REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF SUBMISSIONS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Board shall approve 2 or more 

proposed policies or plans of insurance from approved insurance providers if the Board determines that the policies 

or plans provide coverage as specified in paragraph (2), 

and meet the conditions described in this paragraph 

‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—To be eligible for approval under 

this subsection, the approved insurance provider shall 

have— 


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‘‘(i) adequate experience underwriting and administering policies or plans of insurance that are comparable to the proposed policy or plan of insurance; 

‘‘(ii) sufficient assets or reinsurance to satisfy the 

underwriting obligations of the approved insurance 

provider, and possess a sufficient insurance credit 

rating from an appropriate credit rating bureau, in 

accordance with Board procedures; and 

‘‘(iii) applicable authority and approval from each 

State in which the approved insurance provider intends 

to sell the insurance product. 

‘‘(C) REVIEW REQUIREMENTS.—In reviewing applications under this subsection, the Board shall conduct the 

review in a manner consistent with the standards, rules, 

and procedures for policies or plans of insurance submitted 

under section 508(h) and the actuarial soundness requirements applied to other policies and plans of insurance 

made available under this subtitle. 

‘‘(D) PRIORITIZATION.—The Board shall prioritize 

applications that provide a new kind of coverage for specialty crops and livestock commodities that previously had 

no available crop insurance, or has demonstrated a low 

level of participation under existing coverage. 

‘‘(4) PAYMENT OF PREMIUM SUPPORT.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Corporation shall pay a portion 

of the premium for producers that purchase a policy or 

plan of insurance approved pursuant to this subsection. 

‘‘(B) AMOUNT.—The premium subsidy shall provide a 

similar dollar amount of premium subsidy per acre that 

the Corporation pays for comparable policies or plans of 

insurance reinsured under this subtitle, except that in no 

case shall the premium subsidy exceed 60 percent of total 

premium, as determined by the Corporation. 

‘‘(C) CALCULATION.—The premium subsidy, as determined by the Corporation, shall be calculated as— 

‘‘(i) a percentage of premium; 

‘‘(ii) a percentage of expected loss determined 

pursuant to a reasonable actuarial methodology; or 

‘‘(iii) a fixed dollar amount per acre. 

‘‘(D) PAYMENT.—Subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C), 

the premium subsidy under this subsection shall be paid 

by the Corporation in the same manner and under the 

same terms and conditions as premium subsidy for other 

policies and plans of insurance. 

‘‘(E) OPERATING AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE PAYMENTS.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to clause (ii), operating 

and administrative expense payments may be made 

for policies and plans of insurance approved under 

this subsection in an amount that is commensurate 

with similar policies and plans of insurance reinsured 

under this subtitle, on the condition that the operating 

and administrative expenses are not included in premiums. 

‘‘(ii) LIMITATION.—Subject to subparagraph (F)(i), 

Federal reinsurance, research and development costs, 

other reimbursements, or maintenance fees shall not 


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be provided or collected for policies and plans of insurance approved under this subsection. 

‘‘(F) APPROVED INSURANCE PROVIDERS.—Any policy or 

plan of insurance approved under this subsection may be 

sold only by the approved insurance provider that submits 

the application and by any additional approved insurance 

provider that— 

‘‘(i) agrees to pay maintenance fees or other payments to the approved insurance provider that submitted the application in an amount agreed to by the 

applicant and the additional approved insurance provider, on the condition that the fees or payments shall 

be reasonable and appropriate to ensure that the policies or plans of insurance may be made available by 

additional approved insurance providers; and 

‘‘(ii) meets the eligibility criteria of paragraph 

(3)(B), as determined by the Board. 

‘‘(G) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PROVISIONS.—The 

requirements of this paragraph shall apply notwithstanding 

paragraph (6). 

‘‘(5) OVERSIGHT.—The Corporation shall develop and publish procedures to administer policies or plans of insurance 

approved under this subsection that— 

‘‘(A) require each approved insurance provider to report 

sales, acreage and claim data, and any other data that 

the Corporation determines to be appropriate, to allow 

the Corporation to evaluate sales and performance of the 

product; and 

‘‘(B) contain such other requirements as the Corporation determines necessary to ensure that the products— 

‘‘(i) do not have a significant adverse impact on 

the crop insurance delivery system; 

‘‘(ii) are in the best interests of producers; and 

‘‘(iii) do not result in a reduction of program integrity. 

‘‘(6) CONFIDENTIALITY.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—All reports required under paragraph (5) and all other proprietary information and data 

generated or derived from applicants under this subsection 

shall be considered to be confidential commercial or financial information for the purposes of section 552(b)(4) of 

title 5, United States Code. 

‘‘(B) STANDARD.—If information concerning a proposal 

could be withheld by the Secretary under the standard 

for privileged or confidential information pertaining to 

trade secrets and commercial or financial information 

under section 552(b)(4) of title 5, United States Code, the 

information shall not be released to the public. 

‘‘(7) INELIGIBLE PURPOSES.—In no case shall a policy or 

plan of insurance made available under this subsection provide 

coverage substantially similar to privately available hail insurance. 

‘‘(8) FUNDING.— 

‘‘(A) LIMITATION ON EXPENDITURES.—Notwithstanding 

any other provision in this subsection, of the funds of 

the Corporation, the Corporation shall use to carry out 

this section not more than $12,500,000 for each of fiscal 


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years 2015 through 2018, to remain available until 

expended. 

‘‘(B) RELATION TO OTHER PROGRAMS.—The amount of 

funds made available under this section shall be in addition 

to amounts made available under other provisions of this 

subtitle, including amounts made available under subsection (b).’’. 

SEC. 11027. ENHANCING PRODUCER SELF-HELP THROUGH FARM 

FINANCIAL BENCHMARKING. 

(a) DEFINITION.—Section 502(b) of the Federal Crop Insurance 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1502(b)) (as amended by section 11016(a)(1)) is 

amended— 

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (7) through (10) as paragraphs (8) through (11), respectively; and 

(2) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following: 

‘‘(7) FARM FINANCIAL BENCHMARKING.—The term ‘farm 

financial benchmarking’ means— 

‘‘(A) the process of comparing the performance of an 

agricultural enterprise against the performance of other 

similar enterprises, through the use of comparable and 

reliable data, in order to identify business management 

strengths, weaknesses, and steps necessary to improve 

management performance and business profitability; and 

‘‘(B) benchmarking of the type conducted by farm 

management and producer associations consistent with the 

activities described in or funded pursuant to section 1672D 

of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 

1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925f).’’. 

(b) PARTNERSHIPS FOR RISK MANAGEMENT FOR PRODUCERS OF

SPECIALTY CROPS AND UNDERSERVED AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES.—Section 522(d)(3)(F) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 

U.S.C. 1522(d)(3)(F)) is amended by inserting ‘‘farm financial 

benchmarking,’’ after ‘‘management,’’. 

(c) CROP INSURANCE EDUCATION AND RISK MANAGEMENT

ASSISTANCE.—Section 524(a) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act 

(7 U.S.C. 1524(a)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (3)(A), by inserting ‘‘farm financial 

benchmarking,’’ after ‘‘risk reduction,’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (4), in the matter preceding subparagraph 

(A), by inserting ‘‘(including farm financial benchmarking)’’ 

after ‘‘management strategies’’. 

SEC. 11028. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS. 

(a) Section 508 of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 

1508) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (b)— 

(A) by striking paragraph (7); and 

(B) by redesignating paragraphs (8) through (11) as 

paragraphs (7) through (10), respectively; 

(2) in subsection (e)(2), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘paragraph (3)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraphs (3), (6), and (7)’’; and 

(3) in subsection (k)(8)(C), by striking ‘‘subparagraph 

(A)(iii)’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraph (A)(ii)’’. 

(b) Section 522 of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 

1522) is amended— 


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(1) in subsection (b)(4)(A), by striking ‘‘paragraphs (1)’’ 

and inserting ‘‘paragraph (1)’’; and 

(2) in subsection (e)(1), by adding a period at the end. 

(c) Section 531(d)(3)(A) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 

U.S.C. 1531(d)(3)(A)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘(A) ELIGIBLE LOSSES.—’’ and all that follows 

through ‘‘An eligible’’ in clause (i) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(A) ELIGIBLE LOSSES.—An eligible’’; 

(2) by striking clause (ii); and 

(3) by redesignating subclauses (I) and (II) as clauses (i) 

and (ii), respectively, and indenting appropriately. 

(d) Section 901(d)(3)(A) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 

2497(d)(3)(A)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘(A) ELIGIBLE LOSSES.—’’ and all that follows 

through ‘‘An eligible’’ in clause (i) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(A) ELIGIBLE LOSSES.—An eligible’’; 

(2) by striking clause (ii); and 

(3) by redesignating subclauses (I) and (II) as clauses (i) 

and (ii), respectively, and indenting appropriately. 

TITLE XII—MISCELLANEOUS 

Subtitle A—Livestock 

SEC. 12101. TRICHINAE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM. 

(a) ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION PROCESS.—The Secretary of 

Agriculture shall amend the rule made under paragraph (2) of 

section 11010(a) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (7 U.S.C. 8304(a)) to implement the voluntary trichinae certification program established under paragraph (1) of such section, 

to include a requirement to establish an alternative trichinae certification process based on surveillance or other methods consistent 

with international standards for categorizing compartments as 

having negligible risk for trichinae. 

(b) FINAL REGULATIONS.—Not later than one year after the 

date on which the international standards referred to in subsection 

(a) are adopted, the Secretary shall finalize the rule amended 

under such subsection. 

(c) REAUTHORIZATION.—Section 10405(d)(1) of the Animal 

Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8304(d)(1)) is amended in subparagraphs (A) and (B) by striking ‘‘2012’’ each place it appears and 

inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 12102. SHEEP PRODUCTION AND MARKETING GRANT PROGRAM. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle A of the Agricultural Marketing 

Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.) is amended by adding at 

the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 209. SHEEP PRODUCTION AND MARKETING GRANT PROGRAM. 

‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Agriculture, acting 

through the Administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service, 

shall establish a competitive grant program for the purposes of 

strengthening and enhancing the production and marketing of sheep 

and sheep products in the United States, including through— 

‘‘(1) the improvement of— 

‘‘(A) infrastructure; 

7 USC 1627a. 

7 USC 8304 note. 


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‘‘(B) business; and 

‘‘(C) resource development; and 

‘‘(2) the development of innovative approaches to solve longterm needs. 

‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY.—The Secretary shall make grants under this 

section to at least one national entity, the mission of which is 

consistent with the purpose of the grant program. 

‘‘(c) FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corpora- tion, the Secretary shall use to carry out this section $1,500,000 

for fiscal year 2014, to remain available until expended.’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 375 of the Consolidated 

Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008j) (as in existence 

on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act) is— 

(1) amended in subsection (e)— 

(A) in paragraph (3)(D), by striking ‘‘3 percent’’ and 

inserting ‘‘10 percent’’; and 

(B) by striking paragraph (6); 

(2) redesignated as section 210 of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946; and 

(3) moved so as to appear at the end of subtitle A of 

that Act (as amended by subsection (a)). 

SEC. 12103. NATIONAL AQUATIC ANIMAL HEALTH PLAN. 

Section 11013(d) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act 

of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8322(d)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2018’’. 

SEC. 12104. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING. 

(a) ECONOMIC ANALYSIS.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, 

acting through the Office of the Chief Economist, shall conduct 

an economic analysis of the final rule entitled ‘‘Mandatory 

Country of Origin Labeling of Beef, Pork, Lamb, Chicken, Goat 

Meat, Wild and Farm-raised Fish and Shellfish, Perishable 

Agricultural Commodities, Peanuts, Pecans, Ginseng and Macadamia Nuts’’ published by the Department of Agriculture on 

May 24, 2013 (78 Fed. Reg. 31367) that makes certain amendments to parts 60 and 65 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations. 

(2) CONTENTS.—The economic analysis described in subsection (a) shall include, with respect to the labeling of beef, 

pork, and chicken, an analysis of the impact on consumers, 

producers, and packers in the United States of— 

(A) the implementation of subtitle D of the Agricultural 

Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1638 et seq.); and 

(B) the final rule referred to in subsection (a). 

(b) APPLYING COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING REQUIREMENTS

TO VENISON.— (1) DEFINITION OF COVERED COMMODITY.—Section 281(2)(A) 

of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1638(2)(A)) 

is amended— 

(A) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘and pork’’ and inserting 

‘‘pork, and venison’’; and 

(B) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘and ground pork’’ and 

inserting ‘‘ground pork, and ground venison’’. 

(2) NOTICE OF COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.—Section 282(a)(2) of 

the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1638a(a)(2)) 

is amended— 

7 USC 1627b. 


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(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘AND GOAT’’ and 

inserting ‘‘GOAT, AND VENISON’’; 

(B) by striking ‘‘or goat’’ and inserting ‘‘goat, or venison’’ each place it appears in subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), 

and (D); and 

(C) in subparagraph (E)— 

(i) in the heading, by striking ‘‘AND GOAT’’ and 

inserting ‘‘GOAT, AND VENISON’’; and 

(ii) by striking ‘‘or ground goat’’ each place it 

appears and inserting ‘‘ground goat, or ground venison’’. 

SEC. 12105. NATIONAL ANIMAL HEALTH LABORATORY NETWORK. 

The Animal Health Protection Act is amended by inserting 

after section 10409 (7 U.S.C. 8308) the following new section: 

‘‘SEC. 10409A. NATIONAL ANIMAL HEALTH LABORATORY NETWORK. 

‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE LABORATORY.—In this section, the 

term ‘eligible laboratory’ means a diagnostic laboratory that meets 

specific criteria developed by the Secretary, in consultation with 

State animal health officials, State veterinary diagnostic laboratories, and veterinary diagnostic laboratories at institutions of 

higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education 

Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)). 

‘‘(b) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation with State 

veterinarians, shall offer to enter into contracts, grants, cooperative 

agreements, or other legal instruments with eligible laboratories 

for any of the following purposes: 

‘‘(1) To enhance the capability of the Secretary to respond 

in a timely manner to emerging or existing bioterrorist threats 

to animal health. 

‘‘(2) To provide the capacity and capability for standardized— 

‘‘(A) test procedures, reference materials, and equipment; 

‘‘(B) laboratory biosafety and biosecurity levels; 

‘‘(C) quality management system requirements; 

‘‘(D) interconnected electronic reporting and transmission of data; and 

‘‘(E) evaluation for emergency preparedness. 

‘‘(3) To coordinate the development, implementation, and 

enhancement of national veterinary diagnostic laboratory 

capabilities, with special emphasis on surveillance planning 

and vulnerability analysis, technology development and validation, training, and outreach. 

‘‘(c) PRIORITY.—To the extent practicable and to the extent 

capacity and specialized expertise may be necessary, the Secretary 

shall give priority to existing Federal facilities, State facilities, 

and facilities at institutions of higher education. 

‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for each 

of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 

SEC. 12106. FOOD SAFETY INSPECTION. 

(a) INSPECTIONS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1(w) of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601(w)) is amended by striking paragraph 

(2) and inserting the following: 


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‘‘(2) all fish of the order Siluriformes; and’’. 

(2) CONDITIONS.—Section 6 of the Federal Meat Inspection 

Act (21 U.S.C. 606) is amended by striking subsection (b) and 

inserting the following: 

‘‘(b) CERTAIN FISH.—In the case of an examination and inspection under subsection (a) of a meat food product derived from 

any fish described in section 1(w)(2), the Secretary shall take into 

account the conditions under which the fish is raised and transported to a processing establishment.’’. 

(3) INAPPLICABILITY.—Section 25 of the Federal Meat 

Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 625) is amended by striking ‘‘not 

apply’’ and all that follows and inserting ‘‘not apply to any 

fish described in section 1(w)(2).’’. 

(4) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 203(n) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1622(n)) is amended 

by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) all fish of the order Siluriformes; and’’. 

(b) IMPLEMENTATION.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall— 

(A) not later than 60 days after the date of enactment 

of this Act, issue final regulations to carry out the amendments made by section 11016(b)(1) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Public Law 110–246; 122 

Stat. 2130), as further clarified by the amendments made 

by this section; and 

(B) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 

of this Act, implement the amendments described in 

subparagraph (A). 

(2) NOTIFICATION.—Beginning 30 days after the date of 

enactment of this Act and every 30 days thereafter until the 

date of full implementation of the amendments described in 

paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall submit a report describing 

the status of implementation to— 

(A) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives; 

(B) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry of the Senate; 

(C) the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies 

of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and 

(D) the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. 

(3) PROCEDURE.—Section 1601(c)(2) applies to the 

promulgation of the regulations and administration of this section and the amendments made by this section. 

(4) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 11016(b) of the 

Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Public Law 110– 

246; 122 Stat. 2130) is amended by striking paragraph (2) 

and inserting the following: 

‘‘(2) IMPLEMENTATION.— 

‘‘(A) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 60 days after the 

date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, the 

Secretary, in consultation with the Commissioner of Food 

and Drugs, shall issue final regulations to carry out the 

amendments made by paragraph (1) and section 12106 

21 USC 601 note. 

21 USC 601 note. 


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of that Act in a manner that ensures that there is no 

duplication in inspection activities. 

‘‘(B) INTERAGENCY COORDINATION.—Not later than 60 

days after the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act 

of 2014, the Secretary shall execute a memorandum of 

understanding with the Commissioner of Food and Drugs 

for the following purposes: 

‘‘(i) To improve interagency cooperation on food 

safety and fraud prevention, building upon any other 

prior agreements, including provisions, performance 

metrics, and timelines as appropriate. 

‘‘(ii) To maximize the effectiveness of limited personnel and resources by ensuring that— 

‘‘(I) inspections conducted by the Department 

satisfy requirements under the Federal Food, 

Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.); 

‘‘(II) inspections of shipments and processing 

facilities for fish of the order Siluriformes by the 

Department and the Food and Drug Administration are not duplicative; and 

‘‘(III) any information resulting from examination, testing, and inspections conducted is considered in making risk-based determinations, 

including the establishment of inspection priorities.’’. 

(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section and the amendments made 

by this section shall take effect as if enacted as part of section 

11016(b) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Public 

Law 110–246; 122 Stat. 2130). 

SEC. 12107. NATIONAL POULTRY IMPROVEMENT PLAN. 

The Secretary of Agriculture shall ensure that the Department 

of Agriculture continues to administer the diagnostic surveillance 

program for H5/H7 low pathogenic avian influenza with respect 

to commercial poultry under section 146.14 of title 9, Code of 

Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation), without amending 

the regulations in section 147.43 of title 9, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act), with 

respect to the governance of the General Conference Committee 

established under such section. The Secretary of Agriculture shall 

maintain— 

(1) the operations of the General Conference Committee— 

(A) in the physical location at which the Committee 

was located on the date of the enactment of this Act; 

and 

(B) with the organizational structure within the 

Department of Agriculture in effect as of such date; and 

(2) the funding levels for the National Poultry Improvement 

Plan for Commercial Poultry (established under part 146 of 

title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, or a successor regulation) 

at the fiscal year 2013 funding levels for the Plan. 

SEC. 12108. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING FERAL SWINE ERADICATION. 

It is the sense of the Congress that— 

(1) the Secretary of Agriculture should recognize the threat 

feral swine pose to the domestic swine population and the 

entire agriculture industry; and 

7 USC 8308 note. 

21 USC 601 note. 


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(2) feral swine eradication is a high priority that the Secretary should carry out under the authorities of the Animal 

Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.). 

Subtitle B—Socially Disadvantaged Producers and Limited Resource Producers 

SEC. 12201. OUTREACH AND ASSISTANCE FOR SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS AND RANCHERS AND VETERAN 

FARMERS AND RANCHERS. 

(a) OUTREACH AND ASSISTANCE FOR SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED

FARMERS AND RANCHERS AND VETERAN FARMERS AND RANCHERS.— Section 2501 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade 

Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279) is amended— 

(1) in the section heading, by inserting ‘‘AND VETERAN

FARMERS AND RANCHERS’’ after ‘‘RANCHERS’’; 

(2) in subsection (a)— 

(A) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘and veteran farmers or ranchers’’ 

after ‘‘ranchers’’; 

(B) in paragraph (2)(B)(i), by inserting ‘‘and veteran 

farmers or ranchers’’ after ‘‘ranchers’’; and 

(C) in paragraph (4)— 

(i) in subparagraph (A)— 

(I) in the subparagraph heading, by striking 

‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018’’; 

(II) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(III) in clause (ii), by striking the period at 

the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(IV) by adding at the end the following new 

clause: 

‘‘(iii) $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 

through 2018.’’; and 

(ii) by adding at the end the following new 

subparagraph: 

‘‘(E) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are 

authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’; 

(3) in subsection (b)(2), by inserting ‘‘or veteran farmers 

and ranchers’’ after ‘‘socially disadvantaged farmers and 

ranchers’’; 

(4) in subsection (c)— 

(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ‘‘veteran farmers 

or ranchers and’’ before ‘‘members’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting ‘‘veteran farmers 

or ranchers and’’ before ‘‘members’’; and 

(5) in subsection (e)(5)(A)— 

(A) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘and veteran farmers 

or ranchers’’ after ‘‘ranchers’’; and 

(B) in clause (ii), by inserting ‘‘and veteran farmers 

or ranchers’’ after ‘‘ranchers’’. 

(b) DEFINITION OF VETERAN FARMER OR RANCHER.—Section 

2501(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 

1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e)) is amended by adding at the end the 

following new paragraph: 


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‘‘(7) VETERAN FARMER OR RANCHER.—The term ‘veteran 

farmer or rancher’ means a farmer or rancher who has served 

in the Armed Forces (as defined in section 101(10) of title 

38 United States Code) and who— 

‘‘(A) has not operated a farm or ranch; or 

‘‘(B) has operated a farm or ranch for not more than 

10 years.’’. 

SEC. 12202. OFFICE OF ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH. 

Paragraph (3) of section 226B(f) of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6934(f)) is amended 

to read as follows: 

‘‘(3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are 

authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection— 

‘‘(A) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal 

years 2009 through 2013; and 

‘‘(B) $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2018.’’. 

SEC. 12203. SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS AND RANCHERS 

POLICY RESEARCH CENTER. 

Section 2501 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade 

Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279), as amended by section 12201, is 

amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: 

‘‘(i) SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS AND RANCHERS POLICY

RESEARCH CENTER.—The Secretary shall award a grant to a college 

or university eligible to receive funds under the Act of August 

30, 1890 (7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.), including Tuskegee University, 

to establish a policy research center to be known as the ‘Socially 

Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Research Center’ for 

the purpose of developing policy recommendations for the protection 

and promotion of the interests of socially disadvantaged farmers 

and ranchers.’’. 

SEC. 12204. RECEIPT FOR SERVICE OR DENIAL OF SERVICE FROM 

CERTAIN DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGENCIES. 

Section 2501A(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and 

Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279–1(e)) is amended by striking 

‘‘and, at the time of the request, also requests a receipt’’. 

Subtitle C—Other Miscellaneous 

Provisions 

SEC. 12301. GRANTS TO IMPROVE SUPPLY, STABILITY, SAFETY, AND 

TRAINING OF AGRICULTURAL LABOR FORCE. 

Subsection (d) of section 14204 of the Food, Conservation, and 

Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2008q–1) is amended to read as 

follows: 

‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this section— 

‘‘(1) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 

2008 through 2013; and 

‘‘(2) $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

2018.’’. 


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SEC. 12302. PROGRAM BENEFIT ELIGIBILITY STATUS FOR PARTICIPANTS IN HIGH PLAINS WATER STUDY. 

Section 2901 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (Public Law 110–246; 122 Stat. 1818) is amended by striking 

‘‘this Act or an amendment made by this Act’’ and inserting ‘‘this 

Act, an amendment made by this Act, the Agricultural Act of 

2014, or an amendment made by the Agricultural Act of 2014’’. 

SEC. 12303. OFFICE OF TRIBAL RELATIONS. 

Title III of the Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department 

of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 is amended by adding 

after section 308 (7 U.S.C. 3125a note; Public Law 103–354) the 

following new section: 

‘‘SEC. 309. OFFICE OF TRIBAL RELATIONS. 

‘‘The Secretary shall maintain in the Office of the Secretary 

an Office of Tribal Relations, which shall advise the Secretary 

on policies related to Indian tribes and carry out such other functions as the Secretary considers appropriate.’’. 

SEC. 12304. MILITARY VETERANS AGRICULTURAL LIAISON. 

Subtitle A of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization 

Act of 1994 is amended by inserting after section 218 (7 U.S.C. 

6918) the following new section: 

‘‘SEC. 219. MILITARY VETERANS AGRICULTURAL LIAISON. 

‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary shall establish in the 

Department the position of Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison. 

‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison 

shall— 

‘‘(1) provide information to returning veterans about, and 

connect returning veterans with, beginning farmer training 

and agricultural vocational and rehabilitation programs appropriate to the needs and interests of returning veterans, 

including assisting veterans in using Federal veterans educational benefits for purposes relating to beginning a farming 

or ranching career; 

‘‘(2) provide information to veterans concerning the availability of, and eligibility requirements for, participation in agricultural programs, with particular emphasis on beginning 

farmer and rancher programs; 

‘‘(3) serve as a resource for assisting veteran farmers and 

ranchers, and potential farmers and ranchers, in applying for 

participation in agricultural programs; and 

‘‘(4) advocate on behalf of veterans in interactions with 

employees of the Department. 

‘‘(c) CONTRACTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—For purposes 

of carrying out the duties under subsection (b), the Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison may enter into contracts or cooperative 

agreements with the research centers of the Agricultural Research 

Service, institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101 

of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), or nonprofit 

organizations for— 

‘‘(1) the conduct of regional research on the profitability 

of small farms; 

‘‘(2) the development of educational materials; 

‘‘(3) the conduct of workshops, courses, and certified vocational training; 

7 USC 6919. 

7 USC 6921. 


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‘‘(4) the conduct of mentoring activities; or 

‘‘(5) the provision of internship opportunities.’’. 

SEC. 12305. NONINSURED CROP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 196 of the Federal Agriculture 

Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7333) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a)— 

(A) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.— ‘‘(A) COVERAGES.—In the case of an eligible crop 

described in paragraph (2), the Secretary of Agriculture 

shall operate a noninsured crop disaster assistance program to provide coverages based on individual yields (other 

than for value-loss crops) equivalent to— 

‘‘(i) catastrophic risk protection available under 

section 508(b) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 

U.S.C. 1508(b)); or 

‘‘(ii) except in the case of crops and grasses used 

for grazing, additional coverage available under subsections (c) and (h) of section 508 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 

1508) that does not exceed 65 percent, as described 

in subsection (l). 

‘‘(B) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary shall carry out 

this section through the Farm Service Agency (referred 

to in this section as the ‘Agency’).’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (2)— 

(i) in subparagraph (A)— 

(I) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘and’’ after the 

semicolon at the end; 

(II) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii); 

and 

(III) by inserting after clause (i) the following: 

‘‘(ii) for which additional coverage under 

subsections (c) and (h) of section 508 of that 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1508) is not available; and’’; 

and 

(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘and industrial 

crops’’ and inserting ‘‘sweet sorghum, biomass sorghum, and industrial crops (including those grown 

expressly for the purpose of producing a feedstock for 

renewable biofuel, renewable electricity, or biobased 

products)’’; 

(2) in subsection (i)(2), by striking ‘‘$100,000’’ and inserting 

‘‘$125,000’’; 

(3) in subsection (k)(2), by striking ‘‘limited resource 

farmer’’ and inserting ‘‘limited resource, beginning, or socially 

disadvantaged farmer’’; and 

(4) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(l) PAYMENT EQUIVALENT TO ADDITIONAL COVERAGE.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make available noninsured assistance under this subsection (other than for crops 

and grasses used for grazing) at a payment amount that is 

equivalent to an indemnity for additional coverage under subsections (c) and (h) of section 508 of the Federal Crop Insurance 

Act (7 U.S.C. 1508) and equal to the product obtained by 

multiplying— 


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‘‘(A) the amount that— 

‘‘(i) the additional coverage yield, which shall be 

equal to the product obtained by multiplying— 

‘‘(I) an amount not less than 50 percent nor 

more than 65 percent, as elected by the producer 

and specified in 5-percent increments; and 

‘‘(II) the approved yield for the crop, as determined by the Secretary; exceeds 

‘‘(ii) the actual yield; 

‘‘(B) 100 percent of the average market price for the 

crop, as determined by the Secretary; and 

‘‘(C) a payment rate for the type of crop, as determined 

by the Secretary, that reflects— 

‘‘(i) in the case of a crop that is produced with 

a significant and variable harvesting expense, the 

decreasing cost incurred in the production cycle for 

the crop that is, as applicable— 

‘‘(I) harvested; 

‘‘(II) planted but not harvested; or 

‘‘(III) prevented from being planted because 

of drought, flood, or other natural disaster, as 

determined by the Secretary; or 

‘‘(ii) in the case of a crop that is produced without 

a significant and variable harvesting expense, such 

rate as shall be determined by the Secretary. 

‘‘(2) SERVICE FEE AND PREMIUM.—To be eligible to receive 

a payment under this subsection, a producer shall pay— 

‘‘(A) the service fee required by subsection (k); and 

‘‘(B) the lesser of— 

‘‘(i) the sum of the premiums for each eligible 

crop, with the premium for each eligible crop obtained 

by multiplying— 

‘‘(I) the number of acres devoted to the eligible 

crop; 

‘‘(II) the yield, as determined by the Secretary 

under subsection (e); 

‘‘(III) the coverage level elected by the producer; 

‘‘(IV) the average market price, as determined 

by the Secretary; and 

‘‘(V) a 5.25-percent premium fee; or 

‘‘(ii) the product obtained by multiplying— 

‘‘(I) a 5.25-percent premium fee; and 

‘‘(II) the applicable payment limit. 

‘‘(3) ADDITIONAL AVAILABILITY.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—As soon as practicable after October 

1, 2013, the Secretary shall make assistance available to 

producers of an otherwise eligible crop described in subsection (a)(2) that suffered losses— 

‘‘(i) to a 2012 annual fruit crop grown on a bush 

or tree; and 

‘‘(ii) in a county covered by a declaration by the 

Secretary of a natural disaster for production losses 

due to a freeze or frost. 

‘‘(B) ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall make assistance 

available under subparagraph (A) in an amount equivalent 


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to assistance available under paragraph (1), less any fees 

not previously paid under paragraph (2). 

‘‘(4) LIMITED RESOURCE, BEGINNING, AND SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS.—The coverage made available under 

this subsection shall be available to limited resource, beginning, 

and socially disadvantaged farmers, as determined by the Secretary, in exchange for a premium that is 50 percent of the 

premium determined under paragraph (2). 

‘‘(5) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Except as provided in paragraph 

(3)(A), additional coverage under this subsection shall be available for each of the 2015 through 2018 crop years.’’. 

(b) PROHIBITION ON CATASTROPHIC RISK PROTECTION.—Section 

508(b) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(b)) is 

amended by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) COVERAGE AVAILABILITY.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subparagraph 

(B), the Corporation shall offer a catastrophic risk protection plan to indemnify producers for crop loss due to loss 

of yield or prevented planting, if provided by the Corporation, when the producer is unable, because of drought, 

flood, or other natural disaster (as determined by the Secretary), to plant other crops for harvest on the acreage 

for the crop year. 

‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—Coverage described in subparagraph 

(A) shall not be available for crops and grasses used for 

grazing.’’. 

SEC. 12306. ACER ACCESS AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. 

(a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of Agriculture may 

make competitive grants to States, tribal governments, and research 

institutions to support the efforts of such States, tribal governments, 

and research institutions to promote the domestic maple syrup 

industry through the following activities: 

(1) Promotion of research and education related to maple 

syrup production. 

(2) Promotion of natural resource sustainability in the 

maple syrup industry. 

(3) Market promotion for maple syrup and maple-sap products. 

(4) Encouragement of owners and operators of privately 

held land containing species of trees in the genus Acer— 

(A) to initiate or expand maple-sugaring activities on 

the land; or 

(B) to voluntarily make the land available, including 

by lease or other means, for access by the public for maplesugaring activities. 

(b) APPLICATION.—In submitting an application for a competitive grant under this section, a State, tribal government, or research 

institution shall include— 

(1) a description of the activities to be supported using 

the grant funds; 

(2) a description of the benefits that the State, tribal 

government, or research institution intends to achieve as a 

result of engaging in such activities; and 

(3) an estimate of the increase in maple-sugaring activities 

or maple syrup production that the State, tribal government, 

7 USC 1632c. 


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or research institution anticipates will occur as a result of 

engaging in such activities. 

(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section shall be 

construed so as to preempt a State or tribal government law, 

including a State or tribal government liability law. 

(d) DEFINITION OF MAPLE-SUGARING.—In this section, the term 

‘‘maple-sugaring’’ means the collection of sap from any species of 

tree in the genus Acer for the purpose of boiling to produce food. 

(e) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall promulgate such regulations as are necessary to carry out this section. 

(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each 

of fiscal years 2014 through 2018. 

SEC. 12307. SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD. 

Section 8 of the Environmental Research, Development, and 

Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 4365) is 

amended— 

(1) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(e) COMMITTEES.— 

‘‘(1) MEMBER COMMITTEES.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Board is authorized to establish 

such member committees and investigative panels as the 

Administrator and the Board determine to be necessary 

to carry out this section. 

‘‘(B) CHAIRMANSHIP.—Each member committee or 

investigative panel established under this subsection shall 

be chaired by a member of the Board. 

‘‘(2) AGRICULTURE-RELATED COMMITTEES.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator and the Board— 

‘‘(i) shall establish a standing agriculture-related 

committee; and 

‘‘(ii) may establish such additional agriculturerelated committees and investigative panels as the 

Administrator and the Board determines to be necessary to carry out the duties under subparagraph 

(C). 

‘‘(B) MEMBERSHIP.—The standing committee and each 

agriculture-related committee or investigative panel established under subparagraph (A) shall be— 

‘‘(i) composed of— 

‘‘(I) such quantity of members as the Administrator and the Board determines to be necessary; 

and 

‘‘(II) individuals who are not members of the 

Board on the date of appointment to the committee 

or investigative panel; and 

‘‘(ii) appointed by the Administrator and the Board, 

in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture. 

‘‘(C) DUTIES.—The agriculture-related standing committee and each additional committee and investigative 

panel established under subparagraph (A) shall provide 

scientific and technical advice to the Board relating to 

matters referred to the Board that the Administrator and 

the Board determines, in consultation with the Secretary 

of Agriculture, to have a significant direct impact on enterprises that are engaged in the business of the production 


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of food and fiber, ranching and raising livestock, aquaculture, and all other farming- and agriculture-related 

industries.’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(h) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND TRANSPARENCY.—The Board 

shall make every effort, consistent with applicable law, including 

section 552 of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as 

the ‘Freedom of Information Act’) and section 552a of title 5, United 

States Code (commonly known as the ‘Privacy Act’), to maximize 

public participation and transparency, including making the scientific and technical advice of the Board and any committees or 

investigative panels of the Board publically available in electronic 

form on the website of the Environmental Protection Agency. 

‘‘(i) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Administrator shall annually 

report to the Committees on Environment and Public Works and 

Agriculture of the Senate and the Committees on Transportation 

and Infrastructure, Energy and Commerce, and Agriculture of the 

House of Representatives regarding the membership and activities 

of the standing agriculture-related committee established pursuant 

to subsection (e)(2)(A)(i).’’. 

SEC. 12308. AMENDMENTS TO ANIMAL WELFARE ACT. 

(a) LICENSING OF DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS.— 

(1) DEFINITION.—Section 2 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 

U.S.C. 2132) is amended— 

(A) in the matter preceding subsection (a), by striking 

‘‘When used in this Act—’’ and inserting ‘‘In this Act:’’; 

(B) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘(2) any dog for 

hunting, security, or breeding purposes’’ and all that follows 

through the semicolon at the end and inserting ‘‘(2) any 

dog for hunting, security, or breeding purposes. Such term 

does not include a retail pet store (other than a retail 

pet store which sells any animals to a research facility, 

an exhibitor, or another dealer).’’; 

(C) in each of subsections (a), (b), (d), (e), (g), (h), 

(i), (j), (k), and (m), by striking the semicolon at the end 

and inserting a period; and 

(D) in subsection (n), by striking ‘‘; and’’ at the end 

and inserting a period. 

(2) LICENSING.—Section 3 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 

U.S.C. 2133) is amended by striking ‘‘: Provided, however, That 

any retail pet store’’ and all that follows through ‘‘under this 

Act.’’ and inserting the following ‘‘: Provided, however, That 

a dealer or exhibitor shall not be required to obtain a license 

as a dealer or exhibitor under this Act if the size of the 

business is determined by the Secretary to be de minimis.’’. 

(b) PROHIBITION ON ATTENDING AN ANIMAL FIGHT OR CAUSING

AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS NOT ATTAINED THE AGE OF 16 TO ATTEND

AN ANIMAL FIGHT; ENFORCEMENT OF ANIMAL FIGHTING PROVISIONS.— 

(1) PROHIBITION ON ATTENDING AN ANIMAL FIGHT OR

CAUSING AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS NOT ATTAINED THE AGE OF

16 TO ATTEND AN ANIMAL FIGHT.—Section 26(a) of the Animal 

Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2156(a)) is amended— 


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(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘SPONSORING OR EXHIB- ITING AN ANIMAL IN’’ and inserting ‘‘SPONSORING OR EXHIB- ITING AN ANIMAL IN, ATTENDING, OR CAUSING AN INDI- VIDUAL WHO HAS NOT ATTAINED THE AGE OF 16 TO

ATTEND,’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (1)— 

(i) in the heading, by striking ‘‘IN GENERAL’’ and 

inserting ‘‘SPONSORING OR EXHIBITING’’; and 

(ii) by striking ‘‘paragraph (2)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph (3)’’; 

(iii) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph 

(3); and 

(iv) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following: 

‘‘(2) ATTENDING OR CAUSING AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS NOT

ATTAINED THE AGE OF 16 TO ATTEND.—It shall be unlawful 

for any person to— 

‘‘(A) knowingly attend an animal fighting venture; or 

‘‘(B) knowingly cause an individual who has not 

attained the age of 16 to attend an animal fighting venture.’’. 

(2) ENFORCEMENT OF ANIMAL FIGHTING PROHIBITIONS.—Section 49 of title 18, United States Code, is amended— 

(A) by striking ‘‘Whoever’’ and inserting ‘‘(a) IN GEN- ERAL.—Whoever’’; 

(B) in subsection (a), as designated by subparagraph 

(A), by striking ‘‘subsection (a),’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection 

(a)(1),’’; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(b) ATTENDING AN ANIMAL FIGHTING VENTURE.—Whoever violates subsection (a)(2)(A) of section 26 of the Animal Welfare Act 

(7 U.S.C. 2156) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for 

not more than 1 year, or both, for each violation. 

‘‘(c) CAUSING AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS NOT ATTAINED THE

AGE OF 16 TO ATTEND AN ANIMAL FIGHTING VENTURE.—Whoever 

violates subsection (a)(2)(B) of section 26 (7 U.S.C. 2156) of the 

Animal Welfare Act shall be fined under this title, imprisoned 

for not more than 3 years, or both, for each violation.’’. 

SEC. 12309. PRODUCE REPRESENTED AS GROWN IN THE UNITED 

STATES WHEN IT IS NOT IN FACT GROWN IN THE UNITED 

STATES. 

(a) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO CBP.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall make available to U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

technical assistance related to the identification of produce represented as grown in the United States when it is not in fact 

grown in the United States. 

(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary 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 on produce represented as grown in the United States 

when it is not in fact grown in the United States. 

SEC. 12310. REPORT ON WATER SHARING. 

Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of 

this Act and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit 

to Congress a report on efforts by Mexico to meet its treaty deliveries of water to the Rio Grande in accordance with the Treaty 

between the United States and Mexico Respecting Utilization of 

22 USC 277i. 

19 USC 1304a. 


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waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande 

(done at Washington, February 3, 1944). 

SEC. 12311. SCIENTIFIC AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE FDA FOOD 

SAFETY MODERNIZATION ACT. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—When publishing a final rule with respect 

to ‘‘Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding 

of Produce for Human Consumption’’ published by the Department 

of Health and Human Services on January 16, 2013 (78 Fed. Reg. 

3504), the Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to 

in this section as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall ensure that the final rule 

(referred to in this section as the ‘‘final rule’’) includes the following 

information: 

(1) An analysis of the scientific information used to promulgate the final rule, taking into consideration any information 

about farming and ranching operations of a variety of sizes, 

with regional differences, and that have a diversity of production practices and methods. 

(2) An analysis of the economic impact of the final rule. 

(3) A plan to systematically— 

(A) evaluate the impact of the final rule on farming 

and ranching operations; and 

(B) develop an ongoing process to evaluate and respond 

to business concerns. 

(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date on which 

the Secretary promulgates the final rule referred to in subsection 

(a), the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit 

to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the 

Committee on Health, Education, and Labor of the Senate and 

the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Energy and 

Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on the effectiveness of the ongoing evaluation and response process referred to 

in subsection (a)(3)(B). Not later than one year after the date 

on which such report is submitted, the Comptroller General of 

the United States shall submit to such committees an updated 

report on such process. 

SEC. 12312. PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES. 

Section 6906 of title 31, United States Code, is amended, in 

the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘2013’’ and inserting 

‘‘2014’’. 

SEC. 12313. SILVICULTURAL ACTIVITIES. 

Section 402(l) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 

U.S.C. 1342(l)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(3) SILVICULTURAL ACTIVITIES.— 

‘‘(A) NPDES PERMIT REQUIREMENTS FOR SILVICULTURAL

ACTIVITIES.—The Administrator shall not require a permit 

under this section nor directly or indirectly require any 

State to require a permit under this section for a discharge 

from runoff resulting from the conduct of the following 

silviculture activities conducted in accordance with 

standard industry practice: nursery operations, site 

preparation, reforestation and subsequent cultural treatment, thinning, prescribed burning, pest and fire control, 

harvesting operations, surface drainage, or road construction and maintenance. 

21 USC 350h 

note. 


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‘‘(B) OTHER REQUIREMENTS.—Nothing in this paragraph exempts a discharge from silvicultural activity from 

any permitting requirement under section 404, existing 

permitting requirements under section 402, or from any 

other federal law. 

‘‘(C) The authorization provided in Section 505(a) does 

not apply to any non-permitting program established under 

402(p)(6) for the silviculture activities listed in 402(l)(3)(A), 

or to any other limitations that might be deemed to apply 

to the silviculture activities listed in 402(l)(3)(A).’’. 

SEC. 12314. PIMA AGRICULTURE COTTON TRUST FUND. 

(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF TRUST FUND.—There is established in 

the Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be known as 

the ‘‘Pima Agriculture Cotton Trust Fund’’ (in this section referred 

to as the ‘‘Trust Fund’’), consisting of such amounts as may be 

transferred to the Trust Fund pursuant to subsection (h), and 

to be used for the purpose of reducing the injury to domestic 

manufacturers resulting from tariffs on cotton fabric that are higher 

than tariffs on certain apparel articles made of cotton fabric. 

(b) DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.—From amounts in the Trust Fund, 

the Secretary shall make payments annually beginning in calendar 

year 2014 for calendar years 2014 through 2018 as follows: 

(1) Twenty-five percent of the amounts in the Trust Fund 

shall be paid to one or more nationally recognized associations 

established for the promotion of pima cotton for use in textile 

and apparel goods. 

(2) Twenty-five percent of the amounts in the Trust Fund 

shall be paid to yarn spinners of pima cotton that produce 

ring spun cotton yarns in the United States, to be allocated 

to each spinner in an amount that bears the same ratio as— 

(A) the spinner’s production of ring spun cotton yarns, 

measuring less than 83.33 decitex (exceeding 120 metric 

number) from pima cotton in single and plied form during 

calendar year 2013 (as evidenced by an affidavit provided 

by the spinner that meets the requirements of subsection 

(c)), bears to— 

(B) the production of the yarns described in subparagraph (A) during calendar year 2013 for all spinners who 

qualify under this paragraph. 

(3) Fifty percent of the amounts in the Trust Fund shall 

be paid to manufacturers who cut and sew cotton shirts in 

the United States who certify that they used imported cotton 

fabric during calendar year 2013, to be allocated to each such 

manufacturer in an amount that bears the same ratio as— 

(A) the dollar value (excluding duty, shipping, and 

related costs) of imported woven cotton shirting fabric of 

80s or higher count and 2-ply in warp purchased by the 

manufacturer during calendar year 2013 (as evidenced by 

an affidavit provided by the manufacturer that meets the 

requirements of subsection (d)) used in the manufacturing 

of men’s and boys’ cotton shirts, bears to— 

(B) the dollar value (excluding duty, shipping, and 

related costs) of the fabric described in subparagraph (A) 

purchased during calendar year 2013 by all manufacturers 

who qualify under this paragraph. 

7 USC 2101 note. 


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(c) AFFIDAVIT OF YARN SPINNERS.—The affidavit required by 

subsection (b)(2)(A) is a notarized affidavit provided annually by 

an officer of a producer of ring spun yarns that affirms— 

(1) that the producer used pima cotton during the year 

in which the affidavit is filed and during calendar year 2013 

to produce ring spun cotton yarns in the United States, measuring less than 83.33 decitex (exceeding 120 metric number), 

in single and plied form; 

(2) the quantity, measured in pounds, of ring spun cotton 

yarns, measuring less than 83.33 decitex (exceeding 120 metric 

number), in single and plied form during calendar year 2013; 

and 

(3) that the producer maintains supporting documentation 

showing the quantity of such yarns produced, and evidencing 

the yarns as ring spun cotton yarns, measuring less than 83.33 

decitex (exceeding 120 metric number), in single and plied 

form during calendar year 2013. 

(d) AFFIDAVIT OF SHIRTING MANUFACTURERS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The affidavit required by subsection 

(b)(3)(A) is a notarized affidavit provided annually by an officer 

of a manufacturer of men’s and boys’ shirts that affirms— 

(A) that the manufacturer used imported cotton fabric 

during the year in which the affidavit is filed and during 

calendar year 2013, to cut and sew men’s and boys’ woven 

cotton shirts in the United States; 

(B) the dollar value of imported woven cotton shirting 

fabric of 80s or higher count and 2-ply in warp purchased 

by the manufacturer during calendar year 2013; 

(C) that the manufacturer maintains invoices along 

with other supporting documentation (such as price lists 

and other technical descriptions of the fabric qualities) 

showing the dollar value of such fabric purchased, the 

date of purchase, and evidencing the fabric as woven cotton 

fabric of 80s or higher count and 2-ply in warp; and 

(D) that the fabric was suitable for use in the manufacturing of men’s and boys’ cotton shirts. 

(2) DATE OF PURCHASE.—For purposes of the affidavit under 

paragraph (1), the date of purchase shall be the invoice date, 

and the dollar value shall be determined excluding duty, shipping, and related costs. 

(e) FILING DEADLINE FOR AFFIDAVITS.—Any person required 

to provide an affidavit under this section shall file the affidavit 

with the Secretary or as directed by the Secretary— 

(1) in the case of an affidavit required for calendar year 

2014, not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment 

of this Act; and 

(2) in the case of an affidavit required for any of calendar 

years 2015 through 2018, not later than March 15 of that 

calendar year. 

(f) TIMING OF DISTRIBUTIONS.—The Secretary shall make a 

payment under paragraph (2) or (3) of subsection (b)— 

(1) for calendar year 2014— 

(A) not later than the date that is 30 days after the 

filing of the affidavit required with respect to that payment; 

or 


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(B) if the Secretary is unable to make the payment 

by the date described in subparagraph (A), as soon as 

practicable thereafter; and 

(2) for calendar years 2015 through 2018, not later than 

the date that is 30 days after the filing of the affidavit required 

with respect to that payment. 

(g) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.—The Secretary and the 

Commissioner responsible for U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

shall, as soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of 

this Act, negotiate a memorandum of understanding to establish 

procedures pursuant to which the Commissioner will assist the 

Secretary in carrying out the provisions of this section. 

(h) FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corpora- tion, the Secretary shall transfer to the Trust Fund $16,000,000 

for each of calendar years 2014 through 2018, to remain available 

until expended. 

SEC. 12315. AGRICULTURE WOOL APPAREL MANUFACTURERS TRUST 

FUND. 

(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF TRUST FUND.—There is established in 

the Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be known as 

the ‘‘Agriculture Wool Apparel Manufacturers Trust Fund’’ (in this 

section referred to as the ‘‘Trust Fund’’), consisting of such amounts 

as may be transferred to the Trust Fund pursuant to subsection 

(f), and to be used for the purpose of reducing the injury to domestic 

manufacturers resulting from tariffs on wool fabric that are higher 

than tariffs on certain apparel articles made of wool fabric. 

(b) DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—From amounts in the Trust Fund, the 

Secretary may make payments annually beginning in calendar 

year 2014 for calendar years 2010 through 2019 as follows: 

(A) To each eligible manufacturer under paragraph 

(3) of section 4002(c) of the Wool Suit and Textile Trade 

Extension Act of 2004 (Public Law 108–429; 118 Stat. 

2600), as amended by section 1633(c) of the Miscellaneous 

Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2006 (Public Law 

109–280; 120 Stat. 1166) and section 325(b) of the Tax 

Extenders and Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008 

(division C of Public Law 110–343; 122 Stat. 3875), and 

any successor-in-interest to such a manufacturer as provided for under paragraph (4) of such section 4002(c), that 

submits an affidavit in accordance with paragraph (2) for 

the year of the payment— 

(i) for calendar years 2010 through 2015, payments 

that, when added to any other payments made to the 

manufacturer or successor-in-interest under paragraph 

(3) of such section 4002(c) in such calendar years, 

equal the total amount of payments authorized to be 

provided to the manufacturer or successor-in-interest 

under that paragraph, or the provisions of this section, 

in such calendar years; and 

(ii) for calendar years 2016 through 2019, payments in amounts authorized under that paragraph. 

(B) To each eligible manufacturer under paragraph 

(6) of such section 4002(c)— 

(i) for calendar years 2010 through 2014, payments 

that, when added to any other payments made to 

7 USC 7101 note. 


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eligible manufacturers under that paragraph in such 

calendar years, equal the total amount of payments 

authorized to be provided to the manufacturer under 

that paragraph, or the provisions of this section, in 

such calendar years; and 

(ii) for calendar years 2015 through 2019, payments in amounts authorized under that paragraph. 

(2) SUBMISSION OF AFFIDAVITS.—An affidavit required by 

paragraph (1)(A) shall be submitted— 

(A) in each of calendar years 2010 through 2015, to 

the Commissioner responsible for U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection not later than April 15; and 

(B) in each of calendar years 2016 through 2019, to 

the Secretary, or as directed by the Secretary, and not 

later than March 1. 

(c) PAYMENT OF AMOUNTS.—The Secretary shall make payments 

to eligible manufacturers and successors-in-interest described in 

paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b)— 

(1) for calendar years 2010 through 2014, not later than 

30 days after the transfer of amounts from the Commodity 

Credit Corporation to the Trust Fund under subsection (f); 

and 

(2) for calendar years 2015 through 2019, not later than 

April 15 of the year of the payment. 

(d) MEMORANDA OF UNDERSTANDING.—The Secretary shall, as 

soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

negotiate memoranda of understanding with the Commissioner 

responsible for U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Secretary of Commerce to establish procedures pursuant to which 

the Commissioner and the Secretary of Commerce will assist in 

carrying out the provisions of this section. 

(e) INCREASE IN PAYMENTS IN THE EVENT OF EXPIRATION OF

DUTY SUSPENSIONS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—In any calendar year in which the suspension of duty on wool fabrics provided for under headings 

9902.51.11, 9902.51.13, 9902.51.14, 9902.51.15, and 9902.51.16 

of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States are 

not in effect, the amount of any payment described in subsection 

(b)(1) to a manufacturer or successor-in-interest shall be 

increased by an amount the Secretary, after consultation with 

the Secretary of Commerce, determines is equal to the amount 

the manufacturer or successor-in-interest would have saved 

during the calendar year of the payment if the suspension 

of duty on wool fabrics were in effect. 

(2) NO APPEAL OF DETERMINATIONS.—A determination of 

the Secretary under this subsection shall be final and not 

subject to appeal or protest. 

(f) FUNDING.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit 

Corporation, the Secretary shall transfer to the Trust Fund 

for each of calendar years 2014 through 2019 an amount equal 

to the lesser of— 

(A) the amount the Secretary determines to be necessary to make payments required by this section in that 

calendar year; or 

(B) $30,000,000. 


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(2) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts transferred to the Trust Fund 

under paragraph (1) shall remain available until expended. 

SEC. 12316. WOOL RESEARCH AND PROMOTION. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to provide grants described in 

section 506(d) of the Trade and Development Act of 2000 (7 U.S.C. 

7101 note) $2,250,000 for each of calendar years 2015 through 

2019, to remain available until expended. 

(b) AUTHORIZATION TO DISTRIBUTE UNEXPENDED BALANCE.— 

In addition to funds made available under subsection (a) and notwithstanding subsection (f) of section 506 of the Trade and Development Act of 2000 (7 U.S.C. 7101 note), the Secretary may use 

any unexpended balances remaining in the Wool Research, Development, and Promotion Trust Fund established under that section 

as of December 31, 2014, to provide grants described in subsection 

(d) of that section. 

Subtitle D—Oilheat Efficiency, Renewable 

Fuel Research and Jobs Training 

SEC. 12401. SHORT TITLE. 

This subtitle may be cited as the ‘‘Oilheat Efficiency, Renewable 

Fuel Research and Jobs Training Act of 2014’’. 

SEC. 12402. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 

Section 702 of the National Oilheat Research Alliance Act of 

2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public Law 106–469) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon 

at the end; 

(2) by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(6) consumers of oilheat fuel are provided service by thousands of small businesses that are unable to individually 

develop training programs to facilitate the entry of new and 

qualified workers into the oilheat fuel industry; 

‘‘(7) small businesses and trained employees are in an 

ideal position— 

‘‘(A) to provide information to consumers about the 

benefits of improved efficiency; and 

‘‘(B) to encourage consumers to value efficiency in 

energy choices and assist individuals in conserving energy; 

‘‘(8) additional research is necessary— 

‘‘(A) to improve oilheat fuel equipment; and 

‘‘(B) to develop domestic renewable resources that can 

be used to safely and affordably heat homes; 

‘‘(9) since there are no Federal resources available to assist 

the oilheat fuel industry, it is necessary and appropriate to 

develop a self-funded program dedicated— 

‘‘(A) to improving efficiency in customer homes; 

‘‘(B) to assist individuals to gain employment in the 

oilheat fuel industry; and 

‘‘(C) to develop domestic renewable resources; 

‘‘(10) both consumers of oilheat fuel and retailers would 

benefit from the self-funded program; and 

Oilheat 

Efficiency, 

Renewable Fuel 

Research and 

Jobs Training 

Act of 2014. 

42 USC 6201 

note. 

7 USC 7101. 


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‘‘(11) the oilheat fuel industry is committed to providing 

appropriate funding necessary to carry out the purposes of 

this title without passing additional costs on to residential 

consumers.’’. 

SEC. 12403. DEFINITIONS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 703 of the National Oilheat Research 

Alliance Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public Law 106–469) 

is amended— 

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (15) as paragraphs (4) through (16), respectively; 

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

‘‘(3) COST-EFFECTIVE.—The term ‘cost-effective’, with 

respect to a program or activity carried out under section 

707(f)(4), means that the program or activity meets a total 

resource cost test under which— 

‘‘(A) the net present value of economic benefits over 

the life of the program or activity, including avoided supply 

and delivery costs and deferred or avoided investments; 

is greater than 

‘‘(B) the net present value of the economic costs over 

the life of the program or activity, including program costs 

and incremental costs borne by the energy consumer.’’; 

and 

(3) by striking paragraph (8) (as redesignated in paragraph 

(1)) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(8) OILHEAT FUEL.—The term ‘oilheat fuel’ means fuel 

that— 

‘‘(A) is— 

‘‘(i) No. 1 distillate; 

‘‘(ii) No. 2 dyed distillate; 

‘‘(iii) a liquid blended with No. 1 distillate or No. 

2 dyed distillate; or 

‘‘(iv) a biobased liquid; and 

‘‘(B) is used as a fuel for nonindustrial commercial 

or residential space or hot water heating.’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— (1) The National Oilheat Research Alliance Act of 2000 

(42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public Law 106–469) is amended by 

striking ‘‘oilheat’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘oilheat 

fuel’’. 

(2) Section 704(d) of the National Oilheat Research Alliance 

Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public Law 106–469) is 

amended in the subsection heading by striking ‘‘OILHEAT’’ and 

inserting ‘‘OILHEAT FUEL’’. 

(3) Section 706(c)(2) of the National Oilheat Research Alliance Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public Law 106–469) 

is amended in the paragraph heading by striking ‘‘OILHEAT’’ 

and inserting ‘‘OILHEAT FUEL’’. 

(4) Section 707(c) of the National Oilheat Research Alliance 

Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public Law 106–469) is 

amended in the subsection heading by striking ‘‘OILHEAT’’ and 

inserting ‘‘OILHEAT FUEL’’. 

SEC. 12404. MEMBERSHIP. 

(a) SELECTION.—Section 705 of the National Oilheat Research 

Alliance Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public Law 106–469) 

is amended by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following: 


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‘‘(a) SELECTION.— ‘‘(1) LIST.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Alliance shall provide to the 

Secretary a list of qualified nominees for membership in 

the Alliance. 

‘‘(B) REQUIREMENT.—Except as provided in subsection 

(c)(1)(C), members of the Alliance shall be representatives 

of the oilheat fuel industry in a State, selected from a 

list of nominees submitted by the qualified State association in the State. 

‘‘(2) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Alliance shall be filled 

in the same manner as the original selection. 

‘‘(3) SECRETARIAL ACTION.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall have 60 days 

to review nominees provided under paragraph (1). 

‘‘(B) FAILURE TO ACT.—If the Secretary takes no action 

during the 60-day period described in subparagraph (A), 

the nominees shall be considered to be members of the 

Alliance.’’. 

(b) REPRESENTATION.—Section 705(b) of the National Oilheat 

Research Alliance Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public Law 

106–469) is amended in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by 

striking ‘‘qualified industry organization’’ and inserting ‘‘Alliance’’. 

(c) NUMBER OF MEMBERS.—Section 705(c) of the National 

Oilheat Research Alliance Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public 

Law 106–469) is amended— 

(1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Alliance shall be composed of the 

following members: 

‘‘(A) 1 member representing each State participating 

in the Alliance. 

‘‘(B) 5 representatives of retail marketers, of whom 

1 shall be selected by each of the qualified State associations of the 5 States with the highest volume of annual 

oilheat fuel sales. 

‘‘(C) 5 additional representatives of retail marketers. 

‘‘(D) 21 representatives of wholesale distributors. 

‘‘(E) 6 public members, who shall be representatives 

of significant users of oilheat fuel, the oilheat fuel research 

community, State energy officials, or other groups with 

expertise in oilheat fuel, including consumer and lowincome advocacy groups.’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘the qualified industry 

organization or’’. 

SEC. 12405. FUNCTIONS. 

(a) RENEWABLE FUEL RESEARCH.—Section 706(a)(3)(B)(i)(I) of 

the National Oilheat Research Alliance Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 

6201 note; Public Law 106–469) is amended by inserting before 

the semicolon at the end the following: ‘‘, including research to 

develop renewable fuels and to examine the compatibility of different renewable fuels with oilheat fuel utilization equipment, with 

priority given to research on the development and use of advanced 

biofuels’’. 

(b) BIENNIAL BUDGETS.—Section 706(e) of the National Oilheat 

Research Alliance Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public Law 

106–469) is amended— 


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(1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) PUBLICATION OF PROPOSED BUDGET.—Not later than 

August 1, 2014, and every 2 years thereafter, the Alliance 

shall, in consultation with the Secretary, develop and publish 

for public review and comment a proposed biennial budget 

for the next 2 calendar years, including the probable operating 

and planning costs of all programs, projects, and contracts 

and other agreements.’’; and 

(2) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(4) IMPLEMENTATION.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Alliance shall not implement 

a proposed budget until the expiration of 60 days after 

submitting the proposed budget to the Secretary. 

‘‘(B) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGES BY SECRETARY.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may recommend 

to the Alliance changes to the budget programs and 

activities of the Alliance that the Secretary considers 

appropriate. 

‘‘(ii) RESPONSE BY ALLIANCE.—Not later than 30 

days after the receipt of any recommendations made 

under clause (i), the Alliance shall submit to the Secretary a final budget for the next 2 calendar years 

that incorporates or includes a description of the 

response of the Alliance to any changes recommended 

under clause (i).’’. 

SEC. 12406. ASSESSMENTS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 707 of the National Oilheat Research 

Alliance Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public Law 106–469) 

is amended— 

(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(a) RATE.—The assessment rate shall be equal to 2⁄10 of 1 

cent per gallon of oilheat fuel.’’; and 

(2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(8) PROHIBITION ON PASS THROUGH.—None of the assessments collected under this title may be passed through or 

otherwise required to be paid by residential consumers of 

oilheat fuel.’’. 

(b) FUNDS MADE AVAILABLE TO QUALIFIED STATE ASSOCIATIONS.—Section 707(e)(2) of the National Oilheat Research Alliance 

Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public Law 106–469) is amended 

by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(B) SEPARATE ACCOUNTS.—As a condition of receipt 

of funds made available to a qualified State association 

under this title, the qualified State association shall deposit 

the funds in an account that is separate from other funds 

of the qualified State association.’’. 

(c) ADMINISTRATION.—Section 707 of the National Oilheat 

Research Alliance Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public Law 

106–469) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(f) USE OF ASSESSMENTS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of 

this title, the Secretary and the Alliance shall ensure that 

assessments collected for each calendar year under this title 

are allocated and used in accordance with this subsection. 

‘‘(2) RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION.— 


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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Alliance shall ensure that not 

less than 30 percent of the assessments collected for each 

calendar year under this title are used by qualified State 

associations or the Alliance to conduct research, development, and demonstration activities relating to oilheat fuel, 

including the development of energy-efficient heating and 

the transition and facilitation of the entry of energy efficient heating systems into the marketplace. 

‘‘(B) COORDINATION.—The Alliance shall coordinate 

with the Secretary to develop priorities for the use of 

assessments under this paragraph. 

‘‘(C) PLAN.—The Alliance shall develop a coordinated 

research plan to carry out research programs and activities 

under this section. 

‘‘(D) REPORT.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—No later than 1 year after the 

date of enactment of this subsection, the Alliance shall 

prepare a report on the use of biofuels in oilheat fuel 

utilization equipment. 

‘‘(ii) CONTENTS.—The report required under clause 

(i) shall— 

‘‘(I) provide information on the environmental 

benefits, economic benefits, and any technical 

limitations on the use of biofuels in oilheat fuel 

utilization equipment; and 

‘‘(II) describe market acceptance of the fuel, 

and information on State and local governments 

that are encouraging the use of biofuels in oilheat 

fuel utilization equipment. 

‘‘(iii) COPIES.—The Alliance shall submit a copy 

of the report required under clause (i) to— 

‘‘(I) Congress; 

‘‘(II) the Governor of each State, and other 

appropriate State leaders, in which the Alliance 

is operating; and 

‘‘(III) the Administrator of the Environmental 

Protection Agency. 

‘‘(E) CONSUMER EDUCATION MATERIALS.—The Alliance, 

in conjunction with an institution or organization engaged 

in biofuels research, shall develop consumer education 

materials describing the benefits of using biofuels as or 

in oilheat fuel based on the technical information developed 

in the report required under subparagraph (D) and other 

information generally available. 

‘‘(3) COST SHARING.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out a research, development, demonstration, or commercial application program 

or activity that is commenced after the date of enactment 

of this subsection, the Alliance shall require cost-sharing 

in accordance with this section. 

‘‘(B) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in clauses 

(ii) and (iii), the Alliance shall require that not less 

than 20 percent of the cost of a research or development 

program or activity described in subparagraph (A) to 

be provided by a source other than the Alliance. 


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128 STAT. 1002 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

‘‘(ii) EXCLUSION.—Clause (i) shall not apply to a 

research or development program or activity described 

in subparagraph (A) that is of a basic or fundamental 

nature, as determined by the Alliance. 

‘‘(iii) REDUCTION.—The Alliance may reduce or 

eliminate the requirement of clause (i) for a research 

and development program or activity of an applied 

nature if the Alliance determines that the reduction 

is necessary and appropriate. 

‘‘(C) DEMONSTRATION AND COMMERCIAL APPLICATION.— The Alliance shall require that not less than 50 percent 

of the cost of a demonstration or commercial application 

program or activity described in subparagraph (A) to be 

provided by a source other than the Alliance. 

‘‘(4) HEATING OIL EFFICIENCY AND UPGRADE PROGRAM.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Alliance shall ensure that not 

less than 15 percent of the assessments collected for each 

calendar year under this title are used by qualified State 

associations or the Alliance to carry out programs to assist 

consumers— 

‘‘(i) to make cost-effective upgrades to more fuel 

efficient heating oil systems or otherwise make costeffective modifications to an existing heating system 

to improve the efficiency of the system; 

‘‘(ii) to improve energy efficiency or reduce energy 

consumption through cost-effective energy efficiency 

programs for consumers; or 

‘‘(iii) to improve the safe operation of a heating 

system. 

‘‘(B) PLAN.—The Alliance shall, to the maximum extent 

practicable, coordinate, develop, and implement the programs and activities of the Alliance in conjunction with 

existing State energy efficiency program administrators. 

‘‘(C) ADMINISTRATION.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this paragraph, 

the Alliance shall, to the maximum extent practicable, 

ensure that heating system conversion assistance is 

coordinated with, and developed after consultation 

with, persons or organizations responsible for administering— 

‘‘(I) the low-income home energy assistance 

program established under the Low-Income Home 

Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8621 

et seq.); 

‘‘(II) the Weatherization Assistance Program 

for Low-Income Persons established under part A 

of title IV of the Energy Conservation and Production Act (42 U.S.C. 6861 et seq.); or 

‘‘(III) other energy efficiency programs 

administered by the State or other parties in the 

State. 

‘‘(ii) DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.—The Alliance shall 

ensure that funds distributed to carry out this paragraph are— 

‘‘(I) distributed equitably to States based on 

the proportional contributions of the States 

through collected assessments; 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 1003 

‘‘(II) used to supplement (and not supplant) 

State or alternative sources of funding for energy 

efficiency programs; and 

‘‘(III) used only to carry out this paragraph. 

‘‘(5) CONSUMER EDUCATION, SAFETY, AND TRAINING.—The 

Alliance shall ensure that not more than 30 percent of the 

assessments collected for each calendar year under this title 

are used— 

‘‘(A) to conduct consumer education activities relating 

to oilheat fuel, including providing information to consumers on— 

‘‘(i) energy conservation strategies; 

‘‘(ii) safety; 

‘‘(iii) new technologies that reduce consumption 

or improve safety and comfort; 

‘‘(iv) the use of biofuels blends; and 

‘‘(v) Federal, State, and local programs designed 

to assist oilheat fuel consumers; 

‘‘(B) to conduct worker safety and training activities 

relating to oilheat fuel, including energy efficiency training 

(including classes to obtain Building Performance Institute 

or Residential Energy Services Network certification); 

‘‘(C) to carry out other activities recommended by the 

Secretary; or 

‘‘(D) to the maximum extent practicable, a data collection process established, in collaboration with the Secretary 

or other appropriate Federal agencies, to track equipment, 

service, and related safety issues and to develop measures 

to improve safety. 

‘‘(6) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Alliance shall ensure that not 

more than 5 percent of the assessments collected for each 

calendar year under this title are used for— 

‘‘(i) administrative costs; or 

‘‘(ii) indirect costs incurred in carrying out paragraphs (1) through (5). 

‘‘(B) ADMINISTRATION.—Activities under this section 

shall be documented pursuant to a transparent process 

and procedures developed in coordination with the Secretary. 

‘‘(7) REPORTS.— 

‘‘(A) ANNUAL REPORTS.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Each qualified State association 

or the Alliance shall prepare an annual report 

describing he development and administration of this 

section, and yearly expenditures under this section. 

‘‘(ii) CONTENTS.—Each report required under 

clause (i) shall include a description of the use of 

proceeds under this section, including a description 

of— 

‘‘(I) advancements made in energy-efficient 

heating systems and biofuel heating oil blends; 

and 

‘‘(II) heating system upgrades and modifications and energy efficiency programs funded under 

this section. 

‘‘(iii) VERIFICATION.— 


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128 STAT. 1004 PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 

‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—The Alliance shall ensure 

that an independent third-party reviews each 

report described in clause (i) and verifies the 

accuracy of the report. 

‘‘(II) COUNCILS.—If a State has a stakeholder 

efficiency oversight council, the council shall be 

the entity that reviews and verifies the report 

of the State association or Alliance for the State 

under clause (i). 

‘‘(B) REPORTS ON HEATING OIL EFFICIENCY AND UPGRADE

PROGRAM.—At least once every 3 years, the Alliance shall 

prepare a detailed report describing the consumer savings, 

cost-effectiveness of, and the lifetime and annual energy 

savings achieved by heating system upgrades and modifications and energy efficiency programs funded under paragraph (4). 

‘‘(C) AVAILABILITY.—Each report, and any subsequent 

changes to the report, described in this paragraph shall 

be made publically available, with notice of availability 

provided to the Secretary, and posted on the website of 

the Alliance.’’. 

SEC. 12407. MARKET SURVEY AND CONSUMER PROTECTION. 

Section 708 of the National Oilheat Research Alliance Act of 

2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public Law 106–469) is repealed. 

SEC. 12408. LOBBYING RESTRICTIONS. 

Section 710 of the National Oilheat Research Alliance Act of 

2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public Law 106–469) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘No funds’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—No funds’’; 

(2) by inserting ‘‘or to lobby’’ after ‘‘elections’’; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(b) ASSESSMENTS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), no funds 

derived from assessments collected by the Alliance under section 707 shall be used, directly or indirectly, to influence Federal, State, or local legislation or elections, or the manner 

of administering of a law. 

‘‘(2) INFORMATION.—The Alliance may use funds described 

in paragraph (1) to provide information requested by a Member 

of Congress, or an official of any Federal, State, or local agency, 

in the course of the official business of the Member or official.’’. 

SEC. 12409. NONCOMPLIANCE. 

Section 712 of the National Oilheat Research Alliance Act of 

2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public Law 106–469) is amended by 

adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(g) NONCOMPLIANCE.—If the Alliance, a qualified State association, or any other entity or person violates this title, the Secretary 

shall— 

‘‘(1) notify Congress of the noncompliance; and 

‘‘(2) provide notice of the noncompliance on the Alliance 

website.’’. 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 1005 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 2642 (S. 954): 

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 113–333 (Comm. of Conference). 

SENATE REPORTS: No. 113–88 (Comm. on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry) 

accompanying S. 954. 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 

Vol. 159 (2013): July 11, considered and passed House. 

July 18, considered and passed Senate, amended, in lieu of 

S. 954. 

Sept. 28, House concurred in Senate amendment pursuant to 

H. Res. 361. 

Oct. 1, Senate disagreed to House amendment. 

Vol. 160 (2014): Jan. 29, House agreed to conference report. 

Jan. 30, Feb. 3, 4, Senate considered and agreed to conference 

report. 

DAILY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS (2014): 

Feb. 7, Presidential remarks. 

Æ 

SEC. 12410. SUNSET. 

Section 713 of the National Oilheat Research Alliance Act of 

2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public Law 106–469) is amended by 

striking ‘‘9 years’’ and inserting ‘‘18 years’’. 

Approved February 7, 2014. 


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