I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5066 

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a grant program to make 

grants to State departments of agriculture for the research and development of disease resistant varieties of tropical flowers. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 16, 2018 

Ms. GABBARD (for herself and Ms. HANABUSA) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a grant 

program to make grants to State departments of agriculture for the research and development of disease resistant varieties of tropical flowers. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘State Assistance for 

5 Tropical Floriculture Research Act of 2018’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Tropical flowers contribute a natural and 

2 beautiful element to human environments, retain 

3 cultural, historic, and ceremonial significance to na4 tive peoples and others, and sustain an agricultural 

5 economy that employs thousands of Americans. 

6 (2) Given the value of tropical flowers, the pub7 lic stands to benefit from scientific research that 

8 protects these flowers against diseases. 

9 SEC. 3. TROPICAL FLORICULTURE RESEARCH GRANT PRO10 GRAM. 

11 (a) PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture 

13 shall establish and carry out a grant program to 

14 make grants, on a competitive basis, to State de15 partments of agriculture for the research and devel16 opment of disease resistant varieties of tropical flow17 ers. 

18 (2) MINIMUM AMOUNT OF GRANT.—A grant 

19 awarded under this subsection may not be less than 

20 $250,000 for a fiscal year. 

21 (b) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 

22 under this section, a State department of agriculture shall 

23 submit an application at such time, in such manner, and 

24 containing such information as the Secretary of Agri25 culture may require, including the State department of agVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:37 Feb 17, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5066.IH H5066

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1 riculture’s plan to research and develop disease resistant 

2 varieties of tropical flowers. 

3 (c) TEMPORARY INELIGIBILITY FOR SUBSEQUENT

4 GRANTS.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall determine a 

5 State department of agriculture to be ineligible to receive 

6 a grant payment under this section for a fiscal year if the 

7 Secretary determines that the State department of agri8 culture did not comply with the plan submitted under sub9 section (b). 

10 (d) AUDIT.— 

11 (1) AUDIT REQUIRED.—For each year in which 

12 a State department of agriculture receives a grant 

13 under this section, the State department of agri14 culture shall conduct an audit of the use of such 

15 grant funds. 

16 (2) SUBMISSION OF AUDIT.—Not later than 30 

17 days after an audit is completed pursuant to para18 graph (1), the State department of agriculture shall 

19 submit such audit to the Secretary of Agriculture. 

20 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

21 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

22 $10,000,000 for fiscal years 2018 through 2020. 

Æ 


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