I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5595 

To amend title 36, United States Code, to update the Federal charter for 

Future Farmers of America. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 24, 2018 

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. LANGEVIN, and Mr. YOUNG

of Iowa) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend title 36, United States Code, to update the 

Federal charter for Future Farmers of America. 

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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

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

5 ‘‘National FFA Organization’s Federal Charter Amend6 ments Act’’. 

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

8 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Purposes of the corporation. 

Sec. 3. Membership. 

Sec. 4. Governing body. 


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Sec. 5. National student officers and delegates. 

Sec. 6. Powers. 

Sec. 7. Restrictions. 

Sec. 8. Headquarters and principal office. 

Sec. 9. Service of process. 

Sec. 10. Distribution of assets in dissolution or final liquidation. 

1 SEC. 2. PURPOSES OF THE CORPORATION. 

2 Section 70902 of title 36, United States Code, is 

3 amended to read as follows: 

4 ‘‘§ 70902. Purposes 

5 ‘‘The purposes of the corporation are— 

6 ‘‘(1) to be an integral component of instruction 

7 in agricultural, food, and natural resources edu8 cation in the United States, including in public 

9 schools, by— 

10 ‘‘(A) working with secondary schools to de11 liver comprehensive agricultural, food, and nat12 ural resources education programs; 

13 ‘‘(B) providing hands-on classroom and 

14 laboratory instruction, work-based experiential 

15 learning, and leadership development; 

16 ‘‘(C) preparing students for successful 

17 entry into careers related to agriculture, food, 

18 and natural resources; and 

19 ‘‘(D) connecting students to jobs and edu20 cational opportunities related to agriculture, 

21 food, and natural resources; 


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1 ‘‘(2) to provide educational materials, con2 ferences, events, and technical assistance to State 

3 and local agricultural, food, and natural resources 

4 education agencies; 

5 ‘‘(3) to seek and promote inclusion and diver6 sity in its membership, leadership, and staff to re7 flect the belief of the corporation in the value of all 

8 human beings; 

9 ‘‘(4) to create, foster, and assist subordinate as10 sociations and chapters; 

11 ‘‘(5) to build character and thereby develop 

12 competent and assertive leadership; 

13 ‘‘(6) to increase awareness of the global and 

14 technological importance of agriculture, food, and 

15 natural resources and its contribution to well-being; 

16 ‘‘(7) to promote careers related to agriculture, 

17 food, and natural resources; 

18 ‘‘(8) to make available to subordinate associa19 tions, chapters, and members all official supplies, 

20 equipment, programs, and services of the corpora21 tion; 

22 ‘‘(9) to cooperate with others, including State 

23 boards for career and technical education, in accom24 plishing these purposes; and 


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1 ‘‘(10) to engage in other activities, consistent 

2 with these purposes, determined by the governing 

3 body to be for the best interests of the corporation.’’. 

4 SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP. 

5 Section 70903 of title 36, United States Code, is 

6 amended— 

7 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘are as pro8 vided in the bylaws’’ and inserting ‘‘are as provided 

9 in the constitution or bylaws of the corporation’’; 

10 and 

11 (2) in subsection (b), to read as follows: 

12 ‘‘(b) VOTING.—The voting rights of members are as 

13 provided in the constitution or bylaws of the corporation.’’. 

14 SEC. 4. GOVERNING BODY. 

15 (a) BOARD OF DIRECTORS.—Section 70904(a) of 

16 title 36, United States Code, is amended— 

17 (1) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3); 

18 (2) by redesignating paragraph (4) as para19 graph (5); and 

20 (3) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol21 lowing: 

22 ‘‘(2) The board consists of— 

23 ‘‘(A) individuals who— 

24 ‘‘(i) represent education or agriculture; and 


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1 ‘‘(ii) are not employed by the corporation; 

2 and 

3 ‘‘(B)(i) the Secretary of Education; or 

4 ‘‘(ii) a designee of the Secretary who has expe5 rience with agricultural, food, and natural resources 

6 education, career and technical education, or the 

7 corporation. 

8 ‘‘(3) The chair of the board is as provided in the con9 stitution or bylaws of the corporation. 

10 ‘‘(4) The board shall designate among the individuals 

11 of the board a national advisor. 

12 ‘‘(5) The board shall designate among the individuals 

13 of the board described in paragraph (2)(A) an executive 

14 secretary and treasurer. 

15 ‘‘(6) The number of directors, the term of office for 

16 the directors, and the method of selecting the directors 

17 (except ex officio directors) are as provided in the constitu18 tion or bylaws of the corporation.’’. 

19 (b) GOVERNING COMMITTEE.—Section 70904(b) of 

20 title 36, United States Code, is amended to read as fol21 lows: 

22 ‘‘(b) GOVERNING COMMITTEE.— 

23 ‘‘(1) MEMBERS.—The board shall designate at 

24 least three members of the board of directors as a 

25 governing committee. The terms and method of seVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:46 Apr 26, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5595.IH H5595

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1 lecting such committee members are as provided in 

2 the constitution or bylaws of the corporation, except 

3 that the board shall designate to such committee— 

4 ‘‘(A) the chair of the board; 

5 ‘‘(B) the executive secretary; and 

6 ‘‘(C) the treasurer. 

7 ‘‘(2) POWERS.—When the board is not in ses8 sion, the governing committee shall have the powers 

9 of the board subject to the board’s discretion and 

10 may authorize the seal of the corporation to be af11 fixed to all papers that require it.’’. 

12 SEC. 5. NATIONAL STUDENT OFFICERS AND DELEGATES. 

13 Section 70905 of title 36, United States Code, is 

14 amended— 

15 (1) in the heading, by striking, ‘‘officers’’ and 

16 inserting ‘‘student officers and delegates’’; 

17 (2) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘The national 

18 officers’’ and all that follows through the period at 

19 the end and inserting ‘‘There shall be at least 6 na20 tional student officers of the corporation, including 

21 a student president, four student vice presidents 

22 (each representing regions as provided in the con23 stitution or bylaws of the corporation), and a stu24 dent secretary.’’; 

25 (3) in subsection (c)— 


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1 (A) by striking ‘‘national officers’’ and in2 serting ‘‘national student officers’’; and 

3 (B) by striking ‘‘, except that—’’ and all 

4 that follows through the period at the end and 

5 inserting a period at the end; and 

6 (4) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘Each quali7 fied delegate has one vote at the annual national 

8 convention’’ and inserting ‘‘The voting rights of del9 egates are as provided in the constitution or bylaws 

10 of the corporation’’. 

11 SEC. 6. POWERS. 

12 Section 70906 of title 36, United States Code, is 

13 amended— 

14 (1) in paragraph (8)— 

15 (A) by striking ‘‘corporate funds’’ and in16 serting ‘‘the funds of the corporation’’; and 

17 (B) by striking ‘‘students and young farm18 ers’’ and inserting ‘‘subordinate associations 

19 and chapters and members’’; 

20 (2) in paragraph (9), by striking ‘‘publish a 

21 magazine and other publications’’ and inserting 

22 ‘‘produce publications, including electronic publica23 tions’’; and 

24 (3) in paragraph (10), by striking ‘‘procure for 

25 and distribute’’ and inserting ‘‘make available’’. 


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1 SEC. 7. RESTRICTIONS. 

2 Section 70908(d) of title 36, United States Code, is 

3 amended by striking the second sentence. 

4 SEC. 8. AVAILABILITY OF PERSONNEL, SERVICES, AND FA5 CILITIES OF DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. 

6 The third sentence of section 70909 of title 36, 

7 United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘vocational’’ 

8 and inserting ‘‘career and technical’’. 

9 SEC. 9. HEADQUARTERS AND PRINCIPAL OFFICE. 

10 Section 70910 of title 36, United States Code, is 

11 amended— 

12 (1) by striking ‘‘ shall be in the District of Co13 lumbia. However, the’’ and inserting ‘‘are as pro14 vided in the constitution or bylaws of the corpora15 tion. The’’; and 

16 (2) by striking ‘‘are not confined to the District 

17 of Columbia but’’. 

18 SEC. 10. SERVICE OF PROCESS. 

19 Section 70912(a) of title 36, United States Code, is 

20 amended— 

21 (1) in the heading, be striking ‘‘DISTRICT OF

22 COLUMBIA’’ and inserting ‘‘DESIGNATED AGENT’’; 

23 (2) by striking ‘‘in the District of Columbia’’; 

24 and 

25 (3) by striking the second sentence. 


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1 SEC. 11. DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS IN DISSOLUTION OR 

2 FINAL LIQUIDATION. 

3 Section 70914 of title 36, United States Code, is 

4 amended by striking ‘‘vocational agriculture’’ and insert5 ing ‘‘career and technical education’’. 

Æ 


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