II 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3420 

To promote urban agricultural production, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 

Ms. STABENOW introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL 

To promote urban agricultural production, and for other 

purposes. 

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 ‘‘Urban Agriculture Act of 2016’’. 

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

7 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Definition of Secretary. 

Sec. 3. Congressional findings and declaration of purposes. 

TITLE I—OUTREACH, COORDINATION, AND NEW POLICY 

Sec. 101. Office of Urban Agriculture. 

TITLE II—FARM ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 3420 IS

Sec. 201. Farm business planning program. 

Sec. 202. Urban agriculture cooperatives. 

Sec. 203. Risk management. 

Sec. 204. Expanded loans for farm equipment. 

TITLE III—A HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT 

Sec. 301. Soil assessment. 

Sec. 302. Innovative urban conservation. 

Sec. 303. Pilot projects to increase community compost. 

Sec. 304. Healthy food healthy environment pilot program. 

TITLE IV—RESEARCH, INNOVATION, AND TECHNOLOGY 

Sec. 401. Urban food production and market data initiatives. 

Sec. 402. Data collection on urban agriculture. 

Sec. 403. Urban agriculture research, education, and extension initiative. 

1 SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF SECRETARY. 

2 In this Act, the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Sec3 retary of Agriculture. 

4 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF 

5 PURPOSES. 

6 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

7 (1) agricultural producers are developing inno8 vative agricultural production methods and using 

9 traditional production methods in innovative loca10 tions; 

11 (2) those urban agricultural practices have the 

12 potential— 

13 (A) to create jobs and workforce develop14 ment; 

15 (B) to increase food production; 

16 (C) to support local food infrastructure; 

17 (D) to create new regional markets for ag18 ricultural producers, consumers, and businesses; 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 3420 IS

1 (E) to revitalize abandoned or underused 

2 property and buildings; 

3 (F) to enhance urban green space and im4 prove air quality; 

5 (G) to provide pollinator habitat; 

6 (H) to encourage community engagement; 

7 (I) to mitigate stormwater runoff; 

8 (J) to create energy efficiencies; 

9 (K) to strengthen relationships between 

10 urban consumers and agriculture; and 

11 (L) to inspire a new generation of agricul12 tural producers in the United States; and 

13 (3) to realize those benefits, the Secretary 

14 should comprehensively incorporate urban agri15 culture into the vision of the Department of Agri16 culture to provide economic opportunity through in17 novation, promoting agricultural production that— 

18 (A) better nourishes the people of the 

19 United States; and 

20 (B) preserves the natural resources of the 

21 United States. 

22 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 

23 (1) to establish a consistent and coordinated 

24 approach within the Department of Agriculture to 

25 support urban agriculture; 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 3420 IS

1 (2) to articulate a broadly inclusive description 

2 of urban agriculture that includes— 

3 (A) new and innovative agricultural prac4 tices; 

5 (B) traditional agricultural practices in 

6 nontraditional locations; and 

7 (C) for-profit and nonprofit production 

8 methods; and 

9 (3) to promote activities including urban farm10 ing, edible gardens, green walls, rooftop agriculture, 

11 and indoor vertical farms. 

12 TITLE I—OUTREACH, COORDINA13 TION, AND NEW POLICY 

14 SEC. 101. OFFICE OF URBAN AGRICULTURE. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Department of Agriculture 

16 Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.) is 

17 amended— 

18 (1) by redesignating subtitle J as subtitle K; 

19 and 

20 (2) by inserting after section 285 (7 U.S.C. 

21 7005) the following: 

22 ‘‘Subtitle J—Urban Agriculture 

23 ‘‘SEC. 286. OFFICE OF URBAN AGRICULTURE. 

24 ‘‘(a) OFFICE.— 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab2 lish in the Agricultural Marketing Service an Office 

3 of Urban Agriculture, which shall be headed by a 

4 Director appointed by the Secretary. 

5 ‘‘(2) AUTHORITIES.—The Office of Urban Agri6 culture shall manage programs, coordinate agencies, 

7 and advise the Secretary on urban agriculture and 

8 urban food systems, including— 

9 ‘‘(A) engaging in external relations with 

10 urban agriculture stakeholders; 

11 ‘‘(B) facilitating interagency and cross-gov12 ernment program coordination; 

13 ‘‘(C) creating resources that identify com14 mon State and municipal best practices for 

15 navigating local policies; 

16 ‘‘(D) developing and implementing new 

17 policy recommendations; 

18 ‘‘(E) identifying and working with agencies 

19 to update existing guidance for which agricul20 tural programs may not have clear policies for 

21 urban production; 

22 ‘‘(F) coordinating resources for technical 

23 assistance, training, and outreach; and 

24 ‘‘(G) other activities as determined by the 

25 Secretary. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(b) URBAN AGRICULTURE ADVISORY COM2 MITTEE.— 

3 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

4 after the date of enactment of this section, the Sec5 retary shall establish an Urban Agriculture Advisory 

6 Committee (referred to in this subsection as the 

7 ‘Committee’) to advise the Secretary on— 

8 ‘‘(A) the development of urban agriculture 

9 production policies; and 

10 ‘‘(B) any other aspects of the implementa11 tion of— 

12 ‘‘(i) this section; and 

13 ‘‘(ii) the Urban Agriculture Act of 

14 2016 and amendments made by that Act. 

15 ‘‘(2) MEMBERSHIP.— 

16 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Committee shall 

17 be composed of 15 members of whom— 

18 ‘‘(i) 3 shall be individuals who are 

19 urban agricultural producers; 

20 ‘‘(ii) 1 shall be an individual who is 

21 an agricultural producer; 

22 ‘‘(iii) 2 shall be individuals with farm23 to-school expertise; 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(iv) 2 shall be representatives from 

2 an institution of higher education or exten3 sion program; 

4 ‘‘(v) 1 shall be an individual who rep5 resents a public health organization; 

6 ‘‘(vi) 1 shall be an individual who rep7 resents an environmental organization; 

8 ‘‘(vii) 1 shall be an individual who 

9 represents a business development entity; 

10 ‘‘(viii) 1 shall be an individual who 

11 represents a city government or is an 

12 urban planner; 

13 ‘‘(ix) 1 shall be an individual who rep14 resents an urban food aggregator; 

15 ‘‘(x) 1 shall be an individual who has 

16 extensive experience with farmers markets; 

17 and 

18 ‘‘(xi) 1 shall be an individual from a 

19 nonprofit or advocacy group. 

20 ‘‘(B) INITIAL APPOINTMENTS.—The Sec21 retary shall appoint the members of the Com22 mittee not later than 180 days after the date of 

23 enactment of this section. 

24 ‘‘(3) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.— 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
8 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

2 subparagraph (B), a member of the Committee 

3 shall be appointed for a term of 3 years. 

4 ‘‘(B) INITIAL APPOINTMENTS.—Of the 

5 members first appointed to the Committee— 

6 ‘‘(i) the members described in clauses 

7 (i) through (iii) of paragraph (2)(A) shall 

8 be appointed for a term of 3 years; 

9 ‘‘(ii) the members described in clauses 

10 (iv) through (vii) of paragraph (2)(A) shall 

11 be appointed for a term of 2 years; and 

12 ‘‘(iii) the members described in 

13 clauses (viii) through (xi) of paragraph 

14 (2)(A) shall be appointed for a term of 1 

15 year. 

16 ‘‘(C) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the 

17 Committee— 

18 ‘‘(i) shall not affect the powers of the 

19 Committee; and 

20 ‘‘(ii) shall be filled in the same man21 ner as the original appointment. 

22 ‘‘(4) MEETINGS.— 

23 ‘‘(A) FREQUENCY.—The Committee shall 

24 meet not fewer than 3 times per year. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
9 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(B) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 

2 60 days after the date on which the members 

3 are appointed under paragraph (2)(B), the 

4 Committee shall hold the first meeting of the 

5 Committee. 

6 ‘‘(5) DUTIES.— 

7 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Committee 

8 shall— 

9 ‘‘(i) develop recommendations regard10 ing— 

11 ‘‘(I) the implementation of— 

12 ‘‘(aa) this section; and 

13 ‘‘(bb) the Urban Agriculture 

14 Act of 2016 and amendments 

15 made by that Act; and 

16 ‘‘(II) the establishment of ongo17 ing urban agriculture policy priorities 

18 and goals; 

19 ‘‘(ii) review emerging policies and ini20 tiatives within the Office of Urban Agri21 culture; 

22 ‘‘(iii) evaluate and review ongoing re23 search and extension activities; 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
10 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(iv) identify new and existing bar2 riers to successful urban agriculture prac3 tices; and 

4 ‘‘(v) provide additional assistance and 

5 advice to the Secretary as appropriate. 

6 ‘‘(B) REPORTS.—Not later than 180 days 

7 after the date of enactment of this section, and 

8 every year thereafter, the Committee shall sub9 mit to the Secretary a report describing the ac10 tivities of the Committee under subparagraph 

11 (A). 

12 ‘‘(6) PERSONNEL MATTERS.— 

13 ‘‘(A) COMPENSATION.—A member of the 

14 Committee shall serve without compensation. 

15 ‘‘(B) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—A member of 

16 the Committee shall be allowed travel expenses, 

17 including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in ac18 cordance with section 5703 of title 5, United 

19 States Code. 

20 ‘‘(7) TERMINATION.— 

21 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subpara22 graph (B), the Committee shall terminate on 

23 the date that is 5 years after the date on which 

24 the members are appointed under paragraph 

25 (2)(B). 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
11 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(B) EXTENSIONS.—Before the date on 

2 which the Committee terminates, the Secretary 

3 may renew the Committee for one or more 2- 

4 year periods. 

5 ‘‘(c) COMMUNITY GARDEN PROGRAM.—The Sec6 retary shall continue, within the Office of Urban Agri7 culture, a community garden program, under which the 

8 Director of the Office of Urban Agriculture shall— 

9 ‘‘(1) develop tools and offer technical assist10 ance, education, and resources for community gar11 dening and community master gardener classes, in 

12 partnership with the National Institute of Food and 

13 Agriculture; 

14 ‘‘(2) consult with Federal building property 

15 managers to develop community gardens on Federal 

16 property; 

17 ‘‘(3) coordinate a network of community gar18 dens across the United States; 

19 ‘‘(4) facilitate connections to local food banks, 

20 in partnership with the Food and Nutrition Service; 

21 and 

22 ‘‘(5) carry out other activities, as determined by 

23 the Secretary. 

24 ‘‘(d) ROOFTOP AGRICULTURE AND OUTDOOR

25 VERTICAL PRODUCTION PROGRAM.— 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
12 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab2 lish within the Office of Urban Agriculture a rooftop 

3 agriculture and outdoor vertical production program. 

4 ‘‘(2) ACTIVITIES.—The rooftop agriculture and 

5 outdoor vertical production program shall include ac6 tivities relating to— 

7 ‘‘(A) providing technical assistance on the 

8 planning and development of a rooftop farm; 

9 ‘‘(B) providing educational opportunities 

10 on innovative and sustainable production meth11 ods; 

12 ‘‘(C) coordinating and sharing best prac13 tices of rooftop agricultural producers; 

14 ‘‘(D) collaborating with other Federal 

15 agencies that support green infrastructure im16 provements; and 

17 ‘‘(E) entering into cooperative agreements 

18 to conduct research and test strategies that— 

19 ‘‘(i) develop new markets for products 

20 produced on rooftops; 

21 ‘‘(ii) evaluate rooftop farm feasibility; 

22 ‘‘(iii) determine building material effi23 ciencies and upgrades to ensure structural 

24 safety and efficiency of rooftop farms; 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
13 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(iv) measure environmental impacts 

2 of rooftop farms and green roofs; 

3 ‘‘(v) work with a network of farms to 

4 streamline production; 

5 ‘‘(vi) optimize growing potential for 

6 products grown on a rooftop; and 

7 ‘‘(vii) support other priorities impor8 tant to rooftop farming, as determined by 

9 the Secretary. 

10 ‘‘(e) URBAN AGRICULTURE PROGRAM REVIEW.— 

11 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years 

12 after the date of enactment of this section, the Sec13 retary shall review the programs established under 

14 this section and other programs in the Department 

15 that support urban agriculture. 

16 ‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The review conducted 

17 under paragraph (1) shall include— 

18 ‘‘(A) a comprehensive analysis of resources 

19 of the Department; 

20 ‘‘(B) a description of programs used by 

21 urban agricultural producers; 

22 ‘‘(C) a review of outreach activities and 

23 program promotion; 

24 ‘‘(D) an evaluation of updated policies and 

25 guidance documents; 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
14 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(E) a review of internal collaboration and 

2 coordination; 

3 ‘‘(F) an evaluation of urban agricultural 

4 ordinances adopted by State and local govern5 ments; and 

6 ‘‘(G) any priorities identified by the Sec7 retary. 

8 ‘‘(3) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the 

9 date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall 

10 submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the 

11 House of Representatives and the Committee on Ag12 riculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a 

13 report describing the review conducted under para14 graph (1). 

15 ‘‘(f) URBAN AGRICULTURE IMPACT STUDY.— 

16 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years 

17 after the date of enactment of this section, the Sec18 retary shall conduct a comprehensive study of urban 

19 agricultural activities to evaluate the impacts of 

20 urban agriculture across the United States. 

21 ‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The study conducted 

22 under paragraph (1) shall measure— 

23 ‘‘(A) the community and social benefits of 

24 urban agricultural activities; 

25 ‘‘(B) potential production; 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
15 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(C) agricultural production site avail2 ability, including— 

3 ‘‘(i) urban farm land; 

4 ‘‘(ii) rooftop production sites; 

5 ‘‘(iii) outdoor vertical growing spaces; 

6 and 

7 ‘‘(iv) indoor production sites; 

8 ‘‘(D) suitability of land for food produc9 tion; 

10 ‘‘(E) the effectiveness of methods used to 

11 address food security; 

12 ‘‘(F) new job opportunities and workforce 

13 development; 

14 ‘‘(G) economic feasibility and opportunities 

15 created; 

16 ‘‘(H) environmental impacts; and 

17 ‘‘(I) other activities, as determined by the 

18 Secretary. 

19 ‘‘(3) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after 

20 date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall 

21 submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the 

22 House of Representatives and the Committee on Ag23 riculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a 

24 report describing the study conducted under para25 graph (1). 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
16 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(g) GRANT AUTHORITY.— 

2 ‘‘(1) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—In 

3 this subsection, the term ‘eligible entity’ means— 

4 ‘‘(A) a community organization; 

5 ‘‘(B) a nonprofit organization; 

6 ‘‘(C) a municipality; 

7 ‘‘(D) a school or institution of higher edu8 cation; and 

9 ‘‘(E) any other entity as determined by the 

10 Secretary. 

11 ‘‘(2) GRANTS.—The Director of the Office of 

12 Urban Agriculture may award competitive grants to 

13 eligible entities— 

14 ‘‘(A) to support urban agriculture develop15 ment; 

16 ‘‘(B) to better coordinate program delivery; 

17 and 

18 ‘‘(C) to enhance community gardens. 

19 ‘‘(3) FUNDING PRIORITY.—In awarding grants 

20 under this subsection, priority shall be given to an 

21 eligible entity that uses a grant received under this 

22 subsection— 

23 ‘‘(A)(i)(I) to plan and assess sites for gar24 dens or nonprofit farms; or 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
17 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(II) to construct new gardens or 

2 nonprofit farms; 

3 ‘‘(ii) to operate community gardens or non4 profit farms that— 

5 ‘‘(I) produce food for donation; and 

6 ‘‘(II) have a demonstrated environ7 mental benefit and educational component; 

8 and 

9 ‘‘(iii) to educate a community on— 

10 ‘‘(I) nutrition; or 

11 ‘‘(II) pollinator health; or 

12 ‘‘(B) for other priorities, as designated by 

13 the Secretary. 

14 ‘‘(4) MANDATORY FUNDING.—Of the funds of 

15 the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary 

16 shall use to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for 

17 each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021, to remain 

18 available until expended. 

19 ‘‘(h) PRODUCER ASSISTANCE.—Of the funds made 

20 available under subsection (j), the Secretary shall provide 

21 50 percent to cooperative extension services (as defined 

22 in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Ex23 tension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 

24 3103)) for the purpose of carrying out outreach and tech25 nical assistance provided under this section. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
18 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(i) FARM NUMBERS.—The Secretary shall provide 

2 for the designation of a farm number (as defined in sec3 tion 718.2 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (as in 

4 effect on the date of enactment of the Urban Agriculture 

5 Act of 2016)) for rooftop farms, indoor farms, and other 

6 urban farms, as determined by the Secretary. 

7 ‘‘(j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In addi8 tion to amounts made available under subsection (g)(4), 

9 there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 

10 section $10,000,000 for each fiscal year.’’. 

11 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 296(b) of 

12 the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 

13 1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b)) is amended by adding at the end 

14 the following: 

15 ‘‘(9) The authority of the Secretary to carry out 

16 subtitle J.’’. 

17 TITLE II—FARM ENTERPRISE 

18 DEVELOPMENT 

19 SEC. 201. FARM BUSINESS PLANNING PROGRAM. 

20 Subtitle D of the Consolidated Farm and Rural De21 velopment Act is amended by inserting after section 365 

22 (7 U.S.C. 2008) the following: 

23 ‘‘SEC. 366. FARM BUSINESS PLANNING PROGRAM. 

24 ‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF URBAN FARMER.—In this sec25 tion, the term ‘urban farmer’ means a beginning farmer 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
19 

•S 3420 IS

1 or rancher that is farming in an urban area, as determined 

2 by the Secretary. 

3 ‘‘(b) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary shall, with re4 spect to urban farmers— 

5 ‘‘(1) identify and improve farm business edu6 cation programs; and 

7 ‘‘(2) provide, and facilitate the provision of, 

8 technical assistance. 

9 ‘‘(c) REVIEW AND IMPLEMENTATION OF BUSINESS

10 DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.— 

11 ‘‘(1) PROGRAM REVIEW.—The Secretary shall 

12 conduct a review of all farm business planning, edu13 cation, outreach, and technical assistance programs 

14 provided to beginning farmers and ranchers, with a 

15 focus on urban farmers, to identify methods— 

16 ‘‘(A) to improve program delivery and out17 reach; 

18 ‘‘(B) to improve the longevity of new farm 

19 enterprises; 

20 ‘‘(C) to increase financial literacy; 

21 ‘‘(D) to provide more ongoing business 

22 support; 

23 ‘‘(E) to develop and maintain good agricul24 tural practices and food safety recordkeeping 

25 materials; and 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
20 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(F) to examine ways to improve inter2 agency interoperability of administrative and 

3 statistical data. 

4 ‘‘(2) COLLABORATION.—The Secretary shall 

5 consult and collaborate with other Federal agencies 

6 to review related business development programs for 

7 beginning farmers and ranchers. 

8 ‘‘(3) PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION.—After com9 pleting the program review described in paragraph 

10 (1), the Secretary shall— 

11 ‘‘(A) develop and adopt best practices for 

12 program delivery and provide the best practices 

13 to urban farmers; 

14 ‘‘(B) implement strategies to improve the 

15 business planning, budget skills, and financial 

16 literacy of urban farmers; and 

17 ‘‘(C) based on the findings of the program 

18 review, develop and implement performance 

19 metrics across the Department of Agriculture to 

20 improve financial success for each farmer— 

21 ‘‘(i) with little or no credit history; or 

22 ‘‘(ii) that is unable to qualify for tra23 ditional lines of credit. 

24 ‘‘(d) FARM MANAGEMENT AND PROFESSIONAL DE25 VELOPMENT PROGRAM.— 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
21 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall es2 tablish and administer a voluntary program of farm3 er-to-farmer assistance and mentorship between— 

4 ‘‘(A) established farmers, ranchers, and 

5 agribusiness specialists; and 

6 ‘‘(B) beginning farmers and ranchers. 

7 ‘‘(2) GOALS.—The goals of the program under 

8 this subsection shall be— 

9 ‘‘(A) to provide to beginning farmers and 

10 ranchers (with a focus on urban farmers) as11 sistance in farm business management practices 

12 by improving— 

13 ‘‘(i) agribusiness acumen; 

14 ‘‘(ii) marketing operations; 

15 ‘‘(iii) the establishment of record16 keeping systems; 

17 ‘‘(iv) integrated use of risk manage18 ment tools; and 

19 ‘‘(v) credit management; 

20 ‘‘(B) to transfer the knowledge and exper21 tise of established agricultural producers and 

22 businesses, on an individual basis to beginning 

23 farmers and ranchers that desire to participate 

24 in an ongoing mentorship and professional de25 velopment program; or 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
22 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(C) to encourage the development of 

2 other farm-to-farm exchange programs for be3 ginning farmers and ranchers for expanded 

4 learning and training opportunities. 

5 ‘‘(e) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.— 

6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

7 the date of enactment of the Urban Agriculture Act 

8 of 2016, the Secretary shall submit to the Com9 mittee on Agriculture of the House of Representa10 tives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 

11 and Forestry of the Senate a report that includes— 

12 ‘‘(A) a description of the programs under 

13 this section; 

14 ‘‘(B) an outline of intended future per15 formance metrics— 

16 ‘‘(i) to improve the effectiveness of 

17 farm business development; 

18 ‘‘(ii) to support the collection of addi19 tional information on agricultural producer 

20 retention; and 

21 ‘‘(iii) to increase new market opportu22 nities; and 

23 ‘‘(C) performance metrics that are specific 

24 to urban farmers. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
23 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(2) ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT.—Each year 

2 during the 5-year period beginning on the date on 

3 which the Secretary submits the report described in 

4 paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to the 

5 Committees described in that paragraph an annual 

6 progress report on the performance metrics outlined 

7 in the report described in paragraph (1). 

8 ‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

9 is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

10 $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021.’’. 

11 SEC. 202. URBAN AGRICULTURE COOPERATIVES. 

12 Section 310B(e)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and 

13 Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(e)(2)) is amended 

14 by inserting ‘‘, including centers located outside rural 

15 areas only if the focus of the activities of the center is 

16 agricultural production’’ before the period at the end. 

17 SEC. 203. RISK MANAGEMENT. 

18 Section 196 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement 

19 and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7333) is amended— 

20 (1) in subsection (e)(1), by inserting ‘‘, except 

21 for urban agriculture production sites’’ before the 

22 period at the end; 

23 (2) in subsection (l)— 

24 (A) by redesignating paragraph (5) as 

25 paragraph (6); and 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
24 

•S 3420 IS

1 (B) by inserting after paragraph (4) the 

2 following: 

3 ‘‘(5) ALTERNATIVE PRICE CALCULATIONS.—As 

4 an alternative to the average market price calcula5 tion under paragraph (1)(B), and notwithstanding 

6 any other provision of this section, the Secretary 

7 may make assistance available to producers under 

8 this subsection on a whole-farm, revenue, or yield 

9 basis using contract or local prices, as determined by 

10 the Secretary.’’; and 

11 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(m) COST-SHARE.—In addition to the coverage de13 scribed in subsection (l)(4), the Secretary, acting through 

14 the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency, shall pro15 vide a $500 cost-share program for limited resource, be16 ginning, and socially disadvantaged farmers for the first 

17 year of coverage of those farmers under this section.’’. 

18 SEC. 204. EXPANDED LOANS FOR FARM EQUIPMENT. 

19 (a) COOPERATIVE LOANS FOR COOPERATIVES OF

20 FARMERS.—Section 316(a) of the Consolidated Farm and 

21 Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1946(a)) is amended 

22 by adding at the end the following: 

23 ‘‘(3) LOANS TO COOPERATIVES.—Notwith24 standing subtitle A or this subtitle, the liability for 

25 a farm ownership loan or a farm operating loan 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
25 

•S 3420 IS

1 under those subtitles to a cooperative of family farm 

2 farmers shall not be required to attach to the indi3 vidual members of the cooperative, as determined by 

4 the Secretary.’’. 

5 (b) FARM STORAGE FACILITY LOANS.—Section 5(a) 

6 of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (16 

7 U.S.C. 714c(a)) is amended by inserting before the period 

8 at the end the following: ‘‘, including farm storage facility 

9 loans to farmers for agriculturally related, nonfarm enter10 prises that support agricultural operations (as determined 

11 by the Secretary)’’. 

12 TITLE III—A HEALTHIER 

13 ENVIRONMENT 

14 SEC. 301. SOIL ASSESSMENT. 

15 Subtitle J of the Department of Agriculture Reorga16 nization Act of 1994 (as amended by section 101) is 

17 amended by adding at the end the following: 

18 ‘‘SEC. 287. SOIL ASSESSMENT. 

19 ‘‘(a) SOIL CONSULTATION.— 

20 ‘‘(1) SOIL TESTING PROTOCOL.—The Secretary, 

21 acting through the Under Secretary of Agriculture 

22 for Natural Resources and Environment and the 

23 Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Edu24 cation, and Economics, shall establish a coordinated 

25 soil testing protocol to simplify the process used by 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
26 

•S 3420 IS

1 agricultural producers and small-scale producers of 

2 food to evaluate soil health, including testing for— 

3 ‘‘(A) the optimal level of constituents in 

4 and characteristics of the soil, such as organic 

5 matter, nutrients, and the potential presence of 

6 soil contamination from heavy metals such as 

7 lead or other contaminants; and 

8 ‘‘(B) biological and physical characteristics 

9 indicative of proper soil functioning. 

10 ‘‘(2) RESEARCH.— 

11 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting 

12 through the Chief of the Natural Resources 

13 Conservation Service and the Director of the 

14 National Institute of Food and Agriculture, 

15 shall coordinate and conduct research to inform 

16 the soil testing protocol and soil remediation 

17 practices with respect to soil contaminated with 

18 high levels of heavy metals or other contami19 nants— 

20 ‘‘(i) to remediate, or otherwise man21 age appropriately, the soil; and 

22 ‘‘(ii) to assess and manage for proper 

23 soil functioning the soil for sustained bio24 logical and physical health. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
27 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary 

2 shall— 

3 ‘‘(i) determine metrics used to meas4 ure soil health, quality, and safety; 

5 ‘‘(ii) in coordination with the heads of 

6 other Federal agencies, as appropriate, de7 velop agricultural best practices with re8 spect to soil contaminated with undesirable 

9 levels of heavy metals or other contami10 nants— 

11 ‘‘(I) to remediate, or otherwise 

12 manage appropriately, the soil before 

13 agricultural production begins on the 

14 land; and 

15 ‘‘(II) to maintain the health of 

16 the soil for future use; and 

17 ‘‘(iii) evaluate soil quality for food 

18 production. 

19 ‘‘(3) CONSULTATION.— 

20 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity de21 scribed in subparagraph (B) may seek technical 

22 assistance from the Secretary about options to 

23 evaluate soil health, safety, and quality of 

24 urban soils and contaminated or degraded land 

25 to ensure the soil used by agricultural proVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:24 Oct 04, 2016 Jkt 069002 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3420.IS S3420

SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
28 

•S 3420 IS

1 ducers is suitable for producing agricultural 

2 products for human consumption. 

3 ‘‘(B) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—An eligible en4 tity may include— 

5 ‘‘(i) an agricultural producer; 

6 ‘‘(ii) a nonprofit organization; 

7 ‘‘(iii) a school or institution of higher 

8 education; 

9 ‘‘(iv) a community gardener; 

10 ‘‘(v) a State, local, or tribal govern11 ment; and 

12 ‘‘(vi) another entity as determined by 

13 the Secretary. 

14 ‘‘(4) REFERRAL.—The Secretary shall refer any 

15 eligible entity receiving consultation under para16 graph (3) that the Secretary determines has a high 

17 level of contamination to the Administrator of the 

18 Environmental Protection Agency for remediation 

19 under section 104(k) of the Comprehensive Environ20 mental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act 

21 of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9604(k)). 

22 ‘‘(5) EVALUATION.—Not later than 2 years 

23 after the date of enactment of this section, the Sec24 retary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture 

25 of the House of Representatives and the Committee 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
29 

•S 3420 IS

1 on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Sen2 ate a report that evaluates the overall effectiveness 

3 of this subsection. 

4 ‘‘(b) SOIL TESTING AND REMEDIATION PRAC5 TICES.— 

6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab7 lish a national soil testing and remediation program 

8 to provide technical and financial assistance to agri9 cultural producers for— 

10 ‘‘(A) implementing the soil testing protocol 

11 under subsection (a)(1) for determining the 

12 suitability of the soil of the agricultural pro13 ducer for— 

14 ‘‘(i) producing agricultural products 

15 for human consumption; and 

16 ‘‘(ii) continued agricultural produc17 tion; and 

18 ‘‘(B) adopting practices to mitigate any 

19 soil contamination or degradation found as a 

20 result of the soil testing. 

21 ‘‘(2) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND PRODUCER

22 REMEDIATION.—The Secretary shall provide infor23 mation, resources, and other technical assistance to 

24 agricultural producers that shall include— 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
30 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(A) an initial assessment of soil test re2 sults; 

3 ‘‘(B) a determination of soil quality, soil 

4 health, and level of contamination of soil— 

5 ‘‘(i) to limit contaminants from enter6 ing agricultural products for human con7 sumption; and 

8 ‘‘(ii) to regenerate and sustain the 

9 soil; 

10 ‘‘(C) the provision of resources and best 

11 practices to agricultural producers regarding 

12 methods to keep soils healthy; 

13 ‘‘(D) education, outreach, and technical as14 sistance regarding the uses of soil and methods 

15 of addressing soil contamination and soil health 

16 degradation; and 

17 ‘‘(E) recommendations on methods to con18 duct remediation or soil building efforts to im19 prove soils and ensure that the agriculture pro20 ducers— 

21 ‘‘(i) are not growing products in soils 

22 with high levels of heavy metals or other 

23 contaminants; 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
31 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(ii) have appropriate information re2 garding methods and programs to assist 

3 with soil remediation; and 

4 ‘‘(iii) have access to experts that can 

5 provide assistance to oversee and monitor 

6 soil under remediation or regeneration to 

7 ensure soils are suitable for agriculture 

8 production in the future. 

9 ‘‘(3) SOIL TESTING AND REMEDIATION PRAC10 TICES.—The Secretary shall expand covered prac11 tices under the environmental quality incentives pro12 gram established under chapter 4 of subtitle D of 

13 title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 

14 U.S.C. 3839aa et seq.) to include— 

15 ‘‘(A) soil tests for— 

16 ‘‘(i) heavy metals or other contami17 nants; and 

18 ‘‘(ii) biological and physical soil 

19 health; and 

20 ‘‘(B) producer soil remediation practices as 

21 determined by the Secretary. 

22 ‘‘(4) REPORTING.—Not later than March 1 of 

23 each year, the Secretary shall submit to the Com24 mittee on Agriculture of the House of Representa25 tives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
32 

•S 3420 IS

1 and Forestry of the Senate a report that describes 

2 the requests by, disbursements to, and expenditures 

3 for each State under this subsection during the cur4 rent and previous fiscal year, including the number 

5 of agricultural producers served by the program 

6 under this subsection in the previous fiscal year.’’. 

7 SEC. 302. INNOVATIVE URBAN CONSERVATION. 

8 Section 1240H(a)(2) of the Food Security Act of 

9 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–8(a)(2)) is amended— 

10 (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) and 

11 (F) as subparagraphs (F) and (G), respectively; and 

12 (2) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the fol13 lowing: 

14 ‘‘(E) partner with urban farmers to de15 velop innovative conservation practices in urban 

16 areas to increase— 

17 ‘‘(i) green space; 

18 ‘‘(ii) pollinator habitat; 

19 ‘‘(iii) stormwater management; 

20 ‘‘(iv) carbon sequestration; and 

21 ‘‘(v) access to agricultural production 

22 sites through land tenure agreements and 

23 other contracts;’’. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
33 

•S 3420 IS

1 SEC. 303. PILOT PROJECTS TO INCREASE COMMUNITY 

2 COMPOST. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry out 

4 pilot projects under which local or municipal governments, 

5 in not fewer than 10 States, shall enter into cooperative 

6 agreements with the Secretary to develop and test strate7 gies for planning and implementing municipal compost 

8 and food waste reduction plans. 

9 (b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES AND ACTIVITIES.—Under a 

10 cooperative agreement entered into under this section, the 

11 Secretary shall provide assistance to a municipalities, 

12 counties, local governments, or city planners, as appro13 priate, to carry out activities that will— 

14 (1) increase access to compost for agricultural 

15 producers; 

16 (2) reduce reliance on, and limit use of, excess 

17 fertilizer; 

18 (3) improve soil quality; 

19 (4) encourage waste management and perma20 culture business development; 

21 (5) increase rainwater absorption; 

22 (6) reduce municipal food waste; and 

23 (7) divert waste from landfills. 

24 (c) EVALUATION AND RANKING OF APPLICATIONS.— 

25 (1) CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall establish 

26 evaluation and ranking criteria to maximize the benVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:24 Oct 04, 2016 Jkt 069002 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3420.IS S3420

SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
34 

•S 3420 IS

1 efit of Federal investment in pilot projects under 

2 this section. 

3 (2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In establishing the se4 lection criteria for the pilot projects, the Secretary 

5 shall prioritize applications that— 

6 (A) anticipate or demonstrate economic 

7 benefits; 

8 (B) incorporate plans to make compost 

9 easily accessible to all agricultural producers, 

10 including community gardeners; 

11 (C) integrate other food waste strategies, 

12 including food recovery efforts; 

13 (D) collaborate with multiple partners; and 

14 (E) fulfill other priorities as determined by 

15 the Secretary. 

16 (3) EVALUATION.—To be eligible for a pilot 

17 project under this section, an eligible entity shall 

18 agree to participate in an evaluation, as determined 

19 by the Secretary, of the pilot project. 

20 (d) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—The recipient of as21 sistance for a pilot project under this section shall provide 

22 funds, in-kind contributions, or a combination of both 

23 from sources other than funds provided through the grant 

24 in an amount equal to not less than 25 percent of the 

25 amount of the grant. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
35 

•S 3420 IS

1 (e) REPORT.—Not later than 4 years after the date 

2 of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 

3 the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representa4 tives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 

5 Forestry of the Senate a report that contains an evalua6 tion of the pilot projects authorized under this section. 

7 (f) FUNDING.—There is authorized to be appro8 priated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for fiscal year 

9 2018. 

10 SEC. 304. HEALTHY FOOD HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT PILOT 

11 PROGRAM. 

12 (a) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—In this sec13 tion, the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means— 

14 (1) a nonprofit organization; 

15 (2) an agriculture cooperative; 

16 (3) a producer network or association; 

17 (4) a community health organization; 

18 (5) a public benefit corporation; 

19 (6) an economic development corporation; 

20 (7) a community-supported agriculture pro21 gram; 

22 (8) an institution of higher education; 

23 (9) a State, local, or tribal agency; and 

24 (10) any other entity designated by the Sec25 retary. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
36 

•S 3420 IS

1 (b) HEALTHY FOOD HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT PILOT

2 PROJECTS.— 

3 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make 

4 competitive grants to eligible entities to conduct pilot 

5 projects that strengthen marketplace links between 

6 healthy food consumption, good environmental prac7 tices, and direct public health outcomes. 

8 (2) CRITERIA.—In selecting pilot projects to re9 ceive grants under this section, the Secretary shall— 

10 (A) support pilot projects that— 

11 (i) develop innovative marketing and 

12 incentive approaches to improve purchases 

13 of healthy foods; 

14 (ii) have demonstrated community 

15 and partnership support from local plan16 ning entities; 

17 (iii) use strategies that improve use of 

18 agricultural producer conservation prac19 tices; 

20 (iv) provide to communities evidence21 based nutrition and environmental edu22 cation; 

23 (v) agree to participate in the evalua24 tion described in subsection (c); and 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
37 

•S 3420 IS

1 (vi) meet additional criteria estab2 lished by the Secretary; and 

3 (B) give priority to pilot projects that— 

4 (i) are located in— 

5 (I) underserved communities; or 

6 (II) identified food deserts; 

7 (ii) equally target good conservation 

8 practices and healthy food consumption; 

9 (iii) demonstrate strong urban, subur10 ban, and rural linkages; 

11 (iv) provide locally or regionally pro12 duced fruits and vegetables; and 

13 (v) address other criteria as estab14 lished by the Secretary. 

15 (3) LOCATION REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary 

16 shall ensure that at least 2 pilot projects are located 

17 in each of the following: 

18 (A) Urban communities. 

19 (B) Rural communities. 

20 (C) Peri-urban communities. 

21 (4) LIMITATION.—The maximum amount of 

22 grant funds received by an eligible entity under this 

23 section shall be $150,000. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
38 

•S 3420 IS

1 (5) DURATION.—The maximum duration of a 

2 grant received by an eligible entity under this section 

3 shall be 3 years. 

4 (c) EVALUATION.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct 

6 an evaluation of the pilot projects funded under this 

7 section that— 

8 (A) measures the environmental impacts of 

9 good conservation practices; 

10 (B) measures increases in the consumption 

11 of healthy foods attributable to the projects; 

12 (C) evaluates economic benefit in partici13 pating communities; 

14 (D) provides for an overall assessment of 

15 public health outcomes due to improved healthy 

16 food consumption in selected communities; and 

17 (E) assesses such other metrics as may be 

18 determined by the Secretary. 

19 (2) COSTS.—The Secretary may use not more 

20 than 10 percent of the funds made available to carry 

21 out this section to pay costs associated with con22 ducting the evaluation under this subsection. 

23 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

24 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

25 $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
39 

•S 3420 IS

1 TITLE IV—RESEARCH, 

2 INNOVATION, AND TECHNOLOGY 

3 SEC. 401. URBAN FOOD PRODUCTION AND MARKET DATA 

4 INITIATIVES. 

5 Section 10016(b) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 

6 U.S.C. 2204h(b)) is amended— 

7 (1) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

8 end; 

9 (2) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at 

10 the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

11 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(7) include information pertaining to produc13 tion of food within urban and peri-urban areas, col14 lecting data, and measuring impacts of the market 

15 for all types of production methods.’’. 

16 SEC. 402. DATA COLLECTION ON URBAN AGRICULTURE. 

17 Section 2 of the Census of Agriculture Act of 1997 

18 (7 U.S.C. 2204g) is amended by adding at the end the 

19 following: 

20 ‘‘(h) DATA COLLECTION ON URBAN AGRI21 CULTURE.— 

22 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall con23 duct as a follow-on study to the census of agri24 culture required to be conducted in 2017 a census 

25 of urban agriculture, including information about— 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
40 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(A) farms located in urban areas, peri2 urban areas, and town centers; 

3 ‘‘(B) rooftop farms, outdoor vertical pro4 duction, and green walls; 

5 ‘‘(C) indoor farms, greenhouses, and high6 tech vertical technology farms; 

7 ‘‘(D) hydroponic, aeroponic, and aquaponic 

8 farm facilities; and 

9 ‘‘(E) other activities as determined by the 

10 Secretary. 

11 ‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

12 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

13 this subsection $8,000,000 for fiscal years 2017 and 

14 2018.’’. 

15 SEC. 403. URBAN AGRICULTURE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, 

16 AND EXTENSION INITIATIVE. 

17 Subtitle H of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, 

18 and Trade Act of 1990 is amended by inserting after sec19 tion 1672D (7 U.S.C. 5925f) the following: 

20 ‘‘SEC. 1672E. URBAN AGRICULTURE RESEARCH, EDU21 CATION, AND EXTENSION INITIATIVE. 

22 ‘‘(a) COMPETITIVE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION

23 GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—In consultation with the Urban 

24 Agriculture Advisory Board, the Secretary may make com25 petitive grants to support research, education, and extenVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:24 Oct 04, 2016 Jkt 069002 PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3420.IS S3420

SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
41 

•S 3420 IS

1 sion activities for the purposes of enhancing agricultural 

2 production in urban areas by— 

3 ‘‘(1) facilitating the development of urban agri4 culture production, transportation, aggregation, dis5 tribution, and markets; 

6 ‘‘(2) assessing and developing strategies to re7 mediate contaminated sites; 

8 ‘‘(3) determining and developing the best pro9 duction management and integrated pest manage10 ment practices; 

11 ‘‘(4) identifying and promoting the horti12 cultural, social, and economic factors that contribute 

13 to successful urban agriculture production; 

14 ‘‘(5) analyzing the means by which new urban 

15 agricultural sites are determined, including an eval16 uation of soil quality and local community needs; 

17 ‘‘(6) exploring new and innovative technologies 

18 that minimize energy and water inputs for increased 

19 food production in urban centers; 

20 ‘‘(7) studying and developing new and innova21 tive agricultural products to connect to urban mar22 kets; 

23 ‘‘(8) examining how crop exposure to urban ele24 ments impacts environmental quality and food safe25 ty; 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
42 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(9) conducting research relating to indoor 

2 vertical farm research and controlled environment 

3 agriculture production, including— 

4 ‘‘(A) efficiencies in energy, lighting sys5 tems, and water usage of indoor production sys6 tems; 

7 ‘‘(B) genetic resources for increasing the 

8 resistance of plants to urban and environmental 

9 stresses; 

10 ‘‘(C) innovative production systems, includ11 ing hydroponic, aeroponic, and aquaponics sys12 tems; and 

13 ‘‘(D) innovative indoor growing methods of 

14 traditional and nontraditional agricultural prod15 ucts; and 

16 ‘‘(10) conducting other activities that are rel17 evant to enhancing urban agricultural production, as 

18 determined by the Secretary. 

19 ‘‘(b) GRANT TYPES AND PROCESS.—Paragraphs (4) 

20 and (7) of subsection (b) of the Competitive, Special, and 

21 Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i) shall apply 

22 with respect to the making of grants under this section. 

23 ‘‘(c) PRIORITY.—The Secretary may give priority to 

24 grant proposals that involve— 

25 ‘‘(1) the cooperation of multiple entities; or 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
43 

•S 3420 IS

1 ‘‘(2) States or regions with a high concentration 

2 of urban farms, rooftop farms, and indoor produc3 tion facilities. 

4 ‘‘(d) FUNDING.— 

5 ‘‘(1) MANDATORY FUNDING.—Of the funds of 

6 the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary 

7 shall use to carry out this section $10,000,000 for 

8 each fiscal year, to remain available until expended. 

9 ‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In 

10 addition to amounts made available under paragraph 

11 (1), there is authorized to be appropriated to carry 

12 out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

13 2017 through 2021.’’. 

Æ 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS