Growing Value-Added Economies Act

To amend the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 to require peer review for value-added agricultural product market development grants, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Growing Value-Added Economies Act 2. Value-added agricultural product market development grants Section 231(b) of the ( 7 U.S.C. 1632a(b) (1) in paragraph (1), by striking paragraph (7) paragraph (10) (2) by striking paragraph (7); and (3) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following new paragraphs: (7) Peer review (A) In general The Secretary shall establish independent external review panels comprised of members with relevant expertise who are not employees of the Department to review and evaluate each eligible application based on merit and relevance. (B) Members of review panel Members assigned to a panel established under subparagraph (A) may include— (i) producers; and (ii) experts from colleges and universities, State and local agencies, private nonprofit organizations, industry, and related institutions. (C) Confidentiality The Secretary shall ensure that the identity of a member of a panel established under subparagraph (A) is, to the maximum extent practicable, confidential. (D) Conflicts of interest The Secretary shall ensure that no person with a conflict of interest may be assigned to be a member of a panel established under subparagraph (A). (8) Outreach and technical assistance The Secretary shall develop and implement an outreach and technical assistance strategy, including entering into cooperative agreements with private nonprofit entities, cooperative extension, State and local units of government, to— (A) further the purposes of the program established under this section; and (B) ensure that underserved States and communities are served by the program. (9) Program evaluation (A) In general The Secretary shall provide for the periodic evaluation of the program that measures the impact of the program and the impact of projects in achieving the purposes of the program. (B) Cooperative agreements The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with private nonprofit entities, cooperative extension, State and local units of government for the purpose of the program evaluation required under subparagraph (A). (10) Funding (A) In general Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall make available to carry out this subsection $20,000,000, to remain available until expended, for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023. (B) Discretionary funding There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2023. (C) Reservation of funds for projects to benefit beginning farmers or ranchers, socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, and mid-tier value chains (i) In general The Secretary shall reserve 10 percent of the amounts made available for each fiscal year under this paragraph to fund projects that benefit producers described in clauses (ii), (iii), and (iv) of paragraph (6)(A) or that best contribute to creating or increasing marketing opportunities for such producers. (ii) Mid-tier value chains The Secretary shall reserve 10 percent of the amounts made available for each fiscal year under this paragraph to fund applications of eligible entities described in paragraph (1) that propose to develop mid-tier value chains. (iii) Unobligated amounts Any amounts in the reserves for a fiscal year established under clauses (i) and (ii) that are not obligated after the completion of the peer review process for such fiscal year shall be available to the Secretary to make grants under this subsection to eligible entities in any State, as determined by the Secretary. (D) Administrative expenses and program evaluation Not more than 5 percent of the total amount made available to carry out this subsection for a fiscal year may be used for administrative expenses, program evaluation, outreach, and technical assistance. .

Summary: Growing Value-Added Economies Act This bill amends the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 to reauthorize and modify the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Value-Added Producer Grants Program. (The program provides grants for the development and marketing of value-added agricultural products, which are products that have increased in value due to processing.) The bill modifies the program to require USDA to: establish independent external review panels to review and evaluate each eligible application based on merit and relevance, develop and implement an outreach and technical assistance strategy, and provide for periodic evaluations that measure the impact of the program and the impact of projects on achieving the purposes of the program. The bill also: (1) provides mandatory funding for the program; and (2) prohibits more than 5% of the total annual funding for the program from being used for administrative expenses, program evaluation, outreach, and technical assistance.