379 
(1) identify administrative and legislative op-
tions for incentivizing private investment by utilizing 
RUS loan guarantee programs for the purpose of ex-
panding broadband to rural areas; 
(2) evaluate the existing borrower and lending 
guidelines for RUS loan and loan guarantee appli-
cants to incentivize participation in both programs; 
(3) evaluate the loan and loan guarantee appli-
cation processes for lenders and borrowers by elimi-
nating burdensome and unnecessary steps in the ap-
plication process and providing a more streamlined 
process to decrease the complexity of the application 
and the timeline from application to approval or de-
nial; 
(4) identify opportunities to provide technical 
assistance and pre-development planning activities to 
assist rural counties and communities to assess cur-
rent and future broadband needs; and 
(5) identify and evaluate emerging technologies, 
including next-generation satellite technologies, and 
ways to leverage the technologies to provide high- 
speed, low-latency internet connectivity to rural 
areas.
380 
SEC. 6102. INCENTIVES FOR HARD TO REACH COMMU-
NITIES. 
Title VI of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 
U.S.C. 950bb) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 604. INCENTIVES FOR HARD TO REACH COMMU-
NITIES. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) ASSOCIATED LOAN.—The term ‘associated 
loan’ means a loan or loan guarantee to finance all 
or part of a project under title I or II or this title 
for which an application has been submitted under 
such title and for which an application has also been 
submitted for a grant under this section. 
‘‘(2) DENSITY.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘density’ 
means service points per road-mile. 
‘‘(B) METHOD
OF
CALCULATION.—The 
Secretary shall further define, by rule, a meth-
od for calculating service points per road-mile, 
where appropriate by geography, which— 
‘‘(i) divides the total number of serv-
ice points by the total number of road- 
miles in a proposed service territory;
381 
‘‘(ii) requires an applicant to count all 
potential service points in a proposed serv-
ice territory; and 
‘‘(iii) includes any other requirements 
the Secretary deems necessary to protect 
the integrity of the program. 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE
PROJECT.—The term ‘eligible 
project’ means any project for which the applicant— 
‘‘(A) has submitted an application for an 
associated loan; 
‘‘(B) does not receive any other broadband 
grant administered by the Rural Utilities Serv-
ice; and 
‘‘(C) proposes to— 
‘‘(i) offer retail broadband service to 
rural households; 
‘‘(ii) serve an area with a density of 
less than 12; 
‘‘(iii) provide service that meets the 
standard that would apply under section 
601(e)(4) if the associated loan had been 
applied for under section 601; 
‘‘(iv) provide service in an area where 
no incumbent provider delivers fixed ter-
restrial broadband service at or above the
382 
minimum broadband speed described in 
section 601(e)(1); and 
‘‘(v) provide service in an area where 
no eligible borrower, other than the appli-
cant, has outstanding Rural Utilities Serv-
ice telecommunications debt or is subject 
to a current Rural Utilities Service tele-
communications grant agreement. 
‘‘(4) SERVICE POINT.—The term ‘service point’ 
means a home, business, or institution in a proposed 
service area. 
‘‘(5) ROAD-MILE.—The term ‘road-mile’ means 
a mile of road in a proposed service area. 
‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM.—The 
Secretary shall establish a competitive grant program to 
provide applicants funds to carry out eligible projects for 
the purposes of construction, improvement, or acquisition 
of facilities for the provision of broadband service in rural 
areas. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATIONS.—The Secretary shall establish 
an application process for grants under this section that— 
‘‘(1) has 1 application window per year; 
‘‘(2) permits a single application for the grant 
and the associated loan; and
383 
‘‘(3) provides a single decision to award the 
grant and the associated loan. 
‘‘(d) PRIORITY.—In making grants under this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall prioritize applications in which 
the applicant proposes to— 
‘‘(1) provide the highest quality of service as 
measured by— 
‘‘(A) network speed; 
‘‘(B) network latency; and 
‘‘(C) data allowances; 
‘‘(2) serve the greatest number of service 
points; and 
‘‘(3) use the greatest proportion of non-Federal 
dollars. 
‘‘(e) AMOUNT.—The Secretary shall make each grant 
under this section in an amount that is— 
‘‘(1) not greater than 75 percent of the total 
project cost with respect to an area with a density 
of less than 4; 
‘‘(2) not greater than 50 percent of the total 
project cost with respect to an area with a density 
of 4 or more and not more than 9; and 
‘‘(3) not greater than 25 percent of the total 
project cost with respect to an area with a density 
of more than 9 and not more than 12.
384 
‘‘(f) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—With respect to a 
grant provided under this section, the Secretary shall re-
quire that— 
‘‘(1) the associated loan is secured by the assets 
purchased with funding from the grant and from the 
loan; 
‘‘(2) the agreement in which the terms of the 
grant are established is for a period equal to the du-
ration of the associated loan; and 
‘‘(3) at any time at which the associated loan 
is outstanding, the broadband service provided by 
the project will meet the lower of the standards that 
would apply under section 601(g)(4) if the associ-
ated loan had been made under section 601. 
‘‘(g) PAYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN APPLI-
CANTS UNDER THIS TITLE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—As part of the grant pro-
gram under this section, the Secretary, at the sole 
discretion of the Secretary, may provide to appli-
cants who are eligible borrowers under this title and 
not eligible borrowers under title I or II all or a por-
tion of the grant funds in the form of payment as-
sistance. 
‘‘(2) PAYMENT
ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary 
may provide payment assistance under paragraph
385 
(1) by reducing a borrower’s interest rate or periodic 
principal payments or both. 
‘‘(3) AGREEMENT ON MILESTONES AND OBJEC-
TIVES.—With respect to payment assistance pro-
vided under paragraph (1), before entering into the 
agreement for the grant and associated loan under 
which the payment assistance will be provided, the 
applicant and the Secretary shall agree to milestones 
and objectives of the project. 
‘‘(4) CONDITION.—The Secretary shall condi-
tion any payment assistance provided under para-
graph (1) on— 
‘‘(A) the applicant fulfilling the terms and 
conditions of the grant agreement under which 
the payment assistance will be provided; and 
‘‘(B) completion of the milestones and ob-
jectives agreed to under paragraph (3). 
‘‘(5) AMENDMENT OF MILESTONES AND OBJEC-
TIVES.—The Secretary and the applicant may jointly 
agree to amend the milestones and objectives agreed 
to under paragraph (3). 
‘‘(h) EXISTING PROJECTS.—The Secretary may not 
provide a grant under this section to an applicant for a 
project that was commenced before the date of the enact-
ment of this section.
386 
‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$350,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 to 2023.’’. 
SEC. 6103. REQUIRING GUARANTEED BROADBAND LEND-
ING. 
Section 601(c)(1) of the Rural Electrification Act of 
1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb(c)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘shall 
make or guarantee loans’’ and inserting ‘‘shall make loans 
and shall guarantee loans’’. 
SEC. 6104. SMART UTILITY AUTHORITY FOR BROADBAND. 
(a) Section 331 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1981) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(e)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Sec-
retary may allow a recipient of a grant, loan, or loan guar-
antee provided by the Office of Rural Development under 
this title to use not more than 10 percent of the amount 
so provided— 
‘‘(A) for any activity for which assistance may 
be provided under section 601 of the Rural Elec-
trification Act of 1936; or 
‘‘(B) to construct other broadband infrastruc-
ture. 
‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not apply 
to a recipient who is seeking to provide retail broadband
387 
service in any area where retail broadband service is avail-
able at the minimum broadband speeds, as defined under 
section 601(e) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936.’’. 
(b) Title I of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 
(7 U.S.C. 901–918a) is amended by inserting after section 
7 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 8. LIMITATIONS ON USE OF ASSISTANCE. 
‘‘(a) Subject to subsections (b) and (c) of this section, 
the Secretary may allow a recipient of a grant, loan, or 
loan guarantee under this title to set aside not more than 
10 percent of the amount so received to provide retail 
broadband service. 
‘‘(b) A recipient who sets aside funds under sub-
section (a) of this section may use the funds only in an 
area that is not being provided with the minimum accept-
able level of broadband service established under section 
601(e), unless the recipient meets the requirements of sec-
tion 601(d). 
‘‘(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to 
limit the ability of any borrower to finance or deploy serv-
ices authorized under this title.’’. 
SEC. 6105. MODIFICATIONS TO THE RURAL GIGABIT PRO-
GRAM. 
Section 603 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 
(7 U.S.C. 950bb–2) is amended—
388 
(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘RURAL 
GIGABIT NETWORK PILOT’’ and inserting ‘‘INNO-
VATIVE BROADBAND ADVANCEMENT’’; 
(2) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘2014 through 
2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2019 through 2023’’; 
(3) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub-
section (e); and 
(4) by striking subsections (a) through (c) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 
program to be known as the ‘Innovative Broadband Ad-
vancement Program’, under which the Secretary may pro-
vide a grant, a loan, or both to an eligible entity for the 
purpose of demonstrating innovative broadband tech-
nologies or methods of broadband deployment that signifi-
cantly decrease the cost of broadband deployment, and 
provide substantially faster broadband speeds than are 
available, in a rural area. 
‘‘(b) RURAL AREA.—In this section, the term ‘rural 
area’ has the meaning provided in section 601(b)(3). 
‘‘(c) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to obtain assist-
ance under this section for a project, an entity shall— 
‘‘(1) submit to the Secretary an application— 
‘‘(A) that describes a project designed to 
decrease the cost of broadband deployment, and
389 
substantially increase broadband speed to not 
less than the 20-year broadband speed estab-
lished by the Rural Utilities Service under this 
title, in a rural area to be served by the project; 
and 
‘‘(B) at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such other information as the Sec-
retary may require; 
‘‘(2) demonstrate that the entity is able to 
carry out the project; and 
‘‘(3) agree to complete the project build-out 
within 5 years after the date the assistance is first 
provided for the project. 
‘‘(d) 
PRIORITIZATION.—In 
awarding 
assistance 
under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to pro-
posals for projects that— 
‘‘(1) involve partnerships between or among 
multiple entities; 
‘‘(2) would provide broadband service to the 
greatest number of rural residents at or above the 
minimum broadband speed referred to in subsection 
(c)(1)(A); and 
‘‘(3) the Secretary determines could be rep-
licated in rural areas described in paragraph (2).’’.
390 
SEC. 6106. UNIFIED BROADBAND REPORTING REQUIRE-
MENTS. 
Section 601 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 
(7 U.S.C. 950bb) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (j)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘Not later than’’ and all that fol-
lows through ‘‘section’’ and inserting ‘‘Each 
year, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress 
a report that describes the extent of participa-
tion in the broadband loan, loan guarantee, and 
grant programs administered by the Secretary’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘loans 
applied for and provided under this section’’ 
and inserting ‘‘loans, loan guarantees, and 
grants applied for and provided under the pro-
grams’’; 
(C) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘loan’’; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘loans and loan guarantees provided under 
this section’’ and inserting ‘‘loans, loan 
guarantees, and grants provided under the 
programs’’;
391 
(D) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘loan ap-
plication under this section’’ and inserting ‘‘ap-
plication under the programs’’; 
(E) in each of paragraphs (4) and (6), by 
striking ‘‘this section’’ and inserting ‘‘the pro-
grams’’; and 
(F) in paragraph (5)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘service’’ and inserting 
‘‘technology’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘(b)(1)’’ and inserting 
‘‘(e)(1)’’; and 
(2) in subsection (k)(2), in each of subpara-
graphs (A)(i) and (C), by striking ‘‘loans’’ and in-
serting ‘‘grants, loans,’’. 
SEC. 6107. IMPROVING ACCESS BY PROVIDING CERTAINTY 
TO BROADBAND BORROWERS. 
(a) TELEPHONE LOAN PROGRAM.—Title II of the 
Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 922–928) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 208. AUTHORITY TO OBLIGATE, BUT NOT DISBURSE, 
FUNDS BEFORE THE COMPLETION OF RE-
VIEWS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may obligate, but 
shall not disburse, funds under this title for a project be-
392 
fore the completion of any otherwise required environ-
mental, historical, or other review of the project. 
‘‘(b) AUTHORITY TO DEOBLIGATE FUNDS.—The Sec-
retary may deobligate funds under this title for a project 
if any such review will not be completed within a reason-
able period of time.’’. 
(b) RURAL BROADBAND PROGRAM.—Section 601(d) 
of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 
950bb(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(11) AUTHORITY TO OBLIGATE, BUT NOT DIS-
BURSE, FUNDS BEFORE COMPLETION OF REVIEWS; 
AUTHORITY TO DEOBLIGATE FUNDS.—The Secretary 
may obligate, but shall not disburse, funds under 
this section for a project before the completion of 
any otherwise required environmental, historical, or 
other review of the project. The Secretary may 
deobligate funds under this section for a project if 
any such review will not be completed within a rea-
sonable period of time.’’. 
SEC. 6108. SIMPLIFIED APPLICATION WINDOW. 
Section 601(c)(2)(A) of the Rural Electrification Act 
of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb(c)(2)(A)) is amended by striking 
‘‘not less than 2 evaluation periods’’ and inserting ‘‘1 eval-
uation period’’.
393 
SEC. 6109. ELIMINATION OF REQUIREMENT TO GIVE PRI-
ORITY TO CERTAIN APPLICANTS. 
Section 601(c)(2) of the Rural Electrification Act of 
1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb(c)(2)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘; and’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (C) and inserting a period; and 
(2) by striking subparagraph (D). 
SEC. 6110. MODIFICATION OF BUILDOUT REQUIREMENT. 
Section 601(d)(1)(A)(iii) of the Rural Electrification 
Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb(d)(1)(A)(iii)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘service’’ and inserting ‘‘infra-
structure’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘3’’ and inserting ‘‘5’’. 
SEC. 6111. IMPROVING BORROWER REFINANCING OPTIONS. 
(a) REFINANCING OF BROADBAND LOANS.—Section 
201 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 
922) is amended by inserting ‘‘including indebtedness on 
a loan made under section 601’’ after ‘‘furnishing tele-
phone service in rural areas’’. 
(b) REFINANCING
OF
OTHER
LOANS.—Section 
601(i) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 950bb(i)) is amended by in-
serting ‘‘, or on any other loan if the purpose for which 
such other loan was made is a telecommunications purpose 
for which assistance may be provided under this Act,’’ be-
fore ‘‘if the use of’’.
394 
SEC. 6112. ELIMINATION OF UNNECESSARY REPORTING RE-
QUIREMENTS. 
Section 601(d)(8)(A)(ii) of the Rural Electrification 
Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb(d)(8)(A)(ii)) is amended— 
(1) in subclause (I), by striking ‘‘and location’’; 
and 
(2) in subclause (IV), by striking ‘‘any changes 
in broadband service adoption rates, including’’. 
SEC. 6113. ACCESS TO BROADBAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS 
SERVICES IN RURAL AREAS. 
Section 601 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 
(7 U.S.C. 950bb) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (k), by striking paragraph (1) 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) LIMITATIONS ON AUTHORIZATION OF AP-
PROPRIATIONS.—For loans and loan guarantees 
under this section, there is authorized to be appro-
priated to the Secretary $150,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2019 through 2023, to remain available 
until expended.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (l), by striking ‘‘2018’’ and in-
serting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 6114. MIDDLE MILE BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE. 
Section 601 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 
(7 U.S.C. 950bb) is amended—
395 
(1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘or middle 
mile infrastructure’’ before ‘‘in rural areas’’; 
(2) in subsection (b), by redesignating para-
graphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (3) and (4) and 
inserting after paragraph (1) the following: 
‘‘(2) MIDDLE
MILE
INFRASTRUCTURE.—The 
term 
‘middle 
mile 
infrastructure’ 
means 
any 
broadband infrastructure that does not connect di-
rectly to end user locations (including anchor insti-
tutions) and may include interoffice transport, 
backhaul, Internet connectivity, data centers, or spe-
cial access transport to rural areas.’’; 
(3) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘and to 
construct, improve, or acquire middle mile in-
frastructure’’ before ‘‘in rural areas’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting ‘‘, or 
in the case of middle mile infrastructure, offer 
the future ability to link,’’ before ‘‘the greatest 
proportion’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) LIMITATION
ON
MIDDLE
MILE
INFRA-
STRUCTURE PROJECTS.—The Secretary shall limit 
loans or loan guarantees for middle mile infrastruc-
396 
ture projects to no more than 20 percent of the 
amounts made available to carry out this section.’’; 
(4) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(A)— 
(i) in clause (i) (as amended by sec-
tion 6101(1) of this Act), by inserting ‘‘or 
extend middle mile infrastructure’’ before 
‘‘in all’’; and 
(ii) in clause (iii), by inserting ‘‘or 
middle mile infrastructure’’ before ‘‘de-
scribed’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (B), by inserting 
‘‘or install middle mile infrastructure’’ be-
fore ‘‘in the proposed’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
clause (ii) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(ii) EXCEPTION.—Clause (i) shall 
not apply with respect to a project if the 
project is eligible for funding under an-
other title of this Act.’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(D) EXCEPTION FOR MIDDLE MILE IN-
FRASTRUCTURE.—Portions of a middle mile in-
397 
frastructure project that ultimately meet the 
rural service requirements of this section may 
traverse an area not described in subsection 
(b)(4) when necessary.’’; 
(C) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘, or 
construct, improve, or acquire middle mile in-
frastructure in,’’ before ‘‘a rural area’’; 
(D) in paragraph (5)(A)(v), by inserting 
‘‘or, in the case of middle mile infrastructure, 
connect’’ before the semicolon; and 
(E) in paragraph (8)(A)(ii)— 
(i) in subclause (I), by inserting ‘‘or 
may’’ before ‘‘receive’’; 
(ii) in subclause (II), by inserting ‘‘or 
capability of middle mile infrastructure’’ 
before the semicolon; and 
(iii) in subclause (III), by inserting ‘‘, 
if applicable’’ before the semicolon; 
(5) in subsection (i)— 
(A) in the subsection heading, by inserting 
‘‘OR MIDDLE MILE INFRASTRUCTURE’’ after 
‘‘SERVICE’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘or middle mile infra-
structure’’ before ‘‘in rural areas’’; and
398 
(6) in subsection (j)(6), by inserting ‘‘or middle 
mile infrastructure’’ after ‘‘service’’ the 1st and 3rd 
places it appears. 
SEC. 6115. OUTDATED BROADBAND SYSTEMS. 
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. 605. OUTDATED BROADBAND SYSTEMS. 
‘‘Beginning October 1, 2020, the Secretary shall con-
sider any portion of a service territory subject to an out-
standing grant agreement between the Secretary and a 
broadband provider in which broadband service is not pro-
vided at at least 10 megabits per second download and 
at least 1 megabit per second upload as unserved for the 
purposes of all broadband loan programs under this Act, 
unless the broadband provider has constructed or begun 
to construct broadband facilities in the service territory 
that meet the minimum acceptable standard of service es-
tablished under section 601(e)(1) for the area in which 
the service territory is located.’’. 
SEC. 6116. FEDERAL BROADBAND PROGRAM COORDINA-
TION. 
(a) CONSULTATION BETWEEN USDA AND NTIA.— 
The Secretary shall consult with the Assistant Secretary 
to assist in the verification of eligibility of the broadband
399 
loan and grant programs of the Department of Agri-
culture. In providing assistance under the preceding sen-
tence, the Assistant Secretary shall make available the 
broadband assessment and mapping capabilities of the 
National Telecommunications and Information Adminis-
tration. 
(b) CONSULTATION BETWEEN USDA AND FCC.— 
(1) BY USDA.—The Secretary shall consult with 
the Commission before making a broadband loan or 
grant for a project to serve an area with respect to 
which another entity is receiving Connect America 
Fund or Mobility Fund support under the Federal 
universal service support mechanisms established 
under section 254 of the Communications Act of 
1934 (47 U.S.C. 254). 
(2) BY
FCC.—The Commission shall consult 
with the Secretary before offering or providing Con-
nect America Fund or Mobility Fund support under 
the Federal universal service support mechanisms 
established under section 254 of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) to serve an area 
with respect to which another entity has received an 
award under a broadband loan or grant program of 
the Department of Agriculture.
400 
(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, 
the Commission, and the Assistant Secretary shall submit 
to the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and For-
estry and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate a report on how best to co-
ordinate federally supported broadband programs and ac-
tivities in order to achieve the following objectives: 
(1) Promote high-quality broadband service 
that meets the long-term needs of rural residents 
and businesses, by evaluating the broadband service 
needs in rural areas for each decade through 2050. 
(2) Support the long-term viability, sustain-
ability, and utility of federally supported rural 
broadband infrastructure, by analyzing the technical 
capabilities of the technologies currently available 
and reasonably expected to be available by 2035 to 
meet the broadband service needs of rural residents 
identified under paragraph (1), including by ana-
lyzing the following: 
(A) The real-world performance of such 
technologies, including data rates, latency, data
401 
usage restrictions, and other aspects of service 
quality, as defined by the Commission. 
(B) The suitability of each such technology 
for 
residential, 
agricultural, 
educational, 
healthcare, commercial, and industrial purposes 
in rural areas. 
(C) The cost to deploy and support such 
technologies in several rural geographies. 
(D) The costs associated with online plat-
forms, specifically the resulting constraints on 
rural network bandwidth. 
(3) Identify and quantify the availability of 
broadband service and ongoing broadband deploy-
ment in rural areas, including ways to do the fol-
lowing: 
(A) Harmonize broadband notification and 
reporting requirements and develop common 
verification procedures across all federally sup-
ported broadband programs. 
(B) Consolidate and utilize the existing 
broadband service data. 
(C) Collect and share data on those 
projects in rural areas where Federal programs 
are currently supporting broadband deployment,
402 
including areas with respect to which an entity 
is receiving— 
(i) support under a broadband loan or 
grant program of the Department of Agri-
culture; or 
(ii) Connect America Fund or Mobil-
ity Fund support under the Federal uni-
versal service support mechanisms estab-
lished under section 254 of the Commu-
nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254). 
(D) Leverage support technologies and 
services from online platforms for providers of 
broadband service in rural areas. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Assist-
ant Secretary’’ means the Assistant Secretary of 
Commerce for Communications and Information. 
(2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Federal Communications Commission. 
(3) RURAL AREA.—The term ‘‘rural area’’ has 
the meaning given the term in section 601(b)(3) of 
the Rural Electrification Act of 1936. 
SEC. 6117. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by this 
subtitle shall not take effect until the Secretary of Agri-
403 
culture has issued final regulations to implement the 
amendments. 
(b) DEADLINE FOR ISSUING REGULATIONS.—Within 
90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Agriculture shall prescribe final regulations 
to implement the amendments made by sections 6101 and 
6102. 
Subtitle C—Consolidated Farm and 
Rural Development Act 
SEC. 6201. STRENGTHENING REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVEL-
OPMENT INCENTIVES. 
Section 379H of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008v) is amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 379H. STRATEGIC ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DE-
VELOPMENT. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In the case of any program as 
determined by the Secretary, the Secretary shall give pri-
ority to an application for a project that, as determined 
and approved by the Secretary— 
‘‘(1) meets the applicable eligibility require-
ments of this title or other applicable authorizing 
law; 
‘‘(2) will be carried out in a rural area; and
404 
‘‘(3) supports the implementation of a strategic 
community investment plan described in subsection 
(d) on a multisectoral and multijurisdictional basis. 
‘‘(b) RESERVE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
the Secretary shall reserve a portion of the funds 
made available for a fiscal year for programs as de-
termined by the Secretary, for projects that support 
the implementation of a strategic community invest-
ment plan described in subsection (d) on a multisec-
toral and multijurisdictional basis. 
‘‘(2) PERIOD.—The reservation of funds de-
scribed in paragraph (1) may only extend through a 
date of the fiscal year in which the funds were first 
made available, as determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(c) APPROVED APPLICATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Any applicant who sub-
mitted a funding application that was approved be-
fore the date of enactment of this section may 
amend the application to qualify for the funds re-
served under subsection (b). 
‘‘(2) RURAL
UTILITIES.—Any rural develop-
ment application authorized under section 306(a)(2), 
306(a)(14), 306(a)(24), 306A, or 310B(b) and ap-
proved by the Secretary before the date of enact-
405 
ment of this section shall be eligible for the funds 
reserved under subsection (b) on the same basis as 
the applications submitted under this section, until 
September 30, 2019. 
‘‘(d) STRATEGIC COMMUNITY INVESTMENT PLANS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide 
assistance to rural communities for developing stra-
tegic community investment plans. 
‘‘(2) PLANS.—A strategic community invest-
ment plan described in paragraph (1) shall include— 
‘‘(A) a variety of activities designed to fa-
cilitate a rural community’s vision for its fu-
ture; 
‘‘(B) participation by multiple stake-
holders, including local and regional partners; 
‘‘(C) leverage of applicable regional re-
sources; 
‘‘(D) investment from strategic partners, 
such as— 
‘‘(i) private organizations; 
‘‘(ii) cooperatives; 
‘‘(iii) other government entities; 
‘‘(iv) Tribes; and 
‘‘(v) philanthropic organizations;
406 
‘‘(E) clear objectives with the ability to es-
tablish measurable performance metrics; 
‘‘(F) action steps for implementation; and 
‘‘(G) any other elements necessary to en-
sure that the plan results in a comprehensive 
and strategic approach to rural economic devel-
opment, as determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(3) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall co-
ordinate with tribes and local, State, regional, and 
Federal partners to develop strategic community in-
vestment plans under this subsection. 
‘‘(4) LIMITATIONS ON AUTHORIZATION OF AP-
PROPRIATIONS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to 
be appropriated $5,000,000 for fiscal years 
2018 through 2023 to carry out this subsection. 
‘‘(B) AVAILABILITY.—The amounts made 
available to carry out this subsection are au-
thorized to remain available until expended.’’. 
SEC. 6202. EXPANDING ACCESS TO CREDIT FOR RURAL 
COMMUNITIES. 
(a) CERTAIN PROGRAMS UNDER
THE CONSOLI-
DATED FARM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT ACT.—Section 
343(a)(13) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Develop-
ment Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)) is amended—
407 
(1) in subparagraph (B)— 
(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘AND 
GUARANTEED’’; and 
(B) in the text— 
(i) by striking ‘‘and guaranteed’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘(1), (2), and (24)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘(1) and (2)’’; and 
(2) in subparagraph (C)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and guaranteed’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘(21), and (24)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘and (21)’’. 
(b) RURAL
BROADBAND
PROGRAM.—Paragraph 
(4)(A)(ii) of section 601(b) of the Rural Electrification 
Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb(b)), as redesignated by sec-
tion 6114(2), is amended by inserting ‘‘in the case of a 
direct loan,’’ before ‘‘a city’’. 
SEC. 6203. PROVIDING FOR ADDITIONAL FEES FOR GUAR-
ANTEED LOANS. 
(a) CERTAIN PROGRAMS UNDER
THE CONSOLI-
DATED FARM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT ACT.—Section 
333 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act 
(7 U.S.C. 1983) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(5);
408 
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (6) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(7) in the case of an insured or guaranteed 
loan issued or modified under section 306(a), charge 
and collect from the recipient of the insured or guar-
anteed loan fees in such amounts as are necessary 
so that the sum of the total amount of fees so 
charged in each fiscal year and the total of the 
amounts appropriated for all such insured or guar-
anteed loans for the fiscal year equals the subsidy 
cost for the insured or guaranteed loans in the fiscal 
year.’’. 
(b) RURAL BROADBAND PROGRAM.—Section 601(c) 
of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 
950bb(c)), as amended by section 6114, is further amend-
ed by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) FEES.—In the case of a loan guarantee 
issued or modified under this section, the Secretary 
shall charge and collect from the recipient of the 
guarantee fees in such amounts as are necessary so 
that the sum of the total amount of fees so charged 
in each fiscal year and the total of the amounts ap-
propriated for all such loan guarantees for the fiscal
409 
year equals the subsidy cost for the loan guarantees 
in the fiscal year.’’. 
SEC. 6204. WATER, WASTE DISPOSAL, AND WASTEWATER 
FACILITY GRANTS. 
Section 306(a)(2)(B) of the Consolidated Farm and 
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(2)(B)) is 
amended— 
(1) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘$100,000’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘$200,000’’; and 
(2) in clause (vii), by striking ‘‘$30,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2008 through 2018’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘$15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 
through 2023’’. 
SEC. 6205. RURAL WATER AND WASTEWATER TECHNICAL 
ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING PROGRAMS. 
(a) Section 306(a)(14)(A) of the Consolidated Farm 
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(14)(A)) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of clause (ii); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of clause 
(iii) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(iv) identify options to enhance long 
term sustainability of rural water and 
waste systems to include operational prac-
410 
tices, revenue enhancements, policy revi-
sions, partnerships, consolidation, regional-
ization, or contract services.’’. 
(b) Section 306(a)(14)(C) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 
1926(a)(14)(C)) is amended by striking ‘‘1 nor more than 
3’’ and inserting ‘‘3 nor more than 5’’. 
SEC. 6206. RURAL WATER AND WASTEWATER CIRCUIT 
RIDER PROGRAM. 
Section 306(a)(22)(B) of the Consolidated Farm and 
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(22)(B)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘$20,000,000 for fiscal year 2014’’ 
and inserting ‘‘$25,000,000 for fiscal year 2018’’. 
SEC. 6207. 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 ‘‘$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2008 through 2018’’ and inserting ‘‘$5,000,000 for each 
of fiscal years 2019 through 2023’’. 
SEC. 
6208. 
EMERGENCY 
AND 
IMMINENT 
COMMUNITY 
WATER ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. 
Section 306A(i) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926a(i)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraph 
(B) and inserting the following:
411 
‘‘(B) RELEASE.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—Except as pro-
vided in clause (ii), funds reserved under 
subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year shall be 
reserved only until July 1 of the fiscal 
year. 
‘‘(ii) EXCEPTION.—In response to an 
eligible community where the drinking 
water supplies are inadequate due to a nat-
ural disaster, as determined by the Sec-
retary, including drought or severe weath-
er, the Secretary may provide potable 
water under this section for an additional 
period not to exceed 120 days beyond the 
established 
period 
otherwise 
provided 
under this section, in order to protect pub-
lic health.’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘$35,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2018’’ and in-
serting ‘‘$27,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 
through 2023’’.
412 
SEC. 6209. WATER SYSTEMS FOR RURAL AND NATIVE VIL-
LAGES IN ALASKA. 
Section 306D(d)(1) of the Consolidated Farm and 
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926d(d)(1)) is amend-
ed by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 6210. 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 ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 6211. SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT GRANTS. 
Section 310B(b)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and 
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(b)(2)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 6212. RURAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT GRANTS. 
Section 310B(c)(4)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and 
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(c)(4)(A)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 6213. RURAL COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 310B(e)(13) of the Con-
solidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
1932(e)(13)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’. 
(b) 
TECHNICAL
CORRECTION.—Section 
310B(e)(11)(B)(i) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(e)(11)(B)(i)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘(12)’’ and inserting ‘‘(13)’’.
413 
SEC. 6214. LOCALLY OR REGIONALLY PRODUCED AGRICUL-
TURAL FOOD PRODUCTS. 
Section 310B(g)(9)(B)(iv)(I) of the Consolidated 
Farm 
and 
Rural 
Development 
Act 
(7 
U.S.C. 
1932(g)(9)(B)(iv)(I)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 6215. 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 ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 6216. 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 strik-
ing ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 6217. INTERMEDIARY RELENDING PROGRAM. 
Section 310H(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1936b(e)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 
through 2018’’ and inserting ‘‘$10,000,000 for each of fis-
cal years 2019 through 2023’’. 
SEC. 6218. EXCLUSION OF PRISON POPULATIONS FROM 
DEFINITION OF RURAL AREA. 
Section 343(a)(13) of the Consolidated Farm and 
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13) is amend-
ed—
414 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘(G)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘(H)’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(H) EXCLUSION OF POPULATIONS INCAR-
CERATED
ON
A
LONG-TERM
BASIS.—Popu-
lations of individuals incarcerated on a long- 
term or regional basis shall not be included in 
determining whether an area is ‘rural’ or a 
‘rural area’.’’. 
SEC. 6219. NATIONAL RURAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNER-
SHIP. 
Section 378 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural De-
velopment Act (7 U.S.C. 2008m) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (g)(1), by striking ‘‘2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2023’’; and 
(2) in subsection (h), by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 6220. GRANTS FOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO TRANSMIT-
TERS. 
Section 379B(d) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008p(d)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’.
415 
SEC. 6221. RURAL MICROENTREPRENEUR ASSISTANCE 
PROGRAM. 
Section 379E(d) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008s(d)) is amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(d) FUNDING.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this section $4,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2019 through 2023.’’. 
SEC. 6222. HEALTH CARE SERVICES. 
Section 379G(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008u(e)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 6223. DELTA REGIONAL AUTHORITY. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
382M(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Develop-
ment Act (7 U.S.C. 2009aa–12(a)) is amended by striking 
‘‘2008 through 2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2019 through 
2023’’. 
(b) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—Section 382N of 
such Act (7 U.S.C. 2009aa–13) is amended by striking 
‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 6224. NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS REGIONAL AUTHOR-
ITY. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
383N(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Develop-
ment Act (7 U.S.C. 2009bb–12(a)) is amended by striking
416 
‘‘$30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘$2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 
through 2023’’. 
(b) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—Section 383O of 
such Act (7 U.S.C. 2009bb–13) is amended by striking 
‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 6225. RURAL BUSINESS INVESTMENT PROGRAM. 
Section 384S of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009cc–18) is amended by 
striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
Subtitle D—Rural Electrification 
Act of 1936 
SEC. 6301. GUARANTEES FOR BONDS AND NOTES ISSUED 
FOR ELECTRIFICATION OR TELEPHONE PUR-
POSES. 
Section 313A(f) of the Rural Electrification Act of 
1936 (7 U.S.C. 940c–1(f)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 6302. EXPANSION OF 911 ACCESS. 
Section 315(d) of the Rural Electrification Act of 
1936 (7 U.S.C. 940e(d)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2023’’.
417 
SEC. 6303. IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GUARANTEED UNDER-
WRITER PROGRAM. 
(a) Section 313A of the Rural Electrification Act of 
1936 (7 U.S.C. 940c–1) is amended— 
(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(a) GUARANTEES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), 
the Secretary shall guarantee payments on bonds or 
notes issued by cooperative or other lenders orga-
nized on a not-for-profit basis, if the proceeds of the 
bonds or notes are used to make utility infrastruc-
ture loans, or refinance bonds or notes issued for 
such purposes, to a borrower that has at any time 
received, or is eligible to receive, a loan under this 
Act. 
‘‘(2) TERMS.—A bond or note guaranteed 
under this section shall— 
‘‘(A) have a term of 35 years; and 
‘‘(B) by agreement between the Secretary 
and the borrower, be repaid by the borrower 
by— 
‘‘(i) periodic installments of principal 
and interest; 
‘‘(ii) periodic installments of interest 
and, at the end of the term of the bond or
418 
note, by the repayment of the outstanding 
principal; or 
‘‘(iii) a combination of the methods 
for repayment provided under clauses (i) 
and (ii).’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘for eli-
gible electrification or telephone purposes con-
sistent with this Act’’ and inserting ‘‘to bor-
rowers described in subsection (a)’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘for electrification or telephone purposes’’ 
and inserting ‘‘to borrowers under this 
Act’’; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
‘‘for eligible purposes described in sub-
section (a)’’ and inserting ‘‘to borrowers 
described in subsection (a)’’. 
(b)(1) The Secretary shall carry out section 313A of 
the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 940c–1), 
including the amendments made by this section, under a 
Notice of Solicitation of Applications until all regulations 
necessary to carry out the amendments made by this sec-
tion are fully implemented.
419 
(2) Paragraph (1) shall take effect on the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 6304. EXTENSION OF THE RURAL ECONOMIC DEVEL-
OPMENT LOAN AND GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) Section 12(b)(3)(D) of the Rural Electrification 
Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 912(b)(3)(D)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘313(b)(2)(A)’’ and inserting ‘‘313(b)(2)’’. 
(b) Section 313(b)(2) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 
940c(b)(2)) is amended— 
(1) by striking all that precedes ‘‘shall main-
tain’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(2) RURAL
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
SUB-
ACCOUNT.—The Secretary’’; and 
(2) by striking subparagraphs (B) through (E). 
(c) Title III of such Act (7 U.S.C. 931–940h) is 
amended by inserting after section 313A the following: 
‘‘SEC. 313B. RURAL DEVELOPMENT LOANS AND GRANTS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide 
grants or zero interest loans to borrowers under this Act 
for the purpose of promoting rural economic development 
and job creation projects, including funding for project 
feasibility studies, start-up costs, incubator projects, and 
other reasonable expenses for the purpose of fostering 
rural development.
420 
‘‘(b) REPAYMENTS.—In the case of zero interest 
loans, the Secretary shall establish such reasonable repay-
ment terms as will encourage borrower participation. 
‘‘(c) PROCEEDS.—All proceeds from the repayment 
of such loans made under this section shall be returned 
to the subaccount that the Secretary shall maintain in ac-
cordance with sections 313(b)(2) and 313B(f). 
‘‘(d) NUMBER OF GRANTS.—Loans and grants re-
quired under this section shall be made during each fiscal 
year to the full extent of the amounts made available 
under subsection (e). 
‘‘(e) FUNDING.— 
‘‘(1) DISCRETIONARY FUNDING.—In addition to 
other funds that are available to carry out this sec-
tion, there is authorized to be appropriated not more 
than $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 
through 2023 to carry out this section, to remain 
available until expended. 
‘‘(2) OTHER FUNDS.—In addition to the funds 
described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall use 
to provide grants and loans under this section— 
‘‘(A) the interest differential sums credited 
to the subaccount described in subsection (c); 
and
421 
‘‘(B) subject to section 313A(e)(2), the 
fees described in subsection (c)(4) of such sec-
tion. 
‘‘(f) MAINTENANCE
OF ACCOUNT.—The Secretary 
shall maintain the subaccount described in section 
313(b)(2), as in effect in fiscal year 2017, for purposes 
of carrying out this section.’’. 
(d) Section 313A of the Rural Electrification Act of 
1936 (7 U.S.C. 940c–1) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (c)(4)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘maintained under section 313(b)(2)(A)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘that shall be maintained as required 
by sections 313(b)(2) and 313B(f)’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘313(b)(2)(B)’’ and inserting ‘‘313(b)(2)’’; and 
(2) in subsection (e)(2), by striking ‘‘main-
tained under section 313(b)(2)(A)’’ and inserting 
‘‘required to be maintained by sections 313(b)(2) 
and 313B(f)’’. 
(e)(1) Subject to section 313B(e) of the Rural Elec-
trification Act of 1936 (as added by this section), the Sec-
retary of Agriculture shall carry out the loan and grant 
program required under such section in the same manner 
as the loan and grant program under section 313(b)(2)
422 
of such Act is carried out on the day before the date of 
the enactment of this Act, until such time as any regula-
tions necessary to carry out the amendments made by this 
section are fully implemented. 
(2) Paragraph (1) shall take effect on the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
Subtitle E—Farm Security and 
Rural Investment Act of 2002 
SEC. 6401. RURAL ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM. 
Section 6407 of the Farm Security and Rural Invest-
ment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107a) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (c)— 
(A) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(4) 
through (7) as paragraphs (5) through (8), re-
spectively; 
(B) by inserting after paragraph (3) the 
following: 
‘‘(4) ELIGIBILITY
FOR
OTHER
LOANS.—The 
Secretary shall not include any debt incurred under 
this section in the calculation of a borrower’s debt- 
equity ratio for purposes of eligibility for loans made 
pursuant to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 
U.S.C. 901 et. seq.).’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following:
423 
‘‘(9) ACCOUNTING.—The Secretary shall take 
appropriate steps to streamline the accounting re-
quirements imposed on borrowers under this section 
while maintaining adequate assurances of repayment 
of the loan.’’; 
(2) in subsection (d)(1)(A), by striking ‘‘3 per-
cent’’ and inserting ‘‘5 percent’’; 
(3) by redesignating subsection (h) as sub-
section (i); 
(4) by inserting after subsection (g) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(h) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 120 
days after the end of each fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committees on Agriculture and Appropria-
tions of the House of Representatives and the Committees 
on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and Appropria-
tions of the Senate a report that describes— 
‘‘(1) the number of applications received under 
this section in such fiscal year; 
‘‘(2) the number of loans made to eligible enti-
ties under this section in such fiscal year; and 
‘‘(3) the recipients of such loans.’’; and 
(5) in subsection (i), as so redesignated, by 
striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’.
424 
SEC. 6402. BIOBASED MARKETS PROGRAM. 
Section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Invest-
ment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8102) is amended— 
(1) by amending subsection (i) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(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 2023.’’; 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(k) WOOD
AND WOOD-BASED PRODUCTS.—Not-
withstanding any other provision of law, a Federal agency 
may not place limitations on the procurement of wood and 
wood-based products that are more limiting than those in 
this section.’’. 
SEC. 6403. BIOREFINERY, RENEWABLE, CHEMICAL, AND 
BIOBASED PRODUCT MANUFACTURING AS-
SISTANCE. 
Section 9003 of the Farm Security and Rural Invest-
ment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8103) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)(3)(A), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
at the end and inserting ‘‘or’’; and 
(2) by amending subsection (g) to read as fol-
lows:
425 
‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$75,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2023.’’. 
SEC. 6404. REPOWERING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
Section 9004(d) of the Farm Security and Rural In-
vestment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8104(d)) is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(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 2023.’’. 
SEC. 
6405. 
BIOENERGY 
PROGRAM 
FOR 
ADVANCED 
BIOFUELS. 
Section 9005 of the Farm Security and Rural Invest-
ment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8105) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (e)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘The Secretary may’’ and 
inserting the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(1) AMOUNT.—The Secretary shall’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) FEEDSTOCK.—The total amount of pay-
ments made in a fiscal year under this section to one 
or more eligible producers for the production of ad-
vanced biofuels derived from a single eligible com-
modity shall not exceed one-third of the total
426 
amount of funds made available under subsection 
(g).’’; and 
(2) in subsection (g)— 
(A) by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) and 
inserting the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2019 through 2023.’’; and 
(B) by redesignating paragraph (3) as 
paragraph (2). 
SEC. 6406. BIODIESEL FUEL EDUCATION PROGRAM. 
Section 9006(d) of the Farm Security and Rural In-
vestment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8106(d)) is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.’’. 
SEC. 6407. RURAL ENERGY FOR AMERICA PROGRAM. 
Section 9007(g) of the Farm Security and Rural In-
vestment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107(g)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(E), by striking ‘‘for fiscal 
year 2014 and each fiscal year thereafter’’ and in-
serting ‘‘for each of the fiscal years 2014 through 
2018’’; and
427 
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 6408. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR GRANTS AND FI-
NANCIAL ASSISTANCE MADE UNDER THE 
RURAL ENERGY FOR AMERICA PROGRAM. 
Section 9007 of the Farm Security and Rural Invest-
ment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(h) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—The provision of a 
grant or financial assistance under this section to any elec-
tric generating facility, including one fueled with wind, 
solar, or biomass, that has a rating of 10 average 
megawatts or less is a category of actions hereby des-
ignated as being categorically excluded from any require-
ment to prepare an environmental assessment or an envi-
ronmental impact statement under section 102 of the Na-
tional Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4332).’’. 
SEC. 6409. RURAL ENERGY SELF-SUFFICIENCY INITIATIVE. 
Section 9009 of the Farm Security and Rural Invest-
ment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8109) is repealed. 
SEC. 6410. FEEDSTOCK FLEXIBILITY. 
Section 9010(b) of the Farm Security and Rural In-
vestment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8110(b)) is amended—
428 
(1) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ‘‘2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2023’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ‘‘2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 6411. BIOMASS CROP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
Section 9011(f) of the Farm Security and Rural In-
vestment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8111(f)) is amended by 
striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2019 through 2023.’’. 
Subtitle F—Miscellaneous 
SEC. 6501. VALUE-ADDED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT MAR-
KET DEVELOPMENT GRANTS. 
Section 231(b)(7) of the Agricultural Risk Protection 
Act of 2000 (7 U.S.C. 1632a(b)(7)) is amended— 
(1) 
in 
subparagraph 
(B), 
by 
striking 
‘‘$40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 
2018’’ and inserting ‘‘$50,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2019 through 2023’’; and 
(2) by striking subparagraph (A) and redesig-
nating subparagraphs (B) and (C) as subparagraphs 
(A) and (B), respectively.
429 
SEC. 6502. AGRICULTURE INNOVATION CENTER DEM-
ONSTRATION PROGRAM. 
Section 6402(i) of the Farm Security and Rural In-
vestment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 1632b(i)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 6503. REGIONAL ECONOMIC AND INFRASTRUCTURE 
DEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS. 
Section 15751(a) of title 40, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 6504. 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 ‘‘or 2010 decennial census’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2010, or 2020 decennial census’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘December 31, 2010,’’ and in-
serting ‘‘December 31, 2020,’’ ; and 
(3) by striking ‘‘year 2020’’ and inserting ‘‘year 
2030’’. 
SEC. 6505. LIMITED EXCLUSION OF MILITARY BASE RESI-
DENTS FROM DEFINITION OF RURAL AREA. 
(a) PROGRAMS UNDER THE CONSOLIDATED FARM 
AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT ACT.—Section 343(a)(13) of 
the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 
U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)), as amended by section 6218 of this 
Act, is amended—
431 
Subtitle G—Program Repeals 
SEC. 6601. ELIMINATION OF UNFUNDED PROGRAMS. 
(a) CONSOLIDATED FARM AND RURAL DEVELOP-
MENT ACT.— 
(1) REPEALERS.—The following provisions of 
the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act 
are hereby repealed: 
(A) 
Section 
306(a)(23) 
(7 
U.S.C. 
1926(a)(23)). 
(B) Section 310B(f) (7 U.S.C. 1932(f)). 
(C) Section 379 (7 U.S.C. 2008n). 
(D) Section 379A (7 U.S.C. 2008o). 
(E) Section 379C (7 U.S.C. 2008q). 
(F) Section 379D (7 U.S.C. 2008r). 
(G) Section 379F (7 U.S.C. 2008t). 
(H) Subtitle I (7 U.S.C. 2009dd–2009dd– 
7). 
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 
333A(h) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1983a(h)) is amend-
ed by striking ‘‘310B(f),’’. 
(b) RURAL ELECTRIFICATION ACT OF 1936.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The following provisions of 
the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 are hereby re-
pealed: 
(A) Section 314 (7 U.S.C. 940d).
432 
(B) Section 602 (7 U.S.C. 950bb–1). 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Sections 604 
and 605 of such Act, as added by sections 6102 and 
6115 of this Act, are redesignated as sections 602 
and 604, respectively, and section 602 (as so redes-
ignated) is transferred to just after section 601 of 
the Rural Electrification Act of 1936. 
SEC. 6602. REPEAL OF RURAL TELEPHONE BANK. 
(a) REPEAL.—Title IV of the Rural Electrification 
Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 941–950b) is repealed. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) Section 18 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 918) is 
amended in each of subsections (a) and (b) by strik-
ing ‘‘and the Governor of the telephone bank’’. 
(2) Section 204 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 925) is 
amended by striking ‘‘and the Governor of the tele-
phone bank’’. 
(3) Section 205(a) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 926) 
is amended— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘and the Governor of the telephone 
bank’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘or the 
Governor of the telephone bank’’.
433 
(4) Section 206(a) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 
927(a)) is amended— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘and the Governor of the telephone 
bank’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘or 
408’’. 
(5) Section 206(b) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 
927(b)) is amended— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘and the Governor of the telephone 
bank’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘, or a 
Rural Telephone Bank loan,’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘, the 
Rural Telephone Bank,’’. 
(6) Section 207(1) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 
928(1)) is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘305,’’ and inserting ‘‘305 
or’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘, or a loan under section 
408,’’. 
(7) Section 301 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 931) is 
amended—
434 
(A) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘except 
for net collection proceeds previously appro-
priated for the purchase of class A stock in the 
Rural Telephone Bank,’’; 
(B) by adding ‘‘or’’ at the end of para-
graph (4); 
(C) by striking ‘‘; and’’ at the end of para-
graph (5) and inserting a period; and 
(D) by striking paragraph (6). 
(8) Section 305(d)(2)(B) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 
935(d)(2)(B)) is amended— 
(A) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘and a loan 
under section 408’’; and 
(B) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘and under 
section 408’’ each place it appears. 
(9) Section 305(d)(3)(C) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 
935(d)(3)(C)) is amended by striking ‘‘and section 
408(b)(4)(C), the Secretary and the Governor of the 
telephone bank’’ and inserting ‘‘the Secretary’’. 
(10) Section 306 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 936) is 
amended by striking ‘‘the Rural Telephone Bank, 
National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Cor-
poration,’’ and inserting ‘‘the National Rural Utili-
ties Cooperative Finance Corporation’’.
435 
(11) Section 309 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 739) is 
amended by striking the last sentence. 
(12) Section 2352(b) of the Food, Agriculture, 
Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 901 
note) is amended by striking ‘‘the Rural Telephone 
Bank and’’. 
(13) The first section of Public Law 92–12 (7 
U.S.C. 921a) is repealed. 
(14) The first section of Public Law 92–324 (7 
U.S.C. 921b) is repealed. 
(15) Section 1414 of the Omnibus Budget Rec-
onciliation Act of 1987 (7 U.S.C. 944a) is repealed. 
(16) Section 1411 of the Omnibus Budget Rec-
onciliation Act of 1987 (7 U.S.C. 948 notes) is 
amended by striking subsections (a) and (b). 
(17) Section 3.8(b)(1)(A) of the Farm Credit 
Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C. 2129(b)(1)(A)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘or a loan or loan commitment from the 
Rural Telephone Bank,’’. 
(18) Section 105(d) of the National Consumer 
Cooperative Bank Act (12 U.S.C. 3015(d)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘the Rural Telephone Bank,’’. 
(19) Section 9101 of title 31, United States 
Code, is amended—
436 
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking subpara-
graph (H) and redesignating subparagraphs (I), 
(J), and (K) as subparagraphs (H), (I), and 
(J), respectively; and 
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking subpara-
graph (K) and redesignating subparagraphs (L) 
through (R) as subparagraphs (K) through (P), 
respectively. 
(20) Section 9108(d)(2) of title 31, United 
States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘the Rural 
Telephone Bank (when the ownership, control, and 
operation of the Bank are converted under section 
410(a) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 
U.S.C. 950(a))),’’. 
SEC. 6603. AMENDMENTS TO LOCAL TV ACT. 
The Launching Our Communities’ Access to Local 
Television Act of 2000 (title X of H.R. 5548 of the 106th 
Congress, as enacted by section 1(a)(2) of Public Law 
106–553; 114 Stat. 2762A–128) is amended— 
(1) by striking the title heading and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘TITLE X—SATELLITE CARRIER 
RETRANSMISSION ELIGIBILITY’’; 
(2) by striking sections 1001 through 1007 and 
1009 through 1012; and
437 
(3) by redesignating section 1008 as section 
1001. 
Subtitle H—Technical Corrections 
SEC. 6701. CORRECTIONS RELATING TO THE CONSOLI-
DATED FARM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT 
ACT. 
(a)(1) Section 306(a)(19)(A) of the Consolidated 
Farm 
and 
Rural 
Development 
Act 
(7 
U.S.C. 
1926(a)(19)(A)) is amended by inserting after ‘‘nonprofit 
corporations’’ the following: ‘‘, Indian Tribes (as defined 
in section 4(e) of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu-
cation Assistance Act)’’. 
(2) The amendment made by this subsection shall 
take effect as if included in section 773 of the Agriculture, 
Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 (H.R. 5426 of 
the 106th Congress, as enacted by Public Law 106–387 
(114 Stat. 1549A–45)) in lieu of the amendment made 
by such section. 
(b)(1) Section 309A(b) of the Consolidated Farm and 
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1929a(b)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘and section 308’’. 
(2) The amendment made by this subsection shall 
take effect as if included in the enactment of section
438 
661(c)(2) of the Federal Agricultural Improvement and 
Reform Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–127). 
(c) Section 310B(c)(3)(A)(v) of the Consolidated 
Farm 
and 
Rural 
Development 
Act 
(7 
U.S.C. 
1932(c)(3)(A)(v)) is amended by striking ‘‘and’’ after the 
semicolon and inserting ‘‘or’’. 
(d)(1) Section 310B(e)(5)(F) of the Consolidated 
Farm 
and 
Rural 
Development 
Act 
(7 
U.S.C. 
1932(e)(5)(F)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, except that the 
Secretary shall not require non-Federal financial support 
in an amount that is greater than 5 percent in the case 
of a 1994 institution (as defined in section 532 of the Eq-
uity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 
U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103–382))’’ before the pe-
riod at the end. 
(2) The amendment made by this subsection shall 
take effect as if included in the enactment of section 6015 
of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 
(Public Law 107–171). 
(e)(1) Section 381E(d)(3) of the Consolidated Farm 
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009d(d)(3)) is 
amended by striking subparagraph (A) and redesignating 
subparagraphs (B) and (C) as subparagraphs (A) and 
(B), respectively.
439 
(2) The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall 
take effect as if included in the enactment of section 
6012(b) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public Law 113– 
79). 
(f)(1) Section 382A of the Consolidated Farm and 
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009aa) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, the State of Alabama shall be a full member of 
the Delta Regional Authority and shall be entitled to 
all rights and privileges that said membership af-
fords to all other participating States in the Delta 
Regional Authority.’’. 
(2) The amendment made by this subsection shall 
take effect as if included in the enactment of section 
153(b) of division B of H.R. 5666, as introduced in the 
106th Congress, and as enacted by section 1(4) of the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2001 (Appendix D of 
Public Law 106–554; 114 Stat. 2763A–252). 
(g) Section 382E(a)(1)(B) of the Consolidated Farm 
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C.2009aa-4(a)(1)(B)) 
is amended by moving clause (iv) 2 ems to the right. 
(h) Section 383G(c) of the Consolidated Farm and 
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009bb-5(c)) is amend-
ed—
440 
(1) in the subsection heading by striking 
‘‘TELECOMMUNICATION
RENEWABLE
ENERGY,,’’ 
and inserting ‘‘TELECOMMUNICATION, RENEWABLE 
ENERGY,’’; and 
(2) in the text, by striking ‘‘,,’’ and inserting a 
comma. 
SEC. 6702. CORRECTIONS RELATING TO THE RURAL ELEC-
TRIFICATION ACT OF 1936. 
(a) Section 201 of the Rural Electrification Act of 
1936 (7 U.S.C. 922) is amended in the 3rd sentence by 
striking ‘‘wildest’’ and inserting ‘‘widest’’. 
(b)(1) Section 601(d)(8)(A)(ii)(V) of such Act (7 
U.S.C. 950bb(d)(8)(A)(ii)(V)) is amended by striking the 
semicolon and inserting a period. 
(2) The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall 
take effect as if included in the enactment of section 
6104(a)(2)(E) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public 
Law 113–79). 
Subtitle I—Precision Agriculture 
Connectivity 
SEC. 6801. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Precision agriculture technologies and prac-
tices allow farmers to significantly increase crop 
yields, eliminate overlap in operations, and reduce
441 
inputs such as seed, fertilizer, pesticides, water, and 
fuel. 
(2) These technologies allow farmers to collect 
data in real time about their fields, automate field 
management, and maximize resources. 
(3) Studies estimate that precision agriculture 
technologies can reduce agricultural operation costs 
by up to 25 dollars per acre and increase farm yields 
by up to 70 percent by 2050. 
(4) The critical cost savings and productivity 
benefits of precision agriculture cannot be realized 
without the availability of reliable broadband Inter-
net access service delivered to the agricultural land 
of the United States. 
(5) The deployment of broadband Internet ac-
cess service to unserved and underserved agricul-
tural land is critical to the United States economy 
and to the continued leadership of the United States 
in global food production. 
(6) Despite the growing demand for broadband 
Internet 
access 
service 
on 
agricultural 
land, 
broadband Internet access service is not consistently 
available where needed for agricultural operations. 
(7) The Federal Communications Commission 
has an important role to play in the deployment of
442 
broadband Internet access service on unserved and 
underserved agricultural land to promote precision 
agriculture. 
SEC. 
6802. 
TASK 
FORCE 
FOR 
REVIEWING 
THE 
CONNECTIVITY AND TECHNOLOGY NEEDS OF 
PRECISION AGRICULTURE. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
(1) the term ‘‘broadband Internet access serv-
ice’’ has the meaning given the term in section 8.2 
of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any suc-
cessor regulation; 
(2) the term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Federal 
Communications Commission; 
(3) the term ‘‘Department’’ means the Depart-
ment of Agriculture; and 
(4) the term ‘‘Task Force’’ means the Task 
Force for Reviewing the Connectivity and Tech-
nology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the United 
States established under subsection (b). 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall 
establish the Task Force for Reviewing the Connectivity 
and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the 
United States. 
(c) DUTIES.—
443 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force shall con-
sult with the Secretary, or a designee of the Sec-
retary, and collaborate with public and private 
stakeholders in the agriculture and technology fields 
to— 
(A) identify and measure current gaps in 
the availability of broadband Internet access 
service on agricultural land; 
(B) develop policy recommendations to 
promote the rapid, expanded deployment of 
broadband Internet access service on unserved 
agricultural land, with a goal of achieving reli-
able capabilities on 95 percent of agricultural 
land in the United States by 2025; 
(C) promote effective policy and regulatory 
solutions that encourage the adoption of 
broadband Internet access service on farms and 
ranches and promote precision agriculture; 
(D) recommend specific new rules or 
amendments to existing rules of the Commis-
sion that the Commission should issue to 
achieve the goals and purposes of the policy rec-
ommendations described in subparagraph (B); 
(E) recommend specific steps that the 
Commission should take to obtain reliable and
444 
standardized data measurements of the avail-
ability of broadband Internet access service as 
may be necessary to target funding support, 
from existing or future programs of the Com-
mission 
dedicated 
to 
the 
deployment 
of 
broadband Internet access service, to unserved 
agricultural land in need of broadband Internet 
access service; and 
(F) recommend specific steps that the 
Commission should consider to ensure that the 
expertise of the Secretary and available farm 
data are reflected in existing or future pro-
grams of the Commission dedicated to the in-
frastructure deployment of broadband Internet 
access service and to direct available funding to 
unserved agricultural land where needed. 
(2) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary, or a des-
ignee of the Secretary, shall explain and make avail-
able to the Task Force the expertise, data mapping 
information, and resources of the Department that 
the Department uses to identify cropland, ranchland, 
and other areas with agricultural operations that 
may be helpful in developing the recommendations 
required under paragraph (1).
445 
(3) LIST OF AVAILABLE FEDERAL PROGRAMS 
AND RESOURCES.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary and 
the Commission shall jointly submit to the Task 
Force a list of all Federal programs or resources 
available for the expansion of broadband Internet ac-
cess service on unserved agricultural land to assist 
the Task Force in carrying out the duties of the 
Task Force. 
(d) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force shall be— 
(A) composed of not more than 15 voting 
members who shall— 
(i) be selected by the Chairman of the 
Commission, in consultation with the Sec-
retary; and 
(ii) include— 
(I) agricultural producers rep-
resenting diverse geographic regions 
and farm sizes, including owners and 
operators of farms of less than 100 
acres; 
(II) Internet service providers, 
including regional or rural fixed and 
mobile broadband Internet access
446 
service providers and telecommuni-
cations infrastructure providers; 
(III) representatives from the 
electric cooperative industry; 
(IV) representatives from the sat-
ellite industry; 
(V) representatives from preci-
sion agriculture equipment manufac-
turers, including drone manufactur-
ers, manufacturers of autonomous ag-
ricultural machinery, and manufactur-
ers of farming robotics technologies; 
and 
(VI) representatives from State 
and local governments; and 
(B) fairly balanced in terms of tech-
nologies, points of view, and fields represented 
on the Task Force. 
(2) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—A member of the Com-
mittee appointed under paragraph (1)(A) shall 
serve for a single term of 2 years. 
(B) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the Task 
Force—
447 
(i) shall not affect the powers of the 
Task Force; and 
(ii) shall be filled in the same manner 
as the original appointment. 
(3) EX-OFFICIO MEMBER.—The Secretary, or a 
designee of the Secretary, shall serve as an ex-offi-
cio, nonvoting member of the Task Force. 
(e) REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
on which the Commission establishes the Task Force, and 
annually thereafter, the Task Force shall submit to the 
Chairman of the Commission a report, which shall be 
made public not later than 30 days after the date on which 
the Chairman receives the report, that details— 
(1) the status of fixed and mobile broadband 
Internet access service coverage of agricultural land; 
(2) the projected future connectivity needs of 
agricultural operations, farmers, and ranchers; and 
(3) the steps being taken to accurately measure 
the availability of broadband Internet access service 
on agricultural land and the limitations of current, 
as of the date of the report, measurement processes. 
(f) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall renew the 
Task Force every 2 years until the Task Force terminates 
on January 1, 2025.
448 
TITLE VII—RESEARCH, EXTEN-
SION, 
AND 
RELATED 
MAT-
TERS 
Subtitle A—National Agricultural 
Research, Extension, and Teach-
ing Policy Act of 1977 
SEC. 7101. INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURE RESEARCH. 
Section 1402 of the National Agricultural Research, 
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 
3101) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (8), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(9) support international scientific collabora-
tion that leverages resources and advances the food 
and agricultural interests of the United States.’’. 
SEC. 7102. MATTERS RELATED TO CERTAIN SCHOOL DES-
IGNATIONS AND DECLARATIONS. 
(a) 
STUDY
OF
FOOD
AND
AGRICULTURAL 
SCIENCES.— 
(1) AMENDMENT.—Section 1404(14) of the 
National Agricultural Research, Extension, and
449 
Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103(14)) is 
amended— 
(A) by amending subparagraph (A) to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(i) 
DEFINITION.—The 
terms 
‘NLGCA Institution’ and ‘non-land-grant 
college of agriculture’ mean a public col-
lege or university offering a baccalaureate 
or higher degree in the study of agricul-
tural sciences, forestry, or both in any area 
of study specified in clause (ii). 
‘‘(ii) CLARIFICATION.—For purposes 
of clause (i), an area of study specified in 
this clause is any of the following: 
‘‘(I) Agriculture. 
‘‘(II) Agricultural business and 
management. 
‘‘(III) Agricultural economics. 
‘‘(IV) 
Agricultural 
mechaniza-
tion. 
‘‘(V) Agricultural production op-
erations. 
‘‘(VI) Aquaculture.
450 
‘‘(VII) Agricultural and food 
products processing. 
‘‘(VIII) Agricultural and domes-
tic animal services. 
‘‘(IX) Equestrian or equine stud-
ies. 
‘‘(X) Applied horticulture or hor-
ticulture operations. 
‘‘(XI) Ornamental horticulture. 
‘‘(XII) 
Greenhouse 
operations 
and management. 
‘‘(XIII) Turf and turfgrass man-
agement. 
‘‘(XIV) Plant nursery operations 
and management. 
‘‘(XV) Floriculture or floristry 
operations and management. 
‘‘(XVI) International agriculture. 
‘‘(XVII) Agricultural public serv-
ices. 
‘‘(XVIII) Agricultural and exten-
sion education services. 
‘‘(XIX) Agricultural communica-
tion or agricultural journalism. 
‘‘(XX) Animal sciences.
451 
‘‘(XXI) Food science. 
‘‘(XXII) Plant sciences. 
‘‘(XXIII) Soil sciences. 
‘‘(XXIV) Forestry. 
‘‘(XXV) Forest sciences and biol-
ogy. 
‘‘(XXVI) Natural resources or 
conservation. 
‘‘(XXVII) 
Natural 
resources 
management and policy. 
‘‘(XXVIII) Natural resource eco-
nomics. 
‘‘(XXIX) Urban forestry. 
‘‘(XXX) Wood science and wood 
products or pulp or paper technology. 
‘‘(XXXI) 
Range 
science 
and 
management. 
‘‘(XXXII) Agricultural engineer-
ing.’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (C)— 
(i) in the matter preceding clause (i), 
by inserting ‘‘any institution designated 
under’’ after ‘‘include’’; 
(ii) by striking clause (i); and 
(iii) in clause (ii)—
452 
(I) by striking ‘‘(ii) any institu-
tion designated under—’’; 
(II) by striking subclause (IV); 
(III) in subclause (II), by adding 
‘‘or’’ at the end; 
(IV) in subclause (III), by strik-
ing ‘‘; or’’ at the end and inserting a 
period; and 
(V) by redesignating subclauses 
(I), (II), and (III) (as so amended) as 
clauses (i), (ii), and (iii), respectively, 
and by moving the margins of such 
clauses (as so redesignated) two ems 
to the left. 
(2) DESIGNATION REVIEW.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary shall establish a process to review 
each designated NLGCA Institution (as defined 
in section 1404(14)(A) of the National Agricul-
tural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy 
Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103(14)(A))) to ensure 
compliance with such section, as amended by 
this subsection.
453 
(B) VIOLATION.—An NLGCA Institution 
that the Secretary determines under subpara-
graph (A) to be not in compliance shall have 
the designation of such institution revoked. 
(b) TERMINATION OF CERTAIN DECLARATIONS OF 
INTENT.—Section 1404 of the National Agricultural Re-
search, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3103) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (5)(B), by striking ‘‘2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2023’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (10)(C), by striking ‘‘2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7103. NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTEN-
SION, EDUCATION, AND ECONOMICS ADVI-
SORY BOARD. 
Section 1408 of the National Agricultural Research, 
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 
3123) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘25’’ and 
inserting ‘‘15’’; and 
(B) by amending paragraph (3) to read as 
follows:
454 
‘‘(3) MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES.—The Advisory 
Board shall consist of members from each of the fol-
lowing categories: 
‘‘(A) 3 members representing national 
farm or producer organizations, which may in-
clude members— 
‘‘(i) representing farm cooperatives; 
‘‘(ii) who are producers actively en-
gaged in the production of a food animal 
commodity and who are recommended by a 
coalition of national livestock organiza-
tions; 
‘‘(iii) who are producers actively en-
gaged in the production of a plant com-
modity and who are recommended by a co-
alition of national crop organizations; or 
‘‘(iv) who are producers actively en-
gaged in aquaculture and who are rec-
ommended by a coalition of national 
aquacultural organizations. 
‘‘(B) 2 members representing academic or 
research societies, which may include members 
representing— 
‘‘(i) a national food animal science so-
ciety;
455 
‘‘(ii) a national crop, soil, agronomy, 
horticulture, plant pathology, or weed 
science society; 
‘‘(iii) a national food science organiza-
tion; 
‘‘(iv) a national human health associa-
tion; or 
‘‘(v) a national nutritional science so-
ciety. 
‘‘(C) 5 members representing agricultural 
research, extension, and education, which shall 
include each of the following: 
‘‘(i) 1 member representing the land- 
grant colleges and universities eligible to 
receive funds under the Act of July 2, 
1862 (7 U.S.C. 301 et seq.). 
‘‘(ii) 1 member representing the land- 
grant colleges and universities eligible to 
receive funds under the Act of August 30, 
1890 (7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.), including 
Tuskegee University. 
‘‘(iii) 1 member representing the 1994 
Institutions (as defined in section 532 of 
the Equity in Educational Land-Grant
456 
Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; 
Public Law 103–382)). 
‘‘(iv) 1 member representing NLGCA 
Institutions or Hispanic-serving institu-
tions. 
‘‘(v) 1 member representing the 
American Colleges of Veterinary Medicine. 
‘‘(D) 5 members representing industry, 
consumer, or rural interests, including members 
representing— 
‘‘(i) entities engaged in transportation 
of food and agricultural products to do-
mestic and foreign markets; 
‘‘(ii) food retailing and marketing in-
terests; 
‘‘(iii) food and fiber processors; 
‘‘(iv) rural economic development in-
terests; 
‘‘(v) a national consumer interest 
group; 
‘‘(vi) a national forestry group; 
‘‘(vii) a national conservation or nat-
ural resource group; 
‘‘(viii) a national social science asso-
ciation; or
457 
‘‘(ix) private sector organizations in-
volved in international development.’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in the matter preceding subpara-
graph (A), by striking ‘‘review and’’ and 
inserting ‘‘make recommendations, review, 
and’’; 
(ii) by striking subparagraph (A) and 
inserting the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(A) long-term and short-term national 
policies and priorities consistent with the— 
‘‘(i) purposes specified in section 1402 
for agricultural research, extension, edu-
cation, and economics; and 
‘‘(ii) priority areas of the Agriculture 
and Food Research Initiative specified in 
subsection (b)(2) of the Competitive, Spe-
cial, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 
U.S.C. 3157(b)(2));’’; and 
(iii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
clause (i) and inserting the following new 
clause: 
‘‘(i) are in accordance with the—
458 
‘‘(I) purposes specified in a pro-
vision 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) priority areas of the Agri-
culture and Food Research Initiative 
specified in subsection (b)(2) of the 
Competitive, Special, and Facilities 
Research 
Grant 
Act 
(7 
U.S.C. 
3157(b)(2)); and’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘and 
make recommendations to the Secretary based 
on such evaluation’’ after ‘‘priorities’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘and 
make recommendations on’’ after ‘‘review’’; and 
(3) in subsection (h), by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7104. SPECIALTY CROP COMMITTEE. 
Section 1408A(a)(2) of the National Agricultural Re-
search, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3123a(a)(2)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘spe-
ciality’’ and inserting ‘‘specialty’’;
459 
(2) in subparagraph (B)— 
(A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by 
striking ‘‘9’’ and inserting ‘‘11’’; and 
(B) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘Three’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Five’’; and 
(3) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7105. RENEWABLE ENERGY COMMITTEE DISCON-
TINUED. 
Subtitle B of the National Agricultural Research, Ex-
tension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3121 
et seq.) is amended by striking section 1408B. 
SEC. 7106. REPORT ON ALLOCATIONS AND MATCHING 
FUNDS FOR 1890 INSTITUTIONS. 
The Secretary of Agriculture shall annually transmit 
to Congress a report on the allocations made to, and 
matching funds received by, eligible institutions pursuant 
to sections 1444 and 1445 of the National Agricultural 
Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3221, 3222). 
SEC. 7107. GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS FOR FOOD AND AG-
RICULTURE SCIENCES EDUCATION. 
Section 1417(m)(2) of the National Agricultural Re-
search, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7
460 
U.S.C. 3152(m)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7108. AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD POLICY RESEARCH 
CENTERS. 
Section 1419A(e) of the National Agricultural Re-
search, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3155(e)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and in-
serting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7109. EDUCATION GRANTS TO ALASKA NATIVE SERV-
ING 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)(3), by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)(3), by striking ‘‘2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7110. REPEAL OF NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAM. 
The National Agricultural Research, Extension, and 
Teaching Policy Act of 1977 is amended by striking sec-
tion 1425 (7 U.S.C. 3175).
461 
SEC. 7111. CONTINUING ANIMAL HEALTH AND DISEASE RE-
SEARCH PROGRAMS. 
Section 1433(c)(1) of the National Agricultural Re-
search, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3195(c)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7112. EXTENSION CARRYOVER AT 1890 LAND-GRANT 
COLLEGES, INCLUDING TUSKEGEE UNIVER-
SITY. 
Effective on October 1, 2018, section 1444(a) of the 
National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching 
Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3221(a)) is amended by 
striking paragraph (4). 
SEC. 7113. RESEARCH AND EXTENSION FUNDING EQUITY 
FOR RECENTLY DESIGNATED 1890 INSTITU-
TIONS. 
(a) EXTENSION.—Section 1444(b) of the National 
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy 
Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3221(b)) is amended, in the matter 
following paragraph (2)(B), by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: ‘‘Beginning with fiscal year 2019, in making the 
calculation under paragraph (1), any recently designated 
1890 Institution shall be deemed to have been designated 
as an eligible institution on or before September 30, 1978. 
For purposes of the preceding sentence, a ‘recently des-
462 
ignated 1890 Institution’ means an 1890 Institution des-
ignated as such on or after September 30, 1999.’’. 
(b) RESEARCH.—Section 1445 of the National Agri-
cultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 
1977 (7 U.S.C. 3222) is amended— by adding at the end 
the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) Beginning with fiscal year 2019, in mak-
ing the calculation under paragraph (2)(A), any re-
cently designated 1890 Institution (as defined in 
section 1444(b)) shall be deemed to have been des-
ignated as an eligible institution on or before Sep-
tember 30, 1978.’’. 
SEC. 7114. SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS AT 1890 INSTITU-
TIONS. 
Subtitle G of the National Agricultural Research, Ex-
tension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 is amended by 
inserting after section 1445 (7 U.S.C. 3222) the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 1446. SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS AT 1890 INSTI-
TUTIONS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(1) SCHOLARSHIP
GRANT
PROGRAM
ESTAB-
LISHED.—The Secretary shall establish and carry 
out a grant program to make grants to each college 
or university eligible to receive funds under the Act
463 
of August 30, 1890 (commonly known as the Second 
Morrill Act; 7 U.S.C. 322 et seq.), including 
Tuskegee University, for purposes of awarding schol-
arships to individuals who— 
‘‘(A) have been accepted for admission at 
such college or university; 
‘‘(B) will be enrolled at such college or uni-
versity not later than one year after the date of 
such acceptance; and 
‘‘(C) intend to pursue a career in the food 
and agricultural sciences, including a career 
in— 
‘‘(i) agribusiness; 
‘‘(ii) energy and renewable fuels; or 
‘‘(iii) financial management. 
‘‘(2) AMOUNT OF GRANT.—Each grant made 
under this section shall be in the amount of 
$1,000,000. 
‘‘(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$19,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.’’.
464 
SEC. 7115. GRANTS TO UPGRADE AGRICULTURAL AND 
FOOD SCIENCES FACILITIES AT 1890 LAND- 
GRANT COLLEGES, INCLUDING TUSKEGEE 
UNIVERSITY. 
Section 1447(b) of the National Agricultural Re-
search, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3222b(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and in-
serting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7116. GRANTS TO UPGRADE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD 
SCIENCES FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT AT 
INSULAR AREA LAND-GRANT INSTITUTIONS. 
Section 1447B(d) of the National Agricultural Re-
search, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3222b–2(d)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7117. HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS. 
Section 1455(c) of the National Agricultural Re-
search, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3241(c)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and in-
serting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7118. LAND-GRANT DESIGNATION. 
Subtitle C of the National Agricultural Research, Ex-
tension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3151 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new section:
465 
‘‘SEC. 1419C. LAND-GRANT DESIGNATION. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other pro-
vision of law, beginning on the date of the enactment of 
this section, no additional entity may be designated as eli-
gible to receive funds under a covered program. 
‘‘(b) STATE FUNDING.—No State shall receive an in-
crease in funding under a covered program as a result of 
the State’s designation of additional entities as eligible to 
receive such funding. 
‘‘(c) COVERED PROGRAM DEFINED.—For purposes 
of this section, the term ‘covered program’ means agricul-
tural research, extension, education, and related programs 
or grants established or available under any of the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(1) Subsections (b), (c), and (d) of section 3 
of the Smith-Lever Act (7 U.S.C. 343). 
‘‘(2) The Hatch Act of 1887 (7 U.S.C. 361a et 
seq.). 
‘‘(3) Sections 1444, 1445, and 1447 of the Na-
tional Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teach-
ing Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3221; 3222; 
3222b). 
‘‘(4) Public Law 87–788 (commonly known as 
the McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Act; 16 
U.S.C. 582a et seq.).
466 
‘‘(d) EXCEPTION.—Nothing in this section shall be 
construed as limiting eligibility for a capacity and infra-
structure program specified in section 251(f)(1)(C) of the 
Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 
U.S.C. 6971(f)(1)(C)) that is not a covered program.’’. 
SEC. 7119. COMPETITIVE GRANTS FOR INTERNATIONAL AG-
RICULTURAL SCIENCE AND EDUCATION PRO-
GRAMS. 
Section 1459A(c)(2) of the National Agricultural Re-
search, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3292b(c)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7120. LIMITATION ON INDIRECT COSTS FOR AGRICUL-
TURAL RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTEN-
SION PROGRAMS. 
Section 1462 of the National Agricultural Research, 
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 
3310) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘22 percent’’ 
and inserting ‘‘30 percent’’; 
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘Subsection 
(a)’’ and inserting ‘‘Subsections (a) and (c)’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) TREATMENT OF SUBGRANTS.—In the case of a 
grant described in subsection (a), the limitation on indi-
467 
rect costs specified in such subsection shall be applied to 
both the initial grant award and any subgrant of the Fed-
eral funds provided under the initial grant award so that 
the total of all indirect costs charged against the total of 
the Federal funds provided under the initial grant award 
does not exceed such limitation.’’. 
SEC. 7121. RESEARCH EQUIPMENT GRANTS. 
The National Agricultural Research, Extension, and 
Teaching Policy Act of 1977 is amended by inserting after 
section 1462 (7 U.S.C. 3310) the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 1462A. RESEARCH EQUIPMENT GRANTS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make com-
petitive grants for the acquisition of special purpose sci-
entific research equipment for use in the food and agricul-
tural sciences programs of eligible institutions. 
‘‘(b) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The amount of a grant 
made to an eligible institution under this section may not 
exceed $500,000. 
‘‘(c) PROHIBITION ON CHARGE OR EQUIPMENT AS 
INDIRECT COSTS.—The cost of acquisition or depreciation 
of equipment purchased with a grant under this section 
shall not be— 
‘‘(1) charged as an indirect cost against another 
Federal grant; or
468 
‘‘(2) included as part of the indirect cost pool 
for purposes of calculating the indirect cost rate of 
an eligible institution. 
‘‘(d) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘eligible institution’ means— 
‘‘(1) a college or university; or 
‘‘(2) a State cooperative institution. 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.’’. 
SEC. 7122. UNIVERSITY RESEARCH. 
Section 1463 of the National Agricultural Research, 
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 
3311) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ each place it ap-
pears in subsections (a) and (b) and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7123. 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 ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7124. SUPPLEMENTAL AND ALTERNATIVE CROPS. 
Section 1473D of the National Agricultural Re-
search, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3319d) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)—
469 
(A) by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘crops,’’ and inserting 
‘‘crops (including canola),’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘for agronomic rotational 
purposes and for use as a habitat for honey 
bees and other pollinators’’ after ‘‘alternative 
crops’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘commodities whose’’ and 
all that follows through the period at the end 
and inserting ‘‘commodities.’’; and 
(3) in subsection (e)(2), by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7125. CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS FOR NLGCA INSTI-
TUTIONS. 
Section 1473F(b) of the National Agricultural Re-
search, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3319i(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and in-
serting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7126. AQUACULTURE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. 
Section 1477(a)(2) of the National Agricultural Re-
search, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3324(a)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’.
470 
SEC. 7127. RANGELAND RESEARCH PROGRAMS. 
Section 1483(a)(2) of the National Agricultural Re-
search, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3336(a)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7128. SPECIAL AUTHORIZATION FOR BIOSECURITY 
PLANNING AND RESPONSE. 
Section 1484 of the National Agricultural Research, 
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 
3351) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(3) $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 
through 2023.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by inserting ‘‘and cooperative agreements’’ after 
‘‘competitive grants’’; 
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘make 
competitive grants’’ and inserting ‘‘award com-
471 
petitive grants and cooperative agreements’’; 
and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(5) To coordinate the tactical science activities 
of the Research, Education, and Economics mission 
area of the Department that protect the integrity, 
reliability, sustainability, and profitability of the food 
and agricultural system of the United States against 
biosecurity threats from pests, diseases, contami-
nants, and disasters.’’. 
SEC. 7129. DISTANCE EDUCATION AND RESIDENT INSTRUC-
TION GRANTS PROGRAM FOR INSULAR AREA 
INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. 
(a) DISTANCE EDUCATION GRANTS FOR INSULAR 
AREAS.—Section 1490(f)(2) of the National Agricultural 
Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3362(f)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and in-
serting ‘‘2023’’. 
(b) RESIDENT INSTRUCTION GRANTS FOR INSULAR 
AREAS.—Section 1491(c)(2) of the National Agricultural 
Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3363(c)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’.
472 
SEC. 7130. REMOVAL OF MATCHING FUNDS REQUIREMENT 
FOR CERTAIN GRANTS. 
Section 1492(d) of the National Agricultural Re-
search, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3371(d)) is amended by striking paragraph (5). 
Subtitle B—Food, Agriculture, Con-
servation, and Trade Act of 1990 
SEC. 7201. BEST UTILIZATION OF BIOLOGICAL APPLICA-
TIONS. 
Section 1624 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, 
and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5814) is amended in 
the first sentence by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7202. INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. 
Section 1627(d) of the Food, Agriculture, Conserva-
tion, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5821(d)) is amend-
ed by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7203. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY DE-
VELOPMENT AND TRANSFER PROGRAM. 
Section 1628(f)(2) of the Food, Agriculture, Con-
servation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5831(f)(2)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7204. NATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM. 
Section 1629(i) of the Food, Agriculture, Conserva-
tion, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5832(i)) is amend-
ed by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’.
473 
SEC. 7205. NATIONAL GENETICS RESOURCES PROGRAM. 
Section 1635(b)(2) of the Food, Agriculture, Con-
servation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5844(b)(2)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7206. NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL WEATHER INFORMA-
TION SYSTEM. 
Section 1641(c) of the Food, Agriculture, Conserva-
tion, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5855(c)) is amend-
ed by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7207. AGRICULTURAL GENOME TO PHENOME INITIA-
TIVE. 
Section 1671 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, 
and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5924) is amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by inserting ‘‘TO 
PHENOME’’ after ‘‘GENOME’’; 
(2) by amending subsection (a) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(a) GOALS.—The goals of this section are— 
‘‘(1) to expand knowledge concerning genomes 
and phenomes of crops of importance to United 
States agriculture; 
‘‘(2) to understand how variable weather, envi-
ronments, and production systems impact the 
growth and productivity of specific varieties of crops, 
thereby providing greater accuracy in predicting 
crop performance under variable growing conditions;
474 
‘‘(3) to support research that leverages plant 
genomic information with phenotypic and environ-
mental data through an interdisciplinary framework, 
leading to a novel understanding of plant processes 
that affect crop growth, productivity, and the ability 
to predict crop performance, resulting in the deploy-
ment of superior varieties to growers and improved 
crop management recommendations for farmers; 
‘‘(4) to promote and coordinate research linking 
genomics and predictive phenomics at different sites 
nationally to achieve advances in crops that generate 
societal benefits; 
‘‘(5) to combine fields such as genetics, 
genomics, plant physiology, agronomy, climatology, 
and 
crop 
modeling 
with 
computation 
and 
informatics, statistics, and engineering; 
‘‘(6) to focus on crops that will yield scientif-
ically important results that will enhance the useful-
ness of many other crops; 
‘‘(7) to build on genomic research, such as the 
Plant Genome Research Project, to understand gene 
function in production environments that are ex-
pected to have considerable payoffs for crops of im-
portance to United States agriculture;
475 
‘‘(8) to develop improved data analytics to en-
hance understanding of the biological function of 
crop genes; 
‘‘(9) to allow resources developed under this 
section, including data, software, germplasm, and 
other biological materials, to be openly accessible to 
all persons, subject to any confidentiality require-
ments imposed by law; and 
‘‘(10) to encourage international partnerships 
with each partner country responsible for financing 
its own research.’’; 
(3) by amending subsection (b) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(b) DUTIES OF SECRETARY.—The Secretary of Ag-
riculture shall conduct a research initiative (to be known 
as the ‘Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative’) for 
the purpose of— 
‘‘(1) studying agriculturally significant crops in 
production environments to achieve sustainable and 
secure agricultural production; 
‘‘(2) ensuring that current gaps in existing 
knowledge 
of 
agricultural 
crop 
genetics 
and 
phenomics knowledge are filled;
476 
‘‘(3) identifying and developing a functional un-
derstanding of agronomically relevant genes from 
crops of importance to United States agriculture; 
‘‘(4) ensuring future genetic improvement of 
crops of importance to United States agriculture; 
‘‘(5) 
studying 
the 
relevance 
of 
diverse 
germplasm as a source of unique genes that may be 
of importance to United States agriculture in the fu-
ture; 
‘‘(6) enhancing crop genetics to reduce the eco-
nomic impact of plant pathogens on crops of impor-
tance to United States agriculture; and 
‘‘(7) disseminating findings to relevant audi-
ences.’’; 
(4) in subsection (c)(1), by inserting ‘‘, acting 
through the National Institute of Food and Agri-
culture,’’ after ‘‘The Secretary’’; 
(5) 
in 
subsection 
(e), 
by 
inserting 
‘‘to 
Phenome’’ after ‘‘Genome’’; and 
(6) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.’’.
477 
SEC. 7208. HIGH-PRIORITY RESEARCH AND EXTENSION INI-
TIATIVES. 
Section 1672 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, 
and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (8)— 
(i) in the heading, by striking ‘‘AL-
FALFA AND FORAGE’’ and inserting ‘‘AL-
FALFA SEED AND ALFALFA FORAGE SYS-
TEMS’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘alfalfa and forage’’ 
and inserting ‘‘alfalfa seed and alfalfa for-
age systems’’; and 
(iii) by striking ‘‘alfalfa and other for-
ages, and’’ and inserting ‘‘alfalfa seed and 
other alfalfa forage’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(11) MACADAMIA TREE 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 maca-
damia felted coccid (Eriococcus ironsidei); and 
‘‘(B) establishing an areawide integrated 
pest management program in areas affected by,
478 
or areas at risk of being affected by, the maca-
damia felted coccid. 
‘‘(12) NATIONAL TURFGRASS RESEARCH INITIA-
TIVE.—Research and extension grants may be made 
under this section for the purposes of— 
‘‘(A) carrying out or enhancing research 
related to turfgrass and sod issues; 
‘‘(B) enhancing production and uses of 
turfgrass for the general public; 
‘‘(C) identifying new turfgrass varieties 
with superior drought, heat, cold, and pest tol-
erance to reduce water, fertilizer, and pesticide 
use; 
‘‘(D) 
selecting 
genetically 
superior 
turfgrasses and developing improved tech-
nologies for managing commercial, residential, 
and recreational turfgrass areas; 
‘‘(E) producing turfgrasses that— 
‘‘(i) aid in mitigating soil erosion; 
‘‘(ii) protect against pollutant runoff 
into waterways; or 
‘‘(iii) provide other environmental ben-
efits;
479 
‘‘(F) investigating, preserving, and pro-
tecting native plant species, including grasses 
not currently utilized in turfgrass systems; 
‘‘(G) creating systems for more economical 
and viable turfgrass seed and sod production 
throughout the United States; and 
‘‘(H) 
investigating 
the 
turfgrass 
phytobiome and developing biologic products to 
enhance soil, enrich plants, and mitigate pests. 
‘‘(13) FERTILIZER MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Research and exten-
sion grants may be made under this section for 
the purpose of carrying out research to improve 
fertilizer use efficiency in crops— 
‘‘(i) to maximize crop yield; and 
‘‘(ii) to minimize nutrient losses to 
surface and groundwater and the atmos-
phere. 
‘‘(B) 
PRIORITY.—In 
awarding 
grants 
under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall 
give priority to research examining the impact 
of the source, rate, timing, and placement of 
plant nutrients.
480 
‘‘(14) CATTLE
FEVER
TICK
PROGRAM.—Re-
search and extension grants may be made under this 
section to study cattle fever ticks— 
‘‘(A) to facilitate the understanding of the 
role of wildlife in the persistence and spread of 
cattle fever ticks; 
‘‘(B) to develop advanced methods for 
eradication of cattle fever ticks, including— 
‘‘(i) alternative treatment methods for 
cattle and other susceptible species; 
‘‘(ii) field treatment for premises, in-
cluding corral pens and pasture loafing 
areas; 
‘‘(iii) methods for treatment and con-
trol on infested wildlife; 
‘‘(iv) biological control agents; and 
‘‘(v) new and improved vaccines; 
‘‘(C) to evaluate rangeland vegetation that 
impacts the survival of cattle fever ticks; 
‘‘(D) to improve management of diseases 
relating to cattle fever ticks that are associated 
with wildlife, livestock, and human health; 
‘‘(E) to improve diagnostic detection of 
tick-infested or infected animals and pastures; 
and
481 
‘‘(F) to conduct outreach to impacted 
ranchers, hunters, and landowners to integrate 
tactics and document sustainability of best 
practices. 
‘‘(15) LAYING
HEN
AND
TURKEY
RESEARCH 
PROGRAM.—Research grants may be made under 
this section for the purpose of improving the effi-
ciency and sustainability of laying hen and turkey 
production through integrated, collaborative research 
and technology transfer. Emphasis may be placed on 
laying hen and turkey disease prevention, anti-
microbial resistance, nutrition, gut health, and alter-
native housing systems under extreme seasonal 
weather conditions. 
‘‘(16) CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE.—Research 
and extension grants may be made under this sec-
tion for projects relating to treating, mitigating, or 
eliminating chronic wasting disease. 
‘‘(17) ALGAE
AGRICULTURE
RESEARCH
PRO-
GRAM.—Research and extension grants may be made 
under this section for the development and testing of 
algae and algae systems (including micro- and 
macro-algae systems).’’; 
(2) in subsection (e)(5), by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’;
482 
(3) in subsection (f)(5), by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’; 
(4) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘2018’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘2023’’; and 
(5) in subsection (h), by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7209. ORGANIC AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND EXTEN-
SION INITIATIVE. 
Section 1672B of the Food, Agriculture, Conserva-
tion, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925b) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in subsection (a)(7), by inserting ‘‘, soil 
health,’’ after ‘‘conservation’’; and 
(2) in subsection (e)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 
and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subparagraph: 
‘‘(D) $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2019 through 2023.’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2)—
483 
(i) in the paragraph heading, by strik-
ing ‘‘FOR
FISCAL
YEARS
2014
THROUGH 
2018’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7210. FARM BUSINESS MANAGEMENT. 
Section 1672D of the Food, Agriculture, Conserva-
tion, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925f) is amend-
ed— 
(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make com-
petitive research and extension grants for the purpose of 
improving the farm management knowledge and skills of 
agricultural producers by maintaining and expanding a 
national, publicly available farm financial management 
database to support improved farm management.’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and 
producer’’ and inserting ‘‘educational programs 
and’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘use and 
support’’ and inserting ‘‘contribute data to’’; 
and
484 
(3) in subsection (d)(2), by striking ‘‘2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7211. CLARIFICATION OF VETERAN ELIGIBILITY FOR 
ASSISTIVE 
TECHNOLOGY 
PROGRAM 
FOR 
FARMERS WITH DISABILITIES. 
Section 1680 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, 
and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5933) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(7) CLARIFICATION OF APPLICATION OF PRO-
VISIONS
TO
VETERANS
WITH
DISABILITIES.—This 
subsection shall apply with respect to veterans with 
disabilities, and their families, who— 
‘‘(A) are engaged in farming or farm-re-
lated occupations; or 
‘‘(B) are pursuing new farming opportuni-
ties.’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘(including veterans)’’ 
after ‘‘individuals’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘or, in the case of vet-
erans with disabilities, who are pursuing new 
farming opportunities’’ before the period at the 
end; and
485 
(3) in subsection (c)(1)(B), by striking ‘‘2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 
7212. 
NATIONAL 
RURAL 
INFORMATION 
CENTER 
CLEARINGHOUSE. 
Section 2381(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conserva-
tion, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 3125b(e)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
Subtitle C—Agricultural Research, 
Extension, and Education Re-
form Act of 1998 
SEC. 7300. ENDING LIMITATION ON FUNDING UNDER NA-
TIONAL 
FOOD 
SAFETY 
TRAINING, 
EDU-
CATION, EXTENSION, OUTREACH, AND TECH-
NICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
Section 405(e)(3) of the Agricultural Research, Ex-
tension, And Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 
7625(e)(3)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(3) TERM OF GRANT.—A grant under this sec-
tion shall have a term that is not more than 3 
years.’’. 
SEC. 7301. NATIONAL FOOD SAFETY TRAINING, EDUCATION, 
EXTENSION, OUTREACH, AND TECHNICAL AS-
SISTANCE PROGRAM. 
Section 405(j) of the Agricultural Research, Exten-
sion, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C.
486 
7625(j)) is amended by striking ‘‘2011 through 2015’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2019 through 2023’’. 
SEC. 7302. INTEGRATED RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EX-
TENSION COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM. 
Section 406(e) of the Agricultural Research, Exten-
sion, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 
7626(e)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7303. SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH REGARDING DISEASES 
OF WHEAT, TRITICALE, AND BARLEY CAUSED 
BY 
FUSARIUM 
GRAMINEARUM 
OR 
BY 
TILLETIA INDICA. 
Section 408(e)(2) of the Agricultural Research, Ex-
tension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 
7628(e)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7304. GRANTS FOR YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS. 
Section 410(d)(2) of the Agricultural Research, Ex-
tension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 
7630(d)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7305. SPECIALTY CROP RESEARCH INITIATIVE. 
(a) ELEMENTS OF INITIATIVE.—Section 412(b) of 
the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Re-
form Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7632(b)) is amended—
487 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘; 
and’’ and inserting a semicolon; 
(B) in subparagraph (E), by adding ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(F) size-controlling rootstock systems for 
perennial crops;’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘including threats to spe-
cialty crop pollinators;’’ and inserting the fol-
lowing: ‘‘including— 
‘‘(A) threats to specialty crop pollinators; 
and’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(B) emerging and invasive species;’’; 
(3) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘marketing);’’ 
and inserting the following: ‘‘marketing) and a bet-
ter 
understanding 
of 
the 
soil 
rhizosphere 
microbiome, including— 
‘‘(A) pesticide application systems and cer-
tified drift-reduction technologies; and
488 
‘‘(B) systems to improve and extend stor-
age life of specialty crops;’’; 
(4) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as 
paragraphs (5) and (6), respectively; 
(5) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) efforts to promote a more effective under-
standing and use of existing natural enemy com-
plexes;’’; and 
(6) in paragraph (5) (as redesignated by para-
graph (4))— 
(A) by striking ‘‘including improved mech-
anization and technologies that delay or inhibit 
ripening; and’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘in-
cluding— 
‘‘(A) technologies that delay or inhibit rip-
ening;’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraphs: 
‘‘(B) mechanization and automation of 
labor-intensive tasks on farms and in packing 
facilities; 
‘‘(C) decision support systems driven by 
phenology and environmental factors;
489 
‘‘(D) improved monitoring systems for ag-
ricultural pests; and 
‘‘(E) effective systems for pre- and post- 
harvest management of quarantine pests; and’’. 
(b) PRIORITIES.—Section 412(h)(1) of the Agricul-
tural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 
1998 (7 U.S.C. 7632(h)(1)) is amended by striking 
‘‘multi-institutional’’ and inserting ‘‘or multi-institu-
tional’’. 
(c) EMERGENCY CITRUS DISEASE RESEARCH AND 
EXTENSION PROGRAM.—Section 412 of the Agricultural 
Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 
(7 U.S.C. 7632) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (j)(5), by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’; and 
(2) in subsection (k)(1)(C), by striking ‘‘2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
412(k)(2) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and 
Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7632(k)(2)) is 
amended— 
(1) in the subsection heading, by striking 
‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’.
490 
SEC. 7306. FOOD ANIMAL RESIDUE AVOIDANCE DATABASE 
PROGRAM. 
Section 604(e) of the Agricultural Research, Exten-
sion, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 
7642(e)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7307. OFFICE OF PEST MANAGEMENT POLICY. 
Section 614(f)(2) of the Agricultural Research, Ex-
tension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 
7653(f)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7308. FORESTRY PRODUCTS ADVANCED UTILIZATION 
RESEARCH. 
Section 617(f)(1) of the Agricultural Research, Ex-
tension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 
7655b(f)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’. 
Subtitle D—Food, Conservation, 
and Energy Act of 2008 
PART I—AGRICULTURAL SECURITY 
SEC. 7401. AGRICULTURAL BIOSECURITY COMMUNICATION 
CENTER. 
Section 14112(c)(2) of the Food, Conservation, and 
Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8912(c)(2)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’.
491 
SEC. 7402. ASSISTANCE TO BUILD LOCAL CAPACITY IN AG-
RICULTURAL BIOSECURITY PLANNING, PREP-
ARATION, AND RESPONSE. 
Section 14113 of the Food, Conservation, and En-
ergy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8913) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(2)(B), by striking ‘‘2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2023’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)(2)(B), by striking ‘‘2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7403. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICUL-
TURAL COUNTERMEASURES. 
Section 14121(b)(2) of the Food, Conservation, and 
Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8921(b)(2)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7404. AGRICULTURAL BIOSECURITY GRANT PROGRAM. 
Section 14122(e)(2) of the Food, Conservation, and 
Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8922(e)(2)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
PART II—MISCELLANEOUS 
SEC. 7411. 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 ‘‘10-year period’’ and inserting ‘‘15- 
year period’’.
492 
SEC. 7412. NATURAL PRODUCTS RESEARCH PROGRAM. 
Section 7525(e) of the Food, Conservation, and En-
ergy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 5937(e)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7413. SUN GRANT PROGRAM. 
Section 7526(g) of the Food, Conservation, and En-
ergy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8114(g)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
Subtitle E—Amendments to Other 
Laws 
SEC. 7501. CRITICAL AGRICULTURAL MATERIALS ACT. 
Section 16(a)(2) of the Critical Agricultural Mate-
rials Act (7 U.S.C. 178n(a)(2)) is amended by striking 
‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7502. EQUITY IN EDUCATIONAL LAND-GRANT STATUS 
ACT OF 1994. 
(a) 1994 INSTITUTION DEFINED.—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. 
‘‘(2) Bay Mills Community College. 
‘‘(3) Blackfeet Community College.
493 
‘‘(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 Col-
lege. 
‘‘(11) Fort Peck Community College. 
‘‘(12) Haskell Indian Nations University. 
‘‘(13) Ilisagvik College. 
‘‘(14) Institute of American Indian and Alaska 
Native Culture and Arts Development. 
‘‘(15) Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community Col-
lege. 
‘‘(16) Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community 
College. 
‘‘(17) Leech Lake Tribal College. 
‘‘(18) Little Big Horn College. 
‘‘(19) Little Priest Tribal College. 
‘‘(20) Navajo Technical University. 
‘‘(21) Nebraska Indian Community College. 
‘‘(22) Northwest Indian College. 
‘‘(23) Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College. 
‘‘(24) Oglala Lakota College.
494 
‘‘(25) Red Lake Nation College. 
‘‘(26) Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College. 
‘‘(27) Salish Kootenai College. 
‘‘(28) Sinte Gleska University. 
‘‘(29) Sisseton Wahpeton College. 
‘‘(30) Sitting Bull College. 
‘‘(31) Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Insti-
tute. 
‘‘(32) Stone Child College. 
‘‘(33) Tohono O’odham Community College. 
‘‘(34) Turtle Mountain Community College. 
‘‘(35) United Tribes Technical College. 
‘‘(36) White Earth Tribal and Community Col-
lege.’’. 
(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 ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
(c) INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS.— 
Section 535 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Sta-
tus Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103– 
382) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ each place it appears 
in subsections (b)(1) and (c) and inserting ‘‘2023’’.
495 
(d) RESEARCH GRANTS.—Section 536(c) of the Eq-
uity 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 ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7503. RESEARCH FACILITIES ACT. 
(a) 
AGRICULTURAL
RESEARCH
FACILITY
DE-
FINED.—The Research Facilities Act is amended— 
(1) in section 2(1) (7 U.S.C. 390(1)) by strik-
ing ‘‘a college, university, or nonprofit institution’’ 
and inserting ‘‘an entity eligible to receive funds 
under a capacity and infrastructure program (as de-
fined in section 251(f)(1)(C) of the Department of 
Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 
6971(f)(1)(C)))’’; and 
(2) 
in 
section 
3(c)(2)(D) 
(7 
U.S.C. 
390a(c)(2)(D)), by striking ‘‘recipient college, uni-
versity, or nonprofit institution’’ and inserting ‘‘re-
cipient entity’’. 
(b) LONG-TERM SUPPORT.—Section 3(c)(2)(D) of 
the Research Facilities Act (7 U.S.C. 390a(c)(2)(D)), as 
amended by subsection (a), is further amended by striking 
‘‘operating costs’’ and inserting ‘‘operating and mainte-
nance costs’’.
496 
(c) COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM.—The Research 
Facilities Act is amended by inserting after section 3 (7 
U.S.C. 390a) the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 4. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM. 
‘‘The Secretary shall establish a program to make 
competitive grants to assist in the construction, alteration, 
acquisition, modernization, renovation, or remodeling of 
agricultural research facilities.’’. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS
AND 
FUNDING LIMITATIONS.—Section 6 of the Research Fa-
cilities Act (7 U.S.C. 390d) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘subsection (b),’’ and in-
serting ‘‘subsections (b), (c), and (d),’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
sentence: ‘‘Funds appropriated pursuant to the 
preceding sentence shall be available until ex-
pended.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
sections: 
‘‘(c) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—Not more than 25 percent 
of the funds made available pursuant to subsection (a) for
497 
any fiscal year shall be used for any single agricultural 
research facility project. 
‘‘(d) PROJECT LIMITATION.—An entity eligible to re-
ceive funds under this Act may receive funds for only one 
project at a time.’’. 
SEC. 7504. COMPETITIVE, SPECIAL, AND FACILITIES RE-
SEARCH GRANT ACT. 
Subsection (b) of the Competitive, Special, and Fa-
cilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157(b)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (D)— 
(i) by redesignating clauses (iii) 
through (vii) as clauses (iv) through (viii), 
respectively; and 
(ii) by inserting after clause (ii) the 
following new clause: 
‘‘(iii) soil health;’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (E)— 
(i) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(ii) in clause (iv), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new clause:
498 
‘‘(v) tools that accelerate the use of 
automation or mechanization for labor-in-
tensive tasks in the production and dis-
tribution of crops.’’; and 
(C) in subparagraph (F)— 
(i) in clause (vi), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(ii) in clause (vii), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new clause: 
‘‘(viii) barriers and bridges to entry 
and farm viability for young, beginning, so-
cially disadvantaged, veteran, and immi-
grant farmers and ranchers, including 
farm succession, transition, transfer, entry, 
and profitability issues.’’; 
(2) in paragraph (5)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting the following: 
‘‘that— 
‘‘(i) is of national scope; or
499 
‘‘(ii) is commodity-specific, so long as 
any such funds allocated for commodity- 
specific research are matched with funds 
from a non-Federal source at least equal to 
the amount of such funds so allocated.’’; 
(3) in paragraph (9)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
clause (iii); and 
(B) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘clauses 
(ii) and (iii)’’ and inserting ‘‘clause (ii)’’; 
and 
(ii) by striking clause (iii); and 
(4) in paragraph (11)(A)— 
(A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by 
striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’; and 
(B) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘4’’ and in-
serting ‘‘5’’. 
SEC. 7505. 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 
‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’.
500 
(b) TERMINATION DATE.—Section 8 of the Renew-
able Resources Extension Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 1671 
note; Public Law 95–306) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7506. NATIONAL AQUACULTURE ACT OF 1980. 
Section 10 of the National Aquaculture Act of 1980 
(16 U.S.C. 2809) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7507. BEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHER DEVELOP-
MENT PROGRAM. 
Section 7405 of the Farm Security and Rural Invest-
ment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3319f) is amended— 
(1) by striking subsection (b) and redesignating 
subsection (c) as subsection (b); 
(2) in subsection (b), as so redesignated— 
(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘GRANTS’’ 
and inserting ‘‘PROGRAMS’’; 
(B) by amending paragraph (1) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish a beginning farmer and rancher development 
program to provide training, education, outreach, 
and technical assistance initiatives to increase oppor-
tunities for beginning farmers or ranchers.’’;
501 
(C) by inserting ‘‘or cooperative agree-
ments’’ after ‘‘grants’’ each place it appears; 
(D) by inserting ‘‘or cooperative agree-
ment’’ after ‘‘grant’’ each place it appears; 
(E) by striking ‘‘subsection’’ each place it 
appears and inserting ‘‘section’’; 
(F) by amending paragraph (4) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(4) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), to be eligible to receive a 
grant under this subsection, a recipient shall 
provide a match in the form of cash or in-kind 
contributions in an amount equal to 25 percent 
of the funds provided by the grant. 
‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary may 
waive or reduce the matching requirement in 
subparagraph (A) if the Secretary determines 
such a waiver or modification is necessary to ef-
fectively reach an underserved area or popu-
lation.’’; and 
(G) by striking paragraph (8), and redesig-
nating paragraphs (9), (10), (11), and (12) as 
paragraphs (8), (9), (10), and (11), respec-
tively;
502 
(3) by inserting after subsection (b), as so re-
designated, the following new subsection: 
‘‘(c) GRANT REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall make competitive grants to 
support new and established local and regional train-
ing, education, outreach, and technical assistance 
initiatives to increase opportunities for beginning 
farmers or ranchers, including programs and serv-
ices (as appropriate) relating to— 
‘‘(A) basic livestock, forest management, 
and crop farming practices; 
‘‘(B) innovative farm, ranch, and private 
nonindustrial forest land access, and transfer 
and succession strategies and programs; 
‘‘(C) entrepreneurship and business train-
ing; 
‘‘(D) financial and risk management train-
ing (including the acquisition and management 
of agricultural credit); 
‘‘(E) natural resource management and 
planning; 
‘‘(F) diversification and marketing strate-
gies; 
‘‘(G) curriculum development;
503 
‘‘(H) mentoring, apprenticeships, and in-
ternships; 
‘‘(I) resources and referral; 
‘‘(J) farm financial benchmarking; 
‘‘(K) technical assistance to help beginning 
farmers or ranchers acquire land from retiring 
farmers and ranchers; 
‘‘(L) agricultural rehabilitation and voca-
tional training for veterans; 
‘‘(M) food safety (including good agricul-
tural practices training); 
‘‘(N) farm safety and awareness; and 
‘‘(O) other similar subject areas of use to 
beginning farmers or ranchers. 
‘‘(2) SET-ASIDE.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not less than 5 per-
cent of the funds used to carry out this sub-
section for a fiscal year shall be used to support 
programs and services that address the needs 
of— 
‘‘(i) limited resource beginning farm-
ers or ranchers (as defined by the Sec-
retary); 
‘‘(ii) socially disadvantaged farmers or 
ranchers (as defined in section 355(e) of
504 
the Consolidated Farm and Rural Develop-
ment Act (7 U.S.C. 2003(e))) who are be-
ginning farmers and ranchers; and 
‘‘(iii) farmworkers desiring to become 
farmers or ranchers. 
‘‘(B) VETERAN
FARMERS
AND
RANCH-
ERS.—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 farm-
ers and ranchers (as defined in section 2501(e) 
of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and 
Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e))).’’; 
(4) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘and conduct’’ and in-
serting ‘‘, conduct’’; and 
(ii) by striking the period at the end 
and inserting ‘‘, or provide training and 
technical assistance initiatives for begin-
ning farmers or ranchers or for trainers 
and service providers that work with begin-
ning farmers or ranchers.’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2)—
505 
(i) by inserting ‘‘, educational pro-
grams and workshops, or training and 
technical assistance initiatives’’ after ‘‘cur-
ricula’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘modules’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘content’’; 
(5) in subsection (g)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘(including retiring farm-
ers and nonfarming landowners)’’ before ‘‘from 
participating in programs’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘educating’’ and inserting 
‘‘increasing opportunities for’’; and 
(6) in subsection (h)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in the heading, by striking ‘‘FOR 
FISCAL YEARS 2009 THROUGH 2018’’; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in the paragraph heading, by strik-
ing ‘‘FOR
FISCAL
YEARS
2014
THROUGH 
2018’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’; and 
(C) by striking paragraph (3).
506 
SEC. 7508. FEDERAL AGRICULTURE RESEARCH FACILITIES. 
Section 1431 of the National Agricultural Research, 
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act Amendments of 1985 
(title XIV of Public Law 99–198; 99 Stat. 1556) is 
amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 7509. BIOMASS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. 
Section 9008(h) of the Farm Security and Rural In-
vestment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8108(h)) is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.’’. 
Subtitle F—Other Matters 
SEC. 7601. ENHANCED USE LEASE AUTHORITY PROGRAM. 
(a) TRANSITION TO PERMANENT PROGRAM.—Sec-
tion 308 of the Federal Crop Insurance Reform and De-
partment of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 
U.S.C. 3125a note) is amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking 
‘‘PILOT’’; and 
(2) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘pilot’’. 
(b) NO ONSITE SALES.—Section 308(b)(1)(C) of the 
Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agri-
culture Reorganization Act of 1994 is amended by insert-
ing ‘‘onsite’’ before ‘‘public’’.
507 
(c) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY EXTENDED.—Sec-
tion 308(b)(6)(A) of the Federal Crop Insurance Reform 
and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 
1994 (7 U.S.C. 3125a note) is amended by striking ‘‘on 
the date that is 10 years after the date of enactment of 
this section’’ and inserting ‘‘on June 18, 2023’’. 
(d) REPORTS.—Section 308(d)(2) of the Federal 
Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture 
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 3125a note) is 
amended by striking ‘‘Not later than 6, 8, and 10 years 
after the date of enactment of this section’’ and inserting 
‘‘Not later than June 18, 2019, June 18, 2021, and June 
18, 2023’’. 
SEC. 7602. FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES OF THE UNDER SEC-
RETARY. 
Subparagraph (B) of section 251(d)(2) of the De-
partment of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 
U.S.C. 6971(d)(2)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(B) ensure that agricultural research, 
education, extension, economics, and statistical 
programs— 
‘‘(i) are effectively coordinated and in-
tegrated— 
‘‘(I) across disciplines, agencies, 
and institutions; and
508 
‘‘(II) among applicable partici-
pants, grantees, and beneficiaries; and 
‘‘(ii) address the priority areas of the 
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative 
specified in subsection (b)(2) of the Com-
petitive, Special, and Facilities Research 
Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157(b)(2));’’. 
SEC. 7603. REINSTATEMENT OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 
MATCHING 
REQUIREMENT 
FOR 
CERTAIN 
LAND-GRANT UNIVERSITY ASSISTANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 209(c) of the District of 
Columbia Public Postsecondary Education Reorganization 
Act (Public Law 93–471; sec. 38–1202.09(c), D.C. Offi-
cial Code) is amended in the first sentence, by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘, which may be used 
to pay no more than one-half of the total cost of providing 
such extension work.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
this section shall take effect on October 1, 2018. 
SEC. 7604. FARMLAND TENURE, TRANSITION, AND ENTRY 
DATA INITIATIVE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall collect and re-
port data and analysis on farmland ownership, tenure, 
transition, and entry of beginning farmers or ranchers.
509 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall— 
(1) collect and distribute comprehensive annual 
reporting of trends in farmland ownership, tenure, 
transition, barriers to entry, profitability, and viabil-
ity of beginning farmers or ranchers; and 
(2) develop surveys and report statistical and 
economic analysis on farmland ownership, tenure, 
transition, barriers to entry, profitability, and viabil-
ity of beginning farmers or ranchers. 
(c) FUNDING.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this section $2,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2019 through 2023, to remain available until 
expended. 
(d) CONFORMING AMENDMENT REGARDING CON-
FIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION.—Section 1770(d) of the 
Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 2276(d)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in paragraph (11), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (12), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
510 
‘‘(13) section 7604 of the Agriculture and Nu-
trition Act of 2018.’’. 
SEC. 7605. TRANSFER OF ADMINISTRATIVE JURISDICTION, 
PORTION OF HENRY A. WALLACE BELTS-
VILLE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER, 
BELTSVILLE, MARYLAND. 
(a) TRANSFER AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of Ag-
riculture may transfer to the administrative jurisdiction 
of the Secretary of the Treasury a parcel of real property 
at the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research 
Center consisting of approximately 100 acres, which was 
originally acquired by the United States through land ac-
quisitions in 1910 and 1925 and is generally located off 
of Poultry Road lying between Powder Mill Road and 
Odell Road in Beltsville, Maryland, for the purpose of fa-
cilitating the establishment of Bureau of Engraving and 
Printing facilities on the parcel. 
(b) LEGAL DESCRIPTION AND MAP.— 
(1) PREPARATION.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture shall prepare a legal description and map of 
the parcel of real property to be transferred under 
subsection (a). 
(2) FORCE OF LAW.—The legal description and 
map prepared under paragraph (1) shall have the 
same force and effect as if included in this Act, ex-
511 
cept that the Secretary of Agriculture may correct 
errors in the legal description and map. 
(c) RETENTION OF INTERESTS.—The transfer of ad-
ministrative jurisdiction under subsection (a) shall be sub-
ject to easements and rights of record and such other res-
ervations, terms, and conditions as the Secretary of Agri-
culture considers to be necessary. 
(d) WAIVER.—The parcel of real property to be 
transferred under subsection (a) is exempt from Federal 
screening for other possible use as there is an identified 
Federal need for the parcel as the site for Bureau of En-
graving and Printing facilities. 
(e) CONDITION ON TRANSFER.—As a condition of the 
transfer of administrative jurisdiction under subsection 
(a), the Secretary of the Treasury shall agree to pay the 
Secretary of Agriculture the following costs: 
(1) The appraisal required under subsection (f). 
(2) Any environmental or administrative anal-
ysis required by Federal law with respect to the real 
property so transferred. 
(3) Any necessary survey of such real property. 
(4) Any hazardous substances assessment of 
such real property. 
(f) APPRAISAL.—To determine the fair market value 
of the parcel of real property to be transferred under sub-
512 
section (a), the Secretary of the Treasury shall have the 
parcel appraised for its highest and best use in conformity 
with the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land 
Acquisitions developed by the Interagency Land Acquisi-
tion Conference. The appraisal shall be subject to the re-
view and approval by the Secretary of Agriculture. 
(g) HAZARDOUS MATERIALS.—For the parcel of real 
property to be transferred under subsection (a), the Sec-
retary of Agriculture shall meet disclosure requirements 
for hazardous substances, but shall otherwise not be re-
quired to remediate or abate those substances or any other 
hazardous pollutants, contaminants, or waste that might 
be present on the parcel at the time of transfer of adminis-
trative jurisdiction. 
SEC. 7606. SIMPLIFIED PLAN OF WORK. 
(a) SMITH-LEVER ACT.—The Smith-Lever Act is 
amended— 
(1) in section 3(h)(2) (7 U.S.C. 343(h)(2)), by 
striking subparagraph (D); and 
(2) in section 4 (7 U.S.C. 344)— 
(A) in subsection (c), by striking para-
graphs (1) through (5) and inserting the fol-
lowing new paragraphs: 
‘‘(1) A summary of planned projects or pro-
grams in the State using formula funds.
513 
‘‘(2) A description of the manner in which the 
State will meet the requirements of section 3(h). 
‘‘(3) A description of the manner in which the 
State will meet the requirements of section 3(i)(2) of 
the Hatch Act of 1887. 
‘‘(4) A description of matching funds provided 
by the State with respect to the previous fiscal 
year.’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
subsection: 
‘‘(f) RELATIONSHIP
TO AUDITS.—Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, the procedures established pur-
suant to subsection (c) shall not be subject to audit to 
determine the sufficiency of such procedures.’’. 
(b) HATCH ACT.—The Hatch Act of 1887 is amend-
ed— 
(1) in section 3 (7 U.S.C. 361c)— 
(A) by amending subsection (h) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(h) PEER REVIEW.—Research carried out under 
subsection (c)(3) shall be subject to scientific peer review. 
The review of a project conducted under this subsection 
shall be considered to satisfy the merit review require-
ments of section 103(e) of the Agricultural Research, Ex-
tension, and Education Reform Act of 1998.’’; and
514 
(B) in subsection (i)(2), by striking sub-
paragraph (D); and 
(2) in section 7 (7 U.S.C. 361g)— 
(A) in subsection (e), by striking para-
graphs (1) through (4) and inserting the fol-
lowing new paragraphs: 
‘‘(1) A summary of planned projects or pro-
grams in the State using formula funds. 
‘‘(2) A description of the manner in which the 
State will meet the requirements of subsections 
(c)(3) and (i)(2) of section 3. 
‘‘(3) A description of matching funds provided 
by the State with respect to the previous fiscal 
year.’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
subsection: 
‘‘(h) RELATIONSHIP TO AUDITS.—Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, the procedures established pur-
suant to subsection (e) shall not be subject to audit to 
determine the sufficiency of such procedures.’’. 
(c) EXTENSION AND RESEARCH AT 1890 INSTITU-
TIONS.— 
(1) EXTENSION.—Section 1444(d) of the Na-
tional Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teach-
515 
ing Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3221(d)) is amend-
ed— 
(A) in paragraph (3), by striking subpara-
graphs (A) through (E) and inserting the fol-
lowing new subparagraphs: 
‘‘(A) A summary of planned projects or 
programs in the State using formula funds. 
‘‘(B) A description of matching funds pro-
vided by the State with respect to the previous 
fiscal year.’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(6) RELATIONSHIP
TO
AUDITS.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law, the procedures 
established pursuant to paragraph (3) shall not be 
subject to audit to determine the sufficiency of such 
procedures.’’. 
(2) RESEARCH.—Section 1445(c) of the Na-
tional Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teach-
ing Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3222(c)) is amend-
ed— 
(A) in paragraph (3), by striking subpara-
graphs (A) through (E) and inserting the fol-
lowing new subparagraphs:
516 
‘‘(A) A summary of planned projects or 
programs in the State using formula funds. 
‘‘(B) A description of matching funds pro-
vided by the State with respect to the previous 
fiscal year.’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(6) RELATIONSHIP
TO
AUDITS.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law, the procedures 
established pursuant to paragraph (3) shall not be 
subject to audit to determine the sufficiency of such 
procedures.’’. 
SEC. 7607. TIME AND EFFORT REPORTING EXEMPTION. 
Any entity receiving funds under a program referred 
to in clause (iii), (iv), (vii), (viii), or (xii) of section 
251(f)(1)(C) of the Department of Agriculture Reorga-
nization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6971(f)(1)(C)) shall be ex-
empt from the time and effort reporting requirements 
under part 200 of title 2, Code of Federal Regulations 
(or successor regulations), with respect to the use of such 
funds. 
SEC. 7608. PUBLIC EDUCATION ON BIOTECHNOLOGY IN 
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE SECTORS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation 
with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the
517 
Secretary of Education, and such other persons and orga-
nizations as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, 
shall develop and carry out a national science-based edu-
cation campaign to increase public awareness regarding 
the use of technology in food and agriculture production, 
including— 
(1) the science of biotechnology as applied to 
the development of products in the food and agricul-
tural sectors, including information about which 
products of biotechnology in the food and agricul-
tural sectors have been approved for use in the 
United States; 
(2) the Federal science-based regulatory review 
process for products made using biotechnology in the 
food and agricultural sectors conducted under the 
Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Bio-
technology published by the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy in the Federal Register on June 
26, 1986 (51 Fed. Reg. 23302), including the stud-
ies performed and analyses conducted to ensure that 
such products are as safe to produce and as safe to 
eat as products that are not produced using bio-
technology; 
(3) developments in the science of plant and 
animal breeding over time and the impacts of such
518 
developments on farmers, consumers, the environ-
ment, and the rural economy; and 
(4) the effects of the use of biotechnology on 
food security, nutrition, and the environment. 
(b) 
CONSUMER
FRIENDLY
INFORMATIONAL 
WEBSITE.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services, the Administrator 
of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy, and such other persons 
and organizations as the Secretary determines to be ap-
propriate, shall develop, establish, and update as nec-
essary, a single Federal government-sponsored public 
Internet website through which the public may obtain, in 
an easy to understand and user-friendly format, informa-
tion about biotechnology used in the food and agricultural 
sectors, including— 
(1) scientific findings and other data on bio-
technology used in the food and agricultural sectors; 
(2) Federal agencies’ decisions regarding spe-
cific products made using biotechnology in the food 
and agricultural sectors; 
(3) a list of frequently asked questions per-
taining to the use of biotechnology in the food and 
agricultural sectors;
519 
(4) an easy-to-understand description of the 
role of Federal agencies in overseeing the use of bio-
technology in the food and agricultural sectors; 
(5) information about novel, emerging tech-
nologies within the broader field of biotechnology; 
and 
(6) a glossary of terms with respect to bio-
technology used in the food and agricultural sectors. 
(c) SOCIAL MEDIA RESOURCES.—The Secretary may, 
as appropriate, utilize publicly-available social media plat-
forms to supplement the campaign established under sub-
section (a), and as an extension of the website established 
under subsection (b). 
TITLE VIII—FORESTRY 
Subtitle 
A—Reauthorization 
and 
Modification of Certain Forestry 
Programs 
SEC. 8101. SUPPORT FOR STATE ASSESSMENTS AND STRAT-
EGIES FOR FOREST RESOURCES. 
Section 2A(f)(1) of the Cooperative Forestry Assist-
ance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2101a(f)(1)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’.
520 
SEC. 8102. FOREST LEGACY PROGRAM. 
Subsection (m) of section 7 of the Cooperative For-
estry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2103c) is amend-
ed to read as follows: 
‘‘(m) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$35,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.’’. 
SEC. 8103. COMMUNITY FOREST AND OPEN SPACE CON-
SERVATION PROGRAM. 
Subsection (g) of section 7A of the Cooperative For-
estry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2103d) is amend-
ed to read as follows: 
‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.’’. 
SEC. 8104. STATE AND PRIVATE FOREST LANDSCAPE-SCALE 
RESTORATION PROGRAM. 
Section 13A of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance 
Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2109a) is amended to read as 
follows: 
‘‘SEC. 13A. STATE AND PRIVATE FOREST LANDSCAPE-SCALE 
RESTORATION PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to es-
tablish a landscape-scale restoration program to support 
landscape-scale restoration and management that results
521 
in measurable improvements to public benefits derived 
from State and private forest land, as identified in— 
‘‘(1) a State-wide assessment described in sec-
tion 2A(a)(1); and 
‘‘(2) a long-term State-wide forest resource 
strategy described in section 2A(a)(2). 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) PRIVATE FOREST LAND.—The term ‘pri-
vate forest land’ means land that— 
‘‘(A)(i) has existing tree cover; or 
‘‘(ii) is suitable for growing trees; and 
‘‘(B) is owned by— 
‘‘(i) an Indian Tribe (as defined in 
section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination 
and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
5304)); or 
‘‘(ii) any private individual or entity. 
‘‘(2) REGIONAL.—The term ‘regional’ means of 
any region of the National Association of State For-
esters. 
‘‘(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 
Chief of the Forest Service.
522 
‘‘(4) STATE FOREST LAND.—The term ‘State 
forest land’ means land that is owned by a State or 
unit of local government. 
‘‘(5) STATE FORESTER.—The term ‘State For-
ester’ means a State Forester or equivalent State of-
ficial. 
‘‘(c) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary, in consulta-
tion with State Foresters or other appropriate State agen-
cies, shall establish a landscape-scale restoration pro-
gram— 
‘‘(1) to provide financial and technical assist-
ance for landscape-scale restoration projects on 
State forest land or private forest land; and 
‘‘(2) that maintains or improves benefits from 
trees and forests on such land. 
‘‘(d) REQUIREMENTS.—The landscape-scale restora-
tion program established under subsection (c) shall— 
‘‘(1) measurably address the national private 
forest conservation priorities described in section 
2(c); 
‘‘(2) enhance public benefits from trees and for-
ests, as identified in— 
‘‘(A) a State-wide assessment described in 
section 2A(a)(1); and
523 
‘‘(B) a long-term State-wide forest re-
source strategy described in section 2A(a)(2); 
and 
‘‘(3) in accordance with the purposes described 
in section 2(b), include one or more of the following 
objectives— 
‘‘(A) protecting or improving water quality 
or quantity; 
‘‘(B) reducing wildfire risk, including 
through hazardous fuels treatment; 
‘‘(C) protecting or enhancing wildlife habi-
tat, consistent with wildlife objectives estab-
lished by the applicable State fish and wildlife 
agency; 
‘‘(D) improving forest health and forest 
ecosystems, including addressing native, non-
native, and invasive pests; or 
‘‘(E) enhancing opportunities for new and 
existing markets in which the production and 
use of wood products strengthens local and re-
gional economies. 
‘‘(e) MEASUREMENT.—The Secretary, in consultation 
with State Foresters, shall establish a measurement sys-
tem (including measurement tools) that—
524 
‘‘(1) consistently measures the results of land-
scape-scale restoration projects described in sub-
section (c); and 
‘‘(2) is consistent with the measurement sys-
tems of other Federal programs delivered by State 
Foresters. 
‘‘(f) USE OF AMOUNTS.— 
‘‘(1) ALLOCATION.—Of the amounts made 
available for the landscape-scale restoration program 
established under subsection (c), the Secretary shall 
allocate to State Foresters— 
‘‘(A) 50 percent for the competitive process 
in accordance with subsection (g); and 
‘‘(B) 50 percent proportionally to States, 
in consultation with State Foresters— 
‘‘(i) to maximize the achievement of 
the objectives described in subsection 
(d)(3); and 
‘‘(ii) to address the highest national 
priorities, as identified in— 
‘‘(I) State-wide assessments de-
scribed in section 2A(a)(1); and 
‘‘(II) long-term State-wide forest 
resource strategies described in sec-
tion 2A(a)(2).
525 
‘‘(2) MULTIYEAR
PROJECTS.—The Secretary 
may provide amounts under this section for 
multiyear projects. 
‘‘(g) COMPETITIVE PROCESS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall dis-
tribute amounts described in subsection (f)(1)(A) 
through a competitive process for landscape-scale 
restoration projects described in subsection (c) to 
maximize the achievement of the objectives described 
in subsection (d)(3). 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for funding 
through the competitive process under paragraph 
(1), a State Forester, or another entity on approval 
of the State Forester, shall submit to the Secretary 
one or more landscape-scale restoration proposals 
that— 
‘‘(A) in accordance with paragraph (3)(A), 
include priorities identified in— 
‘‘(i) State-wide assessments described 
in section 2A(a)(1); and 
‘‘(ii) long-term State-wide forest re-
source strategies described in section 
2A(a)(2); 
‘‘(B) identify one or more measurable re-
sults to be achieved through the project;
526 
‘‘(C) to the maximum extent practicable, 
include activities on all land necessary to ac-
complish the measurable results in the applica-
ble landscape; 
‘‘(D) to the maximum extent practicable, 
are developed in collaboration with other public 
and private sector organizations and local com-
munities; and 
‘‘(E) derive not less than 50 percent of the 
funding for the project from non-Federal 
sources, unless the Secretary determines— 
‘‘(i) the applicant is unable to derive 
not less than 50 percent of the funding for 
the project from non-Federal sources; and 
‘‘(ii) the benefits of the project justify 
pursuing the project. 
‘‘(3) PRIORITIZATION.—In carrying out the 
competitive process under paragraph (1), the Sec-
retary— 
‘‘(A) shall give priority to projects that, as 
determined by the Secretary, best carry out pri-
orities identified in State-wide assessments de-
scribed in section 2A(a)(1) and long-term 
State-wide forest resource strategies described 
in section 2A(a)(2), including—
527 
‘‘(i) involvement of public and private 
partnerships; 
‘‘(ii) inclusion of cross-boundary ac-
tivities on— 
‘‘(I) Federal forest land; 
‘‘(II) State forest land; or 
‘‘(III) private forest land; 
‘‘(iii) involvement of areas also identi-
fied for cost-share funding by the Natural 
Resources Conservation Service or any 
other relevant Federal agency; 
‘‘(iv) protection or improvement of 
water quality or quantity; 
‘‘(v) reduction of wildfire risk; and 
‘‘(vi) otherwise addressing the na-
tional private forest conservation priorities 
described in section 2(c); and 
‘‘(B) may give priority to projects in prox-
imity to other landscape-scale projects on other 
land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary, the 
Secretary of the Interior, or a Governor of a 
State, including— 
‘‘(i) ecological restoration treatments 
under the Collaborative Forest Landscape 
Restoration Program established under
528 
section 4003 of the Omnibus Public Land 
Management Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 
7303); 
‘‘(ii) projects on landscape-scale areas 
designated for insect and disease treatment 
under section 602 of the Healthy Forests 
Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 
6591a); 
‘‘(iii) authorized restoration services 
under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act 
of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a); 
‘‘(iv) watershed restoration and pro-
tection services under section 331 of the 
Department of the Interior and Related 
Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 (Public 
Law 106–291; 16 U.S.C. 1011 note); 
‘‘(v) stewardship end result con-
tracting projects under section 604 of the 
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 
(16 U.S.C. 6591c); or 
‘‘(vi) projects under other relevant 
programs, as determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(4) PROPOSAL REVIEW.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
establish a process for the review of proposals
529 
submitted under paragraph (2) that ranks each 
proposal based on— 
‘‘(i) the extent to which the proposal 
would achieve the requirements described 
in subsection (d); and 
‘‘(ii) the priorities described in para-
graph (3)(A). 
‘‘(B) REGIONAL REVIEW.—The Secretary 
may carry out the process described in subpara-
graph (A) at a regional level. 
‘‘(5) COMPLIANCE WITH NEPA.—Financial and 
technical assistance carried out under this section 
for landscape restoration projects on State forest 
land or private forest land shall not constitute a 
major Federal action for the purposes of section 
102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)). 
‘‘(h) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the date 
of the enactment of the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 
2018, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Ag-
riculture of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Sen-
ate a report that includes— 
‘‘(1) a description of the status of the develop-
ment, execution, and administration of landscape-
530 
scale projects selected under the program under this 
section; 
‘‘(2) an accounting of expenditures under such 
program; and 
‘‘(3) specific accomplishments that have re-
sulted from landscape-scale projects under such pro-
gram. 
‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for the 
landscape-scale restoration program established under 
subsection (c) $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 
through 2023, to remain available until expended.’’. 
SEC. 8105. RURAL REVITALIZATION TECHNOLOGIES. 
Section 2371(d)(2) of the Food, Agriculture, Con-
servation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6601(d)(2)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 8106. COMMUNITY WOOD ENERGY AND WOOD INNOVA-
TION PROGRAM. 
Section 9013 of the Farm Security and Rural Invest-
ment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8113) is amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 9013. COMMUNITY WOOD ENERGY AND WOOD INNO-
VATION PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) COMMUNITY WOOD ENERGY SYSTEM.—
531 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘community 
wood energy system’ means an energy system 
that— 
‘‘(i) produces thermal energy or com-
bined thermal energy and electricity where 
thermal is the primary energy output; 
‘‘(ii) services public facilities owned or 
operated by State or local governments (in-
cluding schools, town halls, libraries, and 
other public buildings) or private or non-
profit facilities (including commercial and 
business facilities, such as hospitals, office 
buildings, apartment buildings, and manu-
facturing and industrial buildings); and 
‘‘(iii) uses woody biomass, including 
residuals from wood processing facilities, 
as the primary fuel. 
‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘community 
wood energy system’ includes single-facility cen-
tral heating, district heating systems serving 
multiple buildings, combined heat and electric 
systems where thermal energy is the primary 
energy output, and other related biomass en-
ergy systems.
532 
‘‘(2) INNOVATIVE WOOD PRODUCT FACILITY.— 
The term ‘innovative wood product facility’ means a 
manufacturing or processing plant or mill that pro-
duces— 
‘‘(A) building components or systems that 
use large panelized wood construction, including 
mass timber; 
‘‘(B) wood products derived from nano-
technology or other new technology processes, 
as determined by the Secretary; or 
‘‘(C) other innovative wood products that 
use low-value, low-quality wood, as determined 
by the Secretary. 
‘‘(3) MASS TIMBER.—The term ‘mass timber’ 
includes— 
‘‘(A) cross-laminated timber; 
‘‘(B) nail-laminated timber; 
‘‘(C) glue-laminated timber; 
‘‘(D) laminated strand lumber; and 
‘‘(E) laminated veneer lumber. 
‘‘(4) PROGRAM.—The term ‘Program’ means 
the Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovation 
Program established under subsection (b). 
‘‘(b) COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM.—The Sec-
retary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service,
533 
shall establish a competitive grant program to be known 
as the ‘Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovation 
Program’. 
‘‘(c) MATCHING GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Under the Program, the 
Secretary shall make grants to cover not more than 
35 percent of the capital cost for installing a com-
munity wood energy system or building an innova-
tive wood product facility. 
‘‘(2) SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES.—The Secretary 
may establish special circumstances, such as in the 
case of a community wood energy system project or 
innovative wood product facility project involving a 
school or hospital in a low-income community, under 
which grants under the Program may cover up to 50 
percent of the capital cost. 
‘‘(3) SOURCE OF MATCHING FUNDS.—Matching 
funds required pursuant to this subsection from a 
grant recipient must be derived from non-Federal 
funds. 
‘‘(d) PROJECT CAP.—The total amount of grants 
under the Program for a community wood energy system 
project or innovative wood product facility project may not 
exceed—
534 
‘‘(1) in the case of grants under the general au-
thority 
provided 
under 
subsection 
(c)(1), 
$1,000,000; and 
‘‘(2) in the case of grants for which the special 
circumstances 
apply 
under 
subsection 
(c)(2), 
$1,500,000. 
‘‘(e) SELECTION CRITERIA.—In selecting applicants 
for grants under the Program, the Secretary shall consider 
the following: 
‘‘(1) The energy efficiency of the proposed com-
munity wood energy system or innovative wood prod-
uct facility. 
‘‘(2) The cost effectiveness of the proposed 
community wood energy system or innovative wood 
product facility. 
‘‘(3) The extent to which the proposed commu-
nity wood energy system or innovative wood product 
facility represents the best available commercial 
technology. 
‘‘(4) The extent to which the applicant has 
demonstrated a high likelihood of project success by 
completing detailed engineering and design work in 
advance of the grant application.
535 
‘‘(5) Other technical, economic, conservation, 
and environmental criteria that the Secretary con-
siders appropriate. 
‘‘(f) GRANT PRIORITIES.—In selecting applicants for 
grants under the Program, the Secretary shall give pri-
ority to proposals that— 
‘‘(1) would be carried out in a location where 
markets are needed for the low-value, low-quality 
wood; 
‘‘(2) would be carried out in a location with 
limited access to natural gas pipelines; 
‘‘(3) would include the use or retrofitting (or 
both) of existing sawmill facilities located in a loca-
tion where the average annual unemployment rate 
exceeded the national average unemployment rate by 
more than 1 percent during the previous calendar 
year; or 
‘‘(4) would be carried out in a location where 
the project will aid with forest restoration. 
‘‘(g) LIMITATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) CAPACITY OF COMMUNITY WOOD ENERGY 
SYSTEMS.—A community wood energy system ac-
quired with grant funds under the Program shall not 
exceed nameplate capacity of 10 megawatts of ther-
mal energy or combined thermal and electric energy.
536 
‘‘(2) FUNDING FOR INNOVATIVE WOOD PROD-
UCT
FACILITIES.—Not more than 25 percent of 
funds provided as grants under the Program for a 
fiscal year may go to applicants proposing innovative 
wood product facilities, unless the Secretary has re-
ceived an insufficient number of qualified proposals 
for community wood energy systems. 
‘‘(h) FUNDING.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out the Program $25,000,000 for each 
of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.’’. 
SEC. 8107. HEALTHY FORESTS RESTORATION ACT OF 2003 
AMENDMENTS. 
(a) HEALTHY FORESTS RESERVE PROGRAM.— 
(1) ADDITIONAL PURPOSE OF PROGRAM.—Sec-
tion 501(a) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act 
of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6571(a)) is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of para-
graph (2); 
(B) by redesignating paragraph (3) as 
paragraph (4); and 
(C) by inserting after paragraph (2) the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) to conserve forest land that provides habi-
tat for species described in section 502(b)(1); and’’.
537 
(2) ELIGIBILITY
FOR
ENROLLMENT.—Sub-
section (b) of section 502 of the Healthy Forests 
Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6572) is amend-
ed to read as follows: 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for enrollment in 
the healthy forests reserve program, land shall be private 
forest land, or private land being restored to forest land, 
the enrollment of which will maintain, restore, enhance, 
or otherwise measurably— 
‘‘(1) increase the likelihood of recovery of a spe-
cies that is listed as endangered or threatened under 
section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
U.S.C. 1533); or 
‘‘(2) improve the well-being of a species that— 
‘‘(A) is— 
‘‘(i) not listed as endangered or 
threatened under such section; and 
‘‘(ii) a candidate for such listing, a 
State-listed species, or a special concern 
species; or 
‘‘(B) is deemed a species of greatest con-
servation need by a State wildlife action plan.’’. 
(3) OTHER ENROLLMENT CONSIDERATIONS.— 
Section 502(c) of the Healthy Forests Restoration 
Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6572(c)) is amended—
538 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of para-
graph (1); 
(B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as 
paragraph (3); and 
(C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(2) conserve forest lands that provide habitat 
for species described in subsection (b)(1); and’’. 
(4) ELIMINATION OF LIMITATION ON USE OF 
EASEMENTS.—Section 502(e) of the Healthy Forests 
Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6572(e)) is 
amended by striking paragraph (2) and redesig-
nating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2). 
(5) ENROLLMENT OF ACREAGE OWNED BY AN 
INDIAN
TRIBE.—Section 
502(e)(2)(B) 
of 
the 
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 
6572(e)(3)(B)), as redesignated under paragraph 
(4), is amended by striking clauses (ii) and (iii) and 
inserting the following new clauses: 
‘‘(ii) a 10-year, cost-share agreement; 
‘‘(iii) a permanent easement; or 
‘‘(iv) any combination of the options 
described in clauses (i) through (iii).’’. 
(6) 
SPECIES-RELATED
ENROLLMENT
PRI-
ORITY.—Subparagraph (B) of section 502(f)(1) of
539 
the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 
U.S.C. 6572(f)(1)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(B) secondarily, species that— 
‘‘(i) are— 
‘‘(I) not listed as endangered or 
threatened under section 4 of the En-
dangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
U.S.C. 1533); and 
‘‘(II) candidates for such listing, 
State-listed species, or special concern 
species; or 
‘‘(ii) are species of greatest conserva-
tion need, as identified in State wildlife ac-
tion plans.’’. 
(7) RESTORATION
PLANS.—Subsection (b) of 
section 503 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act 
of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6573) is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(b) PRACTICES.—The restoration plan shall require 
such restoration practices and measures, as are necessary 
to restore and enhance habitat for species described in sec-
tion 502(b), including the following: 
‘‘(1) Land management practices. 
‘‘(2) Vegetative treatments. 
‘‘(3) Structural practices and measures.
540 
‘‘(4) Other practices and measures.’’. 
(8) FUNDING.—Section 508(b) of the Healthy 
Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 
6578(b)) is amended— 
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
‘‘FISCAL YEARS 2014 THROUGH 2018’’ and in-
serting 
‘‘AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIA-
TIONS’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’. 
(9) TECHNICAL CORRECTION.—Section 503(a) 
of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 
U.S.C. 6573(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘Secretary 
of Interior’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary of the Inte-
rior’’. 
(b) INSECT AND DISEASE INFESTATION.— 
(1) TREATMENT OF AREAS.—Section 602(d)(1) 
of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 
U.S.C. 6591a(d)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘sub-
section (b) to reduce the risk or extent of, or in-
crease the resilience to, insect or disease infestation 
in the areas.’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘sub-
section (b)—
541 
‘‘(A) to reduce the risk or extent of, or in-
crease the resilience to, insect or disease infes-
tation; or 
‘‘(B) to reduce hazardous fuels.’’. 
(2) 
PERMANENT
AUTHORITY.—Section 
602(d)(2) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 
2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591a(d)(2)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘for which a public notice to initiate scoping is 
issued on or before September 30, 2018,’’. 
(c) ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW.— 
(1) 
CLARIFICATION
OF
TREATMENT
OF 
AREAS.—Section 603(a) of the Healthy Forests Res-
toration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591b(a)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘in accordance with section 
602(d)’’ and inserting ‘‘in accordance with section 
602(d)(1)’’. 
(2) PROJECT
SIZE
AND
LOCATION.—Section 
603(c)(1) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 
2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591b(c)(1)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘3000’’ and inserting ‘‘6,000’’. 
(d) STEWARDSHIP
PROJECT
RECEIPTS.—Section 
604(e) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 
(16 U.S.C. 6591c(e)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting ‘‘subject 
to paragraph (3)(A),’’ before ‘‘shall’’; and
542 
(2) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ‘‘services 
received by the Chief or the Director’’ and all that 
follows through the period at the end and inserting 
the following: ‘‘services and in-kind resources re-
ceived by the Chief or the Director under a steward-
ship contract project conducted under this section 
shall not be considered monies received from the Na-
tional Forest System or the public lands, but any 
payments made by the contractor to the Chief or Di-
rector under the project shall be considered monies 
received from the National Forest System or the 
public lands.’’. 
SEC. 8108. NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION ACT AUTHORI-
TIES. 
(a) EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE MATCH-
ING FUNDS
FOR ADMINISTRATIVE
AND PROJECT EX-
PENSES.—Section 405(b) of the National Forest Founda-
tion Act (16 U.S.C. 583j–3(b)) is amended by striking 
‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
410(b) of the National Forest Foundation Act (16 U.S.C. 
583j–8(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’.
543 
SEC. 8109. INCLUSION OF INVASIVE VEGETATION IN DES-
IGNATED TREATMENT AREAS. 
Section 602 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act 
of 2003 is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘, 
invasive vegetation,’’ after ‘‘insect’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘, 
invasive vegetation,’’ after ‘‘insects’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)(2), by inserting ‘‘, invasive 
vegetation,’’ after ‘‘insect’’. 
Subtitle B—Secure Rural Schools 
and Community Self-Determina-
tion Act of 2000 Amendments 
SEC. 8201. USE OF RESERVED FUNDS FOR TITLE II 
PROJECTS ON FEDERAL LAND AND CERTAIN 
NON-FEDERAL LAND. 
Section 204(f) of the Secure Rural Schools and Com-
munity Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 
7124(f)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(f) REQUIREMENTS FOR PROJECT FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
the Secretary concerned shall ensure that at least 50 
percent of the project funds reserved under section 
102(d) by a participating county shall be available 
only for projects that—
544 
‘‘(A) include— 
‘‘(i) the sale of timber or other forest 
products; 
‘‘(ii) reduce fire risks; or 
‘‘(iii) improve water supplies; and 
‘‘(B) implement stewardship objectives 
that enhance forest ecosystems or restore and 
improve land health and water quality. 
‘‘(2) 
APPLICABILITY.—The 
requirement 
in 
paragraph (1) shall apply only to project funds re-
served by a participating county whose boundaries 
include Federal land that the Secretary concerned 
determines has been subject to a timber or other for-
est products program within 5 fiscal years before the 
fiscal year in which the funds are reserved.’’. 
SEC. 8202. RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEES. 
(a) RECOGNITION OF RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMIT-
TEES.—Section 205(a)(4) of the Secure Rural Schools 
and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 
U.S.C. 7125(a)(4)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
(b) REDUCTION IN COMPOSITION OF COMMITTEES.— 
Section 205(d) of the Secure Rural Schools and Commu-
nity Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7125(d)) 
is amended—
545 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘15 members’’ 
and inserting ‘‘9 members’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘5 persons’’ each place it ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘3 persons’’. 
(c) EXPANDING LOCAL PARTICIPATION ON COMMIT-
TEES.—Section 205(d) of the Secure Rural Schools and 
Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 
7125(d)) is further amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by inserting before the pe-
riod at the end the following: ‘‘, consistent with the 
requirements of paragraph (4)’’; and 
(2) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—The mem-
bers of a resource advisory committee shall reside 
within the county or counties in which the committee 
has jurisdiction, or an adjacent county.’’. 
(d) APPOINTMENT OF RESOURCE ADVISORY COM-
MITTEES BY APPLICABLE DESIGNEE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 205 of the Secure 
Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination 
Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7125) is further amended— 
(A) in subsection (a)—
546 
(i) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘(or 
applicable designee)’’ after ‘‘The Secretary 
concerned’’; 
(ii) in paragraph (3), by inserting 
‘‘(or applicable designee)’’ after ‘‘the Sec-
retary concerned’’; and 
(iii) in paragraph (4), by inserting 
‘‘(or applicable designee)’’ after ‘‘the Sec-
retary concerned’’ both places it appears; 
(B) in subsection (b)(6), by inserting ‘‘(or 
applicable designee)’’ after ‘‘the Secretary con-
cerned’’; 
(C) in subsection (c)— 
(i) in the subsection heading, by in-
serting ‘‘OR APPLICABLE DESIGNEE’’ after 
‘‘BY THE SECRETARY’’; 
(ii) in paragraph (1), by inserting 
‘‘(or applicable designee)’’ after ‘‘The Sec-
retary concerned’’ both places it appears; 
(iii) in paragraph (2), by inserting 
‘‘(or applicable designee)’’ after ‘‘The Sec-
retary concerned’’; 
(iv) in paragraph (4), by inserting 
‘‘(or applicable designee)’’ after ‘‘The Sec-
retary concerned’’; and
547 
(v) by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(6) APPLICABLE DESIGNEE.—In this section, 
the term ‘applicable designee’ means— 
‘‘(A) with respect to Federal land de-
scribed in section 3(7)(A), the applicable Re-
gional Forester; and 
‘‘(B) with respect to Federal land de-
scribed in section 3(7)(B), the applicable Bu-
reau of Land Management State Director.’’; 
(D) in subsection (d)(3), by inserting ‘‘(or 
applicable designee)’’ after ‘‘the Secretary con-
cerned’’; and 
(E) in subsection (f)(1)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘(or applicable des-
ignee)’’ after ‘‘the Secretary concerned’’; 
and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘(or applicable des-
ignee)’’ after ‘‘of the Secretary’’. 
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 
201(3) of the Secure Rural Schools and Community 
Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7121(3)) 
is amended by inserting ‘‘(or applicable designee (as 
defined in section 205(c)(6)))’’ after ‘‘Secretary con-
cerned’’ both places it appears.
548 
SEC. 8203. PROGRAM FOR TITLE II SELF-SUSTAINING RE-
SOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE PROJECTS. 
(a) SELF-SUSTAINING RESOURCE ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE PROJECTS.—Title II of the Secure Rural Schools 
and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 
U.S.C. 7121 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 209. PROGRAM FOR SELF-SUSTAINING RESOURCE AD-
VISORY COMMITTEE PROJECTS. 
‘‘(a) RAC PROGRAM.—The Chief of the Forest Serv-
ice shall conduct a program (to be known as the ‘self-sus-
taining resource advisory committee program’ or ‘RAC 
program’) under which 10 resource advisory committees 
will propose projects authorized by subsection (c) to be 
carried out using project funds reserved by a participating 
county under section 102(d). 
‘‘(b) SELECTION OF PARTICIPATING RESOURCE AD-
VISORY COMMITTEES.—The selection of resource advisory 
committees to participate in the RAC program is in the 
sole discretion of the Chief of the Forest Service. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZED PROJECTS.—Notwithstanding the 
project purposes specified in sections 202(b), 203(c), and 
204(a)(5), projects under the RAC program are intended 
to— 
‘‘(1) accomplish forest management objectives 
or support community development; and
549 
‘‘(2) generate receipts. 
‘‘(d) DEPOSIT AND AVAILABILITY OF REVENUES.— 
Any revenue generated by a project conducted under the 
RAC program, including any interest accrued from the 
revenues, shall be— 
‘‘(1) deposited in the special account in the 
Treasury established under section 102(d)(2)(A); 
and 
‘‘(2) available, in such amounts as may be pro-
vided in advance in appropriation Acts, for addi-
tional projects under the RAC program. 
‘‘(e) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The authority to initiate a 
project under the RAC program shall terminate on 
September 30, 2023. 
‘‘(2) DEPOSITS
IN
TREASURY.—Any funds 
available for projects under the RAC program and 
not obligated by September 30, 2024, shall be depos-
ited in the Treasury of the United States.’’. 
(b) EXCEPTION
TO GENERAL RULE REGARDING 
TREATMENT OF RECEIPTS.—Section 403(b) of the Secure 
Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 
2000 (16 U.S.C. 7153(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘All rev-
enues’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as provided in section 209, 
all revenues’’.
550 
Subtitle C—Availability of Categor-
ical Exclusions To Expedite For-
est Management Activities 
PART I—GENERAL PROVISIONS 
SEC. 8301. DEFINITIONS. 
In this subtitle: 
(1) CATASTROPHIC EVENT.—The term ‘‘cata-
strophic event’’ means any natural disaster (such as 
hurricane, tornado, windstorm, snow or ice storm, 
rain storm, high water, wind-driven water, tidal 
wave, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, 
mudslide, drought, or insect or disease outbreak) or 
any fire, flood, or explosion, regardless of cause. 
(2) COOS BAY WAGON ROAD GRANT LANDS.— 
The term ‘‘Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands’’ 
means the lands reconveyed to the United States 
pursuant to the first section of the Act of February 
26, 1919 (40 Stat. 1179). 
(3) FOREST
MANAGEMENT
ACTIVITY.—The 
term ‘‘forest management activity’’ means a project 
or activity carried out by the Secretary concerned on 
National Forest System lands or public lands con-
sistent with the forest plan covering the lands. 
(4) FOREST
PLAN.—The term ‘‘forest plan’’ 
means—
551 
(A) a land use plan prepared by the Bu-
reau of Land Management for public lands pur-
suant to section 202 of the Federal Land Policy 
and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 
1712); or 
(B) a land and resource management plan 
prepared by the Forest Service for a unit of the 
National Forest System pursuant to section 6 
of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Re-
sources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 
1604). 
(5) NATIONAL
FOREST
SYSTEM.—The term 
‘‘National Forest System’’ has the meaning given 
that term in section 11(a) of the Forest and Range-
land Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 
U.S.C. 1609(a)). 
(6) OREGON AND CALIFORNIA RAILROAD GRANT 
LANDS.—The term ‘‘Oregon and California Railroad 
Grant lands’’ means the following lands: 
(A) All lands in the State of Oregon re-
vested in the United States under the Act of 
June 9, 1916 (39 Stat. 218), that are adminis-
tered by the Secretary of the Interior, acting 
through the Bureau of Land Management, pur-
552 
suant to the first section of the Act of August 
28, 1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181a). 
(B) All lands in that State obtained by the 
Secretary of the Interior pursuant to the land 
exchanges authorized and directed by section 2 
of the Act of June 24, 1954 (43 U.S.C. 1181h). 
(C) All lands in that State acquired by the 
United States at any time and made subject to 
the provisions of title II of the Act of August 
28, 1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181f). 
(7) PUBLIC LANDS.—The term ‘‘public lands’’ 
has the meaning given that term in section 103 of 
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702), except that the term in-
cludes Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands and Or-
egon and California Railroad Grant lands. 
(8) REFORESTATION ACTIVITY.—The term ‘‘re-
forestation activity’’ means a forest management ac-
tivity carried out by the Secretary concerned where 
the primary purpose is the reforestation of impacted 
lands following a catastrophic event. The term in-
cludes planting, evaluating and enhancing natural 
regeneration, clearing competing vegetation, and 
other activities related to reestablishment of forest 
species on the impacted lands.
553 
(9) RESOURCE
ADVISORY
COMMITTEE.—The 
term ‘‘resource advisory committee’’ has the mean-
ing given that term in section 201 of the Secure 
Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination 
Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7121). 
(10) SALVAGE OPERATION.—The term ‘‘salvage 
operation’’ means a forest management activity car-
ried out in response to a catastrophic event where 
the primary purpose is— 
(A) to prevent wildfire as a result of the 
catastrophic event, or, if the catastrophic event 
was wildfire, to prevent a re-burn of the fire-im-
pacted area; 
(B) to provide an opportunity for utiliza-
tion of forest materials damaged as a result of 
the catastrophic event; or 
(C) to provide a funding source for refor-
estation for the National Forest System lands 
or public lands impacted by the catastrophic 
event. 
(11) 
SECRETARY
CONCERNED.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretary concerned’’ means— 
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with re-
spect to National Forest System lands; and
554 
(B) the Secretary of the Interior, with re-
spect to public lands. 
SEC. 8302. RULE OF APPLICATION FOR NATIONAL FOREST 
SYSTEM LANDS AND PUBLIC LANDS. 
Unless specifically provided by a provision of this sub-
title, the authorities provided by this subtitle do not apply 
with respect to any National Forest System lands or pub-
lic lands— 
(1) that are included in the National Wilderness 
Preservation System; 
(2) that are located within a national or State- 
specific inventoried roadless area established by the 
Secretary of Agriculture through regulation, un-
less— 
(A) the forest management activity to be 
carried out under such authority is consistent 
with the forest plan applicable to the area; or 
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture deter-
mines the forest management activity is permis-
sible under the applicable roadless rule gov-
erning such lands; or 
(3) on which timber harvesting for any purpose 
is prohibited by Federal statute.
555 
SEC. 8303. CONSULTATION UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPE-
CIES ACT. 
(a) NO CONSULTATION IF ACTION NOT LIKELY TO 
ADVERSELY AFFECT A LISTED SPECIES OR DESIGNATED 
CRITICAL HABITAT.—With respect to a forest manage-
ment activity carried out pursuant to this subtitle, con-
sultation under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act 
of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536) shall not be required if the Sec-
retary concerned determines that such forest management 
activity is not likely to adversely affect a listed species or 
designated critical habitat. 
(b) EXPEDITED CONSULTATION.—With respect to a 
forest management activity carried out pursuant to this 
subtitle, consultation required under section 7 of the En-
dangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536) shall be 
concluded within the 90-day period beginning on the date 
on which such consultation was requested by the Secretary 
concerned. 
SEC. 8304. SECRETARIAL DISCRETION IN THE CASE OF TWO 
OR MORE CATEGORICAL EXCLUSIONS. 
To the extent that a forest management activity may 
be categorically excluded under more than one of the sec-
tions of this subtitle, the Secretary concerned shall have 
full discretion to determine which categorical exclusion to 
use.
556 
PART II—CATEGORICAL EXCLUSIONS 
SEC. 8311. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO EXPEDITE CER-
TAIN CRITICAL RESPONSE ACTIONS. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities described in subsection (b) are 
a category of actions hereby designated as being categori-
cally excluded from the preparation of an environmental 
assessment or an environmental impact statement under 
section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DESIGNATED 
FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—The category of forest 
management activities designated under this section for 
a categorical exclusion are forest management activities 
carried out by the Secretary concerned on National Forest 
System lands or public lands where the primary purpose 
of such activity is— 
(1) to address an insect or disease infestation; 
(2) to reduce hazardous fuel loads; 
(3) to protect a municipal water source; 
(4) to maintain, enhance, or modify critical 
habitat to protect it from catastrophic disturbances; 
(5) to increase water yield; or 
(6) any combination of the purposes specified in 
paragraphs (1) through (5).
557 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary concerned may use the categorical exclusion es-
tablished under subsection (a) in accordance with this sec-
tion. 
(d) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.—A forest management 
activity covered by the categorical exclusion established 
under subsection (a) may not contain treatment units ex-
ceeding a total of 6,000 acres. 
SEC. 8312. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO EXPEDITE SAL-
VAGE OPERATIONS IN RESPONSE TO CATA-
STROPHIC EVENTS. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—Sal-
vage operations carried out by the Secretary concerned on 
National Forest System lands or public lands are a cat-
egory of actions hereby designated as being categorically 
excluded from the preparation of an environmental assess-
ment or an environmental impact statement under section 
102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary concerned may use the categorical exclusion es-
tablished under subsection (a) in accordance with this sec-
tion.
558 
(c) ACREAGE LIMITATION.—A salvage operation cov-
ered by the categorical exclusion established under sub-
section (a) may not contain treatment units exceeding a 
total of 6,000 acres. 
(d) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) STREAM
BUFFERS.—A salvage operation 
covered by the categorical exclusion established 
under subsection (a) shall comply with the standards 
and guidelines for stream buffers contained in the 
applicable forest plan, except that the Regional For-
ester, in the case of National Forest System lands, 
or the State Director of the Bureau of Land Man-
agement, in the case of public lands, may, on a case- 
by-case basis, waive the standards and guidelines. 
(2) REFORESTATION
PLAN.—A reforestation 
plan shall be developed under section 3 of the Act 
of June 9, 1930 (commonly known as the Knutson- 
Vandenberg Act; (16 U.S.C. 576b)), as part of a sal-
vage operation covered by the categorical exclusion 
established under subsection (a). 
SEC. 8313. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO MEET FOREST 
PLAN GOALS FOR EARLY SUCCESSIONAL 
FORESTS. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities described in subsection (b) are
559 
a category of actions hereby designated as being categori-
cally excluded from the preparation of an environmental 
assessment or an environmental impact statement under 
section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DESIGNATED 
FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—The category of forest 
management activities designated under this section for 
a categorical exclusion are forest management activities 
carried out by the Secretary concerned on National Forest 
System lands or public lands where the primary purpose 
of such activity is to improve, enhance, or create early suc-
cessional forests for wildlife habitat improvement and 
other purposes, consistent with the applicable forest plan. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary concerned may use the categorical exclusion es-
tablished under subsection (a) in accordance with this sec-
tion. 
(d) PROJECT GOALS.—To the maximum extent prac-
ticable, the Secretary concerned shall design a forest man-
agement activity under this section to meet early succes-
sional forest goals in such a manner so as to maximize 
production and regeneration of priority species, as identi-
560 
fied in the forest plan and consistent with the capability 
of the activity site. 
(e) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.—A forest management 
activity covered by the categorical exclusion established 
under subsection (a) may not contain treatment units ex-
ceeding a total of 6,000 acres. 
SEC. 8314. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR HAZARD TREES. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities carried out by the Secretary 
concerned to remove hazard trees for purposes of the pro-
tection of public health or safety, water supply, or public 
infrastructure are a category of actions hereby designated 
as being categorically excluded from the preparation of an 
environmental assessment or an environmental impact 
statement under section 102 of the National Environ-
mental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary concerned may use the categorical exclusion es-
tablished under subsection (a) in accordance with this sec-
tion.
561 
SEC. 8315. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO IMPROVE OR RE-
STORE NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS OR 
PUBLIC LAND OR REDUCE THE RISK OF 
WILDFIRE. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities described in subsection (b) are 
a category of actions hereby designated as being categori-
cally excluded from the preparation of an environmental 
assessment or an environmental impact statement under 
section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DESIGNATED 
FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
(1) DESIGNATION.—The category of forest 
management activities designated under this section 
for a categorical exclusion are forest management 
activities described in paragraph (2) that are carried 
out by the Secretary concerned on National Forest 
System lands or public lands where the primary pur-
pose of such activity is to improve or restore such 
lands or reduce the risk of wildfire on those lands. 
(2) ACTIVITIES
AUTHORIZED.—The following 
forest management activities may be carried out 
pursuant to the categorical exclusion established 
under subsection (a):
562 
(A) Removal of juniper trees, medusahead 
rye, conifer trees, pin˜on pine trees, cheatgrass, 
and other noxious or invasive weeds specified on 
Federal or State noxious weeds lists through 
late-season livestock grazing, targeted livestock 
grazing, prescribed burns, and mechanical 
treatments. 
(B) Performance of hazardous fuels man-
agement. 
(C) Creation of fuel and fire breaks. 
(D) Modification of existing fences in order 
to distribute livestock and help improve wildlife 
habitat. 
(E) Stream restoration and erosion con-
trol, including the installation of erosion control 
devices. 
(F) Construction of new and maintenance 
of permanent infrastructure, including stock 
ponds, water catchments, and water spring 
boxes used to benefit livestock and improve 
wildlife habitat. 
(G) Performance of soil treatments, native 
and non-native seeding, and planting of and 
transplanting sagebrush, grass, forb, shrub, and 
other species.
563 
(H) Use of herbicides, so long as the Sec-
retary concerned determines that the activity is 
otherwise conducted consistently with agency 
procedures, including any forest plan applicable 
to the area covered by the activity. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary concerned may use the categorical exclusion es-
tablished under subsection (a) in accordance with this sec-
tion. 
(d) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.—A forest management 
activity covered by the categorical exclusion established 
under subsection (a) may not contain treatment units ex-
ceeding a total of 6,000 acres. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) HAZARDOUS
FUELS
MANAGEMENT.—The 
term ‘‘hazardous fuels management’’ means any 
vegetation management activities that reduce the 
risk of wildfire. 
(2) LATE-SEASON GRAZING.—The term ‘‘late- 
season grazing’’ means grazing activities that occur 
after both the invasive species and native perennial 
species have completed their current-year annual 
growth cycle until new plant growth begins to ap-
pear in the following year.
564 
(3) 
TARGETED
LIVESTOCK
GRAZING.—The 
term ‘‘targeted livestock grazing’’ means grazing 
used for purposes of hazardous fuels management. 
SEC. 8316. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR FOREST RES-
TORATION. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities described in subsection (b) are 
a category of actions hereby designated as being categori-
cally excluded from the preparation of an environmental 
assessment or an environmental impact statement under 
section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DESIGNATED 
FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
(1) DESIGNATION.—The category of forest 
management activities designated under this section 
for categorical exclusion are forest management ac-
tivities described in paragraph (2) that are carried 
out by the Secretary concerned on National Forest 
System lands or public lands where the primary pur-
pose of such activity is— 
(A) to improve forest health and resiliency 
to disturbances; 
(B) to reduce hazardous fuels; or 
(C) to improve wildlife and aquatic habitat.
565 
(2) ACTIVITIES
AUTHORIZED.—The following 
forest management activities may be carried out 
pursuant the categorical exclusion established under 
subsection (a): 
(A) Timber harvests, including commercial 
and pre-commercial timber harvest, salvage har-
vest, and regeneration harvest. 
(B) Hazardous fuels reduction. 
(C) Prescribed burning. 
(D) Improvement or establishment of wild-
life and aquatic habitat. 
(E) Stream restoration and erosion con-
trol. 
(F) Road and trail decommissioning. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary concerned may use the categorical exclusion es-
tablished under subsection (a) in accordance with this sec-
tion. 
(d) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.—A forest management 
activity covered by the categorical exclusion established 
under subsection (a) may not contain treatment units ex-
ceeding a total of 6,000 acres. 
(e) LIMITATIONS ON ROAD BUILDING.—
566 
(1) PERMANENT ROADS.—A forest management 
activity covered by the categorical exclusion estab-
lished by subsection (a) may include— 
(A) the construction of permanent roads 
not to exceed 3 miles; and 
(B) the maintenance and reconstruction of 
existing permanent roads and trails, including 
the relocation of segments of existing roads and 
trails to address resource impacts. 
(2) TEMPORARY ROADS.—Any temporary road 
constructed for a forest management activity covered 
by the categorical exclusion established by subsection 
(a) shall be decommissioned not later than 3 years 
after the date on which the project is completed. 
SEC. 8317. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR INFRASTRUC-
TURE FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities described in subsection (b) are 
a category of actions hereby designated as being categori-
cally excluded from the preparation of an environmental 
assessment or an environmental impact statement under 
section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DESIGNATED 
FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—The category of forest
567 
management activities designated under this section for 
categorical exclusion are forest management activities car-
ried out by the Secretary of Agriculture on National For-
est System lands where the primary purpose of such activ-
ity is— 
(1) constructing, reconstructing, or decommis-
sioning National Forest System roads not exceeding 
3 miles; 
(2) adding an existing road to the forest trans-
portation system; 
(3) reclassifying a National Forest System road 
at a different maintenance level; 
(4) reconstructing, rehabilitating, or decommis-
sioning bridges; 
(5) removing dams; or 
(6) maintaining facilities through the use of 
pesticides as authorized by applicable Federal and 
State law and as applied in accordance with label in-
structions. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Agriculture may use the categorical exclusion 
established under subsection (a) in accordance with this 
section.
568 
SEC. 8318. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR DEVELOPED 
RECREATION SITES. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities described in subsection (b) are 
a category of actions hereby designated as being categori-
cally excluded from the preparation of an environmental 
assessment or an environmental impact statement under 
section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DESIGNATED 
FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
(1) DESIGNATION.—The category of forest 
management activities designated under this section 
for a categorical exclusion are forest management 
activities described in paragraph (2) carried out by 
the Secretary of Agriculture on National Forest Sys-
tem lands where the primary purpose of such activ-
ity is to operate, maintain, modify, reconstruct, or 
decommission existing developed recreation sites. 
(2) ACTIVITIES
AUTHORIZED.—The following 
forest management activities may be carried out 
pursuant to the categorical exclusion under sub-
section (a): 
(A) Constructing, modifying, or recon-
structing toilet or shower facilities.
569 
(B) Constructing, modifying, or recon-
structing fishing piers, wildlife viewing plat-
forms, docks, or other constructed recreation 
sites or facilities. 
(C) Constructing, reconstructing, or main-
taining, parking areas, National Forest System 
roads, or National Forest System trails within 
or connecting to recreation sites, including pav-
ing and road and trail rerouting, except that— 
(i) 
permanent 
roads 
constructed 
under this section may not exceed 3 miles; 
and 
(ii) temporary roads constructed for 
projects covered by this section shall be de-
commissioned within 3 years of completion 
of the project. 
(D) Modifying or reconstructing existing 
water or waste disposal systems. 
(E) Constructing, modifying, or recon-
structing single or group use sites. 
(F) Decommissioning recreation facilities 
or portions of recreation facilities. 
(G) Decommissioning National Forest Sys-
tem roads or National Forest System trails not
570 
exceeding 3 miles within or connecting to devel-
oped recreation sites. 
(H) Constructing, modifying, or recon-
structing boat landings. 
(I) Reconstructing existing ski lifts. 
(K) Modifying or reconstructing a recre-
ation lodging rental. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Agriculture may use the categorical exclusion 
established under subsection (a) in accordance with this 
section. 
SEC. 8319. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR ADMINISTRA-
TIVE SITES. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities described in subsection (b) are 
a category of actions hereby designated as being categori-
cally excluded from the preparation of an environmental 
assessment or an environmental impact statement under 
section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DESIGNATED 
FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—The category of forest 
management activities designated under this section for 
a categorical exclusion are forest management activities
571 
carried out by the Secretary of Agriculture on National 
Forest System lands where the primary purpose of such 
activity is to construct, reconstruct, maintain, decommis-
sion, relocate, or dispose of an administrative site. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Agriculture may use the categorical exclusion 
established under subsection (a) in accordance with this 
section. 
(d) LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) PERMANENT ROADS.—A project covered by 
the categorical exclusion established by subsection 
(a) may include— 
(A) the construction of permanent roads 
not to exceed 3 miles; and 
(B) the maintenance and reconstruction of 
existing permanent roads and trails, including 
the relocation of segments of existing roads and 
trails to address resource impacts. 
(2) TEMPORARY ROADS.—Any temporary road 
constructed for a project covered by the categorical 
exclusion established by subsection (a) shall be de-
commissioned not later than 3 years after the date 
on which the project is completed.
572 
(3) PESTICIDES.—Pesticides may only be used 
to carry out a project covered by the categorical ex-
clusion established by subsection (a) as authorized 
by applicable Federal and State law and as applied 
in accordance with label instructions. 
(e) DEFINITION OF ADMINISTRATIVE SITE.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘administrative site’’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 502(1) of the Forest Service Fa-
cility Realignment and Enhancement Act of 2005 (16 
U.S.C. 580d note). 
SEC. 8320. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR SPECIAL USE AU-
THORIZATIONS. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities described in subsection (b) are 
a category of actions hereby designated as being categori-
cally excluded from the preparation of an environmental 
assessment or an environmental impact statement under 
section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DESIGNATED 
FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—The category of forest 
management activities designated under this section for 
a categorical exclusion are forest management activities 
carried out by the Secretary of Agriculture on National
573 
Forest System lands where the primary purpose of such 
activity is: 
(1) Issuance of a new special use authorization 
for an existing or expired special use authorization, 
without any substantial change in the scope and 
scale of the authorized use and occupancy when— 
(A) the issuance is a purely ministerial ac-
tion to account for administrative changes, such 
as a change in ownership or expiration of the 
current authorization; and 
(B) the applicant or holder is in compli-
ance with the terms and conditions of the exist-
ing or expired special use authorization. 
(2) Modification, removal, repair, maintenance, 
reconstruction, or replacement of a facility or im-
provement for an existing special use authorization. 
(3) Issuance of a new special use authorization 
or amendment to an existing special use authoriza-
tion for activities that will occur on existing roads, 
trails, facilities, or areas approved for use in a land 
management plan or other documented decision. 
(4) Approval, modification, or continuation of 
minor, short-term (5 years or less) special uses of 
National Forest System lands or public lands.
574 
(5) Issuance of a special use authorization for 
an existing unauthorized use or occupancy that has 
not been deemed in trespass where no new ground 
disturbance is proposed. 
(6) Approval or modification of minor special 
uses of National Forest System lands or public lands 
that require less than 20 contiguous acres. 
(7) Approval of vegetative management plans, 
and vegetation management activities in accordance 
with an approved vegetation management plan, 
under a special use authorization for an electric 
transmission and distribution facility right-of-way. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF EXCLUSION.—On and after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agri-
culture may use the categorical exclusion established 
under subsection (a) in accordance with this section. 
(d) DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary of 
Agriculture shall not be required to prepare a project file 
or decision memorandum to categorically exclude a forest 
management activity described under paragraphs (1) 
through (4) of subsection (b).