(ii) the Administrator of the Coopera-
tive State Research, Education, and exten-
sion Service pursuant to section 2.66 of 
title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
successor regulations); and 
(D) any and all other authorities adminis-
tered by— 
(i) the Under Secretary of Agriculture 
for Research, Education, and Economics; 
and 
(ii) the Administrator of the Coopera-
tive State Research, Education, and Exten-
sion Service. 
(2) CONSOLIDATION
OF
AUTHORITIES.—To 
carry out this Act, in accordance with the transfer 
and continuation of the authorities, budgetary func-
tions, and personnel resources under this subsection, 
the administrative entity within the Department 
known as the Cooperative State Research, Edu-
cation, and Extension Services, shall terminate on 
the earlier of— 
(A) October 1, 2008; or 
(B) such earlier date as the Director deter-
mines to be appropriate. 
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(3) RESERVATION.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of this Act, any and all administrative au-
thority over the functions and activities of the Na-
tional Agricultural Statistics Service, consistent with 
those authorities, functions, and activities as in ef-
fect on the day before the date of enactment of this 
Act, shall remain under the authority of the Sec-
retary. 
(c) POWERS.—The Director may— 
(1) promulgate such regulations as the Director 
determines to be necessary to govern the operations, 
organization, and personnel of the National Insti-
tutes for Food and Agriculture; 
(2) make such expenditures as are necessary to 
carry out this Act; 
(3) enter into contracts or other arrangements, 
or modifications of contracts or other arrange-
ments— 
(A) to provide for the carrying out, by or-
ganizations or individuals in the United States 
(including agencies of the Department and 
other Government agencies) of such National 
Institutes for Food and Agriculture programs 
as the Director determines to be necessary to 
carry out this Act; and 
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(B) at the request of the President or the 
Secretary, for the carrying out of such specific 
National Institutes for Food and Agriculture 
program-related activities as are in the national 
interest or are otherwise of critical importance, 
as determined by the President or the Sec-
retary, with the concurrence of the Director; 
(4) make advance, progress, and other pay-
ments relating to National Institutes for Food and 
Agriculture programs without regard to the sub-
sections (a) and (b) of section 3324 of title 31, 
United States Code; 
(5) acquire by purchase, lease, loan, gift, or 
condemnation, and hold and dispose of by grant, 
sale, lease, or loan, real and personal property of all 
kinds necessary for, or resulting from, the exercise 
of authority under this Act; 
(6) receive and use donated funds, if the funds 
are donated without restriction other than that the 
funds be used in furtherance of National Institutes 
for Food and Agriculture programs or one or more 
of the purposes of this Act; 
(7) publish or arrange for the publication of in-
formation so as to further the full dissemination of 
information of value consistent with the purposes of 
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this Act and the national interest, without regard to 
section 501 of title 44, United States Code; 
(8) accept and use the services of voluntary and 
uncompensated personnel, and provide such trans-
portation and subsistence as are authorized by sec-
tion 5703 of title 5, United States Code, for persons 
serving without compensation; 
(9) prescribe, with the approval of the Comp-
troller General of the United States, the extent to 
which vouchers for funds expended under contracts 
for 
authorized 
activities 
shall 
be 
subject 
to 
itemization or substantiation prior to payment, with-
out regard to the limitations of other laws relating 
to the expenditure and accounting of public funds; 
and 
(10) arrange with and reimburse the Secretary 
and the heads of other Federal agencies for the per-
formance of any activity that the National Institutes 
for Food and Agriculture is authorized to conduct. 
(d) CONSULTATION.—The Director shall consult with 
the Secretary on an ongoing basis to ensure that the na-
tional interest is being served by the administration of the 
National Institutes for Food and Agriculture, National In-
stitutes for Food and Agriculture programs, and other au-
thorities provided under this Act. 
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(e) REPORTING.—Not later than December 31, 2007, 
and biennially thereafter, the Director shall submit to the 
Secretary, the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
Representatives, the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 
and Forestry of the Senate, the Committee on Appropria-
tions of the House of Representatives, and the Committee 
on Appropriations of the Senate a comprehensive report 
that describes the National Institutes for Food and Agri-
culture programs and related activities funded, initially 
implemented, and otherwise carried out by the National 
Institutes for Food and Agriculture during the period cov-
ered by the report. 
SEC. 102. OFFICES; ADMINISTRATION. 
(a) LOCATION.—The National Institutes for Food 
and Agriculture shall be located in Washington, DC. 
(b) DIRECTOR.— 
(1) APPOINTMENT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall be— 
(i) a distinguished expert in one or 
more National Institutes for Food and Ag-
riculture programs (or issues addressed by 
or fields relating to those programs); and 
(ii) appointed by the President, by 
and with the advice and consent of the 
Senate. 
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(B) RECOMMENDATIONS.—Before any per-
son is appointed as Director, the President 
shall afford the Council an opportunity to make 
recommendations to the President with respect 
to the appointment. 
(C) RATE OF PAY.—The Director shall re-
ceive basic pay at the rate provided for level IV 
of the Executive Schedule under section 5513 
of title 5, United States Code. 
(2) TERM.—The Director shall serve for a sin-
gle, 6-year term. 
(3) AUTHORITY.—Except as may be otherwise 
provided in this Act— 
(A) the Director shall— 
(i) exercise all of the authority grant-
ed to the National Institutes for Food and 
Agriculture by this Act; 
(ii) in consultation with the Council, 
formulate programs in accordance with 
policies adopted by the National Institutes 
for Food and Agriculture; 
(iii) establish committees and offices 
within the National Institutes for Food 
and Agriculture, as appropriate; 
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(iv) establish procedures for the provi-
sion and administration of capacity pro-
gram funding and competitive program 
grants by the National Institutes for Food 
and Agriculture in accordance with this 
Act and other applicable law; 
(v) establish procedures for the peer 
or merit review of National Institutes for 
Food and Agriculture program activities in 
accordance with this Act and other applica-
ble law, as appropriate; 
(vi) assess the personnel needs of re-
search, education, extension, and other 
fields in the areas supported by National 
Institutes for Food and Agriculture pro-
grams; and 
(vii) cooperate with the Council to 
plan programs that assist in meeting the 
future personnel needs of disciplines and 
activities in the areas supported by Na-
tional Institutes for Food and Agriculture 
programs, including portable fellowship 
and training programs, as applicable; and 
(B) all actions taken by the Director pur-
suant to this Act shall be final and binding 
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upon the National Institutes for Food and Agri-
culture. 
(4) DELEGATION
AND
REDELEGATION
OF 
FUNCTIONS.—The Director may, from time to time, 
establish such procedures as the Director determines 
to be appropriate to authorize the performance by 
any other officer, agency, or employee of the Na-
tional Institutes for Food and Agriculture of any of 
the functions of the Director under this Act. 
(5) FORMULATION OF PROGRAMS.—The formu-
lation of programs in accordance with the policies of 
the National Institutes for Food and Agriculture 
shall be carried out by the Director, in consultation 
with the Council. 
(6) AUTHORITY TO GRANT AND CONTRACT.— 
The Director may make grants and enter into con-
tracts and other arrangements pursuant to this Act 
and other applicable law. 
(7) STATUS; POWER TO VOTE AND HOLD OF-
FICE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall— 
(i) serve as a voting ex officio member 
of the Council; and 
(ii) except with respect to compensa-
tion and tenure, serve in a manner com-
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mensurate with the other members of the 
Council. 
(B) ELECTION.—The Director shall be eli-
gible for election by the Council as Chairperson 
or Vice Chairperson of the Council. 
(c) STAFF APPOINTMENT.—The Director shall, in ac-
cordance with such policies as the Council may from time 
to time establish, recruit, hire, prescribe, appoint, and fix 
the compensation of such personnel as are necessary to 
carry out this Act, including the appointment, for a lim-
ited term or on a temporary basis, of appropriate— 
(1) scientific and other expert and accomplished 
staff; and 
(2) other technical and professional personnel 
on leave of absence from academic, industrial, or re-
search institutions. 
(d) ROTATING CREDENTIALED STAFF.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall be as-
sisted by an appropriately-credentialed staff of ex-
perts in— 
(A) National Institutes for Food and Agri-
culture programs; and 
(B) issues addressed by, and fields relating 
to, those programs. 
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(2) REQUIREMENTS.—Credentialed staff mem-
bers described in paragraph (1) shall be— 
(A) recruited from the community of Na-
tional Institutes for Food and Agriculture pro-
grams or related fields; and 
(B) appointed by the Director to serve on 
the basis of 4-year rotating appointments. 
(e) TEMPORARY STAFF.—Staff hired by the Director 
under this section may include researchers, scientists, and 
other credentialed, technical, or professional personnel 
hired for limited terms, or on temporary bases, including 
individuals on leave of absence from academic, industry, 
research, science, or other institutions. 
(f) VOLUNTEERS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director may accept the 
services of voluntary, uncompensated personnel, on 
appropriate terms and conditions and in accordance 
with other applicable law. 
(2) FREEDOM
FROM
LIABILITY.—Voluntary 
personnel described in paragraph (1) shall be held 
free from liability in accordance with the Volunteer 
Protection Act of 1997 (42 U.S.C. 14501 et seq.). 
(g) TRANSFER OF FUNDS FROM OTHER GOVERN-
MENT DEPARTMENTS OR AGENCIES.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Funds available to the De-
partment, or any other department or agency of the 
Federal Government for activities that are analogous 
to, or could contribute to the purposes or goals of, 
National Institutes for Food and Agriculture pro-
grams, other relevant research, extension, or edu-
cation programs, or related or other relevant activi-
ties, shall be available for transfer, in whole or in 
part, to the National Institutes for Food and Agri-
culture, with the approval of the Secretary or the 
head of the other appropriate department or agency 
transferring the funds, for such use as is consistent 
with the purposes for which the funds were initially 
made available. 
(2) USE OF FUNDS.—Funds transferred under 
paragraph (1) shall be expendable by the National 
Institutes for Food and Agriculture for the purposes 
for which the transfer was made. 
(h) THE COUNCIL.— 
(1) DUTIES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Council shall assist 
the Director in— 
(i) establishing priorities of the Na-
tional Institutes for Food and Agriculture; 
and 
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(ii) reviewing, judging, and maintain-
ing the relevance of National Institutes for 
Food and Agriculture programs. 
(B) OVERSIGHT REVIEW.—To ensure that 
the purposes of this Act and the needs of the 
United States are being met, the Council shall 
conduct an annual oversight review of— 
(i) the administration of the National 
Institutes for Food and Agriculture; 
(ii) activities funded through the ca-
pacity programs; 
(iii) proposals and other activities 
funded through the competitive programs; 
and 
(iv) other activities of the National In-
stitutes for Food and Agriculture. 
(2) MEETINGS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Council shall hold 
periodic meetings to provide an interface be-
tween the Council and stakeholders, and to en-
sure that the National Institutes for Food and 
Agriculture is linking national goals with real-
istic opportunities. 
(B) FREQUENCY.—Meetings described in 
subparagraph (A) shall be held at the call of 
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