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(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The National Plant Dis-
ease Recovery System established under paragraph 
(1) shall— 
(A) coordinate with disease or pest of con-
cern concept of operations response plans; 
(B) make long-range plans for the initiation 
of future research projects relating to high-con-
sequence plant transboundary diseases; 
(C) establish research plans for long-term 
recovery; 
(D) plan for the identification and use of 
specific genotypes, cultivars, breeding lines, and 
other disease-resistant materials necessary for 
crop stabilization or improvement; and 
(E) establish a watch list of high-con-
sequence plant transboundary diseases for the 
purpose of making long-range plans under sub-
paragraph (B). 
SEC. 12204. BIOLOGICAL AGENTS AND TOXINS LIST. 
Section 212(a)(1)(B)(i) of the Agricultural Bioter-
rorism Protection Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8401(a)(1)(B)(i)) 
is amended— 
(1) in subclause (III), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end;
1017 
† HR 2 EAS 
(2) by redesignating subclause (IV) as subclause 
(V); and 
(3) by inserting after subclause (III) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(IV)(aa) whether placing an 
agent or toxin on the list under sub-
paragraph (A) would have a substan-
tial negative impact on the research 
and development of solutions for the 
animal or plant disease caused by the 
agent or toxin; and 
‘‘(bb) whether that negative im-
pact would substantially outweigh the 
risk posed by the agent or toxin to ani-
mal or plant health if it is not placed 
on the list; and’’. 
SEC. 12205. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
In addition to other amounts made available under 
this subtitle, there is authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this subtitle $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 
through 2023.
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† HR 2 EAS 
Subtitle C—Historically 
Underserved Producers 
SEC. 12301. FARMING OPPORTUNITIES TRAINING AND OUT-
REACH. 
(a) REPEAL.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 7405 of the Farm Se-
curity and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 
3319f) is repealed. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(A) Section 226B(e)(2)(B) of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 
(7 U.S.C. 6934(e)(2)(B)) is amended by striking 
‘‘the beginning farmer and rancher development 
program established under section 7405 of the 
Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 
2002 (7 U.S.C. 3319f).’’ and inserting ‘‘the be-
ginning farmer and rancher development grant 
program established under subsection (d) of sec-
tion 2501 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, 
and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279).’’. 
(B) Section 251(f)(1)(D) of the Department 
of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 
U.S.C. 6971(f)(1)(D)) is amended by striking 
clause (iv) and inserting the following:
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† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(iv) The beginning farmer and ranch-
er development grant program established 
under subsection (d) of section 2501 of the 
Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade 
Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279).’’. 
(C) Section 7506(e) of the Food, Conserva-
tion, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
7614c(e)) is amended— 
(i) in paragraph (2)(C)— 
(I) by striking clause (v); 
(II) by redesignating clauses (i) 
through (iv) as clauses (ii) through (v), 
respectively; 
(III) by inserting before clause 
(ii) (as so redesignated) the following: 
‘‘(i) each grant awarded under sub-
section (d) of section 2501 of the Food, Ag-
riculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 
1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279);’’; 
(IV) in clause (ii) (as so redesig-
nated), by striking ‘‘450i(b)(2));’’ and 
inserting ‘‘3157(b)(2));’’; and 
(V) in clause (iv) (as so redesig-
nated), by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(ii) in paragraph (4)—
1020 
† HR 2 EAS 
(I) by striking subparagraph (E); 
(II) by redesignating subpara-
graphs (A) through (D) as subpara-
graphs (B) through (E), respectively; 
(III) by inserting before subpara-
graph (B) (as so redesignated) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(A) subsection (d) of section 2501 of the 
Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act 
of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279);’’; 
(IV) in subparagraph (B) (as so 
redesignated), by striking ‘‘450i(b));’’ 
and inserting ‘‘3157(b));’’; 
(V) in subparagraph (D) (as so 
redesignated), by adding ‘‘or’’ at the 
end; and 
(VI) in subparagraph (E) (as so 
redesignated), by striking ‘‘; or’’ and 
inserting a period. 
(b) OUTREACH AND EDUCATION FOR SOCIALLY DIS-
ADVANTAGED FARMERS AND RANCHERS, VETERAN FARM-
ERS
AND RANCHERS, AND BEGINNING FARMERS
AND 
RANCHERS.—Section 2501 of the Food, Agriculture, Con-
servation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279) is amend-
ed—
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† HR 2 EAS 
(1) by striking the section heading and inserting 
‘‘FARMING
OPPORTUNITIES
TRAINING
AND 
OUTREACH’’; 
(2) by redesignating subsections (a), (b), (c), (d), 
(e), (g), (h), and (i) as subsections (c), (j), (o), (k), 
(a), (l), (m), and (n), respectively, and moving the 
subsections so as to appear in alphabetical order; 
(3) by moving paragraph (5) of subsection (a) 
(as so redesignated) so as to appear at the end of sub-
section (c) (as so redesignated); 
(4) in subsection (a) (as so redesignated)— 
(A) by striking the subsection designation 
and heading and inserting the following: 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:’’; 
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), 
(3), (4), and (6) as paragraphs (6), (5), (1), (3), 
and (4), respectively, and moving the para-
graphs so as to appear in numerical order; 
(C) in paragraphs (1), (5), and (6) (as so 
redesignated), by striking ‘‘As used in this sec-
tion, the’’ each place it appears and inserting 
‘‘The’’; and 
(D) by inserting after paragraph (1) (as so 
redesignated) the following:
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† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(2) BEGINNING
FARMER
OR
RANCHER.—The 
term ‘beginning farmer or rancher’ means a person 
that— 
‘‘(A)(i) has not operated a farm or ranch; 
or 
‘‘(ii) has operated a farm or ranch for not 
more than 10 years; and 
‘‘(B) meets such other criteria as the Sec-
retary may establish.’’; 
(5) by inserting after subsection (a) (as so redes-
ignated) the following: 
‘‘(b) FARMING OPPORTUNITIES TRAINING AND OUT-
REACH.—The Secretary shall carry out this section to en-
courage and assist socially disadvantaged farmers and 
ranchers, veteran farmers and ranchers, and beginning 
farmers and ranchers in the ownership and operation of 
farms and ranches through— 
‘‘(1) education and training; and 
‘‘(2) equitable participation in all agricultural 
programs of the Department.’’; 
(6) in subsection (c) (as so redesignated and as 
amended by paragraph (3))— 
(A) by striking paragraph (4); 
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), 
(3), and (5) as paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (1),
1023 
† HR 2 EAS 
respectively, and moving the paragraphs so as to 
appear in numerical order; 
(C) in paragraph (1) (as so redesignated)— 
(i) in the matter preceding subpara-
graph (A), by striking ‘‘The term’’ and in-
serting ‘‘In this subsection, the term’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by strik-
ing ‘‘subsection (a)’’ and inserting ‘‘this 
subsection’’; and 
(iii) in subparagraph (F), by striking 
‘‘450b))’’ and inserting ‘‘5304))’’; 
(D) in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) 
(as so redesignated), by striking ‘‘agricultural’’ 
and inserting ‘‘agricultural, forestry, and re-
lated’’; 
(E) in paragraph (3) (as so redesignated), 
by striking ‘‘(1)’’ in the matter preceding sub-
paragraph (A) and inserting ‘‘(2)’’; and 
(F) in paragraph (4) (as so redesignated)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A)— 
(I) by striking the subparagraph 
heading and inserting ‘‘OUTREACH 
AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—’’; 
(II) by striking ‘‘(2)’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘(3)’’; and
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† HR 2 EAS 
(III) by inserting ‘‘to socially dis-
advantaged farmers and ranchers and 
veteran farmers and ranchers’’ after 
‘‘assistance’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
‘‘(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘(2)’’; 
(iii) in subparagraph (D), by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(v) The number of farms or ranches 
started, maintained, or improved as a result 
of funds made available under the program. 
‘‘(vi) Actions taken by the Secretary in 
partnership with eligible entities to enhance 
participation in agricultural programs by 
veteran farmers or ranchers and socially 
disadvantaged farmers or ranchers. 
‘‘(vii) The effectiveness of the actions 
described in clause (vi).’’; and 
(iv) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(E) MAXIMUM
TERM
AND
AMOUNT
OF 
GRANT, CONTRACT, OR
AGREEMENT.—A grant, 
contract, or agreement entered into under sub-
paragraph (A) shall be— 
‘‘(i) for a term of not longer than 3 
years; and
1025 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(ii) in an amount that is not more 
than $250,000 for each year of the grant, 
contract, or agreement. 
‘‘(F) PRIORITY.—In making grants and en-
tering into contracts and other agreements under 
subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall give pri-
ority to nongovernmental and community-based 
organizations with an expertise in working with 
socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers or 
veteran farmers and ranchers. 
‘‘(G) REGIONAL
BALANCE.—To the max-
imum extent practicable, the Secretary shall en-
sure the geographical diversity of eligible entities 
to which grants are made and contracts and 
other agreements are entered into under subpara-
graph (A). 
‘‘(H) PROHIBITION.—A grant, contract, or 
other agreement under subparagraph (A) may 
not be used for the planning, repair, rehabilita-
tion, acquisition, or construction of a building or 
facility. 
‘‘(I) PEER REVIEW.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish a fair and efficient external peer review 
process that—
1026 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(i) the Secretary shall use in making 
grants and entering into contracts and 
other agreements under subparagraph (A); 
and 
‘‘(ii) shall include a broad representa-
tion of peers of the eligible entity. 
‘‘(J) INPUT FROM ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The 
Secretary shall seek input from eligible entities 
providing technical assistance under this sub-
section not less than once each year to ensure 
that the program is responsive to the eligible en-
tities providing that technical assistance.’’; 
(7) by inserting after subsection (c) (as so redes-
ignated) the following: 
‘‘(d) BEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHER DEVELOP-
MENT GRANT PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) 
IN
GENERAL.—The 
Secretary, 
acting 
through the Director of the National Institute of Food 
and Agriculture, shall make competitive grants to 
support new and established local and regional train-
ing, education, outreach, and technical assistance ini-
tiatives for beginning farmers and ranchers. 
‘‘(2) INCLUDED PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.—Ini-
tiatives described in paragraph (1) may include pro-
grams or services, as appropriate, relating to—
1027 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(A) basic livestock, forest management, 
and crop farming practices; 
‘‘(B) innovative farm, ranch, and private, 
nonindustrial forest land transfer and succession 
strategies; 
‘‘(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; 
‘‘(H) mentoring, apprenticeships, and in-
ternships; 
‘‘(I) resources and referral; 
‘‘(J) farm financial benchmarking; 
‘‘(K) assisting beginning farmers and 
ranchers in acquiring land from retiring farmers 
and ranchers; 
‘‘(L) agricultural rehabilitation and voca-
tional training for veteran farmers and ranchers; 
‘‘(M) farm safety and awareness;
1028 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(N) food safety and recordkeeping; and 
‘‘(O) other similar subject areas of use to be-
ginning farmers and ranchers. 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBILITY.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive 
a grant under this subsection, the recipient of the 
grant shall be a collaborative State, Tribal, local, 
or regionally-based network or partnership of 
public or private entities. 
‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—A recipient of a grant 
described in subparagraph (A) may include— 
‘‘(i) a State cooperative extension serv-
ice; 
‘‘(ii) a Federal, State, municipal, or 
Tribal agency; 
‘‘(iii) a community-based or non-
governmental organization; 
‘‘(iv) a college or university (including 
an institution awarding an associate’s de-
gree) or foundation maintained by a college 
or university; or 
‘‘(v) any other appropriate partner, as 
determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(4) TERMS OF GRANTS.—A grant under this 
subsection shall—
1029 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(A) be for a term of not longer than 3 
years; and 
‘‘(B) provide not more than $250,000 for 
each year. 
‘‘(5) EVALUATION CRITERIA.—In making grants 
under this subsection, the Secretary shall evaluate, 
with respect to applications for the grants— 
‘‘(A) relevancy; 
‘‘(B) technical merit; 
‘‘(C) achievability; 
‘‘(D) the expertise and track record of 1 or 
more applicants; 
‘‘(E) the consultation of beginning farmers 
and ranchers in design, implementation, and de-
cisionmaking relating to an initiative described 
in paragraph (1); 
‘‘(F) the adequacy of plans for— 
‘‘(i) a participatory evaluation process; 
‘‘(ii) outcome-based reporting; and 
‘‘(iii) the communication of findings 
and results beyond the immediate target au-
dience; and 
‘‘(G) other appropriate factors, as deter-
mined by the Secretary.
1030 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(6) REGIONAL BALANCE.—To the maximum ex-
tent practicable, the Secretary shall ensure the geo-
graphical diversity of recipients of grants under this 
subsection. 
‘‘(7) PRIORITY.—In making grants under this 
subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to part-
nerships and collaborations that are led by or include 
nongovernmental, 
community-based 
organizations 
and school-based educational organizations with ex-
pertise in new agricultural producer training and 
outreach. 
‘‘(8) PROHIBITION.—A grant made under this 
subsection may not be used for the planning, repair, 
rehabilitation, acquisition, or construction of a build-
ing or facility. 
‘‘(9) COORDINATION PERMITTED.—A recipient of 
a grant under this subsection may coordinate with a 
recipient of a grant under section 1680 in addressing 
the needs of veteran farmers and ranchers with dis-
abilities. 
‘‘(10) CONSECUTIVE
AWARDS.—A grant under 
this subsection may be made to a recipient for con-
secutive years. 
‘‘(11) PEER REVIEW.—
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† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish a fair and efficient external peer review 
process, which the Secretary shall use in making 
grants under this subsection. 
‘‘(B) 
REQUIREMENT.—The 
peer 
review 
process under subparagraph (A) shall include a 
review panel composed of a broad representation 
of peers of the applicant for the grant that are 
not applying for a grant under this subsection. 
‘‘(12) PARTICIPATION BY OTHER FARMERS AND 
RANCHERS.—Nothing in this subsection prohibits the 
Secretary from allowing a farmer or rancher who is 
not a beginning farmer or rancher (including an 
owner or operator that has ended, or expects to end 
within 5 years, active labor in a farming or ranching 
operation as a producer) from participating in a pro-
gram or service under this subsection, to the extent 
that the Secretary determines that such participa-
tion— 
‘‘(A) is appropriate; and 
‘‘(B) will not detract from the primary pur-
pose of increasing opportunities for beginning 
farmers and ranchers. 
‘‘(e) 
APPLICATION
REQUIREMENTS.—In 
making 
grants and entering into contracts and other agreements,
1032 
† HR 2 EAS 
as applicable, under subsections (c) and (d), the Secretary 
shall make available a simplified application process for 
an application for a grant that requests less than $50,000.’’; 
(8) by inserting after subsection (f) the following: 
‘‘(g) EDUCATION TEAMS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 
beginning farmer and rancher education teams to de-
velop curricula and conduct educational programs 
and workshops for beginning farmers and ranchers in 
diverse geographical areas of the United States. 
‘‘(2) CURRICULUM.—In promoting the develop-
ment of curricula under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
shall, to the maximum extent practicable, include 
modules tailored to specific audiences of beginning 
farmers and ranchers, based on crop diversity or re-
gional diversity. 
‘‘(3) COMPOSITION.—In establishing an edu-
cation team under paragraph (1) for a specific pro-
gram or workshop, the Secretary shall, to the max-
imum extent practicable— 
‘‘(A) obtain the short-term services of spe-
cialists with knowledge and expertise in pro-
grams serving beginning farmers and ranchers; 
and
1033 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(B) use officers and employees of the De-
partment with direct experience in programs of 
the Department that may be taught as part of 
the curriculum for the program or workshop. 
‘‘(4) COOPERATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—In carrying out this 
subsection, the Secretary shall cooperate, to the 
maximum extent practicable, with— 
‘‘(i) State cooperative extension serv-
ices; 
‘‘(ii) Federal, State, and Tribal agen-
cies; 
‘‘(iii) 
community-based 
and 
non-
governmental organizations; 
‘‘(iv) colleges and universities (includ-
ing an institution awarding an associate’s 
degree) or foundations maintained by a col-
lege or university; and 
‘‘(v) other appropriate partners, as de-
termined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(B) 
COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENTS.—Not-
withstanding chapter 63 of title 31, United 
States Code, the Secretary may enter into a co-
operative agreement to reflect the terms of any 
cooperation under subparagraph (A).
1034 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(h) CURRICULUM AND TRAINING CLEARINGHOUSE.— 
The Secretary shall establish an online clearinghouse that 
makes available to beginning farmers and ranchers edu-
cation curricula and training materials and programs, 
which may include online courses for direct use by begin-
ning farmers and ranchers. 
‘‘(i) STAKEHOLDER INPUT.—In carrying out this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall seek stakeholder input from— 
‘‘(1) beginning farmers and ranchers; 
‘‘(2) socially disadvantaged farmers and ranch-
ers; 
‘‘(3) veteran farmers and ranchers; 
‘‘(4) national, State, Tribal, and local organiza-
tions and other persons with expertise in operating 
programs for— 
‘‘(A) beginning farmers and ranchers; 
‘‘(B) socially disadvantaged farmers and 
ranchers; or 
‘‘(C) veteran farmers and ranchers; 
‘‘(5) the Advisory Committee on Beginning 
Farmers and Ranchers established under section 5(b) 
of the Agricultural Credit Improvement Act of 1992 
(7 U.S.C. 1929 note; Public Law 102–554); 
‘‘(6) the Advisory Committee on Minority Farm-
ers established under section 14008 of the Food, Con-
1035 
† HR 2 EAS 
servation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2279 
note; Public Law 110–246); and 
‘‘(7) the Tribal Advisory Committee established 
under subsection (b) of section 309 of the Department 
of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 
6921).’’; 
(9) in paragraph (3) of subsection (k) (as so re-
designated), by inserting ‘‘and not later than March 
1, 2020,’’ after ‘‘1991,’’; and 
(10) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(p) FUNDING.— 
‘‘(1) MANDATORY FUNDING.—Of the funds of the 
Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall 
use to carry out this section $50,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2018 and each fiscal year thereafter. 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this section $50,000,000 for each fiscal years 2018 
through 2023. 
‘‘(3) RESERVATION OF FUNDS.—Of the amounts 
made available to carry out this section— 
‘‘(A) 50 percent shall be used to carry out 
subsection (c); and 
‘‘(B) 50 percent shall be used to carry out 
subsection (d).
1036 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(4) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not less than 5 percent 
of the amounts made available to carry out sub-
sections (d) and (n) for a fiscal year shall be 
used to support programs and services that ad-
dress the needs of— 
‘‘(i) limited resource beginning farmers 
and ranchers, as defined by the Secretary; 
‘‘(ii) socially disadvantaged farmers 
and ranchers that are beginning farmers 
and ranchers; and 
‘‘(iii) farmworkers desiring to become 
farmers or ranchers. 
‘‘(B) VETERAN FARMERS AND RANCHERS.— 
Not less than 5 percent of the amounts made 
available to carry out subsections (d), (g), and 
(h) for a fiscal year shall be used to support pro-
grams and services that address the needs of vet-
eran farmers and ranchers. 
‘‘(5) INTERAGENCY FUNDING.—Any agency of the 
Department may participate in any grant, contract, 
or agreement entered into under this section by con-
tributing funds, if the contributing agency determines 
that the objectives of the grant, contract, or agreement
1037 
† HR 2 EAS 
will further the authorized programs of the contrib-
uting agency. 
‘‘(6) ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPENSES.—Not more 
than 5 percent of the amounts made available to 
carry out this section for a fiscal year may be used 
for expenses relating to the administration of this sec-
tion. 
‘‘(7) LIMITATION ON INDIRECT COSTS.—A recipi-
ent of a grant or a party to a contract or other agree-
ment under subsection (c) or (d) may not use more 
than 10 percent of the funds received for the indirect 
costs of carrying out a grant.’’. 
SEC. 12302. URBAN AGRICULTURE. 
(a) DEFINITION OF DIRECTOR.—In this section, the 
term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director of the Office of Urban 
Agriculture and Innovative Production established under 
section 222(a)(1) of the Department of Agriculture Reorga-
nization Act of 1994 (as added by subsection (b)). 
(b) OFFICE OF URBAN AGRICULTURE AND INNOVATIVE 
PRODUCTION.—Subtitle A of the Department of Agriculture 
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6911 et seq.) (as 
amended by section 12202) is amended by adding at the 
end the following:
1038 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘SEC. 222. OFFICE OF URBAN AGRICULTURE AND INNOVA-
TIVE PRODUCTION. 
‘‘(a) OFFICE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 
in the Department an Office of Urban Agriculture 
and Innovative Production. 
‘‘(2) DIRECTOR.—The Secretary shall appoint a 
senior official to serve as the Director of the Office of 
Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (re-
ferred to in this section as the ‘Director’). 
‘‘(3) MISSION.—The mission of the Office of 
Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production shall 
be to encourage and promote urban, indoor, and other 
emerging agricultural practices, including— 
‘‘(A) community gardens and farms located 
in urban areas, suburbs, and urban clusters; 
‘‘(B) rooftop farms, outdoor vertical produc-
tion, and green walls; 
‘‘(C) indoor farms, greenhouses, and high- 
tech vertical technology farms; 
‘‘(D) hydroponic, aeroponic, and aquaponic 
farm facilities; and 
‘‘(E) other innovations in agricultural pro-
duction, as determined by the Secretary.
1039 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(4) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Director shall be 
responsible for engaging in activities to carry out the 
mission described in paragraph (3), including by— 
‘‘(A) managing and facilitating programs, 
including for community gardens, urban farms, 
rooftop agriculture, and indoor vertical produc-
tion; 
‘‘(B) coordinating with the agencies and of-
ficials of the Department; 
‘‘(C) advising the Secretary on issues relat-
ing to the mission of the Office of Urban Agri-
culture and Innovative Production; 
‘‘(D) ensuring that the programs of the De-
partment are updated to address urban, indoor, 
and other emerging agricultural production 
practices, in coordination with the officials in 
the Department responsible for those programs; 
‘‘(E) engaging in external relations with 
stakeholders and coordinating external partner-
ships to share best practices, provide mentorship, 
and offer technical assistance; 
‘‘(F) facilitating interagency program co-
ordination and developing interagency tools for 
the promotion of existing programs and re-
sources;
1040 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(G) creating resources that identify com-
mon State and municipal best practices for 
navigating local policies; 
‘‘(H) reviewing and improving farm enter-
prise development programs that provide infor-
mation about financial literacy, business plan-
ning, and food safety record keeping; 
‘‘(I) coordinating networks of community 
gardens and facilitating connections to local food 
banks, in partnership with the Food and Nutri-
tion Service; and 
‘‘(J) collaborating with other Federal agen-
cies that use agricultural practices on-site for 
food production or infrastructure. 
‘‘(b) URBAN AGRICULTURE AND INNOVATIVE PRODUC-
TION ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this section, the Sec-
retary shall establish an Urban Agriculture and Inno-
vative Production Advisory Committee (referred to in 
this subsection as the ‘Committee’) to advise the Sec-
retary on— 
‘‘(A) the development of policies relating to 
urban, indoor, and other emerging agricultural 
production practices; and
1041 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(B) any other aspects of the implementa-
tion of this section. 
‘‘(2) MEMBERSHIP.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Committee shall be 
composed of 15 members, of whom— 
‘‘(i) 5 shall be individuals who are ag-
ricultural producers, of whom— 
‘‘(I) not fewer than 2 individuals 
shall be agricultural producers located 
in an urban area or urban cluster; and 
‘‘(II) not fewer than 2 individuals 
shall be farmers that use innovative 
technology, including indoor farming 
and rooftop agriculture; 
‘‘(ii) 2 shall be representatives from an 
institution of higher education or extension 
program; 
‘‘(iii) 1 shall be an individual who 
represents a nonprofit organization, which 
may include a public health, environmental, 
or community organization; 
‘‘(iv) 1 shall be an individual who rep-
resents business and economic development, 
which may include a business development
1042 
† HR 2 EAS 
entity, a chamber of commerce, a city gov-
ernment, or a planning organization; 
‘‘(v) 1 shall be an individual with sup-
ply chain experience, which may include a 
food aggregator, wholesale food distributor, 
food hub, or an individual who has direct- 
to-consumer market experience; 
‘‘(vi) 1 shall be an individual from a 
financing entity; and 
‘‘(vii) 4 shall be individuals with re-
lated experience or expertise in urban, in-
door, and other emerging agriculture pro-
duction practices, as determined by the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(B) INITIAL
APPOINTMENTS.—The Sec-
retary shall appoint the members of the Com-
mittee not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this section. 
‘‘(3) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), a member of the Committee 
shall be appointed for a term of 3 years. 
‘‘(B) INITIAL APPOINTMENTS.—Of the mem-
bers first appointed to the Committee—
1043 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(i) 5 of the members, as determined 
by the Secretary, shall be appointed for a 
term of 3 years; 
‘‘(ii) 5 of the members, as determined 
by the Secretary, shall be appointed for a 
term of 2 years; and 
‘‘(iii) 5 of the members, as determined 
by the Secretary, shall be appointed for a 
term of 1 year. 
‘‘(C) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the 
Committee— 
‘‘(i) shall not affect the powers of the 
Committee; and 
‘‘(ii) shall be filled as soon as prac-
ticable in the same manner as the original 
appointment. 
‘‘(D) CONSECUTIVE TERMS.—An initial ap-
pointee of the committee may serve an additional 
consecutive term if the member is reappointed by 
the Secretary. 
‘‘(4) MEETINGS.— 
‘‘(A) FREQUENCY.—The Committee shall 
meet not fewer than 3 times per year. 
‘‘(B) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 60 
days after the date on which the members are
1044 
† HR 2 EAS 
appointed under paragraph (2)(B), the Com-
mittee shall hold the first meeting of the Com-
mittee. 
‘‘(5) DUTIES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Committee shall— 
‘‘(i) develop recommendations— 
‘‘(I) to further the mission of the 
Office of Urban Agriculture and Inno-
vative Production described in sub-
section (a)(3); 
‘‘(II) regarding the establishment 
of urban agriculture policy priorities 
and goals within the Department; 
‘‘(ii) advise the Director on policies 
and initiatives administered by the Office of 
Urban Agriculture and Innovative Produc-
tion; 
‘‘(iii) evaluate and review ongoing re-
search and extension activities relating to 
urban, indoor, and other innovative agricul-
tural practices; 
‘‘(iv) identify new and existing bar-
riers to successful urban, indoor, and other 
emerging agricultural production practices; 
and
1045 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(v) provide additional assistance and 
advice to the Director as appropriate. 
‘‘(B) REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this section, and 
each year thereafter, the Committee shall submit 
to the Secretary, the Committee on Agriculture of 
the House of Representatives, and the Committee 
on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the 
Senate a report describing the recommendations 
developed under subparagraph (A)(i). 
‘‘(6) PERSONNEL MATTERS.— 
‘‘(A) COMPENSATION.—A member of the 
Committee shall serve without compensation. 
‘‘(B) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—A member of the 
Committee shall be allowed travel expenses, in-
cluding per diem in lieu of subsistence, in ac-
cordance with section 5703 of title 5, United 
States Code. 
‘‘(7) TERMINATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), the Committee shall terminate on the 
date that is 5 years after the date on which the 
members are appointed under paragraph (2)(B). 
‘‘(B) EXTENSIONS.—Before the date on 
which the Committee terminates, the Secretary
1046 
† HR 2 EAS 
may renew the Committee for 1 or more 2-year 
periods.’’. 
(c) FARM NUMBERS.—The Secretary shall provide for 
the assignment of a farm number (as defined in section 
718.2 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect 
on the date of enactment of this Act)) for rooftop farms, 
indoor farms, and other urban farms, as determined by the 
Secretary. 
(d) GRANT AUTHORITY.— 
(1) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—In this 
subsection, the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means— 
(A) a community organization; 
(B) a nonprofit organization; 
(C) a unit of local government; 
(D) a Tribal government; 
(E) any school that serves any of grades 
kindergarten through grade 12; and 
(F) an institution of higher education. 
(2) GRANTS.—The Director may award competi-
tive grants to eligible entities to support the develop-
ment of urban agriculture and innovative production. 
(3) FUNDING
PRIORITY.—In awarding grants 
under this subsection, priority shall be given to an el-
igible entity that uses and provides an evaluation of 
a grant received under this subsection—
1047 
† HR 2 EAS 
(A) to plan and construct gardens or non-
profit farms; 
(B) to operate community gardens or non-
profit farms that— 
(i) produce food for donation; 
(ii) have a demonstrated environ-
mental benefit and educational component; 
and 
(iii) are part of community efforts to 
address local food security needs; 
(C) to educate a community on— 
(i) issues relating to food systems, in-
cluding connections between rural farmers 
and urban communities; 
(ii) nutrition; 
(iii) environmental impacts, including 
pollinator health, soil fertility, composing, 
heat islands, and storm water runoff; and 
(iv) agricultural production, including 
pest and disease management; and 
(D) to provide multiple small dollar equity 
investments to help offset start-up costs relating 
to new production, land access, and equipment 
for new and beginning farmers who— 
(i) develop a 3-year business plan;
1048 
† HR 2 EAS 
(ii) live in the community in which 
they plan to farm; and 
(iii) provide a match to the start-up 
investment in the form of cash or an in- 
kind contribution. 
(e) PILOT PROJECTS.— 
(1) URBAN
AND
SUBURBAN
COUNTY
COMMIT-
TEES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall establish a pilot program for not 
fewer than 5 years that establishes 10 county 
committees 
in 
accordance 
with 
section 
8(b)(5)(B)(ii)(II) of the Soil Conservation and 
Domestic 
Allotment 
Act 
(16 
U.S.C. 
590h(b)(5)(B)) to operate in counties located in 
urban or suburban areas with a high concentra-
tion of urban or suburban farms. 
(B) EFFECT.—Nothing in this paragraph 
requires or precludes the establishment of a 
Farm Service Agency office in a county in which 
a county committee is established under subpara-
graph (A). 
(C) REPORT.—For fiscal year 2019 and 
each fiscal year thereafter through fiscal year
1049 
† HR 2 EAS 
2023, the Secretary shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Agriculture of the House of Represent-
atives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutri-
tion, and Forestry of the Senate a report describ-
ing a summary of— 
(i) the status of the pilot program 
under subparagraph (A); 
(ii) meetings and other activities of the 
committees established under that subpara-
graph; and 
(iii) the types and volume of assistance 
and services provided to farmers in counties 
in which county committees are established 
under that subparagraph. 
(2) INCREASING COMMUNITY COMPOST AND RE-
DUCING FOOD WASTE.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting 
through the Director (referred to in this para-
graph as the ‘‘Secretary’’), shall carry out pilot 
projects under which the Secretary shall offer to 
enter into cooperative agreements with local or 
municipal governments in not fewer than 10 
States to develop and test strategies for planning 
and implementing municipal compost plans and 
food waste reduction plans.
1050 
† HR 2 EAS 
(B) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES AND PURPOSES OF 
PILOT
PROJECTS.—Under a cooperative agree-
ment entered into under this paragraph, the Sec-
retary shall provide assistance to municipalities, 
counties, local governments, or city planners, as 
appropriate, to carry out planning and imple-
menting activities that will— 
(i) generate compost; 
(ii) increase access to compost for agri-
cultural producers; 
(iii) reduce reliance on, and limit the 
use of, fertilizer; 
(iv) improve soil quality; 
(v) encourage waste management and 
permaculture business development; 
(vi) increase rainwater absorption; 
(vii) reduce municipal food waste; and 
(viii) divert food waste from landfills. 
(C) EVALUATION AND RANKING OF APPLICA-
TIONS.— 
(i) CRITERIA.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall establish criteria for the 
selection of pilot projects under this para-
graph.
1051 
† HR 2 EAS 
(ii) PRIORITY.—In selecting a pilot 
project under this paragraph, the Secretary 
shall give priority to an application for a 
pilot project that— 
(I) anticipates or demonstrates 
economic benefits; 
(II) incorporates plans to make 
compost easily accessible to agricul-
tural producers, including community 
gardeners; 
(III) integrates other food waste 
strategies, including food recovery ef-
forts; and 
(IV) provides for collaboration 
with multiple partners. 
(D) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—The recipi-
ent of assistance for a pilot project under this 
paragraph shall provide funds, in-kind contribu-
tions, or a combination of both from sources 
other than funds provided through the grant in 
an amount equal to not less than 25 percent of 
the amount of the grant. 
(E) EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall con-
duct an evaluation of the pilot projects funded 
under this paragraph to assess different solutions
1052 
† HR 2 EAS 
for increasing access to compost and reducing 
municipal food waste, including an evaluation 
of— 
(i) the amount of Federal funds used 
for each project; and 
(ii) a measurement of the outcomes of 
each project. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section and 
the amendments made by this section $25,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2019 and each fiscal year thereafter. 
SEC. 12303. OFFICE OF ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH. 
Section 226B(f)(3)(B) of the Department of Agri-
culture 
Reorganization 
Act 
of 
1994 
(7 
U.S.C. 
6934(f)(3)(B)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 12304. TRIBAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 
Section 309 of the Department of Agriculture Reorga-
nization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6921) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) TRIBAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection:
1053 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(A) INDIAN
TRIBE.—The term ‘Indian 
tribe’ has the meaning given the term in section 
4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu-
cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 
‘‘(B) RELEVANT
COMMITTEES
OF
CON-
GRESS.—The term ‘relevant Committees of Con-
gress’ means— 
‘‘(i) the Committee on Agriculture of 
the House of Representatives; 
‘‘(ii) the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate; and 
‘‘(iii) the Committee on Indian Affairs 
of the Senate. 
‘‘(C) TRIBAL
ORGANIZATION.—The term 
‘tribal organization’ has the meaning given the 
term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determina-
tion and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
5304). 
‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMITTEE.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish an advisory committee, to be known as 
the ‘Tribal Advisory Committee’ (referred to in 
this subsection as the ‘Committee’) to provide ad-
vice and guidance to the Secretary on matters 
relating to Tribal and Indian affairs.
1054 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(B) FACILITATION.—The Committee shall 
facilitate, but not supplant, government-to-gov-
ernment consultation between the Department of 
Agriculture (referred to in this subsection as the 
‘Department’) and Indian tribes. 
‘‘(3) MEMBERSHIP.— 
‘‘(A) COMPOSITION.—The Council shall be 
composed of 9 members, of whom— 
‘‘(i) 7 shall be appointed by the Sec-
retary; 
‘‘(ii) 1 shall be appointed by the chair-
person of the Committee on Indian Affairs 
of the Senate; and 
‘‘(iii) 1 shall be appointed by the rank-
ing Member of the Committee on Indian Af-
fairs of the Senate. 
‘‘(B) NOMINATIONS.—The Secretary shall 
accept nominations for members of the Council 
from— 
‘‘(i) an Indian tribe; 
‘‘(ii) a tribal organization; and 
‘‘(iii) a national or regional organiza-
tion with expertise in issues relating to the 
duties of the Committee described in para-
graph (4).
1055 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(C) DIVERSITY.—To the maximum extent 
feasible, the Secretary shall ensure that the mem-
bers of the Committee represent a diverse set of 
expertise on issues relating to geographic regions, 
Indian tribes, and the agricultural industry. 
‘‘(D) LIMITATION.—No member of the Com-
mittee shall be an officer or employee of the Fed-
eral government. 
‘‘(E) PERIOD
OF
APPOINTMENT; VACAN-
CIES.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—Each member of 
the Committee— 
‘‘(I) subject to clause (ii), shall be 
appointed to a 3-year term; and 
‘‘(II) may be reappointed to not 
more than 3 consecutive terms. 
‘‘(ii) INITIAL STAGGERING.—The first 
7 appointments made by the Secretary 
under paragraph (3)(A)(i) shall be for a 2- 
year term. 
‘‘(iii) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in 
the Council shall be filled in the same man-
ner as the original appointment not more 
than 90 days after the date on which the 
position becomes vacant.
1056 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(F) MEETINGS.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Council shall 
meet in person not less than twice each 
year. 
‘‘(ii) OFFICE
OF
TRIBAL
RELATIONS 
REPRESENTATIVE.—Not fewer than 1 rep-
resentative from the Office of Tribal Rela-
tions of the Department shall be present at 
each meeting of the Committee. 
‘‘(iii) DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR REP-
RESENTATIVE.—The Assistant Secretary for 
Indian Affairs of the Department of the In-
terior (or a designee) shall be present at 
each meeting of the Committee. 
‘‘(iv) NONVOTING REPRESENTATIVES.— 
The individuals described in clauses (ii) 
and (iii) shall be nonvoting representatives. 
‘‘(4) DUTIES
OF
COMMITTEE.—The Committee 
shall— 
‘‘(A) identify evolving issues of relevance to 
Indian tribes relating to programs of the Depart-
ment; 
‘‘(B) communicate to the Secretary the 
issues identified under subparagraph (A);
1057 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(C) submit to the Secretary recommenda-
tions for and solutions to— 
‘‘(i) the issues identified under sub-
paragraph (A); 
‘‘(ii) issues raised at the Tribal, re-
gional, or national level; and 
‘‘(iii) issues relating to any Tribal 
consultation carried out by the Department; 
‘‘(D) discuss issues and proposals for 
changes to the regulations, policies, and proce-
dures of the Department that impact Indian 
tribes; 
‘‘(E) identify priorities and provide advice 
on appropriate strategies for Tribal consultation 
on issues at the Tribal, regional, or national 
level regarding the Department; 
‘‘(F) ensure that pertinent issues of the De-
partment are brought to the attention of an In-
dian tribe in a timely manner so that timely 
feedback from an Indian tribe can be obtained; 
and 
‘‘(G) identify and propose solutions to any 
interdepartmental barrier between the Depart-
ment and other Federal agencies. 
‘‘(5) REPORTS.—
1058 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not less frequently than 
once each year, the Committee shall submit to 
the Secretary and the relevant Committees of 
Congress a report that describes— 
‘‘(i) the activities of the Committee 
during the previous year; and 
‘‘(ii) recommendations for legislative or 
administrative action for the following year. 
‘‘(B) RESPONSE
FROM
SECRETARY.—Not 
more than 45 days after the date on which the 
Secretary receives a report under subparagraph 
(A), the Secretary shall submit a written re-
sponse to that report to— 
‘‘(i) the Committee; and 
‘‘(ii) the relevant Committees of Con-
gress. 
‘‘(6) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—Members of 
the Committee shall be compensated at a rate equal 
to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay 
prescribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule 
under section 5315 of title 5, United States Code, for 
each day (including travel time) during which the 
member is engaged in the performance of the duties 
of the Committee.
1059 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(7) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT EX-
EMPTION.—Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Com-
mittee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the 
Committee.’’. 
SEC. 12305. EXPERIENCED SERVICES PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1252 of the Food Security 
Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3851) is amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘AGRI-
CULTURE CONSERVATION’’; 
(2) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in the first sentence— 
(i) by striking ‘‘a conservation’’ and 
inserting ‘‘an’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘(in this section re-
ferred to as the ‘ACES Program’)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘(referred to in this section as the 
‘program’)’’; and 
(iii) by striking ‘‘provide technical’’ 
and inserting the following: ‘‘provide— 
‘‘(1) technical’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (1) (as so designated)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘Secretary. Such tech-
nical services may include’’ and inserting 
‘‘Secretary, including’’;
1060 
† HR 2 EAS 
(ii) by striking the period at the end 
and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) technical, professional, and administrative 
services to support the research, education, and eco-
nomics mission area of the Department of Agriculture 
(including the Agricultural Research Service, the Eco-
nomic Research Service, the National Agricultural Li-
brary, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, 
the Office of the Chief Scientist, and the National In-
stitute of Food and Agriculture), including— 
‘‘(A) supporting agricultural research and 
information; 
‘‘(B) advancing scientific knowledge relat-
ing to agriculture; 
‘‘(C) enhancing access to agricultural infor-
mation; 
‘‘(D) providing statistical information and 
research results to farmers, ranchers, agri-
business, and public officials; and 
‘‘(E) assisting research, education, and ex-
tension programs in land-grant colleges and uni-
versities (as defined in section 1404 of the Na-
1061 
† HR 2 EAS 
tional Agricultural Research, Extension, and 
Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103)).’’; 
(3) by striking ‘‘ACES’’ each place it appears; 
(4) by striking ‘‘technical services’’ each place it 
appears (other than in subsection (a)) and inserting 
‘‘technical, professional, or administrative services, as 
applicable,’’; and 
(5) in subsection (c)(1)— 
(A) by striking the paragraph heading and 
inserting ‘‘CONSERVATION
TECHNICAL
SERV-
ICES.—’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘with respect to subsection 
(a)(1),’’ before ‘‘the Secretary’’. 
(b) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—Title XII of the Food 
Security Act of 1985 is amended by moving section 1252 
(16 U.S.C. 3851) (as amended by subsection (a)) and sec-
tion 1253 (as added by section 2409) to appear after section 
1251 (as added by section 2429). 
SEC. 12306. YOUTH OUTREACH AND BEGINNING FARMER 
COORDINATION. 
Subtitle D of title VII of the Farm Security and Rural 
Investment Act of 2002 
(as 
amended 
by 
section 
12301(a)(1)) is amended by inserting after section 7404 (7 
U.S.C. 3101 note; Public Law 107–171) the following:
1062 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘SEC. 7405. YOUTH OUTREACH AND BEGINNING FARMER 
COORDINATION. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) BEGINNING
FARMER
OR
RANCHER.—The 
term ‘beginning farmer or rancher’ means a person 
that— 
‘‘(A)(i) has not operated a farm or ranch; 
or 
‘‘(ii) has operated a farm or ranch for not 
more than 10 years; and 
‘‘(B) meets such other criteria as the Sec-
retary may establish. 
‘‘(2) NATIONAL COORDINATOR.—The term ‘Na-
tional Coordinator’ means the National Beginning 
Farmer and Rancher Coordinator established under 
subsection (b)(1). 
‘‘(3) STATE COORDINATOR.—The term ‘State co-
ordinator’ means a State beginning farmer and 
rancher coordinator designated under subsection 
(c)(1)(A). 
‘‘(4) STATE
OFFICE.—The term ‘State office’ 
means— 
‘‘(A) a State office of— 
‘‘(i) the Farm Service Agency; 
‘‘(ii) the Natural Resources Conserva-
tion Service;
1063 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(iii) the Rural Business-Cooperative 
Service; or 
‘‘(iv) the Rural Utilities Service; or 
‘‘(B) a regional office of the Risk Manage-
ment Agency. 
‘‘(b) NATIONAL BEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHER 
COORDINATOR.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish in the Department the position of National 
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coordinator. 
‘‘(2) DUTIES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The National Coordi-
nator shall— 
‘‘(i) advise the Secretary and coordi-
nate activities of the Department on pro-
grams, policies, and issues relating to begin-
ning farmers and ranchers; and 
‘‘(ii) in consultation with the applica-
ble State food and agriculture council, de-
termine whether to approve a plan sub-
mitted by a State coordinator under sub-
section (c)(3)(B). 
‘‘(B) DISCRETIONARY DUTIES.—Additional 
duties of the National Coordinator may in-
clude—
1064 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(i) developing and implementing new 
strategies— 
‘‘(I) for outreach to beginning 
farmers and ranchers; and 
‘‘(II) to assist beginning farmers 
and ranchers with connecting to own-
ers or operators that have ended, or ex-
pect to end within 5 years, actively 
owning or operating a farm or ranch; 
and 
‘‘(ii) 
facilitating 
interagency 
and 
interdepartmental collaboration on issues 
relating to beginning farmers and ranchers. 
‘‘(3) REPORTS.—Not less frequently than once 
each year, the National Coordinator shall distribute 
within the Department and make publicly available 
a report describing the status of steps taken to carry 
out the duties described in subparagraphs (A) and 
(B) of paragraph (2). 
‘‘(4) CONTRACTS
AND
COOPERATIVE
AGREE-
MENTS.—In carrying out the duties under paragraph 
(2), the National Coordinator may enter into a con-
tract or cooperative agreement with an institution of 
higher education (as defined in section 101 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), co-
1065 
† HR 2 EAS 
operative extension services (as defined in section 
1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Exten-
sion, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 
3103), or a nonprofit organization— 
‘‘(A) to conduct research on the profitability 
of new farms in operation for not less than 5 
years in a region; 
‘‘(B) to develop educational materials; 
‘‘(C) to conduct workshops, courses, train-
ing, or certified vocational training; or 
‘‘(D) to conduct mentoring activities. 
‘‘(c) STATE BEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHER COOR-
DINATORS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(A) DESIGNATION.—The National Coordi-
nator, in consultation with State food and agri-
culture councils and directors of State offices, 
shall designate in each State a State beginning 
farmer and rancher coordinator from among em-
ployees of State offices. 
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—To be designated as 
a State coordinator, an employee shall— 
‘‘(i) be familiar with issues relating to 
beginning farmers and ranchers; and
1066 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(ii) have the ability to interface with 
other Federal departments and agencies. 
‘‘(2) TRAINING.—The Secretary shall develop a 
training plan to provide to each State coordinator 
knowledge of programs and services available from the 
Department for beginning farmers and ranchers, tak-
ing into consideration the needs of all production 
types and sizes of agricultural operations. 
‘‘(3) DUTIES.—A State coordinator shall— 
‘‘(A) coordinate technical assistance at the 
State level to assist beginning farmers and 
ranchers in accessing programs of the Depart-
ment; 
‘‘(B) develop and submit to the National 
Coordinator for approval under subsection 
(b)(2)(A)(ii) a State plan to improve the coordi-
nation, delivery, and efficacy of programs of the 
Department to beginning farmers and ranchers, 
taking into consideration the needs of all types 
of production methods and sizes of agricultural 
operation, at each county and area office in the 
State; 
‘‘(C) oversee implementation of an approved 
State plan described in subparagraph (B);
1067 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(D) work with outreach coordinators in the 
State offices to ensure appropriate information 
about technical assistance is available at out-
reach events and activities; and 
‘‘(E) coordinate partnerships and joint out-
reach efforts with other organizations and gov-
ernment agencies serving beginning farmers and 
ranchers. 
‘‘(d) AGRICULTURAL YOUTH COORDINATOR.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish in the Department the position of Agricultural 
Youth Coordinator. 
‘‘(2) DUTIES.—The Agricultural Youth Coordi-
nator shall— 
‘‘(A) promote the role of school-based agri-
cultural education and youth-serving agricul-
tural organizations in motivating and preparing 
young people to pursue careers in the agri-
culture, food, and natural resources systems; 
‘‘(B) coordinate outreach to programs and 
agencies within the Department— 
‘‘(i) to work with schools and youth- 
serving organizations to develop joint pro-
grams and initiatives, such as internships; 
and
1068 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(ii) to provide resources and input to 
schools and youth-serving organizations re-
garding motivating and preparing young 
people to pursue careers in the agriculture, 
food, and natural resources systems; 
‘‘(C) raise awareness among youth about 
the importance of agriculture in a diversity of 
fields and disciplines; 
‘‘(D) provide information to persons in-
volved in youth, food, and agriculture organiza-
tions about the availability of, and eligibility re-
quirements for, agricultural programs, with par-
ticular emphasis on— 
‘‘(i) beginning farmer and rancher 
programs; 
‘‘(ii) agriculture education; 
‘‘(iii) nutrition education; 
‘‘(iv) science, technology, engineering, 
and mathematics education; and 
‘‘(v) other food and agriculture pro-
grams for youth; 
‘‘(E) serve as a resource for youth involved 
in food and agriculture applying for participa-
tion in agricultural programs;
1069 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(F) conduct outreach to youth agriculture 
organizations; and 
‘‘(G) advocate on behalf of youth involved in 
food and agriculture and youth organizations in 
interactions with employees of the Department. 
‘‘(3) CONTRACTS
AND
COOPERATIVE
AGREE-
MENTS.—For purposes of carrying out the duties de-
scribed in paragraph (2), the Agricultural Youth Co-
ordinator— 
‘‘(A) shall consult with land-grant colleges 
and universities and cooperative extension serv-
ices (as those terms are defined in section 1404 
of the National Agricultural Research, Exten-
sion, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 
3103)); and 
‘‘(B) may enter into contracts or coopera-
tive agreements with the research centers of the 
Agricultural Research Service, institutions of 
higher education (as defined in section 101 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001)), or nonprofit organizations for— 
‘‘(i) the development of educational 
materials; 
‘‘(ii) the conduct of workshops, courses, 
and certified vocational training;
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† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(iii) the conduct of mentoring activi-
ties; or 
‘‘(iv) the provision of internship oppor-
tunities.’’. 
SEC. 12307. AVAILABILITY OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRI-
CULTURE PROGRAMS FOR VETERAN FARM-
ERS AND RANCHERS. 
(a) DEFINITION OF VETERAN FARMER OR RANCH-
ER.—Paragraph (7) of subsection (a) (as redesignated by 
section 12301(b)(3)) of section 2501 of the Food, Agri-
culture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 
2279) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) is a veteran (as defined in section 101 
of that title) who has first obtained status as a 
veteran (as so defined) during the most recent 
10-year period.’’. 
(b) FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE.— 
(1) DEFINITION OF VETERAN FARMER OR RANCH-
ER.—Section 502(b) of the Federal Crop Insurance
1071 
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Act (7 U.S.C. 1502(b)) (as amended by section 11101) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(14) VETERAN
FARMER
OR
RANCHER.—The 
term ‘veteran farmer or rancher’ means a farmer or 
rancher who— 
‘‘(A) has served in the Armed Forces (as de-
fined in section 101 of title 38, United States 
Code); and 
‘‘(B)(i) has not operated a farm or ranch; 
‘‘(ii) has operated a farm or ranch for not 
more than 5 years; or 
‘‘(iii) is a veteran (as defined in section 101 
of that title) who has first obtained status as a 
veteran (as so defined) during the most recent 5- 
year period.’’. 
(2) CROP INSURANCE.—Section 508 of the Fed-
eral Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508) is amend-
ed— 
(A) in subsection (b)(5)(E)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘The Corporation’’ and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Corporation’’; 
and 
(ii) in clause (i) (as so designated), by 
striking the period at the end and inserting
1072 
† HR 2 EAS 
the following: ‘‘, and veteran farmers or 
ranchers. 
‘‘(ii) COORDINATION.—The Corpora-
tion shall coordinate with other agencies of 
the Department that provide programs or 
services to farmers and ranchers described 
in clause (i) to make available coverage 
under the waiver under that clause and to 
share eligibility information to reduce pa-
perwork and avoid duplication.’’; 
(B) in subsection (e)(8)— 
(i) in the paragraph heading, by in-
serting ‘‘AND VETERAN’’ after ‘‘BEGINNING’’; 
and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘or veteran farmer or 
rancher’’ after ‘‘beginning farmer or ranch-
er’’ each place it appears; and 
(C) in subsection (g)— 
(i) in paragraph (2)(B)(iii), in the 
matter preceding subclause (I), by inserting 
‘‘or veteran farmer or rancher’’ after ‘‘be-
ginning farmer or rancher’’ each place it 
appears; and
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† HR 2 EAS 
(ii) in paragraph (4)(B)(ii)(II), by in-
serting ‘‘and veteran farmers or ranchers’’ 
after ‘‘beginning farmers or ranchers’’. 
(3) EDUCATION AND RISK MANAGEMENT ASSIST-
ANCE.—Section 524(a)(4) of the Federal Crop Insur-
ance Act (7 U.S.C. 1524(a)(4)) is amended— 
(A) in subparagraph (D)(ii), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (E), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(F) veteran farmers or ranchers.’’. 
(c) DOWN PAYMENT LOAN PROGRAM.—Section 310E 
of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 
U.S.C. 1935) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ‘‘qualified 
beginning farmers or ranchers and socially disadvan-
taged farmers or ranchers’’ and inserting ‘‘eligible 
farmers or ranchers’’; 
(2) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ‘‘re-
cipients of the loans’’ and inserting ‘‘farmers or 
ranchers’’; 
(B) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting 
the following:
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† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(3) encourage retiring farmers and ranchers to 
assist in the sale of their farms and ranches to eligible 
farmers or ranchers by providing seller financing;’’; 
and 
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘for be-
ginning farmers or ranchers or socially dis-
advantaged farmers or ranchers’’ and inserting 
the following: ‘‘for— 
‘‘(A) beginning farmers or ranchers; 
‘‘(B) socially disadvantaged farmers or 
ranchers, as defined in section 355(e); or 
‘‘(C) veteran farmers or ranchers, as defined 
in section 2501(a) of the Food, Agriculture, Con-
servation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 
2279(a))’’; and 
(D) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘a quali-
fied beginning farmer or rancher or socially dis-
advantaged farmer or rancher’’ and inserting 
‘‘an eligible farmer or rancher’’; and 
(3) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(e) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE FARMER OR RANCH-
ER.—In this section, the term ‘eligible farmer or rancher’ 
means— 
‘‘(1) a qualified beginning farmer or rancher;
1075 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(2) a socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher, 
as defined in section 355(e); and 
‘‘(3) a veteran farmer or rancher, as defined in 
section 2501(a) of the Food, Agriculture, Conserva-
tion, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(a)).’’. 
(d) INTEREST RATE REDUCTION PROGRAM.—Section 
351(e)(2)(B) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Develop-
ment Act (7 U.S.C. 1999(e)(2)(B)) is amended— 
(1) in the subparagraph heading, by inserting 
‘‘AND VETERAN’’ after ‘‘BEGINNING’’; 
(2) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘or veteran farm-
ers and ranchers (as defined in section 2501(a) of the 
Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 
1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(a)))’’ before the period at the 
end; and 
(3) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘beginning’’. 
(e) NATIONAL FOOD SAFETY TRAINING, EDUCATION, 
EXTENSION, OUTREACH, AND
TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE 
PROGRAM.—Section 405(c) of the Agricultural Research, 
Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 
7625(c)) is amended by inserting ‘‘veteran farmers or 
ranchers (as defined in section 2501(a) of the Food, Agri-
culture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 
2279(a))),’’ after ‘‘socially disadvantaged farmers,’’.
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(f) ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATION OF NONINSURED 
CROP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.—Section 196 of the Federal 
Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 
7333) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (k)(2), by inserting ‘‘, or a vet-
eran farmer or rancher (as defined in section 2501(a) 
of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act 
of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(a)))’’ before the period at the 
end; and 
(2) in subsection (l), in paragraph (3) (as redes-
ignated by section 1601(7)(C))— 
(A) in the paragraph heading, by inserting 
‘‘VETERAN,’’ before ‘‘AND SOCIALLY’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘and veteran farmers or 
ranchers (as defined in section 2501(a) of the 
Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act 
of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(a)))’’ before ‘‘in ex-
change’’. 
(g) FUNDING FOR TRANSITION OPTION FOR CERTAIN 
FARMERS OR RANCHERS.—Section 1241(a)(1)(B) of the 
Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(a)(1)(B)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘beginning farmers or ranchers and 
socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers’’ and inserting 
‘‘covered farmers or ranchers, as defined in section 
1235(f)(1)’’.
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† HR 2 EAS 
(h) SUPPLEMENTAL AGRICULTURAL DISASTER AS-
SISTANCE.— 
(1) DEFINITION OF COVERED PRODUCER.—Sec-
tion 1501(a) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 
9081(a)) is amended— 
(A) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(1) 
through (4) as paragraphs (2) through (5), re-
spectively; and 
(B) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so 
redesignated) the following: 
‘‘(1) COVERED
PRODUCER.—The term ‘covered 
producer’ means an eligible producer on a farm that 
is— 
‘‘(A) as determined by the Secretary— 
‘‘(i) a beginning farmer or rancher; 
‘‘(ii) a socially disadvantaged farmer 
or rancher; or 
‘‘(iii) a limited resource farmer or 
rancher; or 
‘‘(B) a veteran farmer or rancher, as de-
fined in section 2501(a) of the Food, Agriculture, 
Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 
2279(a)).’’. 
(2) EMERGENCY
ASSISTANCE
FOR
LIVESTOCK, 
HONEY
BEES, 
AND
FARM-RAISED
FISH.—Section
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† HR 2 EAS 
1501(d) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 
9081(d)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(4) 
PAYMENT
RATE
FOR
COVERED
PRO-
DUCERS.—In the case of a covered producer that is el-
igible to receive assistance under this subsection, the 
Secretary shall provide reimbursement of 90 percent 
of the cost of losses described in paragraph (1) or 
(2).’’. 
Subtitle D—Department of Agri-
culture Reorganization Act of 
1994 Amendments 
SEC. 12401. OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONS AND 
INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS. 
(a) ASSISTANT SECRETARIES OF AGRICULTURE.—Sec-
tion 218(a)(1) of the Department of Agriculture Reorga-
nization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6918(a)(1)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘Relations’’ and inserting ‘‘Relations and Inter-
governmental Affairs’’. 
(b) SUCCESSION.—Any official who is serving as the 
Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Congressional Rela-
tions on the date of enactment of this Act and who was 
appointed by the President, by and with the advice and 
consent of the Senate, shall not be required to be re-
1079 
† HR 2 EAS 
appointed as a result of the change made to the name of 
that position under the amendment made by subsection (a). 
SEC. 12402. MILITARY VETERANS AGRICULTURAL LIAISON. 
Section 219 of the Department of Agriculture Reorga-
nization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6919) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(B) in paragraph (4), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) establish and periodically update the 
website described in subsection (d); and 
‘‘(6) in carrying out the duties described in 
paragraphs (1) through (5), consult with and provide 
technical assistance to any Federal agency, including 
the Department of Defense, the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs, the Small Business Administration, 
and the Department of Labor.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(d) WEBSITE REQUIRED.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The website required under 
subsection (b)(5) shall include the following:
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† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(A) Positions identified within the Depart-
ment of Agriculture that are available to vet-
erans for apprenticeships. 
‘‘(B) Apprenticeships, programs of training 
on the job, and programs of education that are 
approved for purposes of chapter 36 of title 38, 
United States Code. 
‘‘(C) Employment skills training programs 
for members of the Armed Forces carried out 
pursuant to section 1143(e) of title 10, United 
States Code. 
‘‘(D) Information designed to assist busi-
nesses, nonprofit entities, educational institu-
tions, and farmers interested in developing ap-
prenticeships, on-the-job training, educational, or 
entrepreneurial programs for veterans in navi-
gating the process of having a program approved 
by a State approving agency for purposes of 
chapter 36 of title 38, United States Code, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(i) contact information for relevant 
offices in the Department of Defense, De-
partment of Veterans Affairs, Department of 
Labor, and Small Business Administration;
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† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(ii) basic requirements for approval 
by each State approving agency; 
‘‘(iii) recommendations with respect to 
training and coursework to be used during 
apprenticeships or on-the-job training that 
will enable a veteran to be eligible for agri-
cultural programs; and 
‘‘(iv) examples of successful programs 
and curriculums that have been approved 
for purposes of chapter 36 of title 38, 
United States Code (with consent of the or-
ganization and without any personally 
identifiable information). 
‘‘(2) REVIEW OF WEBSITE.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 5 years 
after the date of enactment of this paragraph, 
and once every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary 
shall conduct a study to determine if the website 
required under subsection (b)(5) is effective in 
providing veterans the information required 
under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(B) INEFFECTIVE
WEBSITE.—If the Sec-
retary determines that the website is not effective 
under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall—
1082 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(i) notify the agriculture and veterans 
committees described in subparagraph (C) 
of that determination; and 
‘‘(ii) not earlier than 180 days after 
the date on which the Secretary provides 
notice under clause (i), terminate the 
website. 
‘‘(C) AGRICULTURE AND VETERANS COMMIT-
TEES.—The agriculture and veterans committees 
referred to in subparagraph (B)(i) are— 
‘‘(i) the Committee on Agriculture of 
the House of Representatives; 
‘‘(ii) the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate; 
‘‘(iii) the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the House of Representatives; and 
‘‘(iv) the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the Senate. 
‘‘(e) CONSULTATION REQUIRED.—In carrying out this 
section, the Secretary shall consult with organizations that 
serve veterans. 
‘‘(f) REPORT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this subsection, and annually 
thereafter, the Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison
1083 
† HR 2 EAS 
shall submit a report on beginning farmer training 
for veterans and agricultural vocational and rehabili-
tation programs for veterans to— 
‘‘(A) the Committee on Agriculture of the 
House of Representatives; 
‘‘(B) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the House of Representatives; 
‘‘(C) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutri-
tion, and Forestry of the Senate; and 
‘‘(D) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the Senate. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS
OF
REPORT.—The report sub-
mitted under paragraph (1) shall include— 
‘‘(A) a summary of the measures taken to 
carry out subsections (b) and (c); 
‘‘(B) a description of the information pro-
vided to veterans under paragraphs (1) and (2) 
of subsection (b); 
‘‘(C) recommendations for best informing 
veterans of the programs described in paragraphs 
(1) and (2) of subsection (b); 
‘‘(D) a summary of the contracts or cooper-
ative agreements entered into under subsection 
(c);
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† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(E) a description of the programs imple-
mented under subsection (c); 
‘‘(F) a summary of the employment out-
reach activities directed to veterans; 
‘‘(G) recommendations for how opportuni-
ties for veterans in agriculture should be devel-
oped or expanded; 
‘‘(H) a summary of veteran farm lending 
data and a summary of shortfalls, if any, identi-
fied by the Military Veterans Agricultural Liai-
son in collecting data with respect to veterans 
engaged in agriculture; and 
‘‘(I) recommendations, if any, on how to 
improve activities under subsection (b). 
‘‘(g) PUBLIC DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this subsection, and annually 
thereafter, the Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison 
shall make publicly available and share broadly, in-
cluding by posting on the website of the Depart-
ment— 
‘‘(A) the report of the Military Veterans Ag-
ricultural Liaison on beginning farmer training 
for veterans and agricultural vocational and re-
habilitation programs; and
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† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(B) the information disseminated under 
paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b). 
‘‘(2) FURTHER DISSEMINATION.—Not later than 
the day before the date on which the Military Vet-
erans Agricultural Liaison makes publicly available 
the information under paragraph (1), the Military 
Veterans Agricultural Liaison shall provide that in-
formation to the Department of Defense, the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs, the Small Business Admin-
istration, and the Department of Labor.’’. 
SEC. 12403. CIVIL RIGHTS ANALYSES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle A of the Department of Ag-
riculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6911 et seq.) 
(as amended by section 12302(b)) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 223. CIVIL RIGHTS ANALYSES. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF CIVIL RIGHTS ANALYSIS.—In 
this section, the term ‘civil rights analysis’ means a review 
to analyze and identify actions, policies, and decisions 
under documents described in subsection (b) that may have 
an adverse or disproportionate impact on employees, con-
tractors, or beneficiaries (including participants) of any 
program or activity of the Department based on the mem-
bership of the employees, contractors, or beneficiaries in a 
group that is protected under Federal law from discrimina-
1086 
† HR 2 EAS 
tion in employment, contracting, or provision of a program 
or activity, as applicable. 
‘‘(b) ACTIONS, POLICIES, AND DECISIONS.—Before im-
plementing any of the following action, policy, or decision 
documents, the Secretary shall conduct a civil rights anal-
ysis of the action, policy, or decision that is the subject of 
the document: 
‘‘(1) New, revised, or interim rules and notices 
to be published in the Federal Register or the Code of 
Federal Regulations. 
‘‘(2) Charters for advisory committees, councils, 
or boards managed by any agency of the Department 
on behalf of the Secretary. 
‘‘(3) Any regulations of the Department or new 
or revised agency-specific instructions, procedures, or 
other guidance published in an agency directives sys-
tem. 
‘‘(4) Reductions-in-force or transfer of function 
proposals, including reorganization of the Depart-
ment. 
‘‘(5) At the discretion of the Secretary, any other 
policy, program, or activity documents that have po-
tentially adverse civil rights impacts. 
‘‘(c) EXPEDITED REVIEW.—The Assistant Secretary 
for Civil Rights may grant, on a case-by-case basis, an ex-
1087 
† HR 2 EAS 
pedited civil rights analysis if the head of an agency within 
the Department provides a written justification for the ex-
pedited civil rights analysis. 
‘‘(d) WAIVER.—On petition by the head of any agency 
within the Department, the Assistant Secretary for Civil 
Rights may grant, on a case-by-case basis, a waiver of the 
civil rights analysis if the Assistant Secretary for Civil 
Rights determines that there is no foreseeable adverse or dis-
proportionate impact described in subsection (a) of the pro-
posed action, policy, or decision document described in sub-
section (b).’’. 
(b) STUDY; REPORT.— 
(1) STUDY.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
of the United States (referred to in this section as the 
‘‘Comptroller General’’) shall conduct a study describ-
ing— 
(A) the effectiveness of the Department of 
Agriculture in processing and resolving civil 
rights complaints; 
(B) minority participation rates in farm 
programs, including a comparison of overall 
farmer and rancher participation with minority 
farmer and rancher participation by considering 
particular aspects of the programs of the Depart-
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† HR 2 EAS 
ment of Agriculture for producers, such as own-
ership status, program participation, usage of 
permits, and waivers; 
(C) the realignment the civil rights func-
tions of the Department of Agriculture, as out-
lined in Secretarial Memorandum 1076–023 
(March 9, 2018), including an analysis of wheth-
er that realignment has any negative implica-
tions on the civil rights functions of the Depart-
ment; 
(D) efforts of the Department of Agriculture 
to identify actions, programs, or activities of the 
Department of Agriculture that may adversely 
affect employees, contractors, or beneficiaries (in-
cluding participants) of the action, program, or 
activity based on the membership of the employ-
ees, contractors, or beneficiaries in a group that 
is protected under Federal law from discrimina-
tion in employment, contracting, or provision of 
an action, program, or activity, as applicable; 
and 
(E) efforts of the Department of Agriculture 
to strategically plan actions to decrease discrimi-
nation and civil rights complaints within the 
Department of Agriculture or in the carrying out
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† HR 2 EAS 
of the programs and authorities of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the 
date of completion of the study under paragraph (1), 
the Comptroller General shall submit a report describ-
ing the results of the study to— 
(A) the Committee on Agriculture of the 
House of Representatives; and 
(B) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutri-
tion, and Forestry of the Senate. 
SEC. 12404. FARM SERVICE AGENCY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 226 of the Department of 
Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6932) is 
amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘CON-
SOLIDATED FARM’’ and inserting ‘‘FARM’’; 
(2) in subsection (b), in the subsection heading, 
by striking ‘‘OF
CONSOLIDATED
FARM
SERVICE 
AGENCY’’; and 
(3) by striking ‘‘Consolidated Farm’’ each place 
it appears and inserting ‘‘Farm’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) Section 246 of the Department of Agriculture 
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6962) is 
amended—
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† HR 2 EAS 
(A) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘Consoli-
dated Farm’’ each place it appears and inserting 
‘‘Farm’’; and 
(B) in subsection (e)(2), by striking ‘‘Con-
solidated Farm’’ each place it appears and in-
serting ‘‘Farm’’. 
(2) Section 271(2)(A) of the Department of Agri-
culture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 
6991(2)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘Consolidated 
Farm’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘Farm’’. 
(3) Section 275(b) of the Department of Agri-
culture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 
6995(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘Consolidated 
Farm’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘Farm’’. 
SEC. 12405. UNDER SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE FOR 
FARM PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION. 
(a) 
OFFICE
OF
RISK
MANAGEMENT.—Section 
226A(d)(1) of the Department of Agriculture Reorganiza-
tion Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6933(d)(1)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign 
Agricultural Services’’ and inserting ‘‘Under Secretary of 
Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation’’. 
(b) MULTIAGENCY TASK FORCE.—Section 242(b)(3) of 
the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 
(7 U.S.C. 6952(b)(3)) is amended by striking ‘‘Under Sec-
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† HR 2 EAS 
retary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm Pro-
duction and Conservation’’. 
(c) FOOD
AID
CONSULTATIVE
GROUP.—Section 
205(b)(2) of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1725(b)(2)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘Under Secretary of Agriculture for 
Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services’’ and inserting 
‘‘Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Ag-
ricultural Affairs’’. 
(d) INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON MINORITY CAREERS 
IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS.—Section 625(c)(1)(A) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1131c(c)(1)(A)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘Under Secretary’’ and all that fol-
lows through ‘‘designee’’ and inserting ‘‘Under Secretary of 
Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, or 
the designee of that Under Secretary’’. 
SEC. 12406. UNDER SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE FOR 
RURAL DEVELOPMENT. 
Section 231 of the Department of Agriculture Reorga-
nization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6941) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘is authorized 
to’’ and inserting ‘‘shall’’; 
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘If the Sec-
retary’’ and all that follows through ‘‘the Under Sec-
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† HR 2 EAS 
retary’’ and inserting ‘‘The Under Secretary of Agri-
culture for Rural Development’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—Section 296(b)(9) 
shall not apply to this section.’’. 
SEC. 12407. ADMINISTRATOR OF THE RURAL UTILITIES 
SERVICE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) TECHNICAL CORRECTION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Section 232(b) of the De-
partment of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 
1994 (7 U.S.C. 6942(b)) (as in effect on the day 
before the effective date of the amendments made 
by section 2(a)(2) of the Presidential Appoint-
ment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011 
(Public Law 112–166; 126 Stat. 1283, 1295)) is 
amended— 
(i) by striking paragraph (2) (relating 
to succession); and 
(ii) by redesignating paragraph (3) 
(relating to the Executive Schedule) as 
paragraph (2). 
(B) EFFECTIVE
DATE.—The amendments 
made by subparagraph (A) take effect on the ef-
fective date described in section 6(a) of the Presi-
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† HR 2 EAS 
dential Appointment Efficiency and Stream-
lining Act of 2011 (Public Law 112–166; 126 
Stat. 1295). 
(2) COMPENSATION.—Section 232(b) of the De-
partment of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 
(7 U.S.C. 6942(b)) (as amended by paragraph (1)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) COMPENSATION.—The Administrator of the 
Rural Utilities Service shall receive basic pay at a 
rate not to exceed the maximum amount of compensa-
tion payable to a member of the Senior Executive 
Service under subsection (b) of section 5382 of title 5, 
United States Code, except that the certification re-
quirement under that subsection shall not apply to 
the compensation of the Director.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) Section 5315 of title 5, United States Code, 
is amended by striking ‘‘Administrator, Rural Utili-
ties Service, Department of Agriculture.’’. 
(2) Section 748 of Public Law 107–76 (7 U.S.C. 
918b) is amended by striking ‘‘the Administrator of 
the Rural Utilities Service’’ and inserting ‘‘the Sec-
retary of Agriculture’’. 
(3) Section 379B(a) of the Consolidated Farm 
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008p(a)) is
1094 
† HR 2 EAS 
amended by striking ‘‘Secretary’’ and all that follows 
through ‘‘may’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary may’’. 
(4) Section 6407(b)(4) of the Farm Security and 
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107a(b)(4)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘Agriculture’’ and all that fol-
lows through ‘‘Service’’ and inserting ‘‘Agriculture’’. 
(5) Section 1004 of the Launching our Commu-
nities’ Access to Local Television Act of 2000 (47 
U.S.C. 1103) is amended— 
(A) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘‘The 
Administrator (as defined in section 1005)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘The Secretary of Agriculture’’; and 
(B) in subsection (h)(2)(D), by striking 
‘‘Administrator’’ each place it appears and in-
serting ‘‘Secretary of Agriculture’’. 
(6) Section 1005 of the Launching our Commu-
nities’ Access to Local Television Act of 2000 (47 
U.S.C. 1104) is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘The Ad-
ministrator’’ and all that follows through ‘‘shall’’ 
and inserting ‘‘The Secretary of Agriculture (re-
ferred to in this section as the ‘Secretary’) shall’’; 
and 
(B) by striking ‘‘Administrator’’ each place 
it appears and inserting ‘‘Secretary’’.
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† HR 2 EAS 
SEC. 12408. RURAL HEALTH LIAISON. 
Subtitle C of title II of the Department of Agriculture 
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6941 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 236. RURAL HEALTH LIAISON. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary shall establish 
in the Department the position of Rural Health Liaison. 
‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The Rural Health Liaison shall— 
‘‘(1) in consultation with the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services, coordinate the role of the De-
partment with respect to rural health; 
‘‘(2) integrate across the Department the stra-
tegic planning and activities relating to rural health; 
‘‘(3) improve communication relating to rural 
health within the Department and between Federal 
agencies; 
‘‘(4) advocate on behalf of the health care and 
relevant infrastructure needs in rural areas; 
‘‘(5) provide to stakeholders, potential grant ap-
plicants, Federal agencies, State agencies, Indian 
Tribes, private organizations, and academic institu-
tions relevant data and information, including the 
eligibility requirements for, and availability and out-
comes of, Department programs applicable to the ad-
vancement of rural health;
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‘‘(6) maintain communication with public 
health, medical, occupational safety, and tele-
communication associations, research entities, and 
other stakeholders to ensure that the Department is 
aware of current and upcoming issues relating to 
rural health; 
‘‘(7) consult on programs, pilot projects, re-
search, training, and other affairs relating to rural 
health at the Department and other Federal agencies; 
‘‘(8) provide expertise on rural health to support 
the activities of the Secretary as Chair of the Inter-
agency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Pros-
perity; and 
‘‘(9) provide technical assistance and guidance 
with respect to activities relating to rural health to 
the outreach, extension, and county offices of the De-
partment.’’. 
SEC. 12409. HEALTHY FOOD FINANCING INITIATIVE. 
Section 243 of the Department of Agriculture Reorga-
nization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6953) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘and enter-
prises’’ after ‘‘retailers’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)(3)(B)(iii), by inserting 
‘‘and enterprises’’ after ‘‘retailers’’; and
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† HR 2 EAS 
(3) in subsection (c)(2)(B)(ii), by inserting ‘‘as 
applicable,’’ before ‘‘to accept’’. 
SEC. 12410. NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERV-
ICE. 
(a) FIELD OFFICES.—Section 246 of the Department 
of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6962) 
(as amended by section 12404(b)(1)) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) FIELD OFFICES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall not close 
any field office of the Natural Resources Conservation 
Service unless, not later than 60 days before the date 
of the closure, the Secretary submits to the Committee 
on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and For-
estry of the Senate a notification of the closure. 
‘‘(2) EMPLOYEES.—The Secretary shall not per-
manently relocate any field-based employees of the 
Natural Resources Conservation Service or the rural 
development mission area if doing so would result in 
a field office of the Natural Resources Conservation 
Service or the rural development mission area with 2 
or fewer employees, unless, not later than 60 days be-
fore the date of the permanent relocation, the Sec-
retary submits to the Committee on Agriculture of the
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† HR 2 EAS 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Agri-
culture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a noti-
fication of the permanent relocation.’’. 
(b) TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.—Section 246 of the De-
partment of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 
U.S.C. 6962) (as amended by subsection (a)) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking paragraph (2); 
(B) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(3) 
through (6) as paragraphs (2) through (5), re-
spectively; 
(C) in paragraph (4) (as so redesignated), 
by inserting ‘‘; Public Law 101–624’’ after 
‘‘note’’; and 
(D) in paragraph (5) (as so redesignated), 
by striking ‘‘3831–3836’’ and inserting ‘‘3831 et 
seq.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c), in the matter preceding 
paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘paragraphs (1), (2), and 
(4) of subsection (b) and the program under sub-
chapter C of chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII of the 
Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837–3837f)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘paragraphs (1) and (3) of subsection 
(b)’’. 
(c) RELOCATION IN ACT.—
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† HR 2 EAS 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 246 of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 
U.S.C. 6962) (as amended by subsection (b)) is— 
(A) redesignated as section 228; and 
(B) moved so as to appear at the end of 
subtitle B of title II (7 U.S.C. 6931 et seq.). 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(A) Section 226 of the Department of Agri-
culture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 
6932) (as amended by section 12404(a)) is 
amended— 
(i) in subsection (b)(5), by striking 
‘‘section 246(b)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 
228(b)’’; and 
(ii) in subsection (g)(2), by striking 
‘‘section 246(b)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 
228(b)’’. 
(B) Section 271(2)(F) of the Department of 
Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 
U.S.C. 6991(2)(F)) is amended by striking ‘‘sec-
tion 246(b)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 228(b)’’. 
SEC. 12411. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 251(e) of the Department 
of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 
6971(e)) is amended—
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† HR 2 EAS 
(1) in the subsection heading, by striking ‘‘RE-
SEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION OFFICE’’ and 
inserting ‘‘OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Research, 
Education, and Extension Office’’ and inserting ‘‘Of-
fice of the Chief Scientist’’; 
(3) in paragraph (2), in the matter preceding 
subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘Research, Education, 
and Extension Office’’ and inserting ‘‘Office of the 
Chief Scientist’’; 
(4) in paragraph (3)(C), by striking ‘‘subpara-
graph (A) shall not exceed 4 years’’ and inserting 
‘‘clauses (i) and (iii) of subparagraph (A) shall be for 
not less than 3 years’’; 
(5) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as 
paragraphs (5) and (6), respectively; 
(6) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(4) ADDITIONAL LEADERSHIP DUTIES.—In ad-
dition to selecting the Division Chiefs under para-
graph (3), using available personnel authority under 
title 5, United States Code, the Under Secretary shall 
select personnel—
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† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(A) to oversee implementation, training, 
and compliance with the scientific integrity pol-
icy of the Department; 
‘‘(B)(i) to integrate strategic program plan-
ning and evaluation functions across the pro-
grams of the Department; and 
‘‘(ii) to help prepare the annual report to 
Congress on the relevance and adequacy of pro-
grams under the jurisdiction of the Under Sec-
retary; 
‘‘(C) to assist the Chief Scientist in coordi-
nating the international engagements of the De-
partment with the Department of State and 
other international agencies and offices of the 
Federal Government; and 
‘‘(D) to oversee other duties as may be re-
quired by law or Department policy.’’; 
(7) in paragraph (5) (as so redesignated)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘Not-
withstanding’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIA-
TIONS.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated such sums as are necessary to fund 
the costs of Division personnel.
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† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(ii) ADDITIONAL FUNDING.—In addi-
tion to amounts made available under 
clause (i), notwithstanding’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (C)— 
(i) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(ii) in clause (ii), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(iii) provides strong staff continuity 
to the Office of the Chief Scientist.’’; and 
(8) in paragraph (6) (as so redesignated), by 
striking ‘‘Research, Education and Extension Office’’ 
and inserting ‘‘Office of the Chief Scientist’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) Section 251(f)(5)(B) of the Department of 
Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 
6971(f)(5)(B)) is amended by striking ‘‘Research, 
Education and Extension Office’’ and inserting ‘‘Of-
fice of the Chief Scientist’’. 
(2) Section 296(b)(6)(B) of the Department of 
Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 
7014(b)(6)(B)) is amended by striking ‘‘Research,
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† HR 2 EAS 
Education, and Extension Office’’ and inserting ‘‘Of-
fice of the Chief Scientist’’. 
SEC. 12412. TRADE AND FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS. 
The Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 
1994 is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subtitle J (7 U.S.C. 7011 et 
seq.) as subtitle K; and 
(2) by inserting after subtitle I (7 U.S.C. 7005 
et seq.) the following: 
‘‘Subtitle J—Trade and Foreign 
Agricultural Affairs 
‘‘SEC. 287. UNDER SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE FOR 
TRADE AND FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL AF-
FAIRS. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the De-
partment the position of Under Secretary of Agriculture for 
Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. 
‘‘(b) APPOINTMENT.—The Under Secretary of Agri-
culture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs shall be 
appointed by the President, by and with the advice and 
consent of the Senate. 
‘‘(c) FUNCTIONS.— 
‘‘(1) PRINCIPAL
FUNCTIONS.—The Secretary 
shall delegate to the Under Secretary of Agriculture 
for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs those
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† HR 2 EAS 
functions and duties under the jurisdiction of the De-
partment that are related to trade and foreign agri-
cultural affairs. 
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS.—The Under Sec-
retary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricul-
tural Affairs shall perform such other functions and 
duties as may be— 
‘‘(A) required by law; or 
‘‘(B) prescribed by the Secretary.’’. 
SEC. 12413. REPEALS. 
(a) DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REORGANIZATION 
ACT OF 1994.—The following provisions of the Department 
of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 are repealed: 
(1) Section 211 (7 U.S.C. 6911). 
(2) Section 213 (7 U.S.C. 6913). 
(3) Section 214 (7 U.S.C. 6914). 
(4) Section 217 (7 U.S.C. 6917). 
(5) Section 247 (7 U.S.C. 6963). 
(6) Section 252 (7 U.S.C. 6972). 
(7) Section 295 (7 U.S.C. 7013). 
(b) OTHER PROVISION.—Section 3208 of the Agricul-
tural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 6935) is repealed. 
SEC. 12414. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS. 
(a) OFFICE OF RISK MANAGEMENT.—Section 226A(a) 
of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of
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† HR 2 EAS 
1994 (7 U.S.C. 6933(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘Subject 
to subsection (e), the Secretary’’ and inserting ‘‘The Sec-
retary’’. 
(b) CORRECTION OF ERROR.— 
(1) 
ASSISTANT
SECRETARIES
OF
AGRI-
CULTURE.—Section 218 of the Department of Agri-
culture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6918) 
(as in effect on the day before the effective date of the 
amendments made by section 2(a)(1) of the Presi-
dential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining 
Act of 2011 (Public Law 112–166; 126 Stat. 1283, 
1295)) is amended by striking ‘‘Senate.’’ in subsection 
(b) and all that follows through ‘‘responsibility for— 
’’ in the matter preceding paragraph (1) of subsection 
(d) and inserting the following: ‘‘Senate. 
‘‘(c) DUTIES
OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY
OF AGRI-
CULTURE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS.—The Secretary may delegate 
to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights responsibility 
for—’’. 
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 
by paragraph (1) take effect on the effective date de-
scribed in section 6(a) of the Presidential Appoint-
ment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011 (Pub-
lic Law 112–166; 126 Stat. 1295).
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† HR 2 EAS 
SEC. 12415. EFFECT OF SUBTITLE. 
(a) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Except as provided in sections 
12407(a)(1)(B) and 12414(b)(2), this subtitle and the 
amendments made by this subtitle take effect on the date 
of enactment of this Act. 
(b) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this subtitle or an 
amendment made by this subtitle affects— 
(1) the authority of the Secretary to continue to 
carry out a function vested in, and performed by, the 
Secretary as of the date of enactment of this Act; or 
(2) the authority of an agency, office, officer, or 
employee of the Department of Agriculture to con-
tinue to perform all functions delegated or assigned to 
the agency, office, officer, or employee as of the date 
of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 12416. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY. 
Section 296(b) of the Department of Agriculture Reor-
ganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(9) The authority of the Secretary to carry out 
the amendments made to this title by the Agriculture 
Improvement Act of 2018.’’.
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† HR 2 EAS 
Subtitle E—Other Miscellaneous 
Provisions 
SEC. 12501. ACER ACCESS AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. 
Section 12306(f) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 
U.S.C. 1632c(f)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 12502. SOUTH CAROLINA INCLUSION IN VIRGINIA/ 
CAROLINA PEANUT PRODUCING REGION. 
Section 1308(c)(2)(B)(iii) of the Farm Security and 
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 7958(c)(2)(B)(iii)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘Virginia and North Carolina’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina’’. 
SEC. 12503. PET AND WOMEN SAFETY. 
(a) PET INVOLVEMENT IN CRIMES RELATED TO DO-
MESTIC VIOLENCE AND STALKING.— 
(1) INTERSTATE STALKING.—Section 2261A of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(A)— 
(i) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘or’’ at 
the end; and 
(ii) by inserting after clause (iii) the 
following: 
‘‘(iv) the pet of that person; or’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2)(A)—
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† HR 2 EAS 
(i) by inserting after ‘‘to a person’’ the 
following: ‘‘or a pet’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘or (iii)’’ and inserting 
‘‘(iii), or (iv)’’. 
(2) INTERSTATE
VIOLATION
OF
PROTECTION 
ORDER.—Section 2262 of title 18, United States Code, 
is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
(i) in paragraph (1), by inserting after 
‘‘another person’’ the following: ‘‘or the pet 
of that person’’; and 
(ii) in paragraph (2), by inserting 
after ‘‘proximity to, another person’’ the fol-
lowing ‘‘or the pet of that person’’; and 
(B) in subsection (b)(5), by inserting after 
‘‘in any other case,’’ the following: ‘‘including 
any case in which the offense is committed 
against a pet,’’. 
(3) RESTITUTION
TO
INCLUDE
VETERINARY 
SERVICES.—Section 2264 of title 18, United States 
Code, is amended in subsection (b)(3)— 
(A) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as 
subparagraph (G); 
(B) in subparagraph (E), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; and
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† HR 2 EAS 
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the 
following: 
‘‘(F) veterinary services relating to physical 
care for the victim’s pet; and’’. 
(4) PET
DEFINED.—Section 2266 of title 18, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting after 
paragraph (10) the following: 
‘‘(11) PET.—The term ‘pet’ means a domes-
ticated animal, such as a dog, cat, bird, rodent, fish, 
turtle, horse, or other animal that is kept for pleasure 
rather than for commercial purposes.’’. 
(b) EMERGENCY AND TRANSITIONAL PET SHELTER 
AND HOUSING ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting in con-
sultation with the Office of the Violence Against 
Women of the Department of Justice, the Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development, and the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services, shall award grants 
under this subsection to eligible entities to carry out 
programs to provide the assistance described in para-
graph (3) with respect to victims of domestic violence, 
dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking and the 
pets of such victims. 
(2) APPLICATION.—
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† HR 2 EAS 
(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity seek-
ing a grant under this subsection shall submit 
an application to the Secretary at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information 
as the Secretary may reasonably require, includ-
ing— 
(i) a description of the activities for 
which a grant under this subsection is 
sought; 
(ii) such assurances as the Secretary 
determines to be necessary to ensure compli-
ance by the entity with the requirements of 
this subsection; and 
(iii) a certification that the entity, be-
fore engaging with any individual domestic 
violence victim, will disclose to the victim 
any mandatory duty of the entity to report 
instances of abuse and neglect (including 
instances of abuse and neglect of pets). 
(B) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—In addi-
tion to the requirements of subparagraph (A), 
each application submitted by an eligible entity 
under that subparagraph shall—
1111 
† HR 2 EAS 
(i) not include proposals for any ac-
tivities that may compromise the safety of 
a domestic violence victim, including— 
(I) background checks of domestic 
violence victims; or 
(II) clinical evaluations to deter-
mine the eligibility of such a victim for 
support services; 
(ii) not include proposals that would 
require mandatory services for victims or 
that a victim obtain a protective order in 
order to receive proposed services; and 
(iii) reflect the eligible entity’s under-
standing of the dynamics of domestic vio-
lence, dating violence, sexual assault, or 
stalking. 
(C) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
this paragraph shall be construed to require— 
(i) domestic violence victims to partici-
pate in the criminal justice system in order 
to receive services; or 
(ii) eligible entities receiving a grant 
under this subsection to breach client con-
fidentiality.
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† HR 2 EAS 
(3) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants awarded under this 
subsection may only be used for programs that pro-
vide— 
(A) emergency and transitional shelter and 
housing assistance for domestic violence victims 
with pets, including assistance with respect to 
any construction or operating expenses of newly 
developed or existing emergency and transitional 
pet shelter and housing (regardless of whether 
such shelter and housing is co-located at a victim 
service provider or within the community); 
(B) short-term shelter and housing assist-
ance for domestic violence victims with pets, in-
cluding assistance with respect to expenses in-
curred for the temporary shelter, housing, board-
ing, or fostering of the pets of domestic violence 
victims and other expenses that are incidental to 
securing the safety of such a pet during the shel-
tering, housing, or relocation of such victims; 
(C) support services designed to enable a do-
mestic violence victim who is fleeing a situation 
of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual as-
sault, or stalking to— 
(i) locate and secure—
1113 
† HR 2 EAS 
(I) safe housing with the victim’s 
pet; or 
(II) safe accommodations for the 
victim’s pet; or 
(ii) provide the victim with pet-related 
services, such as pet transportation, pet care 
services, and other assistance; or 
(D) for the training of relevant stakeholders 
on— 
(i) the link between domestic violence, 
dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking 
and the abuse and neglect of pets; 
(ii) the needs of domestic violence vic-
tims; 
(iii) best practices for providing sup-
port services to such victims; 
(iv) best practices for providing such 
victims with referrals to victims’ services; 
and 
(v) the importance of confidentiality. 
(4) GRANT CONDITIONS.—An eligible entity that 
receives a grant under this subsection shall, as a con-
dition of such receipt, agree— 
(A) to be bound by the nondisclosure of con-
fidential information requirements of section
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† HR 2 EAS 
40002(b)(2) of the Violence Against Women Act 
of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 12291(b)(2)); and 
(B) that the entity shall not condition the 
receipt of support, housing, or other benefits pro-
vided pursuant to this subsection on the partici-
pation of domestic violence victims in any or all 
of the support services offered to such victims 
through a program carried out by the entity 
using grant funds. 
(5) DURATION OF ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO VIC-
TIMS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subparagraph 
(B), assistance provided with respect to a pet of 
a domestic violence victim using grant funds 
awarded under this subsection shall be provided 
for a period of not more than 24 months. 
(B) EXTENSION.—An eligible entity that re-
ceives a grant under this subsection may extend 
the 24-month period referred to in subparagraph 
(A) for a period of not more than 6 months in 
the case of a domestic violence victim who— 
(i) has made a good faith effort to ac-
quire permanent housing for the victim’s 
pet during that 24-month period; and
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† HR 2 EAS 
(ii) has been unable to acquire such 
permanent housing within that period. 
(6) REPORT
TO
THE
SECRETARY.—Not later 
than 1 year after the date on which an eligible entity 
receives a grant under this subsection and each year 
thereafter, the entity shall submit to the Secretary a 
report that contains, with respect to assistance pro-
vided by the entity to domestic violence victims with 
pets using grant funds received under this subsection, 
information on— 
(A) the number of domestic violence victims 
with pets provided such assistance; and 
(B) the purpose, amount, type of, and dura-
tion of such assistance. 
(7) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 
(A) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Not later 
than November 1 of each even-numbered fiscal 
year, the Secretary shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Agriculture of the House of Represent-
atives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutri-
tion, and Forestry of the Senate a report that 
contains a compilation of the information con-
tained in the reports submitted under paragraph 
(6).
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† HR 2 EAS 
(B) AVAILABILITY
OF
REPORT.—The Sec-
retary shall transmit a copy of the report sub-
mitted under subparagraph (A) to— 
(i) the Office on Violence Against 
Women of the Department of Justice; 
(ii) the Office of Community Planning 
and Development of the Department of 
Housing and Urban Development; and 
(iii) the Administration for Children 
and Families of the Department of Health 
and Human Services. 
(8) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out this subsection 
$3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 
2023. 
(B) LIMITATION.—Of the amount made 
available under subparagraph (A) in any fiscal 
year, not more than 5 percent may be used for 
evaluation, monitoring, salaries, and adminis-
trative expenses. 
(9) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
(A) 
DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE
VICTIM
DE-
FINED.—The term ‘‘domestic violence victim’’
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† HR 2 EAS 
means a victim of domestic violence, dating vio-
lence, sexual assault, or stalking. 
(B) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible 
entity’’ means— 
(i) a State; 
(ii) a unit of local government; 
(iii) an Indian tribe; or 
(iv) any other organization that has a 
documented history of effective work con-
cerning domestic violence, dating violence, 
sexual assault, or stalking (as determined 
by the Secretary), including— 
(I) a domestic violence and sexual 
assault victim service provider; 
(II) a domestic violence and sex-
ual assault coalition; 
(III) a community-based and cul-
turally specific organization; 
(IV) any other nonprofit, non-
governmental organization; and 
(V) any organization that works 
directly with pets and collaborates 
with any organization referred to in 
clauses (i) through (iv), including— 
(aa) an animal shelter; and
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† HR 2 EAS 
(bb) an animal welfare orga-
nization. 
(C) PET.—The term ‘‘pet’’ means a domes-
ticated animal, such as a dog, cat, bird, rodent, 
fish, turtle, horse, or other animal that is kept 
for pleasure rather than for commercial pur-
poses. 
(D) OTHER TERMS.—Except as otherwise 
provided in this subsection, terms used in this 
section shall have the meaning given such terms 
in section 40002(a) of the Violence Against 
Women Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 12291(a)). 
(c) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that States should encourage the inclusion of protections 
against violent or threatening acts against the pet of a per-
son in domestic violence protection orders. 
SEC. 12504. DATA ON CONSERVATION PRACTICES. 
Subtitle E of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 
(16 U.S.C. 3841 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 1247. DATA ON CONSERVATION PRACTICES. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to in-
crease the knowledge of how covered conservation practices 
or suites of covered conservation practices impact farm and 
ranch profitability (such as crop yields, soil health, and
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other risk-reducing factors) by using an appropriate collec-
tion, review, and analysis of data. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) COVERED
CONSERVATION
PRACTICE.—The 
term ‘covered conservation practice’ means a con-
servation practice— 
‘‘(A) that is approved and supported by the 
Department; and 
‘‘(B) for which the Department has devel-
oped 1 or more practice standards. 
‘‘(2) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘Department’ 
means the Department of Agriculture. 
‘‘(3) PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY REQUIRE-
MENTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘privacy and 
confidentiality requirements’ means all laws ap-
plicable to the Department and the agencies of 
the Department that protect data provided to, or 
collected by, the agencies of the Department from 
being disclosed to the public in any manner ex-
cept as authorized by those laws. 
‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘privacy and 
confidentiality requirements’ includes— 
‘‘(i) sections 552 and 552a of title 5, 
United States Code;
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‘‘(ii) section 502(c) of the Federal Crop 
Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1502(c)); 
‘‘(iii) section 1770 of the Food Security 
Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 2276); 
‘‘(iv) section 1619 of the Food, Con-
servation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 
U.S.C. 8791); and 
‘‘(v) the Confidential Information Pro-
tection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 
2002 (44 U.S.C. 3501 note; Public Law 
107–347). 
‘‘(c) DATA COLLECTION, REVIEW, ANALYSIS, AND 
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to applicable privacy 
and 
confidentiality 
requirements, 
the 
Secretary 
shall— 
‘‘(A) not less frequently than annually, re-
view and publish a summary of existing research 
of the Department, institutions of higher edu-
cation, and other organizations relating to the 
impacts of covered conservation practices that re-
late to crop yields, soil health, risk, and farm 
and ranch profitability; 
‘‘(B) identify current data pertaining to the 
impacts of covered conservation practices that re-
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late to crop yields, soil health, risk, and farm 
and ranch profitability collected by the Depart-
ment, including— 
‘‘(i) the Farm Service Agency; 
‘‘(ii) the Risk Management Agency; 
‘‘(iii) the Natural Resources Conserva-
tion Service; 
‘‘(iv) the National Agricultural Statis-
tics Service; 
‘‘(v) the Economic Research Service; 
and 
‘‘(vi) any other relevant agency, as de-
termined by the Secretary; 
‘‘(C) collect additional data specifically per-
taining to the impacts of covered conservation 
practices that relate to crop yields, soil health, 
risk, and farm and ranch profitability necessary 
to achieve the purpose described in subsection 
(a), on the condition that a producer shall not 
be compelled or required to provide that data; 
‘‘(D) ensure that data identified or collected 
under subparagraph (B) or (C), respectively, are 
collected in a compatible format at the field- and 
farm-level;
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‘‘(E) improve the interoperability of the 
data collected by the Department for the pur-
poses of this section; 
‘‘(F) in carrying out subparagraph (C), use 
existing authorities and procedures of the Na-
tional Agricultural Statistics Service to allow 
producers to voluntarily provide supplemental 
data that may be useful in analyzing the im-
pacts of covered conservation practices relating 
to crop yields, soil health, risk, and farm and 
ranch profitability using the least burdensome 
means to collect that data, such as through vol-
untary producer surveys; 
‘‘(G) integrate and analyze the data identi-
fied or collected under this subsection to consider 
the impacts of covered conservation practices re-
lating to crop yields, soil health, risk, and farm 
and ranch profitability; 
‘‘(H) acting through the Administrator of 
the Risk Management Agency, in coordination 
with the Administrator of the Farm Service 
Agency and the Chief of the Natural Resources 
Conservation Service—
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‘‘(i) research and analyze how yield 
variability and risk are affected by different 
soil types for major crops; 
‘‘(ii) research and analyze how yield 
variability and risk for different soil types 
are affected by individual, or combinations 
of, agricultural management practices, in-
cluding cover crops, no-till farming, adapt-
ive nitrogen management, skip-row plant-
ing, and crop rotation for major crops; and 
‘‘(iii) not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this section, publish the 
findings of the research under clauses (i) 
and (ii); 
‘‘(I) to the extent practicable, integrate, col-
late, and link data identified under this sub-
section with other external data sources that in-
clude crop yields, soil health, and conservation 
practices, ensuring that all privacy and con-
fidentiality requirements are implemented to 
protect all data subject to the privacy and con-
fidentiality requirements; 
‘‘(J) not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this section—
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‘‘(i) establish a conservation and farm 
productivity data warehouse that contains 
the data identified or collected under sub-
paragraph (B) or (C), respectively, in a 
form authorized under the privacy and con-
fidentiality requirements applicable to each 
agency of the Department that contributes 
data to the data warehouse; and 
‘‘(ii) allow access to the data ware-
house established under clause (i) by an 
academic institution or researcher, if the 
academic institution or researcher has com-
plied with all requirements of the National 
Agricultural Statistics Service under section 
1770 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 
U.S.C. 2276) relating to the sharing of data 
of the Natural Agricultural Statistics Serv-
ice; and 
‘‘(K) not less frequently than annually, and, 
if practicable, more frequently than annually, 
disseminate the results of the research and anal-
ysis obtained through carrying out this section 
that demonstrate the impacts of covered con-
servation practices on crop yields, soil health, 
risk, and farm and ranch profitability in an ag-
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gregate manner that protects individual pro-
ducer data and makes the results of the research 
and analysis easily used and implemented by 
producers and other stakeholders. 
‘‘(2) PROCEDURES TO PROTECT INTEGRITY AND 
CONFIDENTIALITY.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Before providing access 
to any data under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
shall establish procedures to protect the integrity 
and confidentiality of any data identified, col-
lected, or warehoused under this section. 
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—Procedures under 
subparagraph (A) shall— 
‘‘(i) ensure that any research or anal-
ysis published or disseminated by any per-
son with access to the data identified, col-
lected, or warehoused under this section 
complies with all applicable privacy and 
confidentiality requirements relating to that 
data; and 
‘‘(ii) limit access to data to only indi-
viduals specifically authorized to access the 
data by the Secretary. 
‘‘(3) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary shall 
carry out paragraph (1) using—
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‘‘(A) authorities available to the Secretary 
under other applicable laws; and 
‘‘(B) funds otherwise made available to the 
Secretary. 
‘‘(4) EFFECT.— 
‘‘(A) COMBINATION
OF
DATA.—The com-
bination of data protected from disclosure under 
the privacy and confidentiality requirements 
with data covered by lesser protections or no pro-
tections in the data warehouse established under 
paragraph (1)(J)(i) shall not modify or other-
wise affect the privacy and confidentiality re-
quirements that protect the data. 
‘‘(B) PROTECTIONS FROM RELEASE.—Data 
provided by an agency of the Department under 
this section shall continue to be covered by the 
same protections from release as if that data 
were in the possession of the agency. 
‘‘(d) PRODUCER TOOLS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after 
the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary 
shall provide technical assistance, including through 
internet-based tools, based on the analysis conducted 
in carrying out this section and other sources of rel-
evant data, to assist producers in improving sustain-
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able production practices that increase yields and en-
hance environmental outcomes. 
‘‘(2) INTERNET-BASED
TOOLS.—Internet-based 
tools described in paragraph (1) shall provide to pro-
ducers, to the maximum extent practicable— 
‘‘(A) confidential data specific to each farm 
or ranch of the producer; and 
‘‘(B) general data relating to the impacts of 
covered conservation practices on crop yields, 
soil health, risk, and farm and ranch profit-
ability. 
‘‘(e) LIMITATION.—Nothing in this section mandates 
the submission of information by a producer that is not 
already required for another purpose under a program of 
the Department. 
‘‘(f) REPORTING.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this section, and each year thereafter, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agri-
culture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that 
includes— 
‘‘(1) a summary of the analysis conducted under 
this section;
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‘‘(2) the number and regions of producers that 
voluntarily submitted information under subpara-
graphs (C) and (F) of subsection (c)(1); 
‘‘(3) a description of any additional or new ac-
tivities planned to be conducted under this section in 
the next fiscal year, including— 
‘‘(A) research relating to any additional 
conservation practices; 
‘‘(B) any new types of data to be collected; 
‘‘(C) any improved or streamlined data col-
lection efforts associated with this section; and 
‘‘(D) any new research projects; and 
‘‘(4) in the case of the first 2 reports submitted 
under this subsection, a description of the current sta-
tus of the implementation of activities under sub-
section (c).’’. 
SEC. 12505. MARKETING ORDERS. 
Section 8e(a) of the Agricultural Adjustment Act (7 
U.S.C. 608e–1(a)), reenacted with amendments by the Agri-
cultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, is amended by 
inserting ‘‘cherries, pecans,’’ after ‘‘walnuts,’’. 
SEC. 12506. STUDY ON FOOD WASTE. 
(a) DEFINITION OF FOOD WASTE.—In this section, the 
term ‘‘food waste’’ means food waste that occurs— 
(1) on the farm and ranch production level; and
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(2) before and after the harvest period. 
(b) STUDY.—The Secretary shall conduct a study to 
evaluate and determine— 
(1) methods of measuring food waste; 
(2) standards for the volume of food waste; 
(3) factors that create food waste; 
(4) the cost and volume of food loss of— 
(A) domestic fresh food products; and 
(B) imported fresh food products that pass 
import inspection but do not make it to market 
in the United States, consistent with article III 
of the GATT 1994 (as defined in section 2 of the 
Uruguay Round Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 
3501)); 
(5) the reason for the waste described in sub-
paragraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (4); and 
(6) the potential economic value of the products 
described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph 
(4) if the products were taken to market; and 
(7) measures to ensure that programs con-
templated, undertaken, or funded by the Department 
of Agriculture do not disrupt existing food waste re-
covery and disposal by commercial, marketing, or 
business relationships.
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(c) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
a report that describes the results of the study conducted 
under subsection (b) to the Committee on Agriculture of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Agri-
culture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate. 
(d) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of submission of the report under subsection (c), the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agri-
culture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that 
describes— 
(1) an estimate of the quantity of food waste 
during the 1-year period ending on the date of sub-
mission of the report under subsection (c); and 
(2) the best practices or other recommendations 
that the Secretary, producers, or other stakeholders 
may consider to reduce food waste. 
SEC. 12507. REPORT ON BUSINESS CENTERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 365 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of 
the United States shall submit to the Committee on Agri-
culture of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a re-
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port evaluating each business center established in the De-
partment of Agriculture. 
(b) INCLUSIONS.—The report under subsection (a) 
shall include— 
(1) an examination of the effectiveness of each 
business center in carrying out its mission, including 
any recommendations to improve the operation of and 
function of any of those business centers; and 
(2) an evaluation of— 
(A) the impact the business centers have on 
customer service of the Department of Agri-
culture; 
(B) the impact on the annual budget for 
agencies the budget offices of which have been re-
located to the business center, and the effective-
ness of funds used to support the business cen-
ters, including an accounting of all discretionary 
and mandatory funding provided to the business 
center for conservation and farm services from— 
(i) the Natural Resources Conservation 
Service; 
(ii) the Farm Service Agency; and 
(iii) the Risk Management Agency; 
(C) funding described in subparagraph (B) 
spent on information technology modernizations;
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(D) the impact that the business centers 
have had on the human resources of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture, including hiring; 
(E) any concerns or problems with the busi-
ness centers; and 
(F) any positive or negative impact that the 
business centers have had on the functionality of 
the Department of Agriculture. 
SEC. 12508. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MODERNIZATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of the 
United States (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Comp-
troller General’’) shall examine efforts of the Department 
of Agriculture — 
(1) relating to information technology for the 
business center established by the Secretary for the 
farm production and conservation activities of the 
Department of Agriculture; and 
(2) to modernize or otherwise improve informa-
tion technology for— 
(A) the Centers of Excellence of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture; and 
(B) other major information technology 
projects of the Department of Agriculture that 
have the potential to impact the ability of the
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† HR 2 EAS 
Department of Agriculture to serve farmers, 
ranchers, and families. 
(b) REPORTS.— 
(1) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comp-
troller General shall submit to the Committee on Ag-
riculture of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of 
the Senate an initial report or a detailed briefing on 
the efforts examined under subsection (a), including— 
(A) a detailed description of each ongoing 
or planned information technology moderniza-
tion project and investment in information tech-
nology at the Department of Agriculture de-
scribed in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) 
(referred to in this subsection as a ‘‘project or in-
vestment’’); 
(B) the justification of the Secretary for 
each project or investment; 
(C) a description of whether a cost-benefit 
analysis was completed for each project or in-
vestment identifying savings that will be 
achieved through the completion of the project or 
investment; and
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(D) a description of any concerns about the 
projects or investments or recommendations for 
improving the projects or investments. 
(2) UPDATES.—In carrying out paragraph (1), 
the Comptroller General shall provide to the Com-
mittee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry of the Senate regular briefings to give status 
updates. 
(3) COMPREHENSIVE REPORT.—Not later than 2 
years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on 
Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of 
the Senate a comprehensive report that reviews each 
project or investment, including— 
(A) a review of any contract awards or con-
tracting activities; 
(B) a description of any problems or inad-
equacies in the projects and investments; and 
(C) any recommendations for improving the 
projects and investments. 
SEC. 12509. REPORT ON PERSONNEL. 
For the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of
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the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agri-
culture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a biannual 
report describing the number of staff years and employees 
of each agency of the Department of Agriculture. 
SEC. 12510. REPORT ON ABSENT LANDLORDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Con-
gress a report describing the effects of absent landlords on 
the long-term economic health of agricultural production, 
including the effect of absent landlords on— 
(1) land valuation; 
(2) soil health; and 
(3) the economic stability of rural communities. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The report under subsection (a) shall 
include— 
(1) a description of the positive and negative ef-
fects of an absent landlord on the land owned by the 
landlord, including— 
(A) the effect of an absent landlord on the 
long-term value of the land; and 
(B) the environmental and economic impact 
of an absent landlord on the surrounding com-
munity; and 
(2) recommendations to policymakers concerning 
how to mitigate those effects when necessary.
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SEC. 12511. RESTRICTION ON USE OF CERTAIN POISONS 
FOR PREDATOR CONTROL. 
(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to re-
strict the use of sodium cyanide to kill predatory animals 
given the risks posed by sodium cyanide to— 
(1) public safety; 
(2) national security; 
(3) the environment; and 
(4) persons and other animals that come into ac-
cidental contact with sodium cyanide. 
(b) PROHIBITION.—The Secretary shall use sodium cy-
anide in a predator control device described in subsection 
(c) only in accordance with Wildlife Services Directive 
Number 2.415 of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service, dated February 27, 2018, and the implementation 
guidelines attached to that Directive. 
(c) PREDATOR CONTROL DEVICE DESCRIBED.—A 
predator control device referred to in subsection (b) is— 
(1) a dispenser designed to propel sodium cya-
nide when activated by an animal; 
(2) a gas cartridge or other pyrotechnic device 
designed to emit sodium cyanide fumes; and 
(3) any other means of dispensing sodium cya-
nide, including in the form of capsules, for wildlife 
management or other animal control purposes.
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SEC. 12512. CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM. 
The Secretary shall establish a program under which 
the Secretary recognizes any farm that— 
(1) a State department of agriculture or similar 
statewide agricultural organization recognizes as a 
Century Farm; or 
(2)(A) is defined as a farm or ranch under sec-
tion 4284.902 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations 
(as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act); 
(B) has been in continuous operation for at least 
100 years; and 
(C) has been owned by the same family for at 
least 100 consecutive years, as verified through deeds, 
wills, abstracts, tax statements, or other similar legal 
documents considered appropriate by the Secretary. 
SEC. 12513. REPORT ON THE IMPORTATION OF LIVE DOGS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation 
with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services, and the Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity, shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Agri-
culture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report on 
the importation of live dogs into the United States. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The Secretaries described in sub-
section (a) shall provide relevant data to complete the report
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submitted under subsection (a), which shall include, with 
respect to the importation of live dogs into the United 
States: 
(1) An estimate of the number of live dogs im-
ported annually, excluding personal pets. 
(2) An estimate of the number of live dogs im-
ported for resale annually. 
(3) An estimate of the number of dogs during the 
period covered by the report for which a request for 
the importation of live dogs for resale was denied be-
cause the proposed importation failed to meet the re-
quirements of section 18 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 
U.S.C. 2148). 
(4) Any recommendations of the Secretary for 
any modifications to Federal law relating to the im-
portation of live dogs for resale that the Secretary de-
termines to be necessary to meet the requirements of 
section 18 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2148). 
SEC. 12514. ESTABLISHMENT OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 
PROGRAM. 
(a) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘tribally 
designated housing entity’’ has the meaning given the term 
in section 4 of the Native American Housing Assistance and 
Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103).
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(b) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a tech-
nical assistance program to improve access by Tribal enti-
ties to rural development programs funded by the Depart-
ment of Agriculture through available cooperative agree-
ment authorities of the Secretary. 
(c) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.—The technical 
assistance program established under subsection (b) shall 
address the unique challenge of Tribal governments, Tribal 
producers, Tribal businesses, Tribal business entities, and 
tribally designated housing entities in accessing Depart-
ment of Agriculture-supported rural infrastructure, rural 
cooperative development, rural business and industry, rural 
housing, and other rural development activities. 
SEC. 12515. PROMISE ZONES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In this section, the term ‘‘Tribal 
Promise Zone’’ means an area that— 
(1) is nominated by 1 or more Indian tribes (as 
defined in section 4(13) of the Native American Hous-
ing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 
(25 U.S.C. 4103(13))) for designation as a Tribal 
Promise Zone (in this section referred to as a ‘‘nomi-
nated zone’’); 
(2) has a continuous boundary; and 
(3) the Secretary designates as a Tribal Promise 
Zone, after consultation with the Secretary of Com-
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† HR 2 EAS 
merce, the Secretary of Education, the Attorney Gen-
eral, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Labor, 
the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Trans-
portation, and other agencies as appropriate. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION
AND
NUMBER
OF
DESIGNA-
TIONS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall nominate a minimum num-
ber of nominated zones, as determined by the Secretary in 
consultation with Indian tribes, to be designated as Tribal 
Promise Zones. 
(c) PERIOD OF DESIGNATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall designate 
nominated zones as Tribal Promise Zones before Jan-
uary 1, 2020. 
(2) EFFECTIVE DATES OF DESIGNATIONS.—The 
designation of any Tribal Promise Zone shall take ef-
fect— 
(A) for purposes of priority consideration 
in Federal grant programs and initiatives (other 
than this section), upon execution of the Tribal 
Promise Zone agreement with the Secretary; and 
(B) for purposes of this section, on January 
1 of the first calendar year beginning after the
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date of the execution of the Tribal Promise Zone 
agreement. 
(3) TERMINATION OF DESIGNATIONS.—The des-
ignation of any Tribal Promise Zone shall end on the 
earlier of— 
(A)(i) with respect to a Tribal Promise 
Zone not described in paragraph (4), the end of 
the 10-year period beginning on the date that 
such designation takes effect; or 
(ii) with respect to a Tribal Promise Zone 
described in paragraph (4), the end of the 10- 
year period beginning on the date the area was 
designated as a Tribal Promise Zone before the 
date of the enactment of this Act; or 
(B) the date of the revocation of such des-
ignation. 
(4) APPLICATION TO CERTAIN ZONES ALREADY 
DESIGNATED.—In the case of any area designated as 
a Tribal Promise Zone by the Secretary before the 
date of the enactment of this Act, such area shall be 
deemed a Tribal Promise Zone designated under this 
section (notwithstanding whether any such designa-
tion has been revoked before the date of the enactment 
of this Act) and shall reduce the number of Tribal
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Promise Zones remaining to be designated under 
paragraph (1). 
(d) LIMITATIONS ON DESIGNATIONS.—No area may be 
designated under this section unless— 
(1) the entities nominating the area have the au-
thority to nominate the area of designation under this 
section; 
(2) such entities provide written assurances sat-
isfactory to the Secretary that the competitiveness 
plan described in the application under subsection (e) 
for such area will be implemented and that such enti-
ties will provide the Secretary with such data regard-
ing the economic conditions of the area (before, dur-
ing, and after the area’s period of designation as a 
Tribal Promise Zone) as such Secretary may require; 
and 
(3) the Secretary determines that any informa-
tion furnished is reasonably accurate. 
(e) APPLICATION.—No area may be designated under 
this section unless the application for such designation— 
(1) demonstrates that the nominated zone satis-
fies the eligibility criteria described in subsection (a); 
and 
(2) includes a competitiveness plan that—
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(A) addresses the need of the nominated 
zone to attract investment and jobs and improve 
educational opportunities; 
(B) leverages the nominated zone’s economic 
strengths and outlines targeted investments to de-
velop competitive advantages; 
(C) demonstrates collaboration across a 
wide range of stakeholders; 
(D) outlines a strategy that connects the 
nominated zone to drivers of regional economic 
growth; and 
(E) proposes a strategy for focusing on in-
creased access to high quality affordable housing 
and improved public safety. 
(f) SELECTION CRITERIA.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—From among the nominated 
zones eligible for designation under this section, the 
Secretary shall designate Tribal Promise Zones on the 
basis of— 
(A) the effectiveness of the competitiveness 
plan submitted under subsection (e) and the as-
surances made under subsection (d); 
(B) unemployment rates, poverty rates, va-
cancy rates, crime rates, and such other factors 
as the Secretary may identify, including house-
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† HR 2 EAS 
hold income, labor force participation, and edu-
cational attainment; and 
(C) other criteria as determined by the Sec-
retary. 
(2) MINIMAL STANDARDS.—The Secretary may 
set minimal standards for the levels of unemployment 
and poverty that must be satisfied for designation as 
a Tribal Promise Zone. 
(g) 
COMPETITIVE
ENHANCEMENT
IN
FEDERAL 
AWARDS TO TRIBAL PROMISE ZONES.—Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, each Federal grant program, 
technical assistance, and capacity-building competitive 
funding application opportunity, made available under 
any appropriations law in effect for a year in which the 
designation of a Tribal Promise Zones is in effect, shall 
provide preference points or priority special consideration 
to each application which advances the specific objectives 
of a Tribal Promise Zones competitiveness plan described 
in subsection (e) if the project or activity to be funded in-
cludes specific and definable services or benefits that will 
be delivered to residents of a Tribal Economic Opportunity 
Area. 
SEC. 12516. PRECISION AGRICULTURE CONNECTIVITY. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
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(1) Precision agriculture technologies and prac-
tices allow farmers to significantly increase crop 
yields, eliminate overlap in operations, and reduce 
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 Internet 
access service delivered to the agricultural land of the 
United States. 
(5) The deployment of broadband Internet access 
service to unserved agricultural land is critical to the 
United States economy and to the continued leader-
ship 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.
1146 
† HR 2 EAS 
(7) The Federal Communications Commission 
has an important role to play in the deployment of 
broadband Internet access service on unserved agricul-
tural land to promote precision agriculture. 
(b) TASK FORCE.— 
(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection— 
(A) the term ‘‘broadband Internet access 
service’’ has the meaning given the term in sec-
tion 8.2 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, 
or any successor regulation; 
(B) the term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Fed-
eral Communications Commission; 
(C) the term ‘‘Department’’ means the De-
partment of Agriculture; and 
(D) 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 paragraph (2). 
(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commis-
sion shall establish the Task Force for Reviewing the 
Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agri-
culture in the United States. 
(3) DUTIES.—
1147 
† HR 2 EAS 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Task Force shall 
consult with the Secretary, or a designee of the 
Secretary, and collaborate with public and pri-
vate stakeholders in the agriculture and tech-
nology fields to— 
(i) identify and measure current gaps 
in the availability of broadband Internet 
access service on agricultural land; 
(ii) develop policy recommendations to 
promote the rapid, expanded deployment of 
broadband 
Internet 
access 
service 
on 
unserved agricultural land, with a goal of 
achieving reliable capabilities on 95 percent 
of agricultural land in the United States by 
2025; 
(iii) promote effective policy and regu-
latory solutions that encourage the adoption 
of broadband Internet access service on 
farms and ranches and promote precision 
agriculture; 
(iv) recommend specific new rules or 
amendments to existing rules of the Com-
mission that the Commission should issue to 
achieve the goals and purposes of the policy 
recommendations described in clause (ii);
1148 
† HR 2 EAS 
(v) recommend specific steps that the 
Commission should take to obtain reliable 
and standardized data measurements of the 
availability of broadband Internet access 
service as may be necessary to target fund-
ing support, from future programs of the 
Commission dedicated to the deployment of 
broadband 
Internet 
access 
service, 
to 
unserved agricultural land in need of 
broadband Internet access service; and 
(vi) recommend specific steps that the 
Commission should consider to ensure that 
the expertise of the Secretary and available 
farm data are reflected in future programs 
of the Commission dedicated to the infra-
structure deployment of broadband Internet 
access service and to direct available fund-
ing to unserved agricultural land where 
needed. 
(B) NO DUPLICATE DATA REPORTING.—In 
performing the duties of the Commission under 
subparagraph (A), the Commission shall ensure 
that no provider of broadband Internet access 
service is required to report data to the Commis-
sion that is, on the day before the date of enact-
1149 
† HR 2 EAS 
ment of this Act, required to be reported by the 
provider of broadband Internet access service. 
(C) HOLD HARMLESS.—The Task Force and 
the Commission shall not interpret the phrase 
‘‘future programs of the Commission’’, as used in 
clauses (v) and (vi) of subparagraph (A), to in-
clude the universal service programs of the Com-
mission established under section 254 of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254). 
(D) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary, or a 
designee of the Secretary, shall explain and make 
available to the Task Force the expertise, data 
mapping information, and resources of the De-
partment that the Department uses to identify 
cropland, ranchland, and other areas with agri-
cultural operations that may be helpful in devel-
oping the recommendations required under sub-
paragraph (A). 
(E) LIST
OF
AVAILABLE
FEDERAL
PRO-
GRAMS
AND
RESOURCES.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary and the Commission shall jointly sub-
mit to the Task Force a list of all Federal pro-
grams or resources available for the expansion of 
broadband Internet access service on unserved
1150 
† HR 2 EAS 
agricultural land to assist the Task Force in car-
rying out the duties of the Task Force. 
(4) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Task Force shall 
be— 
(i) composed of not more than 15 vot-
ing members who shall— 
(I) be selected by the Chairman of 
the Commission; and 
(II) include— 
(aa) agricultural producers 
representing diverse geographic 
regions and farm sizes, including 
owners and operators of farms of 
less than 100 acres; 
(bb) an agricultural producer 
representing tribal agriculture; 
(cc) Internet service pro-
viders, including regional or rural 
fixed and mobile broadband Inter-
net access service providers and 
telecommunications infrastructure 
providers; 
(dd) representatives from the 
electric cooperative industry;
1151 
† HR 2 EAS 
(ee) representatives from the 
satellite industry; 
(ff) representatives from pre-
cision 
agriculture 
equipment 
manufacturers, including drone 
manufacturers, manufacturers of 
autonomous agricultural machin-
ery, and manufacturers of farm-
ing robotics technologies; and 
(gg) 
representatives 
from 
State and local governments; and 
(ii) fairly balanced in terms of tech-
nologies, points of view, and fields rep-
resented on the Task Force. 
(B) PERIOD
OF
APPOINTMENT; 
VACAN-
CIES.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—A member of the 
Committee appointed under subparagraph 
(A)(i) shall serve for a single term of 2 
years. 
(ii) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the 
Task Force— 
(I) shall not affect the powers of 
the Task Force; and
1152 
† HR 2 EAS 
(II) shall be filled in the same 
manner as the original appointment. 
(C) EX-OFFICIO MEMBER.—The Secretary, 
or a designee of the Secretary, shall serve as an 
ex-officio, nonvoting member of the Task Force. 
(5) 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 re-
port, that details— 
(A) 
the 
status 
of 
fixed 
and 
mobile 
broadband Internet access service coverage of ag-
ricultural land; 
(B) the projected future connectivity needs 
of agricultural operations, farmers, and ranch-
ers; and 
(C) the steps being taken to accurately 
measure the availability of broadband Internet 
access service on agricultural land and the limi-
tations of current, as of the date of the report, 
measurement processes.
1153 
† HR 2 EAS 
(6) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall renew 
the Task Force every 2 years until the Task Force ter-
minates on January 1, 2025. 
SEC. 12517. IMPROVED SOIL MOISTURE AND PRECIPITA-
TION MONITORING. 
(a) IMPROVED SOIL MOISTURE MONITORING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
develop and implement a strategy to improve the ac-
curacy of the United States Drought Monitor through 
increased geographic resolution of rural in-situ soil 
moisture profile observation or other soil moisture 
profile measuring devices, as the Secretary considers 
appropriate. 
(2) IMPLEMENTATION.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—In implementing the 
strategy required by paragraph (1), the Sec-
retary shall prioritize adding soil moisture pro-
file stations in States described in subparagraph 
(B) so that the number of drought monitoring 
stations is increased to an average of 1 soil mois-
ture profile station per 1,250 square miles in 
each State described in subparagraph (B) or by 
50 stations in each State described in subpara-
graph (B), whichever is less.
1154 
† HR 2 EAS 
(B) STATES DESCRIBED.—A State described 
in this paragraph is a State that has experi-
enced D3 (extreme drought) or D4 (exceptional 
drought) (as defined by the United States 
Drought Monitor) within any 6 months during 
the period beginning on January 1, 2016, and 
ending on the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(3) COORDINATION.—In carrying out this sub-
section, the Secretary may coordinate with other Fed-
eral agencies, State and local governments, and non- 
Federal entities that collaborate with the United 
States Drought Monitor. 
(4) COST-EFFECTIVENESS.—In carrying out this 
subsection, the Secretary shall consider cost-effective 
solutions to maximize the efficiency and accuracy of 
the United States Drought Monitor. 
(5) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 
through 2023 to carry out this subsection. 
(b) STANDARDS FOR INTEGRATING CITIZEN SCIENCE 
INTO DROUGHT MODELS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall—
1155 
† HR 2 EAS 
(A) develop a set of standards for integra-
tion of data derived from citizen science (as de-
fined in the Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science 
Act (15 U.S.C. 3724)) into the United States 
Drought Monitor models, including data relating 
to— 
(i) location and spacing of monitoring 
stations; 
(ii) data quality standards; 
(iii) incorporation of data from com-
mercially available weather stations; 
(iv) standardized procedures for auton-
omous integration of data; 
(v) streamlining of data entry methods; 
and 
(vi) reasonable metadata fields; and 
(B) develop a set of consistent standards for 
soil moisture data collection based on equipment 
that is readily available, including standards re-
lating to— 
(i) acceptable error ranges; 
(ii) sensor installation procedures; 
(iii) manufacturers of soil moisture 
probes; 
(iv) calibration methodology;
1156 
† HR 2 EAS 
(v) metadata fields; and 
(vi) soil descriptions. 
(2) INCLUSION OF DATA FROM COOPERATIVE OB-
SERVER
PROGRAM.—For purposes of paragraph 
(1)(A), data derived from citizen science includes 
data from the Cooperative Observer Program of the 
National Weather Service. 
(c) REQUIREMENT FOR ELEMENTS OF DEPARTMENT 
OF
AGRICULTURE
TO
USE
THE
SAME
MONITORING 
DATA.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—To be consistent with assist-
ance provided under the livestock forage disaster pro-
gram established under section 1501(c) of the Agricul-
tural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(c)) and a policy or 
plan of insurance established under the Federal Crop 
Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) for producers 
of livestock commodities the source of feedstock of 
which is pasture, rangeland, and forage, and the an-
nual establishment of grazing rates, as applicable, on 
Forest Service grasslands and other applicable land, 
the Secretary shall use the United States Drought 
Monitor, in-situ soil moisture profile monitoring sta-
tions described in subsection (a), data from the Coop-
erative Observer Program described in subsection 
(b)(2), and any other applicable data to determine
1157 
† HR 2 EAS 
and establish grazing loss assistance and grazing 
rates, as applicable. 
(2) COORDINATION.—In carrying out this sub-
section, the Secretary may coordinate with— 
(A) other Federal agencies, State and local 
governments, and non-Federal entities that col-
laborate with the United States Drought Mon-
itor; and 
(B) other Federal and non-Federal entities 
involved in collecting data on precipitation and 
soil monitoring. 
(3) COST-EFFECTIVENESS.—In carrying out this 
subsection, the Secretary shall consider cost-effective 
solutions to maximize the efficiency and accuracy of 
the data utilized to determine eligibility for assistance 
under the programs specified in paragraph (1). 
SEC. 12518. STUDY OF MARKETPLACE FRAUD OF TRADI-
TIONAL FOODS AND TRIBAL SEEDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
United States shall conduct a study on— 
(1) the market impact of traditional foods, Trib-
ally produced products, and products that use tradi-
tional foods;
1158 
† HR 2 EAS 
(2) fraudulent foods that mimic traditional foods 
or Tribal seeds that are available in the commercial 
marketplace as of the date of enactment of this Act; 
(3) the means by which authentic traditional 
foods and Tribally produced foods might be protected 
against the impact of fraudulent foods in the market-
place; and 
(4) the availability and long-term viability of 
Tribal seeds, including an analysis of the storage, cul-
tivation, harvesting, and commercialization of Tribal 
seeds. 
(b) INCLUSIONS.—The study conducted under sub-
section (a) shall include— 
(1) a consideration of the circumstances under 
which fraudulent foods in the marketplace occur; and 
(2) an analysis of Federal laws, including intel-
lectual property laws and trademark laws, that might 
offer protections for Tribal seeds and traditional foods 
and against fraudulent foods. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the date 
of completion of the study, the Comptroller General of the 
United States shall submit a report describing the results 
of the study under this section to— 
(1) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
Representatives;
1159 
† HR 2 EAS 
(2) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House 
of Representatives; 
(3) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry of the Senate; 
(4) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Sen-
ate; and 
(5) the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Sen-
ate. 
(d) PRIVACY OF INFORMATION.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, the Comptroller General of the 
United States shall protect sensitive Tribal information 
gained through the study conducted under subsection (a), 
including information about Indian sacred places. 
SEC. 12519. DAIRY BUSINESS INNOVATION INITIATIVES. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) DAIRY
BUSINESS.—The term ‘‘dairy busi-
ness’’ means a business that develops, produces, mar-
kets, or distributes dairy products. 
(2) INITIATIVE.—The term ‘‘initiative’’ means a 
dairy product and business innovation initiative es-
tablished under subsection (b). 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary, acting through 
the Administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service, 
shall establish not less than 3 regionally located dairy prod-
1160 
† HR 2 EAS 
uct and business innovation initiatives for the purposes 
of— 
(1) encouraging the use of regional milk produc-
tion; 
(2) creating higher-value uses for dairy products; 
(3) promoting business development that diversi-
fies farmer income through processing and marketing 
innovation; 
(4) diversifying dairy product markets to reduce 
risk; and 
(5) leveraging Federal resources by encouraging 
entities that host initiatives and partners of those en-
tities to provide matching funds. 
(c) SELECTION OF INITIATIVES.—An initiative— 
(1) shall be located in a region with a history of 
dairy farming; 
(2) shall be positioned to draw on existing dairy 
industry resources, including research capacity, aca-
demic and industry expertise, a density of dairy 
farms or farmland suitable for dairying, and dairy 
businesses; 
(3) may serve a certain product niche, such as 
artisanal cheese, or serve dairy businesses with dairy 
products derived from a specific type of dairy animal,
1161 
† HR 2 EAS 
including dairy products made from cow milk, sheep 
milk, and goat milk; and 
(4) shall serve dairy businesses in other regions. 
(d) ENTITIES ELIGIBLE TO HOST INITIATIVE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Any of the following entities 
may submit to the Secretary an application to host 
an initiative: 
(A) A State department of agriculture or 
other State entity. 
(B) A nonprofit entity with capacity to 
provide consultation, expertise, and grant dis-
tribution and tracking. 
(C) An institution of higher education. 
(D) A cooperative extension service. 
(2) PARTNERS.—An entity described in para-
graph (1) may establish partners prior to the submis-
sion of the application under that paragraph, or add 
partners in consultation with the Secretary, which 
may include organizations or entities with expertise 
or experience in dairy, including the marketing, re-
search, education, or promotion of dairy. 
(e) ACTIVITIES OF INITIATIVES.— 
(1) 
DIRECT
ASSISTANCE
TO
DAIRY
BUSI-
NESSES.—An initiative shall provide nonmonetary
1162 
† HR 2 EAS 
assistance to dairy businesses in accordance with the 
following: 
(A) PROVISION OF DIRECT ASSISTANCE.— 
Assistance may be provided directly to dairy 
businesses in a private consultation or through 
widely available distribution, and may be pro-
vided— 
(i) directly by the entity that hosts the 
initiative under subsection (d)(1); 
(ii) through contracting with industry 
experts; 
(iii) through the provision of technical 
assistance, such as informational websites, 
webinars, 
conferences, 
trainings, 
plant 
tours, and field days; and 
(iv) through research institutions, in-
cluding cooperative extension services. 
(B) TYPES OF ASSISTANCE.—Eligible forms 
of assistance include— 
(i) business consulting, including busi-
ness plan development for processed dairy 
products; 
(ii) accounting and financial literacy 
training; 
(iii) market evaluation;
1163 
† HR 2 EAS 
(iv) strategic planning assistance; 
(v) product innovation, including re-
lating to value-added products; 
(vi) marketing and branding assist-
ance, including market messaging, con-
sumer assessments, and evaluation of re-
gional, national, and international markets; 
(vii) innovation in emerging market 
opportunities, including agritourism, and 
marketing communication methods; 
(viii) packaging, distribution, and 
supply chain innovation; 
(ix) dairy product production train-
ing, including in new, rare, or innovative 
techniques; 
(x) innovation in byproduct reprocess-
ing and use maximization; and 
(xi) other non-monetary assistance, as 
determined by the Secretary. 
(2) GRANTS TO DAIRY BUSINESSES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—An initiative shall pro-
vide grants for new and existing dairy businesses 
for the purposes of— 
(i) modernization, specialization, and 
grazing transition on dairy farms;
1164 
† HR 2 EAS 
(ii) value chain and commodity inno-
vation and facility and process updates for 
dairy processors; and 
(iii) product development, packaging, 
and marketing of dairy products. 
(B) GRANTS.—An initiative shall provide 
grants under subparagraph (A)— 
(i) on a competitive basis, with oppor-
tunities to apply for funding available on a 
rolling basis; and 
(ii) to an entity that receives assist-
ance under paragraph (1) to advance the 
business activities recommended as a result 
of that assistance. 
(C) CONSULTATION.—An entity that hosts 
an initiative shall consult with the Secretary 
and the Administrator of the Agricultural Mar-
keting Service in carrying out the initiative. 
(D) CONFLICT OF INTEREST.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
establish guidelines and procedures to pre-
vent any conflict of interest or the appear-
ance of a conflict of interest by an initiative 
(including a partner of the initiative) dur-
1165 
† HR 2 EAS 
ing the grant selection process under sub-
paragraph (B)(i). 
(ii) PENALTY.—The Secretary may 
suspend or terminate an initiative if the 
initiative or a partner of the initiative is 
found to be in violation of the guidelines 
and procedures established under clause (i). 
(f) DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Of the funds made available 
to carry out this section, the Secretary shall provide 
not less than 3 awards to eligible entities described in 
subsection (d)(1) for the purposes of carrying out the 
activities under subsection (e). 
(2) MULTIYEAR FUNDING.—The Secretary is en-
couraged— 
(A) to award funds under paragraph (1) in 
multiyear funding allocations; and 
(B) to require frequent reporting, as appro-
priate. 
(3) USE OF FUNDS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The funds awarded to 
an eligible entity under paragraph (1) may be 
used— 
(i) for program administration of an 
initiative, including staff costs; and
1166 
† HR 2 EAS 
(ii) for workshops or other informa-
tional sessions that— 
(I) directly benefit dairy busi-
nesses and entrepreneurs; or 
(II) enhance the capacity of pro-
viders of technical assistance to dairy 
businesses. 
(B) ALLOCATION.—Not less than 50 percent 
of the funds made available under subsection (h) 
shall be allocated to grants under subsection 
(e)(2). 
(4) PRIORITY.—An entity hosting an initiative 
shall give priority to the provision of direct assistance 
under subsection (e)(1) and grants under subsection 
(e)(2) to— 
(A) dairy farms and dairy businesses with 
limited access to other forms of assistance; 
(B) employee-owned dairy businesses; 
(C) cooperatives; 
(D) dairy businesses that establish con-
tracting mechanisms that return profits to farm-
ers who supply their milk; 
(E) dairy businesses that, in addition to 
salary and wage compensation, return profits to 
employees; and
1167 
† HR 2 EAS 
(F) dairy businesses that seek to create 
dairy products that add substantial value in 
processing or marketing, such as specialty 
cheeses. 
(5) REQUIREMENT.—In the case of direct assist-
ance under subsection (e)(1) or a grant under sub-
section (e)(2) that is provided to a specific dairy busi-
ness and does not benefit the general public, as deter-
mined by the Secretary, the assistance or grant shall 
exclusively be available to dairy businesses owned in 
the United States. 
(6) SUPPLEMENTATION.—To the extent prac-
ticable, the Secretary shall ensure that funds provided 
to an initiative supplement, and do not duplicate or 
replace, existing dairy product research, development, 
and promotion activities. 
(g) REPORTING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
submit to Congress a report describing the implemen-
tation of this section. 
(2) INNOVATION
REPORTS.—The Secretary, in 
coordination with the Chief Economist, shall publish 
an annual report on the impact of initiatives carried 
out under this section on—
1168 
† HR 2 EAS 
(A) innovation in dairy products; 
(B) product development under the program 
under this section; 
(C) growth areas for dairy product develop-
ment; and 
(D) barriers inhibiting majority member- 
owned domestic dairy firms from— 
(i) updating capacity; 
(ii) performing competitively in the 
marketplace; and 
(iii) returning gains to members or re-
investing the gains in ways that benefit the 
long-term financial stability of the majority 
member-owned domestic dairy firm and the 
members of that firm. 
(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$20,000,000 for each fiscal year. 
SEC. 12520. REPORT ON FUNDING FOR THE NATIONAL IN-
STITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE AND 
OTHER EXTENSION PROGRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date on which the census of agriculture required to be con-
ducted in calendar year 2017 under section 2 of the Census 
of Agriculture Act of 1997 (7 U.S.C. 2204g) is released, the
1169 
† HR 2 EAS 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agri-
culture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that 
describes the funding necessary to adequately address the 
needs of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, ac-
tivities carried out under the Smith-Lever Act (7 U.S.C. 
341 et seq.), and research and extension programs carried 
out at an 1890 Institution (as defined in section 2 of the 
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform 
Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601)) or an institution designated 
under the Act of July 2, 1862 (commonly known as the 
‘‘First Morrill Act’’) (12 Stat. 503, chapter 130; 7 U.S.C. 
301 et seq.), to provide adequate services for the growth and 
development of the economies of rural communities based 
on the changing demographic in the rural and farming 
communities in the various States. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—In preparing the report under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall focus on the funding 
needs of the programs described in subsection (a) with re-
spect to carrying out activities relating to small and diverse 
farms and ranches, veteran farmers and ranchers, value- 
added agriculture, direct-to-consumer sales, and specialty 
crops.
1170 
† HR 2 EAS 
SEC. 12521. PROHIBITION ON SLAUGHTER OF DOGS AND 
CATS FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection 
(c), no person may— 
(1) knowingly slaughter a dog or cat for human 
consumption; or 
(2) knowingly ship, transport, move, deliver, re-
ceive, possess, purchase, sell, or donate— 
(A) a dog or cat to be slaughtered for 
human consumption; or 
(B) a dog or cat part for human consump-
tion. 
(b) SCOPE.—Subsection (a) shall apply only with re-
spect to conduct— 
(1) in interstate commerce or foreign commerce; 
or 
(2) within the special maritime and territorial 
jurisdiction of the United States. 
(c) EXCEPTION FOR INDIAN TRIBES.—The prohibition 
in subsection (a) shall not apply to an Indian (as defined 
in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu-
cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)) carrying out any 
activity described in subsection (a) for the purpose of a reli-
gious ceremony.
1171 
† HR 2 EAS 
(d) PENALTY.—Any person who violates subsection (a) 
shall be subject to a fine in an amount not greater than 
$5,000 for each violation. 
(e) EFFECT ON STATE LAW.—Nothing in this sec-
tion— 
(1) limits any State or local law or regulation 
protecting the welfare of animals; or 
(2) prevents a State or unit of local government 
from adopting and enforcing an animal welfare law 
or regulation that is more stringent than this section. 
Subtitle F—General Provisions 
SEC. 12601. EXPEDITED EXPORTATION OF CERTAIN SPE-
CIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the United 
States Fish and Wildlife Service (referred to in this section 
as the ‘‘Director’’) shall issue a proposed rule to amend sec-
tion 14.92 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations, to estab-
lish expedited procedures relating to the export permission 
requirements of section 9(d)(1) of the Endangered Species 
Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1538(d)(1)) for fish or wildlife de-
scribed in subsection (c). 
(b) EXEMPTIONS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—As part of the rulemaking 
under subsection (a), subject to paragraph (2), the Di-
1172 
† HR 2 EAS 
rector may provide an exemption from the require-
ment to procure— 
(A) permission under section 9(d)(1) of the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1538(d)(1)); or 
(B) an export license under subpart I of 
part 14 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations. 
(2) LIMITATIONS.—The Director shall not pro-
vide an exemption under paragraph (1)— 
(A) unless the Director determines that the 
exemption will not have a negative impact on 
the conservation of the species that is the subject 
of the exemption; or 
(B) to an entity that has been convicted of 
a violation of a Federal law relating to the im-
portation, transportation, or exportation of wild-
life during a period of not less than 5 years end-
ing on the date on which the entity applies for 
exemption under paragraph (1). 
(c) COVERED FISH OR WILDLIFE.—The fish or wildlife 
referred to in subsection (a) are the species commonly 
known as sea urchins and sea cucumbers (including any 
product of a sea urchin or sea cucumber) that— 
(1) do not require a permit under part 16, 17, 
or 23 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations;
1173 
† HR 2 EAS 
(2) are harvested in waters under the jurisdic-
tion of the United States; and 
(3) are exported for purposes of human or ani-
mal consumption. 
SEC. 12602. BAITING OF MIGRATORY GAME BIRDS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) NORMAL
AGRICULTURAL
OPERATION.—The 
term ‘‘normal agricultural operation’’ has the mean-
ing given the term in section 20.11 of title 50, Code 
of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of en-
actment of this Act). 
(2) POST-DISASTER FLOODING.—The term ‘‘post- 
disaster flooding’’ means the destruction of a crop 
through flooding in accordance with practices re-
quired by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation for 
agricultural producers to obtain crop insurance under 
the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et 
seq.) on land on which a crop was not harvestable due 
to a natural disaster (including any hurricane, 
storm, tornado, flood, high water, wind-driven water, 
tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, 
landslide, mudslide, drought, fire, snowstorm, or other 
catastrophe that is declared a major disaster by the 
President in accordance with section 401 of the Rob-
1174 
† HR 2 EAS 
ert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170)) in the crop year— 
(A) in which the natural disaster occurred; 
or 
(B) immediately preceding the crop year in 
which the natural disaster occurred. 
(3) 
RICE
RATOONING.—The 
term 
‘‘rice 
ratooning’’ means the agricultural practice of har-
vesting rice by cutting the majority of the above-
ground portion of the rice plant but leaving the roots 
and growing shoot apices intact to allow the plant to 
recover and produce a second crop yield. 
(b) REGULATIONS TO EXCLUDE RICE RATOONING AND 
POST-DISASTER FLOODING.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Inte-
rior, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall 
revise part 20 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations, to 
clarify that rice ratooning and post-disaster flooding, when 
carried out as part of a normal agricultural operation, do 
not constitute baiting. 
(c) REPORTS.—Not less frequently than once each 
year, the Secretary of Agriculture shall— 
(1) submit to the Secretary of the Interior a re-
port that describes any changes to normal agricul-
tural operations across the range of crops grown by
1175 
† HR 2 EAS 
agricultural producers in each region of the United 
States in which the official recommendations de-
scribed in section 20.11(h) of title 50, Code of Federal 
Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of 
this Act), are provided to agricultural producers; and 
(2) in consultation with the Secretary of the In-
terior and after seeking input from the heads of State 
departments of fish and wildlife or the Regional Mi-
gratory Bird Flyway Councils of the United States 
Fish and Wildlife Service, publicly post a report on 
the impact that rice ratooning and post-disaster 
flooding have on the behavior of migratory game birds 
that are hunted in the area in which rice ratooning 
and post-disaster flooding, respectively, have occurred. 
SEC. 12603. PIMA AGRICULTURE COTTON TRUST FUND. 
Section 12314 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 
U.S.C. 2101 note; Public Law 113–79) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘2018’’ each place it appears and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘calendar year 2013’’ each place 
it appears and inserting ‘‘the prior calendar year’’; 
(3) in subsection (b)(2)— 
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) 
and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively;
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† HR 2 EAS 
(B) in the matter preceding clause (i) (as so 
redesignated), by striking ‘‘(2) Twenty-five’’ and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph 
(B), twenty-five’’; 
(C) in subparagraph (A)(ii) (as so des-
ignated), by striking ‘‘subparagraph (A)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘clause (i)’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B)(i) A yarn spinner shall not receive an 
amount under subparagraph (A) that exceeds the cost 
of pima cotton that— 
‘‘(I) was purchased during the prior cal-
endar year; and 
‘‘(II) was used in spinning any cotton 
yarns. 
‘‘(ii) The Secretary shall reallocate any amounts 
reduced by reason of the limitation under clause (i) 
to spinners using the ratio described in subparagraph 
(A), disregarding production of any spinner subject to 
that limitation.’’; 
(4) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by 
striking 
‘‘(b)(2)(A)’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘(b)(2)(A)(i)’’;
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† HR 2 EAS 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) the dollar amount of pima cotton purchased 
during the prior calendar year— 
‘‘(A) that was used in spinning any cotton 
yarns; and 
‘‘(B) for which the producer maintains sup-
porting documentation.’’; 
(5) in subsection (e)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘by the Secretary—’’ and inserting 
‘‘by the Secretary not later than March 15 of the 
applicable calendar year.’’; and 
(B) by striking paragraphs (1) and (2); and 
(6) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘subsection 
(b)—’’ in the matter preceding paragraph (1) and all 
that follows through ‘‘not later than’’ in paragraph 
(2) and inserting ‘‘subsection (b) not later than’’. 
SEC. 12604. AGRICULTURE WOOL APPAREL MANUFACTUR-
ERS TRUST FUND. 
Section 12315 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 
U.S.C. 7101 note; Public Law 113–79) is amended—
1178 
† HR 2 EAS 
(1) by striking ‘‘2019’’ each place it appears and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A)— 
(I) in the matter preceding clause 
(i), by striking ‘‘the payment—’’ and 
inserting ‘‘the payment, payments in 
amounts authorized under that para-
graph.’’; and 
(II) by striking clauses (i) and 
(ii); and 
(ii) in subparagraph (B)— 
(I) in the matter preceding clause 
(i), by striking ‘‘4002(c)—’’ and in-
serting ‘‘4002(c), payments in amounts 
authorized under that paragraph.’’; 
and 
(II) by striking clauses (i) and 
(ii); and 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘sub-
mitted—’’ in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A) and all that follows through ‘‘to the Sec-
retary’’ in subparagraph (B) and inserting ‘‘sub-
mitted to the Secretary’’; and
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† HR 2 EAS 
(3) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘subsection (b)—’’ and inserting 
‘‘subsection (b) not later than April 15 of the 
year of the payment.’’; and 
(B) by striking paragraphs (1) and (2). 
SEC. 12605. WOOL RESEARCH AND PROMOTION. 
Section 12316(a) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 
U.S.C. 7101 note; Public Law 113–79) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘2015 through 2019’’ and inserting ‘‘2019 through 
2023’’. 
SEC. 12606. EMERGENCY CITRUS DISEASE RESEARCH AND 
DEVELOPMENT TRUST FUND. 
(a) DEFINITION OF CITRUS.—In this section, the term 
‘‘citrus’’ means edible fruit of the family Rutaceae, includ-
ing any hybrid of that fruit and any product of that hybrid 
that is produced for commercial purposes in the United 
States. 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF TRUST FUND.—There is es-
tablished in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund, 
to be known as the ‘‘Emergency Citrus Disease Research 
and Development Trust Fund’’ (referred to in this section 
as the ‘‘Citrus Trust Fund’’), consisting of such amounts 
as shall be transferred to the Citrus Trust Fund pursuant 
to subsection (d).
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† HR 2 EAS 
(c) DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—From amounts in the Citrus 
Trust Fund, the Secretary shall make payments an-
nually beginning in fiscal year 2019 to— 
(A) entities engaged in scientific research 
and extension activities, technical assistance, or 
development activities to combat domestic or 
invasive citrus diseases and pests that pose im-
minent harm to the United States citrus produc-
tion and threaten the future viability of the cit-
rus industry, including huanglongbing and the 
Asian Citrus Psyllid; and 
(B) entities engaged in supporting the dis-
semination and commercialization of relevant 
information, techniques, or technologies discov-
ered under research and extension activities 
funded through— 
(i) the Citrus Trust Fund; or 
(ii) 
other 
research 
and 
extension 
projects intended to solve problems caused 
by citrus production diseases and invasive 
pests. 
(2) PRIORITY.—In making payments under 
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to en-
tities that use the payments to address the research
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† HR 2 EAS 
and extension priorities established pursuant to sec-
tion 1408A(g)(4) of the National Agricultural Re-
search, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 
(7 U.S.C. 3123a(g)(4)). 
(3) COORDINATION.—In determining how to dis-
tribute funds under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
shall— 
(A) seek input from Federal and State 
agencies and other entities involved in citrus dis-
ease response; and 
(B) take into account other public and pri-
vate 
citrus-related 
research 
and 
extension 
projects and the funding for those projects. 
(4) NONDUPLICATION.—The Secretary shall en-
sure that funds provided under paragraph (1) shall be 
in addition to and not supplant funds made available 
to carry out other citrus disease activities carried out 
by the Department of Agriculture in consultation 
with State agencies. 
(d) FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit 
Corporation, the Secretary shall transfer to the Citrus Trust 
Fund $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 
2023, to remain available until expended.
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SEC. 12607. EXTENSION OF MERCHANDISE PROCESSING 
FEES. 
Section 503 of the United States–Korea Free Trade 
Agreement Implementation Act (Public Law 112–41; 19 
U.S.C. 3805 note) is amended by striking ‘‘February 24, 
2027’’ and inserting ‘‘May 26, 2027’’. 
SEC. 12608. CONFORMING CHANGES TO CONTROLLED SUB-
STANCES ACT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 102(16) of the Controlled 
Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802(16)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘(16) The’’ and inserting 
‘‘(16)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), the’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘Such term does not include the’’ 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(B) The term ‘marihuana’ does not include— 
‘‘(i) hemp, as defined in section 297A of the Ag-
ricultural Marketing Act of 1946; or 
‘‘(ii) the’’. 
(b) TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL.—Schedule I, as set 
forth in section 202(c) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 
U.S.C. 812(c)), is amended in subsection (c)(17) by insert-
ing after ‘‘Tetrahydrocannabinols’’ the following: ‘‘, except 
for tetrahydrocannabinols in hemp (as defined under sec-
tion 297A of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946)’’.
1183 
† HR 2 EAS 
SEC. 12609. NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM REAU-
THORIZATION. 
(a) FINANCING.—Section 1309(a) of the National 
Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4016(a)) is amend-
ed by striking ‘‘September 30, 2017’’ and inserting ‘‘Janu-
ary 31, 2019’’. 
(b) PROGRAM EXPIRATION.—Section 1319 of the Na-
tional Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4026) is 
amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 2017’’ and inserting 
‘‘January 31, 2019’’. 
SEC. 12610. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR LIVESTOCK, 
HONEY BEES, AND FARM-RAISED FISH. 
Section 1501(d)(2) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 
U.S.C. 9081(d)(2)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, including 
inspections of cattle tick fever’’ before the period at the end. 
SEC. 12611. ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS. 
Section 1117 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 
9017) (as amended by section 1104(6)) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘(i) ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of agriculture 
risk coverage payments in the case of county coverage, 
a county may be divided into not greater than 2 ad-
ministrative units in accordance with this subsection.
1184 
† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE COUNTIES.—A county that may 
be divided into administrative units under this sub-
section is a county that— 
‘‘(A) is larger than 1,400 square miles; 
‘‘(B) in contained within a State that is 
larger than 140,000 square miles; and 
‘‘(C) contains more than 190,000 base acres. 
‘‘(3) ELECTIONS.—Before making any agri-
culture risk coverage payments for the 2019 crop 
year, the Farm Service Agency State committee, in 
consultation with the Farm Service Agency county or 
area committee of a county described in paragraph 
(2), may make a 1-time election to divide the county 
into administrative units under this subsection along 
a boundary that better reflects differences in weather 
patterns, soil types, or other factors. 
‘‘(4) ADMINISTRATION.—For purposes of pro-
viding agriculture risk coverage payments in the case 
of county coverage, the Secretary shall consider an 
administrative unit elected under paragraph (3) to be 
a county for the 2019 through 2023 crop years.’’.
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† HR 2 EAS 
SEC. 12612. DROUGHT AND WATER CONSERVATION AGREE-
MENTS. 
Section 1231A of the Food Security Act of 1985 (as 
added by section 2105(a)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(g) DROUGHT AND WATER CONSERVATION AGREE-
MENTS.—In the case of an agreement under subsection 
(b)(1) to address regional drought concerns, in accordance 
with the conservation purposes of the program, the Sec-
retary, in consultation with the applicable State technical 
committee established under section 1261(a), may— 
‘‘(1) notwithstanding subsection (a)(1), enroll 
other agricultural land on which the resource concerns 
identified in the agreement can be addressed if the en-
rollment of the land is critical to the accomplishment 
of the purposes of the agreement; 
‘‘(2) permit dryland agricultural uses with the 
adoption of best management practices on enrolled 
land if the agreement involves the significant long- 
term reduction of consumptive water use and dryland 
production is compatible with the agreement; and 
‘‘(3) calculate annual rental payments consistent 
with existing administrative practice for similar 
drought and water conservation agreements under 
this subchapter and ensure regional consistency in 
those rates.’’.
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† HR 2 EAS 
SEC. 12613. ENCOURAGEMENT OF POLLINATOR HABITAT 
DEVELOPMENT AND PROTECTION. 
Section 1244(h) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 
U.S.C. 3844(h)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) the development of a conservation and re-
covery plan for protection of pollinators through con-
servation biological control or practices and strategies 
to integrate natural predators and parasites of crop 
pests into agricultural systems for pest control; and 
‘‘(4) training for producers relating to back-
ground science, implementation, and promotion of 
conservation biological control such that producers 
base conservation activities on practices and tech-
niques that conserve or enhance natural habitat for 
beneficial insects as a way of reducing pest problems 
and pesticide applications on farms.’’. 
SEC. 12614. REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT OF FENCING; COST 
SHARE PAYMENTS. 
(a) REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT OF FENCING.—
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† HR 2 EAS 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 401 of the Agricul-
tural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2201) is amend-
ed— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘wildfires,’’ after ‘‘hurri-
canes,’’; 
(B) by striking the section designation and 
all that follows through ‘‘The Secretary of Agri-
culture’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘SEC. 401. PAYMENTS TO PRODUCERS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture (re-
ferred to in this title as the ‘Secretary’)’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT OF FENCING.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—With respect to a payment to 
an agricultural producer under subsection (a) for the 
repair or replacement of fencing, the Secretary shall 
give the agricultural producer the option of receiving 
not more than 25 percent of the payment, determined 
by the Secretary based on the applicable percentage of 
the fair market value of the cost of the repair or re-
placement, before the agricultural producer carries 
out the repair or replacement. 
‘‘(2) RETURN OF FUNDS.—If the funds provided 
under paragraph (1) are not expended by the end of 
the 60-day period beginning on the date on which the
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† HR 2 EAS 
agricultural producer receives those funds, the funds 
shall be returned within a reasonable timeframe, as 
determined by the Secretary.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(A) Sections 402, 403, 404, and 405 of the 
Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2202, 
2203, 2204, 2205) are amended by striking ‘‘Sec-
retary of Agriculture’’ each place it appears and 
inserting ‘‘Secretary’’. 
(B) Section 407(a) of the Agricultural Cred-
it Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2206(a)) is amended 
by striking paragraph (4). 
(b) COST SHARE PAYMENTS.—Title IV of the Agricul-
tural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.) is amended 
by inserting after section 402 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 402A. COST-SHARE REQUIREMENT. 
‘‘(a) COST-SHARE RATE.—Subject to subsections (b) 
and (c), the maximum cost-share payment under sections 
401 and 402 shall not exceed, 75 percent of the total allow-
able cost, as determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(b) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), a 
payment to a limited resource farmer or rancher, a socially 
disadvantaged farmer or rancher (as defined in 2501(a) of 
the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 
(7 U.S.C. 2279(a)), or a beginning farmer or rancher under
1189 
† HR 2 EAS 
section 401 or 402 shall not exceed 90 percent of the total 
allowable cost, as determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(c) LIMITATION.—The total payment under sections 
401 and 402 for a single event may not exceed 50 percent 
of the agriculture value of the land, as determined by the 
Secretary.’’. 
SEC. 12615. FOOD DONATION STANDARDS. 
Section 203D of the Emergency Food Assistance Act 
of 1983 (7 U.S.C. 7507) (as amended by section 4115(c)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f) FOOD DONATION STANDARDS.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) APPARENTLY WHOLESOME FOOD.—The 
term ‘apparently wholesome food’ has the mean-
ing given the term in section 22(b) of the Child 
Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1791(b)). 
‘‘(B) 
INSTITUTION
OF
HIGHER
EDU-
CATION.—The term ‘institution of higher edu-
cation’ has the meaning given the term in sec-
tion 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1002). 
‘‘(C) QUALIFIED DIRECT DONOR.—The term 
‘qualified direct donor’ means a retail food store, 
wholesaler, agricultural producer, restaurant, ca-
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† HR 2 EAS 
terer, school food authority, or institution of 
higher education. 
‘‘(2) GUIDANCE.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of the Agri-
culture Improvement Act of 2018, the Secretary 
shall issue guidance to promote awareness of do-
nations of apparently wholesome food protected 
under section 22(c) of the Child Nutrition Act of 
1966 (42 U.S.C. 1791(c)) by qualified direct do-
nors in compliance with applicable State and 
local health, food safety, and food handling laws 
(including regulations). 
‘‘(B) ISSUANCE.—The Secretary shall en-
courage State agencies and emergency feeding or-
ganizations to share the guidance issued under 
subparagraph (A) with qualified direct donors.’’. 
SEC. 12616. MICRO-GRANTS FOR FOOD SECURITY. 
The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 is 
amended by inserting after section 4405 (7 U.S.C. 7517) 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 4406. MICRO-GRANTS FOR FOOD SECURITY. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to in-
crease the quantity and quality of locally grown food 
through small-scale gardening, herding, and livestock oper-
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† HR 2 EAS 
ations in food insecure communities in areas of the United 
States that have significant levels of food insecurity and 
import a significant quantity of food. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible enti-
ty’ means an entity that— 
‘‘(A) is— 
‘‘(i) an individual; 
‘‘(ii) an Indian tribe (as defined in 
section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination 
and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
5304)) or a consortium of Indian tribes; 
‘‘(iii) a nonprofit organization engaged 
in increasing food security, as determined 
by the Secretary, including— 
‘‘(I) a religious organization; 
‘‘(II) a food bank; and 
‘‘(III) a food pantry; 
‘‘(iv) a federally funded educational fa-
cility, including— 
‘‘(I) a Head Start program or an 
Early Head Start program carried out 
under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 
9831 et seq.);
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† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(II) a public elementary school 
or public secondary school; 
‘‘(III) a public institution of 
higher education (as defined in section 
101 of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)); 
‘‘(IV) a Tribal College or Univer-
sity (as defined in section 316(b) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1059c(b))); and 
‘‘(V) a job training program; or 
‘‘(v) a local or Tribal government that 
may not levy local taxes under State or 
Federal law; and 
‘‘(B) is located in an eligible State. 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE STATE.—The term ‘eligible State’ 
means— 
‘‘(A) the State of Alaska; 
‘‘(B) the State of Hawaii; 
‘‘(C) American Samoa; 
‘‘(D) the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands; 
‘‘(E) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; 
‘‘(F) the Federated States of Micronesia; 
‘‘(G) Guam;
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† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(H) the Republic of the Marshall Islands; 
‘‘(I) the Republic of Palau; and 
‘‘(J) the United States Virgin Islands. 
‘‘(c) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall distribute 
funds to the agricultural department or agency of each eligi-
ble State for the competitive distribution of subgrants to 
eligible entities to increase the quantity and quality of lo-
cally grown food in food insecure communities, including 
through small-scale gardening, herding, and livestock oper-
ations. 
‘‘(d) DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Of the amount made avail-
able under subsection (g), the Secretary shall dis-
tribute— 
‘‘(A) 40 percent to the State of Alaska; 
‘‘(B) 40 percent to the State of Hawaii; and 
‘‘(C) 2.5 percent to each insular area de-
scribed in subparagraphs (C) through (J) of sub-
section (b)(2). 
‘‘(2) CARRYOVER OF FUNDS.—Funds distributed 
under paragraph (1) shall remain available until ex-
pended. 
‘‘(3) ADMINISTRATIVE FUNDS.—An eligible State 
that receives funds under paragraph (1) may use not 
more than 3 percent of those funds—
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† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(A) to administer the competition for pro-
viding subgrants to eligible entities in that eligi-
ble State; 
‘‘(B) to provide oversight of the subgrant re-
cipients in that eligible State; and 
‘‘(C) to collect data and submit a report to 
the Secretary under subsection (f)(2). 
‘‘(e) SUBGRANTS TO ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 
‘‘(1) AMOUNT OF SUBGRANTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The amount of a 
subgrant to an eligible entity under this section 
shall be— 
‘‘(i) in the case of an eligible entity 
that is an individual, not greater than 
$5,000 per year; and 
‘‘(ii) in the case of an eligible entity 
described in clauses (ii) through (v) of sub-
section (b)(1)(A), not greater than $10,000 
per year. 
‘‘(B) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—As a con-
dition of receiving a subgrant under this section, 
an eligible entity shall provide funds equal to 10 
percent of the amount received by the eligible en-
tity under the subgrant, to be derived from non- 
Federal sources.
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† HR 2 EAS 
‘‘(iii) the Committee on Agriculture of 
the House of Representatives; and 
‘‘(iv) the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate.’’. 
SEC. 12618. BUSINESS AND INNOVATION SERVICES ESSEN-
TIAL COMMUNITY FACILITIES. 
Section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)) (as amended by section 
6105) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(28) BUSINESS AND INNOVATION SERVICES ES-
SENTIAL
COMMUNITY
FACILITIES.—The Secretary 
may make loans and loan guarantees under this sub-
section and grants under paragraphs (19), (20), and 
(21) for essential community facilities for business 
and innovation services, such as incubators, co-work-
ing spaces, makerspaces, and residential entrepreneur 
and innovation centers.’’. 
SEC. 12619. RURAL INNOVATION STRONGER ECONOMY 
GRANT PROGRAM. 
Subtitle D of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Devel-
opment Act (7 U.S.C. 1981 et seq.) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 379I. RURAL INNOVATION STRONGER ECONOMY 
GRANT PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: