566 
‘‘SEC. 309. OFFICE OF TRIBAL RELATIONS. 
‘‘The Secretary shall establish in the Office of the 
Secretary an Office of Tribal Relations to advise the Sec-
retary on policies related to Indian tribes.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 296(b) of 
the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 
1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b)) is amended by inserting after 
paragraph (8), as added by section 3207, the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(9) the authority of the Secretary to establish 
in the Office of the Secretary the Office of Tribal 
Relations in accordance with section 309; and’’. 
SEC. 12304. MILITARY VETERANS AGRICULTURAL LIAISON. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle A of the Department of 
Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 is amended by in-
serting after section 218 (7 U.S.C. 6918) the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 219. MILITARY VETERANS AGRICULTURAL LIAISON. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary shall establish 
in the Department the position of Military Veterans Agri-
cultural Liaison. 
‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The Military Veterans Agricultural 
Liaison shall— 
‘‘(1) provide information to returning veterans 
about, and connect returning veterans with, begin-
ning farmer training and agricultural vocational and 
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rehabilitation programs appropriate to the needs and 
interests of returning veterans, including assisting 
veterans in using Federal veterans educational bene-
fits for purposes relating to beginning a farming or 
ranching career; 
‘‘(2) provide information to veterans concerning 
the availability of and eligibility requirements for 
participation in agricultural programs, with par-
ticular emphasis on beginning farmer and rancher 
programs; 
‘‘(3) serve as a resource for assisting veteran 
farmers and ranchers, and potential farmers and 
ranchers, in applying for participation in agricul-
tural programs; and 
‘‘(4) advocate on behalf of veterans in inter-
actions with employees of the Department.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 296(b) of 
the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 
1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b)) is amended by inserting after 
paragraph (9), as added by section 12303, the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(10) the authority of the Secretary to establish 
in the Department the position of Military Veterans 
Agricultural Liaison in accordance with section 
219.’’. 
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568 
SEC. 12305. PROHIBITION ON KEEPING GSA LEASED CARS 
OVERNIGHT. 
A Federal employee of a State office of the Farm 
Service Agency in the field and non-Federal employees of 
county and area committees established under section 
8(b)(5) of the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment 
Act (16 U.S.C. 590h(b)(5)) shall keep leased interagency 
motor pool vehicles at a location listed on the General 
Services Administration inventory of owned and leased 
properties or a location owned or leased by the Depart-
ment of Agriculture overnight unless the employee as-
signed the vehicle is on overnight, approved travel status 
involving per diem. 
SEC. 12306. NONINSURED CROP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
Section 196 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement 
and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7333), as amended 
by section 11013(b), is further amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking paragraph (1) and insert-
ing the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(A) COVERAGES.—In the case of an eligi-
ble crop described in paragraph (2), the Sec-
retary of Agriculture shall operate a noninsured 
crop disaster assistance program to provide cov-
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erages based on individual yields (other than 
for value-loss crops) equivalent to— 
‘‘(i) catastrophic risk protection avail-
able under section 508(b) of the Federal 
Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(b)); or 
‘‘(ii) additional coverage available 
under subsections (c) and (h) of section 
508 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 1508) that does 
not exceed 65 percent. 
‘‘(B) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary 
shall carry out this section through the Farm 
Service Agency (referred to in this section as 
the ‘Agency’).’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A)— 
(I) in clause (i), by striking 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end; 
(II) by redesignating clause (ii) 
as clause (iii); and 
(III) by inserting after clause (i) 
the following new clause: 
‘‘(ii) for which additional cov-
erage under subsections (c) and (h) of 
section 508 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 
1508) is not available; and’’; and 
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570 
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting 
‘‘sweet sorghum, biomass sorghum,’’ before 
‘‘and industrial crops’’; 
(2) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘The Sec-
retary’’ and inserting ‘‘Subject to subsection (l), the 
Secretary’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(l) PAYMENT EQUIVALENT TO ADDITIONAL COV-
ERAGE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make 
available to a producer eligible for noninsured assist-
ance under this section a payment equivalent to an 
indemnity for additional coverage under subsections 
(c) and (h) of section 508 of the Federal Crop In-
surance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508) that does not exceed 
65 percent of the established yield for the eligible 
crop on the farm, computed by multiplying— 
‘‘(A) the quantity that is not greater than 
65 percent of the established yield for the crop, 
as determined by the Secretary, specified in in-
crements of 5 percent; 
‘‘(B) 100 percent of the average market 
price for the crop, as determined by the Sec-
retary; and 
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571 
‘‘(C) a payment rate for the type of crop, 
as determined by the Secretary, that reflects— 
‘‘(i) in the case of a crop that is pro-
duced with a significant and variable har-
vesting expense, the decreasing cost in-
curred in the production cycle for the crop 
that is, as applicable— 
‘‘(I) harvested; 
‘‘(II) planted but not harvested; 
or 
‘‘(III) 
prevented 
from 
being 
planted because of drought, flood, or 
other natural disaster, as determined 
by the Secretary; or 
‘‘(ii) in the case of a crop that is pro-
duced without a significant and variable 
harvesting expense, such rate as shall be 
determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) PREMIUM.—To be eligible to receive a pay-
ment under this subsection, a producer shall pay— 
‘‘(A) the service fee required by subsection 
(k); and 
‘‘(B) a premium for the applicable crop 
year that is equal to the product obtained by 
multiplying— 
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572 
‘‘(i) the number of acres devoted to 
the eligible crop; 
‘‘(ii) the established yield for the eligi-
ble crop, as determined by the Secretary 
under subsection (e); 
‘‘(iii) the coverage level elected by the 
producer; 
‘‘(iv) the average market price, as de-
termined by the Secretary; and 
‘‘(v) .0525. 
‘‘(3) LIMITED RESOURCE, BEGINNING, AND SO-
CIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS.—The additional 
coverage made available under this subsection shall 
be available to limited resource, beginning, and so-
cially disadvantaged producers, as determined by the 
Secretary, in exchange for a premium that is 50 per-
cent of the premium determined for a producer 
under paragraph (2). 
‘‘(4) PREMIUM
PAYMENT
AND
APPLICATION 
DEADLINE.— 
‘‘(A) PREMIUM
PAYMENT.—A producer 
electing additional coverage under this sub-
section shall pay the premium amount owed for 
the additional coverage by September 30 of the 
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573 
crop year for which the additional coverage is 
purchased. 
‘‘(B) APPLICATION DEADLINE.—The latest 
date on which additional coverage under this 
subsection may be elected shall be the applica-
tion closing date described in subsection (b)(1). 
‘‘(5) EFFECTIVE
DATE.—Additional coverage 
under this subsection shall be available beginning 
with the 2015 crop.’’. 
SEC. 12307. ENSURING HIGH STANDARDS FOR AGENCY USE 
OF SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION. 
(a) REQUIREMENT FOR FINAL GUIDELINES.—Not 
later than January 1, 2014, each Federal agency shall 
have in effect guidelines for ensuring and maximizing the 
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of scientific infor-
mation relied upon by such agency. 
(b) CONTENT OF GUIDELINES.—The guidelines de-
scribed in subsection (a), with respect to a Federal agency, 
shall ensure that— 
(1) when scientific information is considered by 
the agency in policy decisions— 
(A) the information is subject to well-es-
tablished scientific processes, including peer re-
view where appropriate; 
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(B) the agency appropriately applies the 
scientific information to the policy decision; 
(C) except for information that is pro-
tected from disclosure by law or administrative 
practice, the agency makes available to the pub-
lic the scientific information considered by the 
agency; 
(D) the agency gives greatest weight to in-
formation that is based on experimental, empir-
ical, quantifiable, and reproducible data that is 
developed in accordance with well-established 
scientific processes; and 
(E) with respect to any proposed rule 
issued by the agency, such agency follows proce-
dures that include, to the extent feasible and 
permitted by law, an opportunity for public 
comment on all relevant scientific findings; 
(2) the agency has procedures in place to make 
policy decisions only on the basis of the best reason-
ably obtainable scientific, technical, economic, and 
other evidence and information concerning the need 
for, consequences of, and alternatives to the deci-
sion; and 
(3) the agency has in place procedures to iden-
tify and address instances in which the integrity of 
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575 
scientific information considered by the agency may 
have been compromised, including instances in which 
such information may have been the product of a 
scientific process that was compromised. 
(c) APPROVAL NEEDED FOR POLICY DECISIONS TO 
TAKE EFFECT.—No policy decision issued after January 
1, 2014, by an agency subject to this section may take 
effect prior to such date that the agency has in effect 
guidelines under subsection (a) that have been approved 
by the Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy. 
(d) POLICY DECISIONS NOT IN COMPLIANCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), a 
policy decision of an agency that does not comply 
with guidelines approved under subsection (c) shall 
be deemed to be arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of 
discretion, and otherwise not in accordance with law. 
(2) EXCEPTION.—This subsection shall not 
apply to policy decisions that are deemed to be nec-
essary because of an imminent threat to health or 
safety or because of another emergency. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section: 
(1) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 551(1) of title 
5, United States Code. 
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576 
(2) POLICY DECISION.—The term ‘‘policy deci-
sion’’ means, with respect to an agency, an agency 
action as defined in section 551(13) of title 5, 
United States Code, (other than an adjudication, as 
defined in section 551(7) of such title), and in-
cludes— 
(A) the listing, labeling, or other identifica-
tion of a substance, product, or activity as haz-
ardous or creating risk to human health, safety, 
or the environment; and 
(B) agency guidance. 
(3) AGENCY
GUIDANCE.—The term ‘‘agency 
guidance’’ means an agency statement of general ap-
plicability and future effect, other than a regulatory 
action, that sets forth a policy on a statutory, regu-
latory, or technical issue or on an interpretation of 
a statutory or regulatory issue. 
Æ 
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