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(b) FUNCTIONS.—If the Staff is established and main-
tained, the Staff shall provide common program policy de-
velopment for the Federal Research and Information Serv-
ice, the Cooperative State Research and Education Service,
and the Agricultural Economics and Statistics Service.
(c) COMPOSITION.—Not less than 50 percent of the em-
ployees of the Staff shall be former employees of the Cooper-
ative State Research Service and the Extension Service, as
in existence on the date of enactment of this Act.
(d) RELATIONSHIP TO FUNCTIONS CURRENTLY PER-
FORMED BY NASS.—The Staff may not—
(1) interfere with statistic collection and report-
ing; or
(2) compromise the independence or integrity of
statistic collection and reporting functions of the Na-
tional Agricultural Statistics Service as in effect on
the date of enactment of this Act.
Subtitle J—Food Safety
SEC. 2951. FOOD SAFETY SERVICE.
(a) MEAT INSPECTION.—The Federal Meat Inspection
Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the
end the following new title:
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‘‘TITLE V—FOOD SAFETY
SERVICE
‘‘SEC. 501. FOOD SAFETY SERVICE.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish and
maintain within the United States Department of Agri-
culture the Food Safety Service (referred to in this section
as the ‘Service’) and to assign to the Service such functions
as the Secretary may consider appropriate.
‘‘(b) ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR FOOD SAFETY.—
‘‘(1) APPOINTMENT.—There shall be in the Serv-
ice the position of Assistant Secretary for Food Safety
(referred to in this section as the ‘Assistant Sec-
retary’), who shall be appointed by the President, by
and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
‘‘(2) CONTINUITY OF THE POSITION.—Any offi-
cial serving on the date of enactment of this section,
who has been appointed by the President and con-
firmed by the Senate, shall not be required to be re-
confirmed by reason of the enactment of this Act.
‘‘(3) RELATIONSHIP TO THE SECRETARY.—The
Assistant Secretary shall report directly to the Sec-
retary.
‘‘(4) GENERAL POWERS.—The Secretary is au-
thorized to carry out, through the Service or through
such other officers or administrative units as the Sec-
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retary may consider appropriate, programs and ac-
tivities involving food safety under this Act and the
Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 451 et
seq.), including—
‘‘(A) providing overall direction to the Serv-
ice and establishing and implementing general
policies concerning the management and oper-
ation of programs and inspection activities of
the Service;
‘‘(B) coordinating and overseeing the oper-
ation of all administrative entities within the
Service;
‘‘(C) research and inspection relating to
meat, meat food products, poultry, and poultry
products in carrying out this Act and the Poul-
try Products Inspection Act;
‘‘(D) conducting educational and public in-
formation programs relating to the responsibil-
ities of the Service; and
‘‘(E) performing such other functions relat-
ed to food safety as the Secretary may prescribe,
except that only programs and activities related
to food safety, as determined by the Secretary,
shall be administered through the Service.
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‘‘(c) TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC REVIEW GROUPS.—
The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary, may,
without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States
Code, governing appointment in the competitive service,
and without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and sub-
chapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code,
relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates—
‘‘(1) establish such technical and scientific re-
view groups as are needed to carry out the functions
of the Service, including functions under this Act and
under the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C.
451 et seq.); and
‘‘(2) appoint and pay the members of the groups,
except that officers and employees of the United States
shall not receive additional compensation for service
as a member of a group.’’.
(b) POULTRY PRODUCTS INSPECTION.—The Poultry
Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 451 et seq.) is amend-
ed—
(1) by redesignating section 29 as section 30;
and
(2) by inserting after section 28 the following
new section:
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‘‘SEC. 29. ADMINISTRATION.
‘‘The Secretary shall administer this Act through the
Assistant Secretary for Food Safety of the Food Safety
Service established under section 501 of the Federal Meat
Inspection Act.’’.
Subtitle K—Miscellaneous
SEC. 2981. ASSISTANT SECRETARIES OF AGRICULTURE.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There are established in the
Department six positions of Assistant Secretary of Agri-
culture, each to be appointed by the President, by and with
the advice and consent of the Senate.
(b) FUNCTIONS.—Each Assistant Secretary of Agri-
culture shall exercise such functions and perform such du-
ties as may be required by law or prescribed by the Sec-
retary, and shall receive compensation at the rate pre-
scribed by law for an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture.
The compensation of any person serving as an Adminis-
trator shall not be raised by this title.
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—
(1) Section 2 of the Act of February 9, 1889 (25
Stat. 659, chapter 122; 7 U.S.C. 2212), is repealed.
(2) Section 604 of the Rural Development Act of
1972 (7 U.S.C. 2212a) is amended by striking sub-
section (a).
(3) Section 2 of Public Law No. 94–561 (7
U.S.C. 2212b) is repealed.
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(4) Section 1413 of the National Agricultural
Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977
(7 U.S.C. 3128) is amended by striking subsection
(d).
(5) Section 8 of the International Carriage of
Perishable Foodstuffs Act (7 U.S.C 2212c) is amended
by striking subsection (a).
(d) CONTINUITY
OF
POSITIONS.—Notwithstanding
subsections (a) and (b) and the amendments made by sub-
section (c), any official serving in any of the positions re-
ferred to in this section on the date of enactment of this
Act, after appointment by the President, by and with the
advice and consent of the Senate, shall be considered after
the date of enactment of this Act to be serving in the succes-
sor positions established by subsection (a) and shall not be
required to be reappointed by reason of the enactment of
this title.
(e) ADDITIONAL CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section
5315 of title 5, United States Code, is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘Assistant Secretaries of Agri-
culture (7)’’ and inserting ‘‘Assistant Secretaries of
Agriculture (six)’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘Administrator, Farm Service Agency, Depart-
ment of Agriculture.
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‘‘Administrator, International Trade Service,
Department of Agriculture.
‘‘Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, Depart-
ment of Agriculture.’’.
SEC. 2982. REMOVAL OF OBSOLETE PROVISIONS.
Section 5316 of title 5, United States Code, is amend-
ed—
(1) by striking ‘‘Administrator, Agricultural
Marketing Service, Department of Agriculture.’’;
(2) by striking ‘‘Administrator, Agricultural Re-
search Service, Department of Agriculture.’’;
(3) by striking ‘‘Administrator, Agricultural
Stabilization and Conservation Service, Department
of Agriculture.’’;
(4) by striking ‘‘Administrator, Farmers Home
Administration.’’;
(5) by striking ‘‘Administrator, Foreign Agricul-
tural Service, Department of Agriculture.’’;
(6) by striking ‘‘Administrator, Rural Elec-
trification Administration, Department of Agri-
culture.’’;
(7) by striking ‘‘Administrator, Soil Conserva-
tion Service, Department of Agriculture.’’;
(8) by striking ‘‘Chief Forester of the Forest
Service, Department of Agriculture.’’;
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(9) by striking ‘‘Director of Science and Edu-
cation, Department of Agriculture.’’;
(10) by striking ‘‘Administrator, Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service, Department of Agri-
culture.’’; and
(11) by striking ‘‘Administrator, Federal Grain
Inspection Service, Department of Agriculture.’’.
SEC. 2983. ADDITIONAL CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to Con-
gress recommended legislation containing additional tech-
nical and conforming amendments to Federal law that are
necessary as a result of the enactment of this title.
SEC. 2984. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), the au-
thority delegated to the Secretary by this title to reorganize
the Department shall terminate on the date that is 2 years
after the date of enactment of this Act.
(b) FUNCTIONS.—Subsection (a) shall not affect—
(1) the authority of the Secretary to continue to
carry out a function that the Secretary performs on
the date that is 2 years after the date of enactment
of this Act; or
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(2) the authority delegated to the Secretary
under Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1953 (5 U.S.C.
App. 1).
SEC. 2985. ELIMINATION OF DUPLICATIVE INSPECTION RE-
QUIREMENTS.
(a) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture
shall—
(1) eliminate inspections of pilots and aircraft
by the Department of Agriculture;
(2) develop with the Administrator of the Federal
Aviation Administration inspection specifications
and procedures by which aircraft and pilots con-
tracted by the United States Department of Agri-
culture will be inspected. The Administrator will en-
sure that the inspection specifications and procedures
are met; and
(3) permit the utilization by the Department of
Agriculture of inspections and certifications of pilots
and aircraft conducted by the Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration.
(b) APPLICABILITY.—An inspection requirement shall
be eliminated pursuant to subsection (a)(1) only if the pi-
lots and aircraft are inspected by the Federal Aviation Ad-
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ministration for compliance with the safety regulations of
the Federal Aviation Regulations.
Attest:
Secretary.
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