HR 648 PCS 
shall not apply to any obligation that, as determined by 
the Secretary, is necessary to respond to a declared state 
of emergency that significantly impacts the operations of 
the National Finance Center; or to evacuate employees of 
the National Finance Center to a safe haven to continue 
operations of the National Finance Center. 
SEC. 703. No part of any appropriation contained in 
this Act shall remain available for obligation beyond the 
current fiscal year unless expressly so provided herein. 
SEC. 704. No funds appropriated by this Act may be 
used to pay negotiated indirect cost rates on cooperative 
agreements or similar arrangements between the United 
States Department of Agriculture and nonprofit institu-
tions in excess of 10 percent of the total direct cost of 
the agreement when the purpose of such cooperative ar-
rangements is to carry out programs of mutual interest 
between the two parties. This does not preclude appro-
priate payment of indirect costs on grants and contracts 
with such institutions when such indirect costs are com-
puted on a similar basis for all agencies for which appro-
priations are provided in this Act. 
SEC. 705. Appropriations to the Department of Agri-
culture for the cost of direct and guaranteed loans made 
available in the current fiscal year shall remain available 
until expended to disburse obligations made in the current 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:10 Jan 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00074
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H648.PCS
H648
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
HR 648 PCS 
fiscal year for the following accounts: the Rural Develop-
ment Loan Fund program account, the Rural Electrifica-
tion and Telecommunication Loans program account, and 
the Rural Housing Insurance Fund program account. 
SEC. 706. None of the funds made available to the 
Department of Agriculture by this Act may be used to ac-
quire new information technology systems or significant 
upgrades, as determined by the Office of the Chief Infor-
mation Officer, without the approval of the Chief Informa-
tion Officer and the concurrence of the Executive Informa-
tion Technology Investment Review Board: Provided, That 
notwithstanding any other provision of law, none of the 
funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this 
Act may be transferred to the Office of the Chief Informa-
tion Officer without written notification to and the prior 
approval of the Committees on Appropriations of both 
Houses of Congress: Provided further, That, notwith-
standing section 11319 of title 40, United States Code, 
none of the funds available to the Department of Agri-
culture for information technology shall be obligated for 
projects, contracts, or other agreements over $25,000 
prior to receipt of written approval by the Chief Informa-
tion Officer: Provided further, That the Chief Information 
Officer may authorize an agency to obligate funds without 
written approval from the Chief Information Officer for 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:10 Jan 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00075
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H648.PCS
H648
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
HR 648 PCS 
projects, contracts, or other agreements up to $250,000 
based upon the performance of an agency measured 
against the performance plan requirements described in 
the explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 113– 
235. 
SEC. 707. Funds made available under section 524(b) 
of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1524(b)) in 
the current fiscal year shall remain available until ex-
pended to disburse obligations made in the current fiscal 
year. 
SEC. 708. Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, any former RUS borrower that has repaid or prepaid 
an insured, direct or guaranteed loan under the Rural 
Electrification Act of 1936, or any not-for-profit utility 
that is eligible to receive an insured or direct loan under 
such Act, shall be eligible for assistance under section 
313(b)(2)(B) of such Act in the same manner as a bor-
rower under such Act. 
SEC. 709. Except as otherwise specifically provided 
by law, not more than $20,000,000 in unobligated bal-
ances from appropriations made available for salaries and 
expenses in this Act for the Farm Service Agency shall 
remain available through September 30, 2020, for infor-
mation technology expenses: Provided, That except as oth-
erwise specifically provided by law, unobligated balances 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:10 Jan 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00076
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H648.PCS
H648
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
HR 648 PCS 
from appropriations made available for salaries and ex-
penses in this Act for the Rural Development mission area 
shall remain available through September 30, 2020, for 
information technology expenses. 
SEC. 710. None of the funds appropriated or other-
wise made available by this Act may be used for first-class 
travel by the employees of agencies funded by this Act in 
contravention of sections 301–10.122 through 301–10.124 
of title 41, Code of Federal Regulations. 
SEC. 711. In the case of each program established 
or amended by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public Law 
113–79) or by a successor to that Act, other than by title 
I or subtitle A of title III of such Act, or programs for 
which indefinite amounts were provided in that Act, that 
is authorized or required to be carried out using funds 
of the Commodity Credit Corporation— 
(1) such funds shall be available for salaries 
and related administrative expenses, including tech-
nical assistance, associated with the implementation 
of the program, without regard to the limitation on 
the total amount of allotments and fund transfers 
contained in section 11 of the Commodity Credit 
Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714i); and 
(2) the use of such funds for such purpose shall 
not be considered to be a fund transfer or allotment 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:10 Jan 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00077
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H648.PCS
H648
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
HR 648 PCS 
for purposes of applying the limitation on the total 
amount of allotments and fund transfers contained 
in such section. 
SEC. 712. Of the funds made available by this Act, 
not more than $2,900,000 shall be used to cover necessary 
expenses of activities related to all advisory committees, 
panels, commissions, and task forces of the Department 
of Agriculture, except for panels used to comply with nego-
tiated rule makings and panels used to evaluate competi-
tively awarded grants. 
SEC. 713. None of the funds in this Act shall be avail-
able to pay indirect costs charged against any agricultural 
research, education, or extension grant awards issued by 
the National Institute of Food and Agriculture that exceed 
30 percent of total Federal funds provided under each 
award: Provided, That notwithstanding section 1462 of 
the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and 
Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3310), funds pro-
vided by this Act for grants awarded competitively by the 
National Institute of Food and Agriculture shall be avail-
able to pay full allowable indirect costs for each grant 
awarded under section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 638). 
SEC. 714. (a) None of the funds made available in 
this Act may be used to maintain or establish a computer 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:10 Jan 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00078
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H648.PCS
H648
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
HR 648 PCS 
network unless such network blocks the viewing, 
downloading, and exchanging of pornography. 
(b) Nothing in subsection (a) shall limit the use of 
funds necessary for any Federal, State, tribal, or local law 
enforcement agency or any other entity carrying out crimi-
nal investigations, prosecution, or adjudication activities. 
SEC. 715. Notwithstanding subsection (b) of section 
14222 of Public Law 110–246 (7 U.S.C. 612c–6; in this 
section referred to as ‘‘section 14222’’), none of the funds 
appropriated or otherwise made available by this or any 
other Act shall be used to pay the salaries and expenses 
of personnel to carry out a program under section 32 of 
the Act of August 24, 1935 (7 U.S.C. 612c; in this section 
referred to as ‘‘section 32’’) in excess of $1,299,600,000 
(exclusive of carryover appropriations from prior fiscal 
years), as follows: Child Nutrition Programs Entitlement 
Commodities—$485,000,000; State Option Contracts— 
$5,000,000; 
Removal 
of 
Defective 
Commodities— 
$2,500,000; Administration of Section 32 Commodity 
Purchases—$35,853,000: Provided, That of the total 
funds made available in the matter preceding this proviso 
that remain unobligated on October 1, 2019, such unobli-
gated balances shall carryover into fiscal year 2020 and 
shall remain available until expended for any of the pur-
poses of section 32, except that any such carryover funds 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:10 Jan 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00079
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H648.PCS
H648
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
HR 648 PCS 
used in accordance with clause (3) of section 32 may not 
exceed $350,000,000 and may not be obligated until the 
Secretary of Agriculture provides written notification of 
the expenditures to the Committees on Appropriations of 
both Houses of Congress at least two weeks in advance: 
Provided further, That, with the exception of any available 
carryover funds authorized in any prior appropriations Act 
to be used for the purposes of clause (3) of section 32, 
none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made avail-
able by this or any other Act shall be used to pay the 
salaries or expenses of any employee of the Department 
of Agriculture to carry out clause (3) of section 32. 
SEC. 716. None of the funds appropriated by this or 
any other Act shall be used to pay the salaries and ex-
penses of personnel who prepare or submit appropriations 
language as part of the President’s budget submission to 
the Congress for programs under the jurisdiction of the 
Appropriations Subcommittees on Agriculture, Rural De-
velopment, Food and Drug Administration, and Related 
Agencies that assumes revenues or reflects a reduction 
from the previous year due to user fees proposals that 
have not been enacted into law prior to the submission 
of the budget unless such budget submission identifies 
which additional spending reductions should occur in the 
event the user fees proposals are not enacted prior to the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:10 Jan 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00080
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H648.PCS
H648
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
HR 648 PCS 
date of the convening of a committee of conference for 
the fiscal year 2020 appropriations Act. 
SEC. 717. (a) None of the funds provided by this Act, 
or provided by previous appropriations Acts to the agen-
cies funded by this Act that remain available for obligation 
or expenditure in the current fiscal year, or provided from 
any accounts in the Treasury derived by the collection of 
fees available to the agencies funded by this Act, shall be 
available for obligation or expenditure through a re-
programming, transfer of funds, or reimbursements as au-
thorized by the Economy Act, or in the case of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture, through use of the authority provided 
by section 702(b) of the Department of Agriculture Or-
ganic Act of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2257) or section 8 of Public 
Law 89–106 (7 U.S.C. 2263), that— 
(1) creates new programs; 
(2) eliminates a program, project, or activity; 
(3) increases funds or personnel by any means 
for any project or activity for which funds have been 
denied or restricted; 
(4) relocates an office or employees; 
(5) reorganizes offices, programs, or activities; 
or 
(6) contracts out or privatizes any functions or 
activities presently performed by Federal employees; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:10 Jan 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00081
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H648.PCS
H648
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
HR 648 PCS 
unless the Secretary of Agriculture, or the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services (as the case may be) notifies 
in writing and receives approval from the Committees on 
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at least 30 
days in advance of the reprogramming of such funds or 
the use of such authority. 
(b) None of the funds provided by this Act, or pro-
vided by previous Appropriations Acts to the agencies 
funded by this Act that remain available for obligation or 
expenditure in the current fiscal year, or provided from 
any accounts in the Treasury derived by the collection of 
fees available to the agencies funded by this Act, shall be 
available for obligation or expenditure for activities, pro-
grams, or projects through a reprogramming or use of the 
authorities referred to in subsection (a) involving funds 
in excess of $500,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less, 
that— 
(1) augments existing programs, projects, or ac-
tivities; 
(2) reduces by 10 percent funding for any exist-
ing program, project, or activity, or numbers of per-
sonnel by 10 percent as approved by Congress; or 
(3) results from any general savings from a re-
duction in personnel which would result in a change 
in existing programs, activities, or projects as ap-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:10 Jan 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00082
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H648.PCS
H648
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
HR 648 PCS 
proved by Congress; unless the Secretary of Agri-
culture or the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices (as the case may be) notifies in writing and re-
ceives approval from the Committees on Appropria-
tions of both Houses of Congress at least 30 days 
in advance of the reprogramming or transfer of such 
funds or the use of such authority. 
(c) The Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services shall notify in writing and 
receive approval from the Committees on Appropriations 
of both Houses of Congress before implementing any pro-
gram or activity not carried out during the previous fiscal 
year unless the program or activity is funded by this Act 
or specifically funded by any other Act. 
(d) None of the funds provided by this Act, or pro-
vided by previous Appropriations Acts to the agencies 
funded by this Act that remain available for obligation or 
expenditure in the current fiscal year, or provided from 
any accounts in the Treasury derived by the collection of 
fees available to the agencies funded by this Act, shall be 
available for— 
(1) modifying major capital investments fund-
ing levels, including information technology systems, 
that involves increasing or decreasing funds in the 
current fiscal year for the individual investment in 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:10 Jan 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00083
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H648.PCS
H648
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
HR 648 PCS 
excess of $500,000 or 10 percent of the total cost, 
whichever is less; 
(2) realigning or reorganizing new, current, or 
vacant positions or agency activities or functions to 
establish a center, office, branch, or similar entity 
with five or more personnel; or 
(3) carrying out activities or functions that 
were not described in the budget request; unless the 
agencies funded by this Act notify, in writing, the 
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
Congress at least 30 days in advance of using the 
funds for these purposes. 
(e) As described in this section, no funds may be used 
for any activities unless the Secretary of Agriculture or 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services receives from 
the Committee on Appropriations of both Houses of Con-
gress written or electronic mail confirmation of receipt of 
the notification as required in this section. 
SEC. 718. Notwithstanding section 310B(g)(5) of the 
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
1932(g)(5)), the Secretary may assess a one-time fee for 
any guaranteed business and industry loan in an amount 
that does not exceed 3 percent of the guaranteed principal 
portion of the loan. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:10 Jan 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00084
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H648.PCS
H648
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
HR 648 PCS 
SEC. 719. None of the funds appropriated or other-
wise made available to the Department of Agriculture, the 
Food and Drug Administration, or the Farm Credit Ad-
ministration shall be used to transmit or otherwise make 
available reports, questions, or responses to questions that 
are a result of information requested for the appropria-
tions hearing process to any non-Department of Agri-
culture, non-Department of Health and Human Services, 
or non-Farm Credit Administration employee. 
SEC. 720. Unless otherwise authorized by existing 
law, none of the funds provided in this Act, may be used 
by an executive branch agency to produce any pre-
packaged news story intended for broadcast or distribution 
in the United States unless the story includes a clear noti-
fication within the text or audio of the prepackaged news 
story that the prepackaged news story was prepared or 
funded by that executive branch agency. 
SEC. 721. No employee of the Department of Agri-
culture may be detailed or assigned from an agency or 
office funded by this Act or any other Act to any other 
agency or office of the Department for more than 60 days 
in a fiscal year unless the individual’s employing agency 
or office is fully reimbursed by the receiving agency or 
office for the salary and expenses of the employee for the 
period of assignment. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:10 Jan 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00085
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H648.PCS
H648
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
HR 648 PCS 
SEC. 722. For the purposes of determining eligibility 
or level of program assistance for Rural Development pro-
grams the Secretary shall not include incarcerated prison 
populations. 
SEC. 723. Not later than 30 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, the 
Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, and 
the Chairman of the Farm Credit Administration shall 
submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both 
Houses of Congress a detailed spending plan by program, 
project, and activity for all the funds made available under 
this Act including appropriated user fees, as defined in 
the joint explanatory statement accompanying this Act. 
SEC. 724. Of the unobligated balances from amounts 
made available for the supplemental nutrition program as 
authorized by section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 
1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786), $500,000,000 are hereby re-
scinded. 
SEC. 725. The Secretary shall continue an inter-
mediary loan packaging program based on the pilot pro-
gram in effect for fiscal year 2013 for packaging and re-
viewing section 502 single family direct loans. The Sec-
retary shall continue agreements with current inter-
mediary organizations and with additional qualified inter-
mediary organizations. The Secretary shall work with 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:10 Jan 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00086
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H648.PCS
H648
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
HR 648 PCS 
these organizations to increase effectiveness of the section 
502 single family direct loan program in rural commu-
nities and shall set aside and make available from the na-
tional reserve section 502 loans an amount necessary to 
support the work of such intermediaries and provide a pri-
ority for review of such loans. 
SEC. 726. For loans and loan guarantees that do not 
require budget authority and the program level has been 
established in this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture may 
increase the program level for such loans and loan guaran-
tees by not more than 25 percent: Provided, That prior 
to the Secretary implementing such an increase, the Sec-
retary notifies, in writing, the Committees on Appropria-
tions of both Houses of Congress at least 15 days in ad-
vance. 
SEC. 727. None of the credit card refunds or rebates 
transferred to the Working Capital Fund pursuant to sec-
tion 729 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and 
Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropria-
tions Act, 2002 (7 U.S.C. 2235a; Public Law 107–76) 
shall be available for obligation without written notifica-
tion to, and the prior approval of, the Committees on Ap-
propriations of both Houses of Congress: Provided, That 
the refunds or rebates so transferred shall be available for 
obligation only for the acquisition of plant and capital 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:10 Jan 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00087
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H648.PCS
H648
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
HR 648 PCS 
equipment necessary for the delivery of financial, adminis-
trative, and information technology services of primary 
benefit to the agencies of the Department of Agriculture. 
SEC. 728. None of the funds made available by this 
Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce the 
‘‘variety’’ requirements of the final rule entitled ‘‘Enhanc-
ing Retailer Standards in the Supplemental Nutrition As-
sistance Program (SNAP)’’ published by the Department 
of Agriculture in the Federal Register on December 15, 
2016 (81 Fed. Reg. 90675) until the Secretary of Agri-
culture amends the definition of the term ‘‘variety’’ as de 
fined in section 278.1(b)(1)(ii)(C) of title 7, Code of Fed-
eral Regulations, and ‘‘variety’’ as applied in the definition 
of the term ‘‘staple food’’ as defined in section 271.2 of 
title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, to increase the num-
ber of items that qualify as acceptable varieties in each 
staple food category so that the total number of such items 
in each staple food category exceeds the number of such 
items in each staple food category included in the final 
rule as published on December 15, 2016: Provided, That 
until the Secretary promulgates such regulatory amend-
ments, the Secretary shall apply the requirements regard-
ing acceptable varieties and breadth of stock to Supple-
mental Nutrition Assistance Program retailers that were 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:10 Jan 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00088
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H648.PCS
H648
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
HR 648 PCS 
in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of 
the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–79). 
SEC. 729. None of the funds made available by this 
Act or any other Act may be used— 
(1) in contravention of section 7606 of the Ag-
ricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 5940); or 
(2) to prohibit the transportation, processing, 
sale, or use of industrial hemp, or seeds of such 
plant, that is grown or cultivated in accordance with 
subsection section 7606 of the Agricultural Act of 
2014, within or outside the State in which the indus-
trial hemp is grown or cultivated. 
SEC. 730. Funds provided by this or any prior Appro-
priations Act for the Agriculture and Food Research Ini-
tiative under 7 U.S.C. 450i(b) shall be made available 
without regard to section 7128 of the Agricultural Act of 
2014 (7 U.S.C. 3371 note), under the matching require-
ments in laws in effect on the date before the date of en-
actment of such section: Provided, That the requirements 
of 7 U.S.C. 450i(b)(9) shall continue to apply. 
SEC. 731. In carrying out subsection (h) of section 
502 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1472), the 
Secretary of Agriculture shall have the same authority 
with respect to loans guaranteed under such section and 
eligible lenders for such loans as the Secretary has under 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:10 Jan 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00089
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H648.PCS
H648
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
HR 648 PCS 
subsections (h) and (j) of section 538 of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 1490p–2) with respect to loans guaranteed under 
such section 538 and eligible lenders for such loans. 
SEC. 732. None of the funds made available by this 
Act may be used to propose, promulgate, or implement 
any rule, or take any other action with respect to, allowing 
or requiring information intended for a prescribing health 
care professional, in the case of a drug or biological prod-
uct subject to section 503(b)(1) of the Federal Food, 
Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 353(b)(1)), to be dis-
tributed to such professional electronically (in lieu of in 
paper form) unless and until a Federal law is enacted to 
allow or require such distribution. 
SEC. 733. None of the funds made available by this 
Act may be used to notify a sponsor or otherwise acknowl-
edge receipt of a submission for an exemption for inves-
tigational use of a drug or biological product under section 
505(i) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 
U.S.C. 355(i)) or section 351(a)(3) of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262(a)(3)) in research in which 
a human embryo is intentionally created or modified to 
include a heritable genetic modification. Any such submis-
sion shall be deemed to have not been received by the Sec-
retary, and the exemption may not go into effect. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:10 Jan 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00090
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H648.PCS
H648
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS