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‘‘(A) to reduce the risk or extent of, or in-
crease the resilience to, insect or disease infes-
tation; or 
‘‘(B) to reduce hazardous fuels.’’. 
(2) 
PERMANENT
AUTHORITY.—Section 
602(d)(2) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 
2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591a(d)(2)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘for which a public notice to initiate scoping is 
issued on or before September 30, 2018,’’. 
(c) ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW.— 
(1) 
CLARIFICATION
OF
TREATMENT
OF 
AREAS.—Section 603(a) of the Healthy Forests Res-
toration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591b(a)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘in accordance with section 
602(d)’’ and inserting ‘‘in accordance with section 
602(d)(1)’’. 
(2) PROJECT
SIZE
AND
LOCATION.—Section 
603(c)(1) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 
2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591b(c)(1)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘3000’’ and inserting ‘‘6,000’’. 
(d) STEWARDSHIP
PROJECT
RECEIPTS.—Section 
604(e) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 
(16 U.S.C. 6591c(e)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting ‘‘subject 
to paragraph (3)(A),’’ before ‘‘shall’’; and 
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(2) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ‘‘services 
received by the Chief or the Director’’ and all that 
follows through the period at the end and inserting 
the following: ‘‘services and in-kind resources re-
ceived by the Chief or the Director under a steward-
ship contract project conducted under this section 
shall not be considered monies received from the Na-
tional Forest System or the public lands, but any 
payments made by the contractor to the Chief or Di-
rector under the project shall be considered monies 
received from the National Forest System or the 
public lands.’’. 
SEC. 8108. NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION ACT AUTHORI-
TIES. 
(a) EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE MATCH-
ING FUNDS
FOR ADMINISTRATIVE
AND PROJECT EX-
PENSES.—Section 405(b) of the National Forest Founda-
tion Act (16 U.S.C. 583j–3(b)) is amended by striking 
‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
410(b) of the National Forest Foundation Act (16 U.S.C. 
583j–8(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’. 
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SEC. 8109. INCLUSION OF INVASIVE VEGETATION IN DES-
IGNATED TREATMENT AREAS. 
Section 602 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act 
of 2003 is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘, 
invasive vegetation,’’ after ‘‘insect’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘, 
invasive vegetation,’’ after ‘‘insects’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)(2), by inserting ‘‘, invasive 
vegetation,’’ after ‘‘insect’’. 
Subtitle B—Secure Rural Schools 
and Community Self-Determina-
tion Act of 2000 Amendments 
SEC. 8201. USE OF RESERVED FUNDS FOR TITLE II 
PROJECTS ON FEDERAL LAND AND CERTAIN 
NON-FEDERAL LAND. 
Section 204(f) of the Secure Rural Schools and Com-
munity Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 
7124(f)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(f) REQUIREMENTS FOR PROJECT FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
the Secretary concerned shall ensure that at least 50 
percent of the project funds reserved under section 
102(d) by a participating county shall be available 
only for projects that— 
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‘‘(A) include— 
‘‘(i) the sale of timber or other forest 
products; 
‘‘(ii) reduce fire risks; or 
‘‘(iii) improve water supplies; and 
‘‘(B) implement stewardship objectives 
that enhance forest ecosystems or restore and 
improve land health and water quality. 
‘‘(2) 
APPLICABILITY.—The 
requirement 
in 
paragraph (1) shall apply only to project funds re-
served by a participating county whose boundaries 
include Federal land that the Secretary concerned 
determines has been subject to a timber or other for-
est products program within 5 fiscal years before the 
fiscal year in which the funds are reserved.’’. 
SEC. 8202. RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEES. 
(a) RECOGNITION OF RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMIT-
TEES.—Section 205(a)(4) of the Secure Rural Schools 
and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 
U.S.C. 7125(a)(4)) is amended by striking ‘‘2018’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
(b) REDUCTION IN COMPOSITION OF COMMITTEES.— 
Section 205(d) of the Secure Rural Schools and Commu-
nity Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7125(d)) 
is amended— 
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(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘15 members’’ 
and inserting ‘‘9 members’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘5 persons’’ each place it ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘3 persons’’. 
(c) EXPANDING LOCAL PARTICIPATION ON COMMIT-
TEES.—Section 205(d) of the Secure Rural Schools and 
Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 
7125(d)) is further amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by inserting before the pe-
riod at the end the following: ‘‘, consistent with the 
requirements of paragraph (4)’’; and 
(2) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—The mem-
bers of a resource advisory committee shall reside 
within the county or counties in which the committee 
has jurisdiction, or an adjacent county.’’. 
(d) APPOINTMENT OF RESOURCE ADVISORY COM-
MITTEES BY APPLICABLE DESIGNEE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 205 of the Secure 
Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination 
Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7125) is further amended— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
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(i) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘(or 
applicable designee)’’ after ‘‘The Secretary 
concerned’’; 
(ii) in paragraph (3), by inserting 
‘‘(or applicable designee)’’ after ‘‘the Sec-
retary concerned’’; and 
(iii) in paragraph (4), by inserting 
‘‘(or applicable designee)’’ after ‘‘the Sec-
retary concerned’’ both places it appears; 
(B) in subsection (b)(6), by inserting ‘‘(or 
applicable designee)’’ after ‘‘the Secretary con-
cerned’’; 
(C) in subsection (c)— 
(i) in the subsection heading, by in-
serting ‘‘OR APPLICABLE DESIGNEE’’ after 
‘‘BY THE SECRETARY’’; 
(ii) in paragraph (1), by inserting 
‘‘(or applicable designee)’’ after ‘‘The Sec-
retary concerned’’ both places it appears; 
(iii) in paragraph (2), by inserting 
‘‘(or applicable designee)’’ after ‘‘The Sec-
retary concerned’’; 
(iv) in paragraph (4), by inserting 
‘‘(or applicable designee)’’ after ‘‘The Sec-
retary concerned’’; and 
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(v) by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(6) APPLICABLE DESIGNEE.—In this section, 
the term ‘applicable designee’ means— 
‘‘(A) with respect to Federal land de-
scribed in section 3(7)(A), the applicable Re-
gional Forester; and 
‘‘(B) with respect to Federal land de-
scribed in section 3(7)(B), the applicable Bu-
reau of Land Management State Director.’’; 
(D) in subsection (d)(3), by inserting ‘‘(or 
applicable designee)’’ after ‘‘the Secretary con-
cerned’’; and 
(E) in subsection (f)(1)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘(or applicable des-
ignee)’’ after ‘‘the Secretary concerned’’; 
and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘(or applicable des-
ignee)’’ after ‘‘of the Secretary’’. 
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 
201(3) of the Secure Rural Schools and Community 
Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7121(3)) 
is amended by inserting ‘‘(or applicable designee (as 
defined in section 205(c)(6)))’’ after ‘‘Secretary con-
cerned’’ both places it appears. 
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SEC. 8203. PROGRAM FOR TITLE II SELF-SUSTAINING RE-
SOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE PROJECTS. 
(a) SELF-SUSTAINING RESOURCE ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE PROJECTS.—Title II of the Secure Rural Schools 
and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 
U.S.C. 7121 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 209. PROGRAM FOR SELF-SUSTAINING RESOURCE AD-
VISORY COMMITTEE PROJECTS. 
‘‘(a) RAC PROGRAM.—The Chief of the Forest Serv-
ice shall conduct a program (to be known as the ‘self-sus-
taining resource advisory committee program’ or ‘RAC 
program’) under which 10 resource advisory committees 
will propose projects authorized by subsection (c) to be 
carried out using project funds reserved by a participating 
county under section 102(d). 
‘‘(b) SELECTION OF PARTICIPATING RESOURCE AD-
VISORY COMMITTEES.—The selection of resource advisory 
committees to participate in the RAC program is in the 
sole discretion of the Chief of the Forest Service. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZED PROJECTS.—Notwithstanding the 
project purposes specified in sections 202(b), 203(c), and 
204(a)(5), projects under the RAC program are intended 
to— 
‘‘(1) accomplish forest management objectives 
or support community development; and 
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‘‘(2) generate receipts. 
‘‘(d) DEPOSIT AND AVAILABILITY OF REVENUES.— 
Any revenue generated by a project conducted under the 
RAC program, including any interest accrued from the 
revenues, shall be— 
‘‘(1) deposited in the special account in the 
Treasury established under section 102(d)(2)(A); 
and 
‘‘(2) available, in such amounts as may be pro-
vided in advance in appropriation Acts, for addi-
tional projects under the RAC program. 
‘‘(e) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The authority to initiate a 
project under the RAC program shall terminate on 
September 30, 2023. 
‘‘(2) DEPOSITS
IN
TREASURY.—Any funds 
available for projects under the RAC program and 
not obligated by September 30, 2024, shall be depos-
ited in the Treasury of the United States.’’. 
(b) EXCEPTION
TO GENERAL RULE REGARDING 
TREATMENT OF RECEIPTS.—Section 403(b) of the Secure 
Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 
2000 (16 U.S.C. 7153(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘All rev-
enues’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as provided in section 209, 
all revenues’’. 
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Subtitle C—Availability of Categor-
ical Exclusions To Expedite For-
est Management Activities 
PART I—GENERAL PROVISIONS 
SEC. 8301. DEFINITIONS. 
In this subtitle: 
(1) CATASTROPHIC EVENT.—The term ‘‘cata-
strophic event’’ means any natural disaster (such as 
hurricane, tornado, windstorm, snow or ice storm, 
rain storm, high water, wind-driven water, tidal 
wave, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, 
mudslide, drought, or insect or disease outbreak) or 
any fire, flood, or explosion, regardless of cause. 
(2) COOS BAY WAGON ROAD GRANT LANDS.— 
The term ‘‘Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands’’ 
means the lands reconveyed to the United States 
pursuant to the first section of the Act of February 
26, 1919 (40 Stat. 1179). 
(3) FOREST
MANAGEMENT
ACTIVITY.—The 
term ‘‘forest management activity’’ means a project 
or activity carried out by the Secretary concerned on 
National Forest System lands or public lands con-
sistent with the forest plan covering the lands. 
(4) FOREST
PLAN.—The term ‘‘forest plan’’ 
means— 
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(A) a land use plan prepared by the Bu-
reau of Land Management for public lands pur-
suant to section 202 of the Federal Land Policy 
and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 
1712); or 
(B) a land and resource management plan 
prepared by the Forest Service for a unit of the 
National Forest System pursuant to section 6 
of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Re-
sources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 
1604). 
(5) NATIONAL
FOREST
SYSTEM.—The term 
‘‘National Forest System’’ has the meaning given 
that term in section 11(a) of the Forest and Range-
land Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 
U.S.C. 1609(a)). 
(6) OREGON AND CALIFORNIA RAILROAD GRANT 
LANDS.—The term ‘‘Oregon and California Railroad 
Grant lands’’ means the following lands: 
(A) All lands in the State of Oregon re-
vested in the United States under the Act of 
June 9, 1916 (39 Stat. 218), that are adminis-
tered by the Secretary of the Interior, acting 
through the Bureau of Land Management, pur-
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suant to the first section of the Act of August 
28, 1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181a). 
(B) All lands in that State obtained by the 
Secretary of the Interior pursuant to the land 
exchanges authorized and directed by section 2 
of the Act of June 24, 1954 (43 U.S.C. 1181h). 
(C) All lands in that State acquired by the 
United States at any time and made subject to 
the provisions of title II of the Act of August 
28, 1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181f). 
(7) PUBLIC LANDS.—The term ‘‘public lands’’ 
has the meaning given that term in section 103 of 
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702), except that the term in-
cludes Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands and Or-
egon and California Railroad Grant lands. 
(8) REFORESTATION ACTIVITY.—The term ‘‘re-
forestation activity’’ means a forest management ac-
tivity carried out by the Secretary concerned where 
the primary purpose is the reforestation of impacted 
lands following a catastrophic event. The term in-
cludes planting, evaluating and enhancing natural 
regeneration, clearing competing vegetation, and 
other activities related to reestablishment of forest 
species on the impacted lands. 
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(9) RESOURCE
ADVISORY
COMMITTEE.—The 
term ‘‘resource advisory committee’’ has the mean-
ing given that term in section 201 of the Secure 
Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination 
Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7121). 
(10) SALVAGE OPERATION.—The term ‘‘salvage 
operation’’ means a forest management activity car-
ried out in response to a catastrophic event where 
the primary purpose is— 
(A) to prevent wildfire as a result of the 
catastrophic event, or, if the catastrophic event 
was wildfire, to prevent a re-burn of the fire-im-
pacted area; 
(B) to provide an opportunity for utiliza-
tion of forest materials damaged as a result of 
the catastrophic event; or 
(C) to provide a funding source for refor-
estation for the National Forest System lands 
or public lands impacted by the catastrophic 
event. 
(11) 
SECRETARY
CONCERNED.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretary concerned’’ means— 
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with re-
spect to National Forest System lands; and 
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(B) the Secretary of the Interior, with re-
spect to public lands. 
SEC. 8302. RULE OF APPLICATION FOR NATIONAL FOREST 
SYSTEM LANDS AND PUBLIC LANDS. 
Unless specifically provided by a provision of this sub-
title, the authorities provided by this subtitle do not apply 
with respect to any National Forest System lands or pub-
lic lands— 
(1) that are included in the National Wilderness 
Preservation System; 
(2) that are located within a national or State- 
specific inventoried roadless area established by the 
Secretary of Agriculture through regulation, un-
less— 
(A) the forest management activity to be 
carried out under such authority is consistent 
with the forest plan applicable to the area; or 
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture deter-
mines the forest management activity is permis-
sible under the applicable roadless rule gov-
erning such lands; or 
(3) on which timber harvesting for any purpose 
is prohibited by Federal statute. 
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SEC. 8303. CONSULTATION UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPE-
CIES ACT. 
(a) NO CONSULTATION IF ACTION NOT LIKELY TO 
ADVERSELY AFFECT A LISTED SPECIES OR DESIGNATED 
CRITICAL HABITAT.—With respect to a forest manage-
ment activity carried out pursuant to this subtitle, con-
sultation under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act 
of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536) shall not be required if the Sec-
retary concerned determines that such forest management 
activity is not likely to adversely affect a listed species or 
designated critical habitat. 
(b) EXPEDITED CONSULTATION.—With respect to a 
forest management activity carried out pursuant to this 
subtitle, consultation required under section 7 of the En-
dangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536) shall be 
concluded within the 90-day period beginning on the date 
on which such consultation was requested by the Secretary 
concerned. 
SEC. 8304. SECRETARIAL DISCRETION IN THE CASE OF TWO 
OR MORE CATEGORICAL EXCLUSIONS. 
To the extent that a forest management activity may 
be categorically excluded under more than one of the sec-
tions of this subtitle, the Secretary concerned shall have 
full discretion to determine which categorical exclusion to 
use. 
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PART II—CATEGORICAL EXCLUSIONS 
SEC. 8311. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO EXPEDITE CER-
TAIN CRITICAL RESPONSE ACTIONS. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities described in subsection (b) are 
a category of actions hereby designated as being categori-
cally excluded from the preparation of an environmental 
assessment or an environmental impact statement under 
section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DESIGNATED 
FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—The category of forest 
management activities designated under this section for 
a categorical exclusion are forest management activities 
carried out by the Secretary concerned on National Forest 
System lands or public lands where the primary purpose 
of such activity is— 
(1) to address an insect or disease infestation; 
(2) to reduce hazardous fuel loads; 
(3) to protect a municipal water source; 
(4) to maintain, enhance, or modify critical 
habitat to protect it from catastrophic disturbances; 
(5) to increase water yield; or 
(6) any combination of the purposes specified in 
paragraphs (1) through (5). 
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(c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary concerned may use the categorical exclusion es-
tablished under subsection (a) in accordance with this sec-
tion. 
(d) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.—A forest management 
activity covered by the categorical exclusion established 
under subsection (a) may not contain treatment units ex-
ceeding a total of 6,000 acres. 
SEC. 8312. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO EXPEDITE SAL-
VAGE OPERATIONS IN RESPONSE TO CATA-
STROPHIC EVENTS. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—Sal-
vage operations carried out by the Secretary concerned on 
National Forest System lands or public lands are a cat-
egory of actions hereby designated as being categorically 
excluded from the preparation of an environmental assess-
ment or an environmental impact statement under section 
102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary concerned may use the categorical exclusion es-
tablished under subsection (a) in accordance with this sec-
tion. 
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(c) ACREAGE LIMITATION.—A salvage operation cov-
ered by the categorical exclusion established under sub-
section (a) may not contain treatment units exceeding a 
total of 6,000 acres. 
(d) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) STREAM
BUFFERS.—A salvage operation 
covered by the categorical exclusion established 
under subsection (a) shall comply with the standards 
and guidelines for stream buffers contained in the 
applicable forest plan, except that the Regional For-
ester, in the case of National Forest System lands, 
or the State Director of the Bureau of Land Man-
agement, in the case of public lands, may, on a case- 
by-case basis, waive the standards and guidelines. 
(2) REFORESTATION
PLAN.—A reforestation 
plan shall be developed under section 3 of the Act 
of June 9, 1930 (commonly known as the Knutson- 
Vandenberg Act; (16 U.S.C. 576b)), as part of a sal-
vage operation covered by the categorical exclusion 
established under subsection (a). 
SEC. 8313. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO MEET FOREST 
PLAN GOALS FOR EARLY SUCCESSIONAL 
FORESTS. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities described in subsection (b) are 
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a category of actions hereby designated as being categori-
cally excluded from the preparation of an environmental 
assessment or an environmental impact statement under 
section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DESIGNATED 
FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—The category of forest 
management activities designated under this section for 
a categorical exclusion are forest management activities 
carried out by the Secretary concerned on National Forest 
System lands or public lands where the primary purpose 
of such activity is to improve, enhance, or create early suc-
cessional forests for wildlife habitat improvement and 
other purposes, consistent with the applicable forest plan. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary concerned may use the categorical exclusion es-
tablished under subsection (a) in accordance with this sec-
tion. 
(d) PROJECT GOALS.—To the maximum extent prac-
ticable, the Secretary concerned shall design a forest man-
agement activity under this section to meet early succes-
sional forest goals in such a manner so as to maximize 
production and regeneration of priority species, as identi-
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fied in the forest plan and consistent with the capability 
of the activity site. 
(e) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.—A forest management 
activity covered by the categorical exclusion established 
under subsection (a) may not contain treatment units ex-
ceeding a total of 6,000 acres. 
SEC. 8314. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR HAZARD TREES. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities carried out by the Secretary 
concerned to remove hazard trees for purposes of the pro-
tection of public health or safety, water supply, or public 
infrastructure are a category of actions hereby designated 
as being categorically excluded from the preparation of an 
environmental assessment or an environmental impact 
statement under section 102 of the National Environ-
mental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary concerned may use the categorical exclusion es-
tablished under subsection (a) in accordance with this sec-
tion. 
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SEC. 8315. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO IMPROVE OR RE-
STORE NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS OR 
PUBLIC LAND OR REDUCE THE RISK OF 
WILDFIRE. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities described in subsection (b) are 
a category of actions hereby designated as being categori-
cally excluded from the preparation of an environmental 
assessment or an environmental impact statement under 
section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DESIGNATED 
FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
(1) DESIGNATION.—The category of forest 
management activities designated under this section 
for a categorical exclusion are forest management 
activities described in paragraph (2) that are carried 
out by the Secretary concerned on National Forest 
System lands or public lands where the primary pur-
pose of such activity is to improve or restore such 
lands or reduce the risk of wildfire on those lands. 
(2) ACTIVITIES
AUTHORIZED.—The following 
forest management activities may be carried out 
pursuant to the categorical exclusion established 
under subsection (a): 
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(A) Removal of juniper trees, medusahead 
rye, conifer trees, pin˜on pine trees, cheatgrass, 
and other noxious or invasive weeds specified on 
Federal or State noxious weeds lists through 
late-season livestock grazing, targeted livestock 
grazing, prescribed burns, and mechanical 
treatments. 
(B) Performance of hazardous fuels man-
agement. 
(C) Creation of fuel and fire breaks. 
(D) Modification of existing fences in order 
to distribute livestock and help improve wildlife 
habitat. 
(E) Stream restoration and erosion con-
trol, including the installation of erosion control 
devices. 
(F) Construction of new and maintenance 
of permanent infrastructure, including stock 
ponds, water catchments, and water spring 
boxes used to benefit livestock and improve 
wildlife habitat. 
(G) Performance of soil treatments, native 
and non-native seeding, and planting of and 
transplanting sagebrush, grass, forb, shrub, and 
other species. 
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(H) Use of herbicides, so long as the Sec-
retary concerned determines that the activity is 
otherwise conducted consistently with agency 
procedures, including any forest plan applicable 
to the area covered by the activity. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary concerned may use the categorical exclusion es-
tablished under subsection (a) in accordance with this sec-
tion. 
(d) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.—A forest management 
activity covered by the categorical exclusion established 
under subsection (a) may not contain treatment units ex-
ceeding a total of 6,000 acres. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) HAZARDOUS
FUELS
MANAGEMENT.—The 
term ‘‘hazardous fuels management’’ means any 
vegetation management activities that reduce the 
risk of wildfire. 
(2) LATE-SEASON GRAZING.—The term ‘‘late- 
season grazing’’ means grazing activities that occur 
after both the invasive species and native perennial 
species have completed their current-year annual 
growth cycle until new plant growth begins to ap-
pear in the following year. 
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(3) 
TARGETED
LIVESTOCK
GRAZING.—The 
term ‘‘targeted livestock grazing’’ means grazing 
used for purposes of hazardous fuels management. 
SEC. 8316. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR FOREST RES-
TORATION. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities described in subsection (b) are 
a category of actions hereby designated as being categori-
cally excluded from the preparation of an environmental 
assessment or an environmental impact statement under 
section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DESIGNATED 
FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
(1) DESIGNATION.—The category of forest 
management activities designated under this section 
for categorical exclusion are forest management ac-
tivities described in paragraph (2) that are carried 
out by the Secretary concerned on National Forest 
System lands or public lands where the primary pur-
pose of such activity is— 
(A) to improve forest health and resiliency 
to disturbances; 
(B) to reduce hazardous fuels; or 
(C) to improve wildlife and aquatic habitat. 
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(2) ACTIVITIES
AUTHORIZED.—The following 
forest management activities may be carried out 
pursuant the categorical exclusion established under 
subsection (a): 
(A) Timber harvests, including commercial 
and pre-commercial timber harvest, salvage har-
vest, and regeneration harvest. 
(B) Hazardous fuels reduction. 
(C) Prescribed burning. 
(D) Improvement or establishment of wild-
life and aquatic habitat. 
(E) Stream restoration and erosion con-
trol. 
(F) Road and trail decommissioning. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary concerned may use the categorical exclusion es-
tablished under subsection (a) in accordance with this sec-
tion. 
(d) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.—A forest management 
activity covered by the categorical exclusion established 
under subsection (a) may not contain treatment units ex-
ceeding a total of 6,000 acres. 
(e) LIMITATIONS ON ROAD BUILDING.— 
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(1) PERMANENT ROADS.—A forest management 
activity covered by the categorical exclusion estab-
lished by subsection (a) may include— 
(A) the construction of permanent roads 
not to exceed 3 miles; and 
(B) the maintenance and reconstruction of 
existing permanent roads and trails, including 
the relocation of segments of existing roads and 
trails to address resource impacts. 
(2) TEMPORARY ROADS.—Any temporary road 
constructed for a forest management activity covered 
by the categorical exclusion established by subsection 
(a) shall be decommissioned not later than 3 years 
after the date on which the project is completed. 
SEC. 8317. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR INFRASTRUC-
TURE FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities described in subsection (b) are 
a category of actions hereby designated as being categori-
cally excluded from the preparation of an environmental 
assessment or an environmental impact statement under 
section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DESIGNATED 
FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—The category of forest 
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management activities designated under this section for 
categorical exclusion are forest management activities car-
ried out by the Secretary of Agriculture on National For-
est System lands where the primary purpose of such activ-
ity is— 
(1) constructing, reconstructing, or decommis-
sioning National Forest System roads not exceeding 
3 miles; 
(2) adding an existing road to the forest trans-
portation system; 
(3) reclassifying a National Forest System road 
at a different maintenance level; 
(4) reconstructing, rehabilitating, or decommis-
sioning bridges; 
(5) removing dams; or 
(6) maintaining facilities through the use of 
pesticides as authorized by applicable Federal and 
State law and as applied in accordance with label in-
structions. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Agriculture may use the categorical exclusion 
established under subsection (a) in accordance with this 
section. 
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SEC. 8318. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR DEVELOPED 
RECREATION SITES. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities described in subsection (b) are 
a category of actions hereby designated as being categori-
cally excluded from the preparation of an environmental 
assessment or an environmental impact statement under 
section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DESIGNATED 
FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
(1) DESIGNATION.—The category of forest 
management activities designated under this section 
for a categorical exclusion are forest management 
activities described in paragraph (2) carried out by 
the Secretary of Agriculture on National Forest Sys-
tem lands where the primary purpose of such activ-
ity is to operate, maintain, modify, reconstruct, or 
decommission existing developed recreation sites. 
(2) ACTIVITIES
AUTHORIZED.—The following 
forest management activities may be carried out 
pursuant to the categorical exclusion under sub-
section (a): 
(A) Constructing, modifying, or recon-
structing toilet or shower facilities. 
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(B) Constructing, modifying, or recon-
structing fishing piers, wildlife viewing plat-
forms, docks, or other constructed recreation 
sites or facilities. 
(C) Constructing, reconstructing, or main-
taining, parking areas, National Forest System 
roads, or National Forest System trails within 
or connecting to recreation sites, including pav-
ing and road and trail rerouting, except that— 
(i) 
permanent 
roads 
constructed 
under this section may not exceed 3 miles; 
and 
(ii) temporary roads constructed for 
projects covered by this section shall be de-
commissioned within 3 years of completion 
of the project. 
(D) Modifying or reconstructing existing 
water or waste disposal systems. 
(E) Constructing, modifying, or recon-
structing single or group use sites. 
(F) Decommissioning recreation facilities 
or portions of recreation facilities. 
(G) Decommissioning National Forest Sys-
tem roads or National Forest System trails not 
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exceeding 3 miles within or connecting to devel-
oped recreation sites. 
(H) Constructing, modifying, or recon-
structing boat landings. 
(I) Reconstructing existing ski lifts. 
(K) Modifying or reconstructing a recre-
ation lodging rental. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Agriculture may use the categorical exclusion 
established under subsection (a) in accordance with this 
section. 
SEC. 8319. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR ADMINISTRA-
TIVE SITES. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities described in subsection (b) are 
a category of actions hereby designated as being categori-
cally excluded from the preparation of an environmental 
assessment or an environmental impact statement under 
section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DESIGNATED 
FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—The category of forest 
management activities designated under this section for 
a categorical exclusion are forest management activities 
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carried out by the Secretary of Agriculture on National 
Forest System lands where the primary purpose of such 
activity is to construct, reconstruct, maintain, decommis-
sion, relocate, or dispose of an administrative site. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Agriculture may use the categorical exclusion 
established under subsection (a) in accordance with this 
section. 
(d) LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) PERMANENT ROADS.—A project covered by 
the categorical exclusion established by subsection 
(a) may include— 
(A) the construction of permanent roads 
not to exceed 3 miles; and 
(B) the maintenance and reconstruction of 
existing permanent roads and trails, including 
the relocation of segments of existing roads and 
trails to address resource impacts. 
(2) TEMPORARY ROADS.—Any temporary road 
constructed for a project covered by the categorical 
exclusion established by subsection (a) shall be de-
commissioned not later than 3 years after the date 
on which the project is completed. 
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(3) PESTICIDES.—Pesticides may only be used 
to carry out a project covered by the categorical ex-
clusion established by subsection (a) as authorized 
by applicable Federal and State law and as applied 
in accordance with label instructions. 
(e) DEFINITION OF ADMINISTRATIVE SITE.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘administrative site’’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 502(1) of the Forest Service Fa-
cility Realignment and Enhancement Act of 2005 (16 
U.S.C. 580d note). 
SEC. 8320. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR SPECIAL USE AU-
THORIZATIONS. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities described in subsection (b) are 
a category of actions hereby designated as being categori-
cally excluded from the preparation of an environmental 
assessment or an environmental impact statement under 
section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DESIGNATED 
FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—The category of forest 
management activities designated under this section for 
a categorical exclusion are forest management activities 
carried out by the Secretary of Agriculture on National 
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Forest System lands where the primary purpose of such 
activity is: 
(1) Issuance of a new special use authorization 
for an existing or expired special use authorization, 
without any substantial change in the scope and 
scale of the authorized use and occupancy when— 
(A) the issuance is a purely ministerial ac-
tion to account for administrative changes, such 
as a change in ownership or expiration of the 
current authorization; and 
(B) the applicant or holder is in compli-
ance with the terms and conditions of the exist-
ing or expired special use authorization. 
(2) Modification, removal, repair, maintenance, 
reconstruction, or replacement of a facility or im-
provement for an existing special use authorization. 
(3) Issuance of a new special use authorization 
or amendment to an existing special use authoriza-
tion for activities that will occur on existing roads, 
trails, facilities, or areas approved for use in a land 
management plan or other documented decision. 
(4) Approval, modification, or continuation of 
minor, short-term (5 years or less) special uses of 
National Forest System lands or public lands. 
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(5) Issuance of a special use authorization for 
an existing unauthorized use or occupancy that has 
not been deemed in trespass where no new ground 
disturbance is proposed. 
(6) Approval or modification of minor special 
uses of National Forest System lands or public lands 
that require less than 20 contiguous acres. 
(7) Approval of vegetative management plans, 
and vegetation management activities in accordance 
with an approved vegetation management plan, 
under a special use authorization for an electric 
transmission and distribution facility right-of-way. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF EXCLUSION.—On and after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agri-
culture may use the categorical exclusion established 
under subsection (a) in accordance with this section. 
(d) DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary of 
Agriculture shall not be required to prepare a project file 
or decision memorandum to categorically exclude a forest 
management activity described under paragraphs (1) 
through (4) of subsection (b). 
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SEC. 8321. CLARIFICATION OF EXISTING CATEGORICAL EX-
CLUSION AUTHORITY RELATED TO INSECT 
AND DISEASE INFESTATION. 
Section 603(c)(2)(B) of the Healthy Forests Restora-
tion Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591b(c)(2)(B)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘Fire Regime Groups I, II, or III’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘Fire Regime I, Fire Regime II, Fire Regime III, Fire 
Regime IV, or Fire Regime V’’. 
PART III—MISCELLANEOUS FOREST 
MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 8331. GOOD NEIGHBOR AGREEMENTS. 
Section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 
U.S.C. 2113a) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ‘‘Sec-
retary or a Governor’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary, 
Governor, county, or Indian Tribe’’; 
(B) in paragraph (4) by striking ‘‘Sec-
retary and a Governor’’ and inserting ‘‘Sec-
retary and a Governor, county, or an Indian 
Tribe’’; 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(10) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘Indian Tribe’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)). 
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‘‘(11) COUNTY.—The term ‘county’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 2 of title 1, 
United States Code.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ‘‘, 
county, or an Indian Tribe’’ after ‘‘Governor’’; 
and 
(B) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘, coun-
ty, or an Indian Tribe’’ after ‘‘Governor’’. 
SEC. 8332. PROMOTING CROSS-BOUNDARY WILDFIRE MITI-
GATION. 
Section 103 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act 
of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6513) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (d), by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) CROSS-BOUNDARY CONSIDERATIONS.—For 
any fiscal year for which the amount appropriated to 
the Secretary for hazardous fuels reduction is in ex-
cess of $300,000,000, the Secretary— 
‘‘(A) is encouraged to use the excess 
amounts for hazardous fuels reduction projects 
that incorporate cross-boundary treatments of 
landscapes on Federal land and non-Federal 
land; and 
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‘‘(B) may use the excess amounts to sup-
port authorized hazardous fuels reduction 
projects on non-Federal lands through grants to 
State Foresters, or equivalent State officials, in 
accordance with subsection (e) in an amount 
equal to the greater of— 
‘‘(i) 20 percent of the excess amount; 
and 
‘‘(ii) $20,000,000.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(e) 
CROSS-BOUNDARY
FUELS
REDUCTION 
PROJECTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—To the maximum extent 
practicable, the Secretary shall use the excess funds 
described in subsection (d)(3) to support hazardous 
fuels reduction projects that incorporate treatments 
for hazardous fuels reduction in landscapes across 
ownership boundaries on Federal, State, county, or 
Tribal land, private land, and other non-Federal 
land, particularly in areas identified as priorities in 
applicable State-wide forest resource assessments or 
strategies under section 2A(a) of the Cooperative 
Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 
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2101a(a)), as mutually agreed to by the State For-
ester and the Regional Forester. 
‘‘(2) LAND
TREATMENTS.—To conduct and 
fund treatments for projects that include Federal 
and non-Federal land, the Secretary may— 
‘‘(A) use the authorities of the Secretary 
relating to cooperation and technical and finan-
cial assistance, including the good neighbor au-
thority under— 
‘‘(i) section 8206 of the Agricultural 
Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a); and 
‘‘(ii) section 331 of the Department of 
the Interior and Related Agencies Appro-
priations Act, 2001 (16 U.S.C. 1011 note; 
Public Law 106–291); and 
‘‘(B) allocate excess funds under sub-
section (d)(3) for projects carried out pursuant 
to section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 
(16 U.S.C. 2113a). 
‘‘(3) COOPERATION.—In carrying out this sub-
section, the State Forester, in consultation with the 
Secretary (or a designee)— 
‘‘(A) shall consult with the owners of 
State, county, Tribal, and private land and 
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other non-Federal land with respect to haz-
ardous fuels reduction projects; and 
‘‘(B) shall not implement any project on 
non-Federal land without the consent of the 
owner of the non-Federal land. 
‘‘(4) EXISTING LAWS.—Regardless of the indi-
vidual or entity implementing a project on non-Fed-
eral land under this subsection, only the laws and 
regulations that apply to non-Federal land shall be 
applicable with respect to the project.’’. 
SEC. 8333. REGULATIONS REGARDING DESIGNATION OF 
DEAD OR DYING TREES OF CERTAIN TREE 
SPECIES 
ON 
NATIONAL 
FOREST 
SYSTEM 
LANDS IN CALIFORNIA AS EXEMPT FROM 
PROHIBITION ON EXPORT OF UNPROCESSED 
TIMBER 
ORIGINATING 
FROM 
FEDERAL 
LANDS. 
(a) ISSUANCE OF REGULATIONS.—Consistent with 
the rulemaking procedures specified in paragraph (2) of 
subsection (b) of section 489 of the Forest Resources Con-
servation and Shortage Relief Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 
620a), the Secretary of Agriculture shall make a deter-
mination under paragraph (1) of such subsection that un-
processed timber derived from dead or dying trees of a 
covered tree species originating on National Forest Sys-
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tem lands in the State of California are surplus to domes-
tic manufacturing needs and therefore exempt from the 
export prohibition contained in subsection (a) of such sec-
tion. 
(b) ELIMINATION OF ADVERSE EFFECTS.—In mak-
ing the determination under subsection (a) and in imple-
menting any regulations issued under such subsection, the 
Secretary of Agriculture shall— 
(1) consult with representatives of sawmills in 
the State of California and other interested persons; 
and 
(2) make reasonable efforts to avoid adversely 
impacting the domestic sawmill industry in the State 
of California. 
(c) SPECIAL CONTRACT PROVISIONS.—The Secretary 
of Agriculture may adjust contract provisions for Forest 
Service contracts in region 5 of the National Forest Sys-
tem as the Secretary considers appropriate to ensure suc-
cessful implementation of, and compliance with, the regu-
lations issued under subsection (a). 
(d) RELATION TO LIMITATIONS ON TIMBER SUBSTI-
TUTION.—Section 490 of the Forest Resources Conserva-
tion and Shortage Relief Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 620b) 
shall not apply to unprocessed timber designated as sur-
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plus pursuant to the regulations issued under subsection 
(a). 
(e) ADDITIONAL STAFF
FOR IMPLEMENTATION.— 
Using funds otherwise available to the Forest Service for 
management, protection, improvement, and utilization of 
the National Forest System, the Secretary of Agriculture 
may hire additional Forest Service employees to imple-
ment the regulations issued under subsection (a). 
(f) DURATION
OF REGULATIONS; PERIODIC RE-
VIEW.—The regulations issued under subsection (a) shall 
remain in effect for a 10-year period beginning on the date 
of the issuance of the regulations, except that the contin-
ued need for the regulations shall be subject to the peri-
odic review required by the second sentence of section 
489(b)(2) of the Forest Resources Conservation and 
Shortage Relief Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 620a(b)(2)). 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COVERED TREE SPECIES.—The term ‘‘cov-
ered tree species’’ means the following pine species: 
(A) Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa). 
(B) Sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana). 
(C) Jeffrey pine (Pinus jefferyi). 
(D) Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta). 
(2) DIED
OR
DYING.—The term ‘‘died or 
dying’’, with respect to a covered tree species, shall 
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be determined in a manner consistent with applica-
ble Forest Service standards. 
SEC. 8334. SALVAGE AND REFORESTATION IN RESPONSE 
TO CATASTROPHIC EVENTS. 
(a) EXPEDITED SALVAGE OPERATIONS AND REFOR-
ESTATION ACTIVITIES FOLLOWING LARGE-SCALE CATA-
STROPHIC EVENTS.— 
(1) 
EXPEDITED
ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESS-
MENT.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
an environmental assessment prepared by the Sec-
retary concerned pursuant to section 102 of the Na-
tional Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4332) for a salvage operation or reforestation activ-
ity proposed to be conducted on National Forest 
System lands or public lands adversely impacted by 
a large-scale catastrophic event shall be completed 
within 60 days after the conclusion of the cata-
strophic event. 
(2) EXPEDITED
IMPLEMENTATION
AND
COM-
PLETION.—In the case of reforestation activities 
conducted on National Forest System lands or pub-
lic lands adversely impacted by a large-scale cata-
strophic event, the Secretary concerned shall, to the 
maximum extent practicable, achieve reforestation of 
at least 75 percent of the impacted lands during the 
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5-year period following the conclusion of the cata-
strophic event. 
(3) AVAILABILITY
OF
KNUTSON-VANDENBERG 
FUNDS.—Amounts in the special fund established 
pursuant to section 3 of the Act of June 9, 1930 
(commonly known as the Knutson-Vandenberg Act; 
16 U.S.C. 576b) shall be available to the Secretary 
of Agriculture for reforestation activities authorized 
by this section. 
(4) TIMELINE FOR PUBLIC INPUT PROCESS.— 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the 
case of a salvage operation or reforestation activity 
proposed to be conducted on National Forest System 
lands or public lands adversely impacted by a large- 
scale catastrophic event, the Secretary concerned 
shall allow 30 days for public scoping and comment, 
15 days for filing an objection, and 15 days for the 
agency response to the filing of an objection. Upon 
completion of this process and expiration of the pe-
riod specified in paragraph (1), the Secretary con-
cerned shall implement the project immediately. 
(b) COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST PLAN.—A salvage 
operation or reforestation activity authorized by this sec-
tion shall be conducted in a manner consistent with the 
forest plan applicable to the National Forest System lands 
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or public lands covered by the salvage operation or refor-
estation activity. 
(c) PROHIBITION ON RESTRAINING ORDERS, PRE-
LIMINARY INJUNCTIONS, AND INJUNCTIONS PENDING AP-
PEAL.—No restraining order, preliminary injunction, or 
injunction pending appeal shall be issued by any court of 
the United States with respect to any decision to prepare 
or conduct a salvage operation or reforestation activity in 
response to a large-scale catastrophic event. Section 705 
of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to any chal-
lenge to the salvage operation or reforestation activity. 
SEC. 8335. ANALYSIS OF ONLY TWO ALTERNATIVES (AC-
TION VERSUS NO ACTION) IN PROPOSED COL-
LABORATIVE FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVI-
TIES. 
(a) APPLICATION TO CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL AS-
SESSMENTS
AND
ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT
STATE-
MENTS.—This section shall apply whenever the Secretary 
concerned prepares an environmental assessment or an en-
vironmental impact statement pursuant to section 102 of 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4332) for a forest management activity that— 
(1) is developed through a collaborative process; 
(2) is proposed by a resource advisory com-
mittee; 
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(3) will occur on lands identified by the Sec-
retary concerned as suitable for timber production; 
(4) will occur on lands designated by the Sec-
retary (or designee thereof) pursuant to section 
602(b) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 
2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591a(b)), notwithstanding wheth-
er such forest management activity is initiated prior 
to September 30, 2018; or 
(5) is covered by a community wildfire protec-
tion plan. 
(b) CONSIDERATION OF ALTERNATIVES.—In an envi-
ronmental assessment or environmental impact statement 
described in subsection (a), the Secretary concerned shall 
study, develop, and describe only the following two alter-
natives: 
(1) The forest management activity. 
(2) The alternative of no action. 
(c) ELEMENTS OF NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE.—In 
the case of the alternative of no action, the Secretary con-
cerned shall consider whether to evaluate— 
(1) the effect of no action on— 
(A) forest health; 
(B) habitat diversity; 
(C) wildfire potential; 
(D) insect and disease potential; and 
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(E) timber production; and 
(2) the implications of a resulting decline in 
forest health, loss of habitat diversity, wildfire, or in-
sect or disease infestation, given fire and insect and 
disease historic cycles, on— 
(A) domestic water supply in the project 
area; 
(B) wildlife habitat loss; and 
(C) other economic and social factors. 
SEC. 8336. INJUNCTIVE RELIEF. 
(a) BALANCING SHORT- AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS 
OF FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES IN CONSIDERING 
INJUNCTIVE RELIEF.—As part of its weighing the equities 
while considering any request for an injunction that ap-
plies to any agency action as part of a forest management 
activity the court reviewing the agency action shall balance 
the impact to the ecosystem likely affected by the forest 
management activity of— 
(1) the short- and long-term effects of under-
taking the agency action; against 
(2) the short- and long-term effects of not un-
dertaking the action. 
(b) TIME LIMITATIONS FOR INJUNCTIVE RELIEF.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2) the 
length of any preliminary injunctive relief and stays 
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pending appeal that applies to any agency action as 
part of a forest management activity, shall not ex-
ceed 60 days. 
(2) RENEWAL.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—A court of competent 
jurisdiction may issue one or more renewals of 
any preliminary injunction, or stay pending ap-
peal, granted under paragraph (1). 
(B) UPDATES.—In each renewal of an in-
junction in an action, the parties to the action 
shall present the court with updated informa-
tion on the status of the authorized forest man-
agement activity. 
SEC. 8337. APPLICATION OF ROADLESS AREA CONSERVA-
TION RULE. 
The roadless area conservation rule established under 
part 294 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (or suc-
cessor regulations), shall not apply to any National Forest 
System land in the State of Alaska. 
SEC. 8338. VACANT GRAZING ALLOTMENTS MADE AVAIL-
ABLE TO CERTAIN GRAZING PERMIT HOLD-
ERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary concerned shall, to 
the maximum extent practicable, make vacant grazing al-
lotments available to a holder of a grazing permit or lease 
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issued by such Secretary if the lands covered by the permit 
or lease are unusable because of a natural disaster (includ-
ing a drought or wildfire), court-issued injunction, or con-
flict with wildlife, as determined by the Secretary con-
cerned. 
(b) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—The terms and condi-
tions contained in a permit or lease for a vacant grazing 
allotment made available pursuant to this subsection (a) 
shall be the terms and conditions of the most recent per-
mit or lease that was applicable to such allotment. 
(c) COURT-ISSUED INJUNCTIONS.—A court may not 
issue any order enjoining the use of any allotment for 
which a permit or lease has been issued by the Secretary 
concerned and continues in effect unless the Secretary 
concerned can make a vacant grazing allotment available 
to the holder of such permit or lease. 
(d) ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT UNDER THE NA-
TIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT.—Activities car-
ried out by the Secretary concerned pursuant to sub-
section (a) are a category of actions hereby designated as 
being categorically excluded from the preparation of an 
environmental assessment or an environmental impact 
statement under section 102 of the National Environ-
mental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
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SEC. 8339. PILOT PROJECT FOR FOREST HEALTH, WATER-
SHED IMPROVEMENT, AND HABITAT RES-
TORATION IN NEW MEXICO. 
(a) PILOT PROJECT ESTABLISHED.—The Secretary 
of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest 
Service, shall conduct a pilot project within the Lincoln 
National Forest, Cibola National Forest, and Gila Na-
tional Forest in the State of New Mexico to analyze and 
demonstrate the effectiveness of various tools and tech-
niques to address the following natural resource concerns: 
(1) Thinning for forest health. 
(2) Watershed improvement. 
(3) Habitat restoration. 
(b) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary of Ag-
riculture in carrying out the pilot project established 
under subsection (a) may conduct applied silvicultural in-
vestigations and treatments, including— 
(1) silvicultural investigations conducted for the 
purposes of information gathering and research re-
lating to the natural resource concerns described in 
subsection (a); and 
(2) mechanical thinning. 
(c) COUNTY REFUSAL OF SILVICULTURAL INVES-
TIGATION OR TREATMENT.—The Secretary may not carry 
out a silvicultural investigation or treatment under this 
section if a county in which such investigation or treat-
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ment would be conducted provides a refusal to the 
Secreteray with respect to such investigation or treatment. 
(d) ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT UNDER THE NA-
TIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT.—Forest manage-
ment activities carried out by the Secretary of Agriculture 
under this section are a category of actions hereby des-
ignated as being categorically excluded from the prepara-
tion of an environmental assessment or an environmental 
impact statement under section 102 of the National Envi-
ronmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
(f) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.—The Secretary shall en-
courage meaningful public participation during prepara-
tion of a silvicultural investigation or treatment under this 
section. 
(g) USE OF ARBITRATION INSTEAD OF LITIGATION 
TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES TO FOREST MANAGEMENT 
ACTIVITIES.— 
(1) DISCRETIONARY
ARBITRATION
PROCESS 
PILOT PROGRAM.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture shall establish a discretionary arbitra-
tion pilot program as an alternative dispute res-
olution process in lieu of judicial review for the 
an objection or protest to a forest management 
activity carried out pursuant to this section. 
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(B) ACTIVITIES
DESCRIBED.—The Sec-
retary of Agriculture, at the sole discretion of 
the Secretary, may designate objections or pro-
tests to forest management activities for arbi-
tration under the arbitration pilot program es-
tablished under subparagraph (A). 
(C) MAXIMUM
AMOUNT
OF
ARBITRA-
TIONS.—Under the arbitration pilot program, 
the Secretary concerned may not arbitrate more 
than 10 objections or protests to forest manage-
ment activities in a fiscal year in each Forest 
Service Region. 
(D) DETERMINING AMOUNT OF ARBITRA-
TIONS.—An objection or protest to a forest 
management activity shall not be counted to-
wards the limitation on number of arbitrations 
under subparagraph (C) unless— 
(i) on the date such objection or pro-
test is designated for arbitration, the forest 
management activity for which such objec-
tion or protest is filed has not been the 
subject of arbitration proceedings under 
the pilot program; and 
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(ii) the arbitration proceeding has 
commenced with respect to such objection 
or protest. 
(2) INTERVENING PARTIES.— 
(A) REQUIREMENTS.—Any person that 
submitted a public comment on the forest man-
agement activity that is subject to arbitration 
may intervene in the arbitration— 
(i) by endorsing— 
(I) the forest management activ-
ity; or 
(II) the modification proposal 
submitted under clause (ii); or 
(ii) by submitting a proposal to fur-
ther modify the forest management activ-
ity. 
(B) DEADLINE
FOR
SUBMISSION.—With 
respect to an objection or protest that is des-
ignated for arbitration under paragraph (1)(B), 
a request to intervene in an arbitration must be 
submitted not later than the date that is 30 
days after the date on which such objection or 
protest was designated for arbitration. 
(C) MULTIPLE
PARTIES.—Multiple inter-
vening parties may submit a joint proposal so 
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long as each intervening party meets the eligi-
bility requirements of subparagraph (A). 
(3) APPOINTMENT OF ARBITRATOR.— 
(A) APPOINTMENT.—The Secretary of Ag-
riculture shall develop and publish a list of not 
fewer than 20 individuals eligible to serve as ar-
bitrators for the arbitration pilot program 
under this section. 
(B) QUALIFICATIONS.—In order to be eli-
gible to serve as an arbitrator under this para-
graph, an individual shall be, on the date of the 
appointment of such arbitrator— 
(i) certified by the American Arbitra-
tion Association; and 
(ii) not a registered lobbyist. 
(C) SELECTION OF ARBITRATOR.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—For each arbitra-
tion commenced under this subsection, the 
Secretary concerned and each applicable 
objector or protestor shall agree, not later 
than 14 days after the agreement process 
is initiated, on a mutually acceptable arbi-
trator from the list published under sub-
paragraph (A). 
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(ii) APPOINTMENT AFTER 14-DAYS.— 
In the case of an agreement with respect 
to a mutually acceptable arbitrator not 
being reached within the 14-day limit de-
scribed in clause (i), the Secretary con-
cerned shall appoint an arbitrator from the 
list published under subparagraph (A). 
(4) SELECTION OF PROPOSALS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The arbitrator ap-
pointed under paragraph (3)— 
(i) may not modify any of the pro-
posals submitted with the objection, pro-
test, or request to intervene; and 
(ii) shall select to be conducted— 
(I) the forest management activ-
ity, as approved by the Secretary; or 
(II) a proposal submitted by an 
objector or an intervening party. 
(B) SELECTION CRITERIA.—An arbitrator 
shall, when selecting a proposal, consider— 
(i) whether the proposal is consistent 
with the applicable forest plan, laws, and 
regulations; 
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(ii) whether the proposal can be car-
ried out by the Secretary of Agriculture; 
and 
(iii) the effect of each proposal on— 
(I) forest health; 
(II) habitat diversity; 
(III) wildfire potential; 
(IV) insect and disease potential; 
(V) timber production; and 
(VI) the implications of a result-
ing decline in forest health, loss of 
habitat diversity, wildfire, or insect or 
disease infestation, given fire and in-
sect and disease historic cycles, on— 
(aa) domestic water costs; 
(bb) wildlife habitat loss; 
and 
(cc) other economic and so-
cial factors. 
(5) EFFECT OF DECISION.—The decision of an 
arbitrator with respect to the forest management ac-
tivity— 
(A) shall not be considered a major Fed-
eral action; 
(B) shall be binding; and 
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(C) shall not be subject to judicial review, 
except as provided in section 10(a) of title 9, 
United States Code. 
(6) DEADLINE
FOR
COMPLETION.—Not later 
than 90 days after the date on which the arbitration 
is filed with respect to the forest management activ-
ity, the arbitration process shall be completed. 
(h) TERMINATION.—The authority to carry out this 
section shall terminate on the date that is 7 years after 
the date of the enactment of this section. 
Subtitle D—Tribal Forestry 
Participation and Protection 
SEC. 8401. PROTECTION OF TRIBAL FOREST ASSETS 
THROUGH USE OF STEWARDSHIP END RE-
SULT CONTRACTING AND OTHER AUTHORI-
TIES. 
(a) PROMPT
CONSIDERATION
OF
TRIBAL
RE-
QUESTS.—Section 2(b) of the Tribal Forest Protection 
Act of 2004 (25 U.S.C. 3115a(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Not later 
than 120 days after the date on which an Indian 
tribe submits to the Secretary’’ and inserting ‘‘In re-
sponse to the submission by an Indian Tribe of’’; 
and 
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(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(4) TIME PERIODS FOR CONSIDERATION.— 
‘‘(A) INITIAL RESPONSE.—Not later than 
120 days after the date on which the Secretary 
receives a Tribal request under paragraph (1), 
the Secretary shall provide an initial response 
to the Indian Tribe regarding— 
‘‘(i) whether the request may meet the 
selection criteria described in subsection 
(c); and 
‘‘(ii) the likelihood of the Secretary 
entering into an agreement or contract 
with the Indian Tribe under paragraph (2) 
for activities described in paragraph (3). 
‘‘(B) NOTICE OF DENIAL.—Notice under 
subsection (d) of the denial of a Tribal request 
under paragraph (1) shall be provided not later 
than 1 year after the date on which the Sec-
retary received the request. 
‘‘(C) COMPLETION.—Not later than 2 
years after the date on which the Secretary re-
ceives a Tribal request under paragraph (1), 
other than a Tribal request denied under sub-
section (d), the Secretary shall— 
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‘‘(i) complete all environmental re-
views necessary in connection with the 
agreement or contract and proposed activi-
ties under the agreement or contract; and 
‘‘(ii) enter into the agreement or con-
tract with the Indian Tribe under para-
graph (2).’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AND TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.— 
Section 2 of the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 (25 
U.S.C. 3115a) is amended— 
(1) in subsections (b)(1) and (f)(1), by striking 
‘‘section 347 of the Department of the Interior and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 (16 
U.S.C. 2104 note; Public Law 105–277) (as amend-
ed by section 323 of the Department of the Interior 
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2003 (117 
Stat. 275))’’ and inserting ‘‘section 604 of the 
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 
6591c)’’; and 
(2) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘subsection 
(b)(1), the Secretary may’’ and inserting ‘‘para-
graphs (1) and (4)(B) of subsection (b), the Sec-
retary shall’’. 
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SEC. 8402. TRIBAL FOREST MANAGEMENT DEMONSTRA-
TION PROJECT. 
The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of 
Agriculture may carry out demonstration projects by 
which federally recognized Indian Tribes or Tribal organi-
zations may contract to perform administrative, manage-
ment, and other functions of programs of the Tribal For-
est Protection Act of 2004 (25 U.S.C. 3115a et seq.) 
through contracts entered into under the Indian Self-De-
termination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
5304 et seq.). 
Subtitle E—Other Matters 
SEC. 8501. CLARIFICATION OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOP-
MENT PROGRAM FOR WOOD BUILDING CON-
STRUCTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct per-
formance-driven research and development, education, and 
technical assistance for the purpose of facilitating the use 
of innovative wood products in wood building construction 
in the United States. 
(b) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall— 
(1) after receipt of input and guidance from, 
and collaboration with, the wood products industry, 
conservation organizations, and institutions of high-
er education, conduct research and development, 
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education, and technical assistance that meets meas-
urable performance goals for the achievement of the 
priorities described in subsection (c); and 
(2) after coordination and collaboration with 
the wood products industry and conservation organi-
zations, make competitive grants to institutions of 
higher education to conduct research and develop-
ment, education, and technical assistance that meets 
measurable performance goals for the achievement 
of the priorities described in subsection (c). 
(c) PRIORITIES.—The research and development, 
education, and technical assistance conducted under sub-
section (a) shall give priority to— 
(1) ways to improve the commercialization of 
innovative wood products; 
(2) analyzing the safety of tall wood building 
materials; 
(3) calculations by the Secretary of the life 
cycle environmental footprint, from extraction of raw 
materials through the manufacturing process, of tall 
wood building construction; 
(4) analyzing methods to reduce the life cycle 
environmental footprint of tall wood building con-
struction; 
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(5) analyzing the potential implications of the 
use of innovative wood products in building con-
struction on wildlife; and 
(6) one or more other research areas identified 
by the Secretary, in consultation with conservation 
organizations, institutions of higher education, and 
the wood products industry. 
(d) TIMEFRAME.—To the maximum extent prac-
ticable, the measurable performance goals for the research 
and development, education, and technical assistance con-
ducted under subsection (a) shall be achievable within a 
5-year period. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) INNOVATIVE
WOOD
PRODUCT.—The term 
‘‘innovative wood product’’ means a type of building 
component or system that uses large panelized wood 
construction, including mass timber. 
(2) MASS TIMBER.—The term ‘‘mass timber’’ 
includes— 
(A) cross-laminated timber; 
(B) nail-laminated timber; 
(C) glue-laminated timber; 
(D) laminated strand lumber; and 
(E) laminated veneer lumber. 
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(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Re-
search and Development deputy area and the State 
and Private Forestry deputy area of the Forest 
Service. 
(4) TALL
WOOD
BUILDING.—The term ‘‘tall 
wood building’’ means a building designed to be— 
(A) constructed with mass timber; and 
(B) more than 85 feet in height. 
SEC. 
8502. 
UTILITY 
INFRASTRUCTURE 
RIGHTS-OF-WAY 
VEGETATION 
MANAGEMENT 
PILOT 
PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) PILOT
PROGRAM
REQUIRED.—To encourage 
owners or operators of rights-of-way on National Forest 
System land to partner with the Forest Service to volun-
tarily perform vegetation management on a proactive basis 
to better protect utility infrastructure from potential pass-
ing wildfires, the Secretary shall conduct a limited, vol-
untary pilot program, in the manner described in this sec-
tion, to permit vegetation management projects on Na-
tional Forest System land adjacent to or near such rights- 
of-way. 
(b) ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS.—A participant in the 
pilot program must have a right-of-way on National For-
est System land. In selecting participants, the Secretary 
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shall give priority to holders of a right-of-way who have 
worked with Forest Service fire scientists and used tech-
nologies, such as Light Detection and Ranging surveys, 
to improve utility infrastructure protection prescriptions. 
(c) PROJECT ELEMENTS.—A vegetation management 
project under the pilot program involves limited and selec-
tive vegetation management activities, which— 
(1) shall create the least amount of disturbance 
reasonably necessary to protect utility infrastructure 
from passing wildfires based on applicable models, 
including Forest Service fuel models; 
(2) may include thinning, fuel reduction, cre-
ation and treatment of shaded fuel breaks, and other 
measures as appropriate; 
(3) shall only take place adjacent to the partici-
pant’s right-of-way or within 75 feet of the partici-
pant’s right-of-way; 
(4) shall not take place in any designated wil-
derness area, wilderness study area, or inventoried 
roadless area; and 
(5) shall be subject to approval by the Forest 
Service in accordance with this section. 
(d) PROJECT COSTS.—A participant in the pilot pro-
gram shall be responsible for all costs, as determined by 
the Secretary, incurred in participating in the pilot pro-
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gram, unless the Secretary determines that it is in the 
public interest for the Forest Service to contribute funds 
for a vegetation management project conducted under the 
pilot program. 
(e) LIABILITY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Participation in the pilot 
program does not affect any existing legal obliga-
tions or liability standards that— 
(A) arise under the right-of-way for activi-
ties in the right-of-way; or 
(B) apply to fires resulting from causes 
other than activities conducted pursuant to an 
approved vegetation management project. 
(2) PROJECT WORK.—A participant shall not be 
liable to the United States for damage proximately 
caused by activities conducted pursuant to an ap-
proved vegetation management project unless— 
(A) such activities were carried out in a 
manner that was grossly negligent or that vio-
lated criminal law; or 
(B) the damage was caused by the failure 
of the participant to comply with specific safety 
requirements expressly imposed by the Forest 
Service as a condition of participating in the 
pilot program. 
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(f) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary shall utilize 
existing laws and regulations in the conduct of the pilot 
program and, in order to implement the pilot program in 
an efficient and expeditious manner, may waive or modify 
specific provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, 
including modifications to allow for formation of contracts 
or agreements on a noncompetitive basis. 
(g) TREATMENT
OF PROCEEDS.—Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, the Secretary may— 
(1) retain any funds provided to the Forest 
Service by a participant in the pilot program; and 
(2) use such funds, in such amounts as may be 
appropriated, in the conduct of the pilot program. 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) NATIONAL
FOREST
SYSTEM
LAND.—The 
term ‘‘National Forest System land’’ means land 
within the National Forest System, as defined in 
section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renew-
able Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 
1609(a)) exclusive of the National Grasslands and 
land utilization projects designated as National 
Grasslands administered pursuant to the Act of July 
22, 1937 (7 U.S.C. 1010–1012). 
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(2) PASSING
WILDFIRE.—The term ‘‘passing 
wildfire’’ means a wildfire that originates outside the 
right-of-way. 
(3) RIGHT-OF-WAY.—The term ‘‘right-of-way’’ 
means a special use authorization issued by the For-
est Service allowing the placement of utility infra-
structure. 
(4) UTILITY
INFRASTRUCTURE.—The term 
‘‘utility infrastructure’’ means electric transmission 
lines, natural gas infrastructure, or related struc-
tures. 
(i) DURATION.—The authority to conduct the pilot 
program, and any vegetation management project under 
the pilot program, expires December 21, 2027. 
(j) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than Decem-
ber 31, 2019, and every two years thereafter, the Sec-
retary shall issue a report to the Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources of the Senate, the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, the 
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Rep-
resentatives, and the Committee on Agriculture of the 
House of Representatives on the status of the program 
and any projects established under this section. 
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SEC. 8503. REVISION OF EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES 
REGULATIONS. 
(a) DETERMINATIONS
OF
EXTRAORDINARY
CIR-
CUMSTANCES.—In determining whether extraordinary cir-
cumstances related to a proposed action preclude use of 
a categorical exclusion, the Forest Service shall not be re-
quired to— 
(1) consider whether a proposed action is within 
a potential wilderness area; 
(2) consider whether a proposed action affects 
a Forest Service sensitive species; 
(3) conduct an analysis under section 220.4(f) 
of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, of the pro-
posed action’s cumulative impact (as the term is de-
fined in section 1508.7 of title 40, Code of Federal 
Regulations); 
(4) consider a determination under section 7 of 
the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1536) that a proposed action may affect, but is not 
likely to adversely affect, threatened, endangered, or 
candidate species, or designated critical habitats; or 
(5) consider a determination under section 7 of 
the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1536) that a proposed action may affect, and is like-
ly to adversely affect threatened, endangered, can-
didate species, or designated critical habitat if the 
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agency is in compliance with the applicable provi-
sions of the biological opinion. 
(b) PROPOSED RULEMAKING.—Not later than 60 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Agriculture shall publish a notice of proposed 
rulemaking to revise section 220.6(b) of title 36, Code of 
Federal Regulations to conform such section with sub-
section (a). 
(c) ADDITIONAL REVISION.—As part of the proposed 
rulemaking described in subsection (b), the Secretary of 
Agriculture shall revise section 220.5(a)(2) of title 36, 
Code of Federal Regulations, to provide that the Forest 
Service shall not be required to consider proposals that 
would substantially alter a potential wilderness area as a 
class of actions normally requiring environmental impact 
statements. 
(d) ADDITIONAL ACTIONS.—Not later than 120 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Agriculture shall issue final regulations to carry out the 
revisions described in subsections (b) and (c). 
SEC. 8504. NO LOSS OF FUNDS FOR WILDFIRE SUPPRES-
SION. 
Nothing in this title or the amendments made by this 
title may be construed to limit from the availability of 
funds or other resources for wildfire suppression. 
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SEC. 8505. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS. 
(a) WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION FUNDING AND FOREST 
MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES ACT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Wildfire Suppression 
Funding and Forest Management Activities Act 
(Public Law 115–141) is amended— 
(A) in section 102(a)(2), by striking ‘‘the 
date of enactment’’ and inserting ‘‘the date of 
the enactment’’; and 
(B) in section 401(a)(1), by inserting ‘‘of 
2000’’ after ‘‘Self-Determination Act’’. 
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 
by paragraph (1) shall take effect as if enacted as 
part of the Wildfire Suppression Funding and For-
est Management Activities Act (Public Law 115– 
141). 
(b) AGRICULTURAL ACT OF 2014.—Section 8206(a) 
of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a(a)) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3)(B)(i)(II), by striking 
‘‘Good Neighbor Authority Improvement Act’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Wildfire Suppression Funding and Forest 
Management Activities Act’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (7), as redesignated by section 
8331, by striking ‘‘Good Neighbor Authority Im-
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provement Act’’ and inserting ‘‘Wildfire Suppression 
Funding and Forest Management Activities Act’’. 
SEC. 8506. CONVEYANCE OF LAND AND IMPROVEMENTS TO 
THE VILLAGE OF SANTA CLARA, NEW MEX-
ICO. 
(a) CONVEYANCE REQUIRED.—Subject to the provi-
sions of this section, if the Village of Santa Clara, New 
Mexico, submits to the Secretary a written request for con-
veyance, the Secretary shall convey to the Village of Santa 
Clara all right, title, and interest of the United States in 
and to approximately 1,520 acres of National Forest Sys-
tem land, as generally depicted on the map. 
(b) MAP.— 
(1) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map shall be 
kept on file and available for public inspection in the 
appropriate office of the Forest Service. 
(2) CORRECTION OF ERRORS.—The Secretary 
may correct minor errors in the map. 
(c) CONSIDERATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—As consideration for the con-
veyance of land under subsection (a), the Village of 
Santa Clara shall pay to the Secretary an amount 
equal to the market value of the land, as determined 
by the appraisal under subsection (g). 
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(2) INSTALLMENTS.—The amount described in 
paragraph (1) may be paid in periodic installments 
to the Secretary. 
(3) PARCEL
CONVEYANCES.—Upon receipt of 
an installment pursuant to paragraph (2), the Sec-
retary shall convey to the Village of Santa Clara all 
right, title, and interest of the United States in and 
to a parcel of the land described subsection (a) that 
is equal in value to such installment and identified 
by the Village of Santa Clara at the time such in-
stallment is paid. 
(d) TERMS
AND
CONDITIONS.—The conveyance 
under subsection (a) shall be— 
(1) subject to valid existing rights; 
(2) made by quitclaim deed; 
(3) subject to the reservation by the Secretary 
of an access easement over and across Fort Bayard 
Road; and 
(4) subject to any other terms and conditions 
as the Secretary considers appropriate to protect the 
interests of the United States. 
(e) COSTS OF CONVEYANCE.—As a condition for the 
conveyance under subsection (a) and in addition to the 
consideration paid under subsection (c), the Village of 
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Santa Clara shall pay for all costs associated with the con-
veyance, including for— 
(1) the land survey under subsection (f); 
(2) any environmental analysis and resource 
surveys determined necessary by Federal law; and 
(3) the appraisal under subsection (g). 
(f) SURVEY.—The actual acreage and legal descrip-
tion of the National Forest System land to be conveyed 
under subsection (a) shall be determined by a survey satis-
factory to the Secretary; notwithstanding section 7 of title 
43, United States Code, the Secretary is authorized to per-
form and approve any required cadastral surveys. 
(g) APPRAISAL.—The Secretary shall complete an ap-
praisal of the land to be conveyed under subsection (a) 
in accordance with— 
(1) the ‘‘Uniform Appraisal Standards for Fed-
eral Land Acquisitions’’; and 
(2) the ‘‘Uniform Standards of Professional Ap-
praisal Practice’’. 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 
Chief of the Forest Service. 
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(2) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map en-
titled ‘‘Village of Santa Clara Conveyance Act 2018’’ 
and dated February 21, 2018. 
SEC. 8507. STREAMLINING THE FOREST SERVICE PROCESS 
FOR CONSIDERATION OF COMMUNICATIONS 
FACILITY LOCATION APPLICATIONS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COMMUNICATIONS
FACILITY.—The term 
‘‘communications facility’’ includes— 
(A) any infrastructure, including any 
transmitting device, tower, or support structure, 
and any equipment, switches, wiring, cabling, 
power sources, shelters, or cabinets, associated 
with the licensed or permitted unlicensed wire-
less or wireline transmission of writings, signs, 
signals, data, images, pictures, and sounds of 
all kinds; and 
(B) any antenna or apparatus that— 
(i) is designed for the purpose of 
emitting radio frequency; 
(ii) is designed to be operated, or is 
operating, from a fixed location pursuant 
to authorization by the Federal Commu-
nications Commission or is using duly au-
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thorized devices that do not require indi-
vidual licenses; and 
(iii) is added to a tower, building, or 
other structure. 
(2) COMMUNICATIONS SITE.—The term ‘‘com-
munications site’’ means an area of covered land 
designated for communications uses. 
(3) COMMUNICATIONS USE.—The term ‘‘com-
munications use’’ means the placement and oper-
ation of communications facility. 
(4) COMMUNICATIONS USE AUTHORIZATION.— 
The term ‘‘communications use authorization’’ 
means an easement, right-of-way, lease, license, or 
other authorization to locate or modify a commu-
nications facility on covered land by the Forest Serv-
ice for the primary purpose of authorizing the occu-
pancy and use of the covered land for communica-
tions use. 
(5) COVERED LAND.—The term ‘‘covered land’’ 
means National Forest System land. 
(6) FOREST SERVICE.—The term ‘‘Forest Serv-
ice’’ means the United States Forest Service of the 
Department of Agriculture. 
(7) ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT.—The term ‘‘orga-
nizational unit’’ means, within the Forest Service— 
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(A) a regional office; 
(B) the headquarters; 
(C) a management unit; or 
(C) a ranger district office. 
(b) REGULATIONS.—Notwithstanding section 6409 of 
the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 
(47 U.S.C. 1455) or section 606 of the Repack Airwaves 
Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services Act 
of 2018 (Public Law 115–141), not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue 
regulations— 
(1) to streamline the process for considering ap-
plications to locate or modify communications facili-
ties on covered land; 
(2) to ensure, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, that the process is uniform and standardized 
across the organizational units of the Forest Service; 
and 
(3) to require that the applications described in 
paragraph (1) be considered and granted on a com-
petitively neutral, technology neutral, and non-dis-
criminatory basis. 
(c) REQUIREMENTS.—The regulations issued under 
subsection (b) shall include the following: 
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(1) Procedures for the tracking of applications 
described in subsection (b)(1), including— 
(A) identifying the number of applica-
tions— 
(i) received; 
(ii) approved; and 
(iii) denied; 
(B) in the case of an application that is 
denied, describing the reasons for the denial; 
and 
(C) describing the amount of time between 
the receipt of an application and the issuance of 
a final decision on an application. 
(2) Provision for minimum lease terms of not 
less than 15 years for leases with respect to the loca-
tion of communications facilities on covered land. 
(3) A policy under which a communications use 
authorization renews automatically on expiration, 
unless the communications use authorization is re-
voked for good cause. 
(4) A structure of fees for— 
(A) submitting an application described in 
subsection (b)(1), based on the cost to the For-
est Service of considering such an application; 
and 
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(B) issuing communications use authoriza-
tions, based on the cost to the Forest Service 
of any maintenance or other activities required 
to be performed by the Forest Service as a re-
sult of the location or modification of the com-
munications facility. 
(5) Provision that if the Forest Service does not 
grant or deny an application under subparagraph 
(A) by the deadline established in section 6409 of 
the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act 
as amended by the Repack Airwaves Yielding Better 
Access for Users of Modern Services Act of 2018 
(47 U.S.C. 1455(b)(3)(A)), the Forest Service shall 
be deemed to have granted the application. 
(6) Provision for prioritization or streamlining 
the consideration of applications to locate or modify 
communications facilities on covered land in a pre-
viously disturbed right-of-way. 
(d) ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS.—In issuing regu-
lations under subsection (b), the Secretary shall con-
sider— 
(1) how discrete reviews in considering an ap-
plication described in subsection (b)(1) can be con-
ducted simultaneously, rather than sequentially, by 
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any organizational units of the Forest Service that 
must approve the location or modification; and 
(2) how to eliminate overlapping requirements 
among the organizational units of the Forest Service 
with respect to the location or modification of a com-
munications facility on covered land administered by 
those organizational units. 
(e) COMMUNICATION OF STREAMLINED PROCESS TO 
ORGANIZATIONAL UNITS.—The Secretary shall, with re-
spect to the regulations issued under subsection (b)— 
(1) communicate the regulations to the organi-
zational units of the Forest Service; and 
(2) ensure that the organizational units of the 
Forest Service follow the regulations. 
(f) DEPOSIT AND AVAILABILITY OF FEES.— 
(1) SPECIAL ACCOUNT.—The Secretary of the 
Treasury shall establish a special account in the 
Treasury for the Forest Service for the deposit of 
fees collected by the Forest Service under subsection 
(c)(4) for communications use authorizations on cov-
ered land granted, issued, or executed by the Forest 
Service. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS FOR FEES COLLECTED.— 
Fees collected by the Forest Service under sub-
section (c)(4) shall be— 
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(A) based on the costs described in sub-
section (c)(4); and 
(B) competitively neutral, technology neu-
tral, and nondiscriminatory with respect to 
other users of the communications site. 
(3) DEPOSIT OF FEES.—Fees collected by the 
Forest Service under subsection (c)(4) shall be de-
posited in the special account established for the 
Forest Service under paragraph (1). 
(4) AVAILABILITY OF FEES.—Amounts depos-
ited in the special account for the Forest Service 
shall be available, to the extent and in such amounts 
as are provided in advance in appropriation Acts, to 
the Secretary to cover costs incurred by the Forest 
Service described in subsection (c)(4), including the 
following: 
(A) Preparing needs assessments or other 
programmatic analyses necessary to designate 
communications sites and issue communications 
use authorizations. 
(B) Developing management plans for 
communications sites. 
(C) Training for management of commu-
nications sites. 
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(D) Obtaining or improving access to com-
munications sites. 
(5) NO ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS AUTHOR-
IZED.—Except as provided in paragraph (4), no 
other amounts are authorized to be appropriated to 
carry out this section. 
(g) SAVINGS PROVISIONS.— 
(1) REAL
PROPERTY
AUTHORITIES.—Nothing 
in this section, or the amendments made by this sec-
tion, shall be construed as providing any executive 
agency with any new leasing or other real property 
authorities not existing prior to the date of enact-
ment of this Act. 
(2) EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS.—Nothing in this 
section, or the amendments made by this section, 
and no actions taken pursuant to this section, or the 
amendments made by this section, shall impact a de-
cision or determination by any executive agency to 
sell, dispose of, declare excess or surplus, lease, 
reuse, or redevelop any Federal real property pursu-
ant to title 40, United States Code, the Federal As-
sets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016 (Public Law 
114–387), or any other law governing real property 
activities of the Federal Government. No agreement 
entered into pursuant to this section, or the amend-
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ments made by this section, may obligate the Fed-
eral Government to hold, control, or otherwise retain 
or use real property that may otherwise be deemed 
as excess, surplus, or that could otherwise be sold, 
leased or redeveloped. 
SEC. 8508. REPORT ON WILDFIRE, INSECT INFESTATION, 
AND DISEASE PREVENTION ON FEDERAL 
LAND. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act and every year thereafter, the Secretary 
of Agriculture and the Secretary of Interior shall submit 
to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Rep-
resentatives, the Committee on Natural Resources of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, and the Committee 
on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a jointly 
written report on— 
(1) the number of acres of Federal land treated 
by the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of 
the Interior for wildfire, insect infestation, or disease 
prevention; 
(2) the number of acres of Federal land cat-
egorized as a high or extreme fire risk; 
(3) the total timber production from Federal 
land; 
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(4) the number of acres and average fire inten-
sity of wildfires affecting Federal land treated for 
wildfire, insect infestation, or disease prevention; 
(5) the number of acres and average fire inten-
sity of wildfires affecting Federal land not treated 
for wildfire, insect infestation, or disease prevention; 
and 
(6) the Federal response time for each fire on 
greater than 25,000 acres. 
SEC. 8509. COLLABORATIVE FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORA-
TION PROGRAM. 
Section 4003 of the Omnibus Public Land Manage-
ment Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 7303) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (d)(1)(B), by inserting ‘‘, ex-
cept the Secretary may waive, on a case-by-case 
basis, the 10-year period requirement under para-
graph (1)(B) of such subsection’’ after ‘‘subsection 
(b)’’; and 
(2) in subsection (f)— 
(A) in paragraph (4)(B), by striking ‘‘pro-
posal’’ and all that follows through ‘‘in excess’’ 
and inserting ‘‘proposal in excess’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘2019’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
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SEC. 8510. WEST FORK FIRE STATION. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COUNTY.—The term ‘‘County’’ means Dolo-
res County, Colorado. 
(2) WEST
FORK
FIRE
STATION
CONVEYANCE 
PARCEL.—The term ‘‘West Fork Fire Station Con-
veyance Parcel’’ means the parcel of approximately 
3.61 acres of National Forest System land in the 
County, as depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Map for 
West Fork Fire Station Conveyance Parcel’’ and 
dated November 21, 2017. 
(b) CONVEYANCE OF WEST FORK FIRE STATION 
CONVEYANCE PARCEL, DOLORES COUNTY, COLORADO.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—On receipt of a request from 
the County and subject to such terms and conditions 
as are mutually satisfactory to the Secretary and the 
County, including such additional terms as the Sec-
retary determines to be necessary, the Secretary 
shall convey to the County without consideration all 
right, title, and interest of the United States in and 
to the West Fork Fire Station Conveyance Parcel. 
(2) COSTS.—Any costs relating to the convey-
ance under paragraph (1), including processing and 
transaction costs, shall be paid by the County. 
(3) USE OF LAND.—The land conveyed to the 
County under paragraph (1) shall be used by the 
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County only for a fire station, related infrastructure, 
and roads to facilitate access to and through the 
West Fork Fire Station Conveyance Parcel. 
(4) REVERSION.—If any portion of the land 
conveyed under paragraph (1) is used in a manner 
that is inconsistent with the use described in para-
graph (3), the land shall, at the discretion of the 
Secretary, revert to the United States. 
SEC. 
8511. 
COMPETITIVE 
FORESTRY, 
NATURAL 
RE-
SOURCES, 
AND 
ENVIRONMENTAL 
GRANTS 
PROGRAM. 
Section 1232 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, 
and Trade Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 582a–8) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a) by inserting ‘‘or forest res-
toration’’ after ‘‘research’’; and 
(2) by amending subsection (c) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(c) PRIORITIES.— 
‘‘(1) RESEARCH.—In awarding the initial 
grants under subsection (a) the Secretary shall give 
priority to applicants who will use such grants for 
research concerning— 
‘‘(A) the biology of forest organisms, in-
cluding physiology, genetic mechanisms, and 
biotechnology; 
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‘‘(B) ecosystem function and management, 
including forest ecosystem research, biodiver-
sity, forest productivity, pest management, 
water resources, and alternative silvicultural 
systems; 
‘‘(C) wood as a raw material, including for-
est products and harvesting; 
‘‘(D) human forest interactions, including 
outdoor recreation, public policy formulation, 
economics, sociology, and administrative behav-
ior; 
‘‘(E) international trade, competition, and 
cooperation related to forest products; 
‘‘(F) alternative native crops, products, 
and services that can be produced from renew-
able natural resources associated with privately 
held forest lands; 
‘‘(G) viable economic production and mar-
keting systems for alternative natural resource 
products and services; 
‘‘(H) economic and environmental benefits 
of various conservation practices on forest 
lands; 
‘‘(I) genetic tree improvement; and 
‘‘(J) market expansion. 
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‘‘(2) FOREST RESTORATION.—Grants may be 
used to support programs that restore forest tree 
species native to American forests that may have 
suffered severe levels of mortality caused by non-na-
tive insects, plant pathogens, or others pests. 
‘‘(A) REQUIRED COMPONENT OF FOREST 
RESTORATION STRATEGY.—To receive a grant 
under this subsection, an eligible institution 
shall demonstrate that it offers a program with 
a forest restoration strategy that incorporates 
not less than one of the following components: 
‘‘(i) Collection and conservation of na-
tive tree genetic material. 
‘‘(ii) Production of propagules of na-
tive trees in numbers large enough for 
landscape scale restoration. 
‘‘(iii) Site preparation of former of na-
tive tree habitat. 
‘‘(iv) Planting of native tree seedlings. 
‘‘(v) Post-planting maintenance of na-
tive trees. 
‘‘(B) AWARD OF GRANTS.—The Secretary 
shall award competitive grants under this sub-
section based on the degree to which the appli-
cant addresses the following criteria: 
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‘‘(i) Risk posed to the forests of that 
State by non-native pests, as measured by 
such factors as the number of such pests 
present in the State. 
‘‘(ii) The proportion of the State’s 
forest composed of species vulnerable to 
non-native pests present in the United 
States. 
‘‘(iii) The pests’ rate of spread via 
natural or human-assisted means.’’. 
TITLE IX—HORTICULTURE 
Subtitle A—Horticulture Marketing 
and Information 
SEC. 9001. SPECIALTY CROPS MARKET NEWS ALLOCATION. 
Section 10107(b) of the Food, Conservation, and En-
ergy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 1622b(b)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 9002. FARMERS’ MARKET AND LOCAL FOOD PRO-
MOTION PROGRAM. 
Section 6(g) of the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Mar-
keting Act of 1976 (7 U.S.C. 3005(g)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘this section’’ 
and all that follows through ‘‘2018.’’ and inserting 
the following: ‘‘this section— 
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‘‘(A) $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2014 through 2018; and 
‘‘(B) $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2019 through 2023.’’; 
(2) by striking paragraph (2); and 
(3) by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4), (5), 
and (6) as paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (5), respec-
tively. 
SEC. 9003. FOOD SAFETY EDUCATION INITIATIVES. 
Section 10105(c) of the Food, Conservation, and En-
ergy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 7655a(c)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 9004. SPECIALTY CROP BLOCK GRANTS. 
Section 101 of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness 
Act of 2004 (7 U.S.C. 1621 note; Public Law 108–465) 
is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘agriculture solely to en-
hance the competitiveness of specialty crops.’’ 
and inserting the following: ‘‘agriculture to— 
‘‘(1) enhance the competitiveness of specialty 
crops; 
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‘‘(2) leverage efforts to market and promote 
specialty crops; 
‘‘(3) assist producers with research and devel-
opment; 
‘‘(4) expand availability and access to specialty 
crops; 
‘‘(5) address local, regional, and national chal-
lenges confronting specialty crop producers; and 
‘‘(6) address other priorities as determined by 
the Secretary in consultation with relevant State de-
partments of agriculture.’’; 
(2) in subsection (k), by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) EVALUATION
OF
PERFORMANCE.—The 
Secretary shall enter into a cooperative agreement 
with relevant State departments of agriculture and 
specialty crop industry stakeholders that agree to— 
‘‘(A) develop, in consultation with the Sec-
retary, performance measures to be used as the 
sole means for performing an evaluation under 
subparagraph (B); and 
‘‘(B) periodically evaluate the performance 
of the program established under this section.’’; 
and 
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(3) in subsection (l)(2)(E), by striking ‘‘fiscal 
year 2018’’ and inserting ‘‘each of fiscal years 2018 
through 2023’’. 
SEC. 9005. AMENDMENTS TO THE PLANT VARIETY PROTEC-
TION ACT. 
(a) ASEXUALLY REPRODUCED DEFINED.—Section 
41(a) of the Plant Variety Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 
2401(a)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), (3), 
(4), (5), (6), (7), (8), and (9) as paragraphs (2), 
(3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), and (10), respectively; 
and 
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so re-
designated, the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(1) ASEXUALLY
REPRODUCED.—The term 
‘asexually reproduced’ means produced by a method 
of plant propagation using vegetative material (other 
than seed) from a single parent, including cuttings, 
grafting, tissue culture, and propagation by root di-
vision.’’. 
(b) RIGHT TO PLANT VARIETY PROTECTION; PLANT 
VARIETIES PROTECTABLE.—Section 42(a) of the Plant 
Variety Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 2402(a)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘or tuber propagated’’ and inserting ‘‘, tuber 
propagated, or asexually reproduced’’. 
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(c) INFRINGEMENT
OF PLANT VARIETY PROTEC-
TION.—Section 111(a)(3) of the Plant Variety Protection 
Act (7 U.S.C. 2541(a)(3)) is amended by inserting ‘‘or 
asexually’’ after ‘‘sexually’’. 
(d) FALSE MARKETING; CEASE AND DESIST OR-
DERS.—Section 128(a) of the Plant Variety Protection 
Act (7 U.S.C. 2568(a)) is amended, in the matter pre-
ceding paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘or asexually’’ after 
‘‘sexually’’. 
SEC. 9006. ORGANIC PROGRAMS. 
(a) ADDITIONAL ACCREDITATION AUTHORITY.—Sec-
tion 2115 of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 
(7 U.S.C. 6514) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (c) as sub-
section (d); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(c) SATELLITE OFFICES
AND OVERSEAS OPER-
ATIONS.—The Secretary— 
‘‘(1) has oversight and approval authority with 
respect to a certifying agent accredited under this 
section who is operating as a certifying agent in a 
foreign country for the purpose of certifying a farm 
or handling operation in such foreign country as a 
certified organic farm or handling operation; and 
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‘‘(2) shall require that each certifying agent 
that intends to operate in any foreign country as de-
scribed in paragraph (1) is authorized by the Sec-
retary to so operate on an annual basis.’’. 
(b) NATIONAL LIST OF APPROVED AND PROHIBITED 
SUBSTANCES FOR ORGANIC FARMING OR HANDLING OP-
ERATIONS.—Section 2119(n) of the Organic Foods Pro-
duction Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6518(n)) is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(n) PETITIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Board shall establish 
procedures under which persons may petition the 
Board for the purpose of evaluating substances for 
inclusion on the National List. 
‘‘(2) EXPEDITED REVIEW.—The Secretary shall 
develop procedures under which the review of a peti-
tion referred to in paragraph (1) may be expedited 
if the petition seeks to include on the National List 
a postharvest handling substance that is related to 
food safety or a class of such substances. 
‘‘(3) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
paragraph (2) shall be construed as providing that 
section 2118(d) does not apply with respect to the 
inclusion of a substance on the National List pursu-
ant to such paragraph.’’. 
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(c) CERTAIN EMPLOYEES ELIGIBLE TO SERVE AS 
NATIONAL ORGANICS STANDARDS BOARD MEMBERS.— 
Section 2119(b) of the Organic Foods Production Act of 
1990 (7 U.S.C. 6518(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘, or employ-
ees of such individuals’’ after ‘‘operation’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘, or employ-
ees of such individuals’’ after ‘‘operation’’; and 
(3) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘, or an em-
ployee of such individual’’ after ‘‘products’’. 
(d) NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARDS BOARD CON-
SULTATION REQUIREMENTS.—Section 2119(l) of the Or-
ganic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6518(l)) 
is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘; and’’ at the 
end and inserting a semicolon; 
(2) in paragraph (3)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and the evaluation of the 
technical advisory panel’’ and inserting ‘‘, the 
evaluation of the technical advisory panel, and 
the determinations of the task force required 
under paragraph (4)’’; and 
(B) by striking the period at the end and 
inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
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(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(4) in the case of a substance not included in 
the National List that the Commissioner of Food 
and Drugs has determined to be safe for use within 
the meaning of section 201(s) of the Federal Food, 
Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321(s)) or the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency has determined there is a reasonable cer-
tainty that no harm will result from aggregate expo-
sure to the pesticide chemical residue, including all 
anticipated dietary exposures and all other exposures 
for which there is reliable information, convene a 
task force to consult with the Commissioner or Ad-
ministrator (or the designees thereof), as applicable, 
to determine if such substance should be included on 
the National List.’’. 
(e) RECORDKEEPING, INVESTIGATION, AND
EN-
FORCEMENT.— 
(1) COLLABORATIVE INVESTIGATIONS AND EN-
FORCEMENT.—Section 2120 of the Organic Foods 
Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6519) is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(d) COLLABORATIVE INVESTIGATIONS
AND EN-
FORCEMENT.— 
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‘‘(1) INFORMATION
SHARING
DURING
ACTIVE 
INVESTIGATION.—In carrying out this title, all par-
ties to an active investigation (including certifying 
agents, State organic certification programs, and the 
national organic program) may share confidential 
business information with Federal and State govern-
ment officers and employees and certifying agents 
involved in the investigation as necessary to fully in-
vestigate and enforce potential violations of this title. 
‘‘(2) ACCESS TO DATA DOCUMENTATION SYS-
TEMS.—The Secretary shall have access to available 
data from cross-border documentation systems ad-
ministered by other Federal agencies, including— 
‘‘(A) the Automated Commercial Environ-
ment system of U.S. Customs and Border Pro-
tection; and 
‘‘(B) 
the 
Phytosanitary 
Certificate 
Issuance and Tracking system of the Animal 
and Plant Health Inspection Service. 
‘‘(3) 
ADDITIONAL
DOCUMENTATION
AND 
VERIFICATION.—The Secretary, acting through the 
Deputy Administrator of the national organic pro-
gram under this title, has the authority, and shall 
grant an accredited certifying agent the authority, to 
require producers and handlers to provide additional 
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documentation or verification before granting certifi-
cation under section 2104, in the case of a known 
area of risk or when there is a specific area of con-
cern, with respect to meeting the national standards 
for organic production established under section 
2105, as determined by the Secretary or the certi-
fying agent.’’. 
(2) MODIFICATION
OF
REGULATIONS
ON
EX-
CLUSIONS FROM CERTIFICATION.—Not later than 1 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Agriculture shall issue regulations to 
limit the type of operations that are excluded from 
certification under section 205.101 of title 7, Code 
of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation). 
(f) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Section 2122 of the 
Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6521) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(c) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 
March 1, 2019, and annually thereafter through March 
1, 2023, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 
describing national organic program activities with respect 
to all domestic and overseas investigations and compliance 
actions taken pursuant to this title during the preceding 
year.’’. 
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(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR NA-
TIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM.—Subsection (b) of section 
2123 of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 
U.S.C. 6522) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(b) 
NATIONAL
ORGANIC
PROGRAM.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law, in order to carry out 
activities under the national organic program established 
under this title, there are authorized to be appropriated— 
‘‘(1) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2018; 
‘‘(2) $16,500,000 for fiscal year 2019; 
‘‘(3) $18,000,000 for fiscal year 2020; 
‘‘(4) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2021; 
‘‘(5) $22,000,000 for fiscal year 2022; and 
‘‘(6) $24,000,000 for fiscal year 2023.’’. 
(h) INTERNATIONAL TRADE TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS 
AND DATA COLLECTION.—Subsection (c) of section 2123 
of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 
6522) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(c) MODERNIZATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF INTER-
NATIONAL TRADE TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS
AND DATA 
COLLECTION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall mod-
ernize international trade tracking and data collec-
tion systems of the national organic program. 
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‘‘(2) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out paragraph 
(1), the Secretary shall modernize trade and trans-
action certificates to ensure full traceability without 
unduly hindering trade, such as through an elec-
tronic trade document exchange system. 
‘‘(3) FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Com-
modity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall make 
available $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2019 for the 
purposes of— 
‘‘(A) carrying out this subsection; and 
‘‘(B) maintaining the database and tech-
nology upgrades previously carried out under 
this subsection, as in effect on the day before 
the date of the enactment of the Agriculture 
and Nutrition Act of 2018. 
‘‘(4) AVAILABILITY.—The amounts made avail-
able under paragraph (3) are in addition to any 
other funds made available for the purposes speci-
fied in such paragraph and shall remain available 
until expended.’’. 
(i) ORGANIC PRODUCTION AND MARKET DATA INI-
TIATIVES.—Section 7407(d) of the Farm Security and 
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 5925c(d)) is 
amended— 
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(1) by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) and in-
serting the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(1) MANDATORY FUNDING FOR FISCAL YEAR 
2019.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Cor-
poration, the Secretary shall use to carry out this 
section $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2019, to remain 
available until expended.’’; 
(2) in paragraph (3)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘paragraphs (1) and (2)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘paragraph (1)’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’; and 
(3) by redesignating paragraph (3), as so 
amended, as paragraph (2). 
Subtitle B—Regulatory Reform 
PART I—STATE LEAD AGENCIES UNDER FED-
ERAL 
INSECTICIDE, 
FUNGICIDE, 
AND 
RODENTICIDE ACT 
SEC. 9101. RECOGNITION AND ROLE OF STATE LEAD AGEN-
CIES. 
(a) STATE LEAD AGENCY DEFINED.—Section 2(aa) 
of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act 
(7 U.S.C. 136(aa)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘(aa) STATE.—The term’’ and 
inserting the following: 
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‘‘(aa) STATE; STATE LEAD AGENCY.— 
‘‘(1) STATE.—The term’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) STATE LEAD AGENCY.—The term ‘State 
lead agency’ means a statewide department, agency, 
board, bureau, or other entity in a State that is au-
thorized to regulate, in a manner consistent with 
section 24(a), the sale or use of any federally reg-
istered pesticide or device in such State.’’. 
(b) UNIFORM REGULATION OF PESTICIDES.— 
(1) COOPERATION WITH AND ROLE OF STATE 
LEAD AGENCY.—Section 22(b) of the Federal Insec-
ticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 
136t(b)) is amended by inserting before the period 
at the end the following: ‘‘promulgated by the Ad-
ministrator or, when authorized pursuant to a coop-
erative agreement entered into under section 
23(a)(1), by a State lead agency for a State’’. 
(2) AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN 
UNIFORM
REGULATIONS.—Section 23(a)(1) of the 
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act 
(7 U.S.C. 136u(a)(1)) is amended by inserting after 
‘‘enforcement of this Act,’’ the following: ‘‘to author-
ize the State or Indian Tribe to establish and main-
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tain uniform regulation of pesticides within the 
State or for the Indian Tribe,’’. 
(3) CONDITION ON MORE RESTRICTIVE REGU-
LATION.—Section 24(a) of the Federal Insecticide, 
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136v(a)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘A State may’’ and inserting 
‘‘A State, but not a political subdivision of a State, 
may’’. 
(c) ROLE OF STATE LEAD AGENCIES IN PROMULGA-
TION OF REGULATIONS.—Section 25(a)(2) of the Federal 
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 
136w(a)(2)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)— 
(A) in the first sentence, by inserting ‘‘and 
each State lead agency’’ after ‘‘Agriculture’’; 
(B) by striking the second sentence and in-
serting the following: ‘‘If the Secretary or any 
State lead agency comments in writing to the 
Administrator regarding any such regulation 
within 30 days after receiving the copy of the 
regulation, the Administrator shall publish in 
the Federal Register (with the proposed regula-
tion) all such comments and the response of the 
Administrator to the comments.’’; and 
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(C) in the third sentence, by inserting ‘‘or 
any State lead agency’’ after ‘‘Secretary’’; 
(2) in subparagraph (B)— 
(A) in the first sentence, by inserting ‘‘and 
each State lead agency’’ after ‘‘Agriculture’’; 
(B) by striking the second sentence and in-
serting the following: ‘‘If the Secretary or any 
State lead agency comments in writing to the 
Administrator regarding any such regulation 
within 15 days after receiving the copy of the 
regulation, the Administrator shall publish in 
the Federal Register (with the final regulation) 
the comments of the Secretary or State lead 
agency, if requested by the Secretary or State 
lead agency, and the response of the Adminis-
trator to the comments.’’; and 
(C) in the third sentence, by inserting ‘‘or 
any State lead agency’’ after ‘‘Secretary’’; and 
(3) in subparagraph (C), by inserting before the 
period at the end the following: ‘‘, in consultation 
with the State lead agencies’’. 
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PART II—PESTICIDE REGISTRATION AND USE 
SEC. 9111. REGISTRATION OF PESTICIDES. 
(a) APPROVAL OF REGISTRATION.—Section 3(c)(5) 
of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act 
(7 U.S.C. 136a(c)(5)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through 
(D) as clauses (i) through (iv), respectively and mov-
ing the margins of such clauses (as so redesignated) 
2 ems to the right; 
(2) by striking ‘‘REGISTRATION.—The Adminis-
trator’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘REGISTRA-
TION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator’’; 
(3) in clause (iii), as so redesignated, by strik-
ing ‘‘; and’’ at the end and inserting a semicolon; 
(4) in clause (iv), as so redesignated, by strik-
ing the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; 
(5) in the matter following clause (iv), as so re-
designated, by striking ‘‘The Administrator shall not 
make any lack’’ and all that follows through ‘‘for use 
of the pesticide in such State.’’; 
(6) in subparagraph (A), as amended, by add-
ing at the end the following new clause: 
‘‘(v) when used in accordance with 
widespread and commonly recognized prac-
tice it is not likely to jeopardize the sur-
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vival of a federally listed threatened or en-
dangered species or directly or indirectly 
alter, in a manner that is likely to appre-
ciably diminish its value, critical habitat 
for both the survival and recovery of such 
species.’’; and 
(7) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraphs: 
‘‘(B) PRINCIPLES TO BE APPLIED TO CER-
TAIN
DETERMINATIONS.—In 
determining 
whether the condition specified in subparagraph 
(A)(v) is met, the Administrator shall take into 
account the best scientific and commercial in-
formation and data available, and shall consider 
all directions for use and restrictions on use 
specified by the registration. In making such 
determination, the Administrator shall use an 
economical and effective screening process that 
includes higher-tiered probabilistic ecological 
risk assessments, as appropriate. Notwith-
standing any other provision of law, the Admin-
istrator shall not be required to consult or oth-
erwise communicate with the Secretary of the 
Interior and the Secretary of Commerce except 
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to the extent specified in subparagraphs (C) 
and (D). 
‘‘(C) SPECIES INFORMATION AND DATA.— 
‘‘(i) REQUEST.—Not later than 30 
days after the Administrator begins any 
determination under subparagraph (A)(v) 
with respect to the registration of a pes-
ticide, the Administrator shall request that 
the Secretary of the Interior and the Sec-
retary of Commerce transmit, with respect 
to any federally listed threatened and en-
dangered species involved in such deter-
mination, the Secretaries’ best available 
and authoritative information and data 
on— 
‘‘(I) the location, life history, 
habitat needs, distribution, threats, 
population trends and conservation 
needs of such species; and 
‘‘(II) relevant physical and bio-
logical features of designated critical 
habitat for such species. 
‘‘(ii) TRANSMISSION OF DATA.—After 
receiving a request under clause (i), the 
Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary 
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of Commerce shall transmit the informa-
tion described in such clause to the Admin-
istrator on a timely basis, unless the Sec-
retary of the Interior and the Secretary of 
Commerce have made such information 
available through a web-based platform 
that is updated on at least a quarterly 
basis. 
‘‘(iii) FAILURE TO TRANSMIT DATA.— 
The failure of the Secretary of the Interior 
or the Secretary of Commerce to provide 
information to the Administrator under 
clause (ii) shall not constitute grounds for 
extending any deadline for action under 
section 33(f). 
‘‘(D) CONSULTATION.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—At the request of 
an applicant, the Administrator shall re-
quest consultation with the Secretary of 
the Interior and the Secretary of Com-
merce. 
‘‘(ii) REQUIREMENTS.—With respect 
to a consultation under this subparagraph, 
the Administrator and the Secretary of the 
Interior and the Secretary of Commerce 
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shall comply with subpart D of part 402 of 
title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (com-
monly known as the Joint Counterpart En-
dangered Species Act Section 7 Consulta-
tion), or successor regulations. 
‘‘(E) FAILURE TO CONSULT.— 
‘‘(i) 
NOT
ACTIONABLE.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law, begin-
ning on the date of the enactment of this 
subparagraph, the failure of the Adminis-
trator to consult with the Secretary of the 
Interior and the Secretary of Commerce, 
except as provided by this section, is not 
actionable in any Federal court. 
‘‘(ii) REMEDY.—In any action pend-
ing in Federal court on the date of the en-
actment of this subparagraph or any ac-
tion brought in Federal court after such 
date, with respect to the Administrator’s 
failure to consult with the Secretary of the 
Interior and the Secretary of Commerce, 
the sole and exclusive remedy for any such 
action, other than as otherwise specified in 
this Act, shall be scheduling the determina-
tions required by section 3(c)(5)(E) for an 
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active ingredient consistent with the peri-
odic review of registrations established by 
this section. 
‘‘(F) ESSENTIALITY AND EFFICACY.—The 
Administrator shall not make any lack of essen-
tiality a criterion for denying registration of 
any pesticide. Where two pesticides meet the re-
quirements of this paragraph, one should not be 
registered in preference to the other. In consid-
ering an application for the registration of a 
pesticide, the Administrator may waive data re-
quirements pertaining to efficacy, in which 
event the Administrator may register the pes-
ticide without determining that the pesticide’s 
composition is such as to warrant proposed 
claims of efficacy. If a pesticide is found to be 
efficacious by any State under section 24(c), a 
presumption is established that the Adminis-
trator shall waive data requirements pertaining 
to efficacy for use of the pesticide in such 
State.’’. 
(b) 
REGISTRATION
UNDER
SPECIAL
CIR-
CUMSTANCES.—Section 3(c)(7) of the Federal Insecticide, 
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136a(c)(7)) is 
amended— 
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(1) in subparagraph (A)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘and when used in accord-
ance with widespread and commonly recognized 
practice, it is not likely to jeopardize the sur-
vival of a federally listed threatened or endan-
gered species or appreciably diminish the value 
of critical habitat for both the survival and re-
covery of the listed species,’’ after ‘‘or differ 
only in ways that would not significantly in-
crease the risk of unreasonable adverse effects 
on the environment,’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘and it is not likely to 
jeopardize the survival of a federally listed 
threatened or endangered species or appreciably 
diminish the value of critical habitat for both 
the survival and recovery of the listed species’’ 
before ‘‘. An applicant seeking conditional reg-
istration’’; and 
(2) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘and it 
is not likely to jeopardize the survival of a federally 
listed threatened or endangered species or directly or 
indirectly appreciably diminish the value of critical 
habitat for both the survival and recovery of the list-
ed species’’ before ‘‘. Notwithstanding the foregoing 
provisions’’. 
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(c) REGISTRATION REVIEW.—Section 3(g)(1)(A) of 
the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act 
(7 U.S.C. 136a(g)(1)(A)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new clause: 
‘‘(vi) ENSURING PROTECTION OF SPECIES 
AND HABITAT.—The Administrator shall com-
plete the determination required under sub-
section (c)(5)(A)(v) for an active ingredient 
consistent with the periodic review of registra-
tions under clauses (ii) and (iii) in accordance 
with the following schedule: 
‘‘(I) With respect to any active ingre-
dient first registered on or before October 
1, 2007, not later than October 1, 2026. 
‘‘(II) With respect to any active ingre-
dient first registered between October 1, 
2007, and the day before the date of the 
enactment of this clause, not later than 
October 1, 2033. 
‘‘(III) With respect to any active in-
gredient first registered on or after the 
date of the enactment of this clause, not 
later than 48 months after the effective 
date of registration.’’. 
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SEC. 9112. EXPERIMENTAL USE PERMITS. 
Section 5(a) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, 
and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136c(a)) is amended by 
inserting ‘‘and that the issuance of such a permit is not 
likely to jeopardize the survival of a federally listed threat-
ened or endangered species or diminish the value of crit-
ical habitat for both the survival and recovery of the listed 
species’’ after ‘‘section 3 of this Act’’. 
SEC. 9113. ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW; SUSPENSION. 
Section 6(b) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, 
and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136d(b)) is amended by 
inserting ‘‘or does not meet the criteria specified in section 
3(c)(5)(A)(v)’’ after ‘‘adverse effects on the environment’’. 
SEC. 9114. UNLAWFUL ACTS. 
Section 12 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 
Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136j) is amended by adding at 
the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(c) LAWFUL USE OF PESTICIDE RESULTING IN IN-
CIDENTAL TAKING OF CERTAIN SPECIES.—If the Admin-
istrator determines, with respect to a pesticide that is reg-
istered under this Act, that the pesticide meets the criteria 
specified in section 3(c)(5)(A)(v), any taking of a federally 
listed threatened or endangered species that is incidental 
to an otherwise lawful use of such pesticide pursuant to 
this Act shall not be considered unlawful under— 
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‘‘(1) section 4(d) of the Endangered Species 
Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533(d)); or 
‘‘(2) section 9(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Spe-
cies Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1538(a)(1)(B)).’’. 
SEC. 9115. AUTHORITY OF STATES. 
Section 24(c) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, 
and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136v(c)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2), in the second sentence, by 
inserting ‘‘and the State registration is not likely to 
jeopardize the survival of a federally listed threat-
ened or endangered species or directly or indirectly 
alter in a manner that is likely to appreciably dimin-
ish the value of critical habitat for both the survival 
and recovery of the listed species’’ before the period 
at the end; and 
(2) by striking paragraph (4). 
SEC. 9116. REGULATIONS. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency shall publish, and revise thereafter as 
appropriate, a work plan and processes for completing the 
determinations required by clause (v) of section 3(c)(5)(A) 
of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act 
(7 U.S.C. 136a(c)(5)(A)), as added by section 9111(a), 
and implementing and enforcing standards of registration 
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consistent with such clause and consistent with registra-
tion reviews and other periodic reviews. 
SEC. 9117. USE OF AUTHORIZED PESTICIDES. 
Section 3(f) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, 
and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136a(f)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) USE
OF
AUTHORIZED
PESTICIDES.—Ex-
cept as provided in section 402(s) of the Federal 
Water Pollution Control Act, the Administrator or a 
State may not require a permit under such Act for 
a discharge from a point source into navigable 
waters of a pesticide authorized for sale, distribu-
tion, or use under this Act, or the residue of such 
a pesticide, resulting from the application of such 
pesticide.’’. 
SEC. 9118. DISCHARGES OF PESTICIDES. 
Section 402 of the Federal Water Pollution Control 
Act (33 U.S.C. 1342) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(s) DISCHARGES OF PESTICIDES.— 
‘‘(1) NO
PERMIT
REQUIREMENT.—Except as 
provided in paragraph (2), a permit shall not be re-
quired by the Administrator or a State under this 
Act for a discharge from a point source into navi-
gable waters of a pesticide authorized for sale, dis-
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tribution, or use under the Federal Insecticide, Fun-
gicide, and Rodenticide Act, or the residue of such 
a pesticide, resulting from the application of such 
pesticide. 
‘‘(2) EXCEPTIONS.—Paragraph (1) shall not 
apply to the following discharges of a pesticide or 
pesticide residue: 
‘‘(A) A discharge resulting from the appli-
cation of a pesticide in violation of a provision 
of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 
Rodenticide Act that is relevant to protecting 
water quality, if— 
‘‘(i) the discharge would not have oc-
curred but for the violation; or 
‘‘(ii) the amount of pesticide or pes-
ticide residue in the discharge is greater 
than would have occurred without the vio-
lation. 
‘‘(B) Stormwater discharges subject to reg-
ulation under subsection (p). 
‘‘(C) The following discharges subject to 
regulation under this section: 
‘‘(i) Manufacturing or industrial efflu-
ent. 
‘‘(ii) Treatment works effluent. 
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‘‘(iii) Discharges incidental to the nor-
mal operation of a vessel, including a dis-
charge resulting from ballasting operations 
or vessel biofouling prevention.’’. 
SEC. 9119. ENACTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGISTRATION IM-
PROVEMENT ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2017. 
H.R. 1029 of the 115th Congress, entitled the ‘‘Pes-
ticide Registration Improvement Enhancement Act of 
2017’’, as passed by the House of Representatives on 
March 20, 2017, is hereby enacted into law. 
PART III—AMENDMENTS TO THE PLANT 
PROTECTION ACT 
SEC. 9121. METHYL BROMIDE. 
Section 419 of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 
7719) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 419. METHYL BROMIDE. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraphs (2) 
and (3), a State, local, or Tribal authority may au-
thorize the use of methyl bromide for a qualified use 
if the authority determines the use is required to re-
spond to an emergency event. The Secretary may 
authorize such a use if the Secretary determines 
such a use is required to respond to an emergency 
event. 
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‘‘(2) NOTIFICATION.—Not later than 5 days 
after the date on which a State, local, or Tribal au-
thority makes the determination described in para-
graph (1), the State, local, or Tribal authority in-
tending to authorize the use of methyl bromide for 
a qualified use shall submit to the Secretary a notifi-
cation that contains the information described in 
subsection (b). 
‘‘(3) OBJECTION.—A State, local, or Tribal au-
thority may not authorize the use of methyl bromide 
under paragraph (1) if the Secretary objects to such 
use under subsection (c) within the 5-day period 
specified in such subsection. 
‘‘(b) NOTIFICATION CONTENTS.—A notification sub-
mitted under subsection (a)(2) by a State, local, or Tribal 
authority shall contain— 
‘‘(1) a certification that the State, local, or 
Tribal authority requires the use of methyl bromide 
to respond to an emergency event; 
‘‘(2) a description of the emergency event and 
the economic loss that would result from such emer-
gency event; 
‘‘(3) the identity and contact information for 
the responsible individual of the authority; and 
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‘‘(4) with respect to the qualified use of methyl 
bromide that is the subject of the notification— 
‘‘(A) the specific location in which the 
methyl bromide is to be used and the total acre-
age of such location; 
‘‘(B) the identity of the pest or pests to be 
controlled by such use; 
‘‘(C) the total volume of methyl bromide to 
be used; and 
‘‘(D) the anticipated date of such use. 
‘‘(c) OBJECTION.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary, not later 
than 5 days after the receipt of a notification sub-
mitted under subsection (a)(2), may object to the 
authorization of the use of methyl bromide under 
such subsection by a State, local, or Tribal authority 
by sending the State, local, or Tribal authority a no-
tification in writing of such objection that— 
‘‘(A) states the reasons for such objection; 
and 
‘‘(B) specifies any additional information 
that the Secretary would require to withdraw 
the objection. 
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‘‘(2) REASONS FOR OBJECTION.—The Secretary 
may object to an authorization described in para-
graph (1) if the Secretary determines that— 
‘‘(A) the notification submitted under sub-
section (a)(2) does not— 
‘‘(i) contain all of the information 
specified in paragraphs (1) through (4) of 
subsection (b); or 
‘‘(ii) demonstrate the existence of an 
emergency event; or 
‘‘(B) the qualified use specified in the noti-
fication does not comply with the limitations 
specified in subsection (e). 
‘‘(3) WITHDRAWAL OF OBJECTION.—The Sec-
retary shall withdraw an objection under this sub-
section if— 
‘‘(A) not later than 14 days after the date 
on which the Secretary sends the notification 
under paragraph (1) to the State, local, or 
Tribal authority involved, the State, local, or 
Tribal authority submits to the Secretary the 
additional information specified in such notifi-
cation; and 
‘‘(B) such additional information is sub-
mitted to the satisfaction of the Secretary. 
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‘‘(4) EFFECT
OF
WITHDRAWAL.—Upon the 
issuance of a withdrawal under paragraph (3), the 
State, local, or Tribal authority involved may au-
thorize the use of methyl bromide for the qualified 
use specified in the notification submitted under 
subsection (a)(2). 
‘‘(d) USE FOR EMERGENCY EVENTS CONSISTENT 
WITH FIFRA.—The production, distribution, sale, ship-
ment, application, or use of a pesticide product containing 
methyl bromide in accordance with an authorization for 
a use under subsection (a) shall be deemed an authorized 
production, distribution, sale, shipment, application, or 
use of such product under the Federal Insecticide, Fun-
gicide, and Rodenticide Act, regardless of whether the in-
tended use is registered and included in the label approved 
for the product by the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency under such Act. 
‘‘(e) LIMITATIONS ON USE.— 
‘‘(1) LIMITATIONS
ON
USE
PER
EMERGENCY 
EVENT.—The amount of methyl bromide that may 
be used per emergency event at a specific location 
shall not exceed 20 metric tons. 
‘‘(2) LIMITS
ON
AGGREGATE
AMOUNT.—The 
aggregate amount of methyl bromide allowed pursu-
ant to this section for use in the United States in 
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a calendar year shall not exceed the total amount 
authorized by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol 
pursuant to the Montreal Protocol process for crit-
ical uses in the United States in calendar year 2011. 
‘‘(f) ENSURING ADEQUATE SUPPLY
OF METHYL 
BROMIDE.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
it shall not be unlawful for any person or entity to produce 
or import methyl bromide, or otherwise supply methyl bro-
mide from inventories (produced or imported pursuant to 
the Clean Air Act for other purposes) in response to an 
emergency event in accordance with subsection (a). 
‘‘(g) EXCLUSIVE AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY.— 
Nothing in this section shall be construed to alter or mod-
ify the authority of the Secretary to use methyl bromide 
for quarantine and pre-shipment, without limitation, 
under the Clean Air Act. 
‘‘(h) DEFINITIONS.— 
‘‘(1) EMERGENCY
EVENT.—The term ‘emer-
gency event’ means a situation— 
‘‘(A) that occurs at a location on which a 
plant or commodity is grown or produced or a 
facility providing for the storage of, or other 
services with respect to, a plant or commodity; 
‘‘(B) for which the lack of availability of 
methyl bromide for a particular use would re-
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sult in significant economic loss to the owner, 
lessee, or operator of such a location or facility 
or the owner, grower, or purchaser of such a 
plant or commodity; and 
‘‘(C) that, in light of the specific agricul-
tural, meteorological, or other conditions pre-
sented, requires the use of methyl bromide to 
control a pest or disease in such location or fa-
cility because there are no technically or eco-
nomically feasible alternatives to methyl bro-
mide easily accessible by an entity referred to 
in subparagraph (B) at the time and location of 
the event that— 
‘‘(i) are registered under the Federal 
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act 
(7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.) for the intended use 
or pest to be so controlled; and 
‘‘(ii) would adequately control the pest 
or disease presented at such location or fa-
cility. 
‘‘(2) PEST.—The term ‘pest’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 2 of the Federal Insecti-
cide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 
136). 
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‘‘(3) QUALIFIED USE.—The term ‘qualified use’ 
means, with respect to methyl bromide, a methyl 
bromide treatment or application in an amount not 
to exceed the limitations specified in subsection (e) 
in response to an emergency event.’’. 
SEC. 9122. PREVENTING THE ARRIVAL IN THE UNITED 
STATES OF FOREST PESTS THROUGH RE-
STRICTIONS ON THE IMPORTATION OF CER-
TAIN PLANTS FOR PLANTING. 
(a) CRITERIA FOR ADDING PLANTS TO NOT AU-
THORIZED PENDING PEST RISK ANALYSIS LIST.—Section 
412(a) of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7711(a)) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(1) REGULATION OF MOVEMENT.—The Sec-
retary’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) CRITERIA FOR ADDING PLANTS TO NOT 
AUTHORIZED PENDING PEST RISK ANALYSIS LIST.— 
In determining whether to add a genus of a plant 
for planting to the not authorized pending pest risk 
analysis list, the Secretary shall consider the envi-
ronmental impact on natural, managed, and urban 
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ecosystems in the United States of a pest that may 
be carried on a plant for planting.’’. 
(b) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Section 412(e) of 
the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7712(e)) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(e) REPORT
ON
INTERCEPTION
OF
FOREST 
PESTS.—Not later than March 1, 2021, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report— 
‘‘(1) evaluating the effectiveness of the Federal 
Government in intercepting pests in international 
shipping and on plants for planting; 
‘‘(2) describing the geographic sources of inter-
cepted pests and the commodities or plant species 
most often associated with infested shipments; 
‘‘(3) quantifying the detection of forest pests in 
the national surveillance networks, including the Co-
operative Agricultural Pest Survey and the Early 
Detection and Rapid Response network of the For-
est Service; 
‘‘(4) describing new outbreaks of forest pests in 
the United States and the spread of existing infesta-
tions; 
‘‘(5) describing how the numbers of such inter-
ceptions, detections, and outbreaks described in a 
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preceding paragraph have changed since January 1, 
2018; 
‘‘(6) containing proposed additional actions to 
further reduce the rate of arrival for forest pests 
across the borders of the United States; and 
‘‘(7) identifying current challenges with inter-
cepting, detecting, and addressing outbreaks of tree 
and wood pests, as well as challenges in achieving 
compliance with this Act and recommendations with 
respect to such challenges.’’. 
(c) DECLARATION OF EXTRAORDINARY EMERGENCY 
AND RESULTING AUTHORITIES.—Section 415(a) of the 
Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7715(a)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(3); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (4) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(5) use available funds for all activities nec-
essary for pest eradication, including pest identifica-
tion, development of a pest-specific management 
plan, and implementation of that plan.’’. 
(d) FOREST SERVICE
AND ANIMAL
AND PLANT 
HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE COOPERATION
IN RE-
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SPONSE TO FOREST PLANT PESTS.—Section 431(a) of 
the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7751(a)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—’’ and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(a) COOPERATION AUTHORITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) IMPROVED
COOPERATION
WITH
FOREST 
SERVICE AGAINST FOREST PLANT PESTS.—The Sec-
retary shall ensure that appropriate coordination 
and collaboration is occurring between the Animal 
and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Forest 
Service with respect to— 
‘‘(A) 
periodically 
identifying 
and 
prioritizing critical detection, surveillance, and 
eradication needs for tree and wood pests; and 
‘‘(B) identifying the actions each agency 
will take within their respective missions with 
respect to addressing identified priorities.’’. 
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE AND IMPLEMENTATION.— 
(1) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 
by this section shall take effect 60 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act. 
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(2) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary shall 
issue or revise such regulations as may be necessary 
to implement the amendments made by this section. 
PART IV—AMENDMENTS TO OTHER LAWS 
SEC. 9131. DEFINITION OF RETAIL FACILITIES. 
Not later than 180 days of the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall revise the process 
safety management of highly hazardous chemicals stand-
ard under section 1910.119 of title 29, Code of Federal 
Regulations, promulgated pursuant to section 6 of the Oc-
cupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 
655), to provide that the definition of the term ‘‘retail fa-
cility’’, when used with respect to a facility that provides 
direct sales of highly hazardous chemicals to end users or 
consumers (including farmers or ranchers), means a facil-
ity that is exempt from such standard because such facil-
ity has obtained more than half of its income during the 
most recent 12-month period from such direct sales. 
Subtitle C—Other Matters 
SEC. 9201. REPORT ON REGULATION OF PLANT BIOSTIMU-
LANTS. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
a report to the President and Congress that identifies po-
tential regulatory and legislative reforms to ensure the ex-
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peditious and appropriate review, approval, uniform na-
tional labeling, and availability of plant biostimulant prod-
ucts to agricultural producers. 
(b) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall prepare the report required by subsection (a) in con-
sultation with the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency, the several States, industry stake-
holders, and such other stakeholders as the Secretary de-
termines necessary. 
(c) PLANT BIOSTIMULANT DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘plant biostimulant’’ means a substance or 
micro-organism that, when applied to seeds, plants, or the 
rhizosphere, stimulates natural processes to enhance or 
benefit nutrient uptake, nutrient efficiency, tolerance to 
abiotic stress, or crop quality and yield. 
SEC. 9202. PECAN MARKETING ORDERS. 
Section 8e(a) of the Agricultural Adjustment Act, re-
enacted with amendments by the Agricultural Marketing 
Agreement Act of 1937 (7 U.S.C. 608e–1(a)), is amended 
in the first sentence, by inserting ‘‘pecans,’’ after ‘‘wal-
nuts,’’. 
SEC. 9203. REPORT ON HONEY AND MAPLE SYRUP. 
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit 
to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Rep-
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resentatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 
and Forestry of the Senate a report examining the effect 
of the final rule entitled ‘‘Food Labeling: Revision of the 
Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels’’, published in the 
Federal Register by the Food and Drug Administration 
on May 27, 2016 (81 Fed. Reg. 33742), (providing for 
updates to the nutrition facts panel on the labeling of 
packaged food) has on consumer perception regarding the 
‘‘added sugar’’ statement required to be included on such 
panel by such final rule with respect to packaged food in 
which no sugar is added during processing, including pure 
honey and maple syrup. 
TITLE X—CROP INSURANCE 
SEC. 10001. TREATMENT OF FORAGE AND GRAZING. 
(a) AVAILABILITY OF CATASTROPHIC RISK PROTEC-
TION FOR CROPS AND GRASSES USED FOR GRAZING.— 
Section 508(b)(1) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 
U.S.C. 1508(b)(1)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as 
provided in subparagraph (B), the’’ and inserting 
‘‘The’’; and 
(2) by striking subparagraph (B). 
(b) LIMITATION ON MULTIPLE BENEFITS FOR SAME 
LOSS.—Section 508(n)(2) of the Federal Crop Insurance 
Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(n)(2)) is amended by inserting before 
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the period the following: ‘‘or to coverage described in sec-
tion 508D’’. 
(c) COVERAGE FOR FORAGE AND GRAZING.—The 
Federal Crop Insurance Act is amended by inserting after 
section 508C (7 U.S.C. 1508C) the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 508D. COVERAGE FOR FORAGE AND GRAZING. 
‘‘Notwithstanding section 508A, and in addition to 
any other available coverage, for crops that can be both 
grazed and mechanically harvested on the same acres dur-
ing the same growing season, producers shall be allowed 
to purchase, and be independently indemnified on, sepa-
rate policies for each intended use, as determined by the 
Corporation.’’. 
SEC. 10002. ADMINISTRATIVE BASIC FEE. 
Section 508(b)(5)(A) of the Federal Crop Insurance 
Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(b)(5)(A)) is amended by striking 
‘‘$300’’ and inserting ‘‘$500’’. 
SEC. 10003. PREVENTION OF DUPLICATIVE COVERAGE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 508(c)(1) of the Federal 
Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(c)(1)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(C) INELIGIBLE
CROPS
AND
ACRES.— 
Crops for which the producer has elected under 
section 1117 of the Agriculture and Nutrition 
Act of 2018 to receive agriculture risk coverage 
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and acres that are enrolled in the stacked in-
come protection plan under section 508B shall 
not be eligible for— 
‘‘(i) coverage based on an area yield 
and loss basis under paragraph (3)(A)(ii); 
or 
‘‘(ii) supplemental coverage under 
paragraph (4)(C).’’. 
(b) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENTS.—Section 
508(c)(4)(C) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 
1508(c)(4)(C)) is amended— 
(1) by striking clause (iv); and 
(2) by redesignating clause (v) as clause (iv). 
SEC. 10004. REPEAL OF UNUSED AUTHORITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 508(d) of the Federal 
Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(d)) is amended— 
(1) by striking paragraph (3); and 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (4) as para-
graph (3). 
(b) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENTS.—Section 
508(a)(9)(B) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 
1508(a)(9)(B)) is amended— 
(1) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘or’’ after the 
semicolon; 
(2) by striking clause (ii); and 
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(3) by redesignating clause (iii) as clause (ii). 
SEC. 10005. CONTINUED AUTHORITY. 
Section 508(g) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 
U.S.C. 1508(g)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(6) CONTINUED AUTHORITY.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Corporation shall 
establish— 
‘‘(i) underwriting rules that limit the 
decrease in the actual production history of 
a producer, at the election of the producer, 
to not more than 10 percent of the actual 
production history of the previous crop 
year provided that the production decline 
was the result of drought, flood, natural 
disaster, or other insurable loss (as deter-
mined by the Corporation); and 
‘‘(ii) actuarially sound premiums to 
cover additional risk. 
‘‘(B) OTHER AUTHORITY.—The authority 
provided under subparagraph (A) is in addition 
to any other authority that adjusts the actual 
production history of the producer under this 
Act. 
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‘‘(C) EFFECT.—Nothing in this paragraph 
shall be construed to require a change in the 
carrying out of any provision of this Act as the 
Act was carried out for the 2018 reinsurance 
year.’’. 
SEC. 10006. PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION. 
Section 516(b)(2)(C)(i) of the Federal Crop Insur-
ance Act (7 U.S.C. 1516(b)(2)(C)(i)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘$9,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$7,000,000’’. 
SEC. 10007. MAINTENANCE OF POLICIES. 
(a) Section 522(b) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act 
(7 U.S.C. 1522(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by amending subpara-
graph (B) to read as follows: 
‘‘(B) REIMBURSEMENT.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—An applicant who 
submits a policy under section 508(h) shall 
be eligible for the reimbursement of rea-
sonable and actual research and develop-
ment costs directly related to the policy if 
the policy is approved by the Board for 
sale to producers. 
‘‘(ii) REASONABLE
COSTS.—For the 
purpose of reimbursing research and devel-
opment and maintenance costs under this 
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section, costs of the applicant shall be con-
sidered reasonable and actual costs if the 
costs are based on— 
‘‘(I) wage rates equal to 2 times 
the hourly wage rate plus benefits, as 
provided by the Bureau of Labor Sta-
tistics for the year in which such costs 
are incurred, calculated using the for-
mula applied to an applicant by the 
Corporation in reviewing proposed 
project budgets under this section on 
October 1, 2016; or 
‘‘(II) actual documented costs in-
curred by the applicant.’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (4)— 
(A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘ap-
proved insurance provider’’ and inserting ‘‘ap-
plicant’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (D)— 
(i) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘deter-
mined by the approved insurance provider’’ 
and inserting ‘‘determined by the appli-
cant’’; 
(ii) by striking clause (ii) and insert-
ing the following new clauses: 
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‘‘(ii) APPROVAL.—Subject to clause 
(iii), the Board shall approve the amount 
of a fee determined under clause (i) unless 
the Board determines, based on substantial 
evidence in the record, that the amount of 
the fee unnecessarily inhibits the use of the 
policy. 
‘‘(iii) CONSIDERATION.—The Board 
shall not disapprove a fee on the basis of— 
‘‘(I) a comparison to mainte-
nance fees paid with respect to the 
policy; or 
‘‘(II) the potential for the fee to 
result in a financial gain or loss to the 
applicant based on the number of poli-
cies sold.’’. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply to reimbursement requests 
made on or after October 1, 2016. 
(2) RESUBMISSION OF DENIED REQUEST.—An 
applicant that was denied all or a portion of a reim-
bursement request under paragraph (1) of section 
522(b) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 
1522(b)) during the period between October 1, 2016 
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and the date of the enactment of this Act shall be 
given an opportunity to resubmit such request. 
SEC. 10008. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES. 
(a) REPEAL OF CERTAIN RESEARCH AND DEVELOP-
MENT ACTIVITIES.—Section 522(c) of the Federal Crop 
Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(c)) is amended— 
(1) by striking paragraphs (7) through (18); 
(2) by striking paragraphs (20) through (23); 
and 
(3) by redesignating paragraphs (19) and (24) 
as paragraphs (7) and (8), respectively. 
(b) WHOLE FARM APPLICATION
TO BEGINNING 
FARMERS
AND RANCHERS.—Paragraph (7) of section 
522(c) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 
1522(c)), as redesignated by subsection (a), is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(E) BEGINNING
FARMER
OR
RANCHER
DE-
FINED.—Notwithstanding section 502(b)(3), with re-
spect to plans described under this paragraph, the 
term ‘beginning farmer or rancher’ means a farmer 
or rancher who has not actively operated and man-
aged a farm or ranch with a bona fide insurable in-
terest in a crop or livestock as an owner-operator, 
landlord, tenant, or sharecropper for more than 10 
crop years.’’. 
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(c) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES.— 
Section 522(c) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 
U.S.C. 1522(c)) as amended by subsection (a), is further 
amended by adding at the end the following new para-
graphs: 
‘‘(9) TROPICAL STORM OR HURRICANE INSUR-
ANCE.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Corporation shall 
offer to enter into 1 or more contracts with 
qualified entities to carry out research and de-
velopment regarding a policy to insure crops, 
including tomatoes, peppers, and citrus, against 
losses due to a tropical storm or hurricane. 
‘‘(B) RESEARCH
AND
DEVELOPMENT.— 
Research and development with respect to the 
policy required under subparagraph (A) shall— 
‘‘(i) evaluate the effectiveness of a 
risk management tool for a low frequency, 
catastrophic loss weather event; and 
‘‘(ii) provide protection for production 
or revenue losses, or both. 
‘‘(10) SUBSURFACE IRRIGATION PRACTICES.— 
The Corporation shall offer to enter into a contract 
with a qualified entity to conduct research and de-
velopment regarding the creation of a separate prac-
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tice for subsurface irrigation, including the establish-
ment of a separate transitional yield within the 
county that is reflective of the average gain in pro-
ductivity and yield associated with the installation of 
a subsurface irrigation system. 
‘‘(11) STUDY AND REPORT ON GRAIN SORGHUM 
RATES AND YIELDS.— 
‘‘(A) STUDY.—The Corporation shall con-
tract with a qualified entity to conduct a study 
to assess the difference in rates, average yields, 
and coverage levels of grain sorghum policies as 
compared to other feed grains within a county. 
‘‘(B) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this paragraph, 
the Corporation shall submit to the Committee 
on Agriculture of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 
and Forestry of the Senate a report that de-
scribes the results of the study conducted under 
subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(12) QUALITY LOSSES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Corporation shall 
offer to enter into a contract with a qualified 
entity to conduct research and development re-
garding the establishment of an alternative 
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method of adjusting for quality losses that does 
not impact the average production history of 
producers. 
‘‘(B) 
REQUIREMENTS.—Notwithstanding 
subsections (g) and (m) of section 508, if the 
Corporation uses any method developed as a re-
sult of the contract described in subparagraph 
(A) to adjust for quality losses, such method 
shall be— 
‘‘(i) optional for producers to elect to 
use; and 
‘‘(ii) offered at an actuarially sound 
premium rate.’’. 
SEC. 10009. EXTENSION OF FUNDING FOR RESEARCH AND 
DEVELOPMENT. 
Section 522 of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 
U.S.C. 1522) is amended— 
(1) by striking subsection (d); 
(2) in subsection (e)(2)(A)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘under subsections (c) and 
(d)’’ and inserting ‘‘under subsection (c)’’ ; and 
(B) 
by 
striking 
‘‘not 
more 
than 
$12,500,000 for fiscal year 2008 and each sub-
sequent fiscal year.’’ and inserting the fol-
lowing: ‘‘not more than— 
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‘‘(i) $12,500,000 for fiscal year 2008 
through 2018; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(ii) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2019 
and each fiscal year thereafter.’’; and 
(3) by redesignating subsection (e), as so 
amended, as subsection (d). 
SEC. 10010. EDUCATION AND RISK MANAGEMENT ASSIST-
ANCE. 
Section 524 of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 
U.S.C. 1524) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 524. EDUCATION AND RISK MANAGEMENT ASSIST-
ANCE. 
‘‘(a) EDUCATION
ASSISTANCE.—Subject to the 
amounts made available under subsection (d), the Sec-
retary, acting through the National Institute of Food and 
Agriculture, shall carry out the program established under 
subsection (b). 
‘‘(b) PARTNERSHIPS FOR RISK MANAGEMENT EDU-
CATION.— 
‘‘(1) 
AUTHORITY.—The 
Secretary, 
acting 
through the National Institute of Food and Agri-
culture, shall establish a program under which com-
petitive grants are made to qualified public and pri-
vate entities (including land-grant colleges, coopera-
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tive extension services, and colleges or universities), 
as determined by the Secretary, for the purpose of 
educating agricultural producers about the full range 
of risk management activities, including futures, op-
tions, agricultural trade options, crop insurance, 
cash forward contracting, debt reduction, production 
diversification, farm resources risk reduction, farm 
financial benchmarking, and other risk management 
strategies. 
‘‘(2) BASIS FOR GRANTS.—A grant under this 
subsection shall be awarded on the basis of merit 
and shall be subject to peer or merit review. 
‘‘(3) OBLIGATION PERIOD.—Funds for a grant 
under this subsection shall be available to the Sec-
retary for obligation for a 2-year period. 
‘‘(4) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—The Secretary 
may use not more than 4 percent of the funds made 
available for grants under this subsection for admin-
istrative costs incurred by the Secretary in carrying 
out this subsection. 
‘‘(c) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the program 
established under subsection (b), the Secretary shall place 
special emphasis on risk management strategies (including 
farm financial benchmarking), education, and outreach 
specifically targeted at— 
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‘‘(1) beginning farmers or ranchers; 
‘‘(2) legal immigrant farmers or ranchers that 
are attempting to become established producers in 
the United States; 
‘‘(3) socially disadvantaged farmers or ranch-
ers; and 
‘‘(4) farmers or ranchers that— 
‘‘(A) are preparing to retire; 
‘‘(B) are using transition strategies to help 
new farmers or ranchers get started; and 
‘‘(C) new or established farmers or ranch-
ers that are converting production and mar-
keting systems to pursue new markets. 
‘‘(d) FUNDING.—From the insurance fund estab-
lished under section 516(c), there is transferred for the 
partnerships for risk management education program es-
tablished under subsection (b) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 
2018 and each subsequent fiscal year.’’. 
TITLE XI—MISCELLANEOUS 
Subtitle A—Livestock 
SEC. 11101. ANIMAL DISEASE PREPAREDNESS AND RE-
SPONSE. 
(a) NATIONAL ANIMAL DISEASE PREPAREDNESS 
AND RESPONSE PROGRAM.—The Animal Health Protec-
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tion Act is amended by inserting after section 10409A (7 
U.S.C. 8308A) the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 10409B. NATIONAL ANIMAL DISEASE PREPAREDNESS 
AND RESPONSE PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish a program, to be known as the ‘National Animal 
Disease Preparedness and Response Program’, to address 
the increasing risk of the introduction and spread of ani-
mal pests and diseases affecting the economic interests of 
the livestock and related industries of the United States, 
including the maintenance and expansion of export mar-
kets. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—To carry out the Na-
tional Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Pro-
gram, the Secretary shall offer to enter into cooperative 
agreements, or other legal instruments, with eligible enti-
ties, to be selected by the Secretary, which may include 
any of the following entities, either individually or in com-
bination: 
‘‘(1) A State department of agriculture. 
‘‘(2) The office of the chief animal health offi-
cial of a State. 
‘‘(3) A land-grant college or university or 
NLGCA Institution (as those terms are defined in 
section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, 
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Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3103)). 
‘‘(4) A college of veterinary medicine, including 
a veterinary emergency team at such college. 
‘‘(5) A State or national livestock producer or-
ganization with direct and significant economic in-
terest in livestock production. 
‘‘(6) A State emergency agency. 
‘‘(7) A State, national, allied, or regional veteri-
nary organization or specialty board recognized by 
the American Veterinary Medical Association. 
‘‘(8) An Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 
of the Indian Self-Determination and Education As-
sistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)). 
‘‘(9) A Federal agency. 
‘‘(c) ACTIVITIES.— 
‘‘(1) PROGRAM
ACTIVITIES.—Activities under 
the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Re-
sponse Program shall include, to the extent prac-
ticable, the following: 
‘‘(A) Enhancing animal pest and disease 
analysis and surveillance. 
‘‘(B) Expanding outreach and education. 
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‘‘(C) Targeting domestic inspection activi-
ties at vulnerable points in the safeguarding 
continuum. 
‘‘(D) Enhancing and strengthening threat 
identification and technology. 
‘‘(E) Improving biosecurity. 
‘‘(F) Enhancing emergency preparedness 
and response capabilities, including training ad-
ditional emergency response personnel. 
‘‘(G) Conducting technology development 
and enhancing electronic sharing of animal 
health data for risk analysis between State and 
Federal animal health officials. 
‘‘(H) Enhancing the development and ef-
fectiveness of animal health technologies to 
treat and prevent animal disease, including— 
‘‘(i) 
veterinary 
biologics 
and 
diagnostics; 
‘‘(ii) animal drugs for minor use and 
minor species; and 
‘‘(iii) animal medical devices. 
‘‘(I) Such other activities as determined 
appropriate by the Secretary, in consultation 
with eligible entities specified in subsection (b). 
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‘‘(2) PRIORITIES.—In entering into cooperative 
agreements or other legal instruments under sub-
section (b), the Secretary shall give priority to appli-
cations submitted by— 
‘‘(A) a State department of agriculture or 
an office of the chief animal health official of a 
State; or 
‘‘(B) an eligible entity that will carry out 
program activities in a State or region— 
‘‘(i) in which an animal pest or dis-
ease is a Federal concern; or 
‘‘(ii) which the Secretary determines 
has potential for the spread of an animal 
pest or disease after taking into consider-
ation— 
‘‘(I) the agricultural industries in 
the State or region; 
‘‘(II) factors contributing to ani-
mal disease or pest in the State or re-
gion, such as the climate, natural re-
sources, and geography of, and native 
and exotic wildlife species and other 
disease vectors in, the State or region; 
and 
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‘‘(III) the movement of animals 
in the State or region. 
‘‘(3) CONSULTATION.—For purposes of setting 
priorities under this subsection, the Secretary shall 
consult with eligible entities specified in subsection 
(b). The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 
App.) shall not apply to consultation carried out 
under this paragraph. 
‘‘(d) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity specified 
in subsection (b) seeking to enter into a cooperative 
agreement, or other legal instrument, under the Na-
tional Animal Disease Preparedness and Response 
Program shall submit to the Secretary an applica-
tion containing such information as the Secretary 
may require. 
‘‘(2) NOTIFICATION.—The Secretary shall no-
tify each applicant of— 
‘‘(A) the requirements to be imposed on 
the recipient of funds under the Program for 
auditing of, and reporting on, the use of such 
funds; and 
‘‘(B) the criteria to be used to ensure ac-
tivities supported using such funds are based on 
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sound scientific data or thorough risk assess-
ments. 
‘‘(3) NON-FEDERAL
CONTRIBUTIONS.—When 
deciding whether to enter into an agreement or other 
legal instrument under the Program with an eligible 
entity described in subsection (b), the Secretary— 
‘‘(A) may take into consideration an eligi-
ble entity’s ability to contribute non-Federal 
funds to carry out such a cooperative agree-
ment or other legal instrument under the Pro-
gram; and 
‘‘(B) shall not require such an entity to 
make such a contribution. 
‘‘(e) USE OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) USE CONSISTENT WITH TERMS OF COOP-
ERATIVE
AGREEMENT.—The recipient of funds 
under the National Animal Disease Preparedness 
and Response Program shall use the funds for the 
purposes and in the manner provided in the coopera-
tive agreement, or other legal instrument, under 
which the funds are provided. 
‘‘(2) SUB-AGREEMENT.—Nothing in this section 
prevents an eligible entity from using funds received 
under the Program to enter into sub-agreements 
with political subdivisions of State that have legal 
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responsibilities relating to animal disease prevention, 
surveillance, or rapid response. 
‘‘(f) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 90 
days after the date of completion of an activity conducted 
using funds provided under the National Animal Disease 
Preparedness and Response Program, the recipient of 
such funds shall submit to the Secretary a report that de-
scribes the purposes and results of the activities.’’. 
(b) NATIONAL ANIMAL HEALTH VACCINE BANK.— 
The Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.) 
is amended by inserting after section 10409B, as added 
by subsection (a), the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 10409C. NATIONAL ANIMAL HEALTH VACCINE BANK. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish a national vaccine bank (to be known as the ‘National 
Animal Health Vaccine Bank’) for the benefit of the do-
mestic interests of the United States and to help protect 
the United States agriculture and food system against ter-
rorist attack, major disaster, and other emergencies. 
‘‘(b) ELEMENTS OF VACCINE BANK.—Through the 
National Animal Health Vaccine Bank, the Secretary 
shall— 
‘‘(1) maintain sufficient quantities of animal 
vaccine, antiviral, therapeutic, or diagnostic products 
to appropriately and rapidly respond to an outbreak 
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of those animal diseases that would have the most 
damaging effect on human health or the United 
States economy; and 
‘‘(2) leverage, when appropriate, the mecha-
nisms and infrastructure that have been developed 
for the management, storage, and distribution of the 
National Veterinary Stockpile of the Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service. 
‘‘(c) PRIORITY FOR RESPONSE TO FOOT AND MOUTH 
DISEASE.—The Secretary shall prioritize the acquisition 
of sufficient quantities of foot and mouth disease vaccine, 
and accompanying diagnostic products, for the National 
Animal Health Vaccine Bank. As part of such 
prioritization, the Secretary shall consider contracting 
with one or more entities that are capable of producing 
foot and mouth disease vaccine and that have surge pro-
duction capacity of the vaccine.’’. 
(c) FUNDING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 10417 of the Animal 
Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8316) is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(d) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR SPECIFIED PUR-
POSES.— 
‘‘(1) MANDATORY FUNDING.— 
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‘‘(A) FISCAL YEAR 2019.—Of the funds of 
the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Sec-
retary shall make available for fiscal year 2019 
$250,000,000 to carry out sections 10409A, 
10409B, and 10409C, of which— 
‘‘(i) $30,000,000 shall be made avail-
able to carry out the National Animal 
Health Laboratory Network under section 
10409A; 
‘‘(ii) $70,000,000 shall be made avail-
able to carry out the National Animal Dis-
ease Preparedness and Response Program 
under section 10409B; and 
‘‘(iii) $150,000,000 shall be made 
available to establish and maintain the Na-
tional Animal Health Vaccine Bank under 
section 10409C. 
‘‘(B) SUBSEQUENT FISCAL YEARS.—Of the 
funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the 
Secretary shall make available to carry out sec-
tions 
10409A, 
10409B, 
and 
10409C, 
$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 
through 
2023, 
of 
which 
not 
less 
than 
$30,000,000 shall be made available for each of 
those fiscal years to carry out the National Ani-
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mal Disease Preparedness and Response Pro-
gram under section 10409B. 
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZATION OF APPRO-
PRIATIONS.—In addition to the funds made available 
under subparagraphs (A)(i) and (B) of paragraph 
(1) and funds authorized to be appropriated by sub-
section (a), there are authorized to be appropriated 
$15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 
2023 to carry out the National Animal Health Lab-
oratory Network under section 10409A. 
‘‘(3) ADMINISTRATIVE
COSTS.—Of the funds 
made available under subparagraphs (A)(i), (A)(ii), 
and (B) of paragraph (1) to carry out the National 
Animal Health Laboratory Network under section 
10409A and the National Animal Disease Prepared-
ness and Response Program under section 10409B, 
not more than 4 percent may be retained by the Sec-
retary to pay administrative costs incurred by the 
Secretary. Of the funds made available under sub-
paragraphs (A)(ii) and (B) of such paragraph to 
carry out the National Animal Disease Preparedness 
and Response Program under section 10409B, not 
more than 10 percent may be retained by an eligible 
entity to pay administrative costs incurred by the el-
igible entity to carry out such program. 
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‘‘(4) DURATION
OF
AVAILABILITY.—Funds 
made available under this subsection, including any 
proceeds credited under paragraph (5), shall remain 
available until expended. 
‘‘(5) PROCEEDS
FROM
VACCINE
SALES.—Any 
proceeds of a sale of vaccine or antigen from the Na-
tional Animal Health Vaccine Bank shall be— 
‘‘(A) deposited into the Treasury of the 
United States; and 
‘‘(B) credited to the account for the oper-
ation of the National Animal Health Vaccine 
Bank to be made available for expenditure with-
out further appropriation. 
‘‘(6) LIMITATIONS ON USE OF FUNDS FOR CER-
TAIN PURPOSES.—Funds made available under the 
National Animal Health Laboratory Network, the 
National Animal Disease Preparedness and Re-
sponse Program, and the National Animal Health 
Vaccine Bank shall not be used for the construction 
of a new building or facility or the acquisition or ex-
pansion of an existing building or facility, including 
site grading and improvement and architect fees.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(A) SECTION HEADING.—The heading of 
section 10417 of the Animal Health Protection 
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Act (7 U.S.C. 8316) is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘SEC. 10417. FUNDING.’’. 
(B) OTHER AMENDMENTS.—Section 10417 
of the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 
8316) is further amended— 
(i) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘IN 
GENERAL’’ and inserting ‘‘GENERAL AU-
THORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS’’; and 
(ii) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘to 
carry out this subtitle’’ and inserting ‘‘pur-
suant to the authorization of appropria-
tions in subsection (a)’’. 
(3) REPEAL OF SEPARATE AUTHORIZATION OF 
NATIONAL
ANIMAL
HEALTH
LABORATORY
NET-
WORK.—Section 10409A of the Animal Health Pro-
tection Act (7 U.S.C. 8308A(d)) is amended by 
striking subsection (d). 
SEC. 11102. NATIONAL AQUATIC ANIMAL HEALTH PLAN. 
Section 11013(d) of the Food, Conservation, and En-
ergy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8322(d)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 11103. VETERINARY TRAINING. 
Section 10504 of the Farm Security and Rural In-
vestment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8318) is amended— 
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(1) by inserting ‘‘and veterinary teams, includ-
ing those based at colleges of veterinary medicine,’’ 
after ‘‘veterinarians’’; and 
(2) by inserting before the period at the end the 
following: ‘‘and who are capable of providing effec-
tive services before, during, and after emergencies’’. 
SEC. 11104. REPORT ON FSIS GUIDANCE AND OUTREACH TO 
SMALL MEAT PROCESSORS. 
Not later than one year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Inspector General of the Department 
of Agriculture shall submit to the Secretary a report on 
the effectiveness of existing Food Safety and Inspection 
Service guidance materials and other tools used by small 
and very small establishments, as defined by regulations 
issued by the Food Safety and Inspection Service, as in 
effect on such date of enactment, including— 
(1) an evaluation of the effectiveness of the out-
reach conducted by the Food Safety and Inspection 
Service to small and very small establishments; 
(2) an evaluation of the effectiveness of the 
guidance materials and other tools used by the Food 
Safety and Inspection Service to assist small and 
very small establishments; 
(3) an evaluation of the responsiveness of Food 
Safety and Inspection Service personnel to inquiries 
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and issues from small and very small establishments; 
and 
(4) recommendations on measures the Food 
Safety and Inspection Service should take to im-
prove regulatory clarity and consistency and ensure 
all guidance materials and other tools take into ac-
count small and very small establishments. 
SEC. 11105. REGIONAL CATTLE AND CARCASS GRADING 
CORRELATION AND TRAINING CENTERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish not 
more than three regional centers, to be known as ‘‘Cattle 
and Carcass Grading Correlation and Training Centers’’ 
(referred to in this section as the ‘‘Centers’’), to provide 
education and training for cattle and carcass beef graders 
of the Agricultural Marketing Service, cattle producers, 
and other professionals involved in the reporting, delivery, 
and grading of feeder cattle, live cattle, and carcasses— 
(1) to limit the subjectivity in the application of 
beef grading standards; 
(2) to provide producers with greater confidence 
in the price of the producers’ cattle; and 
(3) to provide investors with both long and 
short positions more assurance in the cattle delivery 
system. 
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(b) LOCATION.—The Centers shall be located near 
cattle feeding and slaughter populations and areas shall 
be strategically identified in order to capture regional 
variances in cattle production. 
(c) ADMINISTRATION.—Each Center shall be orga-
nized and administered by offices of the Department of 
Agriculture in operation on the date on which the respec-
tive Center is established, or in coordination with other 
appropriate Federal agencies or academic institutions. 
(d) TRAINING PROGRAM.—The Centers shall offer in-
tensive instructional programs involving classroom and 
field training work for individuals described in subsection 
(a). 
(e) COORDINATION OF RESOURCES.—Each Center, 
in carrying out the functions of the Center, shall make 
use of information generated by the Department of Agri-
culture, the State agricultural extension and research sta-
tions, relevant designated contract markets, and the prac-
tical experience of area cattle producers, especially cattle 
producers cooperating in on-farm demonstrations, correla-
tions, and research projects. 
(f) PROHIBITION ON CONSTRUCTION.—Funds made 
available to carry out this section shall not be used for 
the construction of a new building or facility or the acqui-
sition, expansion, remodeling, or alteration of an existing 
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building or facility (including site grading and improve-
ment, and architect fees). Notwithstanding the preceding 
sentence, the Secretary may use funds made available to 
carry out this section to provide a Center with payment 
for the cost of the rental of a space determined to be nec-
essary by the Center for conducting training under this 
section and may accept donations (including in-kind con-
tributions) to cover such cost. 
(g) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect 
on October 1, 2018. 
Subtitle 
B—Beginning, 
Socially 
Disadvantaged, 
and 
Veteran 
Producers 
SEC. 11201. OUTREACH AND ASSISTANCE FOR SOCIALLY 
DISADVANTAGED FARMERS AND RANCHERS 
AND VETERAN FARMERS AND RANCHERS. 
Section 2501(a)(4) of the Food, Agriculture, Con-
servation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(a)(4)) 
is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)— 
(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’; and 
(B) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2023’’; 
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(2) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as sub-
paragraph (F); 
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph: 
‘‘(E) PRIORITY.—In making grants and 
entering into contracts and other agreements 
under this section, the Secretary shall give pri-
ority to projects that— 
‘‘(i) deliver agricultural education to 
youth under the age of 18 in underserved 
and underrepresented communities; 
‘‘(ii) provide youth under the age of 
18 with agricultural employment or volun-
teer opportunities, or both; and 
‘‘(iii) demonstrate experience in pro-
viding such education or opportunities to 
socially disadvantaged youth.’’; and 
(4) in subparagraph (F), as so redesignated, by 
striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
SEC. 11202. STATE BEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHER CO-
ORDINATOR. 
Section 226 of the Department of Agriculture Reor-
ganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6934) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection: 
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‘‘(i) STATE BEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHER CO-
ORDINATOR.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall des-
ignate a State beginning farmer and rancher coordi-
nator from among existing employees of the Farm 
Service Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation 
Service, the Risk Management Agency, the Rural 
Business-Cooperative Service, and the Rural Utilities 
Service. 
‘‘(2) TRAINING.—The Agency shall coordinate 
the development of a training plan so that each 
State coordinator shall receive sufficient training to 
have a general working knowledge of the programs 
and services available from each agency of the De-
partment to assist beginning farmers and ranchers 
and be familiar with issues relating to beginning 
farmers and ranchers. 
‘‘(3) DUTIES.—The coordinator shall— 
‘‘(A) coordinate technical assistance at the 
State level to help beginning farmers and 
ranchers gain access to programs of the De-
partment; 
‘‘(B) work with outreach coordinators in 
the State offices of the Farm Service Agency, 
the Natural Resources Conservation Service, 
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the Risk Management Agency, the Rural Busi-
ness-Cooperative Service, and the Rural Utili-
ties Service to ensure appropriate information 
about technical assistance is available at out-
reach events and activities; and 
‘‘(C) work with the Office of Partnerships 
and Public Engagement and regional, state, 
and local offices of the Department to facilitate 
partnerships and joint outreach efforts with 
State regional, state, and local organizations 
and key stakeholders serving beginning farmers 
and ranchers through contracts and cooperative 
agreements.’’. 
SEC. 11203. OFFICE OF PARTNERSHIPS AND PUBLIC EN-
GAGEMENT. 
(a) CHANGING NAME OF OFFICE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 226B of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 
U.S.C. 6934) is amended— 
(A) in the section heading, by striking 
‘‘ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH’’ and inserting 
‘‘PARTNERSHIPS
AND
PUBLIC
ENGAGE-
MENT’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘Advocacy and Outreach’’ 
each place it appears in subsections (a)(2), 
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(b)(1), and (d)(4)(B) and inserting ‘‘Partner-
ships and Public Engagement’’; 
(2) REFERENCES.—Beginning on the date of 
the enactment of this Act, any reference to the Of-
fice of Advocacy and Outreach established under sec-
tion 226B of the Department of Agriculture Reorga-
nization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6934) in any other 
provision of Federal law shall be deemed to be a ref-
erence to the Office of Partnerships and Public En-
gagement. 
(b) INCREASING OUTREACH.—Section 226B of the 
Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 
U.S.C. 6934), as amended by subsection (a), is further 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)(1)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(ii) in clause (iii), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new clauses: 
‘‘(iv) limited resource producers; 
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SEC. 11204. OFFICE OF TRIBAL RELATIONS. 
Section 309 of the Federal Crop Insurance Reform 
and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 
1994 (7 U.S.C. 6921) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 309. OFFICE OF TRIBAL RELATIONS. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall main-
tain in the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement 
established under section 226B an Office of Tribal Rela-
tions, which shall advise the Secretary on policies related 
to Indian tribes and carry out such other functions as the 
Secretary considers appropriate. 
‘‘(b) NEW BEGINNINGS INITIATIVE.—Not later than 
one year after the date of the enactment of the Agriculture 
and Nutrition Act of 2018, the Secretary shall establish, 
in consultation with the Office of Tribal Relations, an ini-
tiative (to be known as the ‘New Beginnings Initiative’) 
under which the Secretary shall provide funds to a land- 
grant college or university in an amount equal to the 
amount of funds such land-grant college or university ex-
pends for providing educational programs and services for, 
or tuition paid with respect to, Indians (as defined in sec-
tion 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education As-
sistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)) at such land-grant college 
or university.’’. 
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704 
HR 2 PCS
SEC. 11205. COMMISSION ON FARM TRANSITIONS—NEEDS 
FOR 2050. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a com-
mission to be known as the ‘‘Commission on Farm Transi-
tions–Needs for 2050’’ (referred to in this section as the 
‘‘Commission’’). 
(b) STUDY.—The Commission shall conduct a study 
on issues impacting the transition of agricultural oper-
ations from established farmers and ranchers to the next 
generation of farmers and ranchers, including— 
(1) access to, and availability of— 
(A) quality land and necessary infrastruc-
ture; 
(B) affordable credit; and 
(C) adequate risk management tools; 
(2) agricultural asset transfer strategies in use 
as of the date of the enactment of this Act and im-
provements to such strategies; 
(3) incentives that may facilitate agricultural 
asset transfers to the next generation of farmers and 
ranchers, including recommendations for new Fed-
eral tax policies to facilitate lifetime and estate 
transfers; 
(4) the causes of the failures of such transi-
tions, if any; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:06 Jun 21, 2018
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