IIB 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 439 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
JANUARY 23 (legislative day, JANUARY 22), 2019 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
AN ACT 
To amend the charter of the Future Farmers of America, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National FFA Organi-
zation’s Federal Charter Amendments Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ORGANIZATION. 
Section 70901 of title 36, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘corporation’’ 
and inserting ‘‘FFA’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘corporation’’ 
and inserting ‘‘FFA’’. 
SEC. 3. PURPOSES OF THE CORPORATION. 
Section 70902 of title 36, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
striking ‘‘corporation’’ and inserting ‘‘FFA’’; 
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 
paragraphs (7) and (8), respectively; 
(3) by striking paragraphs (3), (4), (6), and 
(7); 
(4) by redesignating paragraph (5) as para-
graph (11); 
(5) by redesignating paragraphs (8) and (9) as 
paragraphs (12) and (13), respectively; 
(6) by inserting before paragraph (7), as redes-
ignated by paragraph (2), the following: 
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‘‘(1) to be an integral component of instruction 
in agricultural education, including instruction relat-
ing to agriculture, food, and natural resources; 
‘‘(2) to advance comprehensive agricultural edu-
cation in the United States, including in public 
schools, by supporting contextual classroom and lab-
oratory instruction and work-based experiential 
learning; 
‘‘(3) to prepare students for successful entry 
into productive careers in fields relating to agri-
culture, food, and natural resources, including by 
connecting students to relevant postsecondary edu-
cational pathways and focusing on the complete de-
livery of classroom and laboratory instruction, work- 
based experiential learning, and leadership develop-
ment; 
‘‘(4) to be a resource and support organization 
that does not select, control, or supervise State asso-
ciation, local chapter, or individual member activi-
ties; 
‘‘(5) to develop educational materials, pro-
grams, services, and events as a service to State and 
local agricultural education agencies; 
‘‘(6) to seek and promote inclusion and diver-
sity in its membership, leadership, and staff to re-
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flect the belief of the FFA in the value of all human 
beings;’’; 
(7) in paragraph (7), as redesignated by para-
graph (2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘composed of students and 
former students of vocational agriculture in 
public schools qualifying for Federal reimburse-
ment under the Smith-Hughes Vocational Edu-
cation Act (20 U.S.C. 11–15, 16–28’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘as such chapters and as-
sociations carry out agricultural education pro-
grams that are approved by States, territories, 
or possessions’’ after ‘‘United States’’; 
(8) in paragraph (8), as redesignated by para-
graph (2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘to develop’’ and inserting 
‘‘to build’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘train for useful citizen-
ship, and foster patriotism, and thereby’’ and 
inserting ‘‘and’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘aggressive rural and’’ and 
inserting ‘‘assertive’’; 
(9) by inserting after paragraph (8), as redesig-
nated by paragraph (2), the following: 
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‘‘(9) to increase awareness of the global and 
technological importance of agriculture, food, and 
natural resources, and the way agriculture contrib-
utes to our well-being; 
‘‘(10) to promote the intelligent choice and es-
tablishment of a career in fields relating to agri-
culture, food, and natural resources;’’; 
(10) in paragraph (11), as redesignated by 
paragraph (4)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘to procure for and dis-
tribute to State’’ and inserting ‘‘to make avail-
able to State’’; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘, programs, services,’’ 
before ‘‘and equipment’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘corporation’’ and inserting 
‘‘FFA’’; 
(11) in paragraph (12), as redesignated by 
paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘State boards for voca-
tional’’ and inserting ‘‘State boards and officials for 
career and technical’’; and 
(12) in paragraph (13), as redesignated by 
paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘corporation’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘FFA’’. 
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SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP. 
Section 70903(a) of title 36, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘corporation’’ and inserting 
‘‘FFA’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘as provided in the bylaws’’ and 
inserting ‘‘as provided in the constitution or bylaws 
of the FFA’’. 
SEC. 5. GOVERNING BODY. 
Section 70904 of title 36, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘corpora-
tion’’ and inserting ‘‘FFA’’ each place the term 
appears; 
(B) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(2) The board— 
‘‘(A) shall consist of— 
‘‘(i) the Secretary of Education, or 
the Secretary of Education’s designee who 
has experience in agricultural education, 
the FFA, or career and technical edu-
cation; and 
‘‘(ii) other individuals— 
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‘‘(I) representing the fields of 
education, agriculture, food, and nat-
ural resources; or 
‘‘(II) with experience working 
closely with the FFA; and 
‘‘(B) shall not include any individual who 
is a current employee of the National FFA Or-
ganization. 
‘‘(3) The number of directors, terms of office of 
the directors, and the method of selecting the direc-
tors, are as provided in the constitution or bylaws of 
the FFA.’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (4)— 
(i) in the first sentence, by striking 
‘‘bylaws’’ and inserting ‘‘constitution or 
bylaws of the FFA’’; and 
(ii) in the third sentence, by striking 
‘‘chairman’’ and inserting ‘‘chair’’; 
(2) by striking subsection (b); and 
(3) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(b) OFFICERS.—The officers of the FFA, the terms 
of officers, and the election of officers, are as provided 
in the constitution or bylaws of the FFA, except that such 
officers shall include— 
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‘‘(1) a national advisor; 
‘‘(2) an executive secretary; and 
‘‘(3) a treasurer. 
‘‘(c) GOVERNING COMMITTEE.— 
‘‘(1) The board may designate a governing com-
mittee. The terms and method of selecting the gov-
erning committee members are as provided in the 
constitution or bylaws of the FFA, except that all 
members of the governing committee shall be mem-
bers of the board of directors and at all times the 
governing committee shall be comprised of not less 
than 3 individuals. 
‘‘(2) When the board is not in session, the gov-
erning committee has the powers of the board sub-
ject to the board’s direction and may authorize the 
seal of the FFA to be affixed to all papers that re-
quire it. 
‘‘(3) The board shall designate to such com-
mittee— 
‘‘(A) the chair of the board; 
‘‘(B) the executive secretary of the board; 
and 
‘‘(C) the treasurer of the board.’’. 
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cluding the Department of Education and the Department 
of Agriculture on matters of mutual interest and benefit. 
‘‘(b) AGENCY ASSISTANCE.—Those Federal agencies 
may make personnel, services, and facilities available to 
administer or assist in the administration of the activities 
of the FFA. 
‘‘(c) AGENCY COMPENSATION.—Personnel of the 
Federal agencies may not receive compensation from the 
FFA for their services, except that travel and other legiti-
mate expenses as defined by the Federal agencies and ap-
proved by the board may be paid. 
‘‘(d) COOPERATION WITH STATE BOARDS.—The 
Federal agencies also may cooperate with State boards 
and other organizations for career and technical education 
to assist in the promotion of activities of the FFA.’’. 
SEC. 11. HEADQUARTERS AND PRINCIPAL OFFICE. 
Section 70910 of title 36, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ‘‘of the corporation shall be in the 
District of Columbia. However, the activities of the cor-
poration are not confined to the District of Columbia but’’ 
and inserting ‘‘of the FFA shall be as provided in the con-
stitution or bylaws of the FFA. The activities of the 
FFA’’. 
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SEC. 12. RECORDS AND INSPECTION. 
Section 70911 of title 36, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘corporation’’ and inserting 
‘‘FFA’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘entitled 
to vote’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘corporation’’ 
and inserting ‘‘FFA’’. 
SEC. 13. SERVICE OF PROCESS. 
Section 70912 of title 36, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA’’ 
and inserting ‘‘IN GENERAL’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘corporation’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘FFA’’ each place the term appears; 
(C) by striking ‘‘in the District of Colum-
bia’’ before ‘‘to receive’’; and 
(D) by striking ‘‘Designation of the agent 
shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the 
United States District Court for the District of 
Columbia’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
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(A) by striking ‘‘corporation’’ and inserting 
‘‘FFA’’ each place the term appears; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘of the FFA’’ after ‘‘asso-
ciation or chapter’’. 
SEC. 14. LIABILITY FOR ACTS OF OFFICERS OR AGENTS. 
Section 70913 of title 36, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ‘‘corporation’’ and inserting ‘‘FFA’’. 
SEC. 15. DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS IN DISSOLUTION OR 
FINAL LIQUIDATION. 
Section 70914 of title 36, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘corporation’’ and inserting 
‘‘FFA’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘vocational agriculture’’ and in-
serting ‘‘agricultural education’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives January 22, 
2019. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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