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of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8204(a)) is amended by striking 
‘‘$75,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$150,000 per year’’. 
(c) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by this 
section shall apply with respect to any natural disaster oc-
curring after the date of the enactment of this Act for 
which assistance is provided by the Secretary of Agri-
culture under the tree assistance program. 
SEC. 10102. SPECIALTY CROP BLOCK GRANTS. 
(a) EXTENSION
OF PROGRAM.—Subsection (a) of 
section 101 of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act 
of 2004 (Public Law 108–465; 7 U.S.C. 1621 note) is 
amended by striking ‘‘2009’’ and inserting ‘‘2012’’. 
(b) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Subsection (i) of sec-
tion 101 of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 
2004 is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(i) FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Commodity 
Credit Corporation, the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
make grants under this section, using— 
‘‘(1) $60,000,000 in fiscal year 2008; 
‘‘(2) $65,000,000 in fiscal year 2009; 
‘‘(3) $70,000,000 in fiscal year 2010; 
‘‘(4) $75,000,000 in fiscal year 2011; and 
‘‘(5) $95,000,000 in fiscal year 2012.’’.
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(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 101 of the 
Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (Public Law 
108–465; 7 U.S.C. 1621 note) is further amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘Subject to 
the appropriation of funds to carry out this section’’ 
and inserting ‘‘Using the funds made available 
under subsection (i)’’; 
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘appropriated 
pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in’’ 
and inserting ‘‘made available under’’; and 
(3) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘Subject to 
the appropriation of sufficient funds to carry out 
this subsection, each’’ and inserting ‘‘Each’’. 
(d) DEFINITION OF SPECIALTY CROP.—Section 3(1) 
of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (Pub-
lic Law 108–465; 7 U.S.C. 1621 note) is amended by in-
serting ‘‘horticulture and’’ before ‘‘nursery’’. 
(e) DEFINITION OF STATE.—Section 3(2) of the Spe-
cialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (Public Law 
108–465; 7 U.S.C. 1621 note) is amended by striking 
‘‘and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico’’ and inserting 
‘‘the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American 
Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Com-
monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’’.
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SEC. 10103. ADDITIONAL SECTION 32 FUNDS FOR PUR-
CHASE OF FRUITS, VEGETABLES, AND NUTS 
TO SUPPORT DOMESTIC NUTRITION ASSIST-
ANCE PROGRAMS. 
(a) FUNDING
FOR ADDITIONAL PURCHASES
OF 
FRUITS, VEGETABLES, AND NUTS.—In addition to the 
purchases of fruits, vegetables, and nuts required by sec-
tion 10603 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 
Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 612c–4), the Secretary of Agri-
culture shall purchase fruits, vegetables, and nuts for the 
purpose of providing nutritious foods for use in domestic 
nutrition assistance programs, using, of the funds made 
available under section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935 
(7 U.S.C. 612c), the following amounts: 
(1) $190,000,000 in fiscal year 2008. 
(2) $193,000,000 in fiscal year 2009. 
(3) $199,000,000 in fiscal year 2010. 
(4) $203,000,000 in fiscal year 2011. 
(5) $206,000,000 in fiscal year 2012 and each 
fiscal year thereafter. 
(b) FORM OF PURCHASES.—Fruits, vegetables, and 
nuts may be purchased under this section in the form of 
frozen, canned, dried, or fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts. 
(c) VALUE ADDED PRODUCTS.—The Secretary may 
consider offering value-added products containing fruits,
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vegetables or nuts under this section, taking into ac-
count— 
(1) whether demand exists for the value-added 
product; and 
(2) the interests of entities that receive fruits, 
vegetables, and nuts under this section. 
SEC. 10103A. ADDITIONAL SECTION 32 FUNDS TO PROVIDE 
GRANTS FOR THE PURCHASE AND OPER-
ATION OF URBAN GARDENS GROWING OR-
GANIC FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FOR THE 
LOCAL POPULATION. 
(a) GRANTS.—The Secretary of Agriculture may 
make grants to eligible entities to assist in purchasing and 
operating organic gardens or greenhouses in urban areas 
for growing fruits and vegetables. In making such grants, 
the Secretary will ensure such fruits and vegetables are 
sold to local grocery stores. 
(b) LIMITATIONS.—Grants provided to any eligible 
entity under this section may not exceed $25,000 for any 
given year. 
(c) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 
(1) INDIVIDUALS.—An individual shall be eligi-
ble to receive a grant under subsection (a) if the in-
dividual is a resident of the neighborhood in which
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the urban garden or greenhouse is located, or will be 
located. 
(2) COOPERATIVES.—A cooperative shall be eli-
gible to receive a grant under subsection (a) if every 
individual member or owner of the cooperative is a 
resident of the neighborhood in which the urban gar-
den or greenhouse is located, or will be located. 
(d) SELECTION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The Sec-
retary shall develop criteria for the selection of eligible en-
tities to receive grants under this section. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$20,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 and for each fiscal year 
thereafter. 
SEC. 10104. INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF DEPARTMENT 
OF AGRICULTURE COMMODITY PURCHASE 
PROCESS. 
(a) EVALUATION REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture shall arrange to have performed an independent 
evaluation of the commodity purchasing processes (and 
the statutory and regulatory authority underlying such 
processes) used by the Department of Agriculture to re-
move surplus commodities from the market and support 
commodity prices and producer incomes, especially with 
regard to activities under section 32 of the Act of August
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24, 1935 (7 U.S.C. 612c) and the importance of increas-
ing purchases of specialty crops. 
(b) SUBMISSION OF RESULTS.—Not later than one 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Agriculture shall submit to Congress a report 
on the results of the evaluation. 
SEC. 10105. QUALITY REQUIREMENTS FOR CLEMENTINES. 
Section 8e(a) of the Agricultural Adjustment Act (7 
U.S.C. 608e–1(a)), reenacted with amendments by the Ag-
ricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, is amended 
in the first sentence by inserting after ‘‘nectarines,’’ the 
following: ‘‘clementines,’’. 
SEC. 10106. IMPLEMENTATION OF FOOD SAFETY PRO-
GRAMS UNDER MARKETING ORDERS. 
Section 8c(6) of the Agricultural Adjustment Act (7 
U.S.C. 608c(6)), reenacted with amendments by the Agri-
cultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(K) In the case of an order related to a specialty 
crop (as such term is defined in section 3(1) of the Spe-
cialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (Public Law 
108–465; 118 Stat. 3883)), authorizing the implementa-
tion of quality-related food safety programs designed to 
enhance the safety of the specialty crop and products de-
rived from specialty crops.’’.
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SEC. 10107. INCLUSION OF SPECIALTY CROPS IN CENSUS 
OF AGRICULTURE. 
Section 2(a) of the Census of Agriculture Act of 1997 
(7 U.S.C. 2204g(a) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new sentence: ‘‘Beginning with the census of ag-
riculture required to be conducted in 2008, the Secretary 
shall conduct as part of each census of agriculture a cen-
sus of specialty crops (as such term is defined in section 
3(1) of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 
(Public Law 108–465; 118 Stat. 3883)).’’. 
SEC. 10108. MATURITY REQUIREMENTS FOR HASS AVOCA-
DOS. 
Subtitle A of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 
is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 209. MATURITY REQUIREMENTS FOR HASS AVOCA-
DOS. 
‘‘(a) MINIMUM PERCENTAGE OF DRY MATTER.—Not 
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007, the Sec-
retary of Agriculture shall issue final regulations to re-
quire that all Hass avocados sold to consumers in the 
United States meet the minimum maturity standard of not 
less than 20.8 percent dry matter. 
‘‘(b) EXCEPTIONS.—Subsection (a) and the regula-
tions issued pursuant to such subsection shall not apply 
to Hass avocados—
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‘‘(1) intended for consumption by charitable in-
stitutions; 
‘‘(2) intended for distribution by relief agencies; 
‘‘(3) intended for commercial processing into 
products; or 
‘‘(4) that the Secretary determines should not 
be subject to such subsection or such regulations. 
‘‘(c) USE OF EXISTING INSPECTORS.—The Secretary 
shall, to the greatest extent practicable, use inspectors 
that inspect avocados for compliance with section 8e of 
the Agricultural Adjustment Act (7 U.S.C. 608e–1), reen-
acted with amendments by the Agricultural Marketing 
Agreement Act of 1937, to conduct inspections under this 
section. 
‘‘(d) CIVIL PENALTIES.—The Secretary may require 
any person who violates this section or the regulations 
issued pursuant to this section to— 
‘‘(1) forfeit to the United States a sum equal 
to the value of the commodity at the time of viola-
tion, which forfeiture shall be recoverable in a civil 
suit bought in the name of the United States; or 
‘‘(2) on conviction, be fined not less than $50 
or more than $5,000 for each violation. 
‘‘(e) DIVERSION.—In the case of any Hass avocados 
that do not meet the requirements of this section or the
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regulations issued pursuant to this section, the Secretary 
may— 
‘‘(1) provide for the reinspection of the Hass 
avocados; or 
‘‘(2) authorize the diversion, export, or repack-
ing of the Hass avocados. 
‘‘(f) FEES.—The Secretary may prescribe and collect 
fees to cover the costs of providing for the inspection of 
Hass avocados under this section. All fees and penalties 
collected shall be credited to the accounts that incur such 
costs and shall remain available until expended without 
fiscal year limitation. 
‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this section.’’. 
SEC. 10109. MUSHROOM PROMOTION, RESEARCH, AND CON-
SUMER INFORMATION. 
(a) REGIONS AND MEMBERS.—Section 1925(b)(2) of 
the Mushroom Promotion, Research, and Consumer Infor-
mation Act of 1990 (subtitle B of title XIX of Public Law 
101–624; 7 U.S.C. 6104(b)(2)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘4 re-
gions’’ and inserting ‘‘3 regions’’;
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(2) 
in 
subparagraph 
(D), 
by 
striking 
‘‘35,000,000 pounds’’ and inserting ‘‘50,000,000 
pounds’’; and 
(3) by striking subparagraph (E), and inserting 
the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(E) ADDITIONAL MEMBERS.—In addition 
to the members appointed pursuant to para-
graph (1), and subject to the nine-member limit 
of members on the council provided in such 
paragraph, the Secretary shall appoint addi-
tional members to the council from a region 
which attains additional pounds of production 
as follows: 
‘‘(i) If a region’s annual production is 
greater than 110,000,000 pounds, but less 
than or equal to 180,000,000 pounds, the 
region shall be represented by one addi-
tional member. 
‘‘(ii) If a region’s annual production is 
greater than 180,000,000 pounds, but less 
than or equal to 260,000,000 pounds, the 
region shall be represented by two addi-
tional members. 
‘‘(iii) If a region’s annual production 
is greater than 260,000,000 pounds, the
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•HR 2419 EH1S 
region shall be represented by three addi-
tional members.’’. 
(b) POWERS
AND DUTIES
OF COUNCIL.—Section 
1925(c) of the Mushroom Promotion, Research, and Con-
sumer Information Act of 1990 (subtitle B of title XIX 
of Public Law 101–624; 7 U.S.C. 6104(c)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (6), (7), and 
(8) as paragraphs (7), (8), and (9), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (5), the fol-
lowing new paragraph (6): 
‘‘(6) to develop a program for good agricultural 
practices and good handling practices for mush-
rooms;’’. 
SEC. 10110. FRESH PRODUCE EDUCATION INITIATIVE. 
(a) INITIATIVE AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of Ag-
riculture may carry out a program to educate persons in-
volved in the fresh produce industry and the public 
about— 
(1) scientifically proven practices for reducing 
microbiological pathogens on fresh produce; and 
(2) methods of reducing the threat of cross-con-
tamination of fresh produce through unsanitary han-
dling practices. 
(b) COOPERATION.—The Secretary may carry out the 
program in cooperation with public or private partners.
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(c) FUNDING.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 
2008 through 2012 to carry out this section. 
Subtitle C—Pest and Disease 
Management 
SEC. 10201. PEST AND DISEASE PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall establish a program to— 
(1) conduct early pest detection and surveil-
lance activities in cooperation with state depart-
ments of agriculture; 
(2) determine and prioritize pest and disease 
threats to domestic production of specialty crops; 
and 
(3) create an audit-based certification approach 
to protect against the spread of plant pests and to 
facilitate the interstate movement of plants and 
plant products. 
(b) EARLY PEST DETECTION AND SURVEILLANCE 
IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.— 
(1) COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENTS.—The Sec-
retary of Agriculture shall enter into cooperative 
agreements with State departments of agriculture to 
provide grants to such State departments of agri-