cluding the activities to be carried out separately,
the activities to be carried out sequentially, and ac-
tivities to be carried out jointly.
‘‘(6) The education and outreach programs al-
ready underway to convey currently available re-
search results that are pertinent to a critical agricul-
tural issue, including efforts to encourage multi-
county cooperation in the dissemination of research
results.
‘‘(d) EXTENSION PROTOCOLS.—The Secretary of Ag-
riculture shall develop protocols to be used to evaluate the
success of multi-State, multi-institutional, and multidisci-
plinary extension activities and joint research and exten-
sion activities in addressing critical agricultural issues
identified in the plans of work submitted under subsection
(a). The Secretary shall develop the protocols in consulta-
tion with the National Agricultural Research, Extension,
Education, and Economics Advisory Board and land-grant
colleges and universities.’’.
(b) HATCH ACT OF 1887.—Section 7 of the Hatch
Act of 1887 (7 U.S.C. 361g), as amended by section
105(b), is further amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘SEC. 7.’’ and inserting the fol-
lowing:
‘‘SEC. 7. DUTIES OF SECRETARY, ASCERTAINMENT OF ENTI-
TLEMENT OF STATE TO FUNDS, AND PLANS
FOR WORK.
‘‘(a) DUTIES OF SECRETARY.—’’;
(2) by striking ‘‘On or before’’ and inserting
the following:
‘‘(b) ASCERTAINMENT OF ENTITLEMENT.—On or be-
fore’’;
(3) by striking ‘‘Whenever it shall appear’’ and
inserting the following:
‘‘(c) EFFECT OF FAILURE TO EXPEND FULL ALLOT-
MENT.—Whenever it shall appear’’; and
(4) by adding at the end the following new sub-
sections:
‘‘(d) PLAN OF WORK REQUIRED.—Before funds may
be provided to a State under this Act for any fiscal year,
plans for the work to be carried on under this Act shall
be submitted by the proper officials of the State and ap-
proved by the Secretary of Agriculture.
‘‘(e) REQUIREMENTS
RELATED
TO
PLAN
OF
WORK.—Each research plan of work for a State required
under subsection (d) shall contain descriptions of the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(1) The critical short-term, intermediate, and
long-term agricultural issues in the State and the
current and planned research programs and projects
targeted to address such issues.
‘‘(2) The process established to consult with
users of agricultural research regarding the identi-
fication of critical agricultural issues in the State
and the development of research programs and
projects targeted to address such issues.
‘‘(3) Other colleges and universities in the State
and other States that have unique capacity to ad-
dress the identified agricultural issues in the State.
‘‘(4) The current and emerging efforts to work
with these other institutions and States to build on
each other’s experience and take advantage of each
institution’s unique capacities, including the manner
in which the State will conduct cooperative research
funded out of the Regional research fund, State ag-
ricultural experiment stations established under sec-
tion 3(c)3.
‘‘(5) The manner in which research and exten-
sion, including research and extension activities
funded other than through formula funds, will co-
operate to address the critical issues in the State, in-
cluding the activities to be carried out separately,
the activities to be carried out sequentially, and ac-
tivities to be carried out jointly.
‘‘(f) RESEARCH PROTOCOLS.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture shall develop protocols to be used to evaluate the
success of multi-State, multi-institutional, and multidisci-
plinary research activities and joint research and extension
activities in addressing critical agricultural issues identi-
fied in the plans of work submitted under subsection (d).
The Secretary shall develop the protocols in consultation
with the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Edu-
cation, and Economics Advisory Board and land-grant col-
leges and universities.’’.
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by
this section shall take effect on October 1, 1998.
(2) DELAYED APPLICABILITY.—With respect to
a particular State, the Secretary of Agriculture may
delay the applicability of the requirements imposed
by the amendments made by this section until not
later than October 1, 1999, if the Secretary finds
that the State will be unable to meet such require-
ments by October 1, 1998, despite the good faith ef-
forts of the State.
Subtitle B—National Agricultural
Research, Extension, and Teach-
ing Policy Act of 1977
SEC. 211. PLANS OF WORK FOR 1890 INSTITUTIONS TO AD-
DRESS CRITICAL RESEARCH AND EXTENSION
ISSUES AND USE OF PROTOCOLS TO MEAS-
URE SUCCESS OF PLANS.
(a) EXTENSION AT 1890 INSTITUTIONS.—Section
1444(d) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension,
and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3221(d)) is
amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘(d)’’ and inserting the follow-
ing:
‘‘(d) ASCERTAINMENT OF ENTITLEMENT TO FUNDS,
TIME AND MANNER OF PAYMENT, STATE REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS, AND PLANS FOR WORK.—
‘‘(1) ASCERTAINMENT OF ENTITLEMENT.—’’;
(2) in the last sentence, by striking ‘‘Such
sums’’ and inserting the following:
‘‘(2) TIME AND MANNER OF PAYMENT; RELAT-
ED REPORTS.—The amount to which an eligible in-
stitution is entitled’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
‘‘(3) REQUIREMENTS
RELATED
TO
PLAN
OF
WORK.—Each extension plan of work for an eligible
institution required under subsection (a) shall con-
tain descriptions of the following:
‘‘(A) The critical short-term, intermediate,
and long-term agricultural issues in the State
in which the eligible institution is located and
the current and planned extension programs
and projects targeted to address such issues.
‘‘(B) The process established to consult
with extension users regarding the identification
of critical agricultural issues in the State and
the development of extension programs and
projects targeted to address such issues.
‘‘(C) Other colleges and universities in the
State and other States that have unique capac-
ity to address the identified agricultural issues
in the State.
‘‘(D) The current and emerging efforts to
work with these other institutions and States to
build on each other’s experience and take ad-
vantage of each institution’s unique capacities.
‘‘(E) The manner in which research and
extension, including research and extension ac-
tivities funded other than through formula
funds, will cooperate to address the critical is-
sues in the State, including the activities to be
carried out separately, the activities to be car-
ried out sequentially, and activities to be carried
out jointly.
‘‘(F) The education and outreach pro-
grams already underway to convey currently
available research results that are pertinent to
a critical agricultural issue, including efforts to
encourage multi-county cooperation in the dis-
semination of research results.
‘‘(4) EXTENSION PROTOCOLS.—The Secretary
of Agriculture shall develop protocols to be used to
evaluate the success of multi-State, multi-institu-
tional, and multidisciplinary extension activities and
joint research and extension activities in addressing
critical agricultural issues identified in the plans of
work submitted under paragraph (1). The Secretary
shall develop the protocols in consultation with the
Advisory Board and land-grant colleges and univer-
sities.’’.
(b) AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AT 1890 INSTITU-
TIONS.—Section 1445(c) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 3222(c))
is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘(c)’’ and inserting the follow-
ing:
‘‘(d) PROGRAM AND PLANS FOR WORK.—
‘‘(1) INITIAL COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM OF AG-
RICULTURAL RESEARCH.—’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new
paragraphs:
‘‘(2) PLAN OF WORK REQUIRED.—Before funds
may be provided to an eligible institution under this
section for any fiscal year, plans for the work to be
carried on under this section shall be submitted by
the research director specified in subsection (d) and
approved by the Secretary of Agriculture.
‘‘(3) REQUIREMENTS
RELATED
TO
PLAN
OF
WORK.—Each research plan of work required under
paragraph (2) shall contain descriptions of the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(A) The critical short-term, intermediate,
and long-term agricultural issues in the State
in which the eligible institution is located and
the current and planned research programs and
projects targeted to address such issues.
‘‘(B) The process established to consult
with users of agricultural research regarding
the identification of critical agricultural issues
in the State and the development of research
programs and projects targeted to address such
issues.
‘‘(C) Other colleges and universities in the
State and other States that have unique capac-
ity to address the identified agricultural issues
in the State.
‘‘(D) The current and emerging efforts to
work with these other institutions and States to
build on each other’s experience and take ad-
vantage of each institution’s unique capacities.
‘‘(E) The manner in which research and
extension, including research and extension ac-
tivities funded other than through formula
funds, will cooperate to address the critical is-
sues in the State, including the activities to be
carried out separately, the activities to be car-
ried out sequentially, and activities to be carried
out jointly.
‘‘(4) RESEARCH PROTOCOLS.—The Secretary of
Agriculture shall develop protocols to be used to
evaluate the success of multi-State, multi-institu-
tional, and multidisciplinary research activities and
joint research and extension activities in addressing
critical agricultural issues identified in the plans of
work submitted under paragraph (3). The Secretary
shall develop the protocols in consultation with the
Advisory Board and land-grant colleges and univer-
sities.’’.
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by
this section shall take effect on October 1, 1998.
(2) DELAYED APPLICABILITY.—With respect to
a particular eligible institution (as described in sec-
tions 1444(a) and 1445(a) of the National Agricul-
tural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act
of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3221(a), 3222(a)), the Secretary
of Agriculture may delay the applicability of the re-
quirements imposed by the amendments made by
this section until not later than October 1, 1999, if
the Secretary finds that the eligible institution will
be unable to meet such requirements by October 1,
1998, despite the good faith efforts of the eligible in-
stitution.
SEC. 212. MATCHING FUNDS REQUIREMENT FOR RE-
SEARCH AND EXTENSION ACTIVITIES AT 1890
LAND-GRANT 
COLLEGES, 
INCLUDING
TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY.
(a) IMPOSITION OF REQUIREMENT.—Subtitle G of
the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and
Teaching Policy Act of 1977 is amended by inserting after
section 1445 (7 U.S.C. 3222) the following:
‘‘SEC. 1446. MATCHING FUNDS REQUIREMENT FOR RE-
SEARCH AND EXTENSION ACTIVITIES AT ELI-
GIBLE INSTITUTIONS.
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION.—The term ‘eligi-
ble institution’ means a college eligible to receive
funds under the Act of August 30, 1890 (7 U.S.C.
321 et seq.)(commonly known as the Second Morrill
Act), including Tuskegee University.
‘‘(2) FORMULA
FUNDS.—The term ‘formula
funds’ means the formula allocation funds distrib-
uted to eligible institutions under sections 1444 and
1445.
‘‘(b) MATCHING FORMULA.—Notwithstanding any
other provision of this subtitle, the distribution of formula
funds to an eligible institution shall be subject to the fol-
lowing matching requirements:
‘‘(1) In fiscal year 1999, the institution shall
provide matching funds from non-Federal sources in
an amount equal to not less than 25 percent of the
formula funds to be distributed to the eligible insti-
tution.
‘‘(2) In fiscal year 2000, the institution shall
provide matching funds from non-Federal sources in
an amount equal to not less than 50 percent of the
formula funds to be distributed to the eligible insti-
tution.
‘‘(3) In fiscal year 2001, the institution shall
provide matching funds from non-Federal sources in
an amount equal to not less than 75 percent of the
formula funds to be distributed to the eligible insti-
tution.
‘‘(4) In fiscal year 2002, and each fiscal year
thereafter, the institution shall provide matching
funds from non-Federal sources in an amount equal
to the entire amount of the formula funds to be dis-
tributed to the eligible institution.
‘‘(c) USE OF MATCHING FUNDS.—Under terms and
conditions established by the Secretary, matching funds
provided as required by subsection (b) may be used by
an eligible institution for research, education, and exten-
sion activities.
‘‘(d) REDISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.—Federal funds
that are not matched by an eligible institution in accord-
ance with subsection (b) shall be redistributed by the Sec-
retary to other eligible institutions in a manner consistent
with sections 1444 and 1445, as determined by the Sec-
retary.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 1445(g) of
such Act (7 U.S.C. 3222(g)) is amended—
(1) by striking paragraph (2); and
(2) by redesignating paragraph (4) as para-
graph (2).
(c) REFERENCES TO TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY.—Such
Act is further amended—
(1) in section 1404 (7 U.S.C. 3103(10)), by
striking ‘‘Tuskegee Institute’’ in paragraphs (10)
and (16)(B) and inserting ‘‘Tuskegee University’’;
(2) in section 1444 (7 U.S.C. 3221)—
(A) by striking the section heading and
‘‘SEC. 1444.’’ and inserting the following:
‘‘SEC. 1444. EXTENSION AT 1890 LAND-GRANT COLLEGES, IN-
CLUDING TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY.’’; and
(B) in subsections (a) and (b), by striking
‘‘Tuskegee Institute’’ both places it appears and
inserting ‘‘Tuskegee University’’; and
(3) in section 1445 (7 U.S.C. 3222)—
(A) by striking the section heading and
‘‘SEC. 1445.’’ and inserting the following:
‘‘SEC. 1445. AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AT 1890 LAND-
GRANT COLLEGES, INCLUDING TUSKEGEE
UNIVERSITY.’’;
and
(B) in subsections (a) and (b)(2)(B), by
striking ‘‘Tuskegee Institute’’ both places it ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘Tuskegee University’’.
SEC. 213. INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND
TEACHING.
(a) INCLUSION OF TEACHING.—Section 1458 of the
National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching
Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3291) is amended—
(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘RE-
SEARCH
AND
EXTENSION’’ and inserting ‘‘RE-
SEARCH, EXTENSION, AND TEACHING’’;
(2) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) by striking ‘‘related research and
extension’’ and inserting ‘‘related research,
extension, and teaching’’; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking
‘‘research and extension on’’ and inserting
‘‘research, extension, and teaching activi-
ties addressing’’;
(B) in paragraphs (2) and (6), by striking
‘‘education’’ and inserting ‘‘teaching’’;
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘sci-
entists and experts’’ and inserting ‘‘science and
education experts’’;
(D) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘teach-
ing,’’ after ‘‘development,’’;
(E) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘research
and extension that is’’ and inserting ‘‘research,
extension, and teaching programs’’; and
(F) in paragraph (8), by striking ‘‘research
capabilities’’ and inserting ‘‘research, extension,
and teaching capabilities’’; and
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘counterpart
agencies’’ and inserting ‘‘counterpart research, ex-
tension, and teaching agencies’’.
(b) FULL TRANSFER OF FUNDS MADE AVAILABLE
FOR CERTAIN BINATIONAL PROJECT.—Such section is
further amended by adding at the end the following new
subsection:
‘‘(d) FULL TRANSFER OF FUNDS MADE AVAILABLE
FOR CERTAIN BINATIONAL PROJECT.—In the case of the
cooperative arrangement entered into under subsection
(a)(2) between the Secretary and Israel, the full amount
of any funds appropriated to carry out cooperative
projects under the arrangement shall be transferred di-
rectly to the Israel-United States Binational Agricultural
Research and Development Fund to be expended in ac-
cordance with the bylaws and under the direction of the
Board of Directors of the Fund. The Secretary may not
retain any portion of such appropriated amounts as an
overhead or other administrative withholding.’’.
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The subtitle head-
ing of subtitle I of title XIV of the National Agricultural
Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7
U.S.C. 3291 et seq.) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘Subtitle 
I—International 
Re-
search, Extension, and Teach-
ing’’.
SEC. 214. TASK FORCE ON 10-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FACILITIES.
(a) TRANSFER OF EXISTING PROVISION.—Section 4
of the Research Facilities Act (7 U.S.C. 390b)—
(1) is transferred to the National Agricultural
Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of
1977 (7 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.);
(2) is redesignated as section 1473B;
(3) is inserted after section 1473A of the Na-
tional Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teach-
ing Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3319a); and
(4) is amended in subsection (f), by striking
‘‘Notwithstanding section 2(1), in’’ and inserting
‘‘In’’.
(b) CONFORMING REPEAL.—The Research Facilities
Act (7 U.S.C. 390 et seq.) is repealed.
Subtitle C—Food, Agriculture, Con-
servation, and Trade Act of 1990
SEC. 231. NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL WEATHER INFORMA-
TION SYSTEM.
Subtitle D of title XVI of the Food, Agriculture, Con-
servation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5851–5855)
is amended to read as follows:
‘‘Subtitle D—National Agricultural
Weather Information System
‘‘SEC. 1637. SHORT TITLE; PURPOSES.
‘‘(a) SHORT TITLE.—This subtitle may be cited as
the ‘National Agricultural Weather Information System
Act of 1997’.
‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this subtitle are—
‘‘(1) to facilitate the management and coordina-
tion of a national agricultural weather and climate
station network for Federal and State agencies, col-
leges and universities, and the private sector;
‘‘(2) to ensure that timely and accurate infor-
mation is obtained and disseminated; and
‘‘(3) to aid research and education that requires
a comprehensive agricultural weather and climate
database.
‘‘SEC. 1638. AGRICULTURAL WEATHER SYSTEM.
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture may establish the National Agricultural Weather
Information System (referred to in this subtitle as the
‘System’). The System shall be comprised of the oper-
ational and research activities of the Federal, State, and
regional agricultural weather information systems.
‘‘(b) AUTHORITY.—Notwithstanding chapter 63 of
title 31, United States Code, to carry out this subtitle,
the Secretary may—
‘‘(1) enter into contracts, grants, cooperative
agreements and interagency agreements without re-
gard to competitive requirements, except as other-
wise provided in this subtitle, with other Federal and
State agencies to—
‘‘(A) support operational weather and cli-
mate data observations, analysis, and derived
products;
‘‘(B) preserve historical data records for
research studies useful in agriculture;
‘‘(C) jointly develop improved computer
models and computing capacity for storage, re-
trieval, dissemination and analysis of agricul-
tural weather and climate information;
‘‘(D) enhance the quality and availability
of weather and climate information needed by
the private sector for value-added products and
agriculturists for decisionmaking; and
‘‘(E) sponsor joint programs to train pri-
vate sector meteorologists and agriculturists
about the optimum use of agricultural weather
and climate data;
‘‘(2) obtain standardized weather observation
data collected in near real time through regional and
State agricultural weather information systems;
‘‘(3) coordinate the activities of the Chief Mete-
orologist of the Department of Agriculture and
weather and climate research activities of the De-
partment of Agriculture with other Federal agencies
and the private sector;
‘‘(4) make grants to plan and administer State
and regional agricultural weather information sys-
tems, including research in atmospheric sciences and
climatology;
‘‘(5) encourage private sector participation in
the System through cooperation with the private sec-
tor, including cooperation in the generation of
weather and climate data useful for site-specific ag-
ricultural weather forecasting; and
‘‘(6) make competitive grants to carry out re-
search in all aspects of atmospheric sciences and cli-
matology regarding the collection, retention, and dis-
semination of agricultural weather and climate ob-
servations and information with priority given to
proposals that emphasize—
‘‘(A) techniques and processes that relate
to—
‘‘(i) weather- or climate-induced agri-
cultural losses; and
‘‘(ii) improvement of information on
weather and climate extremes (such as
drought, floods, freeze, and storms) well in
advance of their occurrence;
‘‘(B) the improvement of site-specific
weather data collection and forecasting;
‘‘(C) the impact of weather on economic
and environmental costs in agricultural produc-
tion; or
‘‘(D) the preservation and management of
the ecosystem.
‘‘SEC. 1639. FUNDING AND ADMINISTRATION.
‘‘(a) USE OF FUNDS.—
‘‘(1) NATIONAL
OCEANIC
AND
ATMOSPHERIC
ADMINISTRATION WORK.—Not more than 2⁄3 of the
funds made available for a fiscal year to carry out
this subtitle shall be used for work with the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—The Secretary
of Agriculture may retain for administration of the
System up to 4 percent of the amounts made avail-
able to carry out this subtitle, notwithstanding the
availability of any appropriation for administrative
expenses to carry out this subtitle.
‘‘(3) LIMITATIONS.—
‘‘(A) BUILDINGS
OR
FACILITIES.—Funds
made available to carry out this subtitle shall
not be used for the planning, repair, rehabilita-
tion, acquisition, or construction of a building
or facility.
‘‘(B) EQUIPMENT PURCHASES.—Of funds
made available under a grant award under this
subtitle, a grantee may use for equipment pur-
chases not more than the lesser of—
‘‘(i) $15,000; or
‘‘(ii) 1⁄3 of the amount of the grant
award.
‘‘(b) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER LAWS.—The Federal
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) and title XVIII
of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2281
et seq.) shall not apply to a panel or board created for
the purpose of reviewing applications or proposals submit-
ted for grants under section 1638.
‘‘SEC. 1640. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
‘‘There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this subtitle $15,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1998
through 2002.’’.
SEC. 232. AGRICULTURAL GENOME INITIATIVE.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT
AND
PURPOSE
OF
INITIA-
TIVE.—Section 1671 of the Food, Agriculture, Conserva-
tion, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5924) is amended
by striking the section heading and subsection (a) and in-
serting the following:
‘‘SEC. 1671. AGRICULTURAL GENOME INITIATIVE.
‘‘(a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture shall conduct a research initiative for the purpose
of—
‘‘(1) supporting basic and applied research and
technology development in the area of genome struc-
ture and function in support of agriculturally impor-
tant species, with a particular focus on research
projects that will yield early, scientifically important
results that will enhance the usefulness of many ag-
riculturally important species;
‘‘(2) studying and mapping agriculturally sig-
nificant genes to achieve sustainable and secure ag-
ricultural production;
‘‘(3) ensuring that current gaps in existing ag-
ricultural genetics knowledge are filled;
‘‘(4) identifying and developing a functional un-
derstanding of genes responsible for economically
important traits in agriculturally important species;
‘‘(5) ensuring the future genetic improvement
of agriculturally important species;
‘‘(6) supporting the preservation of diverse
germplasm; and
‘‘(7) ensuring the preservation of biodiversity to
maintain access to genes that may be of importance
in the future.’’.
(b) COMPETITIVE GRANTS.—Subsection (b) of such
section is amended by striking ‘‘subsection (c)’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘subsection (a)’’.
(c) GRANT TYPES AND PROCESS; PROHIBITION ON
CONSTRUCTION.—Subsection (c) of such section is amend-
ed to read as follows:
‘‘(c) GRANT TYPES AND PROCESS; PROHIBITION ON
CONSTRUCTION.—Paragraphs (6), (7), and (11) of sub-
section (b) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Re-
search Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i) shall apply with respect
to the making of grants under this section.’’.
(d) MATCHING FUNDS.—Subsection (d) of such sec-
tion is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(d) MATCHING OF FUNDS.—
‘‘(1) GENERAL
REQUIREMENT.—If a grant
under this section is to the particular benefit of a
specific agricultural commodity, the Secretary shall
require the recipient of the grant to provide funds
or in-kind support (including office space, equipment
and staff support) to match the amount of funds
provided by the Secretary in the grant.
‘‘(2) WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive the
matching funds requirement with respect to a re-
search project if the Secretary determines that—
‘‘(A) the results of the project, while of
particular benefit to a specific agricultural com-
modity, are likely to be applicable to agricul-
tural commodities generally; or
‘‘(B) the project involves a minor commod-
ity, deals with scientifically important research,
and the grant recipient would be unable to sat-
isfy the matching funds requirement.’’.
(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—Sub-
section (g) of such section is amended by striking ‘‘fiscal
years 1996 and 1997’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal years 1998
through 2002’’.
Subtitle D—National Research
Initiative
SEC. 241. WAIVER OF MATCHING REQUIREMENT FOR CER-
TAIN SMALL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.
Subsection (b)(8)(B) of the Competitive, Special, and
Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i) is amend-
ed—
(1) by striking ‘‘the cost’’ and inserting ‘‘the
cost of’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new sen-
tence: ‘‘The Secretary may waive all or a portion of
the matching requirement under this subparagraph
in the case of a smaller college or university (as de-
scribed in subsection (c)(2)(C)(ii) of section 793 of
the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform
Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 2204f)) if the equipment to
be acquired costs not more than $25,000 and has
multiple uses within a single research project or is
usable in more than one research project.’’.
Subtitle E—Other Existing Laws
SEC. 251. FINDINGS, AUTHORITIES, AND COMPETITIVE RE-
SEARCH 
GRANTS 
UNDER 
FOREST 
AND
RANGELAND RENEWABLE RESOURCES RE-
SEARCH ACT OF 1978.
(a) FINDINGS.—Section 2 of the Forest and Range-
land Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978 (16
U.S.C. 1641) is amended by striking ‘‘SEC. 2.’’ and sub-
section (a) and inserting the following:
‘‘SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
‘‘(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
‘‘(1) Forests and forest resources are of strate-
gic economic and ecological importance to the Unit-
ed States, and the Federal Government has an im-
portant and substantial role in ensuring the contin-
ued health, productivity, and sustainability of the
Nation’s forests.
‘‘(2) Over 75 percent of the productive commer-
cial forest land in the United States is in private
ownership, with some 60 percent owned by small
nonindustrial private owners. These 10,000,000 non-
industrial private owners are critical to providing
both commodity and noncommodity values to the
citizens of the United States.
‘‘(3) The National Forest System manages only
17 percent of the Nation’s commercial timberlands,
with over half of the standing softwoods inventory
located on those lands. Dramatic changes in Federal
agency policy during the early 1990’s have signifi-
cantly curtailed the management of this vast timber
resource, causing abrupt shifts in the supply of tim-
ber from public to private ownership. As a result of
these shifts in supply, some 60 percent of total wood
production in the United States is now coming from
private forest lands in the southern United States.
‘‘(4) At the same time that pressures are build-
ing for the removal of even more land from commer-
cial production, the Federal Government is signifi-
cantly reducing its commitment to productivity-relat-
ed forestry research, which is critically needed by the
private sector to sustainably manage remaining
available timber resources.
‘‘(5) Uncertainty over the availability of the
United States timber supply, increasing regulatory
burdens, and the lack of Federal Government sup-
port for research is causing domestic wood and
paper producers to move outside the United States
to find reliable sources of wood supplies, which in
turn results in a worsening of the United States
trade balance, the loss of employment and infra-
structure investments, and an increased risk of in-
festations of exotic pests and diseases from imported
wood products.
‘‘(6) Wood and paper producers in the United
States are being challenged not only by shifts in
Government policy, but also by international com-
petition from tropical countries where growth rates
of trees far exceed those in the United States. Wood
production per acre will need to quadruple from
1996 levels for the United States forestry sector to
remain internationally competitive on an ever de-
creasing forest land base.’’.
(b) HIGH PRIORITY FORESTRY RESEARCH AND EDU-
CATION.—Subsection (d) of section 3 of the Forest and
Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978
(16 U.S.C. 1642) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(d) HIGH PRIORITY FORESTRY RESEARCH
AND
EDUCATION.—The Secretary may conduct, support, and
cooperate in forestry research and education that is of the
highest priority to the United States and users of public
and private forest lands in the United States. Such re-
search and education priorities were comprehensively ad-
dressed in the report of the National Research Council of
the National Academy of Sciences entitled ‘Forestry Re-
search: A Mandate for Change’, dated ll, and include
the following:
‘‘(1) The biology of forest organisms.
‘‘(2) Ecosystem function and management.
‘‘(3) Human-forest interactions.
‘‘(4) Wood as a raw material.
‘‘(5) International trade, competition, and co-
operation.’’.
(c) FORESTRY COMPETITIVE RESEARCH GRANTS.—
Section 5 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Re-
sources Research Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 16442) is
amended—
(1) by striking the section heading and ‘‘SEC.
5.’’ and inserting the following:
‘‘SEC. 5. FORESTRY COMPETITIVE RESEARCH GRANTS.
‘‘(a) COMPETITIVE GRANT AUTHORITY.—’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(b) EMPHASIS ON CERTAIN HIGH PRIORITY FOR-
ESTRY RESEARCH.—The Secretary may use up to five
percent of the amounts made available for research grants
under subsection (a) to make competitive grants in the
five high priority forestry research areas identified in sec-
tion 3(d). In making such grants, the Secretary shall give
priority to research proposals in which—
‘‘(1) the proposed research will be collaborative
research organized through a center of scientific ex-
cellence;
‘‘(2) the applicant agrees to provide matching
funds (in the form of direct funding, in-kind sup-
port, or other support) in an amount equal to not
less than 50 percent of the grant amount; and
‘‘(3) the proposed research will be conducted as
part of an existing private and public partnership or
cooperative research effort and involves several inter-
ested research partners.’’.
TITLE III—EXTENSION OR RE-
PEAL OF RESEARCH, EXTEN-
SION, AND EDUCATION INI-
TIATIVES
SEC. 301. NATIONAL RESEARCH INITIATIVE UNDER COM-
PETITIVE, 
SPECIAL, 
AND 
FACILITIES 
RE-
SEARCH GRANT ACT.
Subsection (b)(10) of the Competitive, Special, and
Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)(10)) is
amended by striking ‘‘1997’’ and inserting ‘‘2002’’.
SEC. 302. EQUITY IN EDUCATIONAL LAND-GRANT STATUS
ACT OF 1994.
Sections 533(b) and 535 of the Equity in Educational
Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (Public Law 103–382; 7