SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF AGARDA. 
Section 1473H of the National Agricultural Re-
search, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3319k) is amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking 
‘‘PILOT’’; 
(2) in subsection (a)(6), by striking ‘‘growing,’’ 
and inserting ‘‘growing (including water conserva-
tion technologies and innovation),’’; 
(3) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘pilot’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) by amending subparagraph (B) to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(B) to overcome the long term and high- 
risk technological barriers in the development of 
agricultural technologies, research tools, and 
qualified products and projects that enhance ex-
port competitiveness, environmental sustain-
ability, water conservation, the reduction, avoid-
ance, sequestration, or mitigation of greenhouse 
gas emissions, and resilience to extreme weath-
er, drought, infectious diseases, plant and ani-
mal pathogens, and plant and animal pests;’’; 
and 
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(ii) in subparagraph (D), by inserting 
‘‘or economic cost’’ after ‘‘financial uncer-
tainty’’; 
(C) in paragraph (3)(B)— 
(i) in clause (ii), in the matter pre-
ceding subclause (I), by striking ‘‘advise 
the Chief Scientist on, and’’; and 
(ii) by amending clause (iii) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(iii) RELATIONSHIP WITHIN THE DE-
PARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.— 
‘‘(I) CHIEF SCIENTIST.—The Di-
rector shall report to the Chief Sci-
entist. 
‘‘(II) 
OTHER
PROGRAMS.—No 
other official who is the head of any 
other program of the Department of 
Agriculture shall report to the Direc-
tor.’’; 
(D) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘pilot’’ 
each place it appears in subparagraphs (A) and 
(B); and 
(E) by amending paragraph (9) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(9) PERSONNEL MATTERS.— 
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall es-
tablish and maintain within the AGARDA a 
staff with sufficient qualifications and expertise 
to enable the AGARDA to carry out the respon-
sibilities of the AGARDA under this section in 
conjunction with other operations of the De-
partment of Agriculture. 
‘‘(B) USE OF EXISTING PERSONNEL AU-
THORITIES.—In carrying out this subsection, 
the Secretary may appoint highly qualified indi-
viduals to scientific or professional positions on 
the same terms and conditions as provided in 
subsections (b)(3), (b)(4), (c), (d), (e), and (f) 
of section 620 of the Agricultural Research, Ex-
tension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 
U.S.C. 7657).’’; 
(4) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(4) USE OF STRATEGIC PLAN.—The Secretary 
shall use the strategic plan developed under para-
graph (1) to inform the administration of the 
AGARDA under this section.’’; 
(5) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking subpara-
graph (C); 
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(B) 
in 
paragraph 
(3), 
by 
striking 
‘‘$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 
through 2023’’ and inserting ‘‘$100,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2032’’; 
and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) OTHER FUNDING.—In addition to amounts 
otherwise made available to carry out this section, 
the Secretary may use to carry out this section other 
funds available to the Secretary for any other pur-
pose. 
‘‘(5) CLARIFICATION.—Nothing in paragraph 
(2) or (4) authorizes the use of the funds of the 
Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out this sec-
tion.’’; and 
(6) by striking subsection (e). 
Æ 
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