H. R. 2—512 
SEC. 12518. FOREST SERVICE HIRE AUTHORITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture may appoint, 
without regard to the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 33 
of title 5, United States Code, other than sections 3303 and 3328 
of such title, a qualified candidate described in subsection (b) 
directly to a position with the Department of Agriculture, Forest 
Service for which the candidate meets Office of Personnel Manage-
ment qualification standards. 
(b) QUALIFICATIONS.—Subsection (a) applies to a former 
resource assistant (as defined in section 203 of the Public Land 
Corps Act (16 U.S.C. 1722)) who— 
(1) completed a rigorous internship with a land managing 
agency, such as the Forest Service Resource Assistant Program; 
(2) successfully fulfilled the requirements of the internship 
program; and 
(3) earned an undergraduate or graduate degree from an 
accredited institution of higher education (as defined in section 
101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)). 
(c) LIMITATION.—The direct hire authority under this section 
may not be exercised with respect to a specific qualified candidate 
after the end of the 2-year period beginning on the date on which 
the candidate completed the undergraduate or graduate degree, 
as the case may be, or has successfully fulfilled the requirements 
of the internship program, whichever is later. 
SEC. 12519. CONVERSION AUTHORITY. 
The Secretary may, notwithstanding subchapter I of chapter 
33 of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the 
competitive or excepted service, noncompetitively convert to an 
appointment in the competitive service, in an agency or office within 
the Department of Agriculture, a recent graduate or student who 
is a United States citizen and has been awarded and successfully 
completed a scholarship program granted to the individual by the 
Department through the 1890 National Scholars Program or the 
1994 Tribal Scholars Program carried out by the Department, pro-
vided the individual meets the requirements for such conversion 
and meets Office of Personnel Management qualification standards, 
as determined by the Secretary. Nothing in the preceding sentence 
shall be construed as requiring the Secretary to convert an indi-
vidual under the authority under such sentence. 
SEC. 12520. AUTHORIZATION OF PROTECTION OPERATIONS FOR THE 
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE AND OTHERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Department of Agriculture is authorized 
to employ qualified law enforcement officers or special agents to 
provide— 
(1) protection for the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary 
during the performance of official duties by each such officer 
and during any activity that is preliminary or postliminary 
to the performance of official duties by each such officer; 
(2) protection, incidental to the protection provided pursu-
ant to paragraph (1), to an individual accompanying each such 
officer who is participating in an activity or event relating 
to the official duties of each such officer when there is an 
articulable threat to such individual; 
(3) continuous protection to the Secretary and Deputy Sec-
retary (including during periods not described in paragraph
H. R. 2—513 
(1)) if there is an articulable threat of physical harm, in accord-
ance with guidelines established by the Secretary; and 
(4) protection of another senior officer representing the 
Secretary (including a person nominated to be the Secretary 
during the pendency of such nomination) if there is an 
articulable threat of physical harm, in accordance with guide-
lines established by the Secretary. 
(b) AUTHORITIES OF THE PROTECTIVE OPERATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may authorize officers or 
special agents employed pursuant to subsection (a)— 
(A) to carry firearms; 
(B) to conduct criminal investigations into potential 
threats to the security of persons protected under this 
section; 
(C) to make arrests without a warrant for any offense 
against the United States committed in the presence of 
such officer or special agent; 
(D) to perform protective intelligence work, including 
identifying and mitigating potential threats and conducting 
advance work to review security matters relating to sites 
and events; and 
(E) to coordinate with local law enforcement agencies. 
(2) GUIDELINES.—The authority conveyed under this section 
shall be exercised in accordance with any— 
(A) guidelines issued by the Attorney General; and 
(B) such additional guidelines as may be issued by 
the Secretary. 
(c) EXCEPTION.—The authorities granted under this section may 
be exercised notwithstanding section 1343(b)(1) of title 31, United 
States Code. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than September 30, 2019, and each 
September 30 through 2024, the Secretary shall provide to the 
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate 
a report describing the protection provided, and accounting for 
the expenditures made, pursuant to this section. 
PART II—NATIONAL OILHEAT RESEARCH 
ALLIANCE 
SEC. 12531. NATIONAL OILHEAT RESEARCH ALLIANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 713 of the National Oilheat Research 
Alliance Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public Law 106–469) 
is amended by striking ‘‘18 years’’ and inserting ‘‘28 years’’. 
(b) LIMITATION
ON OBLIGATIONS
OF FUNDS.—The National 
Oilheat Research Alliance Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public 
Law 106–469) is amended by inserting after section 707 the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 708. LIMITATION ON OBLIGATION OF FUNDS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In each calendar year of the covered period, 
the Alliance may not obligate an amount greater than the sum 
of— 
‘‘(1) 75 percent of the amount of assessments estimated 
to be collected under section 707 in that calendar year; 
‘‘(2) 75 percent of the amount of assessments actually col-
lected under section 707 in the most recent calendar year
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for which an audit report has been submitted under section 
706(f)(2)(B) as of the beginning of the calendar year for which 
the amount that may be obligated is being determined, less 
the estimate made pursuant to paragraph (1) for that most 
recent calendar year; and 
‘‘(3) amounts permitted in preceding calendar years to be 
obligated pursuant to this subsection that have not been obli-
gated. 
‘‘(b) EXCESS
AMOUNTS
DEPOSITED
IN
ESCROW
ACCOUNT.— 
Assessments collected under section 707 in excess of the amount 
permitted to be obligated under subsection (a) in a calendar year 
shall be deposited in an escrow account for the duration of the 
covered period. 
‘‘(c) TREATMENT OF AMOUNTS IN ESCROW ACCOUNT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—During the covered period, the Alliance 
may not obligate, expend, or borrow against amounts required 
under subsection (b) to be deposited in the escrow account. 
‘‘(2) INTEREST.—Any interest earned on amounts described 
in paragraph (1) shall be— 
‘‘(A) deposited in the escrow account; and 
‘‘(B) unavailable for obligation for the duration of the 
covered period. 
‘‘(d) RELEASE OF AMOUNTS IN ESCROW ACCOUNT.—Beginning 
on October 1, 2028, the Alliance may withdraw and obligate any 
amount in the escrow account. 
‘‘(e) COVERED PERIOD DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘cov-
ered period’ means the period that begins on February 6, 2019, 
and ends on September 30, 2028.’’. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—The National Oilheat Research 
Alliance Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 6201 note; Public Law 106–469) 
is amended— 
(1) in section 706(d)(1), by striking ‘‘not exceed 7 percent 
of the amount of assessments collected in any calendar year, 
except that during the first year of operation of the Alliance 
such expenses and amounts shall not exceed 10 percent of 
the amount of assessments’’ and inserting ‘‘not exceed 7 percent 
of the amount of assessments collected in any calendar year 
that are permitted to be obligated in that calendar year’’; and 
(2) in section 707— 
(A) in subsection (e), by inserting ‘‘that are permitted 
to be obligated’’ after ‘‘amount of assessments collected 
in the State’’ each place it appears; and 
(B) in subsection (f), by inserting ‘‘and permitted to 
be obligated’’ after ‘‘assessments collected’’ each place it 
appears. 
Subtitle F—General Provisions 
SEC. 12601. BAITING OF MIGRATORY GAME BIRDS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) NORMAL AGRICULTURAL OPERATION.—The term ‘‘normal 
agricultural operation’’ has the meaning given the term in 
section 20.11 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (as in 
effect on the date of enactment of this Act). 
(2) POST-DISASTER
FLOODING.—The term ‘‘post-disaster 
flooding’’ means the destruction of a crop through flooding
H. R. 2—515 
in accordance with practices required by the Federal Crop 
Insurance Corporation for agricultural producers to obtain crop 
insurance under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 
1501 et seq.) on land on which a crop was not harvestable 
due to a natural disaster (including any hurricane, storm, tor-
nado, flood, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, 
earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, drought, 
fire, snowstorm, or other catastrophe that is declared a major 
disaster by the President in accordance with section 401 of 
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170)) in the crop year— 
(A) in which the natural disaster occurred; or 
(B) immediately preceding the crop year in which the 
natural disaster occurred. 
(3) RICE
RATOONING.—The term ‘‘rice ratooning’’ means 
the agricultural practice of harvesting rice by cutting the 
majority of the aboveground portion of the rice plant but leaving 
the roots and growing shoot apices intact to allow the plant 
to recover and produce a second crop yield. 
(b) REGULATIONS TO EXCLUDE RICE RATOONING AND POST-DIS-
ASTER FLOODING.—Not later than 30 days after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation 
with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall revise part 20 of title 
50, Code of Federal Regulations, to clarify that rice ratooning and 
post-disaster flooding, when carried out as part of a normal agricul-
tural operation, do not constitute baiting. 
(c) REPORTS.—Not less frequently than once each year— 
(1) the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the Sec-
retary of the Interior a report that describes any changes to 
normal agricultural operations across the range of crops grown 
by agricultural producers in each region of the United States 
in which the official recommendations described in section 
20.11(h) of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect 
on the date of enactment of this Act), are provided to agricul-
tural producers; and 
(2) the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Agriculture and after seeking input from the heads 
of State departments of fish and wildlife or the Regional Migra-
tory Bird Flyway Councils of the United States Fish and Wild-
life Service, shall publicly post a report on the impact that 
rice ratooning and post-disaster flooding have on the behavior 
of migratory game birds that are hunted in the area in which 
rice ratooning and post-disaster flooding, respectively, have 
occurred. 
SEC. 12602. PIMA AGRICULTURE COTTON TRUST FUND. 
Section 12314 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 2101 
note; Public Law 113–79) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘2018’’ each place it appears and inserting 
‘‘2023’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘calendar year 2013’’ each place it appears 
and inserting ‘‘the prior calendar year’’; 
(3) in subsection (b)(2)— 
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as 
clauses (i) and (ii), respectively;
H. R. 2—516 
(B) in the matter preceding clause (i) (as so redesig-
nated), by striking ‘‘(2) Twenty-five’’ and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), twenty- 
five’’; 
(C) in subparagraph (A)(ii) (as so designated), by 
striking ‘‘subparagraph (A)’’ and inserting ‘‘clause (i)’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B)(i) A yarn spinner shall not receive an amount under 
subparagraph (A) that exceeds the cost of pima cotton that— 
‘‘(I) was purchased during the prior calendar year; 
and 
‘‘(II) was used in spinning any cotton yarns. 
‘‘(ii) The Secretary shall reallocate any amounts reduced 
by reason of the limitation under clause (i) to spinners using 
the ratio described in subparagraph (A), disregarding produc-
tion of any spinner subject to that limitation.’’; 
(4) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
‘‘(b)(2)(A)’’ and inserting ‘‘(b)(2)(A)(i)’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) the dollar amount of pima cotton purchased during 
the prior calendar year— 
‘‘(A) that was used in spinning any cotton yarns; and 
‘‘(B) for which the producer maintains supporting docu-
mentation.’’; 
(5) in subsection (e)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
‘‘by the Secretary—’’ and inserting ‘‘by the Secretary not 
later than March 15 of the applicable calendar year.’’; and 
(B) by striking paragraphs (1) and (2); and 
(6) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘subsection (b)—’’ in the 
matter preceding paragraph (1) and all that follows through 
‘‘not later than’’ in paragraph (2) and inserting ‘‘subsection 
(b) not later than’’. 
SEC. 12603. AGRICULTURE WOOL APPAREL MANUFACTURERS TRUST 
FUND. 
Section 12315 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 7101 
note; Public Law 113–79) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘2019’’ each place it appears and inserting 
‘‘2023’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A)— 
(I) in the matter preceding clause (i), by 
striking ‘‘the payment—’’ and inserting ‘‘the pay-
ment, payments in amounts authorized under that 
paragraph.’’; and 
(II) by striking clauses (i) and (ii); and 
(ii) in subparagraph (B)—
H. R. 2—517 
(I) in the matter preceding clause (i), by 
striking ‘‘4002(c)—’’ and inserting ‘‘4002(c), pay-
ments in amounts authorized under that para-
graph.’’; and 
(II) by striking clauses (i) and (ii); and 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘submitted—’’ in the 
matter preceding subparagraph (A) and all that follows 
through ‘‘to the Secretary’’ in subparagraph (B) and 
inserting ‘‘submitted to the Secretary’’; and 
(3) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
‘‘subsection (b)—’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (b) not later 
than April 15 of the year of the payment.’’; and 
(B) by striking paragraphs (1) and (2). 
SEC. 12604. WOOL RESEARCH AND PROMOTION. 
Section 12316(a) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 
7101 note; Public Law 113–79) is amended by striking ‘‘2015 
through 2019’’ and inserting ‘‘2019 through 2023’’. 
SEC. 12605. EMERGENCY CITRUS DISEASE RESEARCH AND DEVELOP-
MENT TRUST FUND. 
(a) DEFINITION OF CITRUS.—In this section, the term ‘‘citrus’’ 
means edible fruit of the family Rutaceae, including any hybrid 
of that fruit and any product of that hybrid that is produced 
for commercial purposes in the United States. 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF TRUST FUND.—There is established in 
the Treasury of the United States a trust fund, to be known as 
the Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Development Trust 
Fund (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Citrus Trust Fund’’), 
consisting of such amounts as shall be transferred to the Citrus 
Trust Fund pursuant to subsection (d). 
(c) USE OF FUND.—From amounts in the Citrus Trust Fund, 
the Secretary shall, beginning in fiscal year 2019, carry out the 
Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program in 
section 412(j) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Edu-
cation Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7632(j)). 
(d) FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corpora-
tion, the Secretary shall transfer to the Citrus Trust Fund 
$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, to remain 
available until expended. 
SEC. 12606. EXTENSION OF MERCHANDISE PROCESSING FEES. 
Section 503 of the United States–Korea Free Trade Agreement 
Implementation Act (Public Law 112–41; 19 U.S.C. 3805 note) 
is amended by striking ‘‘February 24, 2027’’ and inserting ‘‘May 
26, 2027’’. 
SEC. 12607. REPORTS ON LAND ACCESS AND FARMLAND OWNERSHIP 
DATA COLLECTION. 
(a) LAND ACCESS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation 
with the Chief Economist, shall submit to Congress and make 
publicly available a report identifying— 
(1) the barriers that prevent or hinder the ability of begin-
ning farmers and ranchers (as defined in section 2501(a) of 
the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 
(7 U.S.C. 2279(a))) and socially disadvantaged farmers and
H. R. 2—518 
ranchers (as defined in such section) to acquire or access farm-
land; 
(2) the extent to which Federal programs, including agricul-
tural conservation easement programs, land transition pro-
grams, and financing programs, are improving— 
(A) farmland access and tenure for beginning farmers 
and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers and 
ranchers; and 
(B) farmland transition and succession; and 
(3) the regulatory, operational, or statutory changes that 
are necessary to improve— 
(A) the ability of beginning farmers and ranchers and 
socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers to acquire 
or access farmland; 
(B) farmland tenure for beginning farmers and 
ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers; 
and 
(C) farmland transition and succession. 
(b) FARMLAND OWNERSHIP.—The Secretary shall collect and, 
not less frequently than once every 3 years report, data and analysis 
on farmland ownership, tenure, transition, and entry of beginning 
farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers and 
ranchers (as those terms are defined in section 2501(a) of the 
Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 
2279(a))). In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall, at 
a minimum— 
(1) collect and distribute comprehensive reporting of trends 
in farmland ownership, tenure, transition, barriers to entry, 
profitability, and viability of beginning farmers and ranchers 
and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers; 
(2) develop surveys and report statistical and economic 
analysis on farmland ownership, tenure, transition, barriers 
to entry, profitability, and viability of beginning farmers and 
ranchers, including a regular follow-on survey to each Census 
of Agriculture with results of the follow-on survey made public 
not later than 3 years after the previous Census of Agriculture; 
and 
(3) require the National Agricultural Statistics Service to 
include in the Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricul-
tural Land survey questions relating to— 
(A) the extent to which non-farming landowners are 
purchasing and holding onto farmland for the sole purpose 
of real estate investment; 
(B) the impact of these farmland ownership trends 
on the successful entry and viability of beginning farmers 
and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers and 
ranchers; 
(C) the extent to which farm and ranch land with 
undivided interests and no administrative authority identi-
fied have farms or ranches operating on that land; and 
(D) the impact of land tenure patterns, categorized 
by— 
(i) race, gender, and ethnicity; and 
(ii) region. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized 
to be appropriated to carry out this section $3,000,000 for each 
fiscal years 2019 through 2023, to remain available until expended.
H. R. 2—519 
SEC. 12608. REAUTHORIZATION OF RURAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL 
SERVICES TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT ASSISTANCE PRO-
GRAM. 
Section 330J of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c– 
15) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘in rural areas’’ and 
inserting ‘‘in rural areas or to residents of rural areas’’; 
(2) by striking subsections (b) through (f) and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY; APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive grant 
under this section, an entity shall— 
‘‘(1) be— 
‘‘(A) an emergency medical services agency operated 
by a local or tribal government (including fire-based and 
non-fire based); or 
‘‘(B) an emergency medical services agency that is 
described in section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code 
of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such 
Code; and 
‘‘(2) submit an application to the Secretary at such time, 
in such manner, and containing such information as the Sec-
retary may require. 
‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.—An entity— 
‘‘(1) shall use amounts received through a grant under 
subsection (a) to— 
‘‘(A) train emergency medical services personnel as 
appropriate to obtain and maintain licenses and certifi-
cations relevant to service in an emergency medical services 
agency described in subsection (b)(1); 
‘‘(B) conduct courses that qualify graduates to serve 
in an emergency medical services agency described in sub-
section (b)(1) in accordance with State and local require-
ments; 
‘‘(C) fund specific training to meet Federal or State 
licensing or certification requirements; and 
‘‘(D) acquire emergency medical services equipment; 
and 
‘‘(2) may use amounts received through a grant under 
subsection (a) to— 
‘‘(A) recruit and retain emergency medical services per-
sonnel, which may include volunteer personnel; 
‘‘(B) develop new ways to educate emergency health 
care providers through the use of technology-enhanced edu-
cational methods; or 
‘‘(C) acquire personal protective equipment for emer-
gency medical services personnel as required by the 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 
‘‘(d) GRANT AMOUNTS.—Each grant awarded under this section 
shall be in an amount not to exceed $200,000. 
‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘emergency medical services’— 
‘‘(A) means resources used by a public or private non-
profit licensed entity to deliver medical care outside of 
a medical facility under emergency conditions that occur 
as a result of the condition of the patient; and
H. R. 2—520 
‘‘(B) includes services delivered (either on a com-
pensated or volunteer basis) by an emergency medical serv-
ices provider or other provider that is licensed or certified 
by the State involved as an emergency medical technician, 
a paramedic, or an equivalent professional (as determined 
by the State). 
‘‘(2) The term ‘rural area’ means— 
‘‘(A) a nonmetropolitan statistical area; 
‘‘(B) an area designated as a rural area by any law 
or regulation of a State; or 
‘‘(C) a rural census tract of a metropolitan statistical 
area (as determined under the most recent rural urban 
commuting area code as set forth by the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget). 
‘‘(f) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary may not award 
a grant under this section to an entity unless the entity agrees 
that the entity will make available (directly or through contributions 
from other public or private entities) non-Federal contributions 
toward the activities to be carried out under the grant in an 
amount equal to 10 percent of the amount received under the 
grant.’’; and 
(3) in subsection (g)(1), by striking ‘‘2002 through 2006’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2019 through 2023’’. 
SEC. 12609. COMMISSION ON FARM TRANSITIONS—NEEDS FOR 2050. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a commission to be 
known as the Commission on Farm Transitions–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 operations 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 infrastructure; 
(B) affordable credit; 
(C) adequate risk management tools; and 
(D) apprenticeship and mentorship programs; 
(2) agricultural asset transfer strategies in use as of the 
date of the enactment of this Act and improvements to such 
strategies; 
(3) incentives that may facilitate agricultural asset trans-
fers to the next generation of farmers and ranchers, including 
an assessment of, and recommendations for, how existing and 
new Federal tax policies— 
(A) facilitate lifetime and estate transfers; and 
(B) impact individuals seeking to farm who do not 
have family farm lineage or access to farmland; 
(4) the causes of the failures of such transitions, if any; 
and 
(5) the effectiveness of programs and incentives providing 
assistance with respect to such transitions in effect on the 
date of the enactment of this Act and opportunities for the 
revision or improvement of such programs. 
(c) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) COMPOSITION.—The Commission shall be composed of 
10 members, as follows: 
(A) 3 members appointed by the Secretary.