Title: National FFA Organization's Federal Charter Amendments Act
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
National FFA Organization's Federal Charter Amendments Act
This bill revises the charter of the National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America). Such revisions include (1) making it a purpose of the organization to be an integral component of agricultural, food, and natural resources education, and (2) removing the Secretary of Education as the chair of the National FFA Board of Directors.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5595 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5595

 To amend title 36, United States Code, to update the Federal charter 
                     for Future Farmers of America.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 24, 2018

Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. Langevin, and Mr. Young 
   of Iowa) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 36, United States Code, to update the Federal charter 
                     for Future Farmers of America.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``National FFA 
Organization's Federal Charter Amendments Act''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Purposes of the corporation.
Sec. 3. Membership.
Sec. 4. Governing body.
Sec. 5. National student officers and delegates.
Sec. 6. Powers.
Sec. 7. Restrictions.
Sec. 8. Headquarters and principal office.
Sec. 9. Service of process.
Sec. 10. Distribution of assets in dissolution or final liquidation.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES OF THE CORPORATION.

    Section 70902 of title 36, United States Code, is amended to read 
as follows:
``Sec. 70902. Purposes
    ``The purposes of the corporation are--
            ``(1) to be an integral component of instruction in 
        agricultural, food, and natural resources education in the 
        United States, including in public schools, by--
                    ``(A) working with secondary schools to deliver 
                comprehensive agricultural, food, and natural resources 
                education programs;
                    ``(B) providing hands-on classroom and laboratory 
                instruction, work-based experiential learning, and 
                leadership development;
                    ``(C) preparing students for successful entry into 
                careers related to agriculture, food, and natural 
                resources; and
                    ``(D) connecting students to jobs and educational 
                opportunities related to agriculture, food, and natural 
                resources;
            ``(2) to provide educational materials, conferences, 
        events, and technical assistance to State and local 
        agricultural, food, and natural resources education agencies;
            ``(3) to seek and promote inclusion and diversity in its 
        membership, leadership, and staff to reflect the belief of the 
        corporation in the value of all human beings;
            ``(4) to create, foster, and assist subordinate 
        associations and chapters;
            ``(5) to build character and thereby develop competent and 
        assertive leadership;
            ``(6) to increase awareness of the global and technological 
        importance of agriculture, food, and natural resources and its 
        contribution to well-being;
            ``(7) to promote careers related to agriculture, food, and 
        natural resources;
            ``(8) to make available to subordinate associations, 
        chapters, and members all official supplies, equipment, 
        programs, and services of the corporation;
            ``(9) to cooperate with others, including State boards for 
        career and technical education, in accomplishing these 
        purposes; and
            ``(10) to engage in other activities, consistent with these 
        purposes, determined by the governing body to be for the best 
        interests of the corporation.''.

SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP.

    Section 70903 of title 36, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``are as provided in the 
        bylaws'' and inserting ``are as provided in the constitution or 
        bylaws of the corporation''; and
            (2) in subsection (b), to read as follows:
    ``(b) Voting.--The voting rights of members are as provided in the 
constitution or bylaws of the corporation.''.

SEC. 4. GOVERNING BODY.

    (a) Board of Directors.--Section 70904(a) of title 36, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3);
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
    ``(2) The board consists of--
            ``(A) individuals who--
                    ``(i) represent education or agriculture; and
                    ``(ii) are not employed by the corporation; and
            ``(B)(i) the Secretary of Education; or
            ``(ii) a designee of the Secretary who has experience with 
        agricultural, food, and natural resources education, career and 
        technical education, or the corporation.
    ``(3) The chair of the board is as provided in the constitution or 
bylaws of the corporation.
    ``(4) The board shall designate among the individuals of the board 
a national advisor.
    ``(5) The board shall designate among the individuals of the board 
described in paragraph (2)(A) an executive secretary and treasurer.
    ``(6) The number of directors, the term of office for the 
directors, and the method of selecting the directors (except ex officio 
directors) are as provided in the constitution or bylaws of the 
corporation.''.
    (b) Governing Committee.--Section 70904(b) of title 36, United 
States Code, is amended to read as follows:
    ``(b) Governing Committee.--
            ``(1) Members.--The board shall designate at least three 
        members of the board of directors as a governing committee. The 
        terms and method of selecting such committee members are as 
        provided in the constitution or bylaws of the corporation, 
        except that the board shall designate to such committee--
                    ``(A) the chair of the board;
                    ``(B) the executive secretary; and
                    ``(C) the treasurer.
            ``(2) Powers.--When the board is not in session, the 
        governing committee shall have the powers of the board subject 
        to the board's discretion and may authorize the seal of the 
        corporation to be affixed to all papers that require it.''.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL STUDENT OFFICERS AND DELEGATES.

    Section 70905 of title 36, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in the heading, by striking, ``officers'' and inserting 
        ``student officers and delegates'';
            (2) in subsection (a), by striking ``The national 
        officers'' and all that follows through the period at the end 
        and inserting ``There shall be at least 6 national student 
        officers of the corporation, including a student president, 
        four student vice presidents (each representing regions as 
        provided in the constitution or bylaws of the corporation), and 
        a student secretary.'';
            (3) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) by striking ``national officers'' and inserting 
                ``national student officers''; and
                    (B) by striking ``, except that--'' and all that 
                follows through the period at the end and inserting a 
                period at the end; and
            (4) in subsection (d), by striking ``Each qualified 
        delegate has one vote at the annual national convention'' and 
        inserting ``The voting rights of delegates are as provided in 
        the constitution or bylaws of the corporation''.

SEC. 6. POWERS.

    Section 70906 of title 36, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (8)--
                    (A) by striking ``corporate funds'' and inserting 
                ``the funds of the corporation''; and
                    (B) by striking ``students and young farmers'' and 
                inserting ``subordinate associations and chapters and 
                members'';
            (2) in paragraph (9), by striking ``publish a magazine and 
        other publications'' and inserting ``produce publications, 
        including electronic publications''; and
            (3) in paragraph (10), by striking ``procure for and 
        distribute'' and inserting ``make available''.

SEC. 7. RESTRICTIONS.

    Section 70908(d) of title 36, United States Code, is amended by 
striking the second sentence.

SEC. 8. AVAILABILITY OF PERSONNEL, SERVICES, AND FACILITIES OF 
              DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

    The third sentence of section 70909 of title 36, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ``vocational'' and inserting ``career and 
technical''.

SEC. 9. HEADQUARTERS AND PRINCIPAL OFFICE.

    Section 70910 of title 36, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking `` shall be in the District of Columbia. 
        However, the'' and inserting ``are as provided in the 
        constitution or bylaws of the corporation. The''; and
            (2) by striking ``are not confined to the District of 
        Columbia but''.

SEC. 10. SERVICE OF PROCESS.

    Section 70912(a) of title 36, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in the heading, be striking ``District of Columbia'' 
        and inserting ``Designated Agent'';
            (2) by striking ``in the District of Columbia''; and
            (3) by striking the second sentence.

SEC. 11. DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS IN DISSOLUTION OR FINAL LIQUIDATION.

    Section 70914 of title 36, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``vocational agriculture'' and inserting ``career and 
technical education''.
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