
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 2, 2001 and January 28, 2002]
[CITE: 7USC2204]

 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
                  CHAPTER 55--DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
Sec. 2204. General duties of Secretary; advisory functions; 
        research and development
        
    (a) The Secretary of Agriculture shall procure and preserve all 
information concerning agriculture, rural development, aquaculture, and 
human nutrition which he can obtain by means of books and 
correspondence, and by practical and scientific experiments, accurate 
records of which experiments shall be kept in his office, by the 
collection of statistics, and by any other appropriate means within his 
power; he shall collect new and valuable seeds and plants; shall test, 
by cultivation, the value of such of them as may require such tests; 
shall propagate such as may be worthy of propagation; and shall 
distribute them among agriculturists; and he shall advise the President, 
other members of his Cabinet, and the Congress on policies and programs 
designed to improve the quality of life for people living in the rural 
and nonmetropolitan regions of the Nation.
    (b) The Secretary is authorized to initiate or expand research and 
development efforts related to solution of problems of rural water 
supply, rural sewage and solid waste management, rural housing, rural 
industrialization, and technology appropriate to small- and moderate-
sized family farming operations, and any other problem that the 
Secretary may determine has an effect upon the economic development or 
the quality of life in rural areas.

(R.S. Sec. 526; Feb. 9, 1889, ch. 122, Secs. 1, 4, 25 Stat. 659; Pub. L. 
92-419, title VI, Sec. 603(b), Aug. 30, 1972, 86 Stat. 675; Pub. L. 94-
273, Sec. 7(4), Apr. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 378; Pub. L. 95-113, title XV, 
Sec. 1502(b), Sept. 29, 1977, 91 Stat. 1021; Pub. L. 96-355, Sec. 5, 
Sept. 24, 1980, 94 Stat. 1174.)

                          Codification

    R.S. Sec. 526 derived from act May 15, 1862, ch. 72, Sec. 3, 12 
Stat. 387.
    Section was formerly classified to section 514 of Title 5 prior to 
the general revision and enactment of Title 5, Government Organization 
and Employees, by Pub. L. 89-554, Sec. 1, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 378.


                               Amendments

    1980--Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 96-355 inserted provisions relating to 
technology appropriate to small- and moderate-sized family farming 
operations, and struck out provisions relating to the national rural 
development program and goals, and accompanying annual report.
    1977--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95-113 inserted references to aquaculture 
and human nutrition.
    1976--Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 94-273 substituted ``December'' for 
``September''.
    1972--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 92-419, Sec. 603(b)(1)-(3), designated 
existing provisions as subsec. (a), provided for information concerning 
rural development, and prescribed advisory functions of the Secretary, 
respectively.
    Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 92-419, Sec. 603(b)(4), added subsec. (b).

                         Change of Name

    Secretary of Agriculture substituted for Commissioner of Agriculture 
in text pursuant to sections 1 and 4 of act Feb. 9, 1889, which are 
classified to section 2202 of this title. See, also, section 2205 of 
this title.


                    Effective Date of 1980 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 96-355 effective Oct. 1, 1980, see section 10 
of Pub. L. 96-355, set out as an Effective Date note under section 2204b 
of this title.


                    Effective Date of 1977 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 95-113 effective Oct. 1, 1977, see section 1901 
of Pub. L. 95-113, set out as a note under section 1307 of this title.

                          Transfer of Functions

    Functions of all officers, agencies, and employees of Department of 
Agriculture transferred, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of 
Agriculture by 1953 Reorg. Plan No. 2, Sec. 1, eff. June 4, 1953, 18 
F.R. 3219, 67 Stat. 633, set out as a note under section 2201 of this 
title.
    Functions of Secretary of Agriculture administered through Bureau of 
Biological Survey relating to conservation of wildlife, game, and 
migratory birds transferred to Secretary of the Interior by 1939 Reorg. 
Plan No. II, Sec. 4(f), eff. July 1, 1939, 4 F.R. 2731, 53 Stat. 1433, 
set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and 
Employees.
    Delegation of authority to Secretary with respect to nation's food 
program during war emergency, see Ex. Ord. No. 9280, set out as a note 
under section 452 of this title.

                    Emergency Preparedness Functions

    For assignment of certain emergency preparedness functions to 
Secretary of Agriculture, see Parts 1, 2, and 3 of Ex. Ord. No. 12656, 
Nov. 18, 1988, 53 F.R. 47491, set out as a note under section 5195 of 
Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.


                          Aviation Inspections

    Pub. L. 103-354, title III, Sec. 306, Oct. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 3241, 
provided that:
    ``(a) Study of Aircraft Inspections.--
        ``(1) Intent of study.--The intent of the study required by this 
    subsection is to examine the cost efficiencies of conducting 
    inspections of aircraft and pilots by one Federal agency without 
    reducing aircraft, passenger, or pilot safety standards or lowering 
    mission preparedness.
        ``(2) Study required.--The Secretary of Agriculture and the 
    Secretary of Transportation shall jointly conduct a study of the 
    inspection specifications and procedures by which aircraft and 
    pilots contracted by the Department are certified to determine the 
    cost efficiencies of eliminating duplicative Department inspection 
    requirements and transferring some or all inspection requirements to 
    the Federal Aviation Administration, while ensuring that neither 
    aircraft, passenger, nor pilot safety is reduced and that mission 
    preparedness is maintained.
        ``(3) Special considerations.--In conducting the study, the 
    Secretaries shall evaluate current inspection specifications and 
    procedures mandated by the Department and the Forest Service, taking 
    into consideration the unique requirements and risks of particular 
    Department and Forest Service missions that may require special 
    inspection specifications and procedures to ensure the safety of 
    Department and Forest Service personnel and their contractees.
        ``(4) Maintenance of standards and preparedness.--In making 
    recommendations to transfer inspection authority or otherwise change 
    Department inspection specifications and procedures, the Secretaries 
    shall ensure that the implementation of any such recommendations 
    does not lower aircraft or pilot standards or preparedness for 
    Department or Forest Service missions.
        ``(5) Submission of results.--Not later than 180 days after the 
    date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 13, 1994], the Secretaries 
    shall submit to Congress the results of the study, including any 
    recommendations to transfer inspection authority or otherwise change 
    Department inspection specifications and procedures and a cost-
    benefit analysis of such recommendations.
    ``(b) Review of Recently Adopted Aircraft Policy.--
        ``(1) Review required.--The Secretaries shall review the policy 
    initiated by the Secretary of Agriculture on July 1, 1994, to accept 
    Federal Aviation Administration inspections on aircraft and pilots 
    that provide `airport to airport' service for the Forest Service. 
    The policy is currently being cooperatively developed by the 
    Department and the Federal Aviation Administration and is intended 
    to reduce duplicative inspections and to reduce Government costs, 
    while maintaining aircraft, passenger, and pilot safety standards, 
    specifications and procedures currently required by the Department 
    and the Forest Service.
        ``(2) Expansion of policy.--As part of the review, the 
    Secretaries shall examine the feasibility and desirability of 
    applying this policy on a Government-wide basis.
        ``(3) Submission of results.--Not later than one year after the 
    date of the implementation of the policy, the Secretary of 
    Agriculture shall submit to Congress the results of the review, 
    including any recommendations that the Secretary considers 
    appropriate.''


                           Order of Succession

    Order of succession upon death, absence, sickness, or resignation of 
Secretary of Agriculture, see Ex. Ord. No. 11793, July 10, 1974, 39 F.R. 
25631, set out as a note under section 3345 of Title 5, Government 
Organization and Employees.


                            Cross References

    Purchase of seeds and plants for distribution, see section 415 of 
this title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 2276 of this title; title 13 
section 9.
