
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: 7USC3124a]

 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
       CHAPTER 64--AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND TEACHING
 
   SUBCHAPTER II--COORDINATION AND PLANNING OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, 
                         EXTENSION, AND TEACHING
 
Sec. 3124a. Federal-State partnership and coordination


(a) Covered programs; statement of purposes

    A unique partnership arrangement exists in food and agricultural 
research, extension, and teaching between the Federal Government and the 
governments of the several States whereby the States have accepted and 
have supported, through legislation and appropriations--
        (1) research programs under--
            (A) the Act of March 2, 1887 (7 U.S.C. 361a et seq.), 
        commonly known as the Hatch Act of 1887;
            (B) the Act of October 10, 1962 (16 U.S.C. 582a et seq.), 
        commonly known as the McIntire-Stennis Act of 1962;
            (C) subchapter V of this chapter; and
            (D) subchapter VI of this chapter;

        (2) extension programs under subchapter VI of this chapter and 
    the Act of May 8, 1914 (7 U.S.C. 341 et seq.), commonly known as the 
    Smith-Lever Act;
        (3) teaching programs under--
            (A) the Act of July 2, 1862 (7 U.S.C. 301 et seq.), commonly 
        known as the First Morrill Act;
            (B) the Act of August 30, 1890 (7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.), 
        commonly known as the Second Morrill Act; and
            (C) the Act of June 29, 1935 (7 U.S.C. 329, commonly known 
        as the Bankhead-Jones Act; and

        (4) international agricultural programs under title XII of the 
    Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2220a et seq.).

This partnership in publicly supported agricultural research, extension, 
and teaching involving the programs of Federal agencies and the programs 
of the States has played a major role in the outstanding successes 
achieved in meeting the varied, dispersed, and in many cases, site-
specific needs of American agriculture. This partnership must be 
preserved and enhanced.

(b) Establishment, etc., of cooperative centers

    In order to promote research and education in food and human 
nutrition, the Secretary may establish cooperative human nutrition 
centers to focus resources, facilities, and scientific expertise on 
particular high priority nutrition problems identified by the 
Department. Such centers shall be established at State cooperative 
institutions; and at other colleges and universities, having a 
demonstrable capacity to carry out human nutrition research and 
education.

(c) Designation of State cooperative institutions; reports; research 
        grants

    (1) To promote research for purposes of developing agricultural 
policy alternatives, the Secretary is encouraged--
        (A) to designate at least one State cooperative institution to 
    conduct research in an interdisciplinary fashion; and
        (B) to report on a regular basis with respect to the effect of 
    emerging technological, economic, sociological, and environmental 
    developments on the structure of agriculture.

    (2) Support for this effort should include grants to examine the 
role of various food production, processing, and distribution systems 
that may primarily benefit small- and medium-sized family farms, such as 
diversified farm plans, energy, water, and soil conservation 
technologies, direct and cooperative marketing, production and 
processing cooperatives, and rural community resource management.

(d) Designation of State agricultural experiment stations and 
        Agricultural Research Service facilities; pilot projects; 
        additional research

    To address more effectively the critical need for reducing farm 
input costs, improving soil, water, and energy conservation on farms and 
in rural areas, using sustainable agricultural methods, adopting 
alternative processing and marketing systems, and encouraging rural 
resources management, the Secretary is encouraged to designate at least 
one State agricultural experiment station and one Agricultural Research 
Service facility to examine these issues in an integrated and 
comprehensive manner, while conducting ongoing pilot projects 
contributing additional research through the Federal-State partnership.

(e) Applicability of Federal Advisory Committee Act

                         (1) Public meetings

        All meetings of any entity described in paragraph (3) shall be 
    publicly announced in advance and shall be open to the public. 
    Detailed minutes of meetings and other appropriate records of the 
    activities of such an entity shall be kept and made available to the 
    public on request.

                            (2) Exemption

        The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) and title 
    XVIII of this Act [7 U.S.C. 2281 et seq.] shall not apply to any 
    entity described in paragraph (3).

                       (3) Entities described

        This subsection shall apply to any committee, board, commission, 
    panel, or task force, or similar entity that--
            (A) is created for the purpose of cooperative efforts in 
        agricultural research, extension, or teaching; and
            (B) consists entirely of--
                (i) full-time Federal employees; and
                (ii) one or more individuals who are employed by, or are 
            officials of--
                    (I) a State cooperative institution or State 
                cooperative agency; or
                    (II) a public college or university or other 
                postsecondary institution.

(Pub. L. 95-113, title XIV, Sec. 1409A, as added Pub. L. 97-98, title 
XIV, Sec. 1410(a), Dec. 22, 1981, 95 Stat. 1301; amended Pub. L. 99-198, 
title XIV, Sec. 1407, Dec. 23, 1985, 99 Stat. 1545; Pub. L. 101-624, 
title XVI, Sec. 1601(f)(1)(B), Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3704; Pub. L. 
104-127, title VIII, Sec. 803, Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1159.)

                       References in Text

    Act of March 2, 1887, referred to in subsec. (a)(1)(A), is act Mar. 
2, 1887, ch. 314, 24 Stat. 440, as amended, popularly known as the Hatch 
Act of 1887, which is classified generally to sections 361a to 361i of 
this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see 
Short Title note set out under section 361a of this title and Tables.
    Act of October 10, 1962, referred to in subsec. (a)(1)(B), is Pub. 
L. 87-788, Oct. 10, 1962, 76 Stat. 806, as amended, known as the 
McIntire-Stennis Act of 1962, which is classified generally to 
subchapter III (Sec. 582a et seq.) of chapter 3 of Title 16, 
Conservation. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see 
Tables.
    Act of May 8, 1914, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), is act May 8, 
1914, ch. 79, 38 Stat. 372, as amended, popularly known as the Smith-
Lever Act, which is classified generally to subchapter IV (Sec. 341 et 
seq.) of chapter 13 of this title. For complete classification of this 
Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 341 of this 
title and Tables.
    Act of July 2, 1862, referred to in subsec. (a)(3)(A), is act July 
2, 1862, ch. 130, 12 Stat. 503, as amended, popularly known as the First 
Morrill Act, which is classified generally to subchapter I (Sec. 301 et 
seq.) of chapter 13 of this title. For complete classification of this 
Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 301 of this 
title and Tables.
    Act of August 30, 1890, referred to in subsec. (a)(3)(B), is act 
Aug. 30, 1890, ch. 841, 26 Stat. 417, as amended, popularly known as the 
Agricultural College Act of 1890 and also as the Second Morrill Act, 
which is classified generally to subchapter II (Sec. 321 et seq.) of 
chapter 13 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the 
Code, see Short Title note set out under section 321 of this title and 
Tables.
    The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, referred to in subsec. (a)(4), 
is Pub. L. 87-195, Sept. 4, 1961, 75 Stat. 424, as amended. Title XII of 
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 probably means title XII of chapter 2 
of part I of the Act, which is classified generally to subpart XII 
(Sec. 2220a et seq.) of part II of subchapter I of chapter 32 of Title 
22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse. For complete classification of 
this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 2151 of 
Title 22 and Tables.
    The Federal Advisory Committee Act, referred to in subsec. (e)(2), 
is Pub. L. 92-463, Oct. 6, 1972, 86 Stat. 770, as amended, which is set 
out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
    Title XVIII of this Act, referred to in subsec. (e)(2), is title 
XVIII of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977, Pub. L. 95-113, Sept. 29, 
1977, 91 Stat. 1041, as amended, which is classified generally to 
chapter 55A (Sec. 2281 et seq.) of this title. For complete 
classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1977 
Amendment note set out under section 1281 of this title and Tables.


                               Amendments

    1996--Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 104-127 added subsec. (e).
    1990--Subsecs. (c) to (e). Pub. L. 101-624 redesignated subsecs. (d) 
and (e) as (c) and (d), respectively, and struck out former subsec. (c) 
which read as follows: ``In order to meet the increasing needs of 
consumers and to promote the health and welfare of people, the Secretary 
shall ensure that the cooperative research, extension, and teaching 
programs of the various States adequately address the challenges 
described in paragraph (10) of section 3101 of this title. The Secretary 
may implement new cooperative initiatives in home economics and related 
disciplines to address such challenges.''
    1985--Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 99-198, Sec. 1407(a), added par. (4).
    Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 99-198, Sec. 1407(b), added subsecs. (d) 
and (e).


                             Effective Date

    Section effective Dec. 22, 1981, see section 1801 of Pub. L. 97-98, 
set out as a note under section 4301 of this title.
