
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: 7USC5901]

 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
                          CHAPTER 88--RESEARCH
 
 SUBCHAPTER VI--ALTERNATIVE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND COMMERCIALIZATION
 
Sec. 5901. Short title, purposes, and definitions


(a) Short title

    This subchapter may be cited as the ``Alternative Agricultural 
Research and Commercialization Act of 1990''.

(b) Purpose

    Through the encouragement of and the provision of assistance to 
agricultural research, development, and commercialization, it is the 
purpose of this subchapter--
        (1) to authorize research in modification of agricultural 
    commodities, and associated research, in order to develop and 
    produce marketable products other than food, feed, or traditional 
    forest or fiber products;
        (2) to commercialize new nonfood, nonfeed uses for traditional 
    and new agricultural commodities in order to create jobs, enhance 
    the economic development of the rural economy, and diversify markets 
    for raw agricultural and forestry products;
        (3) to encourage cooperative development and marketing efforts 
    among manufacturers, financiers, universities, and private and 
    government laboratories in order to assist the commercialization of 
    new nonfood, nonfeed uses for agricultural and forestry products;
        (4) to direct, to the maximum extent possible, research and 
    commercialization efforts toward the production of new nonfood, 
    nonfeed products from agricultural commodities that can be raised by 
    family-sized agricultural producers; and
        (5) to foster economic development in rural areas of the United 
    States through the introduction of new nonfood, nonfeed products 
    obtained from agricultural commodities.

(c) Definitions

    For purposes of this subchapter:
        (1) The term ``agricultural commodity'' means a plant or animal 
    species (including a species propagated or raised in a controlled 
    environment or a tree species) and the products derived from that 
    species.
        (2) The term ``alternative agricultural product'' means a new 
    use, application, or material that--
            (A) is derived from an agricultural commodity; and
            (B) is not in widespread commercial use and is not expected 
        to significantly displace a use, application, or material 
        derived from an agricultural commodity that already is in 
        widespread commercial use.

        (3) The term ``commercialization'' or ``commercialize'' 
    includes--
            (A) activities associated with the development of 
        alternative agricultural products or industrial plants;
            (B) the application of technology and techniques to the 
        development of industrial products and alternative agricultural 
        products; and
            (C) the market development of new nonfood, nonfeed uses of 
        new and traditional agricultural commodities and processes that 
        will lead to the creation of goods and services that may be 
        marketed for profit.

        (4) Corporate board.--The term ``Corporate Board'' means the 
    Board of Directors of the Corporation described in section 5903 of 
    this title.
        (5) Corporation.--The term ``Corporation'' means the Alternative 
    Agricultural Research and Commercialization Corporation established 
    under section 5902 of this title.
        (6) Executive director.--The term ``Executive Director'' means 
    the Executive Director of the Corporation appointed under section 
    5903(e) of this title.
        (7) The term ``Fund'' means the Alternative Agricultural 
    Research and Commercialization Revolving Fund.
        (8) The term ``host institution'' means an existing entity that 
    is located in the region that is--
            (A) a university or other institution of higher education;
            (B) a Department of Agriculture laboratory;
            (C) a State agricultural experiment station;
            (D) a State cooperative extension service facility; or
            (E) another organization that is involved in the development 
        or commercialization of new nonfood, nonfeed uses for 
        agricultural commodities, or is involved in rural economic 
        development.

        (9) The term ``new nonfood, nonfeed product development'' means 
    targeted research, including fundamental and applied research, 
    concerning--
            (A) the production and processing of agricultural 
        commodities for the purposes of developing new nonfood, nonfeed 
        products;
            (B) the uses of new nonfood, nonfeed products; and
            (C) steps necessary to make a nonfood, nonfeed product 
        available for the marketplace.

        (10) The term ``new nonfood, nonfeed product'' means an item 
    that is primarily not a food, feed, or traditional forest or fiber 
    product, including an item that exists but is not commercially 
    available from an agricultural commodity.
        (11) The term ``nonprofit organization'' means an organization 
    that is--
            (A) described in section 501(c) of title 26; and
            (B) exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of title 26.

        (12) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Agriculture.
        (13) The term ``traditional forest or fiber product'' means a 
    forest or fiber product that is derived from forest or agricultural 
    materials and does not have substantial new properties.

(Pub. L. 101-624, title XVI, Sec. 1657, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3756; 
Pub. L. 104-127, title VII, Sec. 721, Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1112.)


                               Amendments

    1996--Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 104-127, Sec. 721(1), (2), 
redesignated par. (5) as (3) and struck out former par. (3) which read 
as follows: ``The term `Board' means the Alternative Agricultural 
Research and Commercialization Board.''
    Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 104-127, Sec. 721(1), (4), added par. (4) 
and struck out former par. (4) which read as follows: ``The term 
`Center' means the Alternative Agricultural Research and 
Commercialization Center.''
    Subsec. (c)(5). Pub. L. 104-127, Sec. 721(2), (4), added par. (5) 
and redesignated former par. (5) as (3).
    Subsec. (c)(6) to (13). Pub. L. 104-127, Sec. 721(3), (4), added 
par. (6) and redesignated former pars. (6) to (12) as (7) to (13), 
respectively.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 5909 of this title.
