
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: 7USC5926]

 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
                          CHAPTER 88--RESEARCH
 
            SUBCHAPTER VII--MISCELLANEOUS RESEARCH PROVISIONS
 
Sec. 5926. Agricultural telecommunications program


(a) Purpose

    The program (hereafter referred to in this section as the 
``program'') established under this section is intended to encourage the 
development and utilization of an agricultural communications network to 
facilitate and to strengthen agricultural extension, resident education 
and research, and domestic and international marketing of United States 
agricultural commodities and products through a partnership between 
eligible institutions and the Department of Agriculture. The network 
will employ satellite and other telecommunications technology to 
disseminate and to share academic instruction, cooperative extension 
programming, agricultural research, and marketing information.

(b) Objectives

    The objectives of the program established under this section are--
        (1) to make optimal use of available resources for agricultural 
    extension, resident education, and research by sharing resources 
    between participating institutions;
        (2) to improve the competitive position of United States 
    agriculture in international markets by disseminating information to 
    producers, processors, and researchers;
        (3) to train students for careers in agriculture and food 
    industries;
        (4) to facilitate interaction among leading agricultural 
    scientists;
        (5) to enhance the ability of United States agriculture to 
    respond to environmental and food safety concerns; and
        (6) to identify new uses for farm commodities and to increase 
    the demand for United States agricultural products in both domestic 
    and foreign markets.

(c) Definitions

    For purposes of this section--
        (1) A*DEC.--The term ``A*DEC'' means the distance education 
    consortium known as A*DEC.
        (2) The term ``eligible institution'' means an accredited 
    institution of higher education determined by the Secretary to be 
    able to meet the objectives identified in subsection (b) of this 
    section.
        (3) The term ``communications network'' refers to television or 
    cable television origination or distribution equipment, signal 
    conversion equipment (including both modulators and demodulators), 
    computer hardware and software, programs or terminals, or related 
    devices, used to process and exchange data through a 
    telecommunications system in which signals are generated, modified, 
    or prepared for transmission, or received, via telecommunications 
    terminal equipment or via telecommunications transmission.
        (4) The term ``delivery'' means the transmission and reception 
    of programs by facilities that transmit, receive, or carry data 
    between telecommunications terminal equipment at each end of a 
    telecommunications circuit or path.
        (5) The term ``facilities'' includes microwave antennae, 
    fiberoptic cables and repeaters, coaxial cables, communications 
    satellite ground station complexes, copper cable electronic 
    equipment associated with telecommunications transmission, and 
    similar items as defined by the Secretary.
        (6) The term ``satellite ground station complex'' includes 
    transmitters, receivers, and communications antennae at the Earth 
    station site together with the interconnecting terrestrial 
    transmission facilities (including cables, line, or microwave 
    facilities) and modulating and demodulating equipment necessary for 
    processing traffic received from the terrestrial distribution system 
    prior to transmission via satellite and the traffic received from 
    the satellite prior to transfer to terrestrial distribution systems.
        (7) Secretary.--Except as provided in subsection (d)(1) of this 
    section, the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Agriculture, 
    acting through A*DEC.

(d) Authorization of assistance to eligible institutions

    (1) The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish a program, to be 
administered through a grant provided to A*DEC under terms and 
conditions established by the Secretary of Agriculture, under which 
financial and technical assistance may be provided to eligible 
institutions that participate in a network that distributes programs 
consistent with the objectives described in subsection (b) of this 
section.
    (2) The Secretary may approve all or part of any application 
submitted by an eligible institution if the proposed activity will 
contribute, directly or indirectly, to the purpose and objectives of the 
program established under this section.
    (3) As provided in subsection (f) of this section, applications for 
financial assistance may include requests to fund program production or 
program delivery, or both.

(e) Priority

    The Secretary, in considering applications for assistance under this 
program, shall establish procedures to ensure a broad dissemination of 
programming, giving a preference to applications that--
        (1) are submitted by institutions affiliated with an established 
    agricultural telecommunications network that distributes programs to 
    a wide geographical area; or
        (2) demonstrate the need for such assistance, taking into 
    consideration the relative needs of all applicants and the financial 
    ability of the applicants to otherwise secure or create the 
    telecommunications system.

(f) Applications for program production and delivery

    (1) The Secretary shall consider applications for financial 
assistance for the production and delivery of programs of cooperative 
extension, academic instruction in agriculture, agricultural research, 
and other topics consistent with the objectives described in subsection 
(b) of this section.
    (2) Eligible institutions shall request assistance by submitting 
applications to A*DEC. Applications shall include--
        (A) a detailed description of the telecommunications network and 
    programming proposed to be produced and delivered, including to whom 
    the programming will be distributed, how the programming will 
    contribute to achieving the objectives described in subsection (b) 
    of this section, and the total cost of producing and delivering such 
    programming;
        (B) the amount of assistance requested for the proposed program 
    authorized under this section and other sources of funding that will 
    be used for the proposed program; and
        (C) an analysis of the costs and benefits of purchasing (or 
    leasing) different types of facilities, equipment, components, 
    hardware and software, or other items.

(g) Limitations on assistance

    (1) The Secretary may provide funds totaling not more than 50 
percent of the cost of a proposal for which an application is submitted 
under subsection (f) of this section. Notwithstanding the preceding 
sentence, the Secretary may provide funds totaling up to 100 percent of 
the cost of such a proposal if the Secretary determines that an eligible 
institution would otherwise be unable to carry out the proposal.
    (2) The Secretary may allocate not more than 10 percent of the funds 
appropriated under this section for the acquisition and installation of 
telecommunications transmission facilities.

(h) Authorization of appropriations

    For the purposes of implementing the program established under this 
section, there are hereby authorized to be appropriated not more than 
$12,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1991 through 2002.

(Pub. L. 101-624, title XVI, Sec. 1673, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3773; 
Pub. L. 102-237, title IV, Sec. 407(12), Dec. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1865; 
Pub. L. 104-127, title VIII, Sec. 837, Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1169; 
Pub. L. 105-185, title II, Sec. 245, title III, Sec. 301(b)(2), June 23, 
1998, 112 Stat. 556, 563.)


                               Amendments

    1998--Subsec. (c)(1) to (7). Pub. L. 105-185, Sec. 245(1), added 
pars. (1) and (7) and redesignated former pars. (1) to (5) as (2) to 
(6), respectively.
    Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 105-185, Sec. 245(2), substituted ``The 
Secretary of Agriculture shall establish a program, to be administered 
through a grant provided to A*DEC under terms and conditions established 
by the Secretary of Agriculture,'' for ``The Secretary shall establish a 
program, to be administered by the Assistant Secretary for Science and 
Education,''.
    Subsec. (f)(2). Pub. L. 105-185, Sec. 245(3), substituted ``A*DEC'' 
for ``the Assistant Secretary for Science and Education'' in first 
sentence.
    Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 105-185, Sec. 301(b)(2), substituted ``2002'' 
for ``1997''.
    1996--Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 104-127 substituted ``1997'' for 
``1995''.
    1991--Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 102-237 substituted ``programs of'' 
for ``programs or''.
