§ 5926. Centers of excellence

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

1. 2014

   Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990

   Pub. L. 101–624 title XVI § 1673 · 104 Stat. 3359

   Enacted · 7 U.S.C. § 5926

   Pub. L. 101–624, title XVI, § 1673, as added Pub. L. 113–79, title VII, § 7214(a), Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 886

   Source evidence

   Code source credit
   Pub. L. 101–624, title XVI, § 1673, as added Pub. L. 113–79, title VII, § 7214(a), Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 886

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   SEC. 1673. 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) 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). (2) 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. (3) 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. (4) 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. (5) 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. (d) Authorization of Assistance to Eligible Institutions.— (1) The Secretary shall establish a program, to be administered by the Assistant Secretary for Science and Education, 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). (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), 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 or cooperative extension, academic instruction in agriculture, agricultural research, and other topics consistent with the objectives described in subsection (b). (2) Eligible institutions shall request assistance by submitting applications to the Assistant Secretary for Science and Education. 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), 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). 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 1995.

2. 2018

   Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018

   Pub. L. 115–334 title VII § 7213 · 132 Stat. 4490

   Added · 7 U.S.C. § 5926(d)

   Pub. L. 115–334 added subsec. (d)

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–334 added subsec. (d).

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   SEC. 7213. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE AT 1890 INSTITUTIONS.   Section 1673 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5926) is amended by adding at the end the following: “(d) Centers of Excellence at 1890s Institutions.— “(1) Recognition.— The Secretary shall recognize not less than 3 centers of excellence, each led by an 1890 Institution (as defined in section 2 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601)), to focus on 1 or more of the areas described in paragraph (2). “(2) Areas of focus.— “(A) Student success and workforce development.— A center of excellence established under paragraph (1) may engage in activities to ensure that students have the skills and education needed to work in agriculture and food industries, agriculture science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and related fields of study. “(B) Nutrition, health, wellness, and quality of life.— A center of excellence established under paragraph (1) may carry out research, education, and extension programs that increase access to healthy food, improve nutrition, mitigate preventive disease, and develop strategies to assist limited resource individuals in accessing health and nutrition resources. “(C) Farming systems, rural prosperity, and economic sustainability.— A center of excellence established under paragraph (1) may share best practices with farmers to improve agricultural production, processing, and marketing, reduce urban food deserts, examine new uses for traditional and nontraditional crops, animals, and natural resources, and continue activities carried out by the Center for Innovative and Sustainable Small Farms, Ranches, and Forest Lands. “(D) Global food security and defense.— A center of excellence established under paragraph (1) may engage in international partnerships that strengthen agricultural development in developing countries, partner with international researchers regarding new and emerging animal and plant pests and diseases, engage in agricultural disaster recovery, and continue activities carried out by the Center for International Engagement. “(E) Natural resources, energy, and environment.— A center of excellence established under paragraph (1) may focus on protecting and managing domestic natural resources for current and future production of food and agricultural products. “(F) Emerging technologies.— A center of excellence established under paragraph (1) may focus on the development of emerging technologies to increase agricultural productivity, enhance small farm economic viability, and improve rural communities by developing genetic and sensor technologies for food and agriculture and providing technology training to farmers. “(3) Authorization of appropriations.— There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023. “(4) Report.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, and every year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report describing— “(A) the resources invested in the centers of excellence established under paragraph (1); and “(B) the work being done by those centers of excellence.” .

2 of 2 references resolved to an enrolled provision