[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2131 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 111
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2131
[Report No. 118-44]
Making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug
Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2024, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 22, 2023
Mr. Heinrich, from the Committee on Appropriations, reported the
following original bill; which was read twice and placed on the
calendar
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
Making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug
Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2024, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following sums
are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise
appropriated, for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug
Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2024, and for other purposes, namely:
TITLE I
AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS
Processing, Research, and Marketing
Office of the Secretary
(including transfers of funds)
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Secretary, $65,067,000
of which not to exceed $7,432,000 shall be available for the immediate
Office of the Secretary; not to exceed $1,396,000 shall be available
for the Office of Homeland Security; not to exceed $5,190,000 shall be
available for the Office of Tribal Relations, of which $1,000,000 shall
be to continue a Tribal Public Health Resource Center at a land grant
university with existing indigenous public health expertise to expand
current partnerships and collaborative efforts with indigenous groups,
including but not limited to, tribal organizations and institutions
such as tribal colleges, tribal technical colleges, tribal community
colleges and tribal universities, to improve the delivery of culturally
appropriate public health services and functions in American Indian
communities focusing on indigenous food sovereignty; not to exceed
$9,280,000 shall be available for the Office of Partnerships and Public
Engagement, of which $1,500,000 shall be for 7 U.S.C. 2279(c)(5); not
to exceed $28,422,000 shall be available for the Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Administration, of which $26,716,000 shall be
available for Departmental Administration to provide for necessary
expenses for management support services to offices of the Department
and for general administration, security, repairs and alterations, and
other miscellaneous supplies and expenses not otherwise provided for
and necessary for the practical and efficient work of the Department:
Provided, That funds made available by this Act to an agency in the
Administration mission area for salaries and expenses are available to
fund up to one administrative support staff for the Office; not to
exceed $4,609,000 shall be available for the Office of Assistant
Secretary for Congressional Relations and Intergovernmental Affairs to
carry out the programs funded by this Act, including programs involving
intergovernmental affairs and liaison within the executive branch; and
not to exceed $8,738,000 shall be available for the Office of
Communications: Provided further, That the Secretary of Agriculture is
authorized to transfer funds appropriated for any office of the Office
of the Secretary to any other office of the Office of the Secretary:
Provided further, That no appropriation for any office shall be
increased or decreased by more than 5 percent: Provided further, That
not to exceed $22,000 of the amount made available under this paragraph
for the immediate Office of the Secretary shall be available for
official reception and representation expenses, not otherwise provided
for, as determined by the Secretary: Provided further, That the amount
made available under this heading for Departmental Administration shall
be reimbursed from applicable appropriations in this Act for travel
expenses incident to the holding of hearings as required by 5 U.S.C.
551-558: Provided further, That funds made available under this
heading for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Congressional
Relations and Intergovernmental Affairs shall be transferred to
agencies of the Department of Agriculture funded by this Act to
maintain personnel at the agency level: Provided further, That no
funds made available under this heading for the Office of Assistant
Secretary for Congressional Relations may be obligated after 30 days
from the date of enactment of this Act, unless the Secretary has
notified the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress on
the allocation of these funds by USDA agency: Provided further, That
during any 30 day notification period referenced in section 716 of this
Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall take no action to begin
implementation of the action that is subject to section 716 of this Act
or make any public announcement of such action in any form.
Executive Operations
office of the chief economist
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Chief Economist,
$30,181,000, of which $10,000,000 shall be for grants or cooperative
agreements for policy research under 7 U.S.C. 3155: Provided, That of
the amounts made available under this heading, $2,000,000 shall be for
an interdisciplinary center based at a land grant university focused on
agricultural policy relevant to the Midwest region which will provide
private entities, policymakers, and the public with timely insights and
targeted economic solutions: Provided further, That of the amounts
made available under this heading, $500,000 shall be available to carry
out section 224 of subtitle A of the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6924), as amended by section 12504
of Public Law 115-334.
office of hearings and appeals
For necessary expenses of the Office of Hearings and Appeals,
$16,703,000.
office of budget and program analysis
For necessary expenses of the Office of Budget and Program
Analysis, $14,967,000.
Office of the Chief Information Officer
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Chief Information
Officer, $92,284,000, of which not less than $77,428,000 is for
cybersecurity requirements of the department.
Office of the Chief Financial Officer
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Chief Financial
Officer, $7,367,000.
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for
Civil Rights, $1,466,000: Provided, That funds made available by this
Act to an agency in the Civil Rights mission area for salaries and
expenses are available to fund up to one administrative support staff
for the Office.
Office of Civil Rights
For necessary expenses of the Office of Civil Rights, $37,595,000.
Agriculture Buildings and Facilities
(including transfers of funds)
For payment of space rental and related costs pursuant to Public
Law 92-313, including authorities pursuant to the 1984 delegation of
authority from the Administrator of General Services to the Department
of Agriculture under 40 U.S.C. 121, for programs and activities of the
Department which are included in this Act, and for alterations and
other actions needed for the Department and its agencies to consolidate
unneeded space into configurations suitable for release to the
Administrator of General Services, and for the operation, maintenance,
improvement, and repair of Agriculture buildings and facilities, and
for related costs, $36,081,000, to remain available until expended.
Hazardous Materials Management
(including transfers of funds)
For necessary expenses of the Department of Agriculture, to comply
with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) and the Solid Waste Disposal Act
(42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.), $6,586,000, to remain available until
expended: Provided, That appropriations and funds available herein to
the Department for Hazardous Materials Management may be transferred to
any agency of the Department for its use in meeting all requirements
pursuant to the above Acts on Federal and non-Federal lands.
Office of Safety, Security, and Protection
For necessary expenses of the Office of Safety, Security, and
Protection, $21,800,000.
Office of Inspector General
For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector General,
including employment pursuant to the Inspector General Act of 1978
(Public Law 95-452; 5 U.S.C. App.), $111,561,000, including such sums
as may be necessary for contracting and other arrangements with public
agencies and private persons pursuant to section 6(a)(9) of the
Inspector General Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-452; 5 U.S.C. App.), and
including not to exceed $125,000 for certain confidential operational
expenses, including the payment of informants, to be expended under the
direction of the Inspector General pursuant to the Inspector General
Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-452; 5 U.S.C. App.) and section 1337 of the
Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 (Public Law 97-98).
Office of the General Counsel
For necessary expenses of the Office of the General Counsel,
$60,537,000.
Office of Ethics
For necessary expenses of the Office of Ethics, $5,556,000.
Office of the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Under Secretary for
Research, Education, and Economics, $2,384,000: Provided, That funds
made available by this Act to an agency in the Research, Education, and
Economics mission area for salaries and expenses are available to fund
up to one administrative support staff for the Office: Provided
further, That of the amounts made available under this heading,
$1,000,000 shall be made available for the Office of the Chief
Scientist.
Economic Research Service
For necessary expenses of the Economic Research Service,
$92,183,000.
National Agricultural Statistics Service
For necessary expenses of the National Agricultural Statistics
Service, $200,563,000, of which up to $55,900,000 shall be available
until expended for the Census of Agriculture: Provided, That amounts
made available for the Census of Agriculture may be used to conduct
Current Industrial Report surveys subject to 7 U.S.C. 2204g(d) and (f).
Agricultural Research Service
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses of the Agricultural Research Service and for
acquisition of lands by donation, exchange, or purchase at a nominal
cost not to exceed $100, and for land exchanges where the lands
exchanged shall be of equal value or shall be equalized by a payment of
money to the grantor which shall not exceed 25 percent of the total
value of the land or interests transferred out of Federal ownership,
$1,792,879,000: Provided, That appropriations hereunder shall be
available for the operation and maintenance of aircraft and the
purchase of not to exceed one for replacement only: Provided further,
That appropriations hereunder shall be available pursuant to 7 U.S.C.
2250 for the construction, alteration, and repair of buildings and
improvements, but unless otherwise provided, the cost of constructing
any one building shall not exceed $500,000, except for headhouses or
greenhouses which shall each be limited to $1,800,000, except for 10
buildings to be constructed or improved at a cost not to exceed
$1,100,000 each, and except for four buildings to be constructed at a
cost not to exceed $5,000,000 each, and the cost of altering any one
building during the fiscal year shall not exceed 10 percent of the
current replacement value of the building or $500,000, whichever is
greater: Provided further, That appropriations hereunder shall be
available for entering into lease agreements at any Agricultural
Research Service location for the construction of a research facility
by a non-Federal entity for use by the Agricultural Research Service
and a condition of the lease shall be that any facility shall be owned,
operated, and maintained by the non-Federal entity and shall be removed
upon the expiration or termination of the lease agreement: Provided
further, That the limitations on alterations contained in this Act
shall not apply to modernization or replacement of existing facilities
at Beltsville, Maryland: Provided further, That appropriations
hereunder shall be available for granting easements at the Beltsville
Agricultural Research Center: Provided further, That the foregoing
limitations shall not apply to replacement of buildings needed to carry
out the Act of April 24, 1948 (21 U.S.C. 113a): Provided further, That
appropriations hereunder shall be available for granting easements at
any Agricultural Research Service location for the construction of a
research facility by a non-Federal entity for use by, and acceptable
to, the Agricultural Research Service and a condition of the easements
shall be that upon completion the facility shall be accepted by the
Secretary, subject to the availability of funds herein, if the
Secretary finds that acceptance of the facility is in the interest of
the United States: Provided further, That funds may be received from
any State, other political subdivision, organization, or individual for
the purpose of establishing or operating any research facility or
research project of the Agricultural Research Service, as authorized by
law.
buildings and facilities
For the acquisition of land, construction, repair, improvement,
extension, alteration, and purchase of fixed equipment or facilities as
necessary to carry out the agricultural research programs of the
Department of Agriculture, where not otherwise provided, $88,869,000 to
remain available until expended, of which $47,464,000 shall be for the
purposes, and in the amounts, specified for this account in the table
titled ``Congressionally Directed Spending'' in the report accompanying
this Act.
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
research and education activities
For payments to agricultural experiment stations, for cooperative
forestry and other research, for facilities, and for other expenses,
$1,084,600,000 which shall be for the purposes, and in the amounts,
specified in the table titled ``National Institute of Food and
Agriculture, Research and Education Activities'' in the report
accompanying this Act: Provided, That funds for research grants for
1994 institutions, education grants for 1890 institutions, Hispanic
serving institutions education grants, capacity building for non-land-
grant colleges of agriculture, the agriculture and food research
initiative, veterinary medicine loan repayment, multicultural scholars,
graduate fellowship and institution challenge grants, grants management
systems, tribal colleges education equity grants, and scholarships at
1890 institutions shall remain available until expended: Provided
further, That each institution eligible to receive funds under the
Evans-Allen program receives no less than $1,000,000: Provided
further, That funds for education grants for Alaska Native and Native
Hawaiian-serving institutions be made available to individual eligible
institutions or consortia of eligible institutions with funds awarded
equally to each of the States of Alaska and Hawaii: Provided further,
That funds for providing grants for food and agricultural sciences for
Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving institutions and for Insular
Areas shall remain available until September 30, 2024: Provided
further, That funds for education grants for 1890 institutions shall be
made available to institutions eligible to receive funds under 7 U.S.C.
3221 and 3222: Provided further, That not more than 5 percent of the
amounts made available by this or any other Act to carry out the
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative under 7 U.S.C. 3157 may be
retained by the Secretary of Agriculture to pay administrative costs
incurred by the Secretary in carrying out that authority.
native american institutions endowment fund
For the Native American Institutions Endowment Fund authorized by
Public Law 103-382 (7 U.S.C. 301 note), $11,880,000, to remain
available until expended.
extension activities
For payments to States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico,
Guam, the Virgin Islands, Micronesia, the Northern Marianas, and
American Samoa, $567,410,000 which shall be for the purposes, and in
the amounts, specified in the table titled ``National Institute of Food
and Agriculture, Extension Activities'' in the report accompanying this
Act: Provided, That funds for extension services at 1994 institutions
and for facility improvements at 1890 institutions shall remain
available until expended: Provided further, That institutions eligible
to receive funds under 7 U.S.C. 3221 for cooperative extension receive
no less than $1,000,000: Provided further, That funds for cooperative
extension under sections 3(b) and (c) of the Smith-Lever Act (7 U.S.C.
343(b) and (c)) and section 208(c) of Public Law 93-471 shall be
available for retirement and employees' compensation costs for
extension agents.
integrated activities
For the integrated research, education, and extension grants
programs, including necessary administrative expenses, $41,500,000,
which shall be for the purposes, and in the amounts, specified in the
table titled ``National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Integrated
Activities'' in the report accompanying this Act: Provided, That funds
for the Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative shall remain available
until September 30, 2024: Provided further, That notwithstanding any
other provision of law, indirect costs shall not be charged against any
Extension Implementation Program Area grant awarded under the Crop
Protection/Pest Management Program (7 U.S.C. 7626).
Office of the Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Under Secretary for
Marketing and Regulatory Programs, $1,617,000: Provided, That funds
made available by this Act to an agency in the Marketing and Regulatory
Programs mission area for salaries and expenses are available to fund
up to one administrative support staff for the Office.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
salaries and expenses
(including transfers of funds)
For necessary expenses of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service, including up to $30,000 for representation allowances and for
expenses pursuant to the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4085),
$1,185,967,000 of which up to $14,276,000 shall be for the purposes,
and in the amounts, specified for this account in the table titled
``Congressionally Directed Spending'' in the report accompanying this
Act; of which $514,000, to remain available until expended, shall be
available for the control of outbreaks of insects, plant diseases,
animal diseases and for control of pest animals and birds
(``contingency fund'') to the extent necessary to meet emergency
conditions; of which $15,450,000, to remain available until expended,
shall be used for the cotton pests program, including for cost share
purposes or for debt retirement for active eradication zones; of which
$39,183,000, to remain available until expended, shall be for Animal
Health Technical Services; of which $4,096,000 shall be for activities
under the authority of the Horse Protection Act of 1970, as amended (15
U.S.C. 1831); of which $64,930,000, to remain available until expended,
shall be used to support avian health; of which $4,251,000, to remain
available until expended, shall be for information technology
infrastructure; of which $217,904,000, to remain available until
expended, shall be for specialty crop pests, of which $8,500,000, to
remain available until September 30, 2025, shall be for one-time
control and management and associated activities directly related to
the multiple-agency response to citrus greening; of which, $13,986,000,
to remain available until expended, shall be for field crop and
rangeland ecosystem pests; of which $21,567,000, to remain available
until expended, shall be for zoonotic disease management; of which
$48,067,000, to remain available until expended, shall be for emergency
preparedness and response; of which $62,562,000, to remain available
until expended, shall be for tree and wood pests; of which $6,500,000,
to remain available until expended, shall be for the National
Veterinary Stockpile; of which up to $1,500,000, to remain available
until expended, shall be for the scrapie program for indemnities; of
which $2,500,000, to remain available until expended, shall be for the
wildlife damage management program for aviation safety: Provided, That
of amounts available under this heading for wildlife services methods
development, $1,000,000 shall remain available until expended:
Provided further, That of amounts available under this heading for the
screwworm program, $4,990,000 shall remain available until expended; of
which $24,527,000, to remain available until expended, shall be used to
carry out the science program and transition activities for the
National Bio and Agro-defense Facility located in Manhattan, Kansas:
Provided further, That no funds shall be used to formulate or
administer a brucellosis eradication program for the current fiscal
year that does not require minimum matching by the States of at least
40 percent: Provided further, That this appropriation shall be
available for the purchase, replacement, operation, and maintenance of
aircraft: Provided further, That in addition, in emergencies which
threaten any segment of the agricultural production industry of the
United States, the Secretary may transfer from other appropriations or
funds available to the agencies or corporations of the Department such
sums as may be deemed necessary, to be available only in such
emergencies for the arrest and eradication of contagious or infectious
disease or pests of animals, poultry, or plants, and for expenses in
accordance with sections 10411 and 10417 of the Animal Health
Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8310 and 8316) and sections 431 and 442 of the
Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7751 and 7772), and any unexpended
balances of funds transferred for such emergency purposes in the
preceding fiscal year shall be merged with such transferred amounts:
Provided further, That appropriations hereunder shall be available
pursuant to law (7 U.S.C. 2250) for the repair and alteration of leased
buildings and improvements, but unless otherwise provided the cost of
altering any one building during the fiscal year shall not exceed 10
percent of the current replacement value of the building.
In fiscal year 2024, the agency is authorized to collect fees to
cover the total costs of providing technical assistance, goods, or
services requested by States, other political subdivisions, domestic
and international organizations, foreign governments, or individuals,
provided that such fees are structured such that any entity's liability
for such fees is reasonably based on the technical assistance, goods,
or services provided to the entity by the agency, and such fees shall
be reimbursed to this account, to remain available until expended,
without further appropriation, for providing such assistance, goods, or
services.
buildings and facilities
For plans, construction, repair, preventive maintenance,
environmental support, improvement, extension, alteration, and purchase
of fixed equipment or facilities, as authorized by 7 U.S.C. 2250, and
acquisition of land as authorized by 7 U.S.C. 2268a, $3,175,000, to
remain available until expended.
Agricultural Marketing Service
marketing services
For necessary expenses of the Agricultural Marketing Service,
$229,891,000, of which $7,500,000 shall be available for the purposes
of section 12306 of Public Law 113-79, and of which $1,000,000 shall be
available for the purposes of section 779 of division A of Public Law
117-103: Provided, That of the amounts made available under this
heading, $15,000,000, to remain available until expended, shall be to
carry out section 12513 of Public Law 115-334, of which $14,000,000
shall be for dairy business innovation initiatives established in
Public Law 116-6 and the Secretary shall take measures to ensure an
equal distribution of funds between these three regional innovation
initiatives: Provided further, That this appropriation shall be
available pursuant to law (7 U.S.C. 2250) for the alteration and repair
of buildings and improvements, but the cost of altering any one
building during the fiscal year shall not exceed 10 percent of the
current replacement value of the building.
Fees may be collected for the cost of standardization activities,
as established by regulation pursuant to law (31 U.S.C. 9701), except
for the cost of activities relating to the development or maintenance
of grain standards under the United States Grain Standards Act, 7
U.S.C. 71 et seq.
limitation on administrative expenses
Not to exceed $62,596,000 (from fees collected) shall be obligated
during the current fiscal year for administrative expenses: Provided,
That if crop size is understated and/or other uncontrollable events
occur, the agency may exceed this limitation by up to 10 percent with
notification to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress.
funds for strengthening markets, income, and supply (section 32)
(including transfers of funds)
Funds available under section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935 (7
U.S.C. 612c), shall be used only for commodity program expenses as
authorized therein, and other related operating expenses, except for:
(1) transfers to the Department of Commerce as authorized by the Fish
and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742a et seq.); (2) transfers
otherwise provided in this Act; and (3) not more than $21,501,000 for
formulation and administration of marketing agreements and orders
pursuant to the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 and the
Agricultural Act of 1961 (Public Law 87-128).
payments to states and possessions
For payments to departments of agriculture, bureaus and departments
of markets, and similar agencies for marketing activities under section
204(b) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1623(b)),
$1,235,000.
limitation on inspection and weighing services expenses
Not to exceed $55,000,000 (from fees collected) shall be obligated
during the current fiscal year for inspection and weighing services:
Provided, That if grain export activities require additional
supervision and oversight, or other uncontrollable factors occur, this
limitation may be exceeded by up to 10 percent with notification to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Under Secretary for
Food Safety, $1,117,000: Provided, That funds made available by this
Act to an agency in the Food Safety mission area for salaries and
expenses are available to fund up to one administrative support staff
for the Office.
Food Safety and Inspection Service
For necessary expenses to carry out services authorized by the
Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and
the Egg Products Inspection Act, including not to exceed $10,000 for
representation allowances and for expenses pursuant to section 8 of the
Act approved August 3, 1956 (7 U.S.C. 1766), $1,205,009,000; and in
addition, $1,000,000 may be credited to this account from fees
collected for the cost of laboratory accreditation as authorized by
section 1327 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of
1990 (7 U.S.C. 138f): Provided, That funds provided for the Public
Health Data Communication Infrastructure system shall remain available
until expended: Provided further, That no fewer than 148 full-time
equivalent positions shall be employed during fiscal year 2024 for
purposes dedicated solely to inspections and enforcement related to the
Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (7 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.): Provided
further, That the Food Safety and Inspection Service shall continue
implementation of section 11016 of Public Law 110-246 as further
clarified by the amendments made in section 12106 of Public Law 113-79:
Provided further, That this appropriation shall be available pursuant
to law (7 U.S.C. 2250) for the alteration and repair of buildings and
improvements, but the cost of altering any one building during the
fiscal year shall not exceed 10 percent of the current replacement
value of the building.
TITLE II
FARM PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION PROGRAMS
Office of the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Under Secretary for
Farm Production and Conservation, $1,727,000: Provided, That funds
made available by this Act to an agency in the Farm Production and
Conservation mission area for salaries and expenses are available to
fund up to one administrative support staff for the Office.
Farm Production and Conservation Business Center
salaries and expenses
(including transfers of funds)
For necessary expenses of the Farm Production and Conservation
Business Center, $249,684,000, of which $1,000,000 shall be for the
implementation of section 773 of Public Law 117-328: Provided, That
$60,228,000 of amounts appropriated for the current fiscal year
pursuant to section 1241(a) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment
Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(a)) shall be transferred to and merged with
this account.
Farm Service Agency
salaries and expenses
(including transfers of funds)
For necessary expenses of the Farm Service Agency, $1,215,307,000,
of which not less than $15,000,000 shall be for the hiring of new
employees to fill vacancies and anticipated vacancies at Farm Service
Agency county offices and farm loan officers and shall be available
until September 30, 2025: Provided, That not more than 50 percent of
the funding made available under this heading for information
technology related to farm program delivery may be obligated until the
Secretary submits to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress, and receives written or electronic notification of receipt
from such Committees of, a plan for expenditure that (1) identifies for
each project/investment over $25,000 (a) the functional and performance
capabilities to be delivered and the mission benefits to be realized,
(b) the estimated lifecycle cost for the entirety of the project/
investment, including estimates for development as well as maintenance
and operations, and (c) key milestones to be met; (2) demonstrates that
each project/investment is, (a) consistent with the Farm Service Agency
Information Technology Roadmap, (b) being managed in accordance with
applicable lifecycle management policies and guidance, and (c) subject
to the applicable Department's capital planning and investment control
requirements; and (3) has been reviewed by the Government
Accountability Office and approved by the Committees on Appropriations
of both Houses of Congress: Provided further, That the agency shall
submit a report by the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024 to
the Committees on Appropriations and the Government Accountability
Office, that identifies for each project/investment that is operational
(a) current performance against key indicators of customer
satisfaction, (b) current performance of service level agreements or
other technical metrics, (c) current performance against a pre-
established cost baseline, (d) a detailed breakdown of current and
planned spending on operational enhancements or upgrades, and (e) an
assessment of whether the investment continues to meet business needs
as intended as well as alternatives to the investment: Provided
further, That the Secretary is authorized to use the services,
facilities, and authorities (but not the funds) of the Commodity Credit
Corporation to make program payments for all programs administered by
the Agency: Provided further, That other funds made available to the
Agency for authorized activities may be advanced to and merged with
this account: Provided further, That of the amount appropriated under
this heading, $696,594,000 shall be made available to county offices,
to remain available until expended: Provided further, That,
notwithstanding the preceding proviso, any funds made available to
county offices in the current fiscal year that the Administrator of the
Farm Service Agency deems to exceed or not meet the amount needed for
the county offices may be transferred to or from the Farm Service
Agency for necessary expenses: Provided further, That none of the
funds available to the Farm Service Agency shall be used to close Farm
Service Agency county offices: Provided further, That none of the
funds available to the Farm Service Agency shall be used to permanently
relocate county based employees that would result in an office with two
or fewer employees without prior notification and approval of the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
state mediation grants
For grants pursuant to section 502(b) of the Agricultural Credit
Act of 1987, as amended (7 U.S.C. 5101-5106), $7,000,000: Provided,
That the Secretary of Agriculture may determine that United States
territories and Federally recognized Indian tribes are ``States'' for
the purposes of Subtitle A of such Act.
grassroots source water protection program
For necessary expenses to carry out wellhead or groundwater
protection activities under section 1240O of the Food Security Act of
1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839bb-2), $7,500,000, to remain available until
expended.
dairy indemnity program
(including transfer of funds)
For necessary expenses involved in making indemnity payments to
dairy farmers and manufacturers of dairy products under a dairy
indemnity program, such sums as may be necessary, to remain available
until expended: Provided, That such program is carried out by the
Secretary in the same manner as the dairy indemnity program described
in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration,
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 (Public Law 106-387, 114
Stat. 1549A-12).
geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers
For necessary expenses to carry out direct reimbursement payments
to geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers under section 1621
of the Food Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8792),
$4,000,000, to remain available until expended.
agricultural credit insurance fund program account
(including transfers of funds)
For gross obligations for the principal amount of direct and
guaranteed farm ownership (7 U.S.C. 1922 et seq.) and operating (7
U.S.C. 1941 et seq.) loans, emergency loans (7 U.S.C. 1961 et seq.),
Indian tribe land acquisition loans (25 U.S.C. 5136), boll weevil loans
(7 U.S.C. 1989), guaranteed conservation loans (7 U.S.C. 1924 et seq.),
relending program (7 U.S.C. 1936c), and Indian highly fractionated land
loans (25 U.S.C. 5136) to be available from funds in the Agricultural
Credit Insurance Fund, as follows: $3,500,000,000 for guaranteed farm
ownership loans and $3,100,000,000 for farm ownership direct loans;
$2,118,491,000 for unsubsidized guaranteed operating loans and
$1,633,000,000 for direct operating loans; emergency loans,
$37,667,000; Indian tribe land acquisition loans, $20,000,000;
guaranteed conservation loans, $150,000,000; relending program,
$61,426,000; Indian highly fractionated land loans, $5,000,000; and for
boll weevil eradication program loans, $60,000,000: Provided, That the
Secretary shall deem the pink bollworm to be a boll weevil for the
purpose of boll weevil eradication program loans.
For the cost of direct and guaranteed loans and grants, including
the cost of modifying loans as defined in section 502 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, as follows: $3,507,000 for emergency
loans, to remain available until expended; and $27,598,000 for direct
farm operating loans, $1,483,000 for unsubsidized guaranteed farm
operating loans, $19,368,000 for the relending program, $1,577,000 for
Indian highly fractionated land loans, and $258,000 for boll weevil
eradication program loans.
In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry out the
direct and guaranteed loan programs, $341,871,000: Provided, That of
this amount, $321,621,000 shall be transferred to and merged with the
appropriation for ``Farm Service Agency, Salaries and Expenses''.
Funds appropriated by this Act to the Agricultural Credit Insurance
Program Account for farm ownership, operating and conservation direct
loans and guaranteed loans may be transferred among these programs:
Provided, That the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress are notified at least 15 days in advance of any transfer.
Risk Management Agency
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses of the Risk Management Agency, $66,870,000:
Provided, That $1,000,000 of the amount appropriated under this heading
in this Act shall be available for compliance and integrity activities
required under section 516(b)(2)(C) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act
of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1516(b)(2)(C)), and shall be in addition to amounts
otherwise provided for such purpose: Provided further, That not to
exceed $1,000 shall be available for official reception and
representation expenses, as authorized by 7 U.S.C. 1506(i).
Natural Resources Conservation Service
conservation operations
For necessary expenses for carrying out the provisions of the Act
of April 27, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 590a-f), including preparation of
conservation plans and establishment of measures to conserve soil and
water (including farm irrigation and land drainage and such special
measures for soil and water management as may be necessary to prevent
floods and the siltation of reservoirs and to control agricultural
related pollutants); operation of conservation plant materials centers;
classification and mapping of soil; dissemination of information;
acquisition of lands, water, and interests therein for use in the plant
materials program by donation, exchange, or purchase at a nominal cost
not to exceed $100 pursuant to the Act of August 3, 1956 (7 U.S.C.
2268a); purchase and erection or alteration or improvement of permanent
and temporary buildings; and operation and maintenance of aircraft,
$922,151,000, to remain available until September 30, 2025: Provided,
That appropriations hereunder shall be available pursuant to 7 U.S.C.
2250 for construction and improvement of buildings and public
improvements at plant materials centers, except that the cost of
alterations and improvements to other buildings and other public
improvements shall not exceed $250,000: Provided further, That when
buildings or other structures are erected on non-Federal land, that the
right to use such land is obtained as provided in 7 U.S.C. 2250a.
watershed and flood prevention operations
For necessary expenses to carry out preventive measures, including
but not limited to surveys and investigations, engineering operations,
works of improvement, and changes in use of land, in accordance with
the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (16 U.S.C. 1001-1005
and 1007-1009) and in accordance with the provisions of laws relating
to the activities of the Department, $90,405,000, to remain available
until expended, of which up to $20,405,000 shall be for the purposes,
and in the amounts, specified for this account in the table titled
``Congressionally Directed Spending'' in the report accompanying this
Act: Provided, That for funds provided by this Act or any other prior
Act, the limitation regarding the size of the watershed or subwatershed
exceeding two hundred and fifty thousand acres in which such activities
can be undertaken shall only apply for activities undertaken for the
primary purpose of flood prevention (including structural and land
treatment measures): Provided further, That of the amounts made
available under this heading, $5,000,000 shall be allocated to projects
and activities that can commence promptly following enactment; that
address regional priorities for flood prevention, agricultural water
management, inefficient irrigation systems, fish and wildlife habitat,
or watershed protection; or that address authorized ongoing projects
under the authorities of section 13 of the Flood Control Act of
December 22, 1944 (Public Law 78-534) with a primary purpose of
watershed protection by preventing floodwater damage and stabilizing
stream channels, tributaries, and banks to reduce erosion and sediment
transport: Provided further, That of the amounts made available under
this heading, $10,000,000 shall be allocated to irrigation
modernization projects and activities located in Western states that
increase fish or wildlife habitat, reduce drought impact, improve water
quality or instream flow, or provide off-channel renewable energy
production.
watershed rehabilitation program
Under the authorities of section 14 of the Watershed Protection and
Flood Prevention Act, $2,000,000 is provided.
CORPORATIONS
The following corporations and agencies are hereby authorized to
make expenditures, within the limits of funds and borrowing authority
available to each such corporation or agency and in accord with law,
and to make contracts and commitments without regard to fiscal year
limitations as provided by section 104 of the Government Corporation
Control Act as may be necessary in carrying out the programs set forth
in the budget for the current fiscal year for such corporation or
agency, except as hereinafter provided.
Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Fund
For payments as authorized by section 516 of the Federal Crop
Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1516), such sums as may be necessary, to remain
available until expended.
Commodity Credit Corporation Fund
reimbursement for net realized losses
(including transfers of funds)
For the current fiscal year, such sums as may be necessary to
reimburse the Commodity Credit Corporation for net realized losses
sustained, but not previously reimbursed, pursuant to section 2 of the
Act of August 17, 1961 (15 U.S.C. 713a-11): Provided, That of the
funds available to the Commodity Credit Corporation under section 11 of
the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714i) for the
conduct of its business with the Foreign Agricultural Service, up to
$5,000,000 may be transferred to and used by the Foreign Agricultural
Service for information resource management activities of the Foreign
Agricultural Service that are not related to Commodity Credit
Corporation business: Provided further, That the Secretary shall
notify the Committees on Appropriations of the House and Senate in
writing 15 days prior to the obligation or commitment of any emergency
funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation.
hazardous waste management
(limitation on expenses)
For the current fiscal year, the Commodity Credit Corporation shall
not expend more than $15,000,000 for site investigation and cleanup
expenses, and operations and maintenance expenses to comply with the
requirement of section 107(g) of the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. 9607(g)), and
section 6001 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6961).
TITLE III
RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Office of the Under Secretary for Rural Development
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Under Secretary for
Rural Development, $1,620,000: Provided, That funds made available by
this Act to an agency in the Rural Development mission area for
salaries and expenses are available to fund up to one administrative
support staff for the Office.
Rural Development
salaries and expenses
(including transfers of funds)
For necessary expenses for carrying out the administration and
implementation of Rural Development programs, including activities with
institutions concerning the development and operation of agricultural
cooperatives; and for cooperative agreements; $351,087,000: Provided,
That of the amount made available under this heading, up to $3,000,000,
to remain available until September 30, 2025, shall be for the Rural
Partners Network activities of the Department of Agriculture, and may
be transferred to other agencies of the Department for such purpose,
consistent with the missions and authorities of such agencies:
Provided further, That of the amount made available under this heading,
no less than $100,000,000, to remain available until expended, shall be
used for information technology expenses: Provided further, That
notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds appropriated under
this heading may be used for advertising and promotional activities
that support Rural Development programs: Provided further, That in
addition to any other funds appropriated for purposes authorized by
section 502(i) of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1472(i)), any
amounts collected under such section, as amended by this Act, will
immediately be credited to this account and will remain available until
expended for such purposes.
Rural Housing Service
rural housing insurance fund program account
(including transfers of funds)
For gross obligations for the principal amount of direct and
guaranteed loans as authorized by title V of the Housing Act of 1949,
to be available from funds in the rural housing insurance fund, as
follows: $850,000,000 shall be for direct loans, $7,500,000 shall be
for a Single Family Housing Relending demonstration program for Native
American Tribes; and $30,000,000,000, which shall remain available
until September 30, 2025 shall be for unsubsidized guaranteed loans;
$28,000,000 for section 504 housing repair loans; $60,000,000 for
section 515 rental housing; $400,000,000 for section 538 guaranteed
multi-family housing loans; $10,000,000 for credit sales of single
family housing acquired property; $5,000,000 for section 523 self-help
housing land development loans; and $5,000,000 for section 524 site
development loans.
For the cost of direct and guaranteed loans, including the cost of
modifying loans, as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget
Act of 1974, as follows: section 502 loans, $62,637,000 shall be for
direct loans; Single Family Housing Relending demonstration program for
Native American Tribes, $3,432,000; section 504 housing repair loans,
$4,858,000; section 523 self-help housing land development loans,
$637,000; section 524 site development loans, $477,000; and repair,
rehabilitation, and new construction of section 515 rental housing,
$20,988,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That to
support the loan program level for section 538 guaranteed loans made
available under this heading the Secretary may charge or adjust any
fees to cover the projected cost of such loan guarantees pursuant to
the provisions of the Credit Reform Act of 1990 (2 U.S.C. 661 et seq.),
and the interest on such loans may not be subsidized: Provided
further, That applicants in communities that have a current rural area
waiver under section 541 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490q)
shall be treated as living in a rural area for purposes of section 502
guaranteed loans provided under this heading: Provided further, That
of the amounts available under this paragraph for section 502 direct
loans, no less than $5,000,000 shall be available for direct loans for
individuals whose homes will be built pursuant to a program funded with
a mutual and self-help housing grant authorized by section 523 of the
Housing Act of 1949 until June 1, 2024: Provided further, That the
Secretary shall implement provisions to provide incentives to nonprofit
organizations and public housing authorities to facilitate the
acquisition of Rural Housing Service (RHS) multifamily housing
properties by such nonprofit organizations and public housing
authorities that commit to keep such properties in the RHS multifamily
housing program for a period of time as determined by the Secretary,
with such incentives to include, but not be limited to, the following:
allow such nonprofit entities and public housing authorities to earn a
Return on Investment on their own resources to include proceeds from
low income housing tax credit syndication, own contributions, grants,
and developer loans at favorable rates and terms, invested in a deal;
and allow reimbursement of organizational costs associated with owner's
oversight of asset referred to as ``Asset Management Fee'' of up to
$7,500 per property.
In addition, for the cost of direct loans and grants, including the
cost of modifying loans, as defined in section 502 of the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974, $35,000,000, to remain available until expended,
for a demonstration program for the preservation and revitalization of
the sections 514, 515, and 516 multi-family rental housing properties
to restructure existing USDA multi-family housing loans, as the
Secretary deems appropriate, expressly for the purposes of ensuring the
project has sufficient resources to preserve the project for the
purpose of providing safe and affordable housing for low-income
residents and farm laborers including reducing or eliminating interest;
deferring loan payments, subordinating, reducing or re-amortizing loan
debt; and other financial assistance including advances, payments and
incentives (including the ability of owners to obtain reasonable
returns on investment) required by the Secretary: Provided, That the
Secretary shall, as part of the preservation and revitalization
agreement, obtain a restrictive use agreement consistent with the terms
of the restructuring.
In addition, for the cost of direct loans, grants, and contracts,
as authorized by sections 514 and 516 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42
U.S.C. 1484, 1486), $18,703,000, to remain available until expended,
for direct farm labor housing loans and domestic farm labor housing
grants and contracts.
In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry out the
direct and guaranteed loan programs, $412,254,000 shall be paid to the
appropriation for ``Rural Development, Salaries and Expenses''.
rental assistance program
For rental assistance agreements entered into or renewed pursuant
to the authority under section 521(a)(2) of the Housing Act of 1949 or
agreements entered into in lieu of debt forgiveness or payments for
eligible households as authorized by section 502(c)(5)(D) of the
Housing Act of 1949, $1,608,000,000, and in addition such sums as may
be necessary, as authorized by section 521(c) of the Act, to liquidate
debt incurred prior to fiscal year 1992 to carry out the rental
assistance program under section 521(a)(2) of the Act: Provided, That
amounts made available under this heading shall be available for
renewal of rental assistance agreements for a maximum of 15,000 units
where the Secretary determines that a maturing loan for a project
cannot reasonably be restructured with another USDA loan or
modification and the project was operating with rental assistance under
section 521 of the Housing Act of 1949: Provided further, That the
Secretary may enter into rental assistance contracts in maturing
properties with existing rental assistance agreements notwithstanding
any provision of section 521 of the Housing Act of 1949, for a term of
at least 10 years but not more than 20 years: Provided further, That
any agreement to enter into a rental assistance contract under section
521 of the Housing Act of 1949 for a maturing property shall obligate
the owner to continue to maintain the project as decent, safe, and
sanitary housing and to operate the development in accordance with the
Housing Act of 1949, except that initial rents shall be based on the
budget-based needs of the project: Provided further, That annual rent
adjustments shall be based on the lesser of (1) the budget-based needs
of the project, or (2) the operating cost adjustment factor as a
payment standard as provided under section 524 of the Multifamily
Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 (42 U.S.C. 1437f
note): Provided further, That rental assistance agreements entered
into or renewed during the current fiscal year shall be funded for a
one year period: Provided further, That upon request by an owner under
section 514 or 515 of the Act, the Secretary may renew the rental
assistance agreement for a period of 20 years or until the term of such
loan has expired, subject to annual appropriations: Provided further,
That rental assistance agreements entered into or renewed during the
current fiscal year shall be funded for a one-year period: Provided
further, That upon request by an owner of a project financed by an
existing loan under section 514 or 515 of the Act, the Secretary may
renew the rental assistance agreement for a period of 20 years or until
the term of such loan has expired, subject to annual appropriations:
Provided further, That any unexpended balances remaining at the end of
such one-year agreements may be transferred and used for purposes of
any debt reduction, maintenance, repair, or rehabilitation of any
existing projects; preservation; and rental assistance activities
authorized under title V of the Act: Provided further, That rental
assistance provided under agreements entered into prior to fiscal year
2024 for a farm labor multi-family housing project financed under
section 514 or 516 of the Act may not be recaptured for use in another
project until such assistance has remained unused for a period of six
consecutive months, if such project has a waiting list of tenants
seeking such assistance or the project has rental assistance eligible
tenants who are not receiving such assistance: Provided further, That
such recaptured rental assistance shall, to the extent practicable, be
applied to another farm labor multi-family housing project financed
under section 514 or 516 of the Act: Provided further, That except as
provided in the tenth proviso under this heading and notwithstanding
any other provision of the Act, the Secretary may recapture rental
assistance provided under agreements entered into prior to fiscal year
2024 for a project that the Secretary determines no longer needs rental
assistance and use such recaptured funds for current needs.
rural housing voucher account
For the rural housing voucher program as authorized under section
542 of the Housing Act of 1949, but notwithstanding subsection (b) of
such section, $48,000,000, to remain available until expended:
Provided, That the funds made available under this heading shall be
available for rural housing vouchers to any low-income household
(including those not receiving rental assistance) residing in a
property financed with a section 515 loan which has been prepaid or
otherwise paid off after September 30, 2005: Provided further, That
the amount of such voucher shall be the difference between comparable
market rent for the section 515 unit and the tenant paid rent for such
unit: Provided further, That funds made available for such vouchers
shall be subject to the availability of annual appropriations:
Provided further, That the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent
practicable, administer such vouchers with current regulations and
administrative guidance applicable to section 8 housing vouchers
administered by the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban
Development: Provided further, That in addition to any other available
funds, the Secretary may expend not more than $1,000,000 total, from
the program funds made available under this heading, for administrative
expenses for activities funded under this heading.
mutual and self-help housing grants
For grants and contracts pursuant to section 523(b)(1)(A) of the
Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490c), $32,000,000, to remain available
until expended.
rural housing assistance grants
For grants for very low-income housing repair and rural housing
preservation made by the Rural Housing Service, as authorized by 42
U.S.C. 1474, and 1490m, $48,000,000, to remain available until
expended.
rural community facilities program account
(including transfers of funds)
For gross obligations for the principal amount of direct and
guaranteed loans as authorized by section 306 and described in section
381E(d)(1) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act,
$2,800,000,000 for direct loans and $650,000,000 for guaranteed loans.
For the cost of direct loans, loan guarantees and grants, including
the cost of modifying loans, as defined in section 502 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, for rural community facilities
programs as authorized by section 306 and described in section
381E(d)(1) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act,
$253,134,000, to remain available until expended, of which up to
$205,134,000 shall be for the purposes, and in the amounts, specified
for this account in the table titled ``Congressionally Directed
Spending'' in the report accompanying this Act: Provided, That
$6,000,000 of the amount appropriated under this heading shall be
available for a Rural Community Development Initiative: Provided
further, That such funds shall be used solely to develop the capacity
and ability of private, nonprofit community-based housing and community
development organizations, low-income rural communities, and Federally
Recognized Native American Tribes to undertake projects to improve
housing, community facilities, community and economic development
projects in rural areas: Provided further, That such funds shall be
made available to qualified private, nonprofit and public intermediary
organizations proposing to carry out a program of financial and
technical assistance: Provided further, That such intermediary
organizations shall provide matching funds from other sources,
including Federal funds for related activities, in an amount not less
than funds provided: Provided further, That any unobligated balances
from prior year appropriations under this heading for the cost of
direct loans, loan guarantees and grants, including amounts deobligated
or cancelled, may be made available to cover the subsidy costs for
direct loans and or loan guarantees under this heading in this fiscal
year: Provided further, That no amounts may be made available pursuant
to the preceding proviso from amounts that were designated by the
Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to a Concurrent
Resolution on the Budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act of 1985, or that were specified in the table titled
``Congressionally Directed Spending'' in the report accompanying this
Act: Provided further, That $10,000,000 of the amount appropriated
under this heading shall be available for community facilities grants
to tribal colleges, as authorized by section 306(a)(19) of such Act:
Provided further, That sections 381E-H and 381N of the Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act are not applicable to the funds made
available under this heading.
Rural Business--Cooperative Service
rural business program account
For the cost of loan guarantees and grants, for the rural business
development programs authorized by section 310B and described in
subsections (a), (c), (f) and (g) of section 310B of the Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act, $77,728,000, to remain available until
expended: Provided, That of the amount appropriated under this
heading, not to exceed $500,000 shall be made available for one grant
to a qualified national organization to provide technical assistance
for rural transportation in order to promote economic development and
$12,000,000 shall be for grants to the Delta Regional Authority (7
U.S.C. 2009aa et seq.), the Northern Border Regional Commission (40
U.S.C. 15101 et seq.), the Southwest Border Regional Commission (40
U.S.C. 15301 et seq.), and the Appalachian Regional Commission (40
U.S.C. 14101 et seq.) for any Rural Community Advancement Program
purpose as described in section 381E(d) of the Consolidated Farm and
Rural Development Act, of which not more than 5 percent may be used for
administrative expenses: Provided further, That $4,000,000 of the
amount appropriated under this heading shall be for business grants to
benefit Federally Recognized Native American Tribes, including $250,000
for a grant to a qualified national organization to provide technical
assistance for rural transportation in order to promote economic
development: Provided further, That sections 381E-H and 381N of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act are not applicable to funds
made available under this heading.
intermediary relending program fund account
(including transfer of funds)
For the principal amount of direct loans, as authorized by the
Intermediary Relending Program Fund Account (7 U.S.C. 1936b),
$18,889,000.
For the cost of direct loans, $5,733,000, as authorized by the
Intermediary Relending Program Fund Account (7 U.S.C. 1936b), of which
$573,000 shall be available through June 30, 2024, for Federally
Recognized Native American Tribes; and of which $1,147,000 shall be
available through June 30, 2024, for Mississippi Delta Region counties
(as determined in accordance with Public Law 100-460): Provided, That
such costs, including the cost of modifying such loans, shall be as
defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out the direct
loan programs, $4,468,000 shall be paid to the appropriation for
``Rural Development, Salaries and Expenses''.
rural economic development loans program account
For the principal amount of direct loans, as authorized under
section 313B(a) of the Rural Electrification Act, for the purpose of
promoting rural economic development and job creation projects,
$75,000,000.
The cost of grants authorized under section 313B(a) of the Rural
Electrification Act, for the purpose of promoting rural economic
development and job creation projects shall not exceed $15,000,000.
rural cooperative development grants
For rural cooperative development grants authorized under section
310B(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C.
1932), $28,300,000, of which $3,500,000 shall be for cooperative
agreements for the appropriate technology transfer for rural areas
program: Provided, That not to exceed $3,000,000 shall be for grants
for cooperative development centers, individual cooperatives, or groups
of cooperatives that serve socially disadvantaged groups and a majority
of the boards of directors or governing boards of which are comprised
of individuals who are members of socially disadvantaged groups; and of
which $16,000,000, to remain available until expended, shall be for
value-added agricultural product market development grants, as
authorized by section 210A of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946,
of which $3,000,000, to remain available until expended, shall be for
Agriculture Innovation Centers authorized pursuant to section 6402 of
Public Law 107-171.
rural microentrepreneur assistance program
For the principal amount of direct loans as authorized by section
379E of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C.
2008s), $20,000,000.
For the cost of loans and grants, $6,000,000 under the same terms
and conditions as authorized by section 379E of the Consolidated Farm
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008s).
rural energy for america program
For the principal amount of loan guarantees, under the same terms
and conditions as authorized by section 9007 of the Farm Security and
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107), $50,000,000.
healthy food financing initiative
For the cost of loans and grants that is consistent with section
243 of subtitle D of title II of the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6953), as added by section 4206 of
the Agricultural Act of 2014, for necessary expenses of the Secretary
to support projects that provide access to healthy food in underserved
areas, to create and preserve quality jobs, and to revitalize low-
income communities, $1,000,000, to remain available until expended:
Provided, That such costs of loans, including the cost of modifying
such loans, shall be as defined in section 502 of the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974.
Rural Utilities Service
rural water and waste disposal program account
(including transfers of funds)
For gross obligations for the principal amount of direct and
guaranteed loans as authorized by section 306 and described in section
381E(d)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, as
follows: $880,000,000 for direct loans; and $50,000,000 for guaranteed
loans.
For the cost of direct loans, loan guarantees and grants, including
the cost of modifying loans, as defined in section 502 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, for rural water, waste water, waste
disposal, and solid waste management programs authorized by sections
306, 306A, 306C, 306D, 306E, and 310B and described in sections
306C(a)(2), 306D, 306E, and 381E(d)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and
Rural Development Act, $671,560,000, to remain available until
expended, of which not to exceed $1,000,000 shall be available for the
rural utilities program described in section 306(a)(2)(B) of such Act,
and of which not to exceed $5,000,000 shall be available for the rural
utilities program described in section 306E of such Act: Provided,
That not to exceed $10,000,000 of the amount appropriated under this
heading shall be for grants authorized by section 306A(i)(2) of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act in addition to funding
authorized by section 306A(i)(1) of such Act: Provided further, That
$70,000,000 of the amount appropriated under this heading shall be for
loans and grants including water and waste disposal systems grants
authorized by section 306C(a)(2)(B) and section 306D of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, and Federally Recognized
Native American Tribes authorized by 306C(a)(1) of such Act, and the
Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (of the State of Hawaii): Provided
further, That funding provided for section 306D of the Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act may be provided to a consortium formed
pursuant to section 325 of Public Law 105-83: Provided further, That
not more than 2 percent of the funding provided for section 306D of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act may be used by the State of
Alaska for training and technical assistance programs and not more than
2 percent of the funding provided for section 306D of the Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act may be used by a consortium formed
pursuant to section 325 of Public Law 105-83 for training and technical
assistance programs: Provided further, That not to exceed $37,500,000
of the amount appropriated under this heading shall be for technical
assistance grants for rural water and waste systems pursuant to section
306(a)(14) of such Act, unless the Secretary makes a determination of
extreme need, of which $8,500,000 shall be made available for a grant
to a qualified nonprofit multi-State regional technical assistance
organization, with experience in working with small communities on
water and waste water problems, the principal purpose of such grant
shall be to assist rural communities with populations of 3,300 or less,
in improving the planning, financing, development, operation, and
management of water and waste water systems, and of which not less than
$800,000 shall be for a qualified national Native American organization
to provide technical assistance for rural water systems for tribal
communities: Provided further, That not to exceed $25,000,000 of the
amount appropriated under this heading shall be for contracting with
qualified national organizations for a circuit rider program to provide
technical assistance for rural water systems: Provided further, That
not to exceed $4,000,000 of the amounts made available under this
heading shall be for solid waste management grants: Provided further,
That not to exceed $8,085,000 of the amounts appropriated under this
heading shall be available as the Secretary deems appropriate for water
and waste direct one percent loans for distressed communities:
Provided further, That if the Secretary determines that any portion of
the amount made available for one percent loans is not needed for such
loans, the Secretary may use such amounts for grants authorized by
section 306(a)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act:
Provided further, That if any funds made available for the direct loan
subsidy costs remain unobligated after July 31, 2024, such unobligated
balances may be used for grant programs funded under this heading:
Provided further, That $10,000,000 of the amount appropriated under
this heading shall be transferred to, and merged with, the Rural
Utilities Service, High Energy Cost Grants Account to provide grants
authorized under section 19 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7
U.S.C. 918a): Provided further, That sections 381E-H and 381N of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act are not applicable to the
funds made available under this heading.
rural electrification and telecommunications loans program account
(including transfer of funds)
The principal amount of loans and loan guarantees as authorized by
sections 4, 305, 306, 313A, and 317 of the Rural Electrification Act of
1936 (7 U.S.C. 904, 935, 936, 940c-1, and 940g) shall be made as
follows: guaranteed rural electric loans made pursuant to section 306
of that Act, $2,167,000,000; cost of money direct loans made pursuant
to sections 4, notwithstanding the one-eighth of one percent in
4(c)(2), and 317, notwithstanding 317(c), of that Act, $4,333,000,000;
guaranteed underwriting loans pursuant to section 313A of that Act,
$900,000,000; and for cost-of-money rural telecommunications loans made
pursuant to section 305(d)(2) of that Act, $690,000,000: Provided,
That up to $2,000,000,000 shall be used for the construction,
acquisition, design, engineering or improvement of fossil-fueled
electric generating plants (whether new or existing) that utilize
carbon subsurface utilization and storage systems.
For the cost of direct loans as authorized by section 305(d)(2) of
the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 935(d)(2)), including
the cost of modifying loans, as defined in section 502 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, cost of money rural
telecommunications loans, $7,176,000.
In addition, $10,734,000 to remain available until expended, to
carry out section 6407 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of
2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107a): Provided, That the energy efficiency measures
supported by the funding in this paragraph shall contribute in a
demonstrable way to the reduction of greenhouse gases.
In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry out the
direct and guaranteed loan programs, $33,270,000, which shall be paid
to the appropriation for ``Rural Development, Salaries and Expenses''.
distance learning, telemedicine, and broadband program
For grants for telemedicine and distance learning services in rural
areas, as authorized by 7 U.S.C. 950aaa et seq., $62,721,000, to remain
available until expended, of which up to $2,721,000 shall be for the
purposes, and in the amounts, specified for this account in the table
titled ``Congressionally Directed Spending'' in the report accompanying
this Act: Provided, That $3,000,000 shall be made available for grants
authorized by section 379G of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act: Provided further, That funding provided under this
heading for grants under section 379G of the Consolidated Farm and
Rural Development Act may only be provided to entities that meet all of
the eligibility criteria for a consortium as established by this
section.
For the cost to continue a broadband loan and grant pilot program
established by section 779 of division A of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141) under the Rural
Electrification Act of 1936, as amended (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.),
$98,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That the
Secretary may award grants described in section 601(a) of the Rural
Electrification Act of 1936, as amended (7 U.S.C. 950bb(a)) for the
purposes of carrying out such pilot program: Provided further, That
the cost of direct loans shall be defined in section 502 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided further, That at least 90
percent of the households to be served by a project receiving a loan or
grant under the pilot program shall be in a rural area without
sufficient access to broadband: Provided further, That for purposes of
such pilot program, a rural area without sufficient access to broadband
shall be defined as twenty-five megabits per second downstream and
three megabits per second upstream: Provided further, That to the
extent possible, projects receiving funds provided under the pilot
program must build out service to at least one hundred megabits per
second downstream, and twenty megabits per second upstream: Provided
further, That an entity to which a loan or grant is made under the
pilot program shall not use the loan or grant to overbuild or duplicate
broadband service in a service area by any entity that has received a
broadband loan from the Rural Utilities Service unless such service is
not provided sufficient access to broadband at the minimum service
threshold: Provided further, That not more than four percent of the
funds made available in this paragraph can be used for administrative
costs to carry out the pilot program and up to three percent of funds
made available in this paragraph may be available for technical
assistance and pre-development planning activities to support the most
rural communities: Provided further, That the Rural Utilities Service
is directed to expedite program delivery methods that would implement
this paragraph: Provided further, That for purposes of this paragraph,
the Secretary shall adhere to the notice, reporting and service area
assessment requirements set forth in section 701 of the Rural
Electrification Act (7 U.S.C. 950cc).
In addition, $35,000,000, to remain available until expended, for
the Community Connect Grant Program authorized by 7 U.S.C. 950bb-3.
TITLE IV
DOMESTIC FOOD PROGRAMS
Office of the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer
Services
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Under Secretary for
Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, $1,376,000: Provided, That
funds made available by this Act to an agency in the Food, Nutrition
and Consumer Services mission area for salaries and expenses are
available to fund up to one administrative support staff for the
Office.
Food and Nutrition Service
child nutrition programs
(including transfers of funds)
For necessary expenses to carry out the Richard B. Russell National
School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.), except section 21, and the
Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.), except sections
17 and 21; $32,032,897,000 to remain available through September 30,
2025, of which such sums as are made available under section
14222(b)(1) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Public
Law 110-246), as amended by this Act, shall be merged with and
available for the same time period and purposes as provided herein:
Provided, That of the total amount available, $20,162,000 shall be
available to carry out section 19 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966
(42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.): Provided further, That of the total amount
available, $21,876,000 shall be available to carry out studies and
evaluations and shall remain available until expended: Provided
further, That of the total amount available, $10,000,000 shall remain
available until expended to carry out section 18(g) of the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769(g)): Provided
further, That notwithstanding section 18(g)(3)(C) of the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769(g)(3)(c)), the total
grant amount provided to a farm to school grant recipient in fiscal
year 2024 shall not exceed $500,000: Provided further, That of the
total amount available, $20,000,000 shall be available to provide
competitive grants to State agencies for subgrants to local educational
agencies and schools to purchase the equipment, with a value of greater
than $1,000, needed to serve healthier meals, improve food safety, and
to help support the establishment, maintenance, or expansion of the
school breakfast program: Provided further, That of the total amount
available, $2,000,000 shall remain available until expended to carry
out activities authorized under subsections (a)(2) and (e)(2) of
section 21 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42
U.S.C. 1769b-1(a)(2) and (e)(2)): Provided further, That section 26(d)
of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C.
1769g(d)) is amended in the first sentence by striking ``2010 through
2024'' and inserting ``2010 through 2025'': Provided further, That
section 9(h)(3) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42
U.S.C. 1758(h)(3)) is amended in the first sentence by striking ``For
fiscal year 2023'' and inserting ``For fiscal year 2024'': Provided
further, That section 9(h)(4) of the Richard B. Russell National School
Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(h)(4)) is amended in the first sentence by
striking ``For fiscal year 2023'' and inserting ``For fiscal year
2024''.
special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children
(wic)
For necessary expenses to carry out the special supplemental
nutrition program as authorized by section 17 of the Child Nutrition
Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786), $6,300,000,000, to remain available
through September 30, 2025: Provided, That notwithstanding section
17(h)(10) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786(h)(10)),
not less than $90,000,000 shall be used for breastfeeding peer
counselors and other related activities, and $14,000,000 shall be used
for infrastructure: Provided further, That the Secretary shall use
funds made available under this heading to increase the amount of a
cash-value voucher for women and children participants to an amount
recommended by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and
Medicine and adjusted for inflation: Provided further, That none of
the funds provided in this account shall be available for the purchase
of infant formula except in accordance with the cost containment and
competitive bidding requirements specified in section 17 of such Act:
Provided further, That none of the funds provided shall be available
for activities that are not fully reimbursed by other Federal
Government departments or agencies unless authorized by section 17 of
such Act: Provided further, That upon termination of a federally
mandated vendor moratorium and subject to terms and conditions
established by the Secretary, the Secretary may waive the requirement
at 7 CFR 246.12(g)(6) at the request of a State agency.
supplemental nutrition assistance program
For necessary expenses to carry out the Food and Nutrition Act of
2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), $122,141,239,000, of which
$3,000,000,000, to remain available through September 30, 2026, shall
be placed in reserve for use only in such amounts and at such times as
may become necessary to carry out program operations: Provided, That
funds provided herein shall be expended in accordance with section 16
of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008: Provided further, That of the
funds made available under this heading, $998,000 may be used to
provide nutrition education services to State agencies and Federally
Recognized Tribes participating in the Food Distribution Program on
Indian Reservations: Provided further, That of the funds made
available under this heading, $5,000,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2025, shall be used to carry out section 4003(b) of
Public Law 115-334 relating to demonstration projects for tribal
organizations: Provided further, That of the funds made available
under this heading, $3,000,000 shall be used to carry out section 4208
of Public Law 115-334: Provided further, That this appropriation shall
be subject to any work registration or workfare requirements as may be
required by law: Provided further, That funds made available for
Employment and Training under this heading shall remain available
through September 30, 2025: Provided further, That funds made
available under this heading for section 28(d)(1), section 4(b), and
section 27(a) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 shall remain
available through September 30, 2025: Provided further, That none of
the funds made available under this heading may be obligated or
expended in contravention of section 213A of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1183A): Provided further, That funds made
available under this heading may be used to enter into contracts and
employ staff to conduct studies, evaluations, or to conduct activities
related to program integrity provided that such activities are
authorized by the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008.
commodity assistance program
For necessary expenses to carry out disaster assistance and the
Commodity Supplemental Food Program as authorized by section 4(a) of
the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c
note); the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983; special assistance
for the nuclear affected islands, as authorized by section 103(f)(2) of
the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-
188); and the Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, as authorized by
section 17(m) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, $501,070,000, to
remain available through September 30, 2025: Provided, That none of
these funds shall be available to reimburse the Commodity Credit
Corporation for commodities donated to the program: Provided further,
That notwithstanding any other provision of law, effective with funds
made available in fiscal year 2024 to support the Seniors Farmers'
Market Nutrition Program, as authorized by section 4402 of the Farm
Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, such funds shall remain
available through September 30, 2025: Provided further, That of the
funds made available under section 27(a) of the Food and Nutrition Act
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2036(a)), the Secretary may use up to 20 percent for
costs associated with the distribution of commodities.
nutrition programs administration
For necessary administrative expenses of the Food and Nutrition
Service for carrying out any domestic nutrition assistance program,
$184,348,000: Provided, That of the funds provided herein, $2,000,000
shall be used for the purposes of section 4404 of Public Law 107-171,
as amended by section 4401 of Public Law 110-246.
TITLE V
FOREIGN ASSISTANCE AND RELATED PROGRAMS
Office of the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural
Affairs
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Under Secretary for
Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, $932,000: Provided, That funds
made available by this Act to any agency in the Trade and Foreign
Agricultural Affairs mission area for salaries and expenses are
available to fund up to one administrative support staff for the
Office.
office of codex alimentarius
For necessary expenses of the Office of Codex Alimentarius,
$4,922,000, including not to exceed $40,000 for official reception and
representation expenses.
Foreign Agricultural Service
salaries and expenses
(including transfers of funds)
For necessary expenses of the Foreign Agricultural Service,
including not to exceed $250,000 for representation allowances and for
expenses pursuant to section 8 of the Act approved August 3, 1956 (7
U.S.C. 1766), $237,330,000, of which no more than 6 percent shall
remain available until September 30, 2025, for overseas operations to
include the payment of locally employed staff: Provided, That the
Service may utilize advances of funds, or reimburse this appropriation
for expenditures made on behalf of Federal agencies, public and private
organizations and institutions under agreements executed pursuant to
the agricultural food production assistance programs (7 U.S.C. 1737)
and the foreign assistance programs of the United States Agency for
International Development: Provided further, That funds made available
for middle-income country training programs, funds made available for
the Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology
Fellowship program, and up to $2,000,000 of the Foreign Agricultural
Service appropriation solely for the purpose of offsetting fluctuations
in international currency exchange rates, subject to documentation by
the Foreign Agricultural Service, shall remain available until
expended.
food for peace title ii grants
For expenses during the current fiscal year, not otherwise
recoverable, and unrecovered prior years' costs, including interest
thereon, under the Food for Peace Act (Public Law 83-480), for
commodities supplied in connection with dispositions abroad under title
II of said Act, $1,800,000,000, to remain available until expended.
mcgovern-dole international food for education and child nutrition
program grants
For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of section 3107
of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 1736o-
1), $248,331,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That
the Commodity Credit Corporation is authorized to provide the services,
facilities, and authorities for the purpose of implementing such
section, subject to reimbursement from amounts provided herein:
Provided further, That of the amount made available under this heading,
not more than 10 percent, but not less than $24,800,000, shall remain
available until expended to purchase agricultural commodities as
described in subsection 3107(a)(2) of the Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 1736o-1(a)(2)).
commodity credit corporation export (loans) credit guarantee program
account
(including transfers of funds)
For administrative expenses to carry out the Commodity Credit
Corporation's Export Guarantee Program, GSM 102 and GSM 103,
$6,063,000, to cover common overhead expenses as permitted by section
11 of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act and in conformity
with the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990, which shall be transferred
to and merged with the appropriation for ``Foreign Agricultural
Service, Salaries and Expenses''.
TITLE VI
RELATED AGENCY AND FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
Department of Health and Human Services
food and drug administration
salaries and expenses
(including transfers of funds)
For necessary expenses of the Food and Drug Administration,
including hire and purchase of passenger motor vehicles; for payment of
space rental and related costs pursuant to Public Law 92-313 for
programs and activities of the Food and Drug Administration which are
included in this Act; for rental of special purpose space in the
District of Columbia or elsewhere; in addition to amounts appropriated
to the FDA Innovation Account, for carrying out the activities
described in section 1002(b)(4) of the 21st Century Cures Act (Public
Law 114-255); for miscellaneous and emergency expenses of enforcement
activities, authorized and approved by the Secretary and to be
accounted for solely on the Secretary's certificate, not to exceed
$25,000; and notwithstanding section 521 of Public Law 107-188;
$6,625,030,000: Provided, That of the amount provided under this
heading, $1,336,525,000 shall be derived from prescription drug user
fees authorized by 21 U.S.C. 379h, and shall be credited to this
account and remain available until expended; $331,273,000 shall be
derived from medical device user fees authorized by 21 U.S.C. 379j, and
shall be credited to this account and remain available until expended;
$594,150,000 shall be derived from human generic drug user fees
authorized by 21 U.S.C. 379j-42, and shall be credited to this account
and remain available until expended; $42,432,000 shall be derived from
biosimilar biological product user fees authorized by 21 U.S.C. 379j-
52, and shall be credited to this account and remain available until
expended; $33,500,000 shall be derived from animal drug user fees
authorized by 21 U.S.C. 379j-12, and shall be credited to this account
and remain available until expended; $25,000,000 shall be derived from
generic new animal drug user fees authorized by 21 U.S.C. 379j-21, and
shall be credited to this account and remain available until expended;
$712,000,000 shall be derived from tobacco product user fees authorized
by 21 U.S.C. 387s, and shall be credited to this account and remain
available until expended: Provided further, That in addition to and
notwithstanding any other provision under this heading, amounts
collected for prescription drug user fees, medical device user fees,
human generic drug user fees, biosimilar biological product user fees,
animal drug user fees, and generic new animal drug user fees that
exceed the respective fiscal year 2024 limitations are appropriated and
shall be credited to this account and remain available until expended:
Provided further, That fees derived from prescription drug, medical
device, human generic drug, biosimilar biological product, animal drug,
and generic new animal drug assessments for fiscal year 2024, including
any such fees collected prior to fiscal year 2024 but credited for
fiscal year 2024, shall be subject to the fiscal year 2024 limitations:
Provided further, That the Secretary may accept payment during fiscal
year 2024 of user fees specified under this heading and authorized for
fiscal year 2025, prior to the due date for such fees, and that amounts
of such fees assessed for fiscal year 2025 for which the Secretary
accepts payment in fiscal year 2024 shall not be included in amounts
under this heading: Provided further, That none of these funds shall
be used to develop, establish, or operate any program of user fees
authorized by 31 U.S.C. 9701: Provided further, That of the total
amount appropriated: (1) $1,198,263,000 shall be for the Center for
Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and related field activities in the
Office of Regulatory Affairs, of which no less than $15,000,000 shall
be used for inspections of foreign seafood manufacturers and field
examinations of imported seafood; (2) $2,326,206,000 shall be for the
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and related field activities in
the Office of Regulatory Affairs, of which no less than $10,000,000
shall be for pilots to increase unannounced foreign inspections and
shall remain available until expended; (3) $497,700,000 shall be for
the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research and for related field
activities in the Office of Regulatory Affairs; (4) $286,633,000 shall
be for the Center for Veterinary Medicine and for related field
activities in the Office of Regulatory Affairs; (5) $739,543,000 shall
be for the Center for Devices and Radiological Health and for related
field activities in the Office of Regulatory Affairs; (6) $77,388,000
shall be for the National Center for Toxicological Research; (7)
$679,965,000 shall be for the Center for Tobacco Products and for
related field activities in the Office of Regulatory Affairs; (8)
$217,357,000 shall be for Rent and Related activities, of which
$56,411,000 is for White Oak Consolidation, other than the amounts paid
to the General Services Administration for rent; (9) $244,587,000 shall
be for payments to the General Services Administration for rent; and
(10) $357,388,000 shall be for other activities, including the Office
of the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, the Office of Food Policy and
Response, the Office of Operations, the Office of the Chief Scientist,
and central services for these offices: Provided further, That not to
exceed $25,000 of this amount shall be for official reception and
representation expenses, not otherwise provided for, as determined by
the Commissioner: Provided further, That any transfer of funds
pursuant to, and for the administration of, section 770(n) of the
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 379dd(n)) shall only be
from amounts made available under this heading for other activities and
shall not exceed $2,000,000: Provided further, That of the amounts
that are made available under this heading for ``other activities'',
and that are not derived from user fees, $1,500,000 shall be
transferred to and merged with the appropriation for ``Department of
Health and Human Services--Office of Inspector General'' for oversight
of the programs and operations of the Food and Drug Administration and
shall be in addition to funds otherwise made available for oversight of
the Food and Drug Administration: Provided further, That funds may be
transferred from one specified activity to another with the prior
approval of the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress.
In addition, mammography user fees authorized by 42 U.S.C. 263b,
export certification user fees authorized by 21 U.S.C. 381, priority
review user fees authorized by 21 U.S.C. 360n and 360ff, food and feed
recall fees, food reinspection fees, and voluntary qualified importer
program fees authorized by 21 U.S.C. 379j-31, outsourcing facility fees
authorized by 21 U.S.C. 379j-62, prescription drug wholesale
distributor licensing and inspection fees authorized by 21 U.S.C.
353(e)(3), third-party logistics provider licensing and inspection fees
authorized by 21 U.S.C. 360eee-3(c)(1), third-party auditor fees
authorized by 21 U.S.C. 384d(c)(8), medical countermeasure priority
review voucher user fees authorized by 21 U.S.C. 360bbb-4a, and fees
relating to over-the-counter monograph drugs authorized by 21 U.S.C.
379j-72 shall be credited to this account, to remain available until
expended.
buildings and facilities
For plans, construction, repair, improvement, extension,
alteration, demolition, and purchase of fixed equipment or facilities
of or used by the Food and Drug Administration, where not otherwise
provided, $12,788,000, to remain available until expended.
fda innovation account, cures act
(including transfer of funds)
For necessary expenses to carry out the purposes described under
section 1002(b)(4) of the 21st Century Cures Act, in addition to
amounts available for such purposes under the heading ``Salaries and
Expenses'', $50,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided,
That amounts appropriated in this paragraph are appropriated pursuant
to section 1002(b)(3) of the 21st Century Cures Act, are to be derived
from amounts transferred under section 1002(b)(2)(A) of such Act, and
may be transferred by the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to the
appropriation for ``Department of Health and Human Services Food and
Drug Administration Salaries and Expenses'' solely for the purposes
provided in such Act: Provided further, That upon a determination by
the Commissioner that funds transferred pursuant to the previous
proviso are not necessary for the purposes provided, such amounts may
be transferred back to the account: Provided further, That such
transfer authority is in addition to any other transfer authority
provided by law.
INDEPENDENT AGENCY
Farm Credit Administration
limitation on administrative expenses
Not to exceed $94,300,000 (from assessments collected from farm
credit institutions, including the Federal Agricultural Mortgage
Corporation) shall be obligated during the current fiscal year for
administrative expenses as authorized under 12 U.S.C. 2249: Provided,
That this limitation shall not apply to expenses associated with
receiverships: Provided further, That the agency may exceed this
limitation by up to 10 percent with notification to the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress: Provided further, That the
purposes of section 3.7(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12
U.S.C. 2128(b)(2)(A)(i)), the Farm Credit Administration may exempt, an
amount in its sole discretion, from the application of the limitation
provided in that clause of export loans described in the clause
guaranteed or insured in a manner other than described in subclause
(II) of the clause.
TITLE VII
GENERAL PROVISIONS
(including rescissions and transfers of funds)
Sec. 701. The Secretary may use any appropriations made available
to the Department of Agriculture in this Act to purchase new passenger
motor vehicles, in addition to specific appropriations for this
purpose, so long as the total number of vehicles purchased in fiscal
year 2024 does not exceed the number of vehicles owned or leased in
fiscal year 2018: Provided, That, prior to purchasing additional motor
vehicles, the Secretary must determine that such vehicles are necessary
for transportation safety, to reduce operational costs, and for the
protection of life, property, and public safety: Provided further,
That the Secretary may not increase the Department of Agriculture's
fleet above the 2018 level unless the Secretary notifies in writing,
and receives approval from, the Committees on Appropriations of both
Houses of Congress within 30 days of the notification.
Sec. 702. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the
Secretary of Agriculture may transfer unobligated balances of
discretionary funds appropriated by this Act or any other available
unobligated discretionary balances that are remaining available of the
Department of Agriculture to the Working Capital Fund for the
acquisition of property, plant and equipment and for the improvement,
delivery, and implementation of Department financial, and
administrative information technology services, and other support
systems necessary for the delivery of financial, administrative, and
information technology services, including cloud adoption and
migration, of primary benefit to the agencies of the Department of
Agriculture, such transferred funds to remain available until expended:
Provided, That none of the funds made available by this Act or any
other Act shall be transferred to the Working Capital Fund without the
prior approval of the agency administrator: Provided further, That
none of the funds transferred to the Working Capital Fund pursuant to
this section shall be available for obligation without written
notification to and the prior approval of the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress: Provided further, That none
of the funds appropriated by this Act or made available to the
Department's Working Capital Fund shall be available for obligation or
expenditure to make any changes to the Department's National Finance
Center without written notification to and prior approval of the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress as required by
section 716 of this Act: Provided further, That none of the funds
appropriated by this Act or made available to the Department's Working
Capital Fund shall be available for obligation or expenditure to
initiate, plan, develop, implement, or make any changes to remove or
relocate any systems, missions, personnel, or functions of the offices
of the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Information Officer, co-
located with or from the National Finance Center prior to written
notification to and prior approval of the Committee on Appropriations
of both Houses of Congress and in accordance with the requirements of
section 716 of this Act: Provided further, That the National Finance
Center Information Technology Services Division personnel and data
center management responsibilities, and control of any functions,
missions, and systems for current and future human resources management
and integrated personnel and payroll systems (PPS) and functions
provided by the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Information
Officer shall remain in the National Finance Center and under the
management responsibility and administrative control of the National
Finance Center: Provided further, That the Secretary of Agriculture
and the offices of the Chief Financial Officer shall actively market to
existing and new Departments and other government agencies National
Finance Center shared services including, but not limited to, payroll,
financial management, and human capital shared services and allow the
National Finance Center to perform technology upgrades: Provided
further, That of annual income amounts in the Working Capital Fund of
the Department of Agriculture attributable to the amounts in excess of
the true costs of the shared services provided by the National Finance
Center and budgeted for the National Finance Center, the Secretary
shall reserve not more than 4 percent for the replacement or
acquisition of capital equipment, including equipment for the
improvement, delivery, and implementation of financial, administrative,
and information technology services, and other systems of the National
Finance Center or to pay any unforeseen, extraordinary cost of the
National Finance Center: Provided further, That none of the amounts
reserved shall be available for obligation unless the Secretary submits
written notification of the obligation to the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress: Provided further, That the
limitations on the obligation of funds pending notification to
Congressional Committees shall not apply to any obligation that, as
determined by the Secretary, is necessary to respond to a declared
state of emergency that significantly impacts the operations of the
National Finance Center; or to evacuate employees of the National
Finance Center to a safe haven to continue operations of the National
Finance Center.
Sec. 703. No part of any appropriation contained in this Act shall
remain available for obligation beyond the current fiscal year unless
expressly so provided herein.
Sec. 704. No funds appropriated by this Act may be used to pay
negotiated indirect cost rates on cooperative agreements or similar
arrangements between the United States Department of Agriculture and
nonprofit institutions in excess of 10 percent of the total direct cost
of the agreement when the purpose of such cooperative arrangements is
to carry out programs of mutual interest between the two parties. This
does not preclude appropriate payment of indirect costs on grants and
contracts with such institutions when such indirect costs are computed
on a similar basis for all agencies for which appropriations are
provided in this Act.
Sec. 705. Appropriations to the Department of Agriculture for the
cost of direct and guaranteed loans made available in the current
fiscal year shall remain available until expended to disburse
obligations made in the current fiscal year for the following accounts:
the Rural Development Loan Fund program account, the Rural
Electrification and Telecommunication Loans program account, and the
Rural Housing Insurance Fund program account.
Sec. 706. None of the funds made available to the Department of
Agriculture by this Act may be used to acquire new information
technology systems or significant upgrades, as determined by the Office
of the Chief Information Officer, without the approval of the Chief
Information Officer and the concurrence of the Executive Information
Technology Investment Review Board: Provided, That notwithstanding any
other provision of law, none of the funds appropriated or otherwise
made available by this Act may be transferred to the Office of the
Chief Information Officer without written notification to and the prior
approval of the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress: Provided further, That notwithstanding section 11319 of
title 40, United States Code, none of the funds available to the
Department of Agriculture for information technology shall be obligated
for projects, contracts, or other agreements over $25,000 prior to
receipt of written approval by the Chief Information Officer: Provided
further, That the Chief Information Officer may authorize an agency to
obligate funds without written approval from the Chief Information
Officer for projects, contracts, or other agreements up to $250,000
based upon the performance of an agency measured against the
performance plan requirements described in the explanatory statement
accompanying Public Law 113-235.
Sec. 707. Funds made available under section 524(b) of the Federal
Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1524(b)) in the current fiscal year shall
remain available until expended to disburse obligations made in the
current fiscal year.
Sec. 708. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any former
Rural Utilities Service borrower that has repaid or prepaid an insured,
direct or guaranteed loan under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936,
or any not-for-profit utility that is eligible to receive an insured or
direct loan under such Act, shall be eligible for assistance under
section 313B(a) of such Act in the same manner as a borrower under such
Act.
Sec. 709. Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, not
more than $20,000,000 in unobligated balances from appropriations made
available for salaries and expenses in this Act for the Farm Service
Agency shall remain available through September 30, 2025, for
information technology expenses.
Sec. 710. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act may be used for first-class travel by the
employees of agencies funded by this Act in contravention of sections
301-10.122 through 301-10.124 of title 41, Code of Federal Regulations.
Sec. 711. In the case of each program established or amended by
the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-79) or by a successor to
that Act, other than by title I or subtitle A of title III of such Act,
or programs for which indefinite amounts were provided in that Act,
that is authorized or required to be carried out using funds of the
Commodity Credit Corporation--
(1) such funds shall be available for salaries and related
administrative expenses, including technical assistance,
associated with the implementation of the program, without
regard to the limitation on the total amount of allotments and
fund transfers contained in section 11 of the Commodity Credit
Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714i); and
(2) the use of such funds for such purpose shall not be
considered to be a fund transfer or allotment for purposes of
applying the limitation on the total amount of allotments and
fund transfers contained in such section.
Sec. 712. Of the funds made available by this Act, not more than
$2,900,000 shall be used to cover necessary expenses of activities
related to all advisory committees, panels, commissions, and task
forces of the Department of Agriculture, except for panels used to
comply with negotiated rule makings and panels used to evaluate
competitively awarded grants.
Sec. 713. (a) None of the funds made available in this Act may be
used to maintain or establish a computer network unless such network
blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography.
(b) Nothing in subsection (a) shall limit the use of funds
necessary for any Federal, State, tribal, or local law enforcement
agency or any other entity carrying out criminal investigations,
prosecution, or adjudication activities.
Sec. 714. Notwithstanding subsection (b) of section 14222 of
Public Law 110-246 (7 U.S.C. 612c-6; in this section referred to as
``section 14222''), none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this or any other Act shall be used to pay the salaries
and expenses of personnel to carry out a program under section 32 of
the Act of August 24, 1935 (7 U.S.C. 612c; in this section referred to
as ``section 32'') in excess of $1,573,666,000 (exclusive of carryover
appropriations from prior fiscal years), as follows: Child Nutrition
Programs Entitlement Commodities--$485,000,000; State Option
Contracts--$5,000,000; Removal of Defective Commodities--$2,500,000;
Administration of section 32 Commodity Purchases--$37,178,000:
Provided, That, of the total funds made available in the matter
preceding this proviso that remain unobligated on October 1, 2024, such
unobligated balances shall carryover into fiscal year 2025 and shall
remain available until expended for any of the purposes of section 32,
except that any such carryover funds used in accordance with clause (3)
of section 32 may not exceed $350,000,000 and may not be obligated
until the Secretary of Agriculture provides written notification of the
expenditures to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress at least two weeks in advance: Provided further, That, with
the exception of any available carryover funds authorized in any prior
appropriations Act to be used for the purposes of clause (3) of section
32, none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this
or any other Act shall be used to pay the salaries or expenses of any
employee of the Department of Agriculture to carry out clause (3) of
section 32.
Sec. 715. None of the funds appropriated by this or any other Act
shall be used to pay the salaries and expenses of personnel who prepare
or submit appropriations language as part of the President's budget
submission to the Congress for programs under the jurisdiction of the
Appropriations Subcommittees on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food
and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies that assumes revenues or
reflects a reduction from the previous year due to user fees proposals
that have not been enacted into law prior to the submission of the
budget unless such budget submission identifies which additional
spending reductions should occur in the event the user fees proposals
are not enacted prior to the date of the convening of a committee of
conference for the fiscal year 2024 appropriations Act.
Sec. 716. (a) None of the funds provided by this Act, or provided
by previous appropriations Acts to the agencies funded by this Act that
remain available for obligation or expenditure in the current fiscal
year, or provided from any accounts in the Treasury derived by the
collection of fees available to the agencies funded by this Act, shall
be available for obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming,
transfer of funds, or reimbursements as authorized by the Economy Act,
or in the case of the Department of Agriculture, through use of the
authority provided by section 702(b) of the Department of Agriculture
Organic Act of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2257) or section 8 of Public Law 89-106
(7 U.S.C. 2263), that--
(1) creates new programs;
(2) eliminates a program, project, or activity;
(3) increases funds or personnel by any means for any
project or activity for which funds have been denied or
restricted;
(4) relocates an office or employees;
(5) reorganizes offices, programs, or activities; or
(6) contracts out or privatizes any functions or activities
presently performed by Federal employees;
unless the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of Health and
Human Services (as the case may be) notifies in writing and receives
approval from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress at least 30 days in advance of the reprogramming of such funds
or the use of such authority.
(b) None of the funds provided by this Act, or provided by previous
Appropriations Acts to the agencies funded by this Act that remain
available for obligation or expenditure in the current fiscal year, or
provided from any accounts in the Treasury derived by the collection of
fees available to the agencies funded by this Act, shall be available
for obligation or expenditure for activities, programs, or projects
through a reprogramming or use of the authorities referred to in
subsection (a) involving funds in excess of $500,000 or 10 percent,
whichever is less, that--
(1) augments existing programs, projects, or activities;
(2) reduces by 10 percent funding for any existing program,
project, or activity, or numbers of personnel by 10 percent as
approved by Congress; or
(3) results from any general savings from a reduction in
personnel which would result in a change in existing programs,
activities, or projects as approved by Congress;
unless the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of Health and
Human Services (as the case may be) notifies in writing and receives
approval from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress at least 30 days in advance of the reprogramming or transfer
of such funds or the use of such authority.
(c) The Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of Health and
Human Services shall notify in writing and receive approval from the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress before
implementing any program or activity not carried out during the
previous fiscal year unless the program or activity is funded by this
Act or specifically funded by any other Act.
(d) None of the funds provided by this Act, or provided by previous
Appropriations Acts to the agencies funded by this Act that remain
available for obligation or expenditure in the current fiscal year, or
provided from any accounts in the Treasury derived by the collection of
fees available to the agencies funded by this Act, shall be available
for--
(1) modifying major capital investments funding levels,
including information technology systems, that involves
increasing or decreasing funds in the current fiscal year for
the individual investment in excess of $500,000 or 10 percent
of the total cost, whichever is less;
(2) realigning or reorganizing new, current, or vacant
positions or agency activities or functions to establish a
center, office, branch, or similar entity with ten or more
personnel; or
(3) carrying out activities or functions that were not
described in the budget request;
unless the agencies funded by this Act notify, in writing, the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at least 30
days in advance of using the funds for these purposes.
(e) As described in this section, no funds may be used for any
activities unless the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of
Health and Human Services receives from the Committee on Appropriations
of both Houses of Congress written or electronic mail confirmation of
receipt of the notification as required in this section.
Sec. 717. Notwithstanding section 310B(g)(5) of the Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(g)(5)), the Secretary may
assess a one-time fee for any guaranteed business and industry loan in
an amount that does not exceed 4 percent of the guaranteed principal
portion of the loan.
Sec. 718. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available to the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug
Administration or the Farm Credit Administration shall be used to
transmit or otherwise make available reports, questions, or responses
to questions that are a result of information requested for the
appropriations hearing process to any non-Department of Agriculture,
non-Department of Health and Human Services, or non-Farm Credit
Administration employee.
Sec. 719. Unless otherwise authorized by existing law, none of the
funds provided in this Act, may be used by an executive branch agency
to produce any prepackaged news story intended for broadcast or
distribution in the United States unless the story includes a clear
notification within the text or audio of the prepackaged news story
that the prepackaged news story was prepared or funded by that
executive branch agency.
Sec. 720. No employee of the Department of Agriculture may be
detailed or assigned from an agency or office funded by this Act or any
other Act to any other agency or office of the Department for more than
60 days in a fiscal year unless the individual's employing agency or
office is fully reimbursed by the receiving agency or office for the
salary and expenses of the employee for the period of assignment.
Sec. 721. Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Commissioner of the Food
and Drug Administration and the Chairman of the Farm Credit
Administration shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both
Houses of Congress a detailed spending plan by program, project, and
activity for all the funds made available under this Act including
appropriated user fees, as defined in the report accompanying this Act.
Sec. 722. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used
to propose, promulgate, or implement any rule, or take any other action
with respect to, allowing or requiring information intended for a
prescribing health care professional, in the case of a drug or
biological product subject to section 503(b)(1) of the Federal Food,
Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 353(b)(1)), to be distributed to such
professional electronically (in lieu of in paper form) unless and until
a Federal law is enacted to allow or require such distribution.
Sec. 723. For the purposes of determining eligibility or level of
program assistance for Rural Housing Service programs the Secretary
shall not include incarcerated prison populations.
Sec. 724. For loans and loan guarantees that do not require budget
authority and the program level has been established in this Act, the
Secretary of Agriculture may increase the program level for such loans
and loan guarantees by not more than 25 percent: Provided, That prior
to the Secretary implementing such an increase, the Secretary notifies,
in writing, the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress
at least 15 days in advance.
Sec. 725. None of the credit card refunds or rebates transferred
to the Working Capital Fund pursuant to section 729 of the Agriculture,
Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2002 (7 U.S.C. 2235a; Public Law 107-76) shall be
available for obligation without written notification to, and the prior
approval of, the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress: Provided, That the refunds or rebates so transferred shall
be available for obligation only for the acquisition of property, plant
and equipment, including equipment for the improvement, delivery, and
implementation of Departmental financial management, information
technology, and other support systems necessary for the delivery of
financial, administrative, and information technology services,
including cloud adoption and migration, of primary benefit to the
agencies of the Department of Agriculture.
Sec. 726. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used
to implement, administer, or enforce the ``variety'' requirements of
the final rule entitled ``Enhancing Retailer Standards in the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)'' published by the
Department of Agriculture in the Federal Register on December 15, 2016
(81 Fed. Reg. 90675) until the Secretary of Agriculture amends the
definition of the term ``variety'' as defined in section
278.1(b)(1)(ii)(C) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, and
``variety'' as applied in the definition of the term ``staple food'' as
defined in section 271.2 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, to
increase the number of items that qualify as acceptable varieties in
each staple food category so that the total number of such items in
each staple food category exceeds the number of such items in each
staple food category included in the final rule as published on
December 15, 2016: Provided, That until the Secretary promulgates such
regulatory amendments, the Secretary shall apply the requirements
regarding acceptable varieties and breadth of stock to Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program retailers that were in effect on the day
before the date of the enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014
(Public Law 113-79).
Sec. 727. In carrying out subsection (h) of section 502 of the
Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1472), the Secretary of Agriculture
shall have the same authority with respect to loans guaranteed under
such section and eligible lenders for such loans as the Secretary has
under subsections (h) and (j) of section 538 of such Act (42 U.S.C.
1490p-2) with respect to loans guaranteed under such section 538 and
eligible lenders for such loans.
Sec. 728. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act shall be available for the United States
Department of Agriculture to propose, finalize or implement any
regulation that would promulgate new user fees pursuant to 31 U.S.C.
9701 after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Sec. 729. Of the unobligated balances from amounts made available
for the Broadband Treasury Rate Loan program, authorized in section 601
of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb), $9,156,000
are hereby permanently cancelled: Provided, That no amounts shall be
cancelled from amounts that were designated by the Congress as an
emergency or disaster relief requirement pursuant to the concurrent
resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act of 1985.
Sec. 730. Notwithstanding any provision of law that regulates the
calculation and payment of overtime and holiday pay for FSIS
inspectors, the Secretary may charge establishments subject to the
inspection requirements of the Poultry Products Inspection Act, 21
U.S.C. 451 et seq., the Federal Meat Inspection Act, 21 U.S.C. 601 et
seq, and the Egg Products Inspection Act, 21 U.S.C. 1031 et seq., for
the cost of inspection services provided outside of an establishment's
approved inspection shifts, and for inspection services provided on
Federal holidays: Provided, That any sums charged pursuant to this
paragraph shall be deemed as overtime pay or holiday pay under section
1001(d) of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2, 135
Stat. 242): Provided further, That sums received by the Secretary
under this paragraph shall, in addition to other available funds,
remain available until expended to the Secretary without further
appropriation for the purpose of funding all costs associated with FSIS
inspections.
Sec. 731. (a) The Secretary of Agriculture shall--
(1) conduct audits in a manner that evaluates the following
factors in the country or region being audited, as applicable--
(A) veterinary control and oversight;
(B) disease history and vaccination practices;
(C) livestock demographics and traceability;
(D) epidemiological separation from potential
sources of infection;
(E) surveillance practices;
(F) diagnostic laboratory capabilities; and
(G) emergency preparedness and response; and
(2) promptly make publicly available the final reports of
any audits or reviews conducted pursuant to paragraph (1).
(b) This section shall be applied in a manner consistent with
United States obligations under its international trade agreements.
Sec. 732. Of the unobligated balances from amounts made available
in prior Acts for the rural housing voucher program authorized by
section 542 of the Housing Act of 1949, (42 U.S.C. 1471 et seq.), as
amended, $3,000,000 are hereby permanently cancelled: Provided, That
no amounts shall be cancelled from amounts that were designated by the
Congress as an emergency or disaster relief requirement pursuant to the
concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
Sec. 733. Of the unobligated balances from amounts made available
in prior Acts under the heading ``Rural Cooperative Development
Grants'' for Agriculture Innovation Centers authorized by section 6402
of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 1632b),
as amended, $8,000,000 are hereby permanently cancelled: Provided,
That no amounts shall be cancelled from amounts that were designated by
the Congress as an emergency or disaster relief requirement pursuant to
the concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
Sec. 734. (a)(1) No Federal funds made available for this fiscal
year for the rural water, waste water, waste disposal, and solid waste
management programs authorized by sections 306, 306A, 306C, 306D, 306E,
and 310B of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C.
1926 et seq.) shall be used for a project for the construction,
alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public water or wastewater
system unless all of the iron and steel products used in the project
are produced in the United States.
(2) In this section, the term ``iron and steel products'' means the
following products made primarily of iron or steel: lined or unlined
pipes and fittings, manhole covers and other municipal castings,
hydrants, tanks, flanges, pipe clamps and restraints, valves,
structural steel, reinforced precast concrete, and construction
materials.
(b) Subsection (a) shall not apply in any case or category of cases
in which the Secretary of Agriculture (in this section referred to as
the ``Secretary'') or the designee of the Secretary finds that--
(1) applying subsection (a) would be inconsistent with the
public interest;
(2) iron and steel products are not produced in the United
States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities or of
a satisfactory quality; or
(3) inclusion of iron and steel products produced in the
United States will increase the cost of the overall project by
more than 25 percent.
(c) If the Secretary or the designee receives a request for a
waiver under this section, the Secretary or the designee shall make
available to the public on an informal basis a copy of the request and
information available to the Secretary or the designee concerning the
request, and shall allow for informal public input on the request for
at least 15 days prior to making a finding based on the request. The
Secretary or the designee shall make the request and accompanying
information available by electronic means, including on the official
public Internet Web site of the Department.
(d) This section shall be applied in a manner consistent with
United States obligations under international agreements.
(e) The Secretary may retain up to 0.25 percent of the funds
appropriated in this Act for ``Rural Utilities Service--Rural Water and
Waste Disposal Program Account'' for carrying out the provisions
described in subsection (a)(1) for management and oversight of the
requirements of this section.
(f) Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to a project for
which the engineering plans and specifications include use of iron and
steel products otherwise prohibited by such subsection if the plans and
specifications have received required approvals from State agencies
prior to the date of enactment of this Act.
(g) For purposes of this section, the terms ``United States'' and
``State'' shall include each of the several States, the District of
Columbia, and each Federally recognized Indian Tribe.
Sec. 735. None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be used
in any way, directly or indirectly, to influence congressional action
on any legislation or appropriation matters pending before Congress,
other than to communicate to Members of Congress as described in 18
U.S.C. 1913.
Sec. 736. Of the total amounts made available by this Act for
direct loans and grants under the following headings: ``Rural Housing
Service--Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program Account''; ``Rural
Housing Service--Mutual and Self-Help Housing Grants''; ``Rural Housing
Service--Rural Housing Assistance Grants''; ``Rural Housing Service--
Rural Community Facilities Program Account''; ``Rural Business-
Cooperative Service--Rural Business Program Account''; ``Rural
Business-Cooperative Service--Rural Economic Development Loans Program
Account''; ``Rural Business-Cooperative Service--Rural Cooperative
Development Grants''; ``Rural Business-Cooperative Service--Rural
Microentrepreneur Assistance Program''; ``Rural Utilities Service--
Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Account''; ``Rural Utilities
Service--Rural Electrification and Telecommunications Loans Program
Account''; and ``Rural Utilities Service--Distance Learning,
Telemedicine, and Broadband Program'', to the maximum extent feasible,
at least 10 percent of the funds shall be allocated for assistance in
persistent poverty counties under this section, including,
notwithstanding any other provision regarding population limits, any
county seat of such a persistent poverty county that has a population
that does not exceed the authorized population limit by more than 10
percent: Provided, That for purposes of this section, the term
``persistent poverty counties'' means any county that has had 20
percent or more of its population living in poverty over the past 30
years, as measured by the 1990 and 2000 decennial censuses, and 2007-
2011 American Community Survey 5-year average, or any territory or
possession of the United States: Provided further, That with respect
to specific activities for which program levels have been made
available by this Act that are not supported by budget authority, the
requirements of this section shall be applied to such program level.
Sec. 737. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used
to notify a sponsor or otherwise acknowledge receipt of a submission
for an exemption for investigational use of a drug or biological
product under section 505(i) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic
Act (21 U.S.C. 355(i)) or section 351(a)(3) of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262(a)(3)) in research in which a human embryo
is intentionally created or modified to include a heritable genetic
modification. Any such submission shall be deemed to have not been
received by the Secretary, and the exemption may not go into effect.
Sec. 738. None of the funds made available by this or any other
Act may be used to enforce the final rule promulgated by the Food and
Drug Administration entitled ``Standards for the Growing, Harvesting,
Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption'', and published
on November 27, 2015, with respect to the regulation of entities that
grow, harvest, pack, or hold wine grapes, hops, pulse crops, or
almonds.
Sec. 739. There is hereby appropriated $3,000,000, to remain
available until September 30, 2025, for a pilot program for the
National Institute of Food and Agriculture to provide grants to
nonprofit organizations for programs and services to establish and
enhance farming and ranching opportunities for military veterans.
Sec. 740. For school years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025, none of the
funds made available by this Act may be used to implement or enforce
the matter following the first comma in the second sentence of footnote
(c) of section 220.8(c) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, with
respect to the substitution of vegetables for fruits under the school
breakfast program established under section 4 of the Child Nutrition
Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773).
Sec. 741. None of the funds made available by this Act or any
other Act may be used--
(1) in contravention of section 7606 of the Agricultural
Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 5940), subtitle G of the Agricultural
Marketing Act of 1946, or section 10114 of the Agriculture
Improvement Act of 2018; or
(2) to prohibit the transportation, processing, sale, or
use of hemp, or seeds of such plant, that is grown or
cultivated in accordance with section 7606 of the Agricultural
Act of 2014 or subtitle G of the Agricultural Marketing Act of
1946, within or outside the State in which the hemp is grown or
cultivated.
Sec. 742. The Secretary of Agriculture may waive the matching
funds requirement under section 412(g) of the Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7632(g)).
Sec. 743. There is hereby appropriated $2,000,000, to remain
available until expended, for a pilot program for the Secretary to
provide grants to qualified non-profit organizations and public housing
authorities to provide technical assistance, including financial and
legal services, to RHS multi-family housing borrowers to facilitate the
acquisition of RHS multi-family housing properties in areas where the
Secretary determines a risk of loss of affordable housing, by non-
profit housing organizations and public housing authorities as
authorized by law that commit to keep such properties in the RHS multi-
family housing program for a period of time as determined by the
Secretary.
Sec. 744. Of the unobligated balances from amounts made available
in prior Acts under the heading ``Rural Housing Assistance Grants'' for
housing repair grants authorized by section 504 of the Housing Act of
1949 (42 U.S.C. 1474), as amended, $30,000,000 are hereby permanently
cancelled: Provided, That no amounts shall be cancelled from amounts
that were designated by the Congress as an emergency or disaster relief
requirement pursuant to the concurrent resolution on the budget or the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
Sec. 745. Of the unobligated balances of the amounts made
available for fiscal year 2022 for the ``National Institute of Food and
Agriculture--Research and Extension Activities'', $307,526,000 are
hereby rescinded: Provided, That no amounts may be rescinded from
amounts that were designated by the Congress as an emergency
requirement pursuant to a Concurrent Resolution on the Budget or the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
Sec. 746. Funds made available under title II of the Food for
Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1721 et seq.) may only be used to provide
assistance to recipient nations if adequate monitoring and controls, as
determined by the Administrator, are in place to ensure that emergency
food aid is received by the intended beneficiaries in areas affected by
food shortages and not diverted for unauthorized or inappropriate
purposes.
Sec. 747. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used
to procure raw or processed poultry products imported into the United
States from the People's Republic of China for use in the school lunch
program under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42
U.S.C. 1751 et seq.), the Child and Adult Care Food Program under
section 17 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1766), the Summer Food Service
Program for Children under section 13 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1761), or
the school breakfast program under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42
U.S.C. 1771 et seq.).
Sec. 748. For school year 2024-2025, only a school food authority
that had a negative balance in the nonprofit school food service
account as of June 30, 2023, shall be required to establish a price for
paid lunches in accordance with section 12(p) of the Richard B. Russell
National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1760(p)).
Sec. 749. Any funds made available by this or any other Act that
the Secretary withholds pursuant to section 1668(g)(2) of the Food,
Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5921(g)(2)),
as amended, shall be available for grants for biotechnology risk
assessment research: Provided, That the Secretary may transfer such
funds among appropriations of the Department of Agriculture for
purposes of making such grants.
Sec. 750. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds
available to the Department of Agriculture may be used to move any
staff office or any agency from the mission area in which it was
located on August 1, 2018, to any other mission area or office within
the Department in the absence of the enactment of specific legislation
affirming such move.
Sec. 751. The Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Natural
Resources Conservation Service, may use funds appropriated under this
Act or any other Act for the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations
Program and the Watershed Rehabilitation Program carried out pursuant
to the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (16 U.S.C. 1001 et
seq.), and for the Emergency Watershed Protection Program carried out
pursuant to section 403 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16
U.S.C. 2203) to provide technical services for such programs pursuant
to section 1252(a)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3851(a)(1)), notwithstanding subsection (c) of such section.
Sec. 752. In administering the pilot program established by
section 779 of division A of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018
(Public Law 115-141), the Secretary of Agriculture may, for purposes of
determining entities eligible to receive assistance, consider those
communities which are ``Areas Rural in Character'': Provided, That not
more than 10 percent of the funds made available under the heading
``Distance Learning, Telemedicine, and Broadband Program'' for the
purposes of the pilot program established by section 779 of Public Law
115-141 may be used for this purpose.
Sec. 753. In addition to amounts otherwise made available by this
Act and notwithstanding the last sentence of 16 U.S.C. 1310, there is
appropriated $2,000,000, to remain available until expended, to
implement non-renewable agreements on eligible lands, including flooded
agricultural lands, as determined by the Secretary, under the Water
Bank Act (16 U.S.C. 1301-1311).
Sec. 754. Out of amounts appropriated to the Food and Drug
Administration under title VI, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, shall, not
later than September 30, 2024, and following the review required under
Executive Order No. 12866 (5 U.S.C. 601 note; relating to regulatory
planning and review), issue advice revising the advice provided in the
notice of availability entitled ``Advice About Eating Fish, From the
Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration;
Revised Fish Advice; Availability'' (82 Fed. Reg. 6571 (January 19,
2017)), in a manner that is consistent with nutrition science
recognized by the Food and Drug Administration on the net effects of
seafood consumption.
Sec. 755. There is hereby appropriated $2,000,000, to remain
available until expended, to carry out section 2103 of Public Law 115-
334: Provided, That the Secretary shall prioritize the wetland
compliance needs of areas with significant numbers of individual
wetlands, wetland acres, and conservation compliance requests.
Sec. 756. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
acceptable market name of any engineered animal approved prior to the
effective date of the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard
(February 19, 2019) shall include the words ``genetically engineered''
prior to the existing acceptable market name.
Sec. 757. The Secretary shall set aside for Rural Economic Area
Partnership (REAP) Zones, until August 15, 2024, an amount of funds
made available in title III under the headings of Rural Housing
Insurance Fund Program Account, Mutual and Self-Help Housing Grants,
Rural Housing Assistance Grants, Rural Community Facilities Program
Account, Rural Business Program Account, Rural Development Loan Fund
Program Account, and Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Account,
equal to the amount obligated in REAP Zones with respect to funds
provided under such headings in the most recent fiscal year any such
funds were obligated under such headings for REAP Zones, excluding the
funding provided through any Congressionally Directed Spending/
Community Project Funding.
Sec. 758. There is hereby appropriated $500,000 to carry out the
duties of the working group established under section 770 of the
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019 (Public Law 116-6; 133 Stat.
89).
Sec. 759. For an additional amount for the Office of the
Secretary, $9,000,000, to remain available until expended, to continue
the Institute for Rural Partnerships as established in section 778 of
Public Law 117-103: Provided, That the Institute for Rural
Partnerships shall continue to dedicate resources to researching the
causes and conditions of challenges facing rural areas, and develop
community partnerships to address such challenges: Provided further,
That administrative or other fees shall not exceed one percent:
Provided further, That such partnership shall coordinate and publish an
annual report.
Sec. 760. Funds made available in the Consolidated Appropriations
Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141) for the ``Rural Community Facilities
Program Account'' under section 306 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act, 7 U.S.C. 1926, for the principal amount of direct
loans are to remain available through fiscal year 2028 for the
liquidation of valid obligations incurred in fiscal year 2018.
Sec. 761. Section 523 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490c)
is amended in subsection (b)(1)(B) by striking ``two years'' and
inserting ``five years''.
Sec. 762. Section 524 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490d)
is amended in subsection (a)(1) by striking ``two years'' and inserting
``five years''.
Sec. 763. Section 592 of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11408a) is amended--
(1) in the section heading by striking ``FMHA'' and
inserting ``USDA'';
(2) in subsection (a), by, in the matter preceding
paragraph (1), striking ``program and nonprogram''; and
(3) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
``(b) Priority.--The priority uses of inventory property under this
section shall be given priority equal to or higher than the disposition
of such property in accordance with priorities determined by the
Secretary as necessary to protect the best interests of the Federal
Government.''.
Sec. 764. Section 363 of the Multifamily Mortgage Foreclosure Act
of 1981 (12 U.S.C. 3702) is amended at paragraph (10) by inserting
after ``Secretary of Housing Urban Development'' the following: ``and
the Secretary of Agriculture''.
Sec. 765. There is hereby appropriated $3,000,000, to remain
available until September 30, 2025, for a Bison Production and
Marketing Grant Program that the Agricultural Marketing Service shall
develop and maintain: Provided, That this program shall be similar, as
determined by the Secretary, to the Sheep Production and Marketing
Grant Program the Department of Agriculture currently maintains
pursuant to section 209(c) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7
U.S.C. 1627a(c)), and shall prioritize grants to national non-profits
and federally chartered Tribal organizations that have expertise in
bison production or marketing.
Sec. 766. Notwithstanding the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946
(7 U.S.C. 1622 et seq.) and 9 CFR part 352, the Committee provides an
additional $700,000 to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service to
cover voluntary meat inspection fees for the slaughtering or processing
of bison/buffalo at Native American owned establishments or
establishments operating on tribal lands.
Sec. 767. Of the unobligated balances available to the Department
of Agriculture for the Rural Water Operation Program under the heading
``Natural Resources Conservation Service--Watershed and Flood
Prevention Operations'' from prior appropriations Acts, $20,000,000 is
hereby rescinded: Provided, That no amounts may be rescinded from
amounts that were designated by the Congress as an emergency
requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
Sec. 768. If services performed by APHIS employees are determined
by the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
to be in response to an animal disease outbreak, any premium pay that
is funded, either directly or through reimbursement, shall be exempted
from the aggregate of basic pay and premium pay calculated under
section 5547 of title 5, United States Code, and any other provision of
law limiting the aggregate amount of premium pay payable on a biweekly
or calendar year basis: Provided, That this section shall take effect
as if enacted on January 1, 2023.
Sec. 769. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this or any other Act may be used by the Food Safety and
Inspection Service to take any action that would result in the
permanent relocation, demotion, or termination of any Supervisory
Public Heath Veterinarian (SPHV), solely as result of the creation of
the District Veterinary Medical Officer position, prior to completing a
1010 package and cost-benefit analysis, and briefing the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
Sec. 770. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this or any other Act may be used to purchase, deploy, or
train third parties on the use of M-44 sodium cyanide ejector devices
(``M-44s''), including any components or parts, or sodium fluoroacetate
(``Compound 1080''), except for activities directly related to the
removal of M-44s that have been placed on Federal, Tribal, State and
private land.
Sec. 771. Notwithstanding section 521(a)(1)(B) of the Housing Act
of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490a(a)(1)(B)), for loans made under section 502
(42 U.S.C. 1472), the Secretary of Agriculture may provide the borrower
with assistance in the form of credits so as to reduce the effective
interest rate to a rate not less than 2 per centum per annum for such
periods of time as the Secretary may determine for applicants described
in section 521(a)(1)(A) (42 U.S.C. 1490a(a)(1)(A)) if without such
assistance such applicants could not afford the dwelling or make
payments on the indebtedness of the rental or cooperative housing.
Sec. 772. Any rule-making, notice or guidance of or regarding USDA
Proposed Rule (Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns
Consistent With the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans; RIN 0584-
AE88) shall allow and provide meal reimbursement for (or ``low fat or
fat free'') flavored milk in National School Lunch Program and School
Breakfast Program for grades Kindergarten through 12th grade and in
Child and Adult Care Food Program for participants 5 years of age and
older, and for any other program complying with the meal pattern
requirements covered in such final rule.
Sec. 773. Weekly sodium limits that may be included in any rule-
making, notice or guidance of or regarding USDA Proposed Rule (Child
Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020
Dietary Guidelines for Americans; RIN 0584-AE88) shall exclude sodium
used for food safety and functional purposes in cheese-making, as
determined by the Secretary, in consultation with FDA. Sodium limits
will not take effect until the Secretary determines the amounts which
shall be excluded.
Sec. 774. Notwithstanding section 521(a)(1)(B) of the Housing Act
of 1949 (42 U.S.C 1490a(a)(1)(B)), for loans made under section 502 (42
U.S.C. 1472), the Secretary of Agriculture may provide the borrower
with assistance in the form of credits so as to reduce the effective
interest rate to a rate not less than 2 per centum per annum for such
periods of time as the Secretary may determine for applicants described
in section 521(a)(1)(A) (42 U.S.C. 1490a(a)(1)(A)) if without such
assistance such applicants could not afford the dwelling or make
payments on the indebtedness of the rental or cooperative housing.
Sec. 775. Section 542(b)(2) of the Housing Act, (42 U.S.C. 1490r),
is amended by striking ``5,000'' and inserting ``10,000''.
Sec. 776. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used
to pay the salaries or expenses of personnel--
(1) to inspect horses under section 3 of the Federal Meat
Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 603);
(2) to inspect horses under section 903 of the Federal
Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 1901
note; Public Law 104-127); or
(3) to implement or enforce section 352.19 of title 9, Code
of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation).
This Act may be cited as the ``Agriculture, Rural Development, Food
and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,
2024''.
Calendar No. 111
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2131
[Report No. 118-44]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
Making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug
Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2024, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
June 22, 2023
Read twice and placed on the calendar