The Secretary shall establish within the Department of Agriculture a board to be known as the "National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board".
The Advisory Board shall consist of 25 members, appointed by the Secretary.
The Secretary shall appoint members of the Advisory Board from nominations submitted by organizations, associations, societies, councils, federations, groups, and companies fitting the criteria specified in paragraph (3).
The Advisory Board shall consist of members from each of the following categories:
(A) 1 member representing a national farm organization.
(B) 1 member representing farm cooperatives.
(C) 1 member actively engaged in the production of a food animal commodity, recommended by a coalition of national livestock organizations.
(D) 1 member actively engaged in the production of a plant commodity, recommended by a coalition of national crop organizations.
(E) 1 member actively engaged in aquaculture, recommended by a coalition of national aquacultural organizations.
(F) 1 member representing a national food animal science society.
(G) 1 member representing a national crop, soil, agronomy, horticulture, plant pathology, or weed science society.
(H) 1 member representing a national food science organization.
(I) 1 member representing a national human health association.
(J) 1 member representing a national nutritional science society.
(K) 1 member representing the land-grant colleges and universities eligible to receive funds under the Act of July 2, 1862 (7 U.S.C. 301 et seq.).
(L) 1 member representing the land-grant colleges and universities eligible to receive funds under the Act of August 30, 1890 (7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.), including Tuskegee University.
(M) 1 member representing the 1994 Institutions (as defined in section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103–382)).
(N) 1 member representing NLGCA Institutions.
(O) 1 member representing Hispanic-serving institutions.
(P) 1 member representing the American Colleges of Veterinary Medicine.
(Q) 1 member engaged in the transportation of food and agricultural products to domestic and foreign markets.
(R) 1 member representing food retailing and marketing interests.
(S) 1 member representing food and fiber processors.
(T) 1 member actively engaged in rural economic development.
(U) 1 member representing a national consumer interest group.
(V) 1 member representing a national forestry group.
(W) 1 member representing a national conservation or natural resource group.
(X) 1 member representing private sector organizations involved in international development.
(Y) 1 member representing a national social science association.
The Secretary, the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics, the Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service, the Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the Administrator of the Economic Research Service, and the Administrator of the National Agricultural Statistics Service shall serve as ex officio members of the Advisory Board.
At the first meeting of the Advisory Board each year, the members shall elect from among the members of the Advisory Board a chairperson, vice chairperson, and 7 additional members to serve on the executive committee established under paragraph (6).
The Advisory Board shall establish an executive committee charged with the responsibility of working with the Secretary and officers and employees of the Department of Agriculture to summarize and disseminate the recommendations of the Advisory Board.
In appointing members to serve on the Advisory Board, the Secretary shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, equal representation of public and private sector members.
The Advisory Board shall—
(1) review and provide consultation to the Secretary, land-grant colleges and universities, and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, and the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate on long-term and short-term national policies and priorities, as set forth in section 3101 of this title, relating to agricultural research, extension, education, and economics;
(2) evaluate the results and effectiveness of agricultural research, extension, education, and economics with respect to the policies and priorities;
(3) review and make recommendations to the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics on the research, extension, education, and economics portion of the draft strategic plan required under section 306 of title 5; and
(4) review the mechanisms of the Department of Agriculture for technology assessment (which should be conducted by qualified professionals) for the purposes of—
(A) performance measurement and evaluation of the implementation by the Secretary of the strategic plan required under section 306 of title 5;
(B) implementation of the national research policies and priorities set forth in section 3101 of this title; and
(C) the development of mechanisms for the assessment of emerging public and private agricultural research and technology transfer initiatives.
In carrying out this section, the Advisory Board shall consult with any appropriate agencies of the Department of Agriculture and solicit opinions and recommendations from persons who will benefit from and use federally funded agricultural research, extension, education, and economics.
To comply with a provision of this chapter or any other law that requires the Secretary to consult or cooperate with the Advisory Board or that authorizes the Advisory Board to submit recommendations to the Secretary, the Secretary shall—
(A) solicit the written opinions and recommendations of the Advisory Board; and
(B) provide a written response to the Advisory Board regarding the manner and extent to which the Secretary will implement recommendations submitted by the Advisory Board.
A member of the Advisory Board shall be appointed by the Secretary for a term of up to 3 years. The members of the Advisory Board shall be appointed to serve staggered terms.
The Advisory Board shall be deemed to have filed a charter for the purpose of section 9(c) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.).
Not more than $500,000 may be used to cover the necessary expenses of the Advisory Board for each fiscal year.
The expenses of the Advisory Board shall not be counted toward any general limitation on the expenses of advisory committees, panels, commissions, and task forces of the Department of Agriculture contained in any Act making appropriations for the Department of Agriculture, whether enacted before, on, or after June 23, 1998, unless the appropriation Act specifically refers to this subsection and specifically includes this Advisory Board within the general limitation.
The Advisory Board shall remain in existence until September 30, 2012.
(Pub. L. 95–113, title XIV, §1408, Sept. 29, 1977, 91 Stat. 988; Pub. L. 97–98, title XIV, §1408, Dec. 22, 1981, 95 Stat. 1300; Pub. L. 99–198, title XIV, §1406, Dec. 23, 1985, 99 Stat. 1545; Pub. L. 101–624, title XVI, §1604(b), Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3709; Pub. L. 102–237, title IV, §402(2), Dec. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1863; Pub. L. 104–66, title I, §§1011(t), 1012(f), Dec. 21, 1995, 109 Stat. 710, 712; Pub. L. 104–127, title VIII, §802(a), Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1156; Pub. L. 105–185, title II, §222, June 23, 1998, 112 Stat. 538; Pub. L. 107–171, title VII, §§7133, 7209(a), May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 435, 444; Pub. L. 110–234, title VII, §§7102(a), 7511(c)(8), May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1214, 1268; Pub. L. 110–246, §4(a), title VII, §§7102(a), 7511(c)(8), June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 1975, 2029.)
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