AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND EDUCATION REFORM ACT OF 1997

NEW RESOURCES

* $780 million in new mandatory funding over 5 years ($100 million in 1998 and $170 million thereafter through 2002) for research funding through the Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems. This competitively awarded research funding would address critical emerging issues related to future food production, environmental protection, and farm income. Primary mission areas to be addressed with funding in the first year are food genome; food safety, food technology and human nutrition research; new and alternative uses and production of agricultural commodities and products; agricultural biotechnology; and natural resource management including precision agriculture. Priority would be given to grants that are multistate, multi-institutional, or multidisciplinary and grants that integrate agricultural research, extension and education. The current $100 million Fund for Rural America is extended through 2002 with $50 million for rural development, $33 million for research and $17 million for either at the discretion of the Secretary each year.

COLLABORATION AND EFFICIENCY REFORMS

* 25% of federal research formula funding to land grant institutions would be devoted to multistate research that is multidisciplinary.

* Increased collaboration between states for funding of Extension Service activities by calling on states to double their current level or to spend 25% of federal Extension formula funds on multistate Extension activities.

* Increased integration of research and extension at land grant institutions by calling on the institution to double their current level or to spend 25% of the land grant institution’s federal formula funds for research and extension on projects that integrate research and extension.

* Authority for competitive grants for collaboration between ARS, land grant institutions and international agricultural research centers focusing on increasing production of food and fiber while safeguarding the environment.

ACCOUNTABILITY REFORMS

* Require stakeholder input when setting priorities for research, extension and education funding at the Department of Agriculture and at land grant institutions.

* All federal research, extension and education funding would be subject to scientific peer review or merit review.

* Research, extension and education must address priority concerns and be of national or multistate significance.

* All colleges and universities could compete for competitively awarded Extension Service funding.

* The National Academy of Sciences would review the role and mission of ARS and the broader role of federal funding for agricultural research.

OFFSETS

Reductions in information technology spending within the U.S. Department of Agriculture and reductions in the administrative costs associated with the Food Stamp program. Some minor changes are made to augment nutrition programs.