[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1637 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1637

 To amend the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to 
   reaffirm the authority of the Under Secretary of Agriculture for 
      Research, Education, and Economics, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                 May 23 (legislative day, May 22), 2019

 Mr. Van Hollen (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Warner, Mrs. 
Murray, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Merkley, and Mr. Brown) introduced the following 
      bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                  Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to 
   reaffirm the authority of the Under Secretary of Agriculture for 
      Research, Education, and Economics, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Agriculture Research Integrity Act 
of 2019''.

SEC. 2. REAFFIRMING THE AUTHORITY OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE 
              FOR RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND ECONOMICS.

    Subtitle F of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 
1994 (7 U.S.C. 6971) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 252. REAFFIRMING THE AUTHORITY OF THE UNDER SECRETARY.

    ``(a) In General.--Notwithstanding the authority specified in 
Reorganization Plan Numbered 2 of 1953 (67 Stat. 633; 5 U.S.C. App.; 7 
U.S.C. 2201 note) or any other provision of Federal law relating to the 
authority of the Secretary, including section 296--
            ``(1) the Agricultural Research Service, the Economic 
        Research Service, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, 
        and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (and any 
        successor agency to any of those agencies) shall be within the 
        research, education, and economics mission area of the 
        Department;
            ``(2) the authority to administer each of those agencies is 
        vested in the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and 
        Economics; and
            ``(3) the authority to administer those agencies may not be 
        vested in the head of another agency within the Department.
    ``(b) Location of Agencies.--The Secretary shall locate the 
headquarters of the Economic Research Service and the National 
Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the majority of the staff of 
each of those agencies, within the National Capital Region to ensure 
maximum coordination and interaction--
            ``(1) between those agencies;
            ``(2) between each of those agencies and the agencies 
        delivering the food and agricultural programs and services of 
        the Department; and
            ``(3) between each of those agencies and other Federal 
        science agencies (including science agencies of the 
        Department).''.
                                 <all>