[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9182 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9182

 To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching 
Policy Act of 1977 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish 
   a program under which the Secretary awards grants for purposes of 
 providing training and any related assistance to dairy producers and 
 dairy workers on implementation of risk mitigation strategies related 
  to biosecurity threats, to amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 with 
   respect to emergency assistance for certain losses due to highly 
          pathogenic avian influenza, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 26, 2024

  Ms. Slotkin (for herself and Mr. Valadao) introduced the following 
        bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching 
Policy Act of 1977 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish 
   a program under which the Secretary awards grants for purposes of 
 providing training and any related assistance to dairy producers and 
 dairy workers on implementation of risk mitigation strategies related 
  to biosecurity threats, to amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 with 
   respect to emergency assistance for certain losses due to highly 
          pathogenic avian influenza, 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 ``Avian Influenza Research and 
Response Act''.

SEC. 2. CONTINUING ANIMAL HEALTH AND DISEASE, FOOD SECURITY, AND 
              STEWARDSHIP RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION PROGRAMS.

    Section 1433 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and 
Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3195) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d);
            (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
    ``(c) Dairy Biosecurity Education and Training Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a program 
        under which the Secretary will award grants to eligible 
        entities to enable such entities to provide training and any 
        related assistance to dairy producers and dairy workers on 
        implementation of risk mitigation strategies related to 
        biosecurity threats, including strategies such as--
                    ``(A) equipment cleaning;
                    ``(B) interstate and intrastate movement of 
                animals; and
                    ``(C) other risk mitigation measures relating to 
                biosecurity threats.
            ``(2) Training languages.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
        any training or materials provided by an eligible entity using 
        funds received through a grant made under paragraph (1) are 
        provided in English, Spanish, and other languages, as 
        determined necessary by the Secretary.
            ``(3) Eligible entities.--An entity eligible to receive a 
        grant under this subsection is any of the following:
                    ``(A) A State cooperative extension service.
                    ``(B) A Federal, State, local, or Tribal agency.
                    ``(C) A nonprofit, community-based organization or 
                non-governmental organization.
                    ``(D) An organization that--
                            ``(i) represents owners and operators of 
                        farms, small food processors, or small fruit 
                        and vegetable merchant wholesalers; and
                            ``(ii) has a commitment to public health 
                        and expertise in administering programs that 
                        contribute to food safety.
                    ``(E) A farmer-owned cooperative.
                    ``(F) An institution of higher education (as 
                defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act 
                of 1964 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))) or a foundation maintained 
                by an institution of higher education.
                    ``(G) A dairy product and business innovation 
                initiative, as described in section 12513 of the 
                Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 1632d).
                    ``(H) A collaboration of 2 of more eligible 
                entities described in subparagraphs (A) through (D).
                    ``(I) Such other appropriate entity, as determined 
                by the Secretary.
            ``(4) Multistate projects.--A grant under this subsection 
        may be made to an eligible entity (or collaboration of 2 or 
        more such entities) proposing to use funds received through the 
        grant for projects involving more than 1 State.
            ``(5) Geographic distribution.--In making grants under this 
        subsection, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent 
        practicable, ensure geographic diversity.
            ``(6) Technical assistance.--The Secretary may use funds 
        made available to carry out this subsection to provide 
        technical assistance to grant recipients to further the 
        purposes of this subsection.
            ``(7) Best practices.--Based on evaluations of, and 
        responses arising from, training and other assistance provided 
        pursuant to this subsection, the Secretary may issue a set of 
        recommended best practices and models to be used by dairy 
        producers for training programs relating to mitigation of risks 
        from biosecurity threats.''; and
            (3) in subsection (d) (as redesignated by paragraph (1))--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``$25,000,000 for 
                each of fiscal years 2014 through 2023'' and inserting 
                ``$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 
                2029'';
                    (B) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
            ``(2) Reservation of funds.--Of the funds made available 
        under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
        reserve not less than--
                    ``(A) $5,000,000 to carry out the capacity and 
                infrastructure program under subsection (a); and
                    ``(B) $5,000,000 to carry out the program under 
                subsection (c).''; and
                    (C) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``85'' 
                        and inserting ``70''; and
                            (ii) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) 15 percent of such amounts shall be used to 
                carry out the program under subsection (c).''.

SEC. 3. APPROPRIATIONS FOR RESEARCH ON NATIONAL OR REGIONAL PROBLEMS.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 1434(a) of the 
National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 
1977 (7 U.S.C. 3196(a)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``or national or regional'' and inserting 
        ``emerging animal health or disease programs, and national or 
        regional''; and
            (2) by striking ``, but not to exceed'' and all that 
        follows through ``subsequent fiscal year''.
    (b) Duration of Grants.--Section 1434(b) of the National 
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3196(b)) is amended by striking ``Federal agencies, private 
organizations or corporations, and individuals'' and inserting 
``Federal or State agencies, Tribal agencies, private organizations or 
corporations, and nonprofit, community-based organizations or non-
governmental organizations''.
    (c) Priority Lists.--Section 1434(c) of the National Agricultural 
Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3196(c)) 
is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by striking ``Such lists'' and all that follows 
                through ``of priorities.''; and
                    (B) by striking ``and the Advisory Board'';
            (2) in paragraph (4), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (3) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(6) whether new approaches for vaccine development may 
        help to reduce negative impacts to animal and human health''.
    (d) Assignment of Priorities.--Section 1434(d) of the National 
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 3196(d)) is amended by striking the first sentence.
    (e) Multiyear Grants.--Section 1434(e) of the National Agricultural 
Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3196(e)) 
is amended by striking ``In the case of'' and inserting ``A grant under 
this section shall have a term that is not more than 3 years. In the 
case of''.

SEC. 4. HIGHLIGHTING HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA AS ZOONOTIC 
              DISEASE FOR PURPOSES OF ANIMAL HEALTH AND PRODUCTION AND 
              ANIMAL PRODUCTS PRIORITY AREA UNDER AGRICULTURE AND FOOD 
              RESEARCH INITIATIVE.

    Subsection (b)(2)(B)(ix)(II) of the Competitive, Special, and 
Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157(b)(2)(B)(ix)(II)) is 
amended by inserting ``, highly pathogenic avian influenza,'' after 
``brucellosis''.

SEC. 5. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN LOSSES DUE TO HIGHLY 
              PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA.

    Section 1501(d)(1) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 
9081(d)(1)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(including dairy cattle)'' after 
        ``producers of livestock''; and
            (2) by inserting ``and highly pathogenic avian influenza'' 
        after ``cattle tick fever''.
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