[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 130 (Thursday, September 30, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H9141-H9173]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 1906, AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD 
 AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2000

  Mr. SKEEN submitted the following conference report and statement on 
the bill (H.R. 1906) making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 2000, and for other purposes:

                  Conference Report (H. Rept. 106-354)

       The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the 
     two Houses on the amendment of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 
     1906) ``making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural 
     Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related 
     Agencies programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
     2000, and for other purposes'', having met, after full and 
     free conference, have agreed to recommend and do recommend to 
     their respective Houses as follows:
       That the House recede from its disagreement to the 
     amendment of the Senate, and agree to the same with an 
     amendment, as follows:
       In lieu of the matter stricken and inserted by said 
     amendment, insert:

     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 programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
     2000, and for other purposes, namely:

                                TITLE I

                         AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS

                 Production, Processing, and Marketing

                        Office of the Secretary


                     (including transfers of funds)

       For necessary expenses of the Office of the Secretary of 
     Agriculture, and not to exceed $75,000 for employment under 5 
     U.S.C. 3109, $15,436,000, of which, $12,600,000, to remain 
     available until expended, shall be available only for the 
     development and implementation of a common computing 
     environment: Provided, That not to exceed $11,000 of this 
     amount, along with any unobligated balances of representation 
     funds in the Foreign Agricultural Service, shall be available 
     for official reception and representation expenses, not 
     otherwise provided for, as determined by the Secretary: 
     Provided further, That the funds made available for the 
     development and implementation of a common computing 
     environment shall only be available upon approval of the 
     Committees on Appropriations and Agriculture of the House of 
     Representatives and the Senate of a plan for the development 
     and implementation of a common computing environment: 
     Provided further, That none of the funds appropriated or 
     otherwise made available by this Act may be used to pay the 
     salaries and expenses of personnel of the Department of 
     Agriculture to carry out section 793(c)(1)(C) of Public Law 
     104-127: Provided further, That none of the funds made 
     available by this Act may be used to enforce section 793(d) 
     of Public Law 104-127.

                          Executive Operations


                            chief economist

       For necessary expenses of the Chief Economist, including 
     economic analysis, risk assessment, cost-benefit analysis, 
     energy and new uses, and the functions of the World 
     Agricultural Outlook Board, as authorized by the Agricultural 
     Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1622g), and including 
     employment pursuant to the second sentence of section 706(a) 
     of the Organic Act of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2225), of which not to 
     exceed $5,000 is for employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109, 
     $6,411,000.


                       national appeals division

       For necessary expenses of the National Appeals Division, 
     including employment pursuant to the second sentence of 
     section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2225), of 
     which not to exceed $25,000 is for employment under 5 U.S.C. 
     3109, $11,718,000.


                 Office of Budget and Program Analysis

       For necessary expenses of the Office of Budget and Program 
     Analysis, including employment pursuant to the second 
     sentence of section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 1944 (7 
     U.S.C. 2225), of which not to exceed $5,000 is for employment 
     under 5 U.S.C. 3109, $6,583,000.

                Office of the Chief Information Officer

       For necessary expenses of the Office of the Chief 
     Information Officer, including employment pursuant to the 
     second sentence of section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 1944 
     (7 U.S.C. 2225), of which not to exceed $10,000 is for 
     employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109, $6,051,000.

                 Office of the Chief Financial Officer

       For necessary expenses of the Office of the Chief Financial 
     Officer, including employment pursuant to the second sentence 
     of section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2225), 
     of which not to exceed $10,000 is for employment under 5 
     U.S.C. 3109, $4,783,000.

          Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration

       For necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of the 
     Assistant Secretary for Administration to carry out the 
     programs funded by this Act, $613,000.

        Agriculture Buildings and Facilities and Rental Payments


                     (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. 
     486, for programs and activities of the Department which are 
     included in this Act, and for the operation, maintenance, and 
     repair of Agriculture buildings, $140,364,000: Provided, That 
     in the event an agency within the Department should require 
     modification of space needs, the Secretary of Agriculture may 
     transfer a share of that agency's appropriation made 
     available by this Act to this appropriation, or may transfer 
     a share of this appropriation to that agency's appropriation, 
     but such transfers shall not exceed 5 percent of the funds 
     made available for space rental and related costs to or from 
     this account.

                       Hazardous Waste Management


                     (including transfers of funds)

       For necessary expenses of the Department of Agriculture, 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 
     Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 42 U.S.C. 6961, 
     $15,700,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, 
     That appropriations and funds available herein to the 
     Department for Hazardous Waste 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.

                      Departmental Administration


                     (including transfers of funds)

       For Departmental Administration, $34,738,000, to provide 
     for necessary expenses for management support services to 
     offices of the Department and for general administration and 
     disaster management of the Department, repairs and 
     alterations, and other miscellaneous supplies and expenses 
     not otherwise provided for and necessary for the practical 
     and efficient work of the Department, including employment 
     pursuant to the second sentence of section 706(a) of the 
     Organic Act of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2225), of which not to exceed 
     $10,000 is for employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109: Provided, That 
     this appropriation 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.


              Outreach for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers

       For grants and contracts pursuant to section 2501 of the 
     Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 
     U.S.C. 2279), $3,000,000, to remain available until expended.

     Office of the Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations


                     (including transfers of funds)

       For necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of the 
     Assistant Secretary for Congressional

[[Page H9142]]

     Relations to carry out the programs funded by this Act, 
     including programs involving intergovernmental affairs and 
     liaison within the executive branch, $3,568,000: Provided, 
     That no other funds appropriated to the Department by this 
     Act shall be available to the Department for support of 
     activities of congressional relations: Provided further, That 
     not less than $2,241,000 shall be transferred to agencies 
     funded by this Act to maintain personnel at the agency level.

                        Office of Communications

       For necessary expenses to carry on services relating to the 
     coordination of programs involving public affairs, for the 
     dissemination of agricultural information, and the 
     coordination of information, work, and programs authorized by 
     Congress in the Department, $8,138,000, including employment 
     pursuant to the second sentence of section 706(a) of the 
     Organic Act of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2225), of which not to exceed 
     $10,000 shall be available for employment under 5 U.S.C. 
     3109, and not to exceed $2,000,000 may be used for farmers' 
     bulletins.

                    Office of the Inspector General


                     (including transfers of funds)

       For necessary expenses of the Office of the Inspector 
     General, including employment pursuant to the second sentence 
     of section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2225), 
     and the Inspector General Act of 1978, $65,128,000, 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, including not to exceed $50,000 for employment under 5 
     U.S.C. 3109; 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 Public Law 95-452 and section 
     1337 of Public Law 97-98.

                     Office of the General Counsel

       For necessary expenses of the Office of the General 
     Counsel, $29,194,000.

  Office of the Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics

       For necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of the 
     Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics to 
     administer the laws enacted by the Congress for the Economic 
     Research Service, the National Agricultural Statistics 
     Service, the Agricultural Research Service, and the 
     Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, 
     $540,000.

                       Economic Research Service

       For necessary expenses of the Economic Research Service in 
     conducting economic research and analysis, as authorized by 
     the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621-1627) 
     and other laws, $65,419,000: Provided, That $1,000,000 shall 
     be transferred to and merged with the appropriation for 
     ``Food and Nutrition Service, Food Program Administration'' 
     for studies and evaluations: Provided further, That this 
     appropriation shall be available for employment pursuant to 
     the second sentence of section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 
     1944 (7 U.S.C. 2225).

                National Agricultural Statistics Service

       For necessary expenses of the National Agricultural 
     Statistics Service in conducting statistical reporting and 
     service work, including crop and livestock estimates, 
     statistical coordination and improvements, marketing surveys, 
     and the Census of Agriculture, as authorized by 7 U.S.C. 
     1621-1627, Public Law 105-113, and other laws, $99,405,000, 
     of which up to $16,490,000 shall be available until expended 
     for the Census of Agriculture: Provided, That this 
     appropriation shall be available for employment pursuant to 
     the second sentence of section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 
     1944 (7 U.S.C. 2225), and not to exceed $40,000 shall be 
     available for employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109.

                     Agricultural Research Service

       For necessary expenses to enable the Agricultural Research 
     Service to perform agricultural research and demonstration 
     relating to production, utilization, marketing, and 
     distribution (not otherwise provided for); home economics or 
     nutrition and consumer use including the acquisition, 
     preservation, and dissemination of agricultural information; 
     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, 
     $834,322,000: Provided, That appropriations hereunder shall 
     be available for temporary employment pursuant to the second 
     sentence of section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 1944 (7 
     U.S.C. 2225), and not to exceed $115,000 shall be available 
     for employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109: Provided further, 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 
     $250,000, except for headhouses or greenhouses which shall 
     each be limited to $1,000,000, and except for ten buildings 
     to be constructed or improved at a cost not to exceed 
     $500,000 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 $250,000, 
     whichever is greater: 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, including an 
     easement to the University of Maryland to construct the 
     Transgenic Animal Facility which upon completion shall be 
     accepted by the Secretary as a gift: 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 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.
       None of the funds in the foregoing paragraph shall be 
     available to carry out research related to the production, 
     processing or marketing of tobacco or tobacco products.
       In fiscal year 2000, the agency is authorized to charge 
     fees, commensurate with the fair market value, for any 
     permit, easement, lease, or other special use authorization 
     for the occupancy or use of land and facilities (including 
     land and facilities at the Beltsville Agricultural Research 
     Center) issued by the agency, as authorized by law, and such 
     fees shall be credited to this account and shall remain 
     available until expended for authorized purposes.


                        Buildings and Facilities

       For 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, $52,500,000, to remain available until 
     expended (7 U.S.C. 2209b): Provided, That funds may be 
     received from any State, other political subdivision, 
     organization, or individual for the purpose of establishing 
     any research facility of the Agricultural Research Service, 
     as authorized by law.

      Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service


                   Research and Education Activities

       For payments to agricultural experiment stations, for 
     cooperative forestry and other research, for facilities, and 
     for other expenses, including $180,545,000 to carry into 
     effect the provisions of the Hatch Act (7 U.S.C. 361a-i); 
     $21,932,000 for grants for cooperative forestry research (16 
     U.S.C. 582a-a7); $30,676,000 for payments to the 1890 land-
     grant colleges, including Tuskegee University (7 U.S.C. 
     3222), of which $1,000,000 shall be made available to West 
     Virginia State College in Institute, West Virginia, which for 
     fiscal year 2000 and thereafter shall be designated as an 
     eligible institution under section 1445 of the National 
     Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 
     1977 (7 U.S.C. 3222); $63,238,000 for special grants for 
     agricultural research (7 U.S.C. 450i(c)); $13,721,000 for 
     special grants for agricultural research on improved pest 
     control (7 U.S.C. 450i(c)); $119,300,000 for competitive 
     research grants (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)); $5,109,000 for the 
     support of animal health and disease programs (7 U.S.C. 
     3195); $750,000 for supplemental and alternative crops and 
     products (7 U.S.C. 3319d); $650,000 for grants for research 
     pursuant to the Critical Agricultural Materials Act of 1984 
     (7 U.S.C. 178) and section 1472 of the Food and Agriculture 
     Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3318), to remain available until 
     expended; $500,000 for the 1994 research program (7 U.S.C. 
     301 note); $3,000,000 for higher education graduate 
     fellowship grants (7 U.S.C. 3152(b)(6)), to remain available 
     until expended (7 U.S.C. 2209b); $4,350,000 for higher 
     education challenge grants (7 U.S.C. 3152(b)(1)); $1,000,000 
     for a higher education multicultural scholars program (7 
     U.S.C. 3152(b)(5)), to remain available until expended (7 
     U.S.C. 2209b); $2,850,000 for an education grants program for 
     Hispanic-serving Institutions (7 U.S.C. 3241); $500,000 for a 
     secondary agriculture education program and two-year post-
     secondary education (7 U.S.C. 3152(h)); $4,000,000 for 
     aquaculture grants (7 U.S.C. 3322); $8,000,000 for 
     sustainable agriculture research and education (7 U.S.C. 
     5811); $9,200,000 for a program of capacity building grants 
     (7 U.S.C. 3152(b)(4)) to colleges eligible to receive funds 
     under the Act of August 30, 1890 (7 U.S.C. 321-326 and 328), 
     including Tuskegee University, to remain available until 
     expended (7 U.S.C. 2209b); $1,552,000 for payments to the 
     1994 Institutions pursuant to section 534(a)(1) of Public Law 
     103-382; and $14,825,000 for necessary expenses of Research 
     and Education Activities, of which not to exceed $100,000 
     shall be for employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109; in all, 
     $485,698,000.
       None of the funds in the foregoing paragraph shall be 
     available to carry out research related to the production, 
     processing or marketing of tobacco or tobacco products.


              Native American Institutions Endowment Fund

       For establishment of a Native American institutions 
     endowment fund, as authorized by Public Law 103-382 (7 U.S.C. 
     301 note), $4,600,000.


                          Extension Activities

       Payments to States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, 
     Guam, the Virgin Islands, Micronesia, Northern Marianas, and 
     American Samoa: For payments for cooperative extension work 
     under the Smith-Lever Act, to be distributed under sections 
     3(b) and 3(c) of said Act, and under section 208(c) of Public 
     Law 93-471, for retirement and employees' compensation costs 
     for extension agents and for costs of penalty mail for 
     cooperative extension agents and State extension directors, 
     $276,548,000; payments for extension work at the 1994 
     Institutions under the Smith-Lever Act (7 U.S.C. 343(b)(3)), 
     $3,060,000; payments for the nutrition and family education 
     program for low-income areas under section 3(d) of the Act, 
     $58,695,000; payments for the pest management program under 
     section 3(d) of the Act, $10,783,000; payments for the farm 
     safety program under section 3(d) of the Act, $4,000,000; 
     payments to upgrade research, extension, and teaching 
     facilities at the 1890 land-grant colleges, including 
     Tuskegee University, as authorized by section 1447 of

[[Page H9143]]

     Public Law 95-113 (7 U.S.C. 3222b), $12,000,000, to remain 
     available until expended; payments for the rural development 
     centers under section 3(d) of the Act, $908,000; payments for 
     youth-at-risk programs under section 3(d) of the Act, 
     $9,000,000; payments for carrying out the provisions of the 
     Renewable Resources Extension Act of 1978, $3,192,000; 
     payments for Indian reservation agents under section 3(d) of 
     the Act, $1,714,000; payments for sustainable agriculture 
     programs under section 3(d) of the Act, $3,309,000; payments 
     for rural health and safety education as authorized by 
     section 2390 of Public Law 101-624 (7 U.S.C. 2661 note, 
     2662), $2,628,000; payments for cooperative extension work by 
     the colleges receiving the benefits of the second Morrill Act 
     (7 U.S.C. 321-326 and 328) and Tuskegee University, 
     $26,843,000, of which $1,000,000 shall be made available to 
     West Virginia State College in Institute, West Virginia, 
     which for fiscal year 2000 and thereafter shall be designated 
     as an eligible institution under section 1444 of the National 
     Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 
     1977 (7 U.S.C. 3221); and for Federal administration and 
     coordination including administration of the Smith-Lever Act, 
     and the Act of September 29, 1977 (7 U.S.C. 341-349), and 
     section 1361(c) of the Act of October 3, 1980 (7 U.S.C. 301 
     note), and to coordinate and provide program leadership for 
     the extension work of the Department and the several States 
     and insular possessions, $12,242,000; in all, $424,922,000: 
     Provided, That funds hereby appropriated pursuant to section 
     3(c) of the Act of June 26, 1953, and section 506 of the Act 
     of June 23, 1972, shall not be paid to any State, the 
     District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, or the Virgin 
     Islands, Micronesia, Northern Marianas, and American Samoa 
     prior to availability of an equal sum from non-Federal 
     sources for expenditure during the current fiscal year.

                         integrated activities

       For the integrated research, education, and extension 
     competitive grants programs, including necessary 
     administrative expenses, $39,541,000, as follows: payments 
     for the water quality program, $13,000,000; payments for the 
     food safety program, $15,000,000; payments for the national 
     agriculture pesticide impact assessment program, $4,541,000; 
     payments for the Food Quality Protection Act risk mitigation 
     program for major food crop systems, $4,000,000; payments for 
     the crops affected by Food Quality Protection Act 
     implementation, $1,000,000; and payments for the methyl 
     bromide transition program, $2,000,000, as authorized under 
     section 406 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and 
     Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7626).

  Office of the Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs

       For necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of the 
     Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs to 
     administer programs under the laws enacted by the Congress 
     for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the 
     Agricultural Marketing Service, and the Grain Inspection, 
     Packers and Stockyards Administration, $618,000.

               Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service


                         Salaries and Expenses

                     (including transfers of funds)

       For expenses, not otherwise provided for, including those 
     pursuant to the Act of February 28, 1947 (21 U.S.C. 114b-c), 
     necessary to prevent, control, and eradicate pests and plant 
     and animal diseases; to carry out inspection, quarantine, and 
     regulatory activities; to discharge the authorities of the 
     Secretary of Agriculture under the Act of March 2, 1931 (46 
     Stat. 1468; 7 U.S.C. 426-426b); and to protect the 
     environment, as authorized by law, $441,263,000, of which 
     $4,105,000 shall be available for the control of outbreaks of 
     insects, plant diseases, animal diseases and for control of 
     pest animals and birds to the extent necessary to meet 
     emergency conditions: Provided, 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 field employment pursuant to the second 
     sentence of section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 1944 (7 
     U.S.C. 2225), and not to exceed $40,000 shall be available 
     for employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109: Provided further, That 
     this appropriation shall be available for the operation 
     and maintenance of aircraft and the purchase of not to 
     exceed four, of which two shall be for replacement only: 
     Provided further, That, in addition, in emergencies which 
     threaten any segment of the agricultural production 
     industry of this country, 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 the Act of February 28, 1947, 
     and section 102 of the Act of September 21, 1944, and any 
     unexpended balances of funds transferred for such 
     emergency purposes in the next 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 2000, 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 credited to this account, to 
     remain available until expended, without further 
     appropriation, for providing such assistance, goods, or 
     services.
       Of the total amount available under this heading in fiscal 
     year 2000, $87,000,000 shall be derived from user fees 
     deposited in the Agricultural Quarantine Inspection User Fee 
     Account.


                        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. 428a, $5,200,000, to remain available until expended.

                     Agricultural Marketing Service


                           Marketing Services

       For necessary expenses to carry on services related to 
     consumer protection, agricultural marketing and distribution, 
     transportation, and regulatory programs, as authorized by 
     law, and for administration and coordination of payments to 
     States, including field employment pursuant to the second 
     sentence of section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 1944 (7 
     U.S.C. 2225) and not to exceed $90,000 for employment under 5 
     U.S.C. 3109, $51,625,000, including funds for the wholesale 
     market development program for the design and development of 
     wholesale and farmer market facilities for the major 
     metropolitan areas of the country: Provided, 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).


                 limitation on administrative expenses

       Not to exceed $60,730,000 (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 
     Appropriations Committees.


    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 August 
     8, 1956; (2) transfers otherwise provided in this Act; and 
     (3) not more than $12,443,000 for formulation and 
     administration of marketing agreements and orders pursuant to 
     the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 and the 
     Agricultural Act of 1961.


                   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)), $1,200,000.

        Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration

                         salaries and expenses

       For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of the 
     United States Grain Standards Act, for the administration of 
     the Packers and Stockyards Act, for certifying procedures 
     used to protect purchasers of farm products, and the 
     standardization activities related to grain under the 
     Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, including field 
     employment pursuant to the second sentence of section 706(a) 
     of the Organic Act of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2225), and not to exceed 
     $25,000 for employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109, $26,448,000: 
     Provided, 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.


        limitation on inspection and weighing services expenses

       Not to exceed $42,557,000 (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 Appropriations 
     Committees.

             Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety

       For necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of the 
     Under Secretary for Food Safety to administer the laws 
     enacted by the Congress for the Food Safety and Inspection 
     Service, $446,000.

                   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, 
     $649,411,000, of which no less than $544,902,000 shall be 
     available for federal food inspection, 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 1017 of Public Law 102-237: Provided, 
     That this appropriation shall not be available for shell egg 
     surveillance under section 5(d) of the Egg Products 
     Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 1034(d)): Provided further, That 
     this appropriation shall be available for field employment 
     pursuant to the second sentence of section 706(a) of the 
     Organic Act of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2225), and not to exceed 
     $75,000 shall be available for employment under 5 U.S.C. 
     3109:

[[Page H9144]]

     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.

    Office of the Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural 
                                Services

       For necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of the 
     Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services to 
     administer the laws enacted by Congress for the Farm Service 
     Agency, the Foreign Agricultural Service, the Risk Management 
     Agency, and the Commodity Credit Corporation, $572,000.

                          Farm Service Agency


                         Salaries and Expenses

                     (including transfers of funds)

       For necessary expenses for carrying out the administration 
     and implementation of programs administered by the Farm 
     Service Agency, $794,839,000: Provided, 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 these funds 
     shall be available for employment pursuant to the second 
     sentence of section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 1944 (7 
     U.S.C. 2225), and not to exceed $1,000,000 shall be available 
     for employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109.


                         State Mediation Grants

       For grants pursuant to section 502(b) of the Agricultural 
     Credit Act of 1987 (7 U.S.C. 5101-5106), $3,000,000.


                        Dairy Indemnity Program

                     (including transfers of funds)

       For necessary expenses involved in making indemnity 
     payments to dairy farmers for milk or cows producing such 
     milk and manufacturers of dairy products who have been 
     directed to remove their milk or dairy products from 
     commercial markets because it contained residues of chemicals 
     registered and approved for use by the Federal Government, 
     and in making indemnity payments for milk, or cows producing 
     such milk, at a fair market value to any dairy farmer who is 
     directed to remove his milk from commercial markets because 
     of: (1) the presence of products of nuclear radiation or 
     fallout if such contamination is not due to the fault of the 
     farmer; or (2) residues of chemicals or toxic substances not 
     included under the first sentence of the Act of August 13, 
     1968 (7 U.S.C. 450j), if such chemicals or toxic substances 
     were not used in a manner contrary to applicable regulations 
     or labeling instructions provided at the time of use and the 
     contamination is not due to the fault of the farmer, 
     $450,000, to remain available until expended (7 U.S.C. 
     2209b): Provided, That none of the funds contained in this 
     Act shall be used to make indemnity payments to any farmer 
     whose milk was removed from commercial markets as a result of 
     the farmer's willful failure to follow procedures prescribed 
     by the Federal Government: Provided further, That this amount 
     shall be transferred to the Commodity Credit Corporation: 
     Provided further, That the Secretary is authorized to utilize 
     the services, facilities, and authorities of the Commodity 
     Credit Corporation for the purpose of making dairy indemnity 
     disbursements.

           agricultural credit insurance fund program account


                     (including transfers of funds)

       For gross obligations for the principal amount of direct 
     and guaranteed loans as authorized by 7 U.S.C. 1928-1929, to 
     be available from funds in the Agricultural Credit Insurance 
     Fund, as follows: farm ownership loans, $559,422,000, of 
     which $431,373,000 shall be for guaranteed loans; operating 
     loans, $2,397,842,000, of which $1,697,842,000 shall be for 
     unsubsidized guaranteed loans and $200,000,000 shall be for 
     subsidized guaranteed loans; Indian tribe land acquisition 
     loans as authorized by 25 U.S.C. 488, $1,028,000; for 
     emergency insured loans, $25,000,000 to meet the needs 
     resulting from natural disasters; and for boll weevil 
     eradication program loans as authorized by 7 U.S.C. 1989, 
     $100,000,000.
       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: farm ownership 
     loans, $7,243,000, of which $2,416,000, shall be for 
     guaranteed loans; operating loans, $70,860,000, of which 
     $23,940,000 shall be for unsubsidized guaranteed loans and 
     $17,620,000 shall be for subsidized guaranteed loans; Indian 
     tribe land acquisition loans as authorized by 25 U.S.C. 488, 
     $21,000; and for emergency insured loans, $3,882,000 to meet 
     the needs resulting from natural disasters.
       In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry 
     out the direct and guaranteed loan programs, $214,161,000, of 
     which $209,861,000 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 and operating 
     direct loans and guaranteed loans may be transferred among 
     these programs with the prior approval of the House and 
     Senate Committees on Appropriations.

                         Risk Management Agency

       For administrative and operating expenses, as authorized by 
     the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 
     U.S.C. 6933), $64,000,000: Provided, That not to exceed $700 
     shall be available for official reception and representation 
     expenses, as authorized by 7 U.S.C. 1506(i).

                              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, such sums as may be necessary, to remain 
     available until expended (7 U.S.C. 2209b).

                   Commodity Credit Corporation Fund


                 reimbursement for net realized losses

       For fiscal year 2000, 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).


       operations and maintenance for hazardous waste management

       For fiscal year 2000, the Commodity Credit Corporation 
     shall not expend more than $5,000,000 for 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 Resource Conservation 
     and Recovery Act, 42 U.S.C. 6961: Provided, That expenses 
     shall be for operations and maintenance costs only and that 
     other hazardous waste management costs shall be paid for by 
     the USDA Hazardous Waste Management appropriation in this 
     Act.

                                TITLE II

                         CONSERVATION PROGRAMS

  Office of the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment

       For necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of the 
     Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment to 
     administer the laws enacted by the Congress for the Forest 
     Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, 
     $693,000.

                 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. 
     428a); purchase and erection or alteration or improvement of 
     permanent and temporary buildings; and operation and 
     maintenance of aircraft, $661,243,000, to remain available 
     until expended (7 U.S.C. 2209b), of which not less than 
     $5,990,000 is for snow survey and water forecasting and not 
     less than $9,125,000 is for operation and establishment of 
     the plant materials centers: 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: Provided further, 
     That this appropriation shall be available for technical 
     assistance and related expenses to carry out programs 
     authorized by section 202(c) of title II of the Colorado 
     River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974 (43 U.S.C. 1592(c)): 
     Provided further, That this appropriation shall be available 
     for employment pursuant to the second sentence of section 
     706(a) of the Organic Act of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2225), and not to 
     exceed $25,000 shall be available for employment under 5 
     U.S.C. 3109: Provided further, That qualified local engineers 
     may be temporarily employed at per diem rates to perform the 
     technical planning work of the Service (16 U.S.C. 590e-2).


                     Watershed Surveys and Planning

       For necessary expenses to conduct research, investigation, 
     and surveys of watersheds of rivers and other waterways, and 
     for small watershed investigations and planning, in 
     accordance with the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention 
     Act approved August 4, 1954 (16 U.S.C. 1001-1009), 
     $10,368,000: Provided, That this appropriation shall be 
     available for employment pursuant to the second sentence of 
     section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2225), 
     and not to exceed $110,000 shall be available for employment 
     under 5 U.S.C. 3109.


               Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations

       For necessary expenses to carry out preventive measures, 
     including but not limited to research, engineering 
     operations, methods of cultivation, the growing of 
     vegetation, rehabilitation of existing works and changes in 
     use of land, in accordance with the Watershed Protection and 
     Flood Prevention Act approved August 4, 1954 (16 U.S.C. 1001-
     1005 and 1007-1009), the provisions of the Act of April 27, 
     1935 (16 U.S.C. 590a-f), and in accordance with the 
     provisions of laws relating to the activities of the 
     Department,

[[Page H9145]]

     $99,443,000, to remain available until expended (7 U.S.C. 
     2209b) (of which up to $15,000,000 may be available for the 
     watersheds authorized under the Flood Control Act approved 
     June 22, 1936 (33 U.S.C. 701 and 16 U.S.C. 1006a)): Provided, 
     That not to exceed $47,000,000 of this appropriation shall be 
     available for technical assistance: Provided further, That 
     this appropriation shall be available for employment pursuant 
     to the second sentence of section 706(a) of the Organic Act 
     of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2225), and not to exceed $200,000 shall be 
     available for employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109: Provided 
     further, That not to exceed $1,000,000 of this appropriation 
     is available to carry out the purposes of the Endangered 
     Species Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-205), including 
     cooperative efforts as contemplated by that Act to relocate 
     endangered or threatened species to other suitable habitats 
     as may be necessary to expedite project construction: 
     Provided further, That of the funds available for Emergency 
     Watershed Protection activities, $8,000,000 shall be 
     available for Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio and Wisconsin for 
     financial and technical assistance for pilot rehabilitation 
     projects of small, upstream dams built under the Watershed 
     and Flood Prevention Act (16 U.S.C. 1001 et seq., section 13 
     of the Act of December 22, 1994; Public Law 78-534; 58 Stat. 
     905), and the pilot watershed program authorized under the 
     heading ``FLOOD PREVENTION'' of the Department of Agriculture 
     Appropriation Act, 1954 (Public Law 83-156; 67 Stat. 214).

                 resource conservation and development

       For necessary expenses in planning and carrying out 
     projects for resource conservation and development and for 
     sound land use pursuant to the provisions of section 32(e) of 
     title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (7 U.S.C. 
     1010-1011; 76 Stat. 607), the Act of April 27, 1935 (16 
     U.S.C. 590a-f), and the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 (16 
     U.S.C. 3451-3461), $35,265,000, to remain available until 
     expended (7 U.S.C. 2209b): Provided, That this appropriation 
     shall be available for employment pursuant to the second 
     sentence of section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 1944 (7 
     U.S.C. 2225), and not to exceed $50,000 shall be available 
     for employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109.


                      Forestry Incentives Program

       For necessary expenses, not otherwise provided for, to 
     carry out the program of forestry incentives, as authorized 
     by the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 
     2101), including technical assistance and related expenses, 
     $6,325,000, to remain available until expended, as authorized 
     by that Act.

                               TITLE III

           RURAL ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

          Office of the Under Secretary for Rural Development

       For necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of the 
     Under Secretary for Rural Development to administer programs 
     under the laws enacted by the Congress for the Rural Housing 
     Service, the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and the 
     Rural Utilities Service of the Department of Agriculture, 
     $588,000.


                  Rural Community Advancement Program

                     (including transfers of funds)

       For the cost of direct loans, loan guarantees, and grants, 
     as authorized by 7 U.S.C. 1926, 1926a, 1926c, 1926d, and 
     1932, except for sections 381E-H, 381N, and 381O of the 
     Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009f), 
     $718,837,000, to remain available until expended, of which 
     $23,150,000 shall be for rural community programs described 
     in section 381E(d)(1) of such Act; of which $631,088,000 
     shall be for the rural utilities programs described in 
     section 381E(d)(2), 306C(a)(2), and 306D of such Act; and of 
     which $64,599,000 shall be for the rural business and 
     cooperative development programs described in section 
     381E(d)(3) of such Act: Provided, That of the amount 
     appropriated for rural community programs, $6,000,000 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, and low income rural communities 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 and public (including tribal) intermediary 
     organizations proposing to carry out a program of technical 
     assistance: Provided further, That such intermediary 
     organizations shall provide matching funds from other sources 
     in an amount not less than funds provided: Provided further, 
     That of the amount appropriated for the rural business and 
     cooperative development programs, not to exceed $500,000 
     shall be made available for a grant to a qualified national 
     organization to provide technical assistance for rural 
     transportation in order to promote economic development: 
     Provided further, That of the amount appropriated for rural 
     utilities programs, not to exceed $20,000,000 shall be for 
     water and waste disposal systems to benefit the Colonias 
     along the United States/Mexico borders, including grants 
     pursuant to section 306C of such Act; not to exceed 
     $12,000,000 shall be for water and waste disposal systems to 
     benefit Federally Recognized Native American Tribes, 
     including grants pursuant to section 306C of such Act: 
     Provided further, That the Federally Recognized Native 
     American Tribe is not eligible for any other rural utilities 
     programs set aside under the Rural Community Advancement 
     Program; not to exceed $20,000,000 shall be for water and 
     waste disposal systems for rural and native villages in 
     Alaska pursuant to section 306D of such Act with up to one 
     percent available to administer the program and up to one 
     percent available to improve interagency coordination; not to 
     exceed $16,215,000 shall be for technical assistance grants 
     for rural waste systems pursuant to section 306(a)(14) of 
     such Act; and not to exceed $7,300,000 shall be for 
     contracting with qualified national organizations for a 
     circuit rider program to provide technical assistance for 
     rural water systems: Provided further, That of the total 
     amount appropriated, not to exceed $45,245,000 shall be 
     available through June 30, 2000, for authorized empowerment 
     zones and enterprise communities and communities designated 
     by the Secretary of Agriculture as Rural Economic Area 
     Partnership Zones; of which $34,704,000 shall be for the 
     rural utilities programs described in section 381E(d)(2) of 
     such Act; of which $8,435,000 shall be for the rural business 
     and cooperative development programs described in section 
     381E(d)(3) of such Act: Provided further, That any obligated 
     and unobligated balances available from prior years for the 
     ``Rural Utilities Assistance Program'' account shall be 
     transferred to and merged with this account.

                         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: $4,300,000,000 for loans to 
     section 502 borrowers, as determined by the Secretary, of 
     which $3,200,000,000 shall be for unsubsidized guaranteed 
     loans; $32,396,000 for section 504 housing repair loans; 
     $100,000,000 for section 538 guaranteed multi-family housing 
     loans; $25,001,000 for section 514 farm labor housing; 
     $114,321,000 for section 515 rental housing; $5,152,000 for 
     section 524 site loans; $7,503,000 for credit sales of 
     acquired property, of which up to $1,250,000 may be for 
     multi-family credit sales; and $5,000,000 for section 523 
     self-help housing land 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, $113,350,000, of which $19,520,000 shall be for 
     unsubsidized guaranteed loans; section 504 housing repair 
     loans, $9,900,000; section 538 multi-family housing 
     guaranteed loans, $480,000; section 514 farm labor housing, 
     $11,308,000; section 515 rental housing, $45,363,000; section 
     524 site loans, $4,000; credit sales of acquired property, 
     $874,000, of which up to $494,250 may be for multi-family 
     credit sales; and section 523 self-help housing land 
     development loans, $281,000: Provided, That of the total 
     amount appropriated in this paragraph, $11,180,000 shall be 
     available through June 30, 2000, for authorized empowerment 
     zones and enterprise communities and communities designated 
     by the Secretary of Agriculture as Rural Economic Area 
     Partnership Zones.
       In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry 
     out the direct and guaranteed loan programs, $375,879,000, 
     which shall be transferred to and merged with the 
     appropriation for ``Rural Housing Service, Salaries and 
     Expenses'': Provided, That of this amount the Secretary of 
     Agriculture may transfer up to $7,000,000 to the 
     appropriation for ``Outreach for Socially Disadvantaged 
     Farmers''.


                       Rental Assistance Program

       For rental assistance agreements entered into or renewed 
     pursuant to the authority under section 521(a)(2) 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, $640,000,000; 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 of 
     this amount, not more than $5,900,000 shall be available for 
     debt forgiveness or payments for eligible households as 
     authorized by section 502(c)(5)(D) of the Act, and not to 
     exceed $10,000 per project for advances to nonprofit 
     organizations or public agencies to cover direct costs (other 
     than purchase price) incurred in purchasing projects pursuant 
     to section 502(c)(5)(C) of the Act: Provided further, That 
     agreements entered into or renewed during fiscal year 2000 
     shall be funded for a five-year period, although the life of 
     any such agreement may be extended to fully utilize amounts 
     obligated.


                  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), $28,000,000, to 
     remain available until expended (7 U.S.C. 2209b): Provided, 
     That of the total amount appropriated, $1,000,000 shall be 
     available through June 30, 2000, for authorized empowerment 
     zones and enterprise communities and communities designated 
     by the Secretary of Agriculture as Rural Economic Area 
     Partnership Zones.


                    Rural Housing Assistance Grants

       For grants and contracts for housing for domestic farm 
     labor, very low-income housing repair, supervisory and 
     technical assistance, compensation for construction defects, 
     and rural housing preservation made by the Rural Housing 
     Service, as authorized by 42 U.S.C. 1474, 1479(c), 1486, 
     1490e, and 1490m, $45,000,000, to remain available until 
     expended: Provided, That of the total amount appropriated, 
     $1,200,000 shall be available through June 30, 2000, for 
     authorized empowerment zones and enterprise communities and 
     communities designated by the Secretary of Agriculture as 
     Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones.


                         Salaries and Expenses

       For necessary expenses of the Rural Housing Service, 
     including administering the programs authorized by the 
     Consolidated Farm and Rural

[[Page H9146]]

     Development Act, title V of the Housing Act of 1949, and 
     cooperative agreements, $61,979,000: Provided, That this 
     appropriation shall be available for employment pursuant to 
     the second sentence of section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 
     1944 (7 U.S.C. 2225), and not to exceed $520,000 may be used 
     for employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109: Provided further, That 
     the Administrator may expend not more than $10,000 to provide 
     modest nonmonetary awards to non-USDA employees.

                   Rural Business-Cooperative Service


              Rural Development Loan Fund Program Account

                     (including transfers of funds)

       For the cost of direct loans, $16,615,000, as authorized by 
     the Rural Development Loan Fund (42 U.S.C. 9812(a)): 
     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: Provided further, That 
     these funds are available to subsidize gross obligations for 
     the principal amount of direct loans of $38,256,000: Provided 
     further, That of the total amount appropriated, $3,216,000 
     shall be available through June 30, 2000, for the cost of 
     direct loans for authorized empowerment zones and enterprise 
     communities and communities designated by the Secretary of 
     Agriculture as Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones.
       In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out the 
     direct loan programs, $3,337,000 shall be transferred to and 
     merged with the appropriation for ``Rural Business-
     Cooperative Service, Salaries and Expenses''.


            Rural Economic Development Loans Program Account

                    (including rescission of funds)

       For the principal amount of direct loans, as authorized 
     under section 313 of the Rural Electrification Act, for the 
     purpose of promoting rural economic development and job 
     creation projects, $15,000,000.
       For the cost of direct loans, including the cost of 
     modifying loans as defined in section 502 of the 
     Congressional Budget Act of 1974, $3,453,000.
       Of the funds derived from interest on the cushion of credit 
     payments in fiscal year 2000, as authorized by section 313 of 
     the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, $3,453,000 shall not 
     be obligated and $3,453,000 are rescinded.


                  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), $6,000,000, of which 
     $1,500,000 shall be available for cooperative agreements for 
     the appropriate technology transfer for rural areas program: 
     Provided, That at least twenty-five percent of the total 
     amount appropriated shall be made available to cooperatives 
     or associations of cooperatives that assist small, minority 
     producers.

                         salaries and expenses

       For necessary expenses of the Rural Business-Cooperative 
     Service, including administering the programs authorized by 
     the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act; section 1323 
     of the Food Security Act of 1985; the Cooperative Marketing 
     Act of 1926; for activities relating to the marketing aspects 
     of cooperatives, including economic research findings, as 
     authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946; for 
     activities with institutions concerning the development and 
     operation of agricultural cooperatives; and for cooperative 
     agreements, $24,612,000: Provided, That this appropriation 
     shall be available for employment pursuant to the second 
     sentence of section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 1944 (7 
     U.S.C. 2225), and not to exceed $260,000 may be used for 
     employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109.

                        Rural Utilities Service

   rural electrification and telecommunications loans program account


                     (including transfers of funds)

       Insured loans pursuant to the authority of section 305 of 
     the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 935) shall be 
     made as follows: 5 percent rural electrification loans, 
     $121,500,000; 5 percent rural telecommunications loans, 
     $75,000,000; cost of money rural telecommunications loans, 
     $300,000,000; municipal rate rural electric loans, 
     $295,000,000; and loans made pursuant to section 306 of that 
     Act, rural electric, $1,700,000,000 and rural 
     telecommunications, $120,000,000, to remain available until 
     expended.
       For the cost, as defined in section 502 of the 
     Congressional Budget Act of 1974, including the cost of 
     modifying loans, of direct and guaranteed loans authorized by 
     the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 935 and 936), 
     as follows: cost of direct loans, $1,935,000; cost of 
     municipal rate loans, $10,827,000; cost of money rural 
     telecommunications loans, $2,370,000: Provided, That 
     notwithstanding section 305(d)(2) of the Rural 
     Electrification Act of 1936, borrower interest rates may 
     exceed 7 percent per year.
       In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry 
     out the direct and guaranteed loan programs, $31,046,000, 
     which shall be transferred to and merged with the 
     appropriation for ``Rural Utilities Service, Salaries and 
     Expenses''.

                  rural telephone bank program account


                     (including transfers of funds)

       The Rural Telephone Bank is hereby authorized to make such 
     expenditures, within the limits of funds available to such 
     corporation in accord with law, and to make such 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 its authorized 
     programs. During fiscal year 2000 and within the resources 
     and authority available, gross obligations for the principal 
     amount of direct loans shall be $175,000,000.
       For the cost, as defined in section 502 of the 
     Congressional Budget Act of 1974, including the cost of 
     modifying loans, of direct loans authorized by the Rural 
     Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 935), $3,290,000.
       In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry 
     out the loan programs, $3,000,000, which shall be transferred 
     to and merged with the appropriation for ``Rural Utilities 
     Service, Salaries and Expenses''.


               Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program

       For the cost of direct loans and grants, as authorized by 7 
     U.S.C. 950aaa et seq., $20,700,000, to remain available until 
     expended, to be available for loans and grants for 
     telemedicine and distance learning services in rural areas: 
     Provided, That the costs of direct loans shall be as defined 
     in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

                         salaries and expenses

       For necessary expenses of the Rural Utilities Service, 
     including administering the programs authorized by the Rural 
     Electrification Act of 1936, and the Consolidated Farm and 
     Rural Development Act, and for cooperative agreements, 
     $34,107,000: Provided, That this appropriation shall be 
     available for employment pursuant to the second sentence of 
     section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2225), 
     and not to exceed $105,000 may be used for employment under 5 
     U.S.C. 3109.

                                TITLE IV

                         DOMESTIC FOOD PROGRAMS

Office of the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services

       For necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of the 
     Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services to 
     administer the laws enacted by the Congress for the Food and 
     Nutrition Service, $554,000.

                       Food and Nutrition Service


                        Child Nutrition Programs

                     (including transfers of funds)

       For necessary expenses to carry out the 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; $9,554,028,000, to remain 
     available through September 30, 2001, of which $4,618,829,000 
     is hereby appropriated and $4,935,199,000 shall be derived by 
     transfer from funds available under section 32 of the Act of 
     August 24, 1935 (7 U.S.C. 612c): Provided, That, except as 
     specifically provided under this heading, none of the funds 
     made available under this heading shall be used for studies 
     and evaluations: Provided further, That of the funds made 
     available under this heading, up to $7,000,000 shall be for 
     school breakfast pilot projects, including the evaluation 
     required under section 18(e) of the National School Lunch 
     Act: Provided further, That up to $4,363,000 shall be 
     available for independent verification of school food service 
     claims: Provided further, That none of the funds under this 
     heading shall be available unless the value of bonus 
     commodities provided under section 32 of the Act of August 
     24, 1935 (49 Stat. 774, chapter 641; 7 U.S.C. 612c), and 
     section 416 of the Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 1431) 
     is included in meeting the minimum commodity assistance 
     requirement of section 6(g) of the National School Lunch Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 1755(g)).


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), 
     $4,032,000,000, to remain available through September 30, 
     2001: Provided, That none of the funds made available under 
     this heading shall be used for studies and evaluations: 
     Provided further, That of the total amount available, the 
     Secretary shall obligate $10,000,000 for the farmers' market 
     nutrition program within 45 days of the enactment of this 
     Act, and an additional $5,000,000 for the farmers' market 
     nutrition program from any funds not needed to maintain 
     current caseload levels: Provided further, That none of the 
     funds in this Act shall be available to pay administrative 
     expenses of WIC clinics except those that have an announced 
     policy of prohibiting smoking within the space used to carry 
     out the program: 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 the Child Nutrition Act of 1966: 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 the Child Nutrition Act of 1966.


                           Food Stamp Program

       For necessary expenses to carry out the Food Stamp Act (7 
     U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), $21,071,751,000, of which $100,000,000 
     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 none of the funds made available 
     under this head shall be used for studies and evaluations: 
     Provided further, That funds provided herein shall be 
     expended in accordance with section 16 of the Food Stamp Act: 
     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 head shall remain 
     available until expended, as authorized by section 16(h)(1) 
     of the Food Stamp Act.

[[Page H9147]]

                      Commodity Assistance Program

       For necessary expenses to carry out 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, 
     $133,300,000, to remain available through September 30, 2001: 
     Provided, That none of these funds shall be available to 
     reimburse the Commodity Credit Corporation for commodities 
     donated to the program.


                        Food Donations Programs

       For necessary expenses to carry out section 4(a) of the 
     Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973; special 
     assistance for the nuclear affected islands as authorized by 
     section 103(h)(2) of the Compacts of Free Association Act of 
     1985, as amended; and section 311 of the Older Americans Act 
     of 1965, $141,081,000, to remain available through September 
     30, 2001.


                      Food Program Administration

       For necessary administrative expenses of the domestic food 
     programs funded under this Act, $111,561,000, of which 
     $5,000,000 shall be available only for simplifying 
     procedures, reducing overhead costs, tightening regulations, 
     improving food stamp coupon handling, and assisting in the 
     prevention, identification, and prosecution of fraud and 
     other violations of law and of which not less than $3,000,000 
     shall be available to improve integrity in the Food Stamp and 
     Child Nutrition programs: Provided, That this appropriation 
     shall be available for employment pursuant to the second 
     sentence of section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 1944 (7 
     U.S.C. 2225), and not to exceed $150,000 shall be available 
     for employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109.

                                TITLE V

                FOREIGN ASSISTANCE AND RELATED PROGRAMS

         Foreign Agricultural Service and General Sales Manager


                     (including transfers of funds)

       For necessary expenses of the Foreign Agricultural Service, 
     including carrying out title VI of the Agricultural Act of 
     1954 (7 U.S.C. 1761-1768), market development activities 
     abroad, and for enabling the Secretary to coordinate and 
     integrate activities of the Department in connection with 
     foreign agricultural work, including not to exceed $128,000 
     for representation allowances and for expenses pursuant to 
     section 8 of the Act approved August 3, 1956 (7 U.S.C. 1766), 
     $109,203,000: 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.
       None of the funds in the foregoing paragraph shall be 
     available to promote the sale or export of tobacco or tobacco 
     products.


               Public Law 480 Program and Grant Accounts

                     (including transfers of funds)

       For expenses during the current fiscal year, not otherwise 
     recoverable, and unrecovered prior years' costs, including 
     interest thereon, under the Agricultural Trade Development 
     and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1691, 1701-1704, 1721-
     1726a, 1727-1727e, 1731-1736g-3, and 1737), as follows: (1) 
     $155,000,000 for Public Law 480 title I credit, including 
     Food for Progress programs; (2) $21,000,000 is hereby 
     appropriated for ocean freight differential costs for the 
     shipment of agricultural commodities pursuant to title I of 
     said Act and the Food for Progress Act of 1985; and (3) 
     $800,000,000 is hereby appropriated for commodities supplied 
     in connection with dispositions abroad pursuant to title II 
     of said Act: Provided, That not to exceed 15 percent of the 
     funds made available to carry out any title of said Act may 
     be used to carry out any other title of said Act: Provided 
     further, That such sums shall remain available until expended 
     (7 U.S.C. 2209b).
       For the cost, as defined in section 502 of the 
     Congressional Budget Act of 1974, of direct credit agreements 
     as authorized by the Agricultural Trade Development and 
     Assistance Act of 1954, and the Food for Progress Act of 
     1985, including the cost of modifying credit agreements under 
     said Act, $127,813,000.
       In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out the 
     Public Law 480 title I credit program, and the Food for 
     Progress Act of 1985, to the extent funds appropriated for 
     Public Law 480 are utilized, $1,850,000, of which $1,035,000 
     may be transferred to and merged with the appropriation for 
     ``Foreign Agricultural Service and General Sales Manager'' 
     and $815,000 may be transferred to and merged with the 
     appropriation for ``Farm Service Agency, Salaries and 
     Expenses''.


       Commodity Credit Corporation Export Loans 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, $3,820,000; 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, of which $3,231,000 may be transferred to and 
     merged with the appropriation for ``Foreign Agricultural 
     Service and General Sales Manager'' and $589,000 may be 
     transferred to and merged with the appropriation for ``Farm 
     Service Agency, Salaries and Expenses''.

                                TITLE VI

           RELATED AGENCIES AND FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION

                DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

                      Food and Drug Administration


                         Salaries and Expenses

       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; and 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; $1,186,072,000, of which 
     not to exceed $145,434,000 in prescription drug user fees 
     authorized by 21 U.S.C. 379(h) may be credited to this 
     appropriation and remain available until expended: Provided, 
     That fees derived from applications received during fiscal 
     year 2000 shall be subject to the fiscal year 2000 
     limitation: 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) $269,245,000 shall be for 
     the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and related 
     field activities in the Office of Regulatory Affairs; (2) 
     $309,026,000 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 $11,542,000 shall 
     be available for grants and contracts awarded under section 5 
     of the Orphan Drug Act (21 U.S.C. 360ee); (3) $132,092,000 
     shall be for the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research 
     and for related field activities in the Office of Regulatory 
     Affairs; (4) $48,821,000 shall be for the Center for 
     Veterinary Medicine and for related field activities in the 
     Office of Regulatory Affairs; (5) $154,271,000 shall be for 
     the Center for Devices and Radiological Health and for 
     related field activities in the Office of Regulatory Affairs, 
     of which $1,000,000 shall be for premarket review, 
     enforcement and oversight activities related to users and 
     manufacturers of all reprocessed medical devices as 
     authorized by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 
     U.S.C. 321 et seq.), and of which no less than $55,500,000 
     and 522 full-time equivalent positions shall be for premarket 
     application review activities to meet statutory review times; 
     (6) $34,536,000 shall be for the National Center for 
     Toxicological Research; (7) $34,000,000 shall be for the 
     Office of Tobacco; (8) $25,855,000 shall be for Rent and 
     Related activities, other than the amounts paid to the 
     General Services Administration; (9) $100,180,000 shall be 
     for payments to the General Services Administration for rent 
     and related costs; and (10) $78,046,000 shall be for other 
     activities, including the Office of the Commissioner; the 
     Office of Policy; the Office of the Senior Associate 
     Commissioner; the Office of International and Constituent 
     Relations; the Office of Policy, Legislation, and Planning; 
     and central services for these offices: Provided further, 
     That funds may be transferred from one specified activity to 
     another with the prior approval of the Committee on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
       In addition, mammography user fees authorized by 42 U.S.C. 
     263(b) may be credited to this account, to remain available 
     until expended.
       In addition, export certification user fees authorized by 
     21 U.S.C. 381 may be credited to this account, to remain 
     available until expended.


                        Buildings and Facilities

       For plans, construction, repair, improvement, extension, 
     alteration, and purchase of fixed equipment or facilities of 
     or used by the Food and Drug Administration, where not 
     otherwise provided, $11,350,000, to remain available until 
     expended (7 U.S.C. 2209b).

                          INDEPENDENT AGENCIES

                  Commodity Futures Trading Commission

       For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of the 
     Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. 1 et seq.), including the 
     purchase and hire of passenger motor vehicles; the rental of 
     space (to include multiple year leases) in the District of 
     Columbia and elsewhere; and not to exceed $25,000 for 
     employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109, $63,000,000, including not to 
     exceed $1,000 for official reception and representation 
     expenses: Provided, That for fiscal year 2000 and thereafter, 
     the Commission is authorized to charge reasonable fees to 
     attendees of Commission sponsored educational events and 
     symposia to cover the Commission's costs of providing those 
     events and symposia, and notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, said 
     fees shall be credited to this account, to be available 
     without further appropriation.

                       Farm Credit Administration


                 Limitation on Administrative Expenses

       Not to exceed $35,800,000 (from assessments collected from 
     farm credit institutions and from 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.

                     TITLE VII--GENERAL PROVISIONS

       Sec. 701. Within the unit limit of cost fixed by law, 
     appropriations and authorizations made for the Department of 
     Agriculture for the fiscal year 2000 under this Act shall be 
     available for the purchase, in addition to those specifically 
     provided for, of not to exceed 365 passenger motor vehicles, 
     of which 361 shall be for replacement only, and for the hire 
     of such vehicles.
       Sec. 702. Funds in this Act available to the Department of 
     Agriculture shall be available for uniforms or allowances 
     therefor as authorized by law (5 U.S.C. 5901-5902).
       Sec. 703. Not less than $1,500,000 of the appropriations of 
     the Department of Agriculture in this Act for research and 
     service work authorized by the Acts of August 14, 1946, and 
     July 28,

[[Page H9148]]

     1954 (7 U.S.C. 427 and 1621-1629), and by chapter 63 of title 
     31, United States Code, shall be available for contracting in 
     accordance with said Acts and chapter.
       Sec. 704. The cumulative total of transfers to the Working 
     Capital Fund for the purpose of accumulating growth capital 
     for data services and National Finance Center operations 
     shall not exceed $2,000,000: Provided, That no funds in this 
     Act appropriated to an agency of the Department shall be 
     transferred to the Working Capital Fund without the approval 
     of the agency administrator.
       Sec. 705. New obligational authority provided for the 
     following appropriation items in this Act shall remain 
     available until expended: Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
     Service, the contingency fund to meet emergency conditions, 
     fruit fly program, integrated systems acquisition project, 
     boll weevil program, up to 10 percent of the screwworm 
     program, and up to $2,000,000 for costs associated with 
     colocating regional offices; Food Safety and Inspection 
     Service, field automation and information management project; 
     funds appropriated for rental payments; Cooperative State 
     Research, Education, and Extension Service, funds for 
     competitive research grants (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)) and funds for 
     the Native American Institutions Endowment Fund; Farm Service 
     Agency, salaries and expenses funds made available to county 
     committees; and Foreign Agricultural Service, middle-income 
     country training program.
       Sec. 706. 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. 707. Not to exceed $50,000 of the appropriations 
     available to the Department of Agriculture in this Act shall 
     be available to provide appropriate orientation and language 
     training pursuant to Public Law 94-449.
       Sec. 708. 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. 709. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, 
     commodities acquired by the Department in connection with 
     Commodity Credit Corporation and section 32 price support 
     operations may be used, as authorized by law (15 U.S.C. 714c 
     and 7 U.S.C. 612c), to provide commodities to individuals in 
     cases of hardship as determined by the Secretary of 
     Agriculture.
       Sec. 710. None of the funds in this Act shall be available 
     to restrict the authority of the Commodity Credit Corporation 
     to lease space for its own use or to lease space on behalf of 
     other agencies of the Department of Agriculture when such 
     space will be jointly occupied.
       Sec. 711. None of the funds in this Act shall be available 
     to pay indirect costs charged against competitive 
     agricultural research, education, or extension grant awards 
     issued by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and 
     Extension Service that exceed 19 percent of total Federal 
     funds provided under each award: Provided, That 
     notwithstanding section 1462 of the National Agricultural 
     Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
     U.S.C. 3310), funds provided by this Act for grants awarded 
     competitively by the Cooperative State Research, Education, 
     and Extension Service shall be available to pay full 
     allowable indirect costs for each grant awarded under the 
     Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982, Public Law 
     97-219 (15 U.S.C. 638).
       Sec. 712. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, 
     all loan levels provided in this Act shall be considered 
     estimates, not limitations.
       Sec. 713. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
     effective on September 29, 1999, appropriations made 
     available to the Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program Account 
     for the costs of direct and guaranteed loans and to the Rural 
     Housing Assistance Grants Account in fiscal years 1994, 1995, 
     1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999 shall remain available until 
     expended to cover obligations made in each of those fiscal 
     years respectively with regard to each account.
       Sec. 714. Appropriations to the Department of Agriculture 
     for the cost of direct and guaranteed loans made available in 
     fiscal year 2000 shall remain available until expended to 
     cover obligations made in fiscal year 2000 for the following 
     accounts: the rural development loan fund program account; 
     the Rural Telephone Bank program account; the rural 
     electrification and telecommunications loans program account; 
     the Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program Account; and the 
     rural economic development loans program account.
       Sec. 715. Such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 
     2000 pay raises for programs funded by this Act shall be 
     absorbed within the levels appropriated by this Act.
       Sec. 716. Notwithstanding the Federal Grant and Cooperative 
     Agreement Act, marketing services of the Agricultural 
     Marketing Service; Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards 
     Administration; the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
     Service; and the food safety activities of the Food Safety 
     and Inspection Service may use cooperative agreements to 
     reflect a relationship between the Agricultural Marketing 
     Service; the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards 
     Administration; the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
     Service; or the Food Safety and Inspection Service and a 
     State or Cooperator to carry out agricultural marketing 
     programs, to carry out programs to protect the Nation's 
     animal and plant resources, or to carry out educational 
     programs or special studies to improve the safety of the 
     Nation's food supply.
       Sec. 717. Notwithstanding any other provision of law 
     (including provisions of law requiring competition), the 
     Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements (which may 
     provide for the acquisition of goods or services, including 
     personal services) with a State, political subdivision, or 
     agency thereof, a public or private agency, organization, or 
     any other person, if the Secretary determines that the 
     objectives of the agreement will (1) serve a mutual interest 
     of the parties to the agreement in carrying out the Wetlands 
     Reserve Program; (2) all parties will contribute resources to 
     the accomplishment of these objectives: Provided, That 
     Commodity Credit Corporation funds obligated for such 
     purposes shall not exceed the level obligated by the 
     Commodity Credit Corporation for such purposes in fiscal year 
     1998.
       Sec. 718. None of the funds in this Act may be used to 
     retire more than 5 percent of the Class A stock of the Rural 
     Telephone Bank or to maintain any account or subaccount 
     within the accounting records of the Rural Telephone Bank the 
     creation of which has not specifically been authorized by 
     statute: Provided, That notwithstanding any other provision 
     of law, none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available in this Act may be used to transfer to the Treasury 
     or to the Federal Financing Bank any unobligated balance of 
     the Rural Telephone Bank telephone liquidating account which 
     is in excess of current requirements and such balance shall 
     receive interest as set forth for financial accounts in 
     section 505(c) of the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990.
       Sec. 719. Of the funds made available by this Act, not more 
     than $1,800,000 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: Provided, That interagency funding is 
     authorized to carry out the purposes of the National Drought 
     Policy Commission.
       Sec. 720. None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be 
     used to carry out the provisions of section 918 of Public Law 
     104-127, the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act.
       Sec. 721. No employee of the Department of Agriculture may 
     be detailed or assigned from an agency or office funded by 
     this Act to any other agency or office of the Department for 
     more than 30 days 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. 722. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available to the Department of Agriculture shall be used to 
     transmit or otherwise make available to any non-Department of 
     Agriculture employee questions or responses to questions that 
     are a result of information requested for the appropriations 
     hearing process.
       Sec. 723. 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 the prior 
     approval of the Committee on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress.
       Sec. 724. (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 fiscal year 2000, or provided from any 
     accounts in the Treasury of the United States derived by the 
     collection of fees available to the agencies funded by this 
     Act, shall be available for obligation or expenditure through 
     a reprogramming of funds which: (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 Committee on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress are notified fifteen days in advance of such 
     reprogramming of funds.
       (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 
     fiscal year 2000, or provided from any accounts in the 
     Treasury of the United States 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 of 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 Committee on Appropriations 
     of both Houses of Congress are notified fifteen days in 
     advance of such reprogramming of funds.
       Sec. 725. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this Act or any other Act may be used to pay the 
     salaries and expenses of personnel to carry out the transfer

[[Page H9149]]

     or obligation of fiscal year 2000 funds under the provisions 
     of section 793 of Public Law 104-127.
       Sec. 726. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this Act shall be used to pay the salaries and 
     expenses of personnel who carry out an environmental quality 
     incentives program authorized by sections 334-341 of Public 
     Law 104-127 in excess of $174,000,000.
       Sec. 727. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise 
     available to the Department of Agriculture in fiscal year 
     2000 or thereafter may be used to administer the provision of 
     contract payments to a producer under the Agricultural Market 
     Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.) for contract acreage 
     on which wild rice is planted unless the contract payment is 
     reduced by an acre for each contract acre planted to wild 
     rice.
       Sec. 728. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this Act shall be used to pay the salaries and 
     expenses of personnel to enroll in excess of 150,000 acres in 
     the fiscal year 2000 wetlands reserve program as authorized 
     by 16 U.S.C. 3837.
       Sec. 729. 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 the transfer 
     or obligation of fiscal year 2000 funds under the provisions 
     of section 401 of Public Law 105-185, the Initiative for 
     Future Agriculture and Food Systems.
       Sec. 730. Notwithstanding section 381A of the Consolidated 
     Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009), in fiscal 
     year 2000 and thereafter, the definitions of rural areas for 
     certain business programs administered by the Rural Business-
     Cooperative Service and the community facilities programs 
     administered by the Rural Housing Service shall be those 
     provided for in statute and regulations prior to the 
     enactment of Public Law 104-127.
       Sec. 731. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this Act shall be used to carry out any 
     commodity purchase program that would prohibit eligibility 
     or participation by farmer-owned cooperatives.
       Sec. 732. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this Act shall be used to pay the salaries and 
     expenses of personnel to carry out a conservation farm option 
     program, as authorized by section 335 of Public Law 104-127.
       Sec. 733. None of the funds made available to the Food and 
     Drug Administration by this Act shall be used to close or 
     relocate, or to plan to close or relocate, the Food and Drug 
     Administration Division of Drug Analysis in St. Louis, 
     Missouri, or the Food and Drug Administration Detroit, 
     Michigan, District Office Laboratory; or to reduce the 
     Detroit, Michigan, Food and Drug Administration District 
     Office below the operating and full-time equivalent staffing 
     level of July 31, 1999; or to change the Detroit District 
     Office to a station, residence post or similarly modified 
     office; or to reassign residence posts assigned to the 
     Detroit District Office.
       Sec. 734. None of the funds made available by this Act or 
     any other Act for any fiscal year may be used to carry out 
     section 302(h) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 
     U.S.C. 1622(h)) unless the Secretary of Agriculture inspects 
     and certifies agricultural processing equipment, and imposes 
     a fee for the inspection and certification, in a manner that 
     is similar to the inspection and certification of 
     agricultural products under that section, as determined by 
     the Secretary: Provided, That this provision shall not affect 
     the authority of the Secretary to carry out the Federal Meat 
     Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the Poultry Products 
     Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 451 et seq.), or the Egg Products 
     Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 1031 et seq.).
       Sec. 735. None of the funds appropriated by this Act 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 of 
     the United States for programs under the jurisdiction of the 
     Appropriations Subcommittees on Agriculture, Rural 
     Development, 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 users fees proposals are not enacted prior 
     to the date of the convening of a committee of conference for 
     the fiscal year 2001 appropriations Act.
       Sec. 736. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this Act shall be used to establish an Office of 
     Community Food Security or any similar office within the 
     United States Department of Agriculture without the prior 
     approval of the Committee on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress.
       Sec. 737. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this or any other Act may be used to carry out 
     provision of section 612 of Public Law 105-185.
       Sec. 738. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this Act shall be used to pay the salaries and 
     expenses of personnel to carry out the emergency food 
     assistance program authorized by section 27(a) of the Food 
     Stamp Act (7 U.S.C. 2036(a)) if such program exceeds 
     $98,000,000.
       Sec. 739. None of the funds appropriated by this Act shall 
     be used to propose or issue rules, regulations, decrees, or 
     orders for the purpose of implementation, or in preparation 
     for implementation of the Kyoto Protocol which was adopted on 
     December 11, 1997, in Kyoto, Japan.
       Sec. 740. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in 
     fiscal year 2000 and thereafter, permanent employees of 
     county committees employed on or after October 1, 1998, 
     pursuant to 8(b) of the Soil Conservation and Domestic 
     Allotment Act (16 U.S.C. 590h(b)) shall be considered as 
     having Federal Civil Service status only for the purpose of 
     applying for United States Department of Agriculture Civil 
     Service vacancies.
       Sec. 741. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this Act may be used to declare excess or 
     surplus all or part of the lands and facilities owned by the 
     Federal Government and administered by the Secretary of 
     Agriculture at Fort Reno, Oklahoma, or to transfer or convey 
     such lands or facilities, without the specific authorization 
     of Congress.
       Sec. 742. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
     Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service shall 
     provide funds, within discretionary amounts available, for 
     the settlement of claims associated with the Chuquatonchee 
     Watershed Project in Mississippi to close out this project.
       Sec. 743. (a) Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
     offer to enter into an agreement with the Governor of the 
     State of Hawaii to conduct a pilot program to inspect mail 
     entering the State of Hawaii for any plant, plant product, 
     plant pest, or other organism that is subject to Federal 
     quarantine laws.
       (b) The agreement described in subsection (a) shall contain 
     the same terms and conditions as are contained in the 
     memorandum of understanding entered into between the 
     Secretary and the State of California, dated February 1, 
     1999, unless the Secretary and the Governor agree to 
     different terms or conditions.
       (c) Unless the Secretary and the Governor agree otherwise, 
     the agreement described in subsection (b) shall terminate on 
     the later of--
       (1) the date that is 1 year after the date the agreement 
     becomes effective; or
       (2) the date that the February 1, 1999 memorandum of 
     understanding terminates.
       Sec. 744. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
     Secretary is authorized under section 306 of the Consolidated 
     Farm and Rural Development Act, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1926), 
     to provide guaranteed lines of credit, including working 
     capital loans, for health care facilities, to address Year 
     2000 computer conversion issues.
       Sec. 745. After taking any action involving the seizure, 
     quarantine, treatment, destruction, or disposal of wheat 
     infested with karnal bunt, the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
     compensate the producers and handlers for economic losses 
     incurred as the result of the action not later than 45 days 
     after receipt of a claim that includes all appropriate 
     paperwork.
       Sec. 746. In addition to amounts otherwise appropriated or 
     made available by this Act, $2,000,000 is appropriated for 
     the purpose of providing Bill Emerson and Mickey Leland 
     Hunger Fellowships through the Congressional Hunger Center, 
     which is an organization described in subsection (c)(3) of 
     section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is 
     exempt from taxation under subsection (a) of such section.
       Sec. 747. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, there 
     are hereby appropriated $250,000 for the program authorized 
     under section 388 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and 
     Reform Act of 1996, solely for use in the State of New 
     Hampshire.
       Sec. 748. The Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
     1188 et seq.) is amended: (a) in section 218(c)(1) by 
     striking ``60 days'' and inserting ``45 days'', and (b) in 
     section 218(c)(3)(A) by striking ``20 days'' and inserting 
     ``30 days''.
       Sec. 749. Successorship Provisions Relating to Bargaining 
     Units and Exclusive Representatives. (a) Voluntary 
     Agreement.--
       (1) In general.--If the exercise of the Secretary of 
     Agriculture's authority under this section results in changes 
     to an existing bargaining unit that has been certified under 
     chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code, the affected 
     parties shall attempt to reach a voluntary agreement on a new 
     bargaining unit and an exclusive representative for such 
     unit.
       (2) Criteria.--In carrying out the requirements of this 
     subsection, the affected parties shall use criteria set forth 
     in--
       (A) sections 7103(a)(4), 7111(e), 7111(f)(1), and 7120 of 
     title 5, United States Code, relating to determining an 
     exclusive representative; and
       (B) section 7112 of title 5, United States Code 
     (disregarding subsections (b)(5) and (d) thereof), relating 
     to determining appropriate units.
       (b) Effect of an Agreement.--
       (1) In general.--If the affected parties reach agreement on 
     the appropriate unit and the exclusive representative for 
     such unit under subsection (a), the Federal Labor Relations 
     Authority shall certify the terms of such agreement, subject 
     to paragraph (2)(A). Nothing in this subsection shall be 
     considered to require the holding of any hearing or election 
     as a condition for certification.
       (2) Restrictions.--
       (A) Conditions requiring noncertification.--The Federal 
     Labor Relations Authority may not certify the terms of an 
     agreement under paragraph (1) if--
       (i) it determines that any of the criteria referred to in 
     subsection (a)(2) (disregarding section 7112(a) of title 5, 
     United States Code) have not been met; or
       (ii) after the Secretary's exercise of authority and before 
     certification under this section, a valid election under 
     section 7111(b) of title 5, United States Code, is held 
     covering any employees who would be included in the unit 
     proposed for certification.
       (B) Temporary waiver of provision that would bar an 
     election after a collective bargaining agreement is 
     reached.--Nothing in section 7111(f)(3) of title 5, United 
     States Code, shall prevent the holding of an election under 
     section 7111(b) of such title that covers employees within a 
     unit certified under paragraph (1), or giving effect to the 
     results of such an election (including a decision not to be 
     represented by any labor organization), if the election is 
     held before the end of the 12-month period beginning on the 
     date such unit is so certified.

[[Page H9150]]

       (C) Clarification.--The certification of a unit under 
     paragraph (1) shall not, for purposes of the last sentence of 
     section 7111(b) of title 5, United States Code, or section 
     7111(f)(4) of such title, be treated as if it had occurred 
     pursuant to an election.
       (3) Delegation.--
       (A) In general.--The Federal Labor Relations Authority may 
     delegate to any regional director (as referred to in section 
     7105(e) of title 5, United States Code) its authority under 
     the preceding provisions of this subsection.
       (B) Review.--Any action taken by a regional director under 
     subparagraph (A) shall be subject to review under the 
     provisions of section 7105(f) of title 5, United States Code, 
     in the same manner as if such action had been taken under 
     section 7105(e) of such title, except that in the case of a 
     decision not to certify, such review shall be required if 
     application therefore is filed by an affected party within 
     the time specified in such provisions.
       (c) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term 
     ``affected party'' means--
       (1) with respect to an exercise of authority by the 
     Secretary of Agriculture under this section, any labor 
     organization affected thereby; and
       (2) the Department of Agriculture.
       Sec. 750. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this Act or any other Act shall be used for the 
     implementation of a Support Services Bureau or similar 
     organization.
       Sec. 751. Contracts for Procurement or Processing of 
     Certain Commodities. (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) HUBZone sole source contract.--The term ``HUBZone sole 
     source contract'' means a sole source contract authorized by 
     section 31 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657a).
       (2) HUBZone price evaluation preference.--The term 
     ``HUBZone price evaluation preference'' means a price 
     evaluation preference authorized by section 31 of the Small 
     Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657a).
       (3) Qualified HUBZone small business concern.--The term 
     ``qualified HUBZone small business concern'' has the meaning 
     given the term in section 3(p) of the Small Business Act (15 
     U.S.C. 632(p)).
       (4) Covered procurement.--The term ``covered procurement'' 
     means a contract for the procurement or processing of a 
     commodity furnished under title II or III of the Agricultural 
     Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1721 
     et seq.), section 416(b) of the Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 
     U.S.C. 1431(b)), the Food for Progress Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 
     1736o), or any other commodity procurement or acquisition by 
     the Commodity Credit Corporation under any other law.
       (b) Prohibition of Use of Funds.--None of the funds made 
     available by this Act may be used:
       (1) to award a HUBZone sole source contract or a contract 
     awarded through full and open competition in combination with 
     a HUBZone price evaluation preference to any qualified 
     HUBZone small business concern in any covered procurement if 
     performance of the contract by the business concern would 
     exceed the production capacity of the business concern or 
     would require the business concern to subcontract to any 
     other company or enterprise for the purchase of the commodity 
     being procured through the covered procurement.
       (2) in any contract awarded through full and open 
     competition in any covered procurement,
       (A) to fund a price evaluation preference greater than 5 
     percent if the dollar value of the contract awarded is not 
     greater than 50 percent of the total dollar value being 
     procured in a single tender for a commodity, or
       (B) to fund any price evaluation preference at all if the 
     dollar value of the contract awarded is greater than 50 
     percent of the total dollar value being procured in a single 
     tender for a commodity.
       Sec. 752. Redesignation of National School Lunch Act as 
     Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. (a) In 
     General.--The first section of the National School Lunch Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 1751 note) is amended by striking ``National 
     School Lunch Act'' and inserting ``Richard B. Russell 
     National School Lunch Act''.
       (b) Conforming Amendments.--The following provisions of law 
     are amended by striking ``National School Lunch Act'' each 
     place it appears and inserting ``Richard B. Russell National 
     School Lunch Act'':
       (1) Sections 3 and 13(3)(A) of the Commodity Distribution 
     Reform Act and WIC Amendments of 1987 (7 U.S.C. 612c note; 
     Public Law 100-237).
       (2) Section 404 of the Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 
     1424).
       (3) Section 201(a) of the Act entitled ``An Act to extend 
     the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 
     1954, and for other purposes'', approved September 21, 1959 
     (7 U.S.C. 1431c(a); 73 Stat. 610).
       (4) Section 211(a) of the Agricultural Trade Suspension 
     Adjustment Act of 1980 (7 U.S.C. 4004(a)).
       (5) Section 245A(h)(4)(A) of the Immigration and 
     Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1255a(h)(4)(A)).
       (6) Sections 403(c)(2)(C), 422(b)(3), 423(d)(3), 741(a)(1), 
     and 742 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1613(c)(2)(C), 
     1632(b)(3), 1183a note, 42 U.S.C. 1751 note, 8 U.S.C. 1615; 
     Public Law 104-193).
       (7) Section 2243(b) of title 10, United States Code.
       (8) Sections 404B(g)(1)(A), 404D(c)(2), and 404F(a)(2) of 
     the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-
     22(g)(1)(A), 1070a-24(c)(2), 1070a-26(a)(2); Public Law 105-
     244).
       (9) Section 231(d)(3)(A)(i) of the Carl D. Perkins 
     Vocational Education Act (20 U.S.C. 2341(d)(3)(A)(i)).
       (10) Section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5)).
       (11) Section 1397E(d)(4)(A)(iv)(II) of the Internal Revenue 
     Code of 1986.
       (12) Sections 254(b)(2)(B) and 263(a)(2)(C) of the Job 
     Training Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. 1633(b)(2)(B), 
     1643(a)(2)(C)).
       (13) Section 3803(c)(2)(C)(xiii) of title 31, United States 
     Code.
       (14) Section 602(d)(9)(A) of the Federal Property and 
     Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C. 474(d)(9)(A)).
       (15) Sections 2(4), 3(1), and 301 of the Healthy Meals for 
     Healthy Americans Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 1751 note; Public 
     Law 103-448).
       (16) Sections 3, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16(b), 17, and 19(d) of the 
     Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1772, 1773, 1776, 
     1779, 1782, 1785(b), 1786, 1788(d)).
       (17) Section 658O(b)(3) of the Child Care and Development 
     Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858m(b)(3)).
       (18) Subsection (b) of the first section of Public Law 87-
     688 (48 U.S.C. 1666(b)).
       (19) Section 10405(a)(2)(H) of the Omnibus Budget 
     Reconciliation Act of 1989 (Public Law 101-239; 103 Stat. 
     2489).
       Sec. 753. Public Law 105-199 (112 Stat. 641) is amended in 
     section 3(b)(1)(G) by striking ``persons'', and inserting in 
     lieu thereof ``governors, who may be represented on the 
     Commission by their respective designees,''.
       Sec. 754. Section 889 of the Federal Agriculture 
     Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 is amended--
       (1) in the heading, by inserting ``HARRY K. DUPREE'' before 
     ``STUTTGART'';
       (2) in subsection (b)(1)--
       (A) in the heading, by inserting ``HARRY K. DUPREE'' before 
     ``STUTTGART''; and
       (B) in subparagraphs (A) and (B), by inserting ``Harry K. 
     Dupree'' before ``Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research 
     Center'' each place it appears.
       Sec. 755. Tobacco Leasing and Information. (a) Cross-County 
     Leasing.--Section 319(l) of the Agricultural Adjustment Act 
     of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1314e(l)) is amended in the second sentence 
     by inserting ``, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky,'' after 
     ``Tennessee''.
       (b) Tobacco Production and Marketing Information.--Part I 
     of subtitle B of title III of the Agricultural Adjustment Act 
     of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1311 et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
     end the following:

     ``SEC. 320D. TOBACCO PRODUCTION AND MARKETING INFORMATION.

       ``(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, the Secretary may, subject to subsection (b), release 
     marketing information submitted by persons relating to the 
     production and marketing of tobacco to State trusts or 
     similar organizations engaged in the distribution of national 
     trust funds to tobacco producers and other persons with 
     interests associated with the production of tobacco, as 
     determined by the Secretary.
       ``(b) Limitations.--
       ``(1) In general.--Information may be released under 
     subsection (a) only to the extent that--
       ``(A) the release is in the interest of tobacco producers, 
     as determined by the Secretary; and
       ``(B) the information is released to a State trust or other 
     organization that is created to, or charged with, 
     distributing funds to tobacco producers or other parties with 
     an interest in tobacco production or tobacco farms under a 
     national or State trust or settlement.
       ``(2) Exemption from release.--The Secretary shall, to the 
     maximum extent practicable, in advance of making a release of 
     information under subsection (a), allow, by announcement, a 
     period of at least 15 days for persons whose consent would 
     otherwise be required by law to effectuate the release, to 
     elect to be exempt from the release.
       ``(c) Assistance.--
       ``(1) In general.--In making a release under subsection 
     (a), the Secretary may provide such other assistance with 
     respect to information released under subsection (a) as will 
     facilitate the interest of producers in receiving the funds 
     that are the subject of a trust described in subsection (a).
       ``(2) Funds.--The Secretary shall use amounts made 
     available for salaries and expenses of the Department to 
     carry out paragraph (1).
       ``(d) Records.--
       ``(1) In general.--A person who obtains information 
     described in subsection (a) shall maintain records that are 
     consistent with the purposes of the release and shall not use 
     the records for any purpose not authorized under this 
     section.
       ``(2) Penalty.--A person who knowingly violates this 
     subsection shall be fined not more than $10,000, imprisoned 
     not more than 1 year, or both.
       ``(e) Application.--This section shall not apply to--
       ``(1) records submitted by cigarette manufacturers with 
     respect to the production of cigarettes;
       ``(2) records that were submitted as expected purchase 
     intentions in connection with the establishment of national 
     tobacco quotas; or
       ``(3) records that aggregate the purchases of particular 
     buyers.''.
       Sec. 756. Notwithstanding section 306(a)(7) of the 
     Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
     1926(a)(7)), the city of Berlin, New Hampshire, shall be 
     eligible during fiscal year 2000 for a rural utilities grant 
     or loan under the Rural Community Advancement Program.
       Sec. 757. Cranberry Marketing Orders. (a) Paid Advertising 
     for Cranberries and Cranberry Products.--Section 8c(6)(I) of 
     the Agricultural Adjustment Act (7 U.S.C. 608c(6)(I)), 
     reenacted with amendments by the Agricultural Marketing 
     Agreement Act of 1937, is amended in the first proviso--

[[Page H9151]]

       (1) by striking ``or Florida grown strawberries'' and 
     inserting ``, Florida grown strawberries, or cranberries''; 
     and
       (2) by striking ``and Florida Indian River grapefruit'' and 
     inserting ``Florida Indian River grapefruit, and 
     cranberries''.
       (b) Collection of Cranberry Inventory Data.--Section 8d of 
     the Agricultural Adjustment Act (7 U.S.C. 608d), reenacted 
     with amendments by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act 
     of 1937, is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) Collection of cranberry inventory data.--
       ``(A) In general.--If an order is in effect with respect to 
     cranberries, the Secretary of Agriculture may require persons 
     engaged in the handling or importation of cranberries or 
     cranberry products (including producer-handlers, second 
     handlers, processors, brokers, and importers) to provide such 
     information as the Secretary considers necessary to 
     effectuate the declared policy of this title, including 
     information on acquisitions, inventories, and dispositions of 
     cranberries and cranberry products.
       ``(B) Delegation to committee.--The Secretary may delegate 
     the authority to carry out subparagraph (A) to any committee 
     that is responsible for administering an order covering 
     cranberries.
       ``(C) Confidentiality.--Paragraph (2) shall apply to 
     information provided under this paragraph.
       ``(D) Violations.--Any person who violates this paragraph 
     shall be subject to the penalties provided under section 
     8c(14).''.
       Sec. 758. Beginning in fiscal year 2001 and thereafter, the 
     Food Stamp Act (Public Law 95-113, section 16(a)) is amended 
     by inserting after the phrase ``Indian reservation under 
     section 11(d) of this Act'' the following new phrase: ``or in 
     a Native village within the State of Alaska identified in 
     section 11(b) of Public Law 92-203, as amended.''.
       Sec. 759. Education Grants to Alaska Native Serving 
     Institutions and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions. (a) 
     Education Grants Program for Alaska Native Serving 
     Institutions.--
       (1) Grant authority.--The Secretary of Agriculture may make 
     competitive grants (or grants without regard to any 
     requirement for competition) to Alaska Native serving 
     institutions for the purpose of promoting and strengthening 
     the ability of Alaska Native serving institutions to carry 
     out education, applied research, and related community 
     development programs.
       (2) Use of grant funds.--Grants made under this section 
     shall be used--
       (A) to support the activities of consortia of Alaska Native 
     serving institutions to enhance educational equity for under 
     represented students;
       (B) to strengthen institutional educational capacities, 
     including libraries, curriculum, faculty, scientific 
     instrumentation, instruction delivery systems, and student 
     recruitment and retention, in order to respond to identified 
     State, regional, national, or international educational needs 
     in the food and agriculture sciences;
       (C) to attract and support undergraduate and graduate 
     students from under represented groups in order to prepare 
     them for careers related to the food, agricultural, and 
     natural resource systems of the United States, beginning with 
     the mentoring of students at the high school level including 
     by village elders and continuing with the provision of 
     financial support for students through their attainment of a 
     doctoral degree; and
       (D) to facilitate cooperative initiatives between two or 
     more Alaska Native serving institutions, or between Alaska 
     Native serving institutions and units of State government or 
     the private sector, to maximize the development and use of 
     resources, such as faculty, facilities, and equipment, to 
     improve food and agricultural sciences teaching programs.
       (3) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to make grants under this subsection 
     $10,000,000 in fiscal years 2001 through 2006.
       (b) Education Grants Program for Native Hawaiian Serving 
     Institutions.--
       (1) Grant authority.--The Secretary of Agriculture may make 
     competitive grants (or grants without regard to any 
     requirement for competition) to Native Hawaiian serving 
     institutions for the purpose of promoting and strengthening 
     the ability of Native Hawaiian serving institutions to carry 
     out education, applied research, and related community 
     development programs.
       (2) Use of grant funds.--Grants made under this section 
     shall be used--
       (A) to support the activities of consortia of Native 
     Hawaiian serving institutions to enhance educational equity 
     for under represented students;
       (B) to strengthen institutional educational capacities, 
     including libraries, curriculum, faculty, scientific 
     instrumentation, instruction delivery systems, and student 
     recruitment and retention, in order to respond to identified 
     State, regional, national, or international educational needs 
     in the food and agriculture sciences;
       (C) to attract and support undergraduate and graduate 
     students from under represented groups in order to prepare 
     them for careers related to the food, agricultural, and 
     natural resource systems of the United States, beginning with 
     the mentoring of students at the high school level and 
     continuing with the provision of financial support for 
     students through their attainment of a doctoral degree; and
       (D) to facilitate cooperative initiatives between two or 
     more Native Hawaiian serving institutions, or between Native 
     Hawaiian serving institutions and units of State government 
     or the private sector, to maximize the development and use of 
     resources, such as faculty, facilities, and equipment, to 
     improve food and agricultural sciences teaching programs.
       (3) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to make grants under this subsection 
     $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 through 2006.
       Sec. 760. Effective October 1, 1999, section 8c(11) of the 
     Agricultural Adjustment Act (7 U.S.C. 608c(11)), reenacted 
     with amendments by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act 
     of 1937, is amended by adding at the end the following: ``The 
     price of milk paid by a handler at a plant operating in Clark 
     County, Nevada shall not be subject to any order issued under 
     this section.''.
       Sec. 761. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
     City of Olean, New York, shall be eligible for grants and 
     loans administered by the Rural Utilities Service.
       Sec. 762. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
     Municipality of Carolina, Puerto Rico shall be eligible for 
     grants and loans administered by the Rural Utilities Service.
       Sec. 763. Section 1232(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 
     (16 U.S.C. 3832(a)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (9), by adding ``and'' after the semicolon 
     at the end;
       (2) in paragraph (10), by striking ``; and'' and inserting 
     a period; and
       (3) by striking paragraph (11).
       Sec. 764. None of the funds made available by this or any 
     other Act shall be used to implement Notice CRP-338, issued 
     by the Farm Service Agency on March 10, 1999, nor shall funds 
     be used to implement any related administrative action 
     including implementation of such procedures published in Farm 
     Service Agency program manuals: Provided, That rental 
     payments for any lands enrolled in the Conservation Reserve 
     Program under this section shall be reduced by an amount 
     equal to the federal cost of any remaining value of a 
     federally cost-shared conservation practice as determined by 
     the Secretary.
       Sec. 765. None of the funds made available by this or any 
     other Act shall be used to implement Notice CRP-327, issued 
     by the Farm Service Agency on October 26, 1998, nor shall 
     funds be used to implement any related administrative action 
     including implementation of such procedures published in Farm 
     Service Agency program manuals: Provided, That this section 
     shall not apply to any lands for which there is not full 
     compliance with the conservation practices required under 
     terms of the CRP contract.
       Sec. 766. The federal facility located in Riverside, 
     California, and known as the ``U.S. Salinity Laboratory'', 
     shall be known and designated as the ``George E. Brown, Jr., 
     Salinity Laboratory'': Provided, That any reference in law, 
     map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the 
     United States to such federal facility shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``George E. Brown, Jr., Salinity 
     Laboratory''.
       Sec. 767. Sections 657, 658, 1006, 1014 of title 18, United 
     States Code, are amended by--
       (1) inserting ``or successor agency'' after ``Farmers Home 
     Administration'' each place it appears; and
       (2) inserting ``or successor agency'' after ``Rural 
     Development Administration'' each place it appears.
       Sec. 768. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
     maximum income limits established for single family housing 
     for families and individuals in the high cost areas of Alaska 
     shall be 150 percent of the state metropolitan income level 
     for Alaska.
       Sec. 769. Section 1232(a)(7) of the Food Security Act of 
     1985 is amended--
       (1) by striking ``except that the Secretary may permit 
     harvesting'' and inserting ``except that the Secretary--
       ``(A) may permit--
       ``(i) harvesting'';
       (2) by striking ``emergency, and the Secretary may permit 
     limited'' and inserting ``emergency; and
       ``(ii) limited'';
       (3) by inserting ``and'' after the semicolon at the end; 
     and
       (4) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) shall approve not more than 6 projects, no more than 
     1 of which may be in any state, under which land subject to 
     the contract may be harvested for recovery of biomass used in 
     energy production if--
       ``(i) no acreage subject to the contract is harvested more 
     than once every other year;
       ``(ii) not more than 25 percent of the total acreage 
     enrolled in the program under this subchapter in any crop 
     reporting district (as designated by the Secretary), is 
     harvested in any 1 year;
       ``(iii) no portion of the crop is used for any commercial 
     purpose other than energy production from biomass;
       ``(iv) no wetland, or acreage of any type enrolled in a 
     partial field conservation practice (including riparian 
     forest buffers, filter strips, and buffer strips), is 
     harvested;
       ``(v) the owner or operator agrees to a payment reduction 
     under this section in an amount determined by the Secretary.
       ``(C) the total acres for all of the projects shall not 
     exceed 250,000 acres.''.
      TITLE VIII--EMERGENCY AND DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR PRODUCERS
              Subtitle A--Crop and Market Loss Assistance

     SEC. 801. CROP LOSS ASSISTANCE.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture (referred to 
     in this title as the ``Secretary'') shall use $1,200,000,000 
     of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to make 
     emergency financial assistance available to producers on a 
     farm that have incurred losses in a 1999 crop due to a 
     disaster, as determined by the Secretary.
       (b) Administration.--The Secretary shall make assistance 
     available under this section in the same manner as provided 
     under section 1102 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, 
     Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies

[[Page H9152]]

     Appropriations Act, 1999 (7 U.S.C. 1421 note; Public Law 105-
     277), including using the same loss thresholds as were used 
     in administering that section.
       (c) Qualifying Losses.--Assistance under this section may 
     be made for losses associated with crops that are, as 
     determined by the Secretary--
       (1) quantity losses;
       (2) quality losses; or
       (3) severe economic losses due to damaging weather or 
     related condition.
       (d) Crops Covered.--Assistance under this section shall be 
     applicable to losses for all crops (including losses of trees 
     from which a crop is harvested, livestock, and fisheries), as 
     determined by the Secretary, due to disasters.
       (e) Crop Insurance.--In carrying out this section, the 
     Secretary shall not discriminate against or penalize 
     producers on a farm that have purchased crop insurance under 
     the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.).
       (f) Rice Loan Deficiency Payments.--In the case of 
     producers of the 1999 crop of rice that harvested such rice 
     on or before August 4, 1999, the Secretary may use funds made 
     available under this section to--
       (1) make loan deficiency payments to producers that 
     received, or that were eligible to receive, such payments 
     under section 135 of the Agricultural Market Transition Act 
     (7 U.S.C. 7235) in a manner that results in the same total 
     payment that would have been made if the payment had been 
     requested by the producers on August 5, 1999; and
       (2) recalculate any repayment made for a marketing 
     assistance loan for the 1999 crop of rice on or before August 
     4, 1999, as if the repayment had been made on August 5, 1999.
       (g) Honey Recourse Loans.--
       (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, in order to assist producers of honey to market their 
     honey in an orderly manner during a period of disastrously 
     low prices, the Secretary may use funds made available under 
     this section to make available recourse loans to producers of 
     the 1999 crop of honey on fair and reasonable terms and 
     conditions, as determined by the Secretary.
       (2) Loan rate.--The loan rate of the loans shall be 85 
     percent of the average price of honey during the 5-crop year 
     period preceding the 1999 crop year, excluding the crop year 
     in which the average price of honey was the highest and the 
     crop year in which the average price of honey was the lowest 
     in the period.
       (h) Recourse Loans for Mohair.--
       (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2) and 
     notwithstanding any other provision of law, during fiscal 
     year 2000, the Secretary may use funds made available under 
     this section to make recourse loans available in accordance 
     with section 137(c) of the Agricultural Market Transition Act 
     (7 U.S.C. 7237(c)) to producers of mohair produced during or 
     before that fiscal year.
       (2) Interest.--Section 137(c)(4) of that Act shall not 
     apply to a loan made under paragraph (1).

     SEC. 802. MARKET LOSS ASSISTANCE.

       (a) Assistance Authorized.--The Secretary shall use not 
     more than $5,544,453,000 of funds of the Commodity Credit 
     Corporation to provide assistance to owners and producers on 
     a farm that are eligible for final payments for fiscal year 
     1999 under a production flexibility contract for the farm 
     under the Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7201 
     et seq.).
       (b) Amount.--The amount of assistance made available to 
     owners and producers on a farm under this section shall be 
     proportionate to the amount of the contract payment received 
     by the owners and producers for fiscal year 1999 under a 
     production flexibility contract for the farm under the 
     Agricultural Market Transition Act.
       (c) Protection of Tenants and Sharecroppers; Sharing of 
     Payments.--Sections 111(c) and 114(g) of the Agricultural 
     Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7211(c), 7214(g)) shall apply 
     to the payments made under subsection (a).

     SEC. 803. SPECIALTY CROPS.

       (a) Peanuts.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall use such amounts as 
     are necessary of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to 
     provide payments to producers of quota peanuts or additional 
     peanuts to partially compensate the producers for continuing 
     low commodity prices, and increasing costs of production, for 
     the 1999 crop year.
       (2) Amount.--The amount of a payment made to producers on a 
     farm of quota peanuts or additional peanuts under paragraph 
     (1) shall be equal to the product obtained by multiplying--
       (A) the quantity of quota peanuts or additional peanuts 
     produced or considered produced by the producers; and
       (B) an amount equal to 5 percent of the loan rate 
     established for quota peanuts or additional peanuts, 
     respectively, under section 155 of the Agricultural Market 
     Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7271).
       (b) Condition on Payment of Salaries and Expenses.--None of 
     the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this 
     Act or any other Act may be used to pay the salaries and 
     expenses of personnel of the Department of Agriculture to 
     carry out or enforce section 156(f) of the Agricultural 
     Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7272(f)) through fiscal year 
     2001.
       (c) Tobacco.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall use $328,000,000 of 
     funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to make payments to 
     States on behalf of persons described in paragraph (2) for 
     the reduction in the quantity of quota allotted to certain 
     farms under part I of subtitle B of title III of the 
     Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1311 et seq.) 
     from the 1998 crop year to the 1999 crop year.
       (2) Eligible persons.--To be eligible to receive a payment 
     under paragraphs (1) through (5), a person must own or 
     operate, or produce tobacco on, a farm--
       (A) for which the quantity of quota allotted to the farm 
     under part I of subtitle B of title III of the Agricultural 
     Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1311 et seq.) was reduced 
     from the 1998 crop year to the 1999 crop year; and
       (B) that was used for the production of tobacco during the 
     1998 or 1999 crop year.
       (3) Allocation to states.--The Secretary shall allocate 
     funds made available under paragraph (1) to States with 
     eligible persons described in paragraph (2) in proportion to 
     the relative quantity of quota allotted to farms in the 
     States that was reduced from the 1998 crop year to the 1999 
     crop year.
       (4) Distribution by states.--
       (A) In general.--In the case of a State described in 
     paragraph (3) that is a party to the National Tobacco Grower 
     Settlement Trust, the State shall distribute funds made 
     available under paragraph (3) to eligible persons in the 
     State in accordance with the formulas established pursuant to 
     the Trust.
       (B) Other states.--Subject to the approval of the 
     Secretary, in the case of a State described in paragraph (3) 
     that is not a party to the National Tobacco Grower Settlement 
     Trust, the State shall distribute funds made available under 
     paragraph (3) to eligible persons in the State in a manner 
     determined by the State.
       (5) Alternative distribution.--In lieu of making payments 
     under this subsection to States, the Secretary may distribute 
     funds directly to eligible persons using the facilities of 
     private disbursing agents, facilities of the Farm Service 
     Agency, or other available facilities.
       (6) Flue-cured tobacco.--
       (A) Limitation on quantity of allotment leased or sold.--
     Section 316(e) of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 
     U.S.C. 1316(e)) is amended--
       (i) in paragraph (1), by striking ``farm or, in'' and all 
     that follows through ``: Provided, That in'' and inserting 
     ``farm. In'';
       (ii) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
       (iii) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
       ``(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to flue-cured 
     tobacco.''.
       (B) Transfers of quota or allotment across county lines in 
     a state.--Section 316(g) of the Agricultural Adjustment Act 
     of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1314b(g)) is amended by adding at the end 
     the following:
       ``(3) Transfers allowed by referendum.--
       ``(A) Referendum.--On the request of at least 25 percent of 
     the active flue-cured tobacco producers within a State, the 
     Secretary shall conduct a referendum of the active flue-cured 
     tobacco producers within the State to determine whether the 
     producers favor or oppose permitting the sale of a flue-cured 
     tobacco allotment or quota from a farm in a State to any 
     other farm in the State.
       ``(B) Approval.--If the Secretary determines that a 
     majority of the active flue-cured tobacco producers voting in 
     the referendum approves permitting the sale of a flue-cured 
     tobacco allotment or quota from a farm in the State to any 
     other farm in the State, the Secretary shall permit the sale 
     of a flue-cured tobacco allotment or quota from a farm in the 
     State to any other farm in the State.''.
       (C) Same grower in contiguous counties.--Section 379(b) of 
     the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1379(b)) is 
     amended by inserting ``or flue-cured'' after ``Burley''.

     SEC. 804. OILSEEDS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall use $475,000,000 of 
     funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to make payments to 
     producers of the 1999 crop of oilseeds that are eligible to 
     obtain a marketing assistance loan under section 131 of the 
     Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7231).
       (b) Computation.--A payment to producers on a farm under 
     this section for an oilseed shall be equal to the product 
     obtained by multiplying--
       (1) a payment rate determined by the Secretary;
       (2) the acreage of the producers on the farm for the 
     oilseed, as determined under subsection (c); and
       (3) the yield of the producers on the farm for the oilseed, 
     as determined under subsection (d).
       (c) Acreage.--
       (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
     acreage of the producers on the farm for an oilseed under 
     subsection (b)(2) shall be equal to the greater of--
       (A) the number of acres planted to the oilseed by the 
     producers on the farm during the 1997 crop year, as reported 
     by the producers on the farm to the Secretary (including any 
     acreage reports that are filed late); or
       (B) the number of acres planted to the oilseed by the 
     producers on the farm during the 1998 crop year, as reported 
     by the producers on the farm to the Secretary (including any 
     acreage reports that are filed late).
       (2) New producers.--In the case of producers on a farm that 
     planted acreage to an oilseed during the 1999 crop year but 
     not the 1997 or 1998 crop year, the acreage of the producers 
     for the oilseed under subsection (b)(2) shall be equal to the 
     number of acres planted to the oilseed by the producers on 
     the farm during the 1999 crop year, as reported by the 
     producers on the farm to the Secretary (including any acreage 
     reports that are filed late).
       (d) Yield.--
       (1) Soybeans.--Except as provided in paragraph (3), in the 
     case of soybeans, the yield of the producers on a farm under 
     subsection (b)(3) shall be equal to the greatest of--
       (A) the average county yield per harvested acre for each of 
     the 1994 through 1998 crop years, excluding the crop year 
     with the highest yield per harvested acre and the crop year 
     with the lowest yield per harvested acre;

[[Page H9153]]

       (B) the actual yield of the producers on the farm for the 
     1997 crop year; or
       (C) the actual yield of the producers on the farm for the 
     1998 crop year.
       (2) Other oilseeds.--Except as provided in paragraph (3), 
     in the case of oilseeds other than soybeans, the yield of the 
     producers on a farm under subsection (b)(3) shall be equal to 
     the greatest of--
       (A) the average national yield per harvested acre for each 
     of the 1994 through 1998 crop years, excluding the crop year 
     with the highest yield per harvested acre and the crop year 
     with the lowest yield per harvested acre;
       (B) the actual yield of the producers on the farm for the 
     1997 crop year; or
       (C) the actual yield of the producers on the farm for the 
     1998 crop year.
       (3) New producers.--In the case of producers on a farm that 
     planted acreage to an oilseed during the 1999 crop year but 
     not the 1997 or 1998 crop year, the yield of the producers on 
     a farm under subsection (b)(3) shall be equal to the greater 
     of--
       (A) the average county yield per harvested acre for each of 
     the 1994 through 1998 crop years, excluding the crop year 
     with the highest yield per harvested acre and the crop year 
     with the lowest yield per harvested acre; or
       (B) the actual yield of the producers on the farm for the 
     1999 crop.
       (4) Data source.--To the maximum extent available, the 
     Secretary shall use data provided by the National 
     Agricultural Statistics Service to carry out this subsection.

     SEC. 805. LIVESTOCK AND DAIRY.

       The Secretary shall use $325,000,000 of funds of the 
     Commodity Credit Corporation to provide assistance directly 
     to livestock and dairy producers, in a manner determined 
     appropriate by the Secretary, to compensate the producers for 
     economic losses incurred during 1999.

     SEC. 806. UPLAND COTTON.

       (a) In General.--Section 136(a) of the Agricultural Market 
     Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7236(a)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``or cash payments'' and 
     inserting ``or cash payments, at the option of the 
     recipient,'';
       (2) by striking ``3 cents per pound'' each place it appears 
     and inserting ``1.25 cents per pound'';
       (3) in paragraph (3)--
       (A) in the first sentence of subparagraph (A), by striking 
     ``owned by the Commodity Credit Corporation in such manner, 
     and at such price levels, as the Secretary determines will 
     best effectuate the purposes of cotton user marketing 
     certificates'' and inserting ``owned by the Commodity Credit 
     Corporation or pledged to the Commodity Credit Corporation as 
     collateral for a loan in such manner, and at such price 
     levels, as the Secretary determines will best effectuate the 
     purposes of cotton user marketing certificates, including 
     enhancing the competitiveness and marketability of United 
     States cotton''; and
       (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the second sentence; 
     and
       (4) by striking paragraph (4).
       (b) Ensuring the Availability of Upland Cotton.--Section 
     136(b) of the Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 
     7236(b)) is amended--
       (1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
       ``(1) Establishment.--
       ``(A) In general.--The President shall carry out an import 
     quota program during the period ending July 31, 2003, as 
     provided in this subsection.
       ``(B) Program requirements.--Except as provided in 
     subparagraph (C), whenever the Secretary determines and 
     announces that for any consecutive 4-week period, the Friday 
     through Thursday average price quotation for the lowest-
     priced United States growth, as quoted for Middling (M) 1\3/
     32\-inch cotton, delivered C.I.F. Northern Europe, adjusted 
     for the value of any certificate issued under subsection (a), 
     exceeds the Northern Europe price by more than 1.25 cents per 
     pound, there shall immediately be in effect a special import 
     quota.
       ``(C) Tight domestic supply.--During any month for which 
     the Secretary estimates the season-ending United States 
     upland cotton stocks-to-use ratio, as determined under 
     subparagraph (D), to be below 16 percent, the Secretary, in 
     making the determination under subparagraph (B), shall not 
     adjust the Friday through Thursday average price quotation 
     for the lowest-priced United States growth, as quoted for 
     Middling (M) 1\3/32\-inch cotton, delivered C.I.F. Northern 
     Europe, for the value of any certificates issued under 
     subsection (a).
       ``(D) Season-ending united states stocks-to-use ratio.--For 
     the purposes of making estimates under subparagraph (C), the 
     Secretary shall, on a monthly basis, estimate and report the 
     season-ending United States upland cotton stocks-to-use 
     ratio, excluding projected raw cotton imports but including 
     the quantity of raw cotton that has been imported into the 
     United States during the marketing year.''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(7) Limitation.--The quantity of cotton entered into the 
     United States during any marketing year under the special 
     import quota established under this subsection may not exceed 
     the equivalent of 5 week's consumption of upland cotton by 
     domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate of the 
     3 months immediately preceding the first special import quota 
     established in any marketing year.''.

     SEC. 807. MILK.

       (a) In General.--Section 141 of the Agricultural Market 
     Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7251) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)(4), by striking ``calendar year 
     1999'' and inserting ``each of calendar years 1999 and 
     2000''; and
       (2) in subsection (h), by striking ``1999'' each place it 
     appears and inserting ``2000''.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 142(e) of the 
     Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7252(e)) is 
     amended by striking ``2000'' and inserting ``2001''.
                      Subtitle B--Other Assistance

     SEC. 811. AUTHORITY FOR ADVANCE PAYMENT IN FULL OF REMAINING 
                   PAYMENTS UNDER PRODUCTION FLEXIBILITY 
                   CONTRACTS.

       Section 112(d)(3) of the Agricultural Market Transition Act 
     (7 U.S.C. 7212(d)(3)) is amended--
       (1) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``for fiscal year 
     1999''; and
       (2) by striking ``for fiscal year 1999'' and inserting 
     ``for any of fiscal years 1999 through 2002''.

     SEC. 812. COMMODITY CERTIFICATES.

       Subtitle E of the Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 
     U.S.C. 7281 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 166. COMMODITY CERTIFICATES.

       ``(a) In General.--In making in-kind payments under 
     subtitle C, the Commodity Credit Corporation may--
       ``(1) acquire and use commodities that have been pledged to 
     the Commodity Credit Corporation as collateral for loans made 
     by the Corporation;
       ``(2) use other commodities owned by the Commodity Credit 
     Corporation; and
       ``(3) redeem negotiable marketing certificates for cash 
     under terms and conditions established by the Secretary.
       ``(b) Methods of Payment.--The Commodity Credit Corporation 
     may make in-kind payments--
       ``(1) by delivery of the commodity at a warehouse or other 
     similar facility;
       ``(2) by the transfer of negotiable warehouse receipts;
       ``(3) by the issuance of negotiable certificates, which the 
     Commodity Credit Corporation shall exchange for a commodity 
     owned or controlled by the Corporation in accordance with 
     regulations promulgated by the Corporation; or
       ``(4) by such other methods as the Commodity Credit 
     Corporation determines appropriate to promote the efficient, 
     equitable, and expeditious receipt of the in-kind payments so 
     that a person receiving the payments receives the same total 
     return as if the payments had been made in cash.
       ``(c) Administration.--
       ``(1) Form.--At the option of a producer, the Commodity 
     Credit Corporation shall make negotiable certificates 
     authorized under subsection (b)(3) available to the producer, 
     in the form of program payments or by sale, in a manner that 
     the Corporation determines will encourage the orderly 
     marketing of commodities pledged as collateral for loans made 
     to producers under subtitle C.
       ``(2) Transfer.--A negotiable certificate issued in 
     accordance with this subsection may be transferred to another 
     person in accordance with regulations promulgated by the 
     Secretary.''.

     SEC. 813. LIMITATION ON MARKETING LOAN GAINS AND LOAN 
                   DEFICIENCY PAYMENTS.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 1001(2) of the 
     Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308(1)), the total 
     amount of the payments specified in section 1001(3) of that 
     Act that a person shall be entitled to receive under the 
     Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.) 
     for 1 or more contract commodities and oilseeds produced 
     during the 1999 crop year may not exceed $150,000.
       (b) 1999 Marketings.--In carrying out subsection (a), the 
     Secretary shall allow a producer that has marketed a quantity 
     of an eligible 1999 crop for which the producer has not 
     received a loan deficiency payment or marketing loan gain 
     under section 134 or 135 of the Agricultural Market 
     Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7234, 7235) to receive such payment 
     or gain as of the date on which the quantity was marketed or 
     redeemed, as determined by the Secretary.

     SEC. 814. ASSISTANCE FOR PURCHASE OF ADDITIONAL CROP 
                   INSURANCE COVERAGE.

       The Secretary shall transfer $400,000,000 of funds of the 
     Commodity Credit Corporation to the Federal Crop Insurance 
     Corporation to be used to assist agricultural producers in 
     purchasing additional coverage for the 2000 crop year under 
     the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.).

     SEC. 815. FORGIVENESS OF CERTAIN WATER AND WASTE DISPOSAL 
                   LOANS.

       The Secretary shall forgive the principal indebtedness and 
     accrued interest owed by the City of Stroud, Oklahoma, to the 
     Rural Utilities Service on water and waste disposal loans 
     numbered 9105 and 9107.

     SEC. 816. NATIONAL SHEEP INDUSTRY IMPROVEMENT CENTER.

       (a) Definitions.--Section 375(a) of the Consolidated Farm 
     and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008j(a)) is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:
       ``(5) Intermediary.--The term `intermediary' means a 
     financial institution receiving Center funds for establishing 
     a revolving fund and relending to an eligible entity.''.
       (b) Revolving Fund.--Section 375(e) of the Consolidated 
     Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008j(e)) is 
     amended--
       (1) in paragraph (3)--
       (A) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(A) In general.--The Center may use amounts in the Fund 
     to make direct loans, loan guarantees, cooperative 
     agreements, equity interests, investments, repayable grants, 
     and grants to eligible entities, either directly or through 
     an intermediary, in accordance with a strategic plan 
     submitted under subsection (d).'';

[[Page H9154]]

       (B) in subparagraph (B), by adding at the end the 
     following: ``The Fund is intended to furnish the initial 
     capital for a revolving fund that will eventually be 
     privatized for the purposes of assisting the United States 
     sheep and goat industries.'';
       (C) by striking subparagraph (D);
       (D) by striking subparagraph (E) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(E) Administration.--The Center may not use more than 3 
     percent of the amounts in the portfolio of the Center for 
     each fiscal year for the administration of the Center. The 
     portfolio shall be calculated at the beginning of each fiscal 
     year and shall include a total of--
       ``(i) all outstanding loan balances;
       ``(ii) the Fund balance;
       ``(iii) the outstanding balance to intermediaries; and
       ``(iv) the amount the Center paid for all equity 
     interests.'';
       (E) in subparagraph (H)--
       (i) in clause (v), by striking ``or'' at the end;
       (ii) in clause (vi), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``; or''; and
       (iii) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(vii) purchase equity interests.''; and
       (F) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) through (H) as 
     subparagraphs (D) through (G), respectively; and
       (2) in paragraph (6), by striking subparagraph (D).
       (c) Board of Directors.--Section 375(f) of the Consolidated 
     Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008j(f)) is 
     amended--
       (1) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraph (B) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(B) review any contract, direct loan, loan guarantee, 
     cooperative agreement, equity interest, investment, repayable 
     grant, and grant to be made or entered into by the Center and 
     any financial assistance provided to the Center;'';
       (2) in paragraph (5), by striking subparagraph (C) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(C) Reappointment.--A voting member may be reappointed 
     for not more than 1 additional term.''; and
       (3) in paragraph (6), by striking subparagraph (B) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(B) Reappointment.--A voting member appointed to fill a 
     vacancy for an unexpired term may be reappointed for 1 full 
     term.''.
       (d) Privatization.--Section 375 of the Consolidated Farm 
     and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008j) is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:
       ``(j) Privatization.--
       ``(1) In general.--Privatization of a revolving fund for 
     the purposes of assisting the United States sheep and goat 
     industries shall occur on the earlier of--
       ``(A) September 30, 2006; or
       ``(B) the date as of which a total of $30,000,000 has been 
     appropriated for the Center under subsection (e)(6)(C).
       ``(2) Privatization proposal.--On privatization of a 
     revolving fund in accordance with paragraph (1), the Board 
     shall submit to the Secretary, for approval, a privatization 
     proposal that--
       ``(A) delineates a private successor entity to the Center; 
     and
       ``(B) establishes a transition plan.
       ``(3) Private successor entity.--The private successor 
     entity shall--
       ``(A) have the purposes described in subsection (c);
       ``(B) be organized under the laws of 1 of the States; and
       ``(C) be able to continue the activities of the Center.
       ``(4) Transition plan.--The transition plan shall--
       ``(A) identify any continuing role of the Federal 
     Government with respect to the Center;
       ``(B) provide for the transfer of all Center assets and 
     liabilities to the private successor entity; and
       ``(C) delineate the status of the Board and employees of 
     the Center.
       ``(5) Implementation.--
       ``(A) In general.--On approval by the Secretary of the 
     private successor entity and the transition plan, the Center 
     shall create the private successor entity and implement the 
     transition plan.
       ``(B) Authority.--The Secretary shall have all necessary 
     authority to implement the transition plan.
       ``(6) Transfer of funds.--On creation of the private 
     successor entity, all funds held by the Department of the 
     Treasury pursuant to this section shall be transferred to the 
     private successor entity.
       ``(7) Repeal.--On the date the Secretary publishes notice 
     in the Federal Register that the transition plan is complete, 
     this section is repealed.''.

     SEC. 817. FISHERIES.

       (a) Norton Sound Fisheries Failure.--
       (1) Income eligibility.--Section 763(a) of the Agriculture, 
     Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related 
     Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 (112 Stat. 2681-36), is 
     amended by striking ``federal poverty level'' and inserting 
     ``income eligibility level established for Alaska under the 
     temporary assistance to needy families (TANF) program funded 
     under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 
     U.S.C. 601 et seq.)''.
       (2) Emergency assistance.--Section 1124 of the Agriculture, 
     Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related 
     Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 (112 Stat. 2681-45), is 
     amended by inserting before the period at the end the 
     following: ``or a fisheries failure in the Norton Sound 
     region of Alaska that has resulted in the closure of 
     commercial and subsistence fisheries to persons that depend 
     on fish as their primary source of food and income''.
       (3) Appropriation.--
       (A) In general.--In addition to amounts appropriated or 
     otherwise made available by this Act, there is appropriated 
     to the Department of Agriculture for fiscal year 2001, out of 
     any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 
     $15,000,000, to remain available until expended, to provide 
     emergency disaster assistance to persons or entities affected 
     by the 1999 fisheries failure in the Norton Sound region of 
     Alaska.
       (B) Transfer.--To carry out this paragraph, the Secretary 
     shall transfer to the Secretary of Commerce for obligation 
     and expenditure--
       (i) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2001 for grants under 
     section 209 of the Public Works and Economic Development Act 
     of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3149); and
       (ii) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2001 for carrying out 
     section 312 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
     Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1861a).
       (b) Commercial Fisheries Failure.--
       (1) In general.--In addition to amounts appropriated or 
     otherwise made available by this Act, there is appropriated 
     to the Department of Agriculture for fiscal year 2001, out of 
     any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 
     $15,000,000, to remain available until expended, which shall 
     be transferred to the Department of Commerce to provide 
     emergency disaster assistance for the commercial fishery 
     failure under section 308(b)(1) of the Interjurisdictional 
     Fisheries Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C. 4107(b)(1)) with respect to 
     Northeast multispecies fisheries.
       (2) Use.--Amounts made available under this subsection 
     shall be used to support cooperative research and management 
     activities administered by the National Marine Fisheries 
     Services and based on recommendations by the New England 
     Fishery Management Council.

     SEC. 818. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING FAST-TRACK AUTHORITY 
                   AND FUTURE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION 
                   NEGOTIATIONS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the President should make a formal request for 
     appropriate fast-track authority for future United States 
     trade negotiations;
       (2) regarding future World Trade Organization 
     negotiations--
       (A) rules for trade in agricultural commodities should be 
     strengthened and trade-distorting import and export practices 
     should be eliminated or substantially reduced;
       (B) the rules of the World Trade Organization should be 
     strengthened regarding the practices or policies of a foreign 
     government that unreasonably--
       (i) restrict market access for products of new 
     technologies, including products of biotechnology; or
       (ii) delay or preclude implementation of a report of a 
     dispute panel of the World Trade Organization; and
       (C) negotiations within the World Trade Organization should 
     be structured so as to provide the maximum leverage possible 
     to ensure the successful conclusion of negotiations on 
     agricultural products;
       (3) the President should--
       (A) conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all existing 
     export and food aid programs, including--
       (i) the export credit guarantee program established under 
     section 202 of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 
     5622);
       (ii) the market access program established under section 
     203 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 5623);
       (iii) the export enhancement program established under 
     section 301 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 5651);
       (iv) the foreign market development cooperator program 
     established under section 702 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 5722); 
     and
       (v) programs established under the Agricultural Trade 
     Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1691 et 
     seq.); and
       (B) transmit to Congress--
       (i) the results of the evaluation under subparagraph (A); 
     and
       (ii) recommendations on maximizing the effectiveness of the 
     programs described in subparagraph (A); and
       (4) the Secretary should carry out a purchase and donation 
     or concessional sales initiative in each of fiscal years 1999 
     and 2000 to promote the export of additional quantities of 
     soybeans, beef, pork, poultry, and products of such 
     commodities (including soybean meal, soybean oil, textured 
     vegetable protein, and soy protein concentrates and isolates) 
     using programs established under--
       (A) the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 
     714 et seq.);
       (B) section 416 of the Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 
     1431);
       (C) titles I and II of the Agricultural Trade Development 
     and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and
       (D) the Food for Progress Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1736o).
                       Subtitle C--Administration

     SEC. 821. COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION.

       The Secretary shall use the funds, facilities, and 
     authorities of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out 
     this title.

     SEC. 822. ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.

       (a) Reservation of Funds.--Subject to subsections (b) and 
     (c), the Secretary may reserve up to $56,000,000 of the 
     amounts made available under subtitle A to cover 
     administrative costs incurred by the Farm Service Agency 
     directly related to carrying out that subtitle.
       (b) Proportional Reservation.--The amount reserved by the 
     Secretary from the amounts made available under each section 
     of subtitle A (other than section 802) shall bear the same 
     proportion to the total amount reserved under subsection (a) 
     as the administrative costs incurred by the Farm Service 
     Agency to carry out that section (other than section 802) 
     bear to the total administrative costs incurred by the

[[Page H9155]]

     Farm Service Agency to carry out that subtitle (other than 
     section 802).
       (c) Exception for Market Loss Assistance.--The Secretary 
     may not reserve any portion of the amount made available 
     under section 802 to pay administrative costs.

     SEC. 823. EMERGENCY REQUIREMENT.

       The entire amount necessary to carry out this title and the 
     amendments made by this title shall be available only to the 
     extent that an official budget request for the entire amount, 
     that includes designation of the entire amount of the request 
     as an emergency requirement as defined in the Balanced Budget 
     and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended, is 
     transmitted by the President to the Congress: Provided, That 
     the entire amount is designated by the Congress as an 
     emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of 
     such Act.

     SEC. 824. REGULATIONS.

       (a) Promulgation.--As soon as practicable after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary and the Commodity Credit 
     Corporation, as appropriate, shall promulgate such 
     regulations as are necessary to implement subtitle A and the 
     amendments made by subtitle A. The promulgation of the 
     regulations and administration of subtitle A shall be made 
     without regard to--
       (1) the notice and comment provisions of section 553 of 
     title 5, United States Code;
       (2) the Statement of Policy of the Secretary of Agriculture 
     effective July 24, 1971 (36 Fed. Reg. 13804), relating to 
     notices of proposed rulemaking and public participation in 
     rulemaking; and
       (3) chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly 
     known as the ``Paperwork Reduction Act'').
       (b) Congressional Review of Agency Rulemaking.--In carrying 
     out this section, the Secretary shall use the authority 
     provided under section 808 of title 5, United States Code.

     SEC. 825. LIVESTOCK AND DAIRY ASSISTANCE.

       (a) Livestock Assistance.--Of the funds provided in 
     sections 801 and 805, no less than $200,000,000 shall be in 
     the form of assistnace to livestock producers for losses due 
     to drought or other natural disasters.
       (b) Dairy Assistance.--Of the funds provided in section 
     805, no less than $125,000,000 shall be in the form of 
     assistance to dairy producers.
       (c) Form of Assistance.--Assistance for livestock losses 
     shall be in the form of grants and or other in-kind 
     assistance, but shall not include loans.
                TITLE IX--LIVESTOCK MANDATORY REPORTING

     SEC. 901. SHORT TITLE.

       This title may be cited as the ``Livestock Mandatory 
     Reporting Act of 1999''.
               Subtitle A--Livestock Mandatory Reporting

     SEC. 911. LIVESTOCK MANDATORY REPORTING.

       The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621 et 
     seq.) is amended--
       (1) by inserting before section 202 (7 U.S.C. 1621) the 
     following:
                  ``Subtitle A--General Provisions'';
     and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
              ``Subtitle B--Livestock Mandatory Reporting

                   ``CHAPTER 1--PURPOSE; DEFINITIONS

     ``SEC. 211. PURPOSE.

       ``The purpose of this subtitle is to establish a program of 
     information regarding the marketing of cattle, swine, lambs, 
     and products of such livestock that--
       ``(1) provides information that can be readily understood 
     by producers, packers, and other market participants, 
     including information with respect to the pricing, 
     contracting for purchase, and supply and demand conditions 
     for livestock, livestock production, and livestock products;
       ``(2) improves the price and supply reporting services of 
     the Department of Agriculture; and
       ``(3) encourages competition in the marketplace for 
     livestock and livestock products.

     ``SEC. 212. DEFINITIONS.

       ``In this subtitle:
       ``(1) Base price.--The term `base price' means the price 
     paid for livestock, delivered at the packing plant, before 
     application of any premiums or discounts, expressed in 
     dollars per hundred pounds of carcass weight.
       ``(2) Basis level.--The term `basis level' means the 
     agreed-on adjustment to a future price to establish the final 
     price paid for livestock.
       ``(3) Current slaughter week.--The term `current slaughter 
     week' means the period beginning Monday, and ending Sunday, 
     of the week in which a reporting day occurs.
       ``(4) F.O.B.--The term `F.O.B.' means free on board, 
     regardless of the mode of transportation, at the point of 
     direct shipment by the seller to the buyer.
       ``(5) Livestock.--The term `livestock' means cattle, swine, 
     and lambs.
       ``(6) Lot.--The term `lot' means a group of 1 or more 
     livestock that is identified for the purpose of a single 
     transaction between a buyer and a seller.
       ``(7) Marketing.--The term `marketing' means the sale or 
     other disposition of livestock, livestock products, or meat 
     or meat food products in commerce.
       ``(8) Negotiated purchase.--The term `negotiated purchase' 
     means a cash or spot market purchase by a packer of livestock 
     from a producer under which--
       ``(A) the base price for the livestock is determined by 
     seller-buyer interaction and agreement on a day; and
       ``(B) the livestock are scheduled for delivery to the 
     packer not later than 14 days after the date on which the 
     livestock are committed to the packer.
       ``(9) Negotiated sale.--The term `negotiated sale' means a 
     cash or spot market sale by a producer of livestock to a 
     packer under which--
       ``(A) the base price for the livestock is determined by 
     seller-buyer interaction and agreement on a day; and
       ``(B) the livestock are scheduled for delivery to the 
     packer not later than 14 days after the date on which the 
     livestock are committed to the packer.
       ``(10) Prior slaughter week.--The term `prior slaughter 
     week' means the Monday through Sunday prior to a reporting 
     day.
       ``(11) Producer.--The term `producer' means any person 
     engaged in the business of selling livestock to a packer for 
     slaughter (including the sale of livestock from a packer to 
     another packer).
       ``(12) Reporting day.--The term `reporting day' means a day 
     on which--
       ``(A) a packer conducts business regarding livestock 
     committed to the packer, or livestock purchased, sold, or 
     slaughtered by the packer;
       ``(B) the Secretary is required to make information 
     concerning the business described in subparagraph (A) 
     available to the public; and
       ``(C) the Department of Agriculture is open to conduct 
     business.
       ``(13) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
     of Agriculture.
       ``(14) State.--The term `State' means each of the 50 
     States.

                     ``CHAPTER 2--CATTLE REPORTING

     ``SEC. 221. DEFINITIONS.

       ``In this chapter:
       ``(1) Cattle committed.--The term `cattle committed' means 
     cattle that are scheduled to be delivered to a packer within 
     the 7-day period beginning on the date of an agreement to 
     sell the cattle.
       ``(2) Cattle type.--The term `cattle type' means the 
     following types of cattle purchased for slaughter:
       ``(A) Fed steers.
       ``(B) Fed heifers.
       ``(C) Fed Holsteins and other fed dairy steers and heifers.
       ``(D) Cows.
       ``(E) Bulls.
       ``(3) Formula marketing arrangement.--The term `formula 
     marketing arrangement' means the advance commitment of cattle 
     for slaughter by any means other than through a negotiated 
     purchase or a forward contract, using a method for 
     calculating price in which the price is determined at a 
     future date.
       ``(4) Forward contract.--The term `forward contract' 
     means--
       ``(A) an agreement for the purchase of cattle, executed in 
     advance of slaughter, under which the base price is 
     established by reference to--
       ``(i) prices quoted on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange; or
       ``(ii) other comparable publicly available prices; or
       ``(B) such other forward contract as the Secretary 
     determines to be applicable.
       ``(5) Packer.--The term `packer' means any person engaged 
     in the business of buying cattle in commerce for purposes of 
     slaughter, of manufacturing or preparing meats or meat food 
     products from cattle for sale or shipment in commerce, or of 
     marketing meats or meat food products from cattle in an 
     unmanufactured form acting as a wholesale broker, dealer, or 
     distributor in commerce, except that--
       ``(A) the term includes only a cattle processing plant that 
     is federally inspected;
       ``(B) for any calendar year, the term includes only a 
     cattle processing plant that slaughtered an average of at 
     least 125,000 head of cattle per year during the immediately 
     preceding 5 calendar years; and
       ``(C) in the case of a cattle processing plant that did not 
     slaughter cattle during the immediately preceding 5 calendar 
     years, the Secretary shall consider the plant capacity of the 
     processing plant in determining whether the processing plant 
     should be considered a packer under this chapter.
       ``(6) Packer-owned cattle.--The term `packer-owned cattle' 
     means cattle that a packer owns for at least 14 days 
     immediately before slaughter.
       ``(7) Terms of trade.--The term `terms of trade' includes, 
     with respect to the purchase of cattle for slaughter--
       ``(A) whether a packer provided any financing agreement or 
     arrangement with regard to the cattle;
       ``(B) whether the delivery terms specified the location of 
     the producer or the location of the packer's plant;
       ``(C) whether the producer is able to unilaterally specify 
     the date and time during the business day of the packer that 
     the cattle are to be delivered for slaughter; and
       ``(D) the percentage of cattle purchased by a packer as a 
     negotiated purchase that are delivered to the plant for 
     slaughter more than 7 days, but fewer than 14 days, after the 
     earlier of--
       ``(i) the date on which the cattle were committed to the 
     packer; or
       ``(ii) the date on which the cattle were purchased by the 
     packer.
       ``(8) Type of purchase.--The term `type of purchase', with 
     respect to cattle, means--
       ``(A) a negotiated purchase;
       ``(B) a formula market arrangement; and
       ``(C) a forward contract.

     ``SEC. 222. MANDATORY REPORTING FOR LIVE CATTLE.

       ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a 
     program of live cattle price information reporting that 
     will--
       ``(1) provide timely, accurate, and reliable market 
     information;
       ``(2) facilitate more informed marketing decisions; and
       ``(3) promote competition in the cattle slaughtering 
     industry.
       ``(b) General Reporting Provisions Applicable to Packers 
     and the Secretary.--

[[Page H9156]]

       ``(1) In general.--Whenever the prices or quantities of 
     cattle are required to be reported or published under this 
     section, the prices or quantities shall be categorized so as 
     to clearly delineate--
       ``(A) the prices or quantities, as applicable, of the 
     cattle purchased in the domestic market; and
       ``(B) the prices or quantities, as applicable, of imported 
     cattle.
       ``(2) Packer-owned cattle.--Information required under this 
     section for packer-owned cattle shall include quantity and 
     carcass characteristics, but not price.
       ``(c) Daily Reporting.--
       ``(1) In general.--The corporate officers or officially 
     designated representatives of each packer processing plant 
     shall report to the Secretary at least twice each reporting 
     day (including once not later than 10:00 a.m. Central Time 
     and once not later than 2:00 p.m. Central Time) the following 
     information for each cattle type:
       ``(A) The prices for cattle (per hundredweight) established 
     on that day, categorized by--
       ``(i) type of purchase;
       ``(ii) the quantity of cattle purchased on a live weight 
     basis;
       ``(iii) the quantity of cattle purchased on a dressed 
     weight basis;
       ``(iv) a range of the estimated live weights of the cattle 
     purchased;
       ``(v) an estimate of the percentage of the cattle purchased 
     that were of a quality grade of choice or better; and
       ``(vi) any premiums or discounts associated with--

       ``(I) weight, grade, or yield; or
       ``(II) any type of purchase.

       ``(B) The quantity of cattle delivered to the packer 
     (quoted in numbers of head) on that day, categorized by--
       ``(i) type of purchase;
       ``(ii) the quantity of cattle delivered on a live weight 
     basis; and
       ``(iii) the quantity of cattle delivered on a dressed 
     weight basis.
       ``(C) The quantity of cattle committed to the packer 
     (quoted in numbers of head) as of that day, categorized by--
       ``(i) type of purchase;
       ``(ii) the quantity of cattle committed on a live weight 
     basis; and
       ``(iii) the quantity of cattle committed on a dressed 
     weight basis.
       ``(D) The terms of trade regarding the cattle, as 
     applicable.
       ``(2) Publication.--The Secretary shall make the 
     information available to the public not less frequently than 
     3 times each reporting day.
       ``(d) Weekly Reporting.--
       ``(1) In general.--The corporate officers or officially 
     designated representatives of each packer processing plant 
     shall report to the Secretary, on the first reporting day of 
     each week, not later than 9:00 a.m. Central Time, the 
     following information applicable to the prior slaughter week:
       ``(A) The quantity of cattle purchased through a forward 
     contract that were slaughtered.
       ``(B) The quantity of cattle delivered under a formula 
     marketing arrangement that were slaughtered.
       ``(C) The quantity and carcass characteristics of packer-
     owned cattle that were slaughtered.
       ``(D) The quantity, basis level, and delivery month for all 
     cattle purchased through forward contracts that were agreed 
     to by the parties.
       ``(E) The range and average of intended premiums and 
     discounts that are expected to be in effect for the current 
     slaughter week.
       ``(2) Formula purchases.--The corporate officers or 
     officially designated representatives of each packer 
     processing plant shall report to the Secretary, on the first 
     reporting day of each week, not later than 9:00 a.m. Central 
     Time, the following information for cattle purchased through 
     a formula marketing arrangement and slaughtered during the 
     prior slaughter week:
       ``(A) The quantity (quoted in both numbers of head and 
     hundredweights) of cattle.
       ``(B) The weighted average price paid for a carcass, 
     including applicable premiums and discounts.
       ``(C) The range of premiums and discounts paid.
       ``(D) The weighted average of premiums and discounts paid.
       ``(E) The range of prices paid.
       ``(F) The aggregate weighted average price paid for a 
     carcass.
       ``(G) The terms of trade regarding the cattle, as 
     applicable.
       ``(3) Publication.--The Secretary shall make available to 
     the public the information obtained under paragraphs (1) and 
     (2) on the first reporting day of the current slaughter week, 
     not later than 10:00 a.m. Central Time.
       ``(e) Regional Reporting of Cattle Types.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall determine whether 
     adequate data can be obtained on a regional basis for fed 
     Holsteins and other fed dairy steers and heifers, cows, and 
     bulls based on the number of packers required to report under 
     this section.
       ``(2) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
     enactment of this subtitle, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and 
     the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the 
     Senate a report on the determination of the Secretary under 
     paragraph (1).

     ``SEC. 223. MANDATORY PACKER REPORTING OF BOXED BEEF SALES.

       ``(a) Daily Reporting.--The corporate officers or 
     officially designated representatives of each packer 
     processing plant shall report to the Secretary at least twice 
     each reporting day (not less than once before, and once 
     after, 12:00 noon Central Time) information on total boxed 
     beef sales, including--
       ``(1) the price for each lot of each negotiated boxed beef 
     sale (determined by seller-buyer interaction and agreement), 
     quoted in dollars per hundredweight (on a F.O.B. plant 
     basis);
       ``(2) the quantity for each lot of each sale, quoted by 
     number of boxes sold; and
       ``(3) information regarding the characteristics of each lot 
     of each sale, including--
       ``(A) the grade of beef (USDA Choice or better, USDA 
     Select, or ungraded no-roll product);
       ``(B) the cut of beef; and
       ``(C) the trim specification.
       ``(b) Publication.--The Secretary shall make available to 
     the public the information required to be reported under 
     subsection (a) not less frequently than twice each reporting 
     day.

                      ``CHAPTER 3--SWINE REPORTING

     ``SEC. 231. DEFINITIONS.

       ``In this chapter:
       ``(1) Affiliate.--The term `affiliate', with respect to a 
     packer, means--
       ``(A) a person that directly or indirectly owns, controls, 
     or holds with power to vote, 5 percent or more of the 
     outstanding voting securities of the packer;
       ``(B) a person 5 percent or more of whose outstanding 
     voting securities are directly or indirectly owned, 
     controlled, or held with power to vote, by the packer; and
       ``(C) a person that directly or indirectly controls, or is 
     controlled by or under common control with, the packer.
       ``(2) Applicable reporting period.--The term `applicable 
     reporting period' means the period of time prescribed by the 
     prior day report, the morning report, and the afternoon 
     report, as required under section 232(c).
       ``(3) Barrow.--The term `barrow' means a neutered male 
     swine.
       ``(4) Base market hog.--The term `base market hog' means a 
     hog for which no discounts are subtracted from and no 
     premiums are added to the base price.
       ``(5) Bred female swine.--The term `bred female swine' 
     means any female swine, whether a sow or gilt, that has been 
     mated or inseminated and is assumed, or has been confirmed, 
     to be pregnant.
       ``(6) Formula price.--The term `formula price' means a 
     price determined by a mathematical formula under which the 
     price established for a specified market serves as the basis 
     for the formula.
       ``(7) Gilt.--The term `gilt' means a young female swine 
     that has not produced a litter.
       ``(8) Hog class.--The term `hog class' means, as 
     applicable--
       ``(A) barrows or gilts;
       ``(B) sows; or
       ``(C) boars or stags.
       ``(9) Noncarcass merit premium.--The term `noncarcass merit 
     premium' means an increase in the base price of the swine 
     offered by an individual packer or packing plant, based on 
     any factor other than the characteristics of the carcass, if 
     the actual amount of the premium is known before the sale and 
     delivery of the swine.
       ``(10) Other market formula purchase.--
       ``(A) In general.--The term `other market formula purchase' 
     means a purchase of swine by a packer in which the pricing 
     mechanism is a formula price based on any market other than 
     the market for swine, pork, or a pork product.
       ``(B) Inclusion.--The term `other market formula purchase' 
     includes a formula purchase in a case in which the price 
     formula is based on 1 or more futures or options contracts.
       ``(11) Other purchase arrangement.--The term `other 
     purchase arrangement' means a purchase of swine by a packer 
     that--
       ``(A) is not a negotiated purchase, swine or pork market 
     formula purchase, or other market formula purchase; and
       ``(B) does not involve packer-owned swine.
       ``(12) Packer.--The term `packer' means any person engaged 
     in the business of buying swine in commerce for purposes of 
     slaughter, of manufacturing or preparing meats or meat food 
     products from swine for sale or shipment in commerce, or of 
     marketing meats or meat food products from swine in an 
     unmanufactured form acting as a wholesale broker, dealer, or 
     distributor in commerce, except that--
       ``(A) the term includes only a swine processing plant that 
     is federally inspected;
       ``(B) for any calendar year, the term includes only a swine 
     processing plant that slaughtered an average of at least 
     100,000 swine per year during the immediately preceding 5 
     calendar years; and
       ``(C) in the case of a swine processing plant that did not 
     slaughter swine during the immediately preceding 5 calendar 
     years, the Secretary shall consider the plant capacity of the 
     processing plant in determining whether the processing plant 
     should be considered a packer under this chapter.
       ``(13) Packer-owned swine.--The term `packer-owned swine' 
     means swine that a packer (including a subsidiary or 
     affiliate of the packer) owns for at least 14 days 
     immediately before slaughter.
       ``(14) Packer-sold swine.--The term `packer-sold swine' 
     means the swine that are--
       ``(A) owned by a packer (including a subsidiary or 
     affiliate of the packer) for more than 14 days immediately 
     before sale for slaughter; and
       ``(B) sold for slaughter to another packer.
       ``(15) Pork.--The term `pork' means the meat of a porcine 
     animal.
       ``(16) Pork product.--The term `pork product' means a 
     product or byproduct produced or processed in whole or in 
     part from pork.
       ``(17) Purchase data.--The term `purchase data' means all 
     of the applicable data, including weight (if purchased live), 
     for all swine purchased during the applicable reporting 
     period, regardless of the expected delivery date of the 
     swine, reported by--
       ``(A) hog class;
       ``(B) type of purchase; and
       ``(C) packer-owned swine.

[[Page H9157]]

       ``(18) Slaughter data.--The term `slaughter data' means all 
     of the applicable data for all swine slaughtered by a packer 
     during the applicable reporting period, regardless of when 
     the price of the swine was negotiated or otherwise 
     determined, reported by--
       ``(A) hog class;
       ``(B) type of purchase; and
       ``(C) packer-owned swine.
       ``(19) Sow.--The term `sow' means an adult female swine 
     that has produced 1 or more litters.
       ``(20) Swine.--The term `swine' means a porcine animal 
     raised to be a feeder pig, raised for seedstock, or raised 
     for slaughter.
       ``(21) Swine or pork market formula purchase.--The term 
     `swine or pork market formula purchase' means a purchase of 
     swine by a packer in which the pricing mechanism is a formula 
     price based on a market for swine, pork, or a pork product, 
     other than a future or option for swine, pork, or a pork 
     product.
       ``(22) Type of purchase.--The term `type of purchase', with 
     respect to swine, means--
       ``(A) a negotiated purchase;
       ``(B) other market formula purchase;
       ``(C) a swine or pork market formula purchase; and
       ``(D) other purchase arrangement.

     ``SEC. 232. MANDATORY REPORTING FOR SWINE.

       ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a 
     program of swine price information reporting that will--
       ``(1) provide timely, accurate, and reliable market 
     information;
       ``(2) facilitate more informed marketing decisions; and
       ``(3) promote competition in the swine slaughtering 
     industry.
       ``(b) General Reporting Provisions Applicable to Packers 
     and the Secretary.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish and 
     implement a price reporting program in accordance with this 
     section that includes the reporting and publication of 
     information required under this section.
       ``(2) Packer-owned swine.--Information required under this 
     section for packer-owned swine shall include quantity and 
     carcass characteristics, but not price.
       ``(3) Packer-sold swine.--If information regarding the type 
     of purchase is required under this section, the information 
     shall be reported according to the numbers and percentages of 
     each type of purchase comprising--
       ``(A) packer-sold swine; and
       ``(B) all other swine.
       ``(4) Additional information.--
       ``(A) Review.--The Secretary shall review the information 
     required to be reported by packers under this section at 
     least once every 2 years.
       ``(B) Outdated information.--After public notice and an 
     opportunity for comment, subject to subparagraph (C), the 
     Secretary shall promulgate regulations that specify 
     additional information that shall be reported under this 
     section if the Secretary determines under the review under 
     subparagraph (A) that--
       ``(i) information that is currently required no longer 
     accurately reflects the methods by which swine are valued and 
     priced by packers; or
       ``(ii) packers that slaughter a significant majority of the 
     swine produced in the United States no longer use backfat or 
     lean percentage factors as indicators of price.
       ``(C) Limitation.--Under subparagraph (B), the Secretary 
     may not require packers to provide any new or additional 
     information that--
       ``(i) is not generally available or maintained by packers; 
     or
       ``(ii) would be otherwise unduly burdensome to provide.
       ``(c) Daily Reporting.--
       ``(1) Prior day report.--
       ``(A) In general.--The corporate officers or officially 
     designated representatives of each packer processing plant 
     shall report to the Secretary, for each business day of the 
     packer, such information as the Secretary determines 
     necessary and appropriate to--
       ``(i) comply with the publication requirements of this 
     section; and
       ``(ii) provide for the timely access to the information by 
     producers, packers, and other market participants.
       ``(B) Reporting deadline and plants required to report.--
     Not later than 7:00 a.m. Central Time on each reporting day, 
     a packer required to report under subparagraph (A) shall 
     report information regarding all swine purchased, priced, or 
     slaughtered during the prior business day of the packer.
       ``(C) Information required.--The information from the prior 
     business day of a packer required under this paragraph shall 
     include--
       ``(i) all purchase data, including--

       ``(I) the total number of--

       ``(aa) swine purchased; and
       ``(bb) swine scheduled for delivery; and

       ``(II) the base price and purchase data for slaughtered 
     swine for which a price has been established;

       ``(ii) all slaughter data for the total number of swine 
     slaughtered, including--

       ``(I) information concerning the net price, which shall be 
     equal to the total amount paid by a packer to a producer 
     (including all premiums, less all discounts) per hundred 
     pounds of carcass weight of swine delivered at the plant--

       ``(aa) including any sum deducted from the price per 
     hundredweight paid to a producer that reflects the repayment 
     of a balance owed by the producer to the packer or the 
     accumulation of a balance to later be repaid by the packer to 
     the producer; and
       ``(bb) excluding any sum earlier paid to a producer that 
     must later be repaid to the packer;

       ``(II) information concerning the average net price, which 
     shall be equal to the quotient (stated per hundred pounds of 
     carcass weight of swine) obtained by dividing--

       ``(aa) the total amount paid for the swine slaughtered at a 
     packing plant during the applicable reporting period, 
     including all premiums and discounts, and including any sum 
     deducted from the price per hundredweight paid to a producer 
     that reflects the repayment of a balance owed by the producer 
     to the packer, or the accumulation of a balance to later be 
     repaid by the packer to the producer, less all discounts; by
       ``(bb) the total carcass weight (in hundred pound 
     increments) of the swine;

       ``(III) information concerning the lowest net price, which 
     shall be equal to the lowest net price paid for a single lot 
     or a group of swine slaughtered at a packing plant during the 
     applicable reporting period per hundred pounds of carcass 
     weight of swine;
       ``(IV) information concerning the highest net price, which 
     shall be equal to the highest net price paid for a single lot 
     or group of swine slaughtered at a packing plant during the 
     applicable reporting period per hundred pounds of carcass 
     weight of swine;
       ``(V) the average carcass weight, which shall be equal to 
     the quotient obtained by dividing--

       ``(aa) the total carcass weight of the swine slaughtered at 
     the packing plant during the applicable reporting period; by
       ``(bb) the number of the swine described in item (aa);

     adjusted for special slaughter situations (such as skinning 
     or foot removal), as the Secretary determines necessary to 
     render comparable carcass weights;
       ``(VI) the average sort loss, which shall be equal to the 
     average discount (in dollars per hundred pounds carcass 
     weight) for swine slaughtered during the applicable reporting 
     period, resulting from the fact that the swine did not fall 
     within the individual packer's established carcass weight or 
     lot variation range;
       ``(VII) the average backfat, which shall be equal to the 
     average of the backfat thickness (in inches) measured between 
     the third and fourth from the last ribs, 7 centimeters from 
     the carcass split (or adjusted from the individual packer's 
     measurement to that reference point using an adjustment made 
     by the Secretary) of the swine slaughtered during the 
     applicable reporting period;
       ``(VIII) the average lean percentage, which shall be equal 
     to the average percentage of the carcass weight comprised of 
     lean meat for the swine slaughtered during the applicable 
     reporting period, except that when a packer is required to 
     report the average lean percentage under this subclause, the 
     packer shall make available to the Secretary the underlying 
     data, applicable methodology and formulae, and supporting 
     materials used to determine the average lean percentage, 
     which the Secretary may convert to the carcass measurements 
     or lean percentage of the swine of the individual packer to 
     correlate to a common percent lean measurement; and
       ``(IX) the total slaughter quantity, which shall be equal 
     to the total number of swine slaughtered during the 
     applicable reporting period, including all types of purchases 
     and packer-owned swine; and

       ``(iii) packer purchase commitments, which shall be equal 
     to the number of swine scheduled for delivery to a packer for 
     slaughter for each of the next 14 calendar days.
       ``(D) Publication.--The Secretary shall publish the 
     information obtained under this paragraph in a prior day 
     report not later than 8:00 a.m. Central Time on the reporting 
     day on which the information is received from the packer.
       ``(2) Morning report.--
       ``(A) In general.--The corporate officers or officially 
     designated representatives of each packer processing plant 
     shall report to the Secretary not later than 10:00 a.m. 
     Central Time each reporting day--
       ``(i) the packer's best estimate of the total number of 
     swine, and packer-owned swine, expected to be purchased 
     throughout the reporting day through each type of purchase;
       ``(ii) the total number of swine, and packer-owned swine, 
     purchased up to that time of the reporting day through each 
     type of purchase;
       ``(iii) the base price paid for all base market hogs 
     purchased up to that time of the reporting day through 
     negotiated purchases; and
       ``(iv) the base price paid for all base market hogs 
     purchased through each type of purchase other than negotiated 
     purchase up to that time of the reporting day, unless such 
     information is unavailable due to pricing that is determined 
     on a delayed basis.
       ``(B) Publication.--The Secretary shall publish the 
     information obtained under this paragraph in the morning 
     report as soon as practicable, but not later than 11:00 a.m. 
     Central Time, on each reporting day.
       ``(3) Afternoon report.--
       ``(A) In general.--The corporate officers or officially 
     designated representatives of each packer processing plant 
     shall report to the Secretary not later than 2:00 p.m. 
     Central Time each reporting day--
       ``(i) the packer's best estimate of the total number of 
     swine, and packer-owned swine, expected to be purchased 
     throughout the reporting day through each type of purchase;
       ``(ii) the total number of swine, and packer-owned swine, 
     purchased up to that time of the reporting day through each 
     type of purchase;
       ``(iii) the base price paid for all base market hogs 
     purchased up to that time of the reporting day through 
     negotiated purchases; and
       ``(iv) the base price paid for all base market hogs 
     purchased up to that time of the reporting day through each 
     type of purchase other than negotiated purchase, unless such 
     information is unavailable due to pricing that is determined 
     on a delayed basis.

[[Page H9158]]

       ``(B) Publication.--The Secretary shall publish the 
     information obtained under this paragraph in the afternoon 
     report as soon as practicable, but not later than 3:00 p.m. 
     Central Time, on each reporting day.
       ``(d) Weekly Noncarcass Merit Premium Report.--
       ``(1) In general.--Not later than 4:00 p.m. Central Time on 
     the first reporting day of each week, the corporate officers 
     or officially designated representatives of each packer 
     processing plant shall report to the Secretary a noncarcass 
     merit premium report that lists--
       ``(A) each category of standard noncarcass merit premiums 
     used by the packer in the prior slaughter week; and
       ``(B) the amount (in dollars per hundred pounds of carcass 
     weight) paid to producers by the packer, by category.
       ``(2) Premium list.--A packer shall maintain and make 
     available to a producer, on request, a current listing of the 
     dollar values (per hundred pounds of carcass weight) of each 
     noncarcass merit premium used by the packer during the 
     current or the prior slaughter week.
       ``(3) Availability.--A packer shall not be required to pay 
     a listed noncarcass merit premium to a producer that meets 
     the requirements for the premium if the need for swine in a 
     given category is filled at a particular point in time.
       ``(4) Publication.--The Secretary shall publish the 
     information obtained under this subsection as soon as 
     practicable, but not later than 5:00 p.m. Central Time, on 
     the first reporting day of each week.

                      ``CHAPTER 4--LAMB REPORTING

     ``SEC. 241. MANDATORY REPORTING FOR LAMBS.

       ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary may establish a program 
     of mandatory lamb price information reporting that will--
       ``(1) provide timely, accurate, and reliable market 
     information;
       ``(2) facilitate more informed marketing decisions; and
       ``(3) promote competition in the lamb slaughtering 
     industry.
       ``(b) Notice and Comment.--If the Secretary establishes a 
     mandatory price reporting program under subsection (a), the 
     Secretary shall provide an opportunity for comment on 
     proposed regulations to establish the program during the 30-
     day period beginning on the date of the publication of the 
     proposed regulations.

                      ``CHAPTER 5--ADMINISTRATION

     ``SEC. 251. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

       ``(a) Confidentiality.--The Secretary shall make available 
     to the public information, statistics, and documents obtained 
     from, or submitted by, packers, retail entities, and other 
     persons under this subtitle in a manner that ensures that 
     confidentiality is preserved regarding--
       ``(1) the identity of persons, including parties to a 
     contract; and
       ``(2) proprietary business information.
       ``(b) Disclosure by Federal Government Employees.--
       ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), no officer, 
     employee, or agent of the United States shall, without the 
     consent of the packer or other person concerned, divulge or 
     make known in any manner, any facts or information regarding 
     the business of the packer or other person that was acquired 
     through reporting required under this subtitle.
       ``(2) Exceptions.--Information obtained by the Secretary 
     under this subtitle may be disclosed--
       ``(A) to agents or employees of the Department of 
     Agriculture in the course of their official duties under this 
     subtitle;
       ``(B) as directed by the Secretary or the Attorney General, 
     for enforcement purposes; or
       ``(C) by a court of competent jurisdiction.
       ``(3) Disclosure under freedom of information act.--
     Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no facts or 
     information obtained under this subtitle shall be disclosed 
     in accordance with section 552 of title 5, United States 
     Code.
       ``(c) Reporting by Packers.--A packer shall report all 
     information required under this subtitle on an individual lot 
     basis.
       ``(d) Regional Reporting and Aggregation.--The Secretary 
     shall make information obtained under this subtitle available 
     to the public only in a manner that--
       ``(1) ensures that the information is published on a 
     national and a regional or statewide basis as the Secretary 
     determines to be appropriate;
       ``(2) ensures that the identity of a reporting person is 
     not disclosed; and
       ``(3) conforms to aggregation guidelines established by the 
     Secretary.
       ``(e) Adjustments.--Prior to the publication of any 
     information required under this subtitle, the Secretary may 
     make reasonable adjustments in information reported by 
     packers to reflect price aberrations or other unusual or 
     unique occurrences that the Secretary determines would 
     distort the published information to the detriment of 
     producers, packers, or other market participants.
       ``(f) Verification.--The Secretary shall take such actions 
     as the Secretary considers necessary to verify the accuracy 
     of the information submitted or reported under chapter 2, 3, 
     or 4.
       ``(g) Electronic Reporting and Publishing.--The Secretary 
     shall, to the maximum extent practicable, provide for the 
     reporting and publishing of the information required under 
     this subtitle by electronic means.
       ``(h) Reporting of Activities on Weekends and Holidays.--
       ``(1) In general.--Livestock committed to a packer, or 
     purchased, sold, or slaughtered by a packer, on a weekend day 
     or holiday shall be reported by the packer to the Secretary 
     (to the extent required under this subtitle), and reported by 
     the Secretary, on the immediately following reporting day.
       ``(2) Limitation on reporting by packers.--A packer shall 
     not be required to report actions under paragraph (1) more 
     than once on the immediately following reporting day.
       ``(i) Effect on Other Laws.--Nothing in this subtitle, the 
     Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999, or amendments made 
     by that Act restricts or modifies the authority of the 
     Secretary to--
       ``(1) administer or enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act, 
     1921 (7 U.S.C. 181 et seq.);
       ``(2) administer, enforce, or collect voluntary reports 
     under this title or any other law; or
       ``(3) access documentary evidence as provided under 
     sections 9 and 10 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 
     U.S.C. 49, 50).

     ``SEC. 252. UNLAWFUL ACTS.

       ``It shall be unlawful and a violation of this subtitle for 
     any packer or other person subject to this subtitle (in the 
     submission of information required under chapter 2, 3, or 4, 
     as determined by the Secretary) to willfully--
       ``(1) fail or refuse to provide, or delay the timely 
     reporting of, accurate information to the Secretary 
     (including estimated information);
       ``(2) solicit or request that a packer, the buyer or seller 
     of livestock or livestock products, or any other person fail 
     to provide, as a condition of any transaction, accurate or 
     timely information required under this subtitle;
       ``(3) fail or refuse to comply with this subtitle; or
       ``(4) report estimated information in any report required 
     under this subtitle in a manner that demonstrates a pattern 
     of significant variance in accuracy when compared to the 
     actual information that is reported for the same reporting 
     period, or as determined by any audit, oversight, or other 
     verification procedures of the Secretary.

     ``SEC. 253. ENFORCEMENT.

       ``(a) Civil Penalty.--
       ``(1) In general.--Any packer or other person that violates 
     this subtitle may be assessed a civil penalty by the 
     Secretary of not more than $10,000 for each violation.
       ``(2) Continuing violation.--Each day during which a 
     violation continues shall be considered to be a separate 
     violation.
       ``(3) Factors.--In determining the amount of a civil 
     penalty to be assessed under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
     shall consider the gravity of the offense, the size of the 
     business involved, and the effect of the penalty on the 
     ability of the person that has committed the violation to 
     continue in business.
       ``(4) Multiple violations.--In determining whether to 
     assess a civil penalty under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
     shall consider whether a packer or other person subject to 
     this subtitle has engaged in a pattern of errors, delays, or 
     omissions in violation of this subtitle.
       ``(b) Cease and Desist.--In addition to, or in lieu of, a 
     civil penalty under subsection (a), the Secretary may issue 
     an order to cease and desist from continuing any violation.
       ``(c) Notice and Hearing.--No penalty shall be assessed, or 
     cease and desist order issued, by the Secretary under this 
     section unless the person against which the penalty is 
     assessed or to which the order is issued is given notice and 
     opportunity for a hearing before the Secretary with respect 
     to the violation.
       ``(d) Finality and Judicial Review.--
       ``(1) In general.--The order of the Secretary assessing a 
     civil penalty or issuing a cease and desist order under this 
     section shall be final and conclusive unless the affected 
     person files an appeal of the order of the Secretary in 
     United States district court not later than 30 days after the 
     date of the issuance of the order.
       ``(2) Standard of review.--A finding of the Secretary under 
     this section shall be set aside only if the finding is found 
     to be unsupported by substantial evidence.
       ``(e) Enforcement.--
       ``(1) In general.--If, after the lapse of the period 
     allowed for appeal or after the affirmance of a penalty 
     assessed under this section, the person against which the 
     civil penalty is assessed fails to pay the penalty, the 
     Secretary may refer the matter to the Attorney General who 
     may recover the penalty by an action in United States 
     district court.
       ``(2) Finality.--In the action, the final order of the 
     Secretary shall not be subject to review.
       ``(f) Injunction or Restraining Order.--
       ``(1) In general.--If the Secretary has reason to believe 
     that any person subject to this subtitle has failed or 
     refused to provide the Secretary information required to be 
     reported pursuant to this subtitle, and that it would be in 
     the public interest to enjoin the person from further failure 
     to comply with the reporting requirements, the Secretary may 
     notify the Attorney General of the failure.
       ``(2) Attorney general.--The Attorney General may apply to 
     the appropriate district court of the United States for a 
     temporary or permanent injunction or restraining order.
       ``(3) Court.--When needed to carry out this subtitle, the 
     court shall, on a proper showing, issue a temporary 
     injunction or restraining order without bond.
       ``(g) Failure To Obey Orders.--
       ``(1) In general.--If a person subject to this subtitle 
     fails to obey a cease and desist or civil penalty order 
     issued under this subsection after the order has become final 
     and unappealable, or after the appropriate United States 
     district court has entered a final judgment in favor of the 
     Secretary, the United States may apply to the appropriate 
     district court for enforcement of the order.
       ``(2) Enforcement.--If the court determines that the order 
     was lawfully made and duly served and that the person 
     violated the order, the court shall enforce the order.
       ``(3) Civil penalty.--If the court finds that the person 
     violated the cease and desist provisions of the order, the 
     person shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than 
     $10,000 for each offense.

[[Page H9159]]

     ``SEC. 254. FEES.

       ``The Secretary shall not charge or assess a user fee, 
     transaction fee, service charge, assessment, reimbursement, 
     or any other fee for the submission or reporting of 
     information, for the receipt or availability of, or access 
     to, published reports or information, or for any other 
     activity required under this subtitle.

     ``SEC. 255. RECORDKEEPING.

       ``(a) In General.--Subject to subsection (b), each packer 
     required to report information to the Secretary under this 
     subtitle shall maintain, and make available to the Secretary 
     on request, for 2 years--
       ``(1) the original contracts, agreements, receipts and 
     other records associated with any transaction relating to the 
     purchase, sale, pricing, transportation, delivery, weighing, 
     slaughter, or carcass characteristics of all livestock; and
       ``(2) such records or other information as is necessary or 
     appropriate to verify the accuracy of the information 
     required to be reported under this subtitle.
       ``(b) Limitations.--Under subsection (a)(2), the Secretary 
     may not require a packer to provide new or additional 
     information if--
       ``(1) the information is not generally available or 
     maintained by packers; or
       ``(2) the provision of the information would be unduly 
     burdensome.
       ``(c) Purchases of Cattle or Swine.--A record of a purchase 
     of a lot of cattle or a lot of swine by a packer shall 
     evidence whether the purchase occurred--
       ``(1) before 10:00 a.m. Central Time;
       ``(2) between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Central Time; or
       ``(3) after 2:00 p.m. Central Time.

     ``SEC. 256. VOLUNTARY REPORTING.

       ``The Secretary shall encourage voluntary reporting by 
     packers (as defined in section 201 of the Packers and 
     Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 191)) to which the mandatory 
     reporting requirements of this subtitle do not apply.

     ``SEC. 257. PUBLICATION OF INFORMATION ON RETAIL PURCHASE 
                   PRICES FOR REPRESENTATIVE MEAT PRODUCTS.

       ``(a) In General.--Beginning not later than 90 days after 
     the date of enactment of this subtitle, the Secretary shall 
     compile and publish at least monthly (weekly, if practicable) 
     information on retail prices for representative food products 
     made from beef, pork, chicken, turkey, veal, or lamb.
       ``(b) Information.--The report published by the Secretary 
     under subsection (a) shall include--
       ``(1) information on retail prices for each representative 
     food product described in subsection (a); and
       ``(2) information on total sales quantity (in pounds and 
     dollars) for each representative food product.
       ``(c) Meat Price Spreads Report.--During the period ending 
     2 years after the initial publication of the report required 
     under subsection (a), the Secretary shall continue to publish 
     the Meat Price Spreads Report in the same manner as the 
     Report was published before the date of enactment of this 
     subtitle.
       ``(d) Information Collection.--
       ``(1) In general.--To ensure the accuracy of the reports 
     required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall obtain the 
     information for the reports from 1 or more sources 
     including--
       ``(A) a consistently representative set of retail 
     transactions; and
       ``(B) both prices and sales quantities for the 
     transactions.
       ``(2) Source of information.--The Secretary may--
       ``(A) obtain the information from retailers or commercial 
     information sources; and
       ``(B) use valid statistical sampling procedures, if 
     necessary.
       ``(3) Adjustments.--In providing information on retail 
     prices under this section, the Secretary may make adjustments 
     to take into account differences in--
       ``(A) the geographic location of consumption;
       ``(B) the location of the principal source of supply;
       ``(C) distribution costs; and
       ``(D) such other factors as the Secretary determines 
     reflect a verifiable comparative retail price for a 
     representative food product.
       ``(e) Administration.--The Secretary--
       ``(1) shall collect information under this section only on 
     a voluntary basis; and
       ``(2) shall not impose a penalty on a person for failure to 
     provide the information or otherwise compel a person to 
     provide the information.

     ``SEC. 258. SUSPENSION AUTHORITY REGARDING SPECIFIC TERMS OF 
                   PRICE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary may suspend any 
     requirement of this subtitle if the Secretary determines that 
     application of the requirement is inconsistent with the 
     purposes of this subtitle.
       ``(b) Suspension Procedure.--
       ``(1) Period.--A suspension under subsection (a) shall be 
     for a period of not more than 240 days.
       ``(2) Action by congress.--If an Act of Congress concerning 
     the requirement that is the subject of the suspension under 
     subsection (a) is not enacted by the end of the period of the 
     suspension established under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
     shall implement the requirement.

     ``SEC. 259. FEDERAL PREEMPTION.

       ``In order to achieve the goals, purposes, and objectives 
     of this title on a nationwide basis and to avoid potentially 
     conflicting State laws that could impede the goals, purposes, 
     or objectives of this title, no State or political 
     subdivision of a State may impose a requirement that is in 
     addition to, or inconsistent with, any requirement of this 
     subtitle with respect to the submission or reporting of 
     information, or the publication of such information, on the 
     prices and quantities of livestock or livestock products.''.

     SEC. 912. UNJUST DISQUALIFICATION.

       Section 202(b) of the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 
     U.S.C. 192(b)), is amended by striking ``whatsoever'' each 
     place it appears.

     SEC. 913. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

       (a) Section 416 of the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 
     U.S.C. 229a), is repealed.
       (b) Section 1127 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, 
     Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies 
     Appropriations Act, 1999 (7 U.S.C. 1421 note; Public Law 105-
     277), is amended--
       (1) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
       ``(b) Export Market Reporting.--The Secretary shall--
       ``(1) implement a streamlined electronic system for 
     collecting export sales and shipments data, in the least 
     intrusive manner possible, for fresh or frozen muscle cuts of 
     meat food products; and
       ``(2) develop a data-reporting program to disseminate 
     summary information in a timely manner (in the case of beef, 
     consistent with the reporting under section 602(a) of the 
     Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5712(a))).''; and
       (2) in subsection (c), by striking ``this section of the 
     Act'' and inserting ``subsection (b)''.
             Subtitle B--Related Beef Reporting Provisions

     SEC. 921. BEEF EXPORT REPORTING.

       Section 602(a)(1) of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 
     U.S.C. 5712(a)(1)) is amended by inserting ``, beef,'' after 
     ``cotton''.

     SEC. 922. EXPORT CERTIFICATES FOR MEAT AND MEAT FOOD 
                   PRODUCTS.

       Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall fully implement a 
     program, through the use of a streamlined electronic online 
     system, to issue and report export certificates for all meat 
     and meat products.

     SEC. 923. IMPORTS OF BEEF, BEEF VARIETY MEATS, AND CATTLE.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall--
       (1) obtain information regarding the import of beef and 
     beef variety meats (consistent with the information 
     categories reported for beef exports under section 602(a) of 
     the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5712(a))) and 
     cattle using available information sources; and
       (2) publish the information in a timely manner weekly and 
     in a form that maximizes the utility of the information to 
     beef producers, packers, and other market participants.
       (b) Content.--The published information shall include 
     information reporting the year-to-date cumulative annual 
     imports of beef, beef variety meats, and cattle for the 
     current and prior marketing years.

     SEC. 924. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out sections 922 and 923.
             Subtitle C--Related Swine Reporting Provisions

     SEC. 931. IMPROVEMENT OF HOGS AND PIGS INVENTORY REPORT.

       (a) In General.--Effective beginning not later than 90 days 
     after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
     Agriculture shall publish on a monthly basis the Hogs and 
     Pigs Inventory Report.
       (b) Gestating Sows.--The Secretary shall include in a 
     separate category of the Report the number of bred female 
     swine that are assumed, or have been confirmed, to be 
     pregnant during the reporting period.
       (c) Phase-Out.--Effective for a period of 8 quarters after 
     the implementation of the monthly report required under 
     subsection (a), the Secretary shall continue to maintain and 
     publish on a quarterly basis the Hogs and Pigs Inventory 
     Report published on or before the date of enactment of this 
     Act.

     SEC. 932. BARROW AND GILT SLAUGHTER.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall 
     promptly obtain and maintain, through an appropriate 
     collection system or valid sampling system at packing plants, 
     information on the total slaughter of swine that reflects 
     differences in numbers between barrows and gilts, as 
     determined by the Secretary.
       (b) Availability.--The information shall be made available 
     to swine producers, packers, and other market participants in 
     a report published by the Secretary not less frequently than 
     weekly.
       (c) Administration.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall administer the 
     collection and compilation of information, and the 
     publication of the report, required by this section.
       (2) Nondelegation.--The Secretary shall not delegate the 
     collection, compilation, or administration of the information 
     required by this section to any packer (as defined in section 
     201 of the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 191)).

     SEC. 933. AVERAGE TRIM LOSS CORRELATION STUDY AND REPORT.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall 
     contract with a qualified contractor to conduct a correlation 
     study and prepare a report establishing a baseline and 
     standards for determining and improving average trim loss 
     measurements and processing techniques for pork processors to 
     employ in the slaughter of swine.
       (b) Correlation Study and Report.--The study and report 
     shall--
       (1) analyze processing techniques that would assist the 
     pork processing industry in improving procedures for 
     uniformity and transparency in how trim loss is discounted 
     (in dollars per hundred pounds carcass weight) by different 
     packers and processors;
       (2) analyze slaughter inspection procedures that could be 
     improved so that trimming procedures and policies of the 
     Secretary are uniform to the maximum extent determined 
     practicable by the Secretary;

[[Page H9160]]

       (3) determine how the Secretary may be able to foster 
     improved breeding techniques and animal handling and 
     transportation procedures through training programs made 
     available to swine producers so as to minimize trim loss in 
     slaughter processing; and
       (4) make recommendations that are designed to effect 
     changes in the pork industry so as to achieve continuous 
     improvement in average trim losses and discounts.
       (c) Subsequent Reports on Status of Improvements and 
     Updates in Baseline.--Not less frequently than once every 2 
     years after the initial publication of the report required 
     under this section, the Secretary shall make subsequent 
     periodic reports that--
       (1) examine the status of the improvement in reducing trim 
     loss discounts in the pork processing industry; and
       (2) update the baseline to reflect changes in trim loss 
     discounts.
       (d) Submission of Reports to Congress, Producers, Packers, 
     and Others.--The reports required under this section shall be 
     made available to--
       (1) the public on the Internet;
       (2) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
     Representatives;
       (3) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 
     of the Senate;
       (4) producers and packers; and
       (5) other market participants.

     SEC. 934. SWINE PACKER MARKETING CONTRACTS.

       Title II of the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 
     191 et seq.) is amended--
       (1) by inserting before section 201 (7 U.S.C. 191) the 
     following:
                  ``Subtitle A--General Provisions'';
     and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
             ``Subtitle B--Swine Packer Marketing Contracts

     ``SEC. 221. DEFINITIONS.

       ``Except as provided in section 223(a), in this subtitle:
       ``(1) Market.--The term `market' means the sale or 
     disposition of swine, pork, or pork products in commerce.
       ``(2) Packer.--The term `packer' has the meaning given the 
     term in section 231 of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 
     1946.
       ``(3) Pork.--The term `pork' means the meat of a porcine 
     animal.
       ``(4) Pork product.--The term `pork product' means a 
     product or byproduct produced or processed in whole or in 
     part from pork.
       ``(5) State.--The term `State' means each of the 50 States.
       ``(6) Swine.--The term `swine' means a porcine animal 
     raised to be a feeder pig, raised for seedstock, or raised 
     for slaughter.
       ``(7) Type of contract.--The term `type of contract' means 
     the classification of contracts or risk management agreements 
     for the purchase of swine by--
       ``(A) the mechanism used to determine the base price for 
     swine committed to a packer, grouped into practicable 
     classifications by the Secretary (including swine or pork 
     market formula purchases, other market formula purchases, and 
     other purchase arrangements); and
       ``(B) the presence or absence of an accrual account or 
     ledger that must be repaid by the producer or packer that 
     receives the benefit of the contract pricing mechanism in 
     relation to negotiated prices.
       ``(8) Other terms.--Except as provided in this subtitle, a 
     term has the meaning given the term in section 212 or 231 of 
     the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946.

     ``SEC. 222. SWINE PACKER MARKETING CONTRACTS OFFERED TO 
                   PRODUCERS.

       ``(a) In General.--Subject to the availability of 
     appropriations to carry out this section, the Secretary shall 
     establish and maintain a library or catalog of each type of 
     contract offered by packers to swine producers for the 
     purchase of all or part of the producers' production of swine 
     (including swine that are purchased or committed for 
     delivery), including all available noncarcass merit premiums.
       ``(b) Availability.--The Secretary shall make available to 
     swine producers and other interested persons information on 
     the types of contracts described in subsection (a), including 
     notice (on a real-time basis if practicable) of the types of 
     contracts that are being offered by each individual packer 
     to, and are open to acceptance by, producers for the purchase 
     of swine.
       ``(c) Confidentiality.--The reporting requirements under 
     subsections (a) and (b) shall be subject to the 
     confidentiality protections provided under section 251 of the 
     Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946.
       ``(d) Information Collection.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall--
       ``(A) obtain (by a filing or other procedure required of 
     each individual packer) information indicating what types of 
     contracts for the purchase of swine are available from each 
     packer; and
       ``(B) make the information available in a monthly report to 
     swine producers and other interested persons.
       ``(2) Contracted swine numbers.--Each packer shall provide, 
     and the Secretary shall collect and publish in the monthly 
     report required under paragraph (1)(B), information 
     specifying--
       ``(A) the types of existing contracts for each packer;
       ``(B) the provisions contained in each contract that 
     provide for expansion in the numbers of swine to be delivered 
     under the contract for the following 6-month and 12-month 
     periods;
       ``(C) an estimate of the total number of swine committed by 
     contract for delivery to all packers within the 6-month and 
     12-month periods following the date of the report, reported 
     by reporting region and by type of contract; and
       ``(D) an estimate of the maximum total number of swine that 
     potentially could be delivered within the 6-month and 12-
     month periods following the date of the report under the 
     provisions described in subparagraph (B) that are included in 
     existing contracts, reported by reporting region and by type 
     of contract.
       ``(e) Violations.--It shall be unlawful and a violation of 
     this title for any packer to willfully fail or refuse to 
     provide to the Secretary accurate information required under, 
     or to willfully fail or refuse to comply with any requirement 
     of, this section.
       ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated such sums as necessary to carry 
     out this section.

     ``SEC. 223. REPORT ON THE SECRETARY'S JURISDICTION, POWER, 
                   DUTIES, AND AUTHORITIES.

       ``(a) Definition of Packer.--In this section, the term 
     `packer' has the meaning given the term in section 201 of the 
     Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 191).
       ``(b) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
     enactment of this subtitle, the Comptroller General of the 
     United States shall provide to the Committee on Agriculture 
     of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
     Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report 
     describing the jurisdiction, powers, duties, and authorities 
     of the Secretary that relate to packers and other persons 
     involved in procuring, slaughtering, or processing swine, 
     pork, or pork products that are covered by this Act and other 
     laws, including--
       ``(1) the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et 
     seq.), especially sections 6, 8, 9, and 10 of that Act (15 
     U.S.C. 46, 48, 49, 50); and
       ``(2) the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621 
     et seq.).
       ``(c) Contents.--The Comptroller General shall include in 
     the report an analysis of--
       ``(1) burdens on and obstructions to commerce in swine, 
     pork, and pork products by packers, and other persons that 
     enter into arrangements with the packers, that are contrary 
     to, or do not protect, the public interest;
       ``(2) noncompetitive pricing arrangements between or among 
     packers, or other persons involved in the processing, 
     distribution, or sale of pork and pork products, including 
     arrangements provided for in contracts for the purchase of 
     swine;
       ``(3) the effective monitoring of contracts entered into 
     between packers and swine producers;
       ``(4) investigations that relate to, and affect, the 
     disclosure of--
       ``(A) transactions involved in the business conduct and 
     practices of packers; and
       ``(B) the pricing of swine paid to producers by packers and 
     the pricing of products in the pork and pork product 
     merchandising chain;
       ``(5) the adequacy of the authority of the Secretary to 
     prevent a packer from unjustly or arbitrarily refusing to 
     offer a producer, or disqualifying a producer from 
     eligibility for, a particular contract or type of contract 
     for the purchase of swine; and
       ``(6) the ability of the Secretary to cooperate with and 
     enhance the enforcement of actions initiated by other Federal 
     departments and agencies, or Federal independent agencies, to 
     protect trade and commerce in the pork and pork product 
     industries against unlawful restraints and monopolies.''.

     SEC. 935. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this subtitle and the amendments made 
     by this subtitle.
                       Subtitle D--Implementation

     SEC. 941. REGULATIONS.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
     publish final regulations to implement this title and the 
     amendments made by this title.
       (b) Publication of Proposed Regulations.--Not later than 90 
     days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
     shall publish proposed regulations to implement this title 
     and the amendments made by this title.
       (c) Comment Period.--The Secretary shall provide an 
     opportunity for comment on the proposed regulations during 
     the 30-day period beginning on the date of the publication of 
     the proposed regulations.
       (d) Final Regulations.--Not later than 60 days after the 
     conclusion of the comment period, the Secretary shall publish 
     the final regulations and implement this title and the 
     amendments made by this title.

     SEC. 942. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.

       The authority provided by this title and the amendments 
     made by this title terminate 5 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act.
       This Act may be cited as the ``Agriculture, Rural 
     Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related 
     Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000''.
       And the Senate agree to the same.
     Joe Skeen,
     Jay Dickey,
     Jack Kingston,
     Henry Bonilla,
     Tom Latham,
     Jo Ann Emerson,
     Bill Young,
     Sam Farr,
     Allen Boyd,
     David R. Obey,
                                Managers on the Part of the House.

     Thad Cochran,
     Christopher S. Bond,
     Slade Gorton,
     Mitch McConnell,
     Conrad Burns,
     Ted Stevens,
     Herb Kohl,
     Dianne Feinstein,
     Robert Byrd,
                               Managers on the Part of the Senate.


[[Page H9161]]



       JOINT EXPLANATORY STATEMENT OF THE COMMITTEE OF CONFERENCE

       The managers on the part of the House and Senate at the 
     conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the 
     amendment of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 1906) making 
     appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and 
     Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the 
     fiscal year ending September 30, 2000, and for other 
     purposes, submit the following joint statement to the House 
     and Senate in explanation of the effect of the action agreed 
     upon by the managers and recommended in the accompanying 
     conference report.

                        Congressional Directives

       The statement of the managers remains silent on provisions 
     that were in both the House and Senate bills that remain 
     unchanged by this conference agreement, except as noted in 
     this statement of the managers.
       The conferees agree that executive branch wishes cannot 
     substitute for Congress' own statements as to the best 
     evidence of congressional intentions--that is, the official 
     reports of the Congress. The conferees further point out that 
     funds in this Act must be used for the purposes for which 
     appropriated, as required by section 1301 of title 31 of the 
     United States Code, which provides: ``Appropriations shall be 
     applied only to the objects for which the appropriations were 
     made except as otherwise provided by law.''
       The House and Senate report language that is not changed by 
     the conference is approved by the committee of conference. 
     The statement of the managers, while repeating some report 
     language for emphasis, does not intend to negate the language 
     referred to above unless expressly provided herein.


                         food safety initiative

       Funding for food safety is of critical importance to the 
     conferees and, accordingly, it has been given high priority. 
     For fiscal year 2000, total funding of $326,633,000 is 
     approved for programs and activities funded by this bill 
     which are included in the President's Food Safety Initiative, 
     an increase of $51,886,000 from the fiscal year 1999 level. 
     The funding increases, by agency, are as follow:

Agricultural Research Service...............................$11,000,000
Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service...2,635,000
Economic Research Service.......................................453,000
National Agricultural Statistic Service.......................2,500,000
Agricultural Marketing Service................................2,398,000
Food Safety and Inspection Service............................2,900,000
Food and Drug Administration.................................30,000,000
                                                       ________________
                                                       
  Total......................................................51,886,000

                     TITLE I--AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS

                 Production, Processing, and Marketing

                        Office of the Secretary

       The conference agreement provides $15,436,000 for the 
     Office of the Secretary instead of $2,836,000 as proposed by 
     both the House and Senate. Included in this amount is 
     $12,600,000 made available solely for the development and 
     implementation of a common computing environment (CCE) for 
     the Department of Agriculture, which will only be available 
     upon approval by the Committees on Appropriations and 
     Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Senate of 
     a comprehensive plan for development and implementation of 
     the CCE.
       The conferees strongly encourage the Department to make the 
     funds from the fiscal year 1996 appropriation for Infoshare 
     available to the Chief Information Officer for continued 
     Service Center oversight and for supporting other high 
     priority work which will facilitate information sharing and 
     electronic access to USDA programs.
       The conferees expect the Secretary to use all existing 
     authority for the implementation of trade adjustment 
     assistance measures announced by the President on July 7, 
     1999, to improve the competitiveness of the U.S. lamb 
     industry.
       The conferees believe that there is an absence of clarity 
     concerning the definition of US cattle and US fresh beef 
     products. This limitation hinders the ability of producers to 
     promote their products as ``Product of the U.S.A.'' The 
     conferees direct the Secretary of Agriculture, in 
     consultation with the affected industries, to promulgate 
     regulations defining which cattle and fresh beef products are 
     ``Products of the U.S.A.'' This will facilitate the 
     development of voluntary, value-added promotion programs that 
     will benefit U.S. producers, business, industry, consumers, 
     and commerce.
       The conferees encourage the Secretary to enhance funding 
     for research to further study the economic feasibility of 
     converting biomass to ethanol through feedstock development, 
     biomass gasification and syngas conditioning, microbial 
     catalyst development, and syngas fermentation. The conferees 
     note that this research could result in substantial economic 
     benefits for rural America.

                          Executive Operations


                     office of the chief economist

       The conference agreement provides $6,411,000 as proposed by 
     the Senate instead of $5,620,000 as proposed by the House.


                office of the chief information officer

       The conference agreement provides $6,051,000 for the Office 
     of the Chief Information Officer instead of the $5,551,000 as 
     proposed by the House and Senate. The amount includes an 
     increase of $500,000 for information security.


                 office of the chief financial officer

       The conference agreement provides $4,783,000 for the Office 
     of the Chief Financial Officer instead of the $4,283,000 as 
     proposed by the House and the $5,283,000 as proposed by the 
     Senate. The conference agreement deletes bill language 
     proposed by the Senate that the Chief Financial Officer 
     actively market cross-servicing activities of the National 
     Finance Center.

        Agriculture Buildings and Facilities and Rental Payments

       The conference agreement provides $140,364,000 for 
     agriculture buildings and facilities and rental payments as 
     proposed by the House instead of $145,364,000 as proposed by 
     the Senate. The conference agreement does not provide 
     $5,000,000 for repairs, renovations and construction as 
     proposed by the Senate. The House bill proposed no funding 
     for this purpose.
       In the event an agency within the Department requires 
     modification of its space needs, language in the bill allows 
     the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer a share of that 
     agency's appropriation or a share of this appropriation to 
     that agency's appropriation, but such transfer cannot exceed 
     5 percent of the funds made available for space rental and 
     related costs.

                      Departmental Administration

       The conference agreement provides $34,738,000 for 
     Departmental Administration as proposed by the Senate instead 
     of $36,117,000 as proposed by the House.
       The amount provided includes the increases requested in the 
     President's Budget for the Office of Civil Rights ($1,639,000 
     and 17 staff years) and the Office of Outreach ($931,000 and 
     11 staff years) to continue to implement recommendations from 
     the Civil Rights Action Team report, the National Commission 
     on Small Farms report, and to carry out other 
     responsibilities under this account.

     Office of the Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations

       The conference agreement provides $3,568,000 for the Office 
     of the Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations 
     instead of $3,668,000 as proposed by the House and the 
     Senate. The conference agreement includes language providing 
     for the transfer of not less than $2,241,000 to agencies 
     funded in this Act to maintain personnel at the agency level. 
     The following table reflects the amounts provided by the 
     conference:

Headquarters Activities........................................$857,000
Intergovernmental Affairs.......................................470,000
Agricultural Marketing Service..................................176,000
Agricultural Research Service...................................129,000
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service......................101,000
Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service.....120,000
Farm Service Agency.............................................355,000
Food and Nutrition Service......................................270,000
Food Safety and Inspection Service..............................309,000
Foreign Agricultural Service....................................183,000
Natural Resources Conservation Service..........................148,000
Rick Management Agency..........................................109,000
Rural Business-Cooperative Service...............................52,000
Rural Housing Service...........................................147,000
Rural Utilities Service.........................................142,000
                                                             __________
                                                             
  Total......................................................63,568,000

                     Office of the General Counsel

       The conference agreement provides $29,194,000 for the 
     Office of the General Counsel as proposed by the House 
     instead of the $30,094,000 as proposed by the Senate.

  Office of the Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics

       The conference agreement provides $540,000 for the Office 
     of the Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics 
     as proposed by the Senate instead of $940,000 as proposed by 
     the House. Resources for activities related to the Biobased 
     Coordinating Council as provided under the Agricultural 
     Research Service.

                       Economic Research Service

       The conference agreement provided $65,419,000 for the 
     Economic Research Service instead of $70,266,000 as proposed 
     by the House and $62,919,000 as proposed by the Senate. 
     Included in this amount is $12,195,000 for studies and 
     evaluations of the child nutrition, WIC, and food stamp 
     programs, of which $1,000,000 is transferred to the Food 
     Program Administration account of the Food and Nutrition 
     Service; and $453,000 is for estimating the benefits of food 
     safety, as requested in the budget.
       The conference agreement does not include $500,000 for a 
     study on the decline in participation in the food stamp 
     program. The conferees note that GAO released a study in July 
     1999 on this same issue. The conference agreement deletes 
     bill language reducing

[[Page H9162]]

     Economic Research Service cooperative research by $2,000,000.

                National Agricultural Statistics Service

       The conference agreement provides $99,405,000 for the 
     National Agricultural Statistics Service instead of 
     $100,559,000 as proposed by the House and $99,355,000 as 
     proposed by the Senate. Included in this amount is up to 
     $16,490,000 for the Census of Agriculture; and increases of 
     $2,500,000 for the fruit and vegetable survey, $800,000 for 
     the pesticide use survey, and $250,000 for a new office in 
     Puerto Rico. The amount provided includes all savings 
     identified in the President's request.

                     Agricultural Research Service

       The conference agreement provides $834,322,000 for the 
     Agricultural Research Service instead of $823,381,000 as 
     proposed by the House and $809,499,000 as proposed by the 
     Senate.
       The following table reflects the conference agreement:

                                                              Amount
FY 1999 Appropriation..................................    $785,518,000
                                                        ----------------
      Agricultural Genome..............................       2,000,000
                                                        ----------------
Bioinformatic tools, biol. databases, and info mgmt             250,000
 (Plants)..............................................
    Columbia, MO.......................................        (250,000)
National Plant Germplasm System........................       1,750,000
    Albany, CA.........................................        (250,000)
    Ft. Collins, CO....................................        (250,000)
    Ames, IA...........................................        (250,000)
    Beltsville, MD.....................................        (250,000)
    Columbia, MO.......................................        (250,000)
    Ithaca, NY.........................................        (250,000)
    Pullman, WA........................................        (250,000)
                                                        ----------------
      Emerging Diseases and Exotic Pests...............       3,775,000
                                                        ----------------
Wheat and barley scab..................................         375,000
    Madison, WI........................................        (300,000)
    Raleigh, NC........................................         (75,000)
Consortium of Land Grant Universities..................       1,800,000
Cereal Rust, St. Paul, MN..............................         250,000
New emerging and exotic plant diseases.................         250,000
    Fort Pierce, FL....................................        (250,000)
Reniform Nematode, Stoneville, MS......................         500,000
Noxious Weeds, Burns, OR...............................         250,000
Avian Pneumovirus, Athens, GA..........................         250,000
Poult Enteritis Mortality Syndrome, Athens, GA.........         100,000
                                                        ----------------
      Food Quality Protection Act Implementation.......         250,000
                                                        ----------------
IPM tech. for fruits/veg/organophosphates and                   250,000
 carbamates............................................
    Ft. Pierce, FL.....................................        (250,000)
                                                        ----------------
      Food Safety......................................      11,000,000
                                                        ----------------
Preharvest:
  Manure handling and distribution.....................       1,750,000
    Miss. State, MS....................................        (500,000)
    Ames, IA...........................................        (250,000)
    Clay Center, NE....................................        (250,000)
    Lincoln, NE........................................        (250,000)
    Bushland, TX.......................................        (250,000)
    Phoenix, AZ........................................        (250,000)
  Antibiotic resistance................................       1,350,000
    Athens, GA.........................................        (450,000)
    Ames, IA...........................................        (450,000)
    College Station, TX................................        (450,000)
  Risk assessment......................................       1,550,000
    Athens, GA.........................................        (400,000)
    West Lafayette, IN.................................        (250,000)
    Clay Center, NE....................................        (500,000)
    Beltsville, MD.....................................        (400,000)
  Fungal toxins........................................         250,000
    Athens, GA.........................................        (250,000)
  Zoonotic disease risk................................         250,000
    Fayetteville, AR...................................        (250,000)
  Aflatoxin............................................         750,000
    Stoneville, MS.....................................        (500,000)
    Phoenix, AZ........................................        (250,000)
Postharvest:
  Pathogen control in fruits/vegetables................       1,200,000
    Beltsville, MD.....................................        (400,000)
    Wyndmoor, PA.......................................        (400,000)
    Albany, CA.........................................        (400,000)
  Pathogen control during slaughter/processing.........         500,000
    Athens, GA.........................................        (500,000)
  Antimicrobial resistance.............................         800,000
    Wyndmoor, PA.......................................        (400,000)
    Peoria, IL.........................................        (400,000)
  Food Safety Research, Listeria Monocytogenes and E.         1,000,000
   Coli Pathogens......................................
  Listeriosis, Sheep Scrapie, Ovine Progressive                 600,000
   Pneumonia Virus (OPPV), Pullman, WA/Dubois, ID......
  Food Safety Engineering, West Lafayette, IN (Purdue,          500,000
   Univ.)..............................................
  Hyperspectral Imaging, Stennis Space Center, MS......         500,000
                                                        ----------------
      Global Change....................................         900,000
                                                        ----------------
  Carbon cycle research................................         900,000
    Auburn, AL.........................................        (400,000)
    Mandan, ND.........................................        (250,000)
    Morris, MN.........................................        (250,000)
                                                        ----------------
      Human Nutrition..................................       3,000,000
                                                        ----------------
    Little Rock, AR....................................        (500,000)
    San Francisco/Davis, CA............................        (500,000)
    Boston, MA.........................................        (500,000)
    Beltsville, MD.....................................        (500,000)
    Grand Forks, ND....................................        (500,000)
    Houston, TX........................................        (500,000)
                                                        ----------------
      Sustainable Ecosystems...........................       1,500,000
                                                        ----------------
  Eutrophication, harmful algal blooms and hypoxia.....         500,000
    University Park, PA................................        (250,000)
    Watkinsville, GA...................................        (250,000)
  Predict ecological impacts and extreme natural events         500,000
    Lubbock, TX........................................        (250,000)
    El Reno, OK........................................        (250,000)
  Biologically-based IPM for invasive weeds/pests......         500,000
    Logan, UT..........................................        (250,000)
    Kearneysville, WV..................................        (250,000)
                                                        ----------------
      Subtotal.........................................      22,425,000
                                                        ----------------
Contingency Funds......................................        (928,500)
Pay Cost...............................................       4,999,500
                                                        ----------------
      Subtotal.........................................      26,496,000
                                                        ----------------
Alternative Replacement Crops..........................         800,000
Animal Vaccines, Joint Research between Univ. of CT/          2,000,000
 Univ. of MO...........................................
Animal Waste Management, IL............................         200,000
Appalachian Pasture-Based Beef System, Beckley, WV.....       1,000,000
Aquaculture Research, Pine Bluff, AR...................         500,000
Aquaculture Systems (Rainbow Trout), Univ. of Conn.....         500,000
Asian Bird Influenza, Athens, GA.......................         300,000
Binational Agricultural Research & Development (BARD)..      \1\400,000
Biobased Products......................................      \1\200,000
Biological Controls and Agric. Research:
    Center Biological Controls, FAMU...................       1,000,000
    Science Center of Excellence, FAMU.................       1,000,000
Biomedical Materials in Plants, Beltsville, MD.........         500,000
Center for Food Safety/Post Harvest Technology, MS St.          300,000
 Univ..................................................
Fish Diseases, Auburn, AL..............................         500,000
Floriculture and Nursery Crop Research (portion for           2,000,000
 cooperative agreements with university partners, incl.
 Calif. Univ. & Cornell Univ,; $200,000 for Ohio State
 Univ.)................................................
Golden Nematode, Cornell Univ..........................         200,000
Grape Rootstock, Geneva, NY (Ithaca, NY Worksite)......         250,000
Greenhouse Lettuce Germplasm, Salinas, CA..............         250,000
Lettuce Geneticist/Breeder Position, Salinas, CA.......         250,000
Lyme Disease, Yale Univ................................         200,000
Mid-West/Mid-South Irrigation, Univ. of MO Delta                200,000
 Center, Portageville, MO..............................
Nat'l Center for Cool & Coldwater Aquaculture, Leetown,         250,000
 WV....................................................
Nat'l Center for Dev. of Natural Products, Oxford, MS..         750,000
Nat'l Sedimentation Lab, Oxford, MS:
    Acoustics..........................................          50,000
    Yazoo River Basin, MS..............................         500,000
National Warmwater Aquaculture Center, Stoneville, MS..         308,000
New England Plant, Soil & Water Research Lab, Orono, ME         300,000
Northern Plains Research Lab, Sidney, MT...............         750,000
Organic Minor Crop Specialist, Salinas, CA.............         250,000
Peanut Quality Research, Athens, GA....................       1,000,000
Post-Harvest and Controlled Atmosphere Chamber                  250,000
 (Lettuce), Salinas, CA................................
Potato Research Enhancement, Prosser, WA...............         250,000
Red Imported Fire Ants, Stoneville, MS.................         350,000
Rice Research, Stuttgart, AR...........................         500,000
Risk Assessment for BT Crops...........................         200,000
Root Diseases of Wheat/Barley, Pullman, WA.............         500,000
Small Fruits, Poplarville, MS..........................         750,000
Southern Insect Mgmt. (SCA with NCPA), Stoneville, MS..          75,000
Sunflower Research, Fargo, ND..........................         200,000
Sustainable Vineyard Practices Position, Davis, CA.....         250,000
Temperate Fruit Flies, Yakima, WA......................         250,000
U.S. Plant Stress & Water Conservation Lab, Lubbock, TX         750,000
U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Hilo,          500,000
 HI....................................................
Viticulture, Univ. of Idaho--Pharma Research and Ext            450,000
 Center, ID............................................
Watershed Research, Columbia, MO.......................         325,000
                                                        ----------------

[[Page H9163]]

 
      Subtotal.........................................      22,308,000
                                                        ----------------
      FY 2000 Total....................................     834,322,000
 
\1\ Items moved from other USDA accounts.

       The conference agreement continues the fiscal year 1999 
     level of funding for all research projects proposed to be 
     terminated in the President's budget. The conference 
     agreement provides no funding for contingencies.
       The conference agreement continues the fiscal year 1999 
     level of funding for cooperative research conducted at the 
     Rodale Institute, PA, with the ARS Soil-Microbial Systems 
     Laboratory.
       The conferees are aware that USDA is considering the 
     relocation of ARS scientists from the Shafter Cotton Research 
     Station, CA. The conferees are concerned that this relocation 
     will reduce the level of resources for cotton research 
     conducted at the station. The conference agreement provides 
     continued funding at the fiscal year 1999 level for this 
     research and directs that no action be taken to shift funds 
     or staffing resources from Shafter without the prior approval 
     of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations.
       The conferees recognize that fruit flies are an impediment 
     to agricultural production in Hawaii and other states and 
     encourage the ARS to consider demonstrating in Hawaii the 
     efficacy of area-wide pest management strategies for fruit 
     flies.
       Included in the additional funds recommended for food 
     safety research is an increase of $600,000 for research on 
     listeriosis, sheep scrapie, ovine progressive pneumonia 
     virus, and other emerging diseases. These funds are to be 
     utilized by the USDA-ARS Animal Disease Research Unit in 
     Pullman, WA, in part for collaborative research on sheep 
     scrapie and ovine progressive pneumonia virus with the USDA-
     ARS Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, ID.


                        buildings and facilities

       The conference agreement provides $52,500,000 for 
     Agricultural Research Service, Buildings and Facilities 
     instead of no funds as proposed by the House and $53,000,000 
     as proposed by the Senate.
       The following table reflects the conference agreement:

Arizona: Water Conservation and Western Cotton Laboratory, Ma$1,400,000
California:............................................................
  Western Human Nutrition Research Center, Davis..............9,000,000
  Western Regional Research Center, Albany....................2,600,000
District of Columbia: National Arboretum........................500,000
Hawaii: U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center.......4,500,000
Illinois:
  National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peori1,800,000
  USDA Greenhouse complex, Urbana...............................400,000
Iowa: National Animal Disease Center, Ames....................3,000,000
Kansas: U.S. Grain Marketing Research Laboratory, Manhattan.....100,000
Louisiana: Southern Regional Research Center, New Orleans.....5,500,000
Maryland: Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville13,000,000
Mississippi: Biocontrol and Insect Rearing Laboratory, Stonevi2,000,000
Montana: Fort Keogh Laboratory, Miles City......................530,000
New York: Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Greenport........3,500,000
Pennsylvania: Eastern Regional Research Center, Philadelphia..4,400,000
Utah: Poisonous Plant Laboratory, Logan.........................270,000
                                                       ________________
                                                       
    Total....................................................52,500,000

      Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service


                   research and education activities

       The conference agreement provides $485,698,000 for research 
     and education activities instead of $467,327,000 as proposed 
     by the House and $473,377,000 as proposed by the Senate.
       The Cooperative Extension System is playing a critical role 
     in providing risk management training and other targeted 
     program services to farm and ranch families struggling with 
     the current farm crisis. The conferees encourage the 
     Secretary to provide additional funding to the extension 
     system to carry out these programs subject to the 
     reprogramming requirements of this Act.
       The following table reflects the conference agreement:


                   Research and Education Activities

                       [In thousands of dollars]

                                                             Conference
                                                              agreement
Payments Under Hatch Act........................................180,545
Cooperative forestry research (McIntire-Stennis).................21,932
Payments to 1890 colleges and Tuskegee...........................30,676
Special Research Grants (P.L. 89-106):
  Advanced spatial technologies (MS)..............................1,000
  Aegilops cylindricum (jointed goatgrass) (WA).....................360
  Aflatoxin (IL)....................................................130
  Agriculture-based industrial lubricants (IA)......................250
  Agricultural diversification (HI).................................131
  Agricultural diversity/Red River Trade Corridor (NM/ND)...........250
  Agriculture Telecommunications (NY)...............................500
  Agriculture water usage (GA)......................................300
  Alliance for food protection (NE, GA).............................300
  Alternative crops (ND)............................................550
  Alternative crops for arid lands (TX).............................100
  Alternative salmon products (AK)..................................650
  Animal science food safety consortium (AR, IA, KS)..............1,521
  Apple fire blight (NY, MI)........................................500
  Aquaculture (LA)..................................................330
  Aquaculture (MS)..................................................592
  Aquaculture (NC)..................................................300
  Aquaculture (VA)..................................................100
  Aquaculture product and marketing development (WV)................750
  Babcock Institute (WI)............................................600
  Biodiesel research (MO)...........................................152
  Blocking anhydrous methamphetamine production (IA)................250
  Bovine tuberculosis (MI)..........................................200
  Brucellosis vaccines (MT).........................................500
  Center for animal health and productivity (PA)....................113
  Center for rural studies (VT).....................................200
  Chesapeake Bay agroecology (MD)...................................150
  Chesapeake Bay aquaculture........................................385
  Citrus Tristeza...................................................700
  Coastal cultivars (GA)............................................200
  Competitiveness of agricultural products (WA).....................680
  Cool season legume research (ID, WA)..............................329
  Cranberry/blueberry (MA)..........................................150
  Cranberry/blueberry disease and breeding (NJ).....................220
  Dairy and meat goat research (TX)................................. 63
  Delta rural revitalization (MS)...................................148
  Designing foods for health (TX)...................................375
  Diaprepes/Root Weevil (FL)........................................350
  Drought mitigation (NE)...........................................200
  Ecosystems (AL)...................................................500
  Environmental research (NY).......................................400
  Environmental risk factors/cancer (NY)............................200
  Environmentally-safe products (VT)................................200
  Expanded wheat pasture (OK).......................................285
  Farm and rural business finance (IL).............................. 87
  Feed Barley for rangeland cattle (MT).............................750
  Floriculture (HI).................................................250
  Food and Agriculture Policy Institute (IA, MO)....................900
  Food irradiation (IA).............................................200
  Food marketing policy center (CT).................................400
  Food processing center (NE)....................................... 42
  Food quality (AK).................................................350
  Food safety (AL)..................................................525
  Food systems research group (WI)..................................500
  Forages for advancing livestock production (KY)...................250
  Forestry (AR).....................................................523
  Fruit and vegetable market analysis (AZ, MO)......................320
  Generic commodity promotion research and evaluation (NY)..........198
  Global change...................................................1,000
  Global marketing support service (AR).............................127
  Grain Sorghum (KS)................................................106
  Grass seed cropping systems for a sustainable agriculture (WA, OR, 
    ID).............................................................423
  Human nutrition (IA)..............................................473
  Human nutrition (LA)..............................................752
  Human nutrition (NY)..............................................622
  Hydroponic tomato production/germplasm development in forage 
    grasses (OH)....................................................200
  Illinois-Missouri Alliance for Biotechnology....................1,184
  Improved dairy management practices (PA)..........................296
  Improved early detection of crop diseases (NC)....................200
  Improved fruit practices (MI).....................................445
  Infectious disease research (CO)..................................300
  Institute for Food Science and Engineering (AR).................1,250
  Integrated production systems (OK)................................180
  International agricultural market structures and institutions (KY)250
  International arid lands consortium...............................400
  Iowa biotechnology consortium...................................1,564
  Livestock and dairy policy (NY, TX)...............................475
  Lowbush blueberry research (ME)...................................220
  Maple research (VT)...............................................100
  Meadowfoam (OR)...................................................300
  Michigan biotechnology consortium.................................675
  Midwest advanced food manufacturing alliance......................423
  Midwest agricultural products (IA)................................592

[[Page H9164]]

  Milk safety (PA)..................................................350
  Minor use animal drugs............................................550
  Molluscan shellfish (OR)..........................................400
  Multi-commodity research (OR).....................................364
  Multi-cropping strategies for acquaculture (HI)...................127
  National biological impact assessment.............................254
  Menatode resistance genetic enginerring (NM)......................127
  Nevada arid rangelands initiative (NV)............................300
  New crop opportunities (AK).......................................500
  New crop opportunities (KY).......................................700
  Non-food uses of agricultural products (NE)....................... 64
  Oil resources from desert plants (NM).............................175
  Organic waste utilization (NM)....................................100
  Pasture and forage research (UT)..................................225
  Peach tree short life (SC)........................................162
  Peanut allergy reduction (AL).....................................500
  Pest control alternatives (SC)....................................106
  phytophthora root rot (NM)........................................127
  Plant, drought, and disease resistance gene cataloging (NM).......250
  Potato research.................................................1,350
  Precision agriculture (KY)......................................1,000
  Preharvest food safety (KS).......................................212
  Preservation and processing research (OK).........................226
  Rangeland ecosystems (NM).........................................200
  Red snapper research (AL).........................................600
  Regional barley gene mapping project..............................500
  Regionalized implications of farm programs (MO), TX)..............294
  Rice modeling (AR)................................................296
  Rural Development Centers (PA, IA, ND, MS, OR, LA)................523
  Rural policies institute (NE, MO).................................644
  Russian wheat aphid (CO)..........................................200
  Seafood harvesting processing and marketing (AK)..................650
  Seafood and aquaculture harvesting, processing, and marketing (MS)305
  Seafood safety (MA)...............................................300
  Small fruit research (OR, WA, ID).................................300
  Southwest consortium for plant genetics and water resources.......338
  Soybean cyst nematode (MO)........................................500
  STEEP III--water quality in Pacific Northwest.....................500
  Sustainable agriculture (CA)......................................300
  Sustainable agriculture (MI)......................................445
  Sustainable agriculture and natural resources (PA)................100
  Sustainable agriculture systems (NE).............................. 59
  Sustainable beef supply (MT)......................................750
  Sustainable pest management for dryland wheat (MT)................500
  Swine waste management (NC).......................................500
  Tillage, silviculture, waste management (LA)......................212
  Tomato wilt virus (GA)............................................200
  Tropical and subtropical research...............................2,724
  Tropical aquaculture (FL).........................................200
  Turkey carnavirus (IN)............................................200
  Urban pests (GA).................................................. 64
  Vidalia onions (GA)...............................................100
  Viticulture consortium (NY, CA).................................1,100
  Water conservation (KS)........................................... 79
  Weed control (ND).................................................423
  Wetland plants (LA)...............................................600
  Wheat genetic research (KS).......................................261
  Wood utilization research (OR, MS, NC, MN, ME, MI, ID, TN, AK)..5,786
  Wool research (TX, MT, WY)........................................300
                                                             __________
                                                             
    Total, Special Research Grants...............................63,238
                                                               ==========
_______________________________________________________________________

Improved pest control:
  Emerging pest/critical issues.....................................200
  Expert IPM decision support system................................177
  Integrated pest management......................................2,731
  Minor crop pest management (IR-4)...............................8,990
  Pest management alternatives....................................1,623
                                                             __________
                                                             
    Total, Improved pest control.................................13,721
                                                               ==========
_______________________________________________________________________

Competitive research grants:
  Animals........................................................29,000
  Markets, trade and development..................................4,600
  Nutrition, food safety and health..............................16,000
  Natural resources and the environment..........................20,500
  Plants.........................................................41,000
  Processes and new products......................................8,200
                                                             __________
                                                             
    Total, Competitive research grants..........................119,300
                                                               ==========
_______________________________________________________________________

Animal Health and Disease (Sec. 1433).............................5,109
Alternative Crops...................................................750
Critical Agricultural Materials Act.................................650
1994 Institutions research program..................................500
Graduate fellowship grants........................................3,000
Institution challenge grants......................................4,350
Multicultural scholars program....................................1,000
Hispanic education partnership grants.............................2,850
Secondary agriculture education.....................................500
Aquaculture Centers (Sec. 1475)...................................4,000
Sustainable agriculture...........................................8,000
Capacity building grants (1890 institutions)......................9,200
Payments to the 1994 Institutions.................................1,552
                                                               ==========
_______________________________________________________________________

Federal Administration:
  Agriculture development in the American Pacific...................564
  Agriculture waste utilization (WV)................................500
  Alternative fuels characterization laboratory (ND)................218
  Animal waste management (OK)......................................250
  Biotechnology research (MS).......................................500
  Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (IA)................355
  Center for innovative food technology (OH)........................381
  Center for North American Studies (TX)............................ 87
  Climate change research (FL)......................................200
  Cotton research (TX)..............................................200
  Data information system.........................................2,000
  Geographic information system...................................1,000
  Livestock Marketing Information Center (CO).......................200
  Mariculture (NC)..................................................250
  Mississippi Valley State University...............................583
  National Center for Peanut Competitiveness........................300
  Office of extramural programs.....................................310
  Pay costs and FERS..............................................1,100
  Peer panels.......................................................350
  PM-10 study, (CA, WA).............................................873
  Precision agriculture (AL, TN)....................................500
  Shrimp aquaculture (AZ, HI, MS, MA, SC).........................3,354
  Water quality (IL)................................................350
  Water quality (ND)................................................400
                                                             __________
                                                             
    Total, Federal Administration................................14,825
                                                               ==========
_______________________________________________________________________

    Total, Research and Education Activities....................485,698

       The conferees direct that funding provided for the 
     hydroponic tomato production/germplasm development in forage 
     grasses special grant will be divided equally, with $100,000 
     for hydroponic tomato production at Ohio State University and 
     $100,000 for germplasm development in forage grasses at the 
     University of Toledo.
       The conference agreement includes $5,786,000 for wood 
     utilization research, of which $650,000 is for the 
     establishment of a new center in Alaska. The remainder is to 
     maintain each of the existing centers at its fiscal year 1999 
     funding level.
       The conference agreement includes $750,000 for alternative 
     crops, of which $550,000 is for canola and $200,000 is for 
     hesperaloe.
       The conferees do not concur with language included in the 
     Senate report that Challenge Grants program funds be used to 
     support the Food and Agricultural Education Information 
     System (FAEIS). Section 223 of the Agricultural Research, 
     Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 makes amounts 
     available under Section 1417 of the National Agricultural 
     Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act available to 
     maintain an agricultural education information system.
       The conferees expect that the deadline for proposals for 
     funding under the Secondary Agriculture Education program 
     will be no later than in the Spring of 2000.


                          extension activities

       The conference agreement provides $424,922,000 for 
     extension activities instead of $438,987,000 as proposed by 
     the House and $422,620,000 as proposed by the Senate.
       The following table reflects the conference agreement:


                          Extension Activities

                       [In thousands of dollars]

                                                             Conference
                                                              agreement
Smith-Lever 3(b) & 3(c).........................................276,548
Smith-Lever 3(d):
  Farm safety.....................................................4,000
  Food and nutrition education (EFNEP)...........................58,695
  Indian reservation agents.......................................1,714
  Pest management................................................10,783
  Rural development centers.........................................908
  Sustainable agriculture.........................................3,309
  Youth at risk...................................................9,000
1890 Colleges and Tuskegee.......................................26,843
1890 facilities grants...........................................12,000
Renewable Resources Extension Act.................................3,192
Rural health and safety education.................................2,628
Extension services at the 1994 institutions.......................3,060
                                                       ________________
                                                       
    Subtotal....................................................412,680
Federal Administration and special grants:
  Ag in the classroom...............................................208
  Beef producers' improvement (AR)..................................197
  Botanic gardens initiative (IL)...................................125
  Conservation technology transfer (WI).............................200
  Delta teachers academy..........................................3,500
  Diabetes detection, prevention (WA)...............................550
  Extension specialist (MS).........................................100
  General administration..........................................4,787
  Income enhancement demonstration (OH).............................246
  Integrated cow/calf resources management (IA).....................250
  National Center for Agriculture Safety (IA).......................195
  Pilot tech. transfer (OK, MS).....................................326
  Pilot tech. transfer (WI).........................................163
  Range improvement (NM)............................................197

[[Page H9165]]

  Rural development (AK)............................................325
  Rural development (NM)............................................280
  Rural development (OK)............................................150
  Rural rehabilitation (GA).........................................246
  Wood biomass as an alternative farm product (NY)..................197
                                                       ________________
                                                       
    Total, Federal Administration................................12,242
                                                       ================

    Total, Extension Activities.................................424,922

       Of the funds made available for farm safety, the conference 
     agreement includes $3,055,000 for the AgrAbility project.
       The conferees expect a 4-H after-school program to be 
     administered by the Los Angeles County Cooperative Extension 
     Office of the University of California to be considered for 
     funding from the funds made available to California under 
     Smith-Lever 3(b) and (c).


                         integrated activities

       The conference agreement provides $39,541,000 for 
     integrated activities instead of no funds as proposed by the 
     House and $35,541,000 as proposed by the Senate.
       Within the funds made available for water quality, the 
     conferees expect that no less than the fiscal year 1999 
     levels of funding will be provided for the Farm*A*Syst 
     program, and the Agricultural Systems for Environmental 
     Quality and the Management Systems Evaluation programs.
       The following table reflects the conference agreement:


                         Integrated activities

                       [In thousands of dollars]

                                                             Conference
                                                              agreement
Water quality....................................................13,000
Food safety......................................................15,000
Pesticide impact assessment.......................................4,541
Crops at risk from FQPA implementation............................1,000
FQPA risk mitigation program for major food crop systems..........4,000
Methyl bromide transition program.................................2,000
                                                             __________
                                                             
  Total, Integrated Activities...................................39,541

               Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service


                         salaries and expenses

       The conference agreement provides $441,263,000 for the 
     Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) instead of 
     $444,000,000 as proposed by the House and $439,445,000 as 
     proposed by the Senate.
       The following table reflects the confence agreement:

                       [In thousands of dollars]

                                                             Conference
                                                              agreement
Pest and disease exclusion:
  Agricultural quarantine inspection.............................34,576
  User fees......................................................87,000
                                                             __________
                                                             
    Subtotal, Agricultural quarantine inspection................121,576
  Cattle ticks....................................................5,000
  Foot-and-mouth disease..........................................3,803
  Import-export inspection........................................6,815
  International programs..........................................7,539
  Fruit fly exclusion and detection..............................25,204
  Screwworm......................................................30,301
  Tropical bont tick................................................407
                                                             __________
                                                             
    Total, Pest and disease exclusion...........................200,645
                                                             __________
                                                             
Plant and animal health monitoring:
  Animal health monitoring and surveillance......................66,000
  Animal and plant health regulatory enforcement..................5,855
  National animal health emergency management system................627
  Pest detection..................................................6,685
                                                             __________
                                                             
    Total, Plant and animal health monitoring....................79,167
                                                               ==========
_______________________________________________________________________

Pest and disease management programs:
  Aquaculture.......................................................767
  Biocontrol......................................................8,160
  Boll weevil....................................................17,757
  Brucellosis eradication........................................10,887
  Golden nematode...................................................580
  Gypsy moth......................................................4,366
  Imported fire ant.................................................100
  Emerging plant pests............................................3,510
  Noxious weeds.....................................................424
  Pink bollworm...................................................1,548
  Pseudorabies....................................................4,567
  Scrapie.........................................................2,991
  Tuberculosis....................................................4,920
  Wildlife services--operations..................................31,672
  Witchweed.......................................................1,506
                                                             __________
                                                             
    Total, Pest and disease management programs..................93,755
                                                               ==========
_______________________________________________________________________

Animal care:
  Animal welfare.................................................10,175
  Horse protection..................................................361
                                                             __________
                                                             
    Total, Animal care...........................................10,536
                                                               ==========
_______________________________________________________________________

Scientific and technical services:
  Biotechnology/environmental protection..........................8,530
  Integrated systems acquisition project..........................3,500
  Plant methods development laboratories..........................4,693
  Veterinary biologics...........................................10,345
  Veterinary diagnostics.........................................15,622
  Wildlife services--methods development.........................10,365
                                                             __________
                                                             
    Total, Scientific and technical services.....................53,055
  Contingency fund................................................4,105
                                                               ==========
_______________________________________________________________________

    Total, Salaries and expenses................................441,263

       The conferees are aware of the spread of Pierce's disease 
     to many California crops resulting from the presence of the 
     Glassy-winged Sharpshooter and accordingly encourage APHIS to 
     work with the proper California agencies to help control 
     these infestations and to draw upon the contingency fund as 
     appropriate.
       The conference agreement does not include an earmark of 
     $6,000,000 for the State of Florida for fruit fly exclusion 
     and detection as proposed by the Senate.
       The conference agreement adopts House language providing 
     $500,000 for research and evaluation of nicarbizin as a means 
     of controlling avian populations for airport safety.
       The conference agreement provides $100,000 for control, 
     management and eradication of the imported fire ant of which, 
     $58,000 is for use in New Mexico.
       The conference report provides $767,000 for aquaculture of 
     which $100,000 is to support a wildlife biologist at the 
     Northwest Florida Aquaculture Farm in Blountstown, FL to 
     serve parts of Florida, Alabama and Georgia.
       The conference agreement directs that the additional 
     funding of $100,000 above the fiscal year 1999 level in 
     aquaculture for bird depredation is provided for work on 
     telemetry studies conducted at the Wildlife Services offices 
     in Starkville, MS.
       The conference agreement adopts Senate language noting that 
     the increase in the boll weevil eradication program over 
     fiscal year 1999 is to increase the federal cost share. The 
     conference agreement also adopts Senate language urging 
     continuation of the development of the geographic information 
     system so that economic and entomological efficiency of the 
     boil weevil program can continue to improve and reduce 
     overall program costs.
       The conference agreement adopts Senate language assuming 
     the decrease in the proposed budget for brucellosis 
     eradication, but providing an increase of $750,000 for the 
     State of Montana to protect the state's brucellosis-free 
     status, the operation of the bison quarantine facility, and 
     testing of bison that have left Yellowstone National Park. 
     The conference agreement also provides an increase of 
     $610,000 for the Greater Yellowstone Interagency Brucellosis 
     Committee and encourages the coordination of federal, state 
     and private actions aimed at eliminating brucellosis in the 
     greater Yellowstone area.
       The conference agreement adopts Senate language providing 
     an increase of $136,000 above the fiscal year 1999 level for 
     a total of $376,000 for the National Poultry Improvement 
     Plan.
       The conference agreement adopts House language that expects 
     the Secretary to instruct APHIS to utilize all available 
     resources to provide financial assistance, in addition to 
     direct appropriations and grower assessments, to operate the 
     pink bollworm program in fiscal year 2000.
       The conference agreement adopts Senate language providing 
     funding for the Commercial Transportation of Equines for 
     Slaughter Act at the fiscal year 1999 level.
       The conference agreement provides no funding for the 
     contagious equine metritis program as proposed by the Senate.
       The conference agreement adopts Senate language continuing 
     the demonstration project on kudzu at the fiscal year 1999 
     level. The conferees encourage APHIS to continue working with 
     the State of Texas regarding orobanche ramosa at the fiscal 
     year 1999 level.
       The conference agreement does not provide the requested 
     increases in support of the Presidential Order on Invasive 
     Alien Species as proposed by the Senate. The House report 
     provided full funding for this activity.
       The conference report provides an increase of $137,000 
     above the fiscal year 1999 level for the National Monitoring 
     and Residue Analysis Laboratory in Gulfport, MS instead of 
     $1,137,000 as proposed by the Senate. The House provided no 
     funding for this activity. The conferees encourage APHIS to 
     work with the laboratory in securing timely payments for 
     contract work done for USDA agencies.
       The conference agreement includes an increase of $3,928,000 
     for additional inspectors which will rpovide 23 staff years 
     at the Canadian border, 15 staff years at the Mexican border, 
     and 12 staff years at the Hawaiian border.
       The conferees are concerned about the serious damage to 
     rangeland and cropland by grasshoppers and Mormon crickets in 
     the western United States. Additional line item monies are 
     not available for this activity, therefore, the conferees 
     direct the agency to use contingency funds along with 
     available Commodity Credit Corporation funds to assist the 
     farmers and ranchers in the western states to control the 
     growing population of grasshoppers and Mormon crickets.
       The conference agreement does not include an increase of 
     $2,000,000 above the fiscal year 1999 for the enforcement of 
     the Animal Welfare Act as proposed in the Senate.
       The conferees note that the agency has published 
     regulations implementing the Animal Welfare Act which bans 
     tethering of dogs, a practice common in Alaska and other

[[Page H9166]]

     locations that use sled dogs for transportation. A recent 
     study conducted at Cornell University suggests that there is 
     no significant difference in terms of aggressiveness, 
     stressful behavior, socialization, or animal health between 
     tethering dogs and keeping dogs in fenced, outdoor kennels 
     under USDA/APHIS-approved conditions. In light of this new 
     information, the conferees direct the agency to reevaluate 
     its regulations on tethering and report to the Committees on 
     Approriations its conclusions no later than March 1, 2000.
       The conferees urge the Secretary to consider requests from 
     the Senate of Florida for Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) 
     funds for canopy replacement for trees destroyed in canker-
     affected areas, for release of the sterile Mediterranean 
     fruit fly, and for increased fruit fly trappings.
       The conferees support the Department's continuation fo the 
     screwworm program to assure the pest does not reestablish 
     itself in the United States and commends the efforts of the 
     Department in assuring the lease of a production plant in 
     Panama to maintain a biological barrier to the screwworm fly.
       The conferees support the Department's continuation of the 
     screwworm program to assure the pest does not reestablish 
     itself in the United States and commends the efforts of the 
     Department in assuring the lease of a production plant in 
     Panama to maintain a biological barrier to the screwworm fly.
       The conferees expert APHIS not to redirect support for 
     programs and activities without prior notification to and 
     approval of the Committees on Appropriations in accordance 
     with reprogramming procedures specified in the Act. The 
     conferees also require that APHIS implement appropriations by 
     programs, projects, commodities and activities as specified 
     by the Committees unless otherwise notified. The conferees 
     direct that unspecified reductions necessary to carry out 
     provisions of this Act are to be implemented in accordance 
     with the definitions contained in the ``Program, project, and 
     activity'' section of the Senate report.


                        buildings and facilities

       The conference agreement provides $5,200,000 for buildings 
     and facilities as proposed by the Senate instead of 
     $7,200,000 as proposed by the House.

                     Agricultural Marketing Service


                           marketing services

       The conference agreement provides $51,625,000 for the 
     Agricultural Marketing Service instead of $49,152,000 as 
     proposed by the House and $51,229,000 as proposed by the 
     Senate. The conference agreement includes $321,000 for 
     enhancing market opportunities for small farmers, and an 
     additional $2,398,000 for the pesticide data program.
       The conferees understand that the AMS plans to publish 
     revised draft regulations implementing the National Organic 
     Foods Production Act. The conferees further understand that 
     AMS has agreed to convene two national meetings to begin 
     development of organic standards with respect to seafood, one 
     to be held in Alaska and one on the Gulf Coast. The conferees 
     expect the agency to use the information gathered at these 
     meetings to develop draft regulations establishing national 
     organic standards for seafood to be published in fiscal year 
     2000. An additional $75,000 has been provided to organize 
     these meetings, associated costs, and develop the draft 
     seafood regulations.
       The conferees direct the AMS, with the assistance of the 
     Economic Research Service and other appropriate USDA 
     agencies, to develop a study measuring the exent slotting 
     fees charged by retail supermarkets to shelve products impact 
     the ability of small and medium-sized producers to reach 
     retail markets and consumers. The AMS is to report to the 
     House and Senate Appropriations Committees prior to the 
     fiscal year 2001 hearings on the design, scope and 
     objectives of this study together with a schedule for its 
     completion.

        Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration


                         salaries and expenses

       The conference agreement provides $26,448,000 for the Grain 
     Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration as proposed 
     by the House instead of $26,287,000 as proposed by the 
     Senate.

                   Food Safety and Inspection Service

       The conference agreement provides $649,411,000 for the Food 
     Safety and Inspection Service instead of $652,955,000 as 
     proposed by the House and $638,404,000 as proposed by the 
     Senate.
       Of the amount provided, no less than $544,902,000 is 
     reserved for Federal food inspection. Included in this amount 
     is $8,000,000 above the budget request for filling inspector 
     vacancies and recruiting new inspectors, and $3,007,000, the 
     same amount requested in the budget, for hiring new 
     inspectors. The conferees note that despite being provided 
     with its full budget request for fiscal year 1999, the agency 
     has failed to devote sufficient funds for inspection 
     activities. This has led to inspector shortages in certain 
     parts of the country, creating an unnecessary hardship for 
     the affected plants.
       The conference agreement includes $2,900,000 above the 
     fiscal year 1999 level for the FSIS portion of the Food 
     Safety Initiative, the full amount requested in the budget. 
     The agreement does not provide funds requested for Consumer 
     Safety Officers. The conferees are concerned about the 
     substantial funding increase required to convert and relocate 
     current employees to these upgraded positions. The conferees 
     expect the agency to evaluate its staffing needs and to 
     determine if relocation costs can be avoided by utilizing 
     qualified local personnel and if these positions may be 
     upgraded in a more cost effective manner, and report its 
     findings to the Committees on Appropriations of the House and 
     Senate no later than February 15, 2000.
       The conferees expect the agency to provide the Committees 
     on Appropriations of the House and Senate with an analysis of 
     its staffing needs and recruitment program no later than 
     February 15, 2000. If third-party consultants are necessary 
     in order to fully evaluate recruitment, the agency should 
     utilize such services. The conferees expect the agency to 
     provide quarterly updates on budget execution, staffing 
     levels and staffing needs in an effort to avoid future 
     inspector shortages.

                          Farm Service Agency


                         state mediation grants

       The conference agreement provides $3,000,000 for state 
     mediation grants instead of $4,000,000 as proposed by the 
     House and $2,000,000 as proposed by the Senate.


           agricultural credit insurance fund program account

       The following table reflects the conference agreement:

Farm Operating Loans:
  Guaranteed subsidized..................................($200,000,000)
  Subsidy....................................................17,620,000
  Emergency disaster loans.................................(25,000,000)
  Subsidy.....................................................3,882,000

       The conference agreement provides for emergency loans an 
     estimated program level of $25,000,000 and a subsidy of 
     $3,882,000 as proposed by the Senate instead of $53,000,000 
     and $8,231,000 as proposed by the House. The conferees agree 
     that should additional funds be needed to meet the needs of 
     farmers and ranchers affected by natural disasters, they will 
     favorably consider requests of the Administration to provide 
     supplemental funding for this program.

                         Risk Management Agency

       The conference agreement provides $64,000,000 for the Risk 
     Management Agency as proposed by the Senate instead of 
     $70,716,000 as proposed by the House.

                              CORPORATIONS

                   Commodity Credit Corporation Fund

                 Reimbursement for Net Realized Losses

       The conference agreement provides such sums as may be 
     necessary to reimburse the Commodity Credit Corporation for 
     net realized losses as proposed by the Senate instead of a 
     limitation of $14,368,000,000 as proposed by the House.

                    TITLE II--CONSERVATION PROGRAMS

                 Natural Resources Conservation Service


                        conservation operations

       The conference agreement provides $661,243,000 for the 
     Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation 
     Operations instead of $654,243,000 as proposed by the House 
     and $656,243,000 as proposed by the Senate. Included in this 
     amount is not less than $5,990,000 for snow survey and water 
     forecasting as proposed by the Senate instead of $6,124,000 
     as proposed by the House, and not less than $9,125,000 for 
     operation and establishment of plant materials centers as 
     proposed by the Senate instead of $9,238,000 as proposed by 
     the House.
       The conference agreement does not include bill language as 
     proposed by the House which prohibits conservation operations 
     appropriations from being used for demonstration programs.
       In addition to the items in the House and Senate reports 
     that are not changed by the conference agreement, funding is 
     included for the following items: $1,000,000 for the 
     Resurrection River North Forest Acres instead of $1,250,000 
     proposed by the Senate; $150,000 for native plants to clean 
     up the Island of Kahoolawe instead of $200,000 as proposed by 
     the Senate; $150,000 to test emerging alternative technology 
     to reduce phosphorus loading into Lake Champlain instead of 
     $300,000 as proposed by the Senate; $17,000,000 for the 
     Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative instead of $15,000,000 
     as proposed by the House and the Senate; $3,000,000 for the 
     National Fish and wildlife Foundation Partnerships instead of 
     $5,000,000 proposed by the Senate; $7,870,000 for Animal 
     Feeding Operation instead of $5,000,000 as proposed by the 
     Senate; and $80,000 for the Tri-Valley Watershed in Utah 
     instead of $500,000 as proposed by the Senate.
       The conferees direct the NRCS to provide financial 
     assistance to the Salinas Valley Water Project in Monterrey 
     County, California.
       The conference agreement includes bill language that 
     directs the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation 
     Service to settle claims associated with the Chuquatonchee 
     Water Project in Mississippi.


               watershed and flood prevention operations

       The conference agreement includes a provision that of the 
     funds available for Emergency Watershed Protection activities 
     $8,000,000 shall be available for Mississippi, Wisconsin, New 
     Mexico, and Ohio for financial and technical assistance for 
     pilot rehabilitation projects.
       In addition to the items in the House and Senate reports 
     that are not changed by the conference agreement, the 
     following items

[[Page H9167]]

     are included: the conferees direct the NRCS to provide 
     financial assistance to the Freeman Lake Dam in Kentucky and 
     the Tri-Valley Watershed project in Utah.
       The conferees direct that the amount of Federal funds that 
     may be made available to an eligible local organization for 
     construction of a particular rehabilitation project shall be 
     equal to 65 percent of the total rehabilitation costs, but 
     not to exceed 100 percent of actual construction costs 
     incurred in the rehabilitation. Consistent with existing 
     statute, rehabilitation assistance provided, may not be used 
     to perform operation and maintenance activities specified in 
     the agreement for the covered water resource projects entered 
     into between the Secretary and the eligible local 
     organization responsible for the works of improvement.
       The conferees are aware of continued flooding in the 
     Malheur-Harney Lakes Basin in Oregon, and note that the lake 
     has risen nearly five feet during the past two years. The 
     conferees encourage the agency, with the cooperation of the 
     Farm Service Agency, to assist in the locally coordinated 
     flood response and water management activities being 
     developed in addition to providing assistance through any 
     flood compensation programs. NRCS and FSA should continue to 
     utilize conservation programs in providing water holding and 
     storage areas on private land as necessary intermediate 
     measures in watershed management.


                 resource conservation and development

       The conference agreement provides $35,265,000 for the 
     Resource Conservation and Development program as proposed by 
     the House instead of $35,000,000 as proposed by the Senate.


                      forestry incentives program

       The conference agreement provides $6,325,000 for the 
     Forestry Incentives program as proposed by the Senate. The 
     House bill provided no funds for this account.

                TITLE III--RURAL ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY

                          DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

          Office of the Under Secretary for Rural Development

       The conferees note extensive backlogs of applicants for 
     rural development programs and direct the Department to use 
     rural development resources only on programs that directly 
     benefit applicants for these programs.
       The House and Senate reports recommend projects for 
     consideration under various rural development programs, and 
     the conferees expect the Department to apply established 
     review procedures when considering applications.
       The conferees further expect the Department to give 
     consideration to the following request for assistance from 
     rural development programs: construction necessary for the 
     withdrawal, treatment and transmission of water from the 
     Ouachita River to supplement the water supply needs of Union 
     County, AR; the Kettering Medical Center healthy hearts 
     program in medically underserved areas of southwestern Ohio; 
     the Western Massachusetts food processing center; rural 
     utilities projects for the town of Lloyd, NY; a rural 
     business enterprise grant for the Delta Training Center, 
     Indianala, MS; a rural cooperative development grant for the 
     conversion of the Chickasha Cotton Gin, GA. to a cooperative 
     canola seed crushing plant; a community facilities loan and/
     or grant to address the serious housing shortage for the 
     teachers at Mississippi Valley State University; a rural 
     business enterprise grant for the Impact Seven Project in 
     Almena, WI; the Rural Sanitation Training Initiative (AK) for 
     wastewater technical assistance grants: a request from the 
     California Human Development Corporation, Northern County 
     Region, to expand existing housing for migrant farm Workers 
     in Napa County; funds to assist construction of the Napa 
     Valley Vinters Health Center project to house non-profit 
     medical organizations serving the low-income farm population 
     in Napa Country; and a rural business enterprise grant for 
     the Pembroke Farming Cooperative, Kankakee County, IL.
       The conferees are aware of the stress of the salt and fresh 
     water resources caused by the growing population along the 
     Mississippi gulf Coast and direct the Department to utilize 
     its discretionary authority to give high priority 
     applications from that region for water and sewer loans and 
     grants.
       The conferees are concerned with the recent economic and 
     infrastructure losses in Grant and Hidalgo Counties, New 
     Mexico. Acordingly, the conferees direct the Secretary to 
     employ the resources of the Department, particularly Rural 
     Development, to provide such assistance as necessary to Grant 
     and Hidalgo Counties, New Mexico.

                           Rural Development


                  rural community advancement program

       The conference agreement provides $718,837,000 for the 
     Rural Community Advancement Program (RCAP) instead of 
     $718,006,000 a proposed by the Senate and $669,103,000 as 
     proposed by the House.
       The following table reflects the conference agreement:

                             RCAP Accounts

Water/Sewer................................................$631,088,000
Community/Facilities.........................................23,150,000
Business-Cooperative Development..............................6,599,000
    Total.....................................................$718,837,
Earmarks:
  Tech. Asst. (water/sewer)..................................16,215,000
  Circuit Rider...............................................7,300,000
  Native Americans...........................................12,000,000
  Rural Community Development Initiative......................6,000,000

       The conference agreement does not provide the requested set 
     asides for hazardous weather early warning systems and 
     partnership technical assistance grants. The conferees direct 
     the Department to consider applications for these activities 
     and make grants from the appropriate RCAP accounts.
       The conference does not provide authority for state rural 
     development directors to transfer funds among accounts.
       The conference agreement provides $6,000,000 for the Rural 
     Community Development Initiative as proposed by the House.
       The conference agreement includes a set aside of 
     $45,245,000 for empowerment zones, enterprise communities and 
     communities designated by the Secretary of Agriculture as 
     Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones.
       The conferees direct that $1,000,000 of the funds 
     appropriated to the Rural Community Advancement Program be 
     designated for an agri-tourism program.
       The conference agreement includes special grant funding for 
     water and waste disposal assistance under the RCAP for 
     Federally recognized Native American Tribes. This provision 
     is intended to help overcome a problem in extremely 
     impoverished areas where communities may not otherwise be 
     eligible for RCAP water and waste disposal assistance 
     programs due to an in ability to meet loan repayment 
     requirements. The conferees note that many Native American 
     Tribes are able to meet the more stringent requirements of 
     the normal RCAP programs and they are expected to apply for 
     assistance from funds other than those specifically provided 
     by this special provision.
       The conference agreement provides $3,500,000 for the Rural 
     Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG) program. The conferees 
     direct the Department to use its transfer authority under the 
     RCAP to add additional funds for the RBOG program as needed. 
     The conferees direct the Department to use RBOG funds for 
     regional economic plan activities on behalf of local 
     governments and their designees. Of the funds provided for 
     the RBOG program, the conferees direct the Department to use 
     $1,000,000 for communities designated by the Secretary of 
     Agriculture as Rural Economic Area Partnerships.
       The conferees are aware of the acute need for resources to 
     link rural education and medical facilities in upstate New 
     York with urban centers, and are concerned that no 
     applications from this area were funded in fiscal year 1999. 
     The conferees are also concerned that special consideration 
     was not given to applications from Rural Economic Area 
     Partnership (REAP) communities nationwide. The conferees urge 
     the Department to give consideration to applications from 
     upstate New York and REAP communities nationwide in fiscal 
     year 2000.

                         Rural Housing Service


              rural housing insurance fund program account

       The conference agreement provides a total subsidy 
     $181,560,000 (providing for an estimated loan program level 
     of $4,589,737,000) for activities under the Rural Housing 
     Insurance Fund Program Account instead of $204,083,000 
     (providing for an estimated loan program level of 
     $4,832,687,000) as proposed by the House and $182,185,000 
     (providing for an estimated program level of $4,594,694,000) 
     as proposed by the Senate.
       The conference agreement includes a set aside of 
     $11,180,000 for empowerment zones, enterprise communities and 
     communities designated by the Secretary of Agriculture as 
     Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones.
       The following table reflects the conference agreement:

Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program Account:
                                                   Loan authorizations:
    Single family (sec. 502)............................(1,100,000,000)
      Unsubsidized guaranteed...........................(3,200,000,000)
    Housing repair (sec. 504)..............................(32,396,000)
    Farm labor (sec. 514)..................................(25,001,000)
    Rental housing (sec. 515).............................(114,321,000)
    Multi-family housing guarantees (sec. 538)............(100,000,000)
    Site loans (sec. 524)...................................(5,152,000)
    Credit sales of acquired property.......................(7,503,000)
    Self-help housing land development fund.................(5,000,000)
                                                       ________________
                                                       
      Total, Loan authorizations........................(4,589,373,000)
                                                       ================

Loan subsidies:
  Single family (sec. 502)...................................93,830,000
    Unsubsidized guaranteed..................................19,520,000
  Housing repair (sec. 504)...................................9,900,000
  Multi-family housing guarantees (sec. 538)....................480,000
  Farm labor (sec. 514)......................................11,308,000
  Rental housing (sec. 515)..................................45,363,000
  Site loans (sec. 524)...........................................4,000
  Credit sales of acquired property.............................874,000

[[Page H9168]]

  Self-help housing land development fund.......................281,000
                                                       ________________
                                                       
    Total, Loan subsidies...................................181,560,000
                                                       ================

RHIF administration expenses (transfer to RHS)..............375,879,000
                                                       ================

    Total, Rural Housing Insurance Fund.....................197,439,000
      (Loan authorization)..............................(4,589,373,000)

       The conference agreement adopts House bill language 
     allowing the transfer of up to $7,000,000 to the ``Outreach 
     for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers'' program. The Senate bill 
     had no similar provision.


                       rental assistance program

       The conference agreement provides $640,000,000 for rental 
     assistance as proposed by the Senate instead of $583,400,000 
     as proposed by the House.

                  Mutual and Self-Help Housing Grants

       The conference agreement provides $28,000,000 for Mutual 
     and Self-Help Housing Grants as proposed by the House instead 
     of $26,000,000 as proposed by the Senate.
       The conference agreement includes a set aside of $1,000,000 
     for empowerment zones, enterprise communities and communities 
     designated by the Secretary of Agriculture as Rural Economic 
     Area Partnership Zones.


                    rural housing assistance grants

       The conference agreement provides $45,000,000 for Rural 
     Housing Assistance Grants instead of $50,000,000 as proposed 
     by the House and $41,000,000 as proposed by the Senate.
       The conference agreement includes a set aside of $1,200,000 
     for empowerment zones, enterprise communities and communities 
     designated by the Secretary of Agriculture as Rural Economic 
     Area Partnership Zones as proposed by the Senate instead of 
     $3,250,000 as proposed by the House.


                         salaries and expenses

       The conference agreement provides $61,979,000 for salaries 
     and expenses as proposed by the House instead of $60,978,000 
     as proposed by the Senate. The conference agreement also 
     provides for a transfer of $375,879,000 from the Rural 
     Housing Insurance Fund as proposed by the Senate. The total 
     provided for salaries and expenses of the Rural Housing 
     Service is $437,858,000 as proposed by the House instead of 
     $421,763,000 as proposed by the House.
       The conference agreement includes a provision that allows 
     the Administrator of the Rural Housing Service to spend not 
     more than $10,000 for non-monetary awards to non-employees of 
     the Department of Agriculture as proposed by the House. The 
     Senate bill had no similar provision.

                   Rural Business-Cooperative Service


              rural development loan fund program account

       The conference agreement provides a total subsidy of 
     $16,615,000 (providing for an estimated loan program level of 
     $38,256,000) for the Rural Development Loan Fund Program 
     Account as proposed by the Senate instead of $22,799,000 
     (providing for an estimated loan program level of 
     $52,495,000) as proposed by the House.
       The conference agreement includes a set aside of $3,216,000 
     for loan subsidies for empowerment zones, enterprise 
     communities and communities designated by the Secretary of 
     Agriculture as Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones as 
     proposed by the Senate instead of $4,343,000 as proposed by 
     the House.
       The conference agreement does not adopt Senate bill 
     language requiring the Department of Agriculture to propose a 
     revised regulation on fees charged to lenders on guaranteed 
     business and industry loans. The House bill had no similar 
     provision.


                  rural cooperative development grants

       The conference agreement provides a total of $6,000,000 for 
     rural cooperative development grants as proposed by the House 
     instead of $5,500,000 as proposed by the Senate. Both House 
     and Senate bills provide $1,500,000 from the total amount 
     available for cooperative agreements for the appropriate 
     technology transfer for rural areas program. The conference 
     agreement provides $500,000 for cooperative research 
     agreements instead of $1,500,000 as proposed by the House. 
     The Senate bill had no similar provision.
       The conference agreement adopts Senate bill language 
     providing that at least 25 percent of the total amount 
     appropriated shall be made available to cooperatives or 
     associations of cooperatives that assist small, minority 
     producers.
       The conferees direct the Department to consider a proposal 
     from the primary national swine commodity organization 
     representing the pork producers to conduct an in-depth 
     feasibility study and economic analysis of forming national 
     pork producer-owned cooperatives.


                         salaries and expenses

       The conference agreement provides a direct appropriation of 
     $24,612,000 for salaries and expenses of the Rural Business-
     Cooperative Service as proposed by the House instead of 
     $25,680,000 as proposed by the Senate.

  Alternative Agricultural Research and Commercialization Corporation 
                             Revolving Fund

       The conference agreement does not provide funding for the 
     Alternative Agricultural Research and Commercialization 
     Corporation Revolving Fund. The Senate bill provided 
     $3,500,000 for this account.

                        Rural Utilities Service


   rural electrification and telecommunications loans program account

       The conference agreement provides a total subsidy of 
     $15,132,000 (providing for an estimated loan program level of 
     $2,611,500,000) for activities under the Rural 
     Electrification and Telecommunications Loans Program Account 
     instead of $15,132,000 (providing for an estimated loan 
     program level of $2,411,500,000) as proposed by the House and 
     $14,679,000 (providing for an estimated program level of 
     $1,561,500,000) as proposed by the Senate.
       The following table reflects the conference agreement:

Rural Electrification and Telecommunications Loans Program Account:
                                                   Loan authorizations:
    Direct loans:
      Electric 5%.........................................(121,500,000)
      Telecommunications 5%................................(75,000,000)
                                                       ________________
                                                       
        Subtotal..........................................(196,500,000)
                                                       ================

    Treasury rates: Telecommunications....................(300,000,000)
    Muni-rate: Electric...................................(295,000,000)
    FFB loans:
      Electric, regular.................................(1,700,000,000)
      Telecommunications..................................(120,000,000)
                                                       ________________
                                                       
        Subtotal........................................(1,820,000,000)
        Total, Loan authorizations......................(2,611,500,000)
                                                       ================

                                                        Loan subsidies:
    Direct loans:
      Electric 5%.............................................1,095,000
      Telecommunications 5%.....................................840,000
                                                       ________________
                                                       
        Subtotal..............................................1,935,000
                                                       ================

    Treasury rates: Telecommunications........................2,370,000
    Muni-rate: Electric......................................10,827,000
    FFB loans: Electric, regular.......................................
RETLP administrative expenses (transfer to RUS)..............31,046,000
                                                       ________________
                                                       
Total, Rural Electrification and Telecommunications Loans Program 
  Account....................................................46,178,000
  (Loan authorization)....................................2,611,500,000

       The conference report adopts Senate bill language 
     appropriates separate subsidies for the cost of direct loans, 
     cost of municipal rate loans and cost of money for rural 
     telecommunications loans. The House bill proposed two 
     aggregate subsidy amounts for the cost of rural electric and 
     telecommunications loans.


                  rural telephone bank program account

       The conference agreement provides a total subsidy of 
     $3,290,000 (providing for an estimated loan program level of 
     $175,000,000) for the Rural Telephone Bank Program Account as 
     proposed by the House instead of $2,961,000 (providing for an 
     estimated loan program level of $157,509,000) as proposed by 
     the Senate.


               distance learning and telemedicine program

       The conference agreement provides $20,700,000 for the 
     Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program instead of 
     $16,700,000 as proposed by the House and $13,200,000 as 
     proposed by the Senate. The conference agreement also 
     provides that $20,000,000 of the total amount shall be 
     available for grants under this program instead of 
     $16,000,000 as proposed by the House and $12,500,000 as 
     proposed by the Senate. Both House and Senate bills provide a 
     subsidy of $700,000 from the total amount available, which 
     provides for an estimated loan level of $200,000,000.
       The conferees are aware of the acute need for resources to 
     link rural education and medical facilities in upstate New 
     York with urban centers, and are concerned that no 
     applications from this area were funded in fiscal year 1999. 
     The conferees are also concerned that special consideration 
     was not given to applications from Rural Economic Area 
     Partnership (REAP) communities in the state. The conferees 
     urge the Department to give consideration to applications 
     from upstate New York and REAP communities in fiscal year 
     2000.
       The conferees support continued funding from the Distance 
     Learning and Telemedicine Program for the Community Hospital 
     TeleHealth Consortium demonstration project to improve health 
     services for medically underserved areas in Louisiana and 
     Mississippi.


                         salaries and expenses

       The conference agreement provides a total appropriation of 
     $68,153,000 for salaries and expenses of the Rural Utilities 
     Service as proposed by the House instead of $65,982,000 as 
     proposed by the Senate.

                    TITLE IV--DOMESTIC FOOD PROGRAMS

                       Food and Nutrition Service


                        child nutrition programs

       The conference agreement provides a total of $9,554,028,000 
     for Child Nutrition Programs instead of $9,547,028,000 as 
     proposed by the House and $9,560,028,000 as proposed by the 
     Senate. Included in this amount is an appropriated amount of 
     $4,611,829,000; an amount

[[Page H9169]]

     transferred from section 32 of $4,935,199,000; and $7,000,000 
     for the school breakfast pilot project instead of $13,000,000 
     as proposed by the Senate and no funds as proposed by the 
     House.
       The conference agreement provides the following for Child 
     Nutrition Programs:

Child Nutrition Programs:
  School lunch program...................................$5,480,010,000
  School breakfast program................................1,421,789,000
  Child and adult care food program.......................1,769,766,000
  Summer food service program................................31,946,000
  Special milk program.......................................17,551,000
  State administrative expenses.............................120,104,000
  Commodity procurement and support.........................406,499,000
  School meals initiative....................................10,000,000
  School breakfast pilot......................................7,000,000
  Coordinated review effort...................................4,363,000
  Food safety education.......................................2,000,000
                                                       ________________
                                                       
    Total................................................$9,554,028,000

       The conference agreement provides $10,000,000 for the 
     school meals initiative. Included in this amount is 
     $4,000,000 for food service training grants to states, 
     $1,600,000 for technical assistance materials, $800,000 for 
     the National Food Service Management Institute cooperative 
     agreement, $400,000 for print and electronic food service 
     resource systems, and $3,200,000 for other activities.


special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children 
                                 (wic)

       The conference agreement provides $4,032,000,000 for the 
     Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, 
     and Children (WIC) instead of $4,005,000,000 as proposed by 
     the House and $4,038,107,000 as proposed by the Senate.
       The conferees clarify that it is not the intent of the 
     final proviso under the WIC heading to preclude WIC from 
     providing immunization screening, referral and assessment 
     services.
       The conferees are aware that the Department is considering 
     changes in the food package to the Special Supplemental 
     Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). One 
     of those proposals involves potential exceptions to the 
     current sugar cap for the WIC food package. The sugar cap is 
     an issue that has been studied many times, always with the 
     same conclusion. The consensus from the studies, 
     nutritionists, State WIC directors, sugar commodity 
     associations and dentists is that no exceptions to the sugar 
     cap should be made. Accordingly, the conferees direct that 
     the Department make no exceptions to the sugar cap.


                           food stamp program

       The conference agreement provides $21,071,751,000 for the 
     Food Stamp Program instead of $21,577,444,000 as proposed by 
     the House and $21,563,744,000 as proposed by the Senate. 
     Included in this amount is a contingency reserve of 
     $100,000,000; $1,268,000,000 for nutrition assistance to 
     Puerto Rico; and $98,000,000 for TEFAP. The amount includes a 
     downward re-estimate, as reflected in the Mid-Session Review.


                      commodity assistance program

       The conference agreement provides $133,300,000 for the 
     Commodity Assistance Program instead of $151,000,000 as 
     proposed by the House and $131,000,000 as proposed by the 
     Senate. Included in the amount is $45,000,000 for 
     administration of TEFAP. The conferees note that there is a 
     $7,700,000 carryover from fiscal year 1999 in this account 
     for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program and have adjusted 
     the appropriation accordingly to maintain a $96,000,000 
     program level in fiscal year 2000.
       The conferees note that there is a pattern of continuing 
     unexpended balances for the Commodity Supplemental Food 
     Program that could be used to respond to requests for new or 
     expanded programs. Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Texas, and 
     Vermont all are in a position to begin new programs. The 
     conferees expect the Department to work closely with these 
     applicants, and to take such action as may be necessary later 
     in fiscal year 2000 to effectively utilize the dollars 
     available to maximize participation of these states.


                      food program administration

       The conference agreement provides $111,561,000 for Food 
     Program Administration as proposed by the Senate instead of 
     $108,561,000 as proposed by the House. Included in this 
     amount is an increase of $3,000,000 for program and 
     financial integrity advancement.

            TITLE V--FOREIGN ASSISTANCE AND RELATED PROGRAMS

         Foreign Agricultural Service and General Sales Manager

       The conference agreement provides $113,469,000 for the 
     Foreign Agricultural Service and General Sales Manager 
     instead of $142,274,000 as proposed by the House and 
     $140,469,000 as proposed by the Senate.
       Included in the total amount provided is a direct 
     appropriation of $109,203,000 instead of $137,768,000 as 
     proposed by the House and $136,203,000 as proposed by the 
     Senate.
       The conference agreement adopts a Senate provision which 
     provides for the transfer of $3,231,000 from the Export Loan 
     program and $1,035,000 from the P.L. 480 program account 
     under the P.L. 480 and Export Loan Program accounts instead 
     of $3,413,000 from the Export Loan Program and $1,093,000 
     from the P.L. 480 program account as proposed by the House.
       The conference agreement does not include a Senate bill 
     provision prohibiting funds in this account from being used 
     to promote the sale of alcohol beverages, including wine. The 
     House bill had no similar provision.
       The conference agreement does not include a Senate bill 
     provision providing up to $2,000,000 solely for the purpose 
     of offsetting international exchange rate fluctuations. The 
     House bill had no similar provision. The conferees note that 
     the deletion of this provision does not indicate a judgment 
     on the merits of the request but reflects the fact that the 
     agency has not developed a plan for this activity as 
     requested in the statement of managers accompanying the 
     fiscal years 1998 and 1999 appropriations Act conference 
     report. The conferees expect such a plan to be submitted with 
     the fiscal year 2001 President's Budget.
       The conference agreement deletes House report language 
     which expects that no appropriated funds will be used to pay 
     for travel and other expenses of non-U.S. Government 
     employees participating in the Reverse Trade Mission Program. 
     The Senate report had no similar language. The conference 
     agreement does not approve the funding requested in the 
     budget to create this new program.
       The conference agreement maintains the fiscal year 1999 
     level of funding for the Cochran Fellowship Program.
       The conferees recognize the potential for beneficial impact 
     for both farmers and recipients from the monetization of 
     commodity sales in international assistance efforts. The 
     conferees direct the Foreign Agricultural Service, with the 
     assistance of the Economic Research Service and other 
     appropriate USDA agencies, to develop a study demonstrating 
     the short and long-term effects of monetization. The FAS is 
     to report to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees 
     prior to the fiscal year 2001 hearings the design, scope and 
     objectives of this study, together with a schedule for its 
     completion.
       The conference agreement provides $500,000 for 
     administrative expenses associated with the management of the 
     Foreign Market Development/Cooperator Program.

               Public Law 480 Program and Grant Accounts

       The following table reflects the conference agreement for 
     Public Law 480 Program Accounts:

Public Law 480 Program and Grant Accounts:
                                                 Title I--Credit sales:
    Program level...........................................176,000,000
      Direct loans..........................................155,000,000
      Ocean freight differential.............................21,000,000
                          Title II--Commodities for disposition abroad:
    Program level...........................................800,000,000
    Appropriation...........................................800,000,000
                                           Title III--Commodity grants:
    Program level.....................................................0
    Appropriation.....................................................0
  Loan subsidies............................................127,813,000
                                                 Salaries and expenses:
    General Sales Manager (transfer to FAS)...................1,035,000
    Farm Service Agency (transfer to FSA).......................815,000
                                                       ________________
                                                       
      Subtotal................................................1,850,000
                                                       ________________
                                                       
                                                 Total, Public Law 480:
    Program level...........................................976,000,000
    Appropriation...........................................950,663,000

       The conference agreement adopts Senate bill language which 
     appropriates funds for P.L. 480 program accounts and ocean 
     freight under one heading. The House bill appropriated funds 
     for these activities under separate headings.
       The conferees note that on September 14, 1999, the 
     Department of Agriculture reported that the Title I and Title 
     II programs had considerable unobligated balances to be 
     carried over to fiscal year 2000: for the Title I subsidy, 
     $98,674,000; for the Title I ocean freight differential, 
     $8,217,000; and for the Title II program, $71,076,000. The 
     conferees direct the Department to work with the U.S. Agency 
     for International Development and report to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of the House and Senate by February 15, 2000, 
     on the reasons for these large unobligated balances. The 
     conferees also note that food aid efforts can be further 
     strengthened through use of the Section 416 program as was 
     the case with the $725,000,000 program for Russia.
       The conferees find that abundant agricultural production 
     and low commodity prices in the United States come at a time 
     when developing countries are unable to meet basic 
     nutritional needs due to low production, natural disasters 
     and civil war. The conferees note that authority exists to 
     help stabilize the domestic farm economy and provide food aid 
     donations to places in need such as Kosvo, the Middle East, 
     the newly independent states, sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast 
     Asia, Turkey and Macedonia.
       The conferees believe that the following measures should be 
     considered:
       Commodities held in the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust be 
     increased to the authorized maximum of 400,000 metric tons;
       Monetization of commodities be carried out as a development 
     tool;

[[Page H9170]]

       All existing authorities be used to assure domestic 
     surpluses are available for the needy overseas;
       The Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Agency for 
     International Development (USAID) process proposals for food 
     assistance in timely fashion;
       USAID increase non-emergency humanitarian food aid wherever 
     possible and allow flexibility to use monetization to address 
     local development needs;
       The Department of Treasury more aggressively pursue 
     forgiveness of PL 480 debt for highly indebted poor 
     countries;
       Export sanctions on food and medicines be removed 
     consistent with U.S. foreign policy; and
       The U.S. Government maximize participation in multilateral 
     food assistance programs.


       commodity credit corporation export loans program account

       The conference agreement provides $3,820,000 for 
     administrative expenses of the Commodity Credit Corporation 
     Export Loans Program Account as proposed by the Senate 
     instead of $4,085,000 as proposed by the House.

      TITLE VI--RELATED AGENCIES AND FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION

                DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

                      Food and Drug Administration


                         salaries and expenses

       The conference agreement includes a direct appropriation of 
     $1,040,638,000 for the salaries and expenses of the Food and 
     Drug Administration, instead of $1,052,950,000 as proposed by 
     the House and $1,035,538,000 as proposed by the Senate, and 
     provides specific amounts for programs, centers, offices, and 
     operational costs as proposed by the Senate.
       The conference agreement includes technical changes to 
     drug, mammography, and export certification user fee language 
     as proposed by the House.
       The conference agreement provides that fees derived from 
     applications received during fiscal year 2000 shall be 
     subject to the fiscal year 2000 limitation as proposed by the 
     Senate. The House had no similar provision.
       The conference agreement includes a prohibition on the 
     development, establishment, and operation of any program of 
     user fees authorized by 31 U.S.C. 9701 as proposed by the 
     Senate. The House has no similar provision.
       The conferees direct FDA to submit a report within 180 days 
     of the date of enactment of this Act on the effects of 
     reducing illegal tobacco sales to minors and the effect on 
     compliance through the use of automated identification 
     systems.
       The conference agreement includes an increase of 
     $28,000,000 in budget authority for premarket application 
     market review as proposed by the Senate.
       The conference agreement provides $500,000 for clinical 
     pharmacology grants awarded competitively.
       The conference agreement provides $100,000 for the Waste-
     Management and Research Consortium, as proposed by the House.
       The conferees are aware that intravenous immune globulin 
     (IVIG), a lifesaving treatment for patients with primary 
     immune deficiency diseases, has been in severe shortage in 
     the United States since November 1997. Given the serious 
     public health problems caused by this shortage, the conferees 
     encourage the FDA to continue to work with the primary immune 
     deficiency community and the plasma industry to help increase 
     the supply of IVIG in the United States. In addition, the 
     conferees request a report from the FDA by March 1, 2000, 
     outlining what action it has taken since the beginning of the 
     shortage and what action it plans to take to respond to this 
     public health crisis.
       The conferees note that the Food and Drug Administration 
     has received a food additive petition requesting approval for 
     the use of irradiation on ready-to-eat meats and poultry, and 
     fruits and vegetables. The conferees are aware of the 
     important food safety benefits associated with the petition, 
     and strongly urge the agency to act expeditiously to propose 
     a rule in response to the petition. The FDA should propose 
     such a rule within six months after the receipt of the 
     petition and issue a final rule within twelve months of 
     receipt of the petition.
       The conferees note their expectation that FDA publish a 
     proposed rule no later than June 1, 1999, concerning the use 
     of foreign marketing data in the review of new sunscreen 
     active ingredients in the sunscreen over-the-counter drug 
     monograph. The conferees note that the FDA has failed to meet 
     the June 1, 1999, deadline for publication of this proposed 
     rule. The conferees remain concerned that several petitions 
     for approval of new sunscreen active ingredients based on 
     foreign marketing experience have languished at the FDA for 
     years, some as far back as 1980. Meanwhile, skin cancer has 
     become a growing and pervasive public health problem among 
     American citizens, with an estimated one million new cases of 
     skin cancer diagnosed in the U.S. each year. The FDA 
     published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in 1996, 
     but in three years since its publication the Agency has yet 
     to advance from the initial stage of administrative review of 
     the proposal. Therefore, the conferees direct the agency to 
     act in an expeditious manner to propose a rule, but in no 
     case shall the FDA propose such a rule later than sixty days 
     after enactment of this Act, nor shall the agency finalize 
     such a rule later than twelve months after enactment of this 
     Act.
       The conference agreement includes an increase of 
     $30,000,000 for the Food Safety Initiative, distributed as 
     follows:

Foods:
  Center.....................................................$9,000,000
  Field Activities...........................................16,900,000
Animal Drugs and Feeds:
  Center......................................................3,600,000
  Field Activities....................................................0
NCTR............................................................500,000
                                                       ________________
                                                       
    Total....................................................30,000,000


                        buildings and facilities

       The conference agreement provides $11,350,000 for Food and 
     Drug Administration Building and Facilities instead of 
     $31,750,000 as proposed by the House and $8,350,000 as 
     proposed by the Senate.
       The conference agreement includes $3,000,000 for 
     construction at the Arkansas Regional Laboratory.

                          INDEPENDENT AGENCIES

                  Commodity Futures Trading Commission

       The conference agreement provides $63,000,000 for the 
     Commodity Futures Trading Commission instead of $65,000,000 
     as proposed by the House and $61,000,000 as proposed by the 
     Senate. The conference agreement provides $1,000 of the total 
     appropriated for official reception and representation 
     expenses as proposed by the Senate instead of $2,000 as 
     proposed by the House. The conference agreement also makes 
     permanent authority for the Commission to charge reasonable 
     user fees for Commission-sponsored events and symposia.

                       Farm Credit Administration


                 limitation of administrative expenses

       The conference agreement places a limitation of $35,800,000 
     on the expenses of the Farm Credit Administration as proposed 
     by the House. The Senate bill had no similar provision.
       The conferees note that the Farm Credit System Insurance 
     Fund has achieved the secure base amount established in the 
     Farm Credit Act. The fund has been capitalized through the 
     payment of premiums that are ultimately paid by the farmers, 
     ranchers, and cooperatives that borrow from Farm Credit 
     institutions. The conferees expect the Farm Credit System 
     Insurance Corporation to adhere to the intent of the Farm 
     Credit Act and eliminate premiums when the insurance fund 
     meets or exceeds the statutory secure base amount.

                     TITLE VII--GENERAL PROVISIONS

       House and Senate Section 705--The conference agreement 
     includes technical changes to language (Section 705) proposed 
     by the House and the Senate which makes new obligational 
     authority for certain programs and activities available until 
     expended.
       House Section 709--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 709) proposed by the House providing that 
     commodities acquired by the Department in connection with 
     Commodity Credit Corporation and section 32 price support may 
     be used, as authorized by law, to provide commodities to 
     individuals in cases of hardship.
       House Section 711 and Senate Section 710.--The conference 
     agreement includes language (Section 711) proposed by the 
     Senate that caps indirect costs charged against competitive 
     Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension grant awards.
       House Section 716 and Senate Section 715.--The conference 
     agreement includes language (Section 716) proposed by the 
     House that authorizes the use of cooperative agreements for 
     the food safety activities of the Food Safety and Inspection 
     Service.
       House Section 717 and Senate Section 716.--The conference 
     agreement substitutes new language (section 717) for a 
     general provision proposed by both the House and Senate 
     regarding cooperative agreements of the Natural Resources 
     Conservation Service. This modification is needed as a result 
     of a recent opinion/ruling of the Office of General Counsel 
     that the existing language does not carry out its intended 
     purpose. The conferees expect rulings and opinions of the 
     Department's Office of General Counsel to apply uniformly 
     to all agencies of the Department.
       House Section 725 and Senate Section 724.--The conference 
     agreement includes language (Section 725) proposed by the 
     Senate that prohibits the use of funds to pay the salaries 
     and expenses of personnel to carry out the transfer or 
     obligation of fiscal year 2000 funds for the Fund for Rural 
     America.
       House Section 727 and Senate Section 726.--The conference 
     agreement includes language (Section 727) proposed by the 
     Senate that makes permanent the limitation on contract 
     payments for wild rice.
       House Section 728 and Senate Section 727.--The conference 
     agreement includes a limitation (Section 728) of 150,000 
     acres on Wetland Reserve Program enrollment instead of 
     120,000 acres proposed by the House and 180,000 acres 
     proposed by the Senate.
       House and Senate Section 729.--The conference agreement 
     (Section 729) prohibits the use of funds to carry out the 
     Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems as 
     proposed by the House. The Senate proposed a limitation of 
     $50,000,000.
       House and Senate Section 730.--The conference agreement 
     (Section 730) makes permanent the definition of rural areas 
     for certain business programs as proposed by the Senate.
       Senate Section 733.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 733) proposed by the Senate prohibiting the 
     use of

[[Page H9171]]

     funds to close or relocate certain FDA offices.
       Senate Section 734.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 734) proposed by the Senate prohibiting the 
     use of funds to carry out certain activities unless the 
     Secretary of Agriculture inspects and certifies agricultural 
     processing equipment and imposes a fee for those activities.
       House Section 735 and Senate Section 737.--The conference 
     agreement (Section 737) includes language proposed by the 
     Senate.
       House Section 736(a) and Senate Section 728.--The 
     conference agreement (Section 738) limits the emergency food 
     assistance program to $98,000,000 instead of $99,000,000 
     proposed by the House and $97,000,000 proposed by the Senate.
       House Section 737.--The conference agreement (Section 739) 
     prohibits the use of funds for certain activities 
     implementing the Kyoto Protocol proposed by the House.
       House Section 738--The conference agreement does not 
     include language limiting the importation of meat and 
     poultry.
       House Section 739.--The conference agreement does not 
     include language regarding the buy American Act. This 
     language is contained in permanent law, and the conferees 
     expect this language to be complied with.
       House Section 740.--The conference agreement does not 
     include language regarding the purchase of American-made 
     equipment and products. This language is contained in 
     permanent law, and the conferees expect this language to be 
     complied with.
       House Section 741.--The conference agreement does not 
     include language regarding ``Made in America'' labeling 
     violations. This language is now contained in permanent law, 
     and the conferees expect this language to be complied with.
       House Section 742.--The conference agreement does not 
     include language proposed by the House prohibiting the use of 
     funds by FDA for the testing, development, or approval of 
     certain drugs.
       House Section 743.--The conference agreement does not 
     include language proposed by the House further reducing 
     appropriations provided for certain accounts. This matter was 
     addressed in the funding levels for each account rather than 
     as a general provision.
       Senate Section 738.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 740) proposed by the Senate providing FSA 
     county office employees with Federal civil service status for 
     certain purposes.
       Senate Section 739.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 741) proposed by the Senate prohibiting the 
     use of funds to transfer or convey federal lands and 
     facilities at Fort Reno, Oklahoma, without the specific 
     authorization of Congress.
       Senate Section 740.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 742) proposed by the Senate directing the 
     Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service to settle 
     claims associated with the Chuquatonchee Water Project in 
     Mississippi.
       Senate Section 741.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 743) proposed by the Senate regarding a 
     mail inspection pilot program in Hawaii.
       Senate Section 742.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 744) proposed by the Senate providing 
     authority for guaranteed lines of credit for health care 
     facilities to address Y2K computer conversion.
       Senate Section 743.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 745) requiring the Secretary of Agriculture 
     to compensate wheat producers and handlers for losses due to 
     karnal bunt.
       House Section 736(b) and Senate Section 744.--The 
     conference agreement (Section 746) provides $2,000,000 for 
     hunger fellowships instead of $1,000,000 as proposed by the 
     House and $3,000,000 as proposed by the Senate.
       Senate Section 745.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 747) providing $250,000 or the program 
     authorized under section 388 of the FAIR Act solely for New 
     Hampshire.
       Senate Section 746.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 748) proposed by the Senate amending the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act to reduce the Department of 
     Labor's approval time for processing farmworkers' 
     applications for legal H-2A workers.
       Senate Section 747.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 749) proposed by the Senate to provide for 
     successorship relating to certain bargaining units and 
     exclusive representatives.
       Senate Section 748.--The conference agreement does not 
     include language proposed by the Senate for emergency and 
     market loss assistance, and sanctions. The conference 
     agreement addresses these issues in Title VIII.
       Senate Section 749.--The conference agreement does not 
     include Sense of the Senate language regarding methyl 
     tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). The conferees understand that 
     recent studies have determined that leaking storage 
     facilities have contributed to the detection of MTBE in 
     groundwater. Further, the conferees support the development 
     of alternative uses for agricultural products, including the 
     use of ethanol in reformulated gasoline. The conferees expect 
     the committees of jurisdiction of the House of 
     Representatives and the Senate to carefully examine these 
     issues to determine what, if any, action is warranted by the 
     Congress.
       Senate Section 750.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 750) that none of the funds appropriated or 
     otherwise made available by this Act shall be used to 
     implement a Support Services Bureau of similar organization.
       Senate Section 750.--The conference agreement (Section 751) 
     includes limitations on the awarding of contracts through the 
     HUBZone program established by section 31 of the Small 
     Business Act, to avoid subcontracting for the commodity being 
     procured of if the awards would involve more than 50 percent 
     of the dollar amount of the tender. In addition, the price 
     evaluation preference provided under the HUBZone program may 
     not exceed 5 percent in contracts for commodities made 
     available by this Act. The conferees are concerned that the 
     potential costs of the HUBZone program may diminish the 
     effective program level of certain accounts such as title II 
     of P.L. 480, and accordingly call to the attention of the 
     Secretary the Compliance in Contracting Act of 1984 
     (specifically 41 U.S.C. 253(b)), to exclude particular 
     sources from participating in full and open competition on a 
     tender if it is found that a firm has received such a large 
     market share as to jeopardize USDA's vendor base, or if 
     necessary, to restrain program costs. The conferees emphasize 
     that these limitations allow contracting officers to exclude 
     particular firms as needed, not to exclude classes of 
     businesses such as all HUBZone firms.
       Senate Section 751.--The conference agreement does not 
     include Sense of the Senate language regarding inadvertent 
     planting of dry beans on contract areas. The conferees are 
     aware that there may be instances in which producers, in good 
     faith or in reliance on information provided by agricultural 
     consultants, inadvertently planted crops in violation of 
     section 118 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform 
     Act of 1996. The Secretary is urged to exercise reasonable 
     treatment of producers in order to avoid harmful 
     consequences.
       Senate Section 752.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 752) proposed by the Senate redesignating 
     the National School Lunch Act as the ``Richard B. Russell 
     National School Lunch Act''.
       Senate Section 753.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 753) proposed by the Senate clarifying the 
     membership of a commission.
       Senate Section 754.--The conference agreement does not 
     include Sense of the Senate language regarding an action plan 
     on food safety. The conferees request the President to 
     include in the fiscal year 2001 budget request funding to 
     implement a United States Action Plan on Food Security.
       Senate Section 755.--The conference agreement does not 
     include Sense of Senate language regarding apple farmers. The 
     conferees are aware of financial hardships facing apple 
     farmers, and direct the Farm Service Agency to review all 
     programs that assist apple growers, review the limits 
     currently set on operating loan programs used by apple 
     growers to determine whether the current limits are 
     insufficient to cover operating costs and to report its 
     findings to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives and the Senate not later than January 1, 
     2000.
       Senate Section 756.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 754) proposed by the Senate designating the 
     ``Harry K. Dupree'' Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research 
     Center.
       Senate Section 757.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 755) to add Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio to 
     existing law regarding cross-county tobacco leasing and to 
     provide for the release of marketing information to State 
     trusts or similar organizations.
       Senate Section 758.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 756) proposed by the Senate that makes the 
     city of Berlin, New Hampshire eligible for a rural utilities 
     grant or loan during fiscal year 2000.
       Senate Section 759.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 757) proposed by the Senate regarding 
     cranberry marketing orders.
       Senate Section 760.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 758) proposed by the Senate to include 
     native villages in Alaska under section 16(a) of the Food 
     Stamp Act.
       Senate Section 761.--The conference agreement does not 
     include Sense of Senate language regarding periodic review of 
     food packages. The conferees expect the Secretary of 
     Agriculture to periodically review the food packages listed 
     at 7 C.F.R. 246.10(c) (1996) and consider including 
     additional nutritious foods for women, infants and children.
       Senate Section 762.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 759) proposed by the Senate regarding 
     education grants to Alaska Native Serving Institutions and 
     Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions.
       Senate Section 763.--The conference agreement does not 
     include language proposed by the Senate providing minimum 
     Smith-Lever allocations for certain states.
       Senate Section 764.--The conference agreement does not 
     include language proposed by the Senate providing minimum 
     Hatch Act allocations for certain states.
       Senate Section 765.--The conference agreement does not 
     include Sense of Senate language regarding timely FDA testing 
     of imported food. The conferees expect FDA, to the maximum 
     extent possible, to ensure timely testing of produce imports 
     by conducting survey tests at the USDA or FDA laboratory 
     closest to the port of entry so that testing results are 
     provided within 24 hours of collection.
       Senate Section 766.--The conference agreement includes 
     language (Section 760) that effective October 1, 1999, the 
     price of milk paid

[[Page H9172]]

     by a handler at a plant operating in Clark County, Nevada 
     shall not be subject to the Agricultural Marketing Agreement 
     Act of 1937.
       Senate Section 767.--The conference agreement does not 
     include Sense of Senate language regarding World Trade 
     Organization negotiations. The conferees expect that members 
     of the World Trade Organization should undertake multilateral 
     negotiations to eliminate policies and programs that distort 
     world markets for agricultural commodities.
       Section 761.--The conference agreement makes the city of 
     Olean, New York eligible for grants and loans administered by 
     the Rural Utilities Service.
       Section 762.--The conference agreement makes the 
     municipality of Carolina, Puerto Rico eligible for grants and 
     loans administered by the Rural Utilities Service.
       Section 763.--The conference agreement makes technical 
     corrections to the Food Security Act of 1985.
       Section 764.--The conference agreement provides that none 
     of the funds made available by this Act shall be used to 
     implement FSA Notice CRP-338.
       The conference agreement allows for the enrollment of 
     certain lands in the conservation reserve program for which a 
     federally cost-shared conservation practice may have 
     previously been installed. The conference agreement requires 
     a reduction in federal rental payments for such lands by an 
     amount equal to the remaining value of the federal costs 
     already incurred. This action is necessary to avoid the 
     double payment for an ongoing conservation practice.
       Section 765.--The conference agreement provides that none 
     of the funds made available by this Act shall be used to 
     implement FSA Notice CRP-327.
       The conference agreement includes language which provides 
     for certain commercial hunting activities on conservation 
     reserve program lands. The conferees note inclusion of a 
     requirement of strict compliance of program guidelines to 
     ensure protection of environmental benefits and wildlife 
     habitat. The House and Senate included no similar provision.
       Section 766.--The conference agreement includes language 
     designating the ``George E. Brown, Jr., Salinity 
     Laboratory''.
       Section 767.--The conference agreement includes technical 
     changes to title 18 of the United States Code.
       Section 768.--The conference agreement includes a provision 
     that maximum income limits established for single family 
     housing in the high cost areas of Alaska shall be 150 percent 
     of the state metropolitan income level for Alaska.
       Section 769.--The conference agreement includes a general 
     provision relating to the conservation reserve program that 
     will allow the Secretary to approve not more than 6 projects 
     in which harvests may occur for the recovery of biomass used 
     in energy production. No similar provision was included in 
     the House or Senate bill.

      TITLE VIII--EMERGENCY AND DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR PRODUCERS

       The conference agreement includes a new title (Title VIII) 
     providing market loss payments and other disaster assistance 
     to producers of 1999 crops. The Senate had proposed similar 
     provisions in section 748. The House bill contained no 
     similar provisions.
       Section 801.--The conference agreement includes 
     $1,200,000,000 in assistance to producers who have incurred 
     losses for crops harvested or intended to be planted or 
     harvested in 1999, which reflects an estimated need as stated 
     by the Department of Agricultural prior to Hurricane Floyd. 
     While funds provided by this Act shall be available for 
     damage caused by Hurricane Floyd, the conferees-note that 
     only preliminary estimates for Hurricane Floyd are available 
     and it is understood that additional resources may be needed 
     to fully address all natural disaster losses in 1999. The 
     conferees expect the Department to forward complete damage 
     estimates to the Appropriations Committee of the House and 
     Senate as soon as practicable. The Secretary may make 
     assistance available for losses in quantity, quality or 
     severe economic losses due to damaging weather or related 
     conditions. The conferees note that the statement of managers 
     accompanying the conference agreement on H.R. 1141, dated May 
     14, 1999, called on the administration to submit requests for 
     supplemental appropriations for disaster assistance for 
     agricultural producers. Subsequently, other Members of 
     Congress made similar requests to the administration. To 
     date, no request has been transmitted to the Congress for any 
     disaster assistance to producers. The conferees understand 
     that recent weather events and those yet to occur in 1999 may 
     affect the need for crop loss assistance. The conferees 
     continue to invite requests for supplemental funds to address 
     these needs.
       Similar to provisions included in P.L. 105-277, this Act 
     grants broad authority to the Secretary of Agriculture to 
     create and implement a crop loss assistance program, However, 
     the conferees note that the Department took seven months to 
     make payments to producers for 1998 losses. Such delays in 
     delivering 1999 payments are unacceptable. If necessary to 
     avoid delay in delivering payments, the Department should 
     consider developing a method by which preliminary payments 
     may be made to producers to allow at least minimal payments 
     to be made expeditiously while avoiding depletion of funds 
     before all producers receive assistance. Further, it is 
     expected that final payments will be made before January 31, 
     2000.
       The conferees note significant losses in the 1999 crops of 
     fruits and vegetables, particularly capsicums, valencia 
     oranges, and apples. The conferees expected the Secretary to 
     ensure fair and equitable treatment of these producers when 
     allocating disaster assistance. In particular, the conferees 
     expect the Secretary to compensate producers for both 
     quantity and quality losses, as authorized by section 801(c) 
     of this Act.
       The conferees are aware of losses suffered by California 
     citrus growers during a freeze in late 1998 totaling at least 
     $90 million. Because the crop was for harvest in 1999, the 
     Department of Agriculture determined that these producers 
     were ineligible for assistance provided in P.L. 105-277. The 
     conferees expect the Secretary to identify adequate funds 
     provided in this title to address these needs.
       The conferees note that the Department has failed to 
     implement statutory provisions making producers who obtained 
     non-federally reinsured crop insurance eligible under certain 
     circumstances for the multi-year disaster assistance provided 
     in P.L. 105-277. Similarly, the Department has failed to 
     provide assistance as directed to 1997 producers of apples in 
     New York. The conferees do not view favorably the 
     Department's disregard of directives issued by the Congress. 
     The conferees expect the Department to comply with both 
     statutory and other guidance provided by the Congress in 
     addressing the needs of these and all producers.
       The conferees note that the price received for cottonseed 
     is far below historical averages. The conferees also note 
     that in many areas, revenues from cottonseed sales offset the 
     cost of ginning. Given these depressed prices, the conferees 
     expect the Secretary to consider additional assistance to 
     cotton producers through direct payments or other means to 
     help alleviate the problems caused by those unusually low 
     prices.
       The conferees direct the Department to provide, from the 
     amounts appropriated in this title, compensation to Michigan 
     peach producers who purchased a crop insurance policy for the 
     1999 fresh market peaches crop under the adjusted price 
     election and pricing methodology established by the Risk 
     Management Agency for the 2000 crop year.
       Sections 801 and 805.--Section 801 of the conference 
     agreement provides $1,200,000,000 for agricultural losses to 
     crops and livestock in 1999 and an additional $325 million is 
     provided in section 805 specifically for livestock and dairy. 
     Of these amounts, the conferees expect the Secretary to 
     identify no less than $200 million in order to provide direct 
     grant assistance to livestock producers who have suffered 
     economic losses in 1999 in counties in which a Secretarial or 
     Presidential drought declaration has been issued. The 
     conferees note that in some states, such as West Virginia, 
     all or most counties have received such a designation. Net 
     farm income is low due to forced liquidations and increased 
     costs for feed, transportation, and herd maintenance, 
     severely affecting local rural economies. Producers are also 
     faced with high costs of restoring pasture lands in the 
     immediate future and the Secretary is encouraged to exercise 
     authorities of EC-7 of the Emergency Conservation Program to 
     assist affected producers toward recovery. The conferees 
     stress the importance of providing assistance to livestock 
     producers at a level commensurate with the relief provided 
     for crop losses and further note that additional funds may be 
     available for other livestock-related disaster losses.
       Section 802.--To ensure timely delivery of market loss 
     payments to eligible producers and owners, the conferees urge 
     the Secretary to make the payments available under the same 
     terms and conditions as the 1999 contract payments. However, 
     any market loss payments made under authority of this 
     legislation shall not be treated as a contract (AMTA) payment 
     for purposes of section 115 of Title I of the Federal 
     Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, or section 
     1001, paragraphs (1) through (4) of the Food Security Act of 
     1985. Further, it should not be necessary to require eligible 
     owners and operators to file new contracts or redesignate 
     shares in order to receive market loss payments.
       Section 803.--The conferees expect the Secretary to utilize 
     all funds collected and not yet transferred to the Treasury 
     under the peanut marketing assessment from producers and 
     first handlers to offset expected losses in area quota pools 
     for the 1999 peanut marketing year as authorized under 
     Section 155(d) of Public Law 104-127.
       The conferees recognize that the timing of payments made 
     under this section is critically important to peanut 
     producers and intend for the Secretary to expedite such 
     payments. With producers and acreage information readily 
     available from the Farm Service Agency, the conferees expect 
     the Secretary to make payments to peanut producers based on 
     projected yields for the 1999 crop year. By using projected 
     yields, the conferees expect the Secretary to ensure that 
     payments are made to producers as soon as practicable and, in 
     any case, within 60 days from the enactment of this 
     legislation.
       Section 805.--The conferees note the significant losses of 
     feed for livestock producers. The Department shall insure 
     that a portion of the $325,000,000 in assistance provided 
     under this section is provided in the form of Livestock Feed 
     Assistance.
       Further, from the total amount provided under section 805, 
     no less than $125,000,000 is to be made available for losses 
     suffered by dairy producers.

[[Page H9173]]

       Producers impacted by natural and economic disasters 
     deserve to be treated as equally as possible. The conferees 
     are aware that many livestock producers faced a payment 
     limitation this past year of $40,000, while grain producers 
     had a limit of $80,000. Payment methods that provide more 
     assistance to one group of producers than another should be 
     avoided whenever possible. With the administration of this 
     new disaster program, the conferees strongly urge the 
     Department to provide livestock producers with assistance 
     equivalent to that of grain producers.
       Section 806.--The conferees intend that the reinstatement 
     of the Step-2 program for upland cotton be implemented with 
     respect to sales for exports and domestic purchases by 
     domestic textile mills beginning October 1, 1999. Any 
     agreement entered into with participants in the Step-2 
     program should cover sales occurring between October 1, 1999 
     and the date of enactment of this Act in order to ensure that 
     the program is effective with the beginning of fiscal year 
     2000.
       Section 811.--Authority is provided under this section to 
     allow the Department of Agriculture to make production 
     flexibility contract payments on or after October 1 of each 
     remaining contract year. The conferees intend that these 
     payments be made in a timely manner to alleviate cash flow 
     problems. However, the conferees expect the Department to 
     work to notify all program participants of the availability 
     of these advance payments to allow them ample time to take 
     action to avoid payments to producers who will not be leasing 
     a property for that contract year.
       Section 813.--The conferees are concerned about an inequity 
     in loan deficiency payments (LDP's) made to producers of feed 
     grains. Currently, producers of corn may receive LDP's on 
     their crops of corn for silage, but producers of grain 
     sorghum whose crops are ensiled or baled as hay fodder are 
     ineligible for LDP's on those crops. This inequity occurs 
     even though grain sorghum for silage or hay has the same 
     intended and actual use as corn silage. In this regard, the 
     conferees expect the Department of Agriculture to make LDP's 
     to eligible producers of grain sorghum in the same manner 
     and, as appropriate, to the same extent as corn producers for 
     the 1999 and subsequent crop years.
       The conferees also are concerned about producers who graze 
     their wheat crops and are unable to receive LDP's for the 
     value of those crops. The conferees expect the Department of 
     Agriculture to make LDP's on the 2000 and subsequent crops of 
     wheat that are grazed.
       The conferees are concerned that repayment rates for 
     marketing loans for durum wheat do not adequately reflect the 
     unique quality discounts that are assessed against this class 
     of wheat. Further, the conferees understand that the present 
     method for calculating these repayments unfairly presumes a 
     high quality for durum, which is not imposed on other classes 
     of wheat. The conferees direct the Department to revise the 
     repayment rates for the 1999 crop of durum wheat at a rate 
     per bushel equal to the market value of the quality subclass 
     immediately above sample grade for durum wheat, less any 
     applicable discounts, to correct this inequity.
       In implementing the marketing assistance loan program for 
     minor oilseeds, the conferees understand the Department has 
     established separate loan programs for oil-type and 
     confection sunflower seed that do not accurately reflect 
     market relationships. The conferees are concerned that this 
     implementation disadvantages confection-type sunflower seed 
     growers and threatens the domestic confection industry when 
     oil-type sunflower seed prices are below marketing loan 
     levels. The conferees understand under these circumstances 
     grower contracts are offered at levels unrepresentative of 
     world market prices, presenting the opportunity for foreign 
     competitors to contract for and export confection products at 
     levels that undercut U.S. access to traditional foreign 
     markets by the domestic industry. The conferees direct the 
     Department to revise implementation of the marketing 
     assistance loan program for confection sunflower seed, to 
     determine the level at which a loan may be repaid for 
     confection seed using solely the market price for oil-type 
     sunflower seed.
       Section 814.--The conference agreement includes 
     $400,000,000 to provide agricultural producers with a premium 
     discount toward the purchase of crop insurance for the 2000 
     crop year. The conferees intend and fully expect this premium 
     discount to apply toward the purchase of crop insurance for 
     all crops grown in the 2000 crop year, including all crops 
     for which a fall sales closing date applies.
       The conferees note there is no statutory sales closing date 
     for fall-planted crops. Accordingly, should the existence of 
     an early sales closing date create an obstacle toward the 
     provision of a premium discount for producers who plant a 
     fall crop, the Secretary can remove that obstacle by 
     administratively extending the sales closing date. Second, 
     the conferees note that a discount was provided for all crops 
     in the 1999 crop year, including for all crops for which a 
     1998 fall sales closing date applied, even though the 
     Secretary did not announce the discount until January 8, 
     1999. With no statutory obstacles in the way and in view of 
     last year's precedent, the conferees fully expect the 
     Secretary to provide producers of fall planted crops with the 
     benefit of a premium discount toward the purchase of crop 
     insurance.
       Section 822.--The conference agreement provides additional 
     funding of up to $56,000,000 for salaries and expenses of the 
     Farm Service Agency for additional administrative costs 
     incurred in the delivery of the assistance provided under 
     this title.

                                TITLE IX

       The conference agreement includes legislation reported by 
     the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry 
     (S. Rpt. 106-168) requiring certain processors to report the 
     price paid for livestock.

                   CONFERENCE TOTAL--WITH COMPARISONS

       The total new budget (obligational) authority for the 
     fiscal year 2000 recommended by the Committee of Conference, 
     with comparisons to the fiscal year 1999 amount, the 2000 
     budget estimates, and the House and Senate bills for 2000 
     follow:

                       [In thousands of dollars]

New budget (obliga- tional) authority, fiscal year 1999.....$61,127,644
Budget estimates of new (obligational) authority, fiscal year66,883,182
House bill, fiscal year 2000.................................60,736,572
Senate bill, fiscal year 2000................................68,358,618
Conference agreement, fiscal year 2000.......................69,017,125
Conference agreement compared with:
    New budget (obligational) authority, fiscal year 1999....+7,889,481
    Budget estimates of new (obligational) authority, fiscal +2,133,943
    House bill, fiscal year 2000.............................+8,280,553
    Senate bill, fiscal year 2000..............................+658,507
     Joe Skeen,
     Jay Dickey,
     Jack Kingston,
     Henry Bonilla,
     Tom Latham,
     Jo Ann Emerson,
     Bill Young,
     Sam Farr,
     Allen Boyd,
     David R. Obey,
                                Managers on the Part of the House.

     Thad Cochran,
     Christopher S. Bond,
     Slade Gorton,
     Mitch McConnell,
     Conrad Burns,
     Ted Stevens,
     Herb Kohl,
     Dianne Feinstein,
     Robert Byrd,
                               Managers on the Part of the Senate.