[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 68 (Tuesday, June 6, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E888]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2559, AGRICULTURAL RISK PROTECTION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                    HON. F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, JR.

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 25, 2000

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide a more 
detailed explanation--including a section-by-section analysis--of the 
Biomass Research and Development (R&D) Act of 2000 included as Title 
III of H.R. 2559, the Agricultural Risk Reduction Act.
  The Biomass R&D Act of 2000 combines features of three separate bills 
that were referred to the Committee on Science: Title I of S. 935 and 
H.R. 2827, the National Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals Act of 1999; 
and H.R. 2819, the Biomass Research and Development Act of 1999. This 
important piece of legislation would help fund the research, 
development, and demonstration (RD&D) necessary to bring to market 
affordable biobased industrial products, including fuels, chemicals, 
building materials, or electric power or heat produced from biomass.
  I want to express my appreciation to many Members of the House and 
Senate for all of their hard work in crafting the Biomass R&D Act of 
2000. This includes: the Ranking Minority Member (Mr. Hall of Texas) 
and Mr. Udall of Colorado of the House Committee on Science; the 
Chairman (Mr. Combest) and Ranking Minority Member (Mr. Stenholm) of 
the House Committee on Agriculture; the Chairman (Mr. Ewing) and 
Ranking Minority Member (Mr. Condit) of the House Committee on 
Agriculture's Subcommittee on Risk Management, Research and Specialty 
Crops; the Chairman (Mr. Lugar) and Ranking Minority Member (Mr. 
Harkin) of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; 
and the Chairman (Mr. Murkowski) and Ranking Minority Member (Mr. 
Bingaman) of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Section-by-Section Analysis--Biomass Research and Development (R&D) Act 
 of 2000--(Title IV of H.R. 2559, the Agricultural Risk Reduction Act)


                       Section 401. Short Title.

       Section 401 cites Title III as the ``Biomass Research and 
     Development Act of 2000'' (hereafter, ``Act'').


                         Section 402. Findings.

       Section 2 lists 13 findings.


                       Section 403. Definitions.

       Section 403 defines ten terms: (1) ``Advisory Committee,'' 
     (2) ``Biobased Industrial Product,'' (3) ``Biomass,'' (4) 
     ``Board,'' (5) ``Initiative,'' (6) ``Institution of Higher 
     Education,'' (7) ``National Laboratory,'' (8) ``Point of 
     Contact,'' (9) ``Processing,'' and (10) ``Research and 
     Development.''
       The term ``biomass'' means ``any organic matter that is 
     available on a renewable or recurring basis, including 
     agricultural crops and trees, wood and wood wastes and 
     residues, plants (including aquatic plants), grasses, 
     residues, fibers, and animal wastes, municipal wastes, and 
     other waste materials.'' The conferees gave specific 
     consideration to a proposal to exclude old-growth timber and 
     unsegregated municipal solid waste (garbage) from the 
     definition of biomass, and rejected the proposal as being 
     scientifically unsound.
       Also, the term ``research and development'' means 
     ``research, development, and demonstration.'' Department of 
     Energy (DOE) activities conducted under this Act are subject 
     to the cost-sharing provisions of section 3002 of the Energy 
     Policy Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-486).


   Section 404. Cooperation and Coordination in Biomass Research and 
                              Development

       Section 404 mandates cooperation and coordination between 
     the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Energy with 
     respect to policies and procedures that promote R&D leading 
     to the production of biobased industrial products. In order 
     to facilitate this cooperation and coordination, a senior 
     official in each of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 
     and DOE is to be designated as a ``point of contact.'' The 
     points of contact are to assist in arranging interlaboratory 
     and site-specific supplemental agreements for research, 
     development, and demonstration projects relating to biobased 
     industrial products; serve as cochairpersons of the Board; 
     administer the Initiative; and respond in writing to each 
     recommendation of the Advisory Committee.


          Section 405. Biomass Research and Development Board.

       Section 405 requires the Secretaries of Energy and 
     Agriculture to jointly establish the Biomass Research and 
     Development Board to coordinate programs within and among 
     departments and agencies of the Federal Government for the 
     purpose of promoting the use of biobased industrial products. 
     This Board is to supercede the Interagency Council on 
     Biobased Products and Bioenergy established by Executive 
     Order 13134. This section also specifies the Board's: (b) 
     membership, (c) duties, (d) funding, and (e) frequency of 
     meetings.


   Section 406. Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory 
                               Committee.

       Section 406 establishes the Biomass Research and 
     Development Technical Advisory Committee, which is to 
     supercede the Advisory Committee on Biobased Products and 
     Bioenergy established by Executive Order 13134. This section 
     also specifies: (b) the Advisory Committee's membership and 
     appointment process; (c) duties; (d) coordination; (e) 
     frequency of meetings; and (f) terms. With respect to terms, 
     section 406(f) specifies that members of the Advisory 
     Committee shall be appointed for a term of 3 years, except 
     that--(1) \1/3\ of the members initially appointed shall be 
     appointed for a term of 1 year; and (2) \1/3\ of the members 
     initially appointed shall be appointed for a term of 2 years.


       Section 407. Biomass Research and Development Initiative.

       Section 407(a) requires the Secretary of Agriculture and 
     the Secretary of Energy, acting through their respective 
     points of contact and in consultation with the Biomass 
     Research and Development Board, to establish and carry out a 
     Biomass Research and Development Initiative under which 
     competitively awarded grants, contracts, and other financial 
     assistance are provided to, or entered into with, eligible 
     entities to carry out research, development, and 
     demonstration on biobased industrial products.
       Other provisions of Section 407 address: (b) the purposes 
     of grants, contracts, and other financial assistance under 
     this section; (c) eligible entities; (d) uses of grants, 
     contract, and assistance; (e) technology and information 
     transfer to agricultural users; and (f) authorization of 
     appropriations.
       Section 407(c)(2)(D) requires that preference be given to 
     applications for grants, contract, and assistance under this 
     section that: (i) involve a consortia of experts from 
     multiple institutions; and (ii) encourage the integration of 
     disciplines and application of the best technical resources. 
     However, this ``preference'' is not meant to negate the 
     requirements of Section 407(c)(2)(D) requiring that ``grants, 
     contracts, and assistance under this section be awarded 
     competitively, on the basis of merit, after the establishment 
     of procedures that provide for scientific peer review by an 
     independent panel of scientific and technical peers''.
       Section 407(f) provides that in addition to funds 
     appropriated for biomass R&D under the general authority of 
     the Secretary of Energy (which may also be used to carry out 
     this Act), there are authorized to be appropriated to the 
     Department of Agriculture to carry out this Act $49.0 million 
     for each of fiscal years 2000 through 2005.


             Section 408. Administrative Support and Funds.

       To the extent administrative support and funds are not 
     provided by other agencies under section 408(b), section 
     408(a) authorizes the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary 
     of Agriculture to provide such administrative support and 
     funds of DOE and USDA to the Board and the Advisory Committee 
     as are necessary to enable the Board and the Advisory 
     Committee to carry out this Act. Section 408(c) provides that 
     not more than 4 percent of the amount appropriated for each 
     fiscal year under section 407(f) may be used to pay the 
     administrative costs of carrying out this Act.


                         Section 409. Reports.

       Section 409 specifies the Act's reporting requirements, 
     which include: (a) an initial report and (b) annual reports.


                 Section 410. Termination of Authority.

       Section 410 terminates the authority under this Act on 
     December 3 1, 2005.

     

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