AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FACILITIES.

SEC. 884. AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FACILITIES. (a) Research Facilities.— The Research Facilities Act (7 U.S.C. 390 et seq.) is amended to read as follows: “SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. “This Act may be cited as the ‘Research Facilities Act’. “SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. “In this Act: “(1) Agricultural research facility.— The term ‘agricultural research facility’ means a proposed facility for research in food and agricultural sciences for which Federal funds are requested by a college, university, or nonprofit institution to assist in the construction, alteration, acquisition, modernization, renovation, or remodeling of the facility. “(2) Congressional agriculture committees.— The term ‘congressional agriculture committees’ means the Committee 110 STAT. 1177on Appropriations and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate. “(3) Food and agricultural sciences.— The term ‘food and agricultural sciences’ means— “(A) agriculture, including soil and water conservation and use, the use of organic materials to improve soil tilth and fertility, plant and animal production and protection, and plant and animal health; “(B) the processing, distribution, marketing, and utilization of food and agricultural products; “(C) forestry, including range management, production of forest and range products, multiple use of forests and rangelands, and urban forestry; “(D) aquaculture (as defined in section 1404(3) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103(3)); “(E) human nutrition; “(F) production inputs, such as energy, to improve productivity; and “(G) germ plasm collection and preservation. “(4) Secretary.— The term ‘Secretary" means the Secretary of Agriculture. “(5) Task force.— The term ‘task force’ means the Strategic Planning Task Force established under section 4. “SEC. 3. REVIEW PROCESS. “(a) Submission to Secretary.— Each proposal for an agricultural research facility shall be submitted to the Secretary for review. The Secretary shall review the proposals in the order in which the proposals are received. “(b) Application Process.— In consultation with the congressional agriculture committees, the Secretary shall establish an application process for the submission of proposals for agricultural research facilities. “(c) Criteria for Approval.— “(1) Determination by secretary.— With respect to each proposal for an agricultural research facility submitted under subsection (a), the Secretary shall determine whether the proposal meets the criteria set forth in paragraph (2). “(2) Criteria.— A proposal for an agricultural research facility shall meet the following criteria: “(A) Non-federal share.— The proposal shall certify the availability of at least a 50 percent non-Federal share of the cost of the facility. The non-Federal share shall be paid in cash and may include funding from private sources or from units of State or local government. “(B) Nonduplication of facilities.— The proposal shall demonstrate how the agricultural research facility would be complementary to, and not duplicative of, facilities of colleges, universities, and nonprofit institutions, and facilities of the Agricultural Research Service, within the State and region. “(C) National research priorities.— The proposal shall demonstrate how the agricultural research facility would serve— 110 STAT. 1178 “(i) 1 or more of the national research policies and priorities set forth in section 1402 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3101); and “(ii) regional needs. “(D) Long-term support.— The proposal shall demonstrate that the recipient college, university, or nonprofit institution has the ability and commitment to support the long-term, ongoing operating costs of— “(i) the agricultural research facility after the facility is completed; and “(ii) each program to be based at the facility. “(d) Evaluation of Proposals.— Not later than 90 days after receiving a proposal under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— “(1) evaluate and assess the merits of the proposal, including the extent to which the proposal meets the criteria set forth in subsection (c); and “(2) report to the congressional agriculture committees on the results of the evaluation and assessment. “SEC. 4. TASK FORCE ON 10-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FACILITIES. “(a) Establishment.— Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, the Secretary shall establish a task force, to be known as the ‘Strategic Planning Task Force’. The task force shall be comprised of 15 members. “(b) Composition.— The Secretary shall select the members of the task force from a list of individuals recommended by the Advisory Board established under section 1408 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123). In submitting the list to the Secretary, the Board may recommend for selection individuals (including members of the Advisory Board) who have expertise in facilities development, modernization, construction, consolidation, and closure. “(c) Duties.— The task force shall review all currently operating agricultural research facilities constructed in whole or in part with Federal funds, and all planned agricultural research facilities proposed to be constructed with Federal funds, pursuant to criteria established by the Secretary, to ensure that a comprehensive research capacity is maintained. “(d) 10-Year Strategic Plan.— Not later than 2 years after the task force is established, the task force shall prepare and submit to the Secretary and the congressional agriculture committees a 10-year strategic plan, reflecting both national and regional perspectives, for development, modernization, construction, consolidation, and closure of Federal agricultural research facilities and agricultural research facilities proposed to be constructed with Federal funds. “(e) Applicability of Federal Advisory Committee Act.— “(1) Public meetings.— All meetings of the task force shall be publicly announced in advance and shall be open to the public. Detailed minutes of meetings and other appropriate records of the activities of the task force shall be kept and made available to the public on request. “(2) Exemption.— The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) and title XVIII of the Food and Agriculture Act 110 STAT. 1179of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2281 et seq.) shall not apply to the task force. “(f) Definition of Agricultural Research Facility.— Notwithstanding section 2(1), in this section the term ‘agricultural research facility’ means a facility for research in food and agricultural sciences. “SEC. 5. APPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT. “The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) and title XVIII of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2281 et seq.) shall not apply to a panel or board created solely for the purpose of reviewing applications or proposals submitted under this Act. “SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. “(a) In General.— Subject to subsection (b), there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary for fiscal years 1996 and 1997 for the study, plan, design, structure, and related costs of agricultural research facilities under this Act. “(b) Allowable Administrative Costs.— Not more than 3 percent of the funds made available for any project for an agricultural research facility shall be available for administration of the project.”. (b) Application of Amendment.— The amendment made by subsection (a), other than section 4 of the Research Facilities Act (as amended by subsection (a)), shall not apply to any project for an agricultural research facility for which funds have been made available for a feasibility study or for any phase of the project prior to October 1, 1995. (c) Authorization of Appropriations for Federal Facilities.— Section 1431 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act Amendments of 1985 (Public Law 99–198; 99 Stat. 1556) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking “(a)”; and (B) by striking “1995” and inserting “1997”; and (2) by striking subsection (b). (d) Conforming Amendment.— Section 1463(a) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3311(a)) is amended by striking “1416,”.