ESTABLISHMENT OF STATE TECHNICAL COMMITTEES AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES.

SEC. 2711. ESTABLISHMENT OF STATE TECHNICAL COMMITTEES AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES. Subtitle G of title XII of the Farm Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3861, 3862) is amended to read as follows:“Subtitle G—State Technical Committees“SEC. 1261. ESTABLISHMENT OF STATE TECHNICAL COMMITTEES.“(a) Establishment.—The Secretary shall establish a technical committee in each State to assist the Secretary in the considerations relating to implementation and technical aspects of the conservation programs under this title.“(b) Standards.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, the Secretary shall develop—“(1) standard operating procedures to standardize the operations of State technical committees; and“(2) standards to be used by State technical committees in the development of technical guidelines under section 1262(b) for the implementation of the conservation provisions of this title.“(c) Composition.—Each State technical committee shall be composed of agricultural producers and other professionals that 122 STAT. 1812 represent a variety of disciplines in the soil, water, wetland, and wildlife sciences. The technical committee for a State shall include representatives from among the following:“(1) The Natural Resources Conservation Service.“(2) The Farm Service Agency.“(3) The Forest Service.“(4) The National Institute of Food and Agriculture.“(5) The State fish and wildlife agency.“(6) The State forester or equivalent State official.“(7) The State water resources agency.“(8) The State department of agriculture.“(9) The State association of soil and water conservation districts.“(10) Agricultural producers representing the variety of crops and livestock or poultry raised within the State.“(11) Owners of nonindustrial private forest land.“(12) Nonprofit organizations within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 with demonstrable conservation expertise and experience working with agriculture producers in the State.“(13) Agribusiness. “SEC. 1262. RESPONSIBILITIES.“(a) In General.—Each State technical committee established under section 1261 shall meet regularly to provide information, analysis, and recommendations to appropriate officials of the Department of Agriculture who are charged with implementing the conservation provisions of this title.“(b) Public Notice and Attendance.—Each State technical committee shall provide public notice of, and permit public attendance at, meetings considering issues of concern related to carrying out this title.“(c) Role.—“(1) In general.—The role of State technical committees is advisory in nature, and such committees shall have no implementation or enforcement authority. However, the Secretary shall give strong consideration to the recommendations of such committees in administering the programs under this title.“(2) Advisory role in establishing program priorities and criteria.—Each State technical committee shall advise the Secretary in establishing priorities and criteria for the programs in this title, including the review of whether local working groups are addressing those priorities.“(d) FACA Requirements.—“(1) Exemption.—Each State technical committee shall be exempt from the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.).“(2) Local working groups.—For purposes of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), any local working group established under this subtitle shall be considered to be a subcommittee of the applicable State technical committee.” .122 STAT. 1813