§ 344. Ascertainment of entitlement of State to funds; time and manner of payment; State reporting requirements; plans of work
(a)
Ascertainment of entitlement
On or about the first day of October in each year after June 26, 1953, the Secretary of Agriculture shall ascertain as to each State whether it is entitled to receive its share of the annual appropriation for cooperative agricultural extension work under this subchapter and the amount which it is entitled to receive. Before the funds herein provided shall become available to any college for any fiscal year, plans for the work to be carried on under this subchapter shall be submitted by the proper officials of each college and approved by the Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary shall ensure that each college seeking to receive funds under this subchapter has in place appropriate guidelines, as determined by the Secretary, to minimize actual or potential conflicts of interest among employees of such college whose salaries are funded in whole or in part with such funds.
(b)
Time and manner of payment; related reports
The amount to which a State is entitled shall be paid in equal quarterly payments in or about July, October, January, and April of each year to the treasurer or other officer of the State duly authorized by the laws of the State to receive the same, and such officer shall be required to report to the Secretary of Agriculture on or about the first day of April of each year, a detailed statement of the amount so received during the previous fiscal year and its disbursement, on forms prescribed by the Secretary of Agriculture.
(c)
Requirements related to plan of work
Each extension plan of work for a State required under subsection (a) of this section shall contain descriptions of the following:
(1)
The critical short-term, intermediate, and long-term agricultural issues in the State and the current and planned extension programs and projects targeted to address the issues.
(2)
The process established to consult with extension users regarding the identification of critical agricultural issues in the State and the development of extension programs and projects targeted to address the issues.
(3)
The efforts made to identify and collaborate with other colleges and universities within the State, and within other States, that have a unique capacity to address the identified agricultural issues in the State and the extent of current and emerging efforts (including regional efforts) to work with those other institutions.
(4)
The manner in which research and extension, including research and extension activities funded other than through formula funds, will cooperate to address the critical issues in the State, including the activities to be carried out separately, the activities to be carried out sequentially, and the activities to be carried out jointly.
(d)
Extension protocols
(1)
Development
The Secretary of Agriculture shall develop protocols to be used to evaluate the success of multistate, multi-institutional, and multidisciplinary extension activities and joint research and extension activities in addressing critical agricultural issues identified in the plans of work submitted under subsection (a) of this section.
(2)
Consultation
The Secretary of Agriculture shall develop the protocols in consultation with the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board established under section
3123 of this title and land-grant colleges and universities.
(e)
Treatment of plans of work for other purposes
To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall consider a plan of work submitted under subsection (a) of this section to satisfy other appropriate Federal reporting requirements.