§ 3124a. Federal-State partnership and coordination
(a)
Covered programs; statement of purposes
A unique partnership arrangement exists in food and agricultural research, extension, and teaching between the Federal Government and the governments of the several States whereby the States have accepted and have supported, through legislation and appropriations—
(1)
research programs under—
(2)
extension programs under subchapter VI of this chapter and the Act of May 8, 1914 (7 U.S.C. 341 et seq.), commonly known as the Smith-Lever Act;
(3)
teaching programs under—
(4)
international agricultural programs under title XII of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2220a et seq.).
This partnership in publicly supported agricultural research, extension, and teaching involving the programs of Federal agencies and the programs of the States has played a major role in the outstanding successes achieved in meeting the varied, dispersed, and in many cases, site-specific needs of American agriculture. This partnership must be preserved and enhanced.
(b)
Establishment, etc., of cooperative centers
In order to promote research and education in food and human nutrition, the Secretary may establish cooperative human nutrition centers to focus resources, facilities, and scientific expertise on particular high priority nutrition problems identified by the Department. Such centers shall be established at State cooperative institutions; and at other colleges and universities, having a demonstrable capacity to carry out human nutrition research and education.
(c)
Designation of State cooperative institutions; reports; research grants
(1)
To promote research for purposes of developing agricultural policy alternatives, the Secretary is encouraged—
(2)
Support for this effort should include grants to examine the role of various food production, processing, and distribution systems that may primarily benefit small- and medium-sized family farms, such as diversified farm plans, energy, water, and soil conservation technologies, direct and cooperative marketing, production and processing cooperatives, and rural community resource management.
(d)
Designation of State agricultural experiment stations and Agricultural Research Service facilities; pilot projects; additional research
To address more effectively the critical need for reducing farm input costs, improving soil, water, and energy conservation on farms and in rural areas, using sustainable agricultural methods, adopting alternative processing and marketing systems, and encouraging rural resources management, the Secretary is encouraged to designate at least one State agricultural experiment station and one Agricultural Research Service facility to examine these issues in an integrated and comprehensive manner, while conducting ongoing pilot projects contributing additional research through the Federal-State partnership.
(e)
Applicability of Federal Advisory Committee Act
(1)
Public meetings
All meetings of any entity described in paragraph (3) 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 such an entity shall be kept and made available to the public on request.