§231 Transfer of certain agricultural inspection functions of the Department of Agriculture

Summary

Gives the Department of Homeland Security the job of doing agricultural import and entry inspections that used to be done by the Department of Agriculture under seven specific laws: the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act, the Honeybee Act, Title III of the Federal Seed Act, the Plant Protection Act, the Animal Health Protection Act, the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981, and section 11 of the Endangered Species Act. It does not move any quarantine work done under those laws. USDA rules, policies, and procedures will still guide how DHS carries out those duties, and USDA must work with DHS when it makes rules. Before the transition period ends (see section 541), the two departments must sign an agreement that covers training supervision and the transfer of funds. The agreement can also let DHS do some Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service tasks or let USDA use DHS employees for those tasks. USDA will transfer funds collected under sections 136 and 136a of Title 21 to DHS for the covered activities, but the share sent cannot be more than DHS’s share of the total costs. By the end of the transition period, USDA must transfer not more than 3,200 full-time equivalent positions to DHS.