Title 7AgricultureRelease 119-73

§178d Research and development program by Secretary of Commerce

Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 8A— - RUBBER AND OTHER CRITICAL AGRICULTURAL MATERIALS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - CRITICAL AGRICULTURAL MATERIALS › § 178d

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Secretary of Commerce must start and run research, tech development, tech transfer, and demonstration projects to test whether making and selling natural rubber from Parthenium or other hydrocarbon-containing plants is economically feasible, and to develop other key agricultural materials from native crops. Work must cover extraction and processing methods; economic studies of native latex and byproducts; environmental, social, and economic impacts; marketability of Parthenium and plant-based rubber; improving present and future manufacturing technologies (including solar); creating materials and records for federal, state, and private users; and, when appropriate, the same work for other native crops.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §178d

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary of Commerce is authorized and directed to initiate and carry out research, technology development, technology transfer, and demonstration projects to test and demonstrate the economic feasibility of the manufacture and commercialization of natural rubber from Parthenium or other hydrocarbon-containing plants or the manufacture and commercialization of other critical agricultural materials from native agricultural crops having strategic and industrial importance. Such research shall include but not be limited to—
(a)conducting research and development on extraction and processing techniques;
(b)economic analysis of the production of native latex, including usable byproducts;
(c)studying the environmental, social, and economic impacts of the commercial development of native latex;
(d)evaluating the commercial marketability of Parthenium and rubber derived from other hydrocarbon-containing plants;
(e)further refining present extraction and manufacturing technologies and future extraction and manufacturing technologies, including technologies which utilize solar energy;
(f)developing pertinent material and records on manufacturing of natural rubber which shall be available to other Federal and State agencies and private persons who are interested in or involved in natural rubber development, or manufacture; and
(g)to the extent appropriate, carrying out research activities with respect to native agricultural crops (other than Parthenium and other hydrocarbon-containing plants) that would supply critical agricultural materials for strategic and industrial purposes, in the manner specified in clauses (a) through (f).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1984—Pub. L. 98–284, § 6(1), (2), inserted in provisions preceding cl. (a) reference to the manufacture and commercialization of other critical agricultural materials from native agricultural crops having strategic and industrial importance, and struck out “may be carried out through the Regional Commissions or otherwise and” after “Such research”. Cl. (g). Pub. L. 98–284, § 6(5), added cl. (g).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 178d

Title 7Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73