Title 7AgricultureRelease 119-73

§3127 Support for Advisory Board

Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 64— - AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND TEACHING › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - COORDINATION AND PLANNING OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND TEACHING › § 3127

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary may hire staff to help the Advisory Board. After talking with the Board chair, the Secretary can appoint a full-time executive director who carries out duties the chair assigns and must be paid no more than the GS–18 General Schedule rate in section 5332 of title 5. The Secretary can also hire up to five full-time professional staff with food and agricultural science qualifications, and one must serve as the Board’s executive secretary. The Secretary must provide any extra clerical help and staff needed. When the Advisory Board makes recommendations, it may use help from Department of Agriculture employees and, when possible, from other federal agencies, colleges and universities (including State agricultural experiment stations and cooperative extension services), and other non‑federal organizations that run major food and agricultural science programs.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §3127

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)To assist the Advisory Board in the performance of its duties, the Secretary may appoint, after consultation with the chairperson of the Advisory Board—
(1)a full-time executive director who shall perform such duties as the chairperson of the Advisory Board may direct and who shall receive compensation at a rate not to exceed the rate payable for GS–18 of the General Schedule established in section 5332 of title 5; and
(2)a professional staff of not more than five full-time employees qualified in the food and agricultural sciences, of which one shall serve as the executive secretary to the Advisory Board.
(b)The Secretary shall provide such additional clerical assistance and staff personnel as may be required to assist the Advisory Board in carrying out its duties.
(c)In formulating its recommendations to the Secretary, the Advisory Board may obtain the assistance of Department of Agriculture employees, and, to the maximum extent practicable, the assistance of employees of other Federal departments and agencies conducting related programs of agricultural research, extension, and teaching and of appropriate representatives of colleges and universities, including State agricultural experiment stations, cooperative extension services, and other non-Federal organizations conducting significant programs in the food and agricultural sciences.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1998—Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 105–185, § 606(c)(1)(A), substituted “its duties” for “their duties”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–185, § 606(c)(1)(B), substituted “its recommendations” for “their recommendations”. 1996—Pub. L. 104–127, §§ 852(b)(3)(A), 853(b)(4)(A), in section catchline, substituted “Advisory Board” for “Joint Council, Advisory Board, and Technology Board”. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–127, §§ 852(b)(3)(B)(i), (ii), 853(b)(4)(B)(i), in introductory provisions, substituted “To assist the Advisory Board in” for “To assist the Joint Council, the Advisory Board, and the Technology Board in” and “with the chairperson of the Advisory Board” for “with the cochairpersons of the Joint Council and the chairperson of the Advisory Board and the Technology Board”. Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 104–127, §§ 852(b)(3)(B)(ii), 853(b)(4)(B)(i), substituted “the chairperson of the Advisory Board” for “the cochairpersons of the Joint Council and the chairperson of the Advisory Board and the Technology Board”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 104–127, §§ 852(b)(3)(B)(iii), 853(b)(4)(B)(ii), substituted “one shall serve as the executive secretary to the Advisory Board” for “one shall serve as the executive secretary to the Joint Council, one shall serve as the executive secretary to the Advisory Board, and one shall serve as the executive secretary to the Technology Board”. Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 104–127, §§ 852(b)(3)(C), 853(b)(4)(C), substituted “Advisory Board” for “Joint Council, Advisory Board, and Technology Board”. 1991—Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 102–237 substituted “, Advisory Board, and Technology Board” for “and Advisory Board”. 1990—Pub. L. 101–624, § 1605(b)(1)(A), amended section catchline generally. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101–624, § 1605(b)(1)(B), in introductory provision, substituted “, the Advisory Board, and the Technology Board” for “and the Advisory Board” and inserted “and the Technology Board” before the dash, in par. (1), inserted “and the Technology Board” before “may direct”, and in par. (2), substituted “Council,” for “Council and” and inserted before period at end “, and one shall serve as the executive secretary to the Technology Board”. Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 101–624, § 1605(b)(1)(C), (D), which directed the substitution of “, the Advisory Board, and the Technology Board” for “and the Advisory Board”, could not be executed because the phrase “and the Advisory Board” did not appear in text. 1981—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–98 inserted in provision preceding par. (1) provision requiring consultation with the cochairpersons of the Joint Council and the chairperson of the Advisory Board, redesignated former par. (2) as (1) and substituted provision that a full-time executive director perform such duties as the cochairpersons of the Joint Council and chairperson of the Advisory Board direct for provision that an executive director perform such duties as the chairman of the Joint Council and the chairman of the Advisory Board direct, and redesignated former par. (1) as (2) and inserted provision that one of the full-time staff serve as the executive secretary to the Joint Council and one serve as executive secretary to the Advisory Board.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1981 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 97–98 effective Dec. 22, 1981, see section 1801 of Pub. L. 97–98, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 4301 of this title.

Effective Date

Section effective Oct. 1, 1977, see section 1901 of Pub. L. 95–113, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1977 Amendment note under section 1307 of this title. References in Other Laws to GS–16, 17, or 18 Pay RatesReferences in laws to the rates of pay for GS–16, 17, or 18, or to maximum rates of pay under the General Schedule, to be considered references to rates payable under specified sections of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, see section 529 [title I, § 101(c)(1)] of Pub. L. 101–509, set out in a note under section 5376 of Title 5.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 3127

Title 7Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73