Title 7AgricultureRelease 119-73

§3353 Agricultural biosecurity

Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 64— - AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND TEACHING › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER XIII— - BIOSECURITY › § 3353

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Agriculture can give grants to colleges and universities that have food and agricultural programs to check and improve security at their facilities against bioterrorism. Each eligible school can get one grant up to $50,000. Schools may use the money to hire independent private groups with security experience to do the reviews. The Secretary can also give grants to food-producer associations or to consortia of such associations to create and run farm biosecurity training. Each association can get one grant up to $100,000, and a consortium can get up to $100,000 for each member association. These groups may hire experienced private biosecurity organizations to help. Money may be appropriated as needed each fiscal year to pay for these grants.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §3353

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)The Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”) may award grants to covered entities to review security standards and practices at their facilities in order to protect against bioterrorist attacks.
(2)Covered entities under this subsection are colleges or universities that—
(A)are colleges or universities as defined in section 3103 of this title; and
(B)have programs in food and agricultural sciences, as defined in such section.
(3)Each individual covered entity may be awarded one grant under paragraph (1), the amount of which shall not exceed $50,000.
(4)Colleges and universities receiving grants under paragraph (1) may use such grants to enter into contracts with independent private organizations with established and demonstrated security expertise to conduct the security reviews specified in such paragraph.
(b)(1)The Secretary may award grants to associations of food producers or consortia of such associations for the development and implementation of educational programs to improve biosecurity on farms in order to ensure the security of farm facilities against potential bioterrorist attacks.
(2)Each individual association eligible under paragraph (1) may be awarded one grant under such paragraph, the amount of which shall not exceed $100,000. Each consortium eligible under paragraph (1) may be awarded one grant under such paragraph, the amount of which shall not exceed $100,000 per association participating in the consortium.
(3)Associations of food producers receiving grants under paragraph (1) may use such grants to enter into contracts with independent private organizations with established and demonstrated expertise in biosecurity to assist in the development and implementation of educational programs to improve biosecurity specified in such paragraph.
(c)There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was enacted as part of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, and not as part of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 which comprises this chapter.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 3353

Title 7Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73