PRIA Logo™
Take the PRIA Score
Title 7 — AgricultureRelease 119-73

§344 Ascertainment of entitlement of State to funds; time and manner of payment; State reporting requirements; plans of work

Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 13— - AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGES › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION WORK APPROPRIATION › § 344

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Each year, on or about the first day of October after June 26, 1953, the Secretary of Agriculture must check whether each State should get a share of the cooperative extension money and how much. Before any college can receive those funds for a fiscal year, the college must send a plan of work and get the Secretary’s approval. The Secretary must also require colleges getting these funds to have rules that reduce real or possible conflicts of interest for employees paid with the funds. States are paid in equal quarterly amounts in or about July, October, January, and April to the State treasurer or other authorized officer. That officer must report to the Secretary on or about the first day of April each year how much was received the prior fiscal year and how it was spent, on forms the Secretary provides. Each State’s plan must describe planned projects using formula funds, how the State will meet the requirements of sections 343(h) and 361c(i)(2), and the matching funds the State provided for the previous fiscal year. The Secretary must create protocols to evaluate multistate, multi-institution, and multidisciplinary extension and joint research activities, developed with the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board (under section 3123) and land-grant colleges. To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary should let an approved plan satisfy other federal reporting requirements.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §344

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)On or about the first day of October in each year after June 26, 1953, the Secretary of Agriculture shall ascertain as to each State whether it is entitled to receive its share of the annual appropriation for cooperative agricultural extension work under this subchapter and the amount which it is entitled to receive. Before the funds herein provided shall become available to any college for any fiscal year, plans for the work to be carried on under this subchapter shall be submitted by the proper officials of each college and approved by the Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary shall ensure that each college seeking to receive funds under this subchapter has in place appropriate guidelines, as determined by the Secretary, to minimize actual or potential conflicts of interest among employees of such college whose salaries are funded in whole or in part with such funds.
(b)The amount to which a State is entitled shall be paid in equal quarterly payments in or about July, October, January, and April of each year to the treasurer or other officer of the State duly authorized by the laws of the State to receive the same, and such officer shall be required to report to the Secretary of Agriculture on or about the first day of April of each year, a detailed statement of the amount so received during the previous fiscal year and its disbursement, on forms prescribed by the Secretary of Agriculture.
(c)Each extension plan of work for a State required under subsection (a) shall contain descriptions of the following:
(1)A summary of planned projects or programs in the State using formula funds.
(2)A description of the manner in which the State will meet the requirements of section 343(h) of this title.
(3)A description of the manner in which the State will meet the requirements of section 361c(i)(2) of this title.
(4)A description of matching funds provided by the State with respect to the previous fiscal year.
(d)(1)The Secretary of Agriculture shall develop protocols to be used to evaluate the success of multistate, multi-institutional, and multidisciplinary extension activities and joint research and extension activities in addressing critical agricultural issues identified in the plans of work submitted under subsection (a).
(2)The Secretary of Agriculture shall develop the protocols in consultation with the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board established under section 3123 of this title and land-grant colleges and universities.
(e)To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall consider a plan of work submitted under subsection (a) to satisfy other appropriate Federal reporting requirements.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–334 added pars. (1) to (4) and struck out former pars. (1) to (5) which read as follows: “(1) The critical short-term, intermediate, and long-term agricultural issues in the State and the current and planned extension programs and projects targeted to address the issues. “(2) The process established to consult with extension users regarding the identification of critical agricultural issues in the State and the development of extension programs and projects targeted to address the issues. “(3) The efforts made to identify and collaborate with other colleges and universities within the State, and within other States, that have a unique capacity to address the identified agricultural issues in the State and the extent of current and emerging efforts (including regional efforts) to work with those other institutions. “(4) The manner in which research and extension, including research and extension activities funded other than through formula funds, will cooperate to address the critical issues in the State, including the activities to be carried out separately, the activities to be carried out sequentially, and the activities to be carried out jointly. “(5) The education and outreach programs already underway to convey available research results that are pertinent to a critical agricultural issue, including efforts to encourage multicounty cooperation in the dissemination of research results.” 1998—Pub. L. 105–185 inserted section catchline, designated existing provisions as subsecs. (a) and (b), inserted subsec. headings, in subsec. (b) substituted “The amount to which a State is entitled” for “Such sums”, and added subsecs. (c) to (e). 1990—Pub. L. 101–624 inserted after second sentence “The Secretary shall ensure that each college seeking to receive funds under this subchapter has in place appropriate guidelines, as determined by the Secretary, to minimize actual or potential conflicts of interest among employees of such college whose salaries are funded in whole or in part with such funds.” 1976—Pub. L. 94–273 substituted “of October” for “of July” and “of April” for “of January”. 1962—Pub. L. 87–749 substituted “quarterly payments in or about July, October, January, and April” for “semiannual payments on the first day of January and July”, and struck out “, Territory or possession” wherever appearing. 1953—Act June 26, 1953, among other changes, inserted first two sentences, inserted references to “Territory, or possession” after references to “State,” in sentence commencing “Such sums”, and in such sentence, struck out reference to payment by the Secretary of the Treasury upon warrant of the Secretary of Agriculture, and substituted “January” for “September” with respect to submission of annual detailed statements.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1998 Amendment Pub. L. 105–185, title II, § 202(c), June 23, 1998, 112 Stat. 533, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this section [amending this section and section 361g of this title] take effect on October 1, 1999.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 344

Title 7 — Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73