Title 7 — AgricultureRelease 119-73
§361a Congressional declaration of purpose; definitions
Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 14— - AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 361a
Summary
Congress wants to keep supporting and improving agricultural research that began under earlier laws. It keeps the work started by the Hatch Act of 1887, the Adams Act of 1906, the Purnell Act of 1925, the Bankhead-Jones Act of 1935, and title I, section 9 added by the Act of August 14, 1946, plus later related laws, and aims to make those laws simpler and clearer. The word "State" or "States" includes the several States (including the District of Columbia), Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. The phrase "State agricultural experiment station" means a department run by a college or university under the Act approved July 2, 1862 (12 Stat. 503), or another arrangement a State decides is basically the same.
Full Legal Text
Title 7, §361a
Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
It is the policy of Congress to continue the agricultural research at State agricultural experiment stations which has been encouraged and supported by the Hatch Act of 1887 [7 U.S.C. 361a et seq.], the Adams Act of 1906, the Purnell Act of 1925, the Bankhead-Jones Act of 1935, and title I, section 9, of that Act as added by the Act of August 14, 1946, and Acts amendatory and supplementary thereto, and to promote the efficiency of such research by a codification and simplification of such laws. As used in this Act [7 U.S.C. 361a et seq.], the terms “State” or “States” are defined to include the several States (including the District of Columbia), Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands. As used in this Act [7 U.S.C. 361a et seq.], the term “State agricultural experiment station” means a department which shall have been established, under direction of the college or university or agricultural departments of the college or university in each State in accordance with an Act approved July 2, 1862, (12 Stat. 503), entitled “An Act donating public lands to the several States and Territories which may provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts” [7 U.S.C. 301 et seq.]; or such other substantially equivalent arrangements as any State shall determine.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Hatch Act of 1887, referred to in text, is act Mar. 2, 1887, ch. 314, 24 Stat. 440, which is classified generally to sections 361a to 361i of this title. For complete classification of this act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out below, and Tables. The Adams Act of 1906, referred to in text, is act Mar. 16, 1906, ch. 951, 34 Stat. 63, which was classified to section 361, 366, 369, 371, 373 to 376, 380, and 382 of this title, and was repealed by act Aug. 11, 1955, ch. 790, § 2, 69 Stat. 674. For complete classification of this Act to the Code prior to repeal, see Tables. The Purnell Act of 1925, referred to in text, is act Feb. 24, 1925, ch. 308, 43 Stat. 970, which was classified to section 361, 366, 370, 371, 373 to 376, 380, and 382 of this title, and was repealed by act Aug. 11, 1955, ch. 790, § 2, 69 Stat. 674. For complete classification of this Act to the Code prior to repeal, see Tables. The Bankhead-Jones Act, referred to in text, is act June 29, 1935, ch. 338, 49 Stat. 436, also popularly known as the Agricultural Research Act. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
of 1935 Amendment note under section 3101 of this title and Tables. Title I, section 9, of that Act, referred to in text, was classified to section 427h of this title prior to repeal. The Act approved
July 2, 1862 (12 Stat. 503), referred to in text, is act
July 2, 1862, ch. 130, 12 Stat. 503, popularly known as the “Morrill Act” and also as the “First Morrill Act”, which is classified generally to subchapter I (§ 301 et seq.) of chapter 13 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 301 of this title and Tables. Codification section 208 of Pub. L. 93–471, cited as a credit to this section, was renumbered section “209” by D.C. Law 1–36, § 4, Nov. 1, 1975, 22 DCR 2911. Section was formerly classified to section 362 of this title.
Amendments
1998—Pub. L. 105–185 struck out “Alaska, Hawaii,” before “Puerto Rico” in second sentence. 1974—Pub. L. 93–471 defined “State” to include the District of Columbia. 1972—Pub. L. 92–318 defined “State” to include Guam and the Virgin Islands. 1955—Act Aug. 11, 1955, amended section generally to continue agricultural research at the agricultural experiment stations, to restate the declaration of purpose, and to insert definitions of “State” and “State agricultural experiment station.” Former provisions which required division of appropriations between colleges of same state are now contained in section 361h of this title.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1974 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 93–471 effective
July 1, 1975, unless Pub. L. 93–471 repealed by District of Columbia Council after Jan. 2, 1975, and prior to
July 1, 1975; or such amendment by Pub. L. 93–471, as amended by the District Council, also effective
July 1, 1975, or some other date prescribed by the Council as authorized under provisions of section 407 of Pub. L. 93–471.
Effective Date
of 1972 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 92–318 effective after June 30, 1970, see section 506(n) of Pub. L. 92–318, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 326a of this title.
Short Title
Act Mar. 2, 1887, ch. 314, § 10, as added by Pub. L. 105–185, § 3(b),
June 23, 1998, 112 Stat. 526, provided that: “This Act [enacting sections 361a to 361i of this title] may be cited as the ‘Hatch Act of 1887’.” Arlington EstateBesides the provisions establishing agricultural experiment stations, contained in act Mar. 2, 1887, a portion of the Arlington estate in the State of Virginia was set apart for experimental agricultural purposes by act
April 18, 1900, ch. 243, 31 Stat. 135, and provisions for establishing and maintaining a general experimental farm and agricultural station thereon were made by the subsequent agricultural appropriation acts.
Executive Documents
Admission of Alaska and Hawaii to StatehoodAlaska was admitted into the Union on Jan. 3, 1959, on issuance of Proc. No. 3269, Jan. 3, 1959, 24 F.R. 81, 73 Stat. c16, and Hawaii was admitted into the Union on Aug. 21, 1959, on issuance of Proc. No. 3309, Aug. 21, 1959, 24 F.R. 6868, 73 Stat. c74. For Alaska Statehood Law, see Pub. L. 85–508, July 7, 1958, 72 Stat. 339, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions. For Hawaii Statehood Law, see Pub. L. 86–3, Mar. 18, 1959, 73 Stat. 4, set out as a note preceding section 491 of Title 48.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
7 U.S.C. § 361a
Title 7 — Agriculture
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73