§5841 — Title 7 Agriculture | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary of Agriculture must set up and run a National Genetic Resources Program through the Agricultural Research Service. The program's job is to collect, preserve, study, and share genetic material that matters for U.S. food and farming. The program will collect, classify, store, and give out genetic material. It will research the materials and storage methods, work with similar U.S. efforts, and, unless a law forbids it, provide material on request for free to anyone. It will expand to cover plants (including trees), animals, aquatic species, insects, microbes, and other important resources, make a plan to fix backlogs in characterizing and maintaining germplasm and cultivars, and do other related work as funding allows.

Title 7, §5841

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of Agriculture shall provide for a National Genetic Resources Program.

(b)The program is established for the purpose of maintaining and enhancing a program providing for the collection, preservation, and dissemination of genetic material of importance to American food and agriculture production.

(c)The program shall be administered by the Secretary through the Agricultural Research Service.

(d)The Secretary, acting through the program, shall—

(1)provide for the collection, classification, preservation, and dissemination of genetic material of importance to the food and agriculture sectors of the United States;

(2)conduct research on the genetic materials collected and on methods for storage and preservation of those materials;

(3)coordinate the activities of the program with similar activities occurring domestically;

(4)unless otherwise prohibited by law, have the right to make available on request, without charge and without regard to the country from which the request originates, the genetic material that the program assembles;

(5)expand the types of genetic resources included in the program to develop a comprehensive genetic resources program which includes plants (including silvicultural species), animal, aquatic, insect, microbiological, and other types of genetic resources of importance to food and agriculture, as resources permit;

(6)develop and implement a national strategic germplasm and cultivar collection assessment and utilization plan that takes into consideration the resources and research necessary to address the significant backlog of characterization and maintenance of existing accessions considered to be critical to preserve the viability of, and public access to, germplasm and cultivars; and

(7)engage in such other activities as the Secretary determines appropriate and as the resources of the program permit.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (d)(6), (7). Pub. L. 115–334 added par. (6) and redesignated former par. (6) as (7). 1996—Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 104–127 added par. (4) and struck out former par. (4) which read as follows: “make available upon request, without charge and without regard to the country from which such request originates, the genetic material which the program assembles;”.

§5841 Establishment, purpose, and functions of National Genetic Resources Program

Summary

Title 7, §5841

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Citations & Metadata