§7712a Reduction in backlog of agricultural export petitions

Summary

The Secretary of Agriculture must try as much as possible to cut the backlog of permit applications to export U.S. farm products. While doing that, the Secretary cannot reduce or weaken staff who handle sanitary and pest/disease work for U.S. exports or who inspect and control pests and diseases for imports. Each year the Secretary must send a report to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate showing, for that year, the total applications finished, how many backlog applications were finished, the percentage of backlog finished, and how many backlog applications remain.