Title 7, AgricultureRelease 119-110
§3125a National Agricultural Library
Title 7 › CHAPTER 64 — AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND TEACHING › SUBCHAPTER II — COORDINATION AND PLANNING OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND TEACHING › § 3125a
Summary
Creates the National Agricultural Library inside the Department of Agriculture to be the United States’ main source for agricultural information. The Secretary must appoint a Director who answers to the Secretary. The Director can collect, preserve, organize, and share agricultural information; support research and education planning; work with university, private, and other libraries to build a network; and coordinate specialized subject services. The Library can make copies and reproductions of materials, offer other information products and services, and charge for them. Prices must be at least the estimated total cost of providing the items, as set by the Secretary. Money from sales must be deposited in the U.S. Treasury to the correct appropriation and stay available until spent. The Director can make agreements and accept funds from states, local governments, organizations, businesses, or individuals; those funds go to the miscellaneous contributed fund account and remain available until spent. Congress may appropriate whatever sums are needed each fiscal year to carry out these duties.
Full Legal Text
Title 7, §3125a
Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Purpose
The purpose of this section is to consolidate and expand the statutory authority for the operation of the library of the Department of Agriculture established pursuant to section 2201 of this title as the primary agricultural information resource of the United States.
(b)Establishment
There is established in the Department of Agriculture the National Agricultural Library to serve as the primary agricultural information resource of the United States.
(c)Director (d) Functions of Director (e) Library products and services
The Secretary shall appoint a Director for the National Agricultural Library who shall be subject to the direction of the Secretary.
(f)Receipts
Funds received from sales under subsection (e) shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States to the credit of the applicable appropriation and shall remain available until expended.
(g)Agreements
(1)In general
The Director may enter into agreement with, and receive funds from any State, and other political subdivision, organization, business, or individual for the purpose of conducting activities to carry out this section.
(2)Funds
Funds received under this subsection for payments for library products and services or other activities shall be deposited to the miscellaneous contributed fund account, and shall remain available until expended.
(h)Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Enhanced Use Lease Authority Program Pub. L. 103–354, title III, § 308, as added by Pub. L. 110–234, title VII, § 7409,
May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1252, and Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VII, § 7409,
June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2014; Pub. L. 113–79, title VII, §§ 7511, 7605, Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 901, 912; Pub. L. 115–334, title VII, § 7601, Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4825, provided that: “(a) Establishment.—To enhance the use of real property administered by agencies of the Department, the Secretary may establish a program, in accordance with this section, at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center of the Agricultural Research Service and the National Agricultural Library to lease nonexcess property of the Center or the Library to any individual or entity, including agencies or instrumentalities of State or local governments. “(b) Requirements.—“(1) In general.—Notwithstanding chapter 5 of subtitle I of title 40, United States Code, the Secretary may lease real property at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center or the National Agricultural Library in accordance with such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe, if the Secretary determines that the lease—“(A) is consistent with, and will not adversely affect, the mission of the Department agency administering the property; “(B) will enhance the use of the property; “(C) will not permit any portion of Department agency property or any facility of the Department to be used for the public retail or wholesale sale of merchandise or residential development; “(D) will not permit the
Construction
or modification of facilities financed by non-Federal sources to be used by an agency, except for incidental use; and “(E) will not include any property or facility required for any Department agency purpose without prior consideration of the needs of the agency. “(2) Term.—The term of a lease under this section shall not exceed 30 years. “(3) Consideration.—“(A) In general.—Consideration provided for a lease under this section shall be—“(i) in an amount equal to fair market value, as determined by the Secretary; and “(ii) in the form of cash. “(B) Use of funds.—“(i) In general.—Consideration provided for a lease under this section shall be— “(I) deposited in a capital asset account to be established by the Secretary; and “(II) available until expended, without further appropriation, for maintenance, capital revitalization, and improvements of the Department properties and facilities at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and National Agricultural Library. “(ii) Budgetary treatment.—For purposes of the budget, the amounts described in clause (i) shall not be treated as a receipt of any Department agency or any other agency leasing property under this section. “(4) Costs.—The lessee shall cover all costs associated with a lease under this section, including the cost of—“(A) the project to be carried out on property or at a facility covered by the lease; “(B) provision and administration of the lease; “(C)
Construction
of any needed facilities; “(D) provision of applicable utilities; and “(E) any other facility cost normally associated with the operation of a leased facility. “(5) Prohibition of use of appropriations.—The Secretary shall not use any funds made available to the Secretary in an appropriations Act for the
Construction
or operating costs of any space covered by a lease under this section. “(6) Termination of authority.—This section and the authority provided by this section terminate—“(A) on
September 30, 2023; or “(B) with respect to any particular leased property, on the date of termination of the lease. “(c) Effect of Other Laws.—“(1) Utilization.—Property that is leased pursuant to this section shall not be considered to be unutilized or underutilized for purposes of section 501 of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act [now the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act] (42 U.S.C. 11411). “(2) Disposal.—Property at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center or the National Agricultural Library that is leased pursuant to this section shall not be considered to be disposed of by sale, lease, rental, excessing, or surplusing for purposes of section 523 of Public Law 100–202 (101 Stat. 1329–417). “(d) Administration.—“(1) In general.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this section [
June 18, 2008], the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that describes detailed management objectives and performance measurements by which the Secretary intends to evaluate the success of the program under this section. “(2) Reports.—Not later than
September 30, 2021, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report describing the implementation of the program under this section, including—“(A) a copy of each lease entered into pursuant to this section; and “(B) an assessment by the Secretary of the success of the program using the management objectives and performance measurements developed by the Secretary.” [Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 enacted identical provisions. Pub. L. 110–234 was repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as a note under section 8701 of this title.]
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
7 U.S.C. § 3125a
Title 7, Agriculture
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110