Title 7, AgricultureRelease 119-110
§3315 Auditing, Reporting, Bookkeeping, and Administrative Requirements
Title 7 › CHAPTER 64 — AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND TEACHING › SUBCHAPTER X — FUNDING AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS › § 3315
Summary
Grants and other help under this chapter must follow the rules in sections 3157(e), 3157(f), and 3157(h), unless another law says otherwise. Each recipient must send an annual report that lists results for each project and shows how all funds were spent. If money is lost or used improperly, the recipient must pay the Federal Government back and will not get more funds until they do. The Secretary may keep up to 4 percent of funds for research, extension, and teaching programs to cover administration and must set rules and approval criteria for grants. When practical, the Secretary should make agreements with former USDA research facilities to support research, share staff and equipment, and provide funding. For community food projects, the Secretary may keep 4 percent for administration. Grant funds may be used to pay peer-review costs. In-kind support: things like office space, equipment, or staff help that count toward matching funds.
Full Legal Text
Title 7, §3315
Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)In general
Except as provided elsewhere in this Act or any other Act of Congress—
(1)assistance provided under this chapter shall be subject to the provisions of section 3157(e), 3157(f), and 3157(h) of this title;
(2)the Secretary shall provide that each recipient of assistance under this chapter shall submit an annual report, at such times and on such forms as the Secretary shall prescribe, stating the accomplishments of projects (on a project-by-project basis) for which such assistance was used and accounting for the use of all such assistance. If the Secretary determines that any portion of funds made available under this chapter has been lost or applied in a manner inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter or regulations issued thereunder the recipient of such funds shall reimburse the Federal Government for the funds lost or so applied, and the Secretary shall not make available to such recipient any additional funds under this Act until the recipient has so reimbursed the Federal Government;
(3)the Secretary may retain up to 4 percent of amounts made available for agricultural research, extension, and teaching assistance programs for the administration of those programs authorized under this Act or any other Act; and
(4)the Secretary shall establish appropriate criteria for grant and assistance approval and necessary regulations pertaining thereto.
(b)Agreements with former agricultural research facilities of the department
To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary, for purposes of supporting ongoing research and information dissemination activities, including supporting research and those activities through co-locating scientists and other technical personnel, sharing of laboratory and field equipment, and providing financial support, shall enter into grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or other legal instruments with former Department of Agriculture agricultural research facilities.
(c)Community food projects
The Secretary may retain, for the administration of community food projects under section 2034 of this title, 4 percent of amounts available for the projects, notwithstanding the availability of any appropriation for administrative expenses of the projects.
(d)Peer panel expenses
Notwithstanding any other provision of law regarding a competitive research, education, or extension grant program of the Department of Agriculture, the Secretary may use grant program funds, as necessary, to supplement funds otherwise available for program administration, to pay for the costs associated with peer review of grant proposals under the program.
(e)“In-kind support” defined
In any law relating to agricultural research, education, or extension activities administered by the Secretary, the term “in-kind support”, with regard to a requirement that the recipient of funds provided by the Secretary match all or part of the amount of the funds, means contributions such as office space, equipment, and staff support.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
For definition of “this chapter”, referred to in subsec. (a), see note set out under section 3102 of this title. section 3157(e), 3157(f), and 3157(h) of this title, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), were redesignated as section 3157(f), 3157(g), and 3157(i), respectively, by Pub. L. 101–624, title XIV, § 1497(1), Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3630. Codification Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 made identical
Amendments
to this section. The
Amendments
by Pub. L. 110–234 were repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.
Amendments
2014—Subsecs. (b) to (e). Pub. L. 113–79 added subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsecs. (b) to (d) as (c) to (e), respectively. 2008—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 110–246, § 7132(b), substituted “made available” for “appropriated”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 110–246, § 4002(b)(1)(B), (2)(H), made technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as reference to section 2034 of this title. 1998—Pub. L. 105–185, § 230(b)(1), reenacted section catchline without change, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), and inserted heading. Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 105–185, § 230(b)(2), added par. (3) and struck out former par. (3) which read as follows: “three per centum of the appropriations shall be retained by the Secretary for the administration of the programs authorized under this chapter; and”. Subsecs. (b) to (d). Pub. L. 105–185, § 230(b)(3), added subsecs. (b) to (d).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2008 AmendmentAmendment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, except as otherwise provided, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 8701 of this title. Amendment by section 4002(b)(1)(B), (2)(H) of Pub. L. 110–246 effective Oct. 1, 2008, see section 4407 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as a note under section 1161 of Title 2, The Congress.
Effective Date
Section effective Oct. 1, 1977, see section 1901 of Pub. L. 95–113, set out as an
Effective Date
of 1977 Amendment note under section 1307 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
7 U.S.C. § 3315
Title 7, Agriculture
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110