Title 7, AgricultureRelease 119-110
§5506 Water Policy with Respect to Agrichemicals
Title 7 › CHAPTER 86 — WATER QUALITY RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND COORDINATION › § 5506
Summary
The Department of Agriculture must be the main federal agency that creates and runs education, technical help, and research programs for people who use or sell agrichemicals. The goal is to make sure chemicals are used, stored, and disposed of in safe, cost‑effective, and environmentally sound ways, and that users, dealers, and the public understand how their actions can affect water. The Department can work with other governments and nonprofits and must share its results. It must also coordinate with the Office of Agricultural Environmental Quality (section 5402). This does not change the Environmental Protection Agency’s responsibilities under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. Many USDA agencies — such as research, extension, forest, library, statistics, and soil conservation units and other appropriate parts of the Department — will take part in the program.
Full Legal Text
Title 7, §5506
Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Authority
The Department of Agriculture shall be the principal Federal agency responsible and accountable for the development and delivery of educational programs, technical assistance, and research programs for the users and dealers of agrichemicals to insure that—
(1)the use, storage, and disposal of agrichemicals by users is prudent, economical, and environmentally sound; and
(2)agrichemical users, dealers, and the general public understand the implications of their actions and the potential effects on water.
The Secretary is authorized to undertake such programs and assistance in cooperation with other Federal, State, and local governments and agencies, and appropriate nonprofit organizations. The Secretary shall disseminate the results of efforts in extension, technical assistance, research, and related activities. The Secretary shall undertake activities under this subtitle in coordination with the Office of Agricultural Environmental Quality in section 5402 of this title.
(b)Effect on existing authority
The authority granted in subsection (a) does not alter or effect the responsibility of the Environmental Protection Agency under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.).
(c)Participation
The following agencies shall participate in the Department’s water program: the Agricultural Research Service; the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service; the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, in conjunction with the system of State agricultural experiment stations and State and county cooperative extension services; the Economic Research Service; the Forest Service; the National Agricultural Library; the National Agricultural Statistics Service; the Soil Conservation Service; and other agencies within the Department deemed appropriate by the Secretary.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This subtitle, referred to in subsec. (a), means subtitle H (§§ 1491–1499) of title XIV of Pub. L. 101–624, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3627, which enacted section 136i–1 and 5506 of this title, amended section 136a, 136a–1, 136d, 136w–3, and 3157 of this title, and enacted provisions set out as a note under section 136a of this title. For complete classification of this subtitle to the Code, see Tables. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, referred to in subsec. (b), is act June 25, 1947, ch. 125, as amended generally by Pub. L. 92–516, Oct. 21, 1972, 86 Stat. 973, which is classified generally to subchapter II (§ 136 et seq.) of chapter 6 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 136 of this title and Tables. 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. Section was not enacted as part of the Agriculture and Water Policy Coordination Act which comprises this chapter.
Amendments
2008—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 110–246, § 7511(c)(14), substituted “the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, in conjunction with the system of State agricultural experiment stations and State and county cooperative extension services; the Economic Research Service;” for “the Cooperative State Research Service in conjunction with the system of State agricultural experiment stations; the Economic Research Service; the Extension Service, in conjunction with State and county cooperative extension services;”. 1996—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–127 struck out “and section 3125c of this title” before “does not alter”. 1991—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–237, § 201(g)(1), inserted “Agricultural” before “Environmental Quality” and substituted “section 5402 of this title” for “section 1612 of this Act”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102–237, § 201(g)(2), substituted “Effect” for “Affect” in heading and inserted reference to section 3125c of this title. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 102–237, § 201(g)(3), inserted “and” after “Animal”.
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 7511(c)(14) of Pub. L. 110–246 effective Oct. 1, 2009, see section 7511(c) of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as a note under section 1522 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1991 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 102–237 effective as if included in the provision of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, Pub. L. 101–624, to which the amendment relates, see section 1101(b)(1) of Pub. L. 102–237, set out as a note under section 1421 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
7 U.S.C. § 5506
Title 7, Agriculture
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110