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Title 7, AgricultureRelease 119-110

§5930 Reservation Extension Agents

Title 7 › CHAPTER 88 — RESEARCH › SUBCHAPTER VII — MISCELLANEOUS RESEARCH PROVISIONS › § 5930

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Agriculture must set up extension education programs on Indian reservations and tribal lands through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The Secretary must work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and two tribal agriculture groups, make any needed interagency agreements, and design programs with advice from local reservation or tribal advisory committees. Extension agents will be employees of the State Cooperative Extension Service where the reservation is located, and the Secretary will decide which State is responsible if a reservation lies in more than one State. At a State Extension Director’s request, and with help from tribal leaders, the Secretary can create advisory committees to guide policy and programs. Staff should, when possible, include people from the local tribe and focus on training and hiring locals for aide and volunteer roles. Office numbers and placement are decided together by State Extension Directors and tribal authorities using land, soil, and population data. After a program has run well for at least 2 years, the Secretary must cut down reapplication rules to reduce paperwork. Money as needed is authorized to run these programs.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §5930

Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Establishment
The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, shall establish appropriate extension education programs on Indian reservations and tribal jurisdictions. In establishing these extension programs, the Secretary shall consult with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Intertribal Agriculture Council, and the Southwest Indian Agriculture Association, and shall make such interagency cooperative agreements or memoranda of understanding as may be necessary. The programs to be developed and delivered on reservations and within tribal jurisdictions shall be determined with the advice and counsel of reservation or tribal program advisory committees.
(b)Administration and management
Extension agents shall be employees of, and administratively responsible to, the Cooperative Extension Service of the State within which the reservation or tribal jurisdiction is located, and employment and personnel management responsibilities shall be vested with the State Cooperative Extension Service. In cases where a reservation or tribal jurisdiction is located in two or more States, the Secretary of Agriculture shall make the determination of administrative responsibility, including possible divisions along State boundaries.
(c)Advisory committees
At the request of a State Extension Director, and with the assistance of the tribal authorities, the Secretary of Agriculture may form an advisory committee to give overall policy and program advice to that State Extension Director with regard to programs conducted on reservations or within tribal jurisdictions. Program advisory committees may be formed to assist extension staff in development and conduct of program activities.
(d)Staffing
Insofar as possible, agent and specialist staff shall include individuals representative of the tribal grouping being served. Programs shall emphasize training and employment of local people in positions such as program aides, master gardeners, and volunteers. Staffing at a particular location shall be dependent on the needs and priorities of that location, as identified by the advisory committees and the State Extension Director, and the Director may make use of existing personnel and facilities as appropriate.
(e)Placing of agents
The number of offices and their placement shall be jointly determined by the State Extension Directors and tribal authorities of the respective States by taking into consideration the agricultural acreage within the boundaries of an Indian reservation or tribal jurisdiction, the soil classifications of such acreage, and the population of such reservation or tribal jurisdiction.
(f)Reduced regulatory burden
On a determination by the Secretary of Agriculture that a program carried out under this section has been satisfactorily administered for not less than 2 years, the Secretary shall implement a reduced reapplication process for the continued operation of the program in order to reduce regulatory burdens on participating university and tribal entities.
(g)Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

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

2008—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–246, § 7511(c)(23), substituted “National Institute of Food and Agriculture” for “Extension Service”. 1996—Subsecs. (f), (g). Pub. L. 104–127 added subsec. (f) and redesignated former subsec. (f) as (g). 1991—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–237, § 407(15)(A), (B), substituted “reservation” for “Reservation” and “reservations” for “Reservations” wherever appearing. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102–237, § 407(15)(A), substituted “reservation” for “Reservation” in two places. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 102–237, § 407(15)(C), substituted “tribal” for “Tribal” after “assistance of the”. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 102–237, § 407(15)(A), substituted “reservation” for “Reservation” in two places.

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)(23) 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. Indian Subsistence Farming Demonstration Grant Program Pub. L. 102–237, title IX, subtitle C, §§ 931–939, Dec. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1889, established Indian subsistence farming demonstration grant program to provide grants to any Indian tribe, or intertribal consortium, for establishment on Indian reservations of subsistence farming operations that grow fresh produce for distribution to eligible recipients, and provided for definitions, applications for assistance, training and technical assistance by Extension Service, tribal consultation, use, amount, and terms of grants, additional requirements, and authorization of appropriations through fiscal year 1995, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 104–127, title VIII, § 874, Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1175.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 5930

Title 7, Agriculture

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110