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Title 7, AgricultureRelease 119-110

§7612 Priority Setting Process

Title 7 › CHAPTER 103 — AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND EDUCATION REFORM › SUBCHAPTER I — PRIORITIES, SCOPE, REVIEW, AND COORDINATION OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND EDUCATION › § 7612

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Require the Secretary to set priorities for agricultural research, extension, and education work the Department runs or pays for. The Secretary must ask for and consider advice from people who do or use that research, extension, or education. Starting October 1, 1999, 1862, 1890, and 1994 institutions and Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities must have a way to get input from those users to receive formula funds. The Secretary must write rules saying how to do this and what happens if a school does not follow the rules, including holding back or moving funds until it complies. The Secretary must also, when possible, run programs so research, extension, and education are joined, encourage regional and multistate work, and use teams of institutions and the best-equipped sites.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §7612

Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Establishment
Consistent with section 3101 of this title, the Secretary shall establish priorities for agricultural research, extension, and education activities conducted or funded by the Department.
(b)Responsibilities of Secretary
In establishing priorities for agricultural research, extension, and education activities conducted or funded by the Department, the Secretary shall solicit and consider input and recommendations from persons who conduct or use agricultural research, extension, or education.
(c)Responsibilities of 1862, 1890, and 1994 Institutions and Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities
(1)Process
Effective October 1, 1999, to obtain agricultural research, extension, or education formula funds from the Secretary, each 1862 Institution, 1890 Institution, 1994 Institution, and Hispanic-serving agricultural college and university shall establish and implement a process for obtaining input from persons who conduct or use agricultural research, extension, or education concerning the use of the funds.
(2)Regulations
The Secretary shall promulgate regulations that prescribe—
(A)the requirements for an institution referred to in paragraph (1) to comply with paragraph (1); and
(B)the consequences for an institution of not complying with paragraph (1), which may include the withholding or redistribution of funds to which the institution may be entitled until the institution complies with paragraph (1).
(d)Management principles
To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall ensure that federally supported and conducted agricultural research, extension, and education activities are accomplished in a manner that—
(1)integrates agricultural research, extension, and education functions to better link research to technology transfer and information dissemination activities;
(2)encourages regional and multistate programs to address relevant issues of common concern and to better leverage scarce resources; and
(3)achieves agricultural research, extension, and education objectives through multi-institutional and multifunctional approaches and by conducting research at facilities and institutions best equipped to achieve those objectives.

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. (c). Pub. L. 110–246, § 7129(c)(2), inserted “and Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities” after “Institutions” in heading and substituted “1994 Institution, and Hispanic-serving agricultural college and university” for “and 1994 Institution” in par. (1).

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, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 8701 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 7612

Title 7, Agriculture

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110