§7614c Budget Submission and Funding

Summary

Covered program — research or competitive programs run by the Agricultural Research Service, Economic Research Service, or National Institute of Food and Agriculture that are in the President’s budget. Request for applications — a NIFA announcement that explains a funding opportunity and how to apply. The President must send Congress, with the annual budget, one single line showing the total amount requested for Research, Education, and Economics work for the coming fiscal year and for the preceding 5 fiscal years. For each covered program, the President must also send baseline details with the budget: last year’s funding, the amount requested now, and an explanation for any change. For programs run by ERS or ARS, the submission must say where the program is and how many staff years it uses. The President must also list planned funding amounts and expected publish dates for each request for applications tied to five specific grant or project types (those under sections 2279(d), 3157(b)(2), 5811(a), 5925b(a), and 7632(d)). The President must give any other extra information the Secretary thinks Congress needs, and send required additions after talking with the House and Senate agriculture and appropriations committees. If the requested funds above critical base levels for capacity and infrastructure are increased, priority should be to boost funding for 1890, 1994, NLGCA, Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities, and small 1862 institutions. If competitive program funding above its critical base is increased, priority should be on emerging problems and finding solutions. The President cannot run programs during that fiscal year that are authorized under sections 2279(d), 3157(b), 5811, 5925b, or 7632 unless the required request-for-applications information is submitted. Each year, by the budget date, the Agriculture Secretary must report to Congress on federal agricultural research, extension, and education done the prior year, check for overlap with other federal, state, college, or private work, and, for reports filed on or after January 1, 2014, give a 5-year national priority projection. The Secretary’s power to reprogram or transfer funds under section 2257 is not limited.