§7712a Reduction in Backlog of Agricultural Export Petitions

Summary

The Secretary of Agriculture must try as much as possible to cut the backlog of applications for permits to export U.S. farm products. While doing this, the Secretary must not reduce staff who handle sanitary and pest controls for U.S. exports or staff who stop and evaluate pests and diseases in foreign farm imports. Each year the Secretary must send a report to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate showing, for that year, the total applications finished, how many backlog applications were finished, the percent of the backlog finished, and how many backlog applications remain.