TITLE 7 - US CODE - SUBCHAPTER I - FINDINGS, PURPOSES, AND DEFINITIONS

7 USC 3101 - Purposes of agricultural research, extension, and education

The purposes of federally supported agricultural research, extension, and education are to
(1) enhance the competitiveness of the United States agriculture and food industry in an increasingly competitive world environment;
(2) increase the long-term productivity of the United States agriculture and food industry while maintaining and enhancing the natural resource base on which rural America and the United States agricultural economy depend;
(3) develop new uses and new products for agricultural commodities, such as alternative fuels, and develop new crops;
(4) support agricultural research and extension to promote economic opportunity in rural communities and to meet the increasing demand for information and technology transfer throughout the United States agriculture industry;
(5) improve risk management in the United States agriculture industry;
(6) improve the safe production and processing of, and adding of value to, United States food and fiber resources using methods that maintain the balance between yield and environmental soundness;
(7) support higher education in agriculture to give the next generation of Americans the knowledge, technology, and applications necessary to enhance the competitiveness of United States agriculture; and
(8) maintain an adequate, nutritious, and safe supply of food to meet human nutritional needs and requirements.

7 USC 3102 - Additional purposes of agricultural research and extension

The purposes of this chapter are to
(1) establish firmly the Department of Agriculture as the lead agency in the Federal Government for the food and agricultural sciences, and to emphasize that agricultural research, extension, and teaching are distinct missions of the Department of Agriculture;
(2) undertake the special measures set forth in this chapter to improve the coordination and planning of agricultural research, extension, and teaching programs, identify needs and establish priorities for these programs, assure that national agricultural research, extension, and teaching objectives are fully achieved, and assure that the results of agricultural research are effectively communicated and demonstrated to farmers, processors, handlers, consumers, and all other users who can benefit therefrom;
(3) increase cooperation and coordination in the performance of agricultural research by Federal departments and agencies, the States, State agricultural experiment stations, colleges and universities, and user groups;
(4) enable the Federal Government, the States, colleges and universities, and others to implement needed agricultural research, extension, and teaching programs, through the establishment of new programs and the improvement of existing programs, as provided for in this chapter;
(5) establish a new program of grants for high-priority agricultural research to be awarded on the basis of competition among research workers and all colleges and universities;
(6) establish a new program of grants for facilities and instrumentation used in agricultural research; and
(7) establish a new program of education grants and fellowships to strengthen research, extension, and teaching programs in the food and agricultural sciences, to be awarded on the basis of competition.

7 USC 3103 - Definitions

When used in this chapter:
(1) The term Advisory Board means the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board.
(2) The term agricultural research means research in the food and agricultural sciences.
(3) The term aquaculture means the propagation and rearing of aquacultural species, including, but not limited to, any species of finfish, mollusk, or crustacean (or other aquatic invertebrate), amphibian, reptile, ornamental fish, or aquatic plant, in controlled or selected environments.
(4) College and university.— 

(A) In general.— 
The terms college and university mean an educational institution in any State which
(i)  admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate,
(ii)  is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of education beyond secondary education,
(iii)  provides an educational program for which a bachelors degree or any other higher degree is awarded,
(iv)  is a public or other nonprofit">nonprofit institution, and
(v)  is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association.
(B) Inclusions.— 
The terms college and university include a research foundation maintained by a college or university described in subparagraph (A).
(5) The term cooperating forestry schools means those institutions eligible to receive funds under the Act of October 10, 1962 (16 U.S.C. 582a et seq.), commonly known as the McIntire-Stennis Act of 1962.
(6) The term cooperative extension services means the organizations established at the land-grant colleges and universities under the Smith-Lever Act of May 8, 1914 (38 Stat. 372–374, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 341–349), and section 209(b) of the Act of October 26, 1974 (88 Stat. 1428, as amended; D.C. Code, sec. 31–1719(b)).
(7) The term Department of Agriculture means the United States Department of Agriculture.
(8) The term extension means the informal education programs conducted in the States in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture.
(9) Food and agricultural sciences.— 
The term food and agricultural sciences means basic, applied, and developmental research, extension, and teaching activities in food and fiber, agricultural, renewable energy and natural resources, forestry, and physical and social sciences, including activities relating to the following:
(A) Animal health, production, and well-being.
(B) Plant health and production.
(C) Animal and plant germ plasm collection and preservation.
(D) Aquaculture.
(E) Food safety.
(F) Soil, water, and related resource conservation and improvement.
(G) Forestry, horticulture, and range management.
(H) Nutritional sciences and promotion.
(I) Farm enhancement, including financial management, input efficiency, and profitability.
(J) Home economics.
(K) Rural human ecology.
(L) Youth development and agricultural education, including 4H clubs.
(M) Expansion of domestic and international markets for agricultural commodities and products, including agricultural trade barrier identification and analysis.
(N) Information management and technology transfer related to agriculture.
(O) Biotechnology related to agriculture.
(P) The processing, distributing, marketing, and utilization of food and agricultural products.
(10) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities.— 

(A) In general.— 
The term Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities means colleges or universities that
(i) qualify as Hispanic-serving institutions; and
(ii) offer associate, bachelors, or other accredited degree programs in agriculture-related fields.
(B) Exception.— 
The term Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities does not include 1862 institutions (as defined in section 7601 of this title).
(11) Hispanic-serving institution.— 
The term Hispanic-serving institution has the meaning given the term in section 1101a of title 20.
(12) Insular area.— 
The term insular area means
(A) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
(B) Guam;
(C) American Samoa;
(D) the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
(E) the Federated States of Micronesia;
(F) the Republic of the Marshall Islands;
(G) the Republic of Palau; and
(H) the Virgin Islands of the United States.
(13) The term land-grant colleges and universities means those institutions eligible to receive funds under the Act of July 2, 1862 (12 Stat. 503–505, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 301–305, 307 and 308), or the Act of August 30, 1890 (26 Stat. 417–419, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 321–326 and 328), including Tuskegee University.
(14) NLGCA institution; non-land-grant college of agriculture.— 

(A) In general.— 
The terms NLGCA Institution and non-land-grant college of agriculture mean a public college or university offering a baccalaureate or higher degree in the study of agriculture or forestry.
(B) Exclusions.— 
The terms NLGCA Institution and non-land-grant college of agriculture do not include
(i) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities; or
(ii) any institution designated under
(I) the Act of July 2, 1862 (commonly known as the First Morrill Act; 7 U.S.C. 301 et seq.);
(II) the Act of August 30, 1890 (commonly known as the Second Morrill Act) (7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.);
(III) the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (Public Law 103382; 7 U.S.C. 301 note ); or
(IV) Public Law 87788 (commonly known as the McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Act) (16 U.S.C. 582a et seq.).
(15) The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States.
(16) State.— 
The term State means
(A) a State;
(B) the District of Columbia; and
(C) any insular area.
(17) The term State agricultural experiment stations means those institutions eligible to receive funds under the Act of March 2, 1887 (24 Stat. 440–442, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 361a–361i).
(18) The term State cooperative institutions or State cooperative agents means institutions or agents designated by
(A) the Act of July 2, 1862 (7 U.S.C. 301 et seq.), commonly known as the First Morrill Act;
(B) the Act of August 30, 1890 (7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.), commonly known as the Second Morrill Act, including Tuskegee University;
(C) the Act of March 2, 1887 (7 U.S.C. 361a et seq.), commonly known as the Hatch Act of 1887;
(D) the Act of May 8, 1914 (7 U.S.C. 341 et seq.), commonly known as the Smith-Lever Act;
(E) the Act of October 10, 1962 (16 U.S.C. 582a et seq.), commonly known as the McIntire-Stennis Act of 1962; and
(F) subchapters V, VI, XI, and XII of this chapter.
(19) The term sustainable agriculture means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long-term
(A) satisfy human food and fiber needs;
(B) enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agriculture economy depends;
(C) make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls;
(D) sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and
(E) enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.
(20) Teaching and education.— 
The terms teaching and education mean formal classroom instruction, laboratory instruction, and practicum experience in the food and agricultural sciences and matters relating thereto (such as faculty development, student recruitment and services, curriculum development, instructional materials and equipment, and innovative teaching methodologies) conducted by colleges and universities offering baccalaureate or higher degrees.