TITLE 7 - US CODE - SUBCHAPTER I - AGRICULTURAL SECURITY

7 USC 8911 - Office of Homeland Security

(a) Establishment 
There is established within the Department the Office of Homeland Security (in this section referred to as the Office).
(b) Director 
The Office shall be headed by a Director of Homeland Security, who shall be appointed by the Secretary.
(c) Responsibilities 
The Director of Homeland Security shall
(1) coordinate all homeland security activities of the Department, including integration and coordination of interagency emergency response plans for
(A) agricultural disease emergencies;
(B) agroterrorist acts; and
(C) other threats to agricultural biosecurity;
(2) act as the primary liaison on behalf of the Department with other Federal departments and agencies on the coordination of efforts and interagency activities pertaining to agricultural biosecurity; and
(3) advise the Secretary on policies, regulations, processes, budget, and actions pertaining to homeland security.

7 USC 8912 - Agricultural biosecurity communication center

(a) Establishment 
The Secretary shall establish a communication center within the Department to
(1) collect and disseminate information and prepare for an agricultural disease emergency, agroterrorist act, or other threat to agricultural biosecurity; and
(2) coordinate activities described in paragraph (1) among agencies and offices within the Department.
(b) Relation to existing DHS communication systems 

(1) Consistency and coordination 
The communication center established under subsection (a) shall, to the maximum extent practicable, share and coordinate the dissemination of timely information with the Department of Homeland Security and other communication systems of appropriate Federal departments and agencies.
(2) Avoiding redundancies 
Paragraph (1) shall not be construed to impede, conflict with, or duplicate the communications activities performed by the Secretary of Homeland Security under any provision of law.
(c) Authorization of appropriations 
There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.

7 USC 8913 - Assistance to build local capacity in agricultural biosecurity planning, preparedness, and response

(a) Advanced training programs 

(1) Grant assistance 
The Secretary shall establish a competitive grant program to support the development and expansion of advanced training programs in agricultural biosecurity planning and response for food science professionals and veterinarians.
(2) Authorization of appropriations 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as may be necessary to carry out this subsection for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
(b) Assessment of response capability 

(1) Grant and loan assistance 
The Secretary shall establish a competitive grant and low-interest loan assistance program to assist States in assessing agricultural disease response capability.
(2) Authorization of appropriations 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.