Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 112 Part 1.djvu/596

 112 STAT. 570 PUBLIC LAW 105-185^JUNE 23, 1998 under this section, the Secretary shall reserve a portion of the funds for greints for projects regarding precision agriculture related to education or information dissemination. (g) PRECISION AGRICULTURE PARTNERSHIPS.— In carrying out this section, the Secretary, in consultation with the Advisory Board, shall encourage the establishment of appropriate multistate and national partnerships or consortia between— (1) land-grant colleges and universities, State agricultural experiment stations, State cooperative extension services, other colleges and universities with demonstrable expertise regarding precision agriculture, agencies of the Department, national laboratories, agribusinesses, agricultural equipment and input manufacturers and retailers, certified crop advisers, commodity organizations, veterinarians, other Federal or State government entities and agencies, or nonagricultural industries and nonprofit organizations with demonstrable expertise regarding precision agriculture; and (2) agricultural producers or other land managers. (h) LIMITATION REGARDING FACILITIES. —A grant made under this section may not be used for the planning, repair, rehabilitation, acquisition, or construction of a building or facility. (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. — (1) IN GENERAL.— There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 1999 through 2002, of which, for each fiscal year— (A) not less than 30 percent shall be available to make grants for research to be conducted by multidisciplinary teams; and (B) not less than 40 percent shall be available to make grants for research to be conducted by eligible entities conducting systems research directly applicable to producers and agricultural production systems. (2) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS. — Funds made available under paragraph (1) shall be available for obligation for a 2-year period beginning on October 1 of the fiscal year for which the funds are made available. 7 USC 7624. SEC. 404. BIOBASED PRODUCTS. (a) DEFINITION OF BIOBASED PRODUCT. —In this section, the term "biobased product" means a product suitable for food or nonfood use that is derived in whole or in part from renewable agricultural and forestry materials. (b) COORDINATION OF BIOBASED PRODUCT ACTIVITIES.— The Secretary of Agriculture shall— (1) coordinate the research, technical expertise, economic information, and market information resources and activities of the Department to develop, commercialize, and promote the use of biobased products; (2) solicit input from private sector persons who produce, or are interested in producing, biobased products; (3) provide a centralized contact point for advice and technical assistance for promising and innovative biobased products; and Reports. (4) Submit an annual report to Congress describing the coordinated research, marketing, and commercialization activities of the Department relating to biobased products.

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