§ 5926. — Agricultural telecommunications program.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 7USC5926]
TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
CHAPTER 88--RESEARCH
SUBCHAPTER VII--MISCELLANEOUS RESEARCH PROVISIONS
Sec. 5926. Agricultural telecommunications program
(a) Purpose
The program (hereafter referred to in this section as the
``program'') established under this section is intended to encourage the
development and utilization of an agricultural communications network to
facilitate and to strengthen agricultural extension, resident education
and research, and domestic and international marketing of United States
agricultural commodities and products through a partnership between
eligible institutions and the Department of Agriculture. The network
will employ satellite and other telecommunications technology to
disseminate and to share academic instruction, cooperative extension
programming, agricultural research, and marketing information.
(b) Objectives
The objectives of the program established under this section are--
(1) to make optimal use of available resources for agricultural
extension, resident education, and research by sharing resources
between participating institutions;
(2) to improve the competitive position of United States
agriculture in international markets by disseminating information to
producers, processors, and researchers;
(3) to train students for careers in agriculture and food
industries;
(4) to facilitate interaction among leading agricultural
scientists;
(5) to enhance the ability of United States agriculture to
respond to environmental and food safety concerns; and
(6) to identify new uses for farm commodities and to increase
the demand for United States agricultural products in both domestic
and foreign markets.
(c) Definitions
For purposes of this section--
(1) A*DEC.--The term ``A*DEC'' means the distance education
consortium known as A*DEC.
(2) The term ``eligible institution'' means an accredited
institution of higher education determined by the Secretary to be
able to meet the objectives identified in subsection (b) of this
section.
(3) The term ``communications network'' refers to television or
cable television origination or distribution equipment, signal
conversion equipment (including both modulators and demodulators),
computer hardware and software, programs or terminals, or related
devices, used to process and exchange data through a
telecommunications system in which signals are generated, modified,
or prepared for transmission, or received, via telecommunications
terminal equipment or via telecommunications transmission.
(4) The term ``delivery'' means the transmission and reception
of programs by facilities that transmit, receive, or carry data
between telecommunications terminal equipment at each end of a
telecommunications circuit or path.
(5) The term ``facilities'' includes microwave antennae,
fiberoptic cables and repeaters, coaxial cables, communications
satellite ground station complexes, copper cable electronic
equipment associated with telecommunications transmission, and
similar items as defined by the Secretary.
(6) The term ``satellite ground station complex'' includes
transmitters, receivers, and communications antennae at the Earth
station site together with the interconnecting terrestrial
transmission facilities (including cables, line, or microwave
facilities) and modulating and demodulating equipment necessary for
processing traffic received from the terrestrial distribution system
prior to transmission via satellite and the traffic received from
the satellite prior to transfer to terrestrial distribution systems.
(7) Secretary.--Except as provided in subsection (d)(1) of this
section, the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Agriculture,
acting through A*DEC.
(d) Authorization of assistance to eligible institutions
(1) The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish a program, to be
administered through a grant provided to A*DEC under terms and
conditions established by the Secretary of Agriculture, under which
financial and technical assistance may be provided to eligible
institutions that participate in a network that distributes programs
consistent with the objectives described in subsection (b) of this
section.
(2) The Secretary may approve all or part of any application
submitted by an eligible institution if the proposed activity will
contribute, directly or indirectly, to the purpose and objectives of the
program established under this section.
(3) As provided in subsection (f) of this section, applications for
financial assistance may include requests to fund program production or
program delivery, or both.
(e) Priority
The Secretary, in considering applications for assistance under this
program, shall establish procedures to ensure a broad dissemination of
programming, giving a preference to applications that--
(1) are submitted by institutions affiliated with an established
agricultural telecommunications network that distributes programs to
a wide geographical area; or
(2) demonstrate the need for such assistance, taking into
consideration the relative needs of all applicants and the financial
ability of the applicants to otherwise secure or create the
telecommunications system.
(f) Applications for program production and delivery
(1) The Secretary shall consider applications for financial
assistance for the production and delivery of programs of cooperative
extension, academic instruction in agriculture, agricultural research,
and other topics consistent with the objectives described in subsection
(b) of this section.
(2) Eligible institutions shall request assistance by submitting
applications to A*DEC. Applications shall include--
(A) a detailed description of the telecommunications network and
programming proposed to be produced and delivered, including to whom
the programming will be distributed, how the programming will
contribute to achieving the objectives described in subsection (b)
of this section, and the total cost of producing and delivering such
programming;
(B) the amount of assistance requested for the proposed program
authorized under this section and other sources of funding that will
be used for the proposed program; and
(C) an analysis of the costs and benefits of purchasing (or
leasing) different types of facilities, equipment, components,
hardware and software, or other items.
(g) Limitations on assistance
(1) The Secretary may provide funds totaling not more than 50
percent of the cost of a proposal for which an application is submitted
under subsection (f) of this section. Notwithstanding the preceding
sentence, the Secretary may provide funds totaling up to 100 percent of
the cost of such a proposal if the Secretary determines that an eligible
institution would otherwise be unable to carry out the proposal.
(2) The Secretary may allocate not more than 10 percent of the funds
appropriated under this section for the acquisition and installation of
telecommunications transmission facilities.
(h) Authorization of appropriations
For the purposes of implementing the program established under this
section, there are hereby authorized to be appropriated not more than
$12,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1991 through 2007.
(Pub. L. 101-624, title XVI, Sec. 1673, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3773;
Pub. L. 102-237, title IV, Sec. 407(12), Dec. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1865;
Pub. L. 104-127, title VIII, Sec. 837, Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1169;
Pub. L. 105-185, title II, Sec. 245, title III, Sec. 301(b)(2), June 23,
1998, 112 Stat. 556, 563; Pub. L. 107-171, title VII, Sec. 7121, May 13,
2002, 116 Stat. 434.)
Amendments
2002--Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 107-171 substituted ``2007'' for
``2002''.
1998--Subsec. (c)(1) to (7). Pub. L. 105-185, Sec. 245(1), added
pars. (1) and (7) and redesignated former pars. (1) to (5) as (2) to
(6), respectively.
Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 105-185, Sec. 245(2), substituted ``The
Secretary of Agriculture shall establish a program, to be administered
through a grant provided to A*DEC under terms and conditions established
by the Secretary of Agriculture,'' for ``The Secretary shall establish a
program, to be administered by the Assistant Secretary for Science and
Education,''.
Subsec. (f)(2). Pub. L. 105-185, Sec. 245(3), substituted ``A*DEC''
for ``the Assistant Secretary for Science and Education'' in first
sentence.
Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 105-185, Sec. 301(b)(2), substituted ``2002''
for ``1997''.
1996--Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 104-127 substituted ``1997'' for
``1995''.
1991--Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 102-237 substituted ``programs of''
for ``programs or''.
