§ 3123a — Specialty Crop Committee

(1) Not later than 90 days after December 21, 2004, the executive committee of the Advisory Board shall establish, and appoint the initial members of, a permanent specialty crops committee that will be responsible for studying the scope and effectiveness of research, extension, and economics programs affecting the specialty crop industry. (A) Not later than 45 days after February 7, 2014, the Secretary shall establish within the specialty crops committee, and appoint the initial members of, a citrus disease subcommittee to carry out the responsibilities of the subcommittee described in subsection (g) in accordance with subsection (j)(3) of section 7632 of this title. (B) The citrus disease subcommittee shall be composed of 11 members, each of whom is a domestic producer of citrus in a State, represented as follows: (i) Five of such members shall represent Arizona or California. (ii) Five of such members shall represent Florida. (iii) One of such members shall represent Texas. (C) (D) The subcommittee established under subparagraph (A) shall terminate on September 30, 2023. (E) The subcommittee established under subparagraph (A) shall be covered by the exemption to section 1008(c) of title 5 applicable to the Advisory Board under section 3123(f) of this title. (1) Individuals who are not members of the Advisory Board may be appointed as members of the specialty crops committee. (2) Members of the specialty crops committee shall serve at the discretion of the executive committee. (3) Membership of the specialty crops committee shall reflect diversity in the specialty crops represented. (c) Not later than 180 days after the establishment of the specialty crops committee, and annually thereafter, the specialty crops committee shall submit to the Advisory Board a report containing the findings of its study under subsection (a). The specialty crops committee shall include in each report recommendations regarding the following: (1) Programs designed to improve the efficiency, productivity, and profitability of specialty crop production in the United States. (2) Research, extension, and teaching programs designed to improve competitiveness in the specialty crop industry, including programs that would— (A) enhance the quality and shelf-life of fresh fruits and vegetables, including their taste and appearance; (B) develop new crop protection tools and expand the applicability and cost-effectiveness of integrated pest management; (C) prevent the introduction of foreign invasive pests and diseases; (D) develop new products and new uses of specialty crops, including improving the quality and taste of processed specialty crops; (E) develop new and improved marketing tools for specialty crops; (F) enhance food safety regarding specialty crops; (G) improve the remote sensing and the mechanization of production practices; and (H) enhance irrigation techniques used in specialty crop production. (3) Analyses of changes in macroeconomic conditions, technologies, and policies on specialty crop production and consumption, with particular focus on the effect of those changes on the financial stability of producers. (4) Development of data that provide applied information useful to specialty crop growers, their associations, and other interested beneficiaries in evaluating that industry from a regional and national perspective. (5) Analysis of the alignment of specialty crops committee recommendations with grants awarded through the specialty crop research initiative established under section 7632 of this title. (d) In studying the scope and effectiveness of programs under subsection (a), the specialty crops committee shall consult on an ongoing basis with diverse sectors of the specialty crop industry. (e) In preparing the annual budget recommendations for the Department of Agriculture, the Secretary shall take into consideration those findings and recommendations contained in the most-recent report of the specialty crops committee that are adopted by the Advisory Board. (f) In the budget material submitted to Congress by the Secretary in connection with the budget submitted pursuant to section 1105 of title 31 for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall include a report describing how the Secretary addressed each recommendation of the specialty crops committee described in subsection (e). (g) For the purposes of subsection (j) of section 7632 of this title, the citrus disease subcommittee shall— (1) advise the Secretary on citrus research, extension, and development needs; (2) propose, by a favorable vote of two-thirds of the members of the subcommittee, a research and extension agenda and annual budgets for the funds made available to carry out such subsection; (3) evaluate and review ongoing research and extension funded under the emergency citrus disease research and extension program (as defined in such subsection); (4) establish, by a favorable vote of two-thirds of the members of the subcommittee, annual priorities for the award of grants under such subsection; (5) provide the Secretary any comments on grants awarded under such subsection during the previous fiscal year; and (6) engage in regular consultation and collaboration with the Department and other institutional, governmental, and private persons conducting scientific research on, and extension activities related to, the causes or treatments of citrus diseases and pests, both domestic and invasive, for purposes of— (A) maximizing the effectiveness of research and extension projects funded under the citrus disease research and extension program; (B) hastening the development of useful treatments; (C) avoiding duplicative and wasteful expenditures; and (D) providing the Secretary with such information and advice as the Secretary may request.