Source: CORNERSTONE GOV'T AFFAIRS, 2/15/19
 
This week, House and Senate conferees completed an omnibus spending package that includes funding for the FY 2019 Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science, Financial Services, Interior-Environment, State-Foreign Operations and Transportation-HUD, and Homeland Security appropriations bills. The House and Senate passed the appropriations package yesterday, averting another government shutdown.

  The bill would provide a $63.544 million increase for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), with a $54.153 million increase for APLU's six core priorities. The bill increases funding to $927.649 million to support NIFA research and education activities, $505.692 million for extension activities, and $38 million for integrated activities.

  The bill also includes provisions providing $5 million for grants to 1890 Institutions for Centers of Excellence; $3.439 million for Payments to the 1994 Institutions; $3.801 million for Research Grants at 1994 Institutions; $6.446 million for Extension Services at 1994 Institutions; and $3.039 million for the Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program.

  The conference report also addresses the proposed relocation of USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Economic Research Service. The committee directs the Department to include all cost estimates associated with the proposed moves to be included in the FY 2020 budget request. Additionally, USDA is encouraged to indefinitely delay the move of ERS to the Office of the Chief Economist.

The table below outlines APU's six core priority lines:

The bill language, relevant report language, and funding tables for NIFA are provided below:

Office of the Secretary

"The conferees are concerned about the unknown costs associated with the proposed move of the National Institutes of Food and Agriculture and the Economic Research Service to a new location outside of the National Capital Region. In submitting the fiscal year 2020 budget justification, the Department is directed to include all cost estimates for the proposed move of the two agencies, as well as a detailed analysis of any research benefits of their relocation. There is an expectation that this process will be followed in the future for any other potential proposed agency relocations by the Department.

The conferees support an indefinite delay in the proposed transfer of ERS to the Office of the Chief Economist. At this time, the conferees find it appropriate for ERS to remain under the Research, Education and Economics mission area. The conferees take this position as several questions remain about the merits of the proposed transfer as well as the proposed relocation of ERS outside of the National Capital Region. Insufficient information and justification relating to the reorganization and relocation make moving forward on these proposals premature at this

time."

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ACTIVITIES

   For payments to agricultural experiment stations, for cooperative forestry and other research, for facilities, and for other expenses, $927,649,000, which shall be for the purposes, and in the amounts, specified in the table titled ''National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Research and Education Activities'' in the joint explanatory statement accompanying this Act: Provided, That funds for research grants for 1994 institutions, education grants for 1890 institutions, capacity building for non-land-grant colleges of agriculture, the agriculture and food research initiative, veterinary medicine loan repayment, multicultural scholars, graduate fellowship and institution challenge grants, and grants management systems shall remain available until expended: Provided further, That each institution eligible to receive funds under the Evans-Allen program receives no less than $1,000,000: Provided further, That funds for education grants for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions be made available to individual eligible institutions or consortia of eligible institutions with funds awarded equally to each of the States of Alaska and Hawaii: Provided further, That funds for education grants for 1890 institutions shall be made available to institutions eligible to receive funds under 14 U.S.C. 3221 and 3222: Provided further, That not more than 5 percent of the amounts made available by this or any other Act to carry out the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative under 7 U.S.C. 450i(b) may be retained by the Secretary of Agriculture to pay administrative costs incurred by the Secretary in carrying out that authority.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

   For payments to States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, Micronesia, the Northern Marianas, and American Samoa, $505,692,000, which shall be for the purposes, and in the amounts, specified in the table titled ''National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Extension Activities'' in the joint explanatory statement accompanying this Act: Provided, That funds for facility improvements at 1890 institutions shall remain available until expended: Provided further, That institutions eligible to receive funds under 7 U.S.C. 3221 for cooperative extension receive no less than $1,000,000: Provided further, That funds for cooperative extension under sections 3(b) and (c) of the Smith-Lever Act (7 U.S.C. 343(b) and (c)) and section 208(c) of Public Law 93-471 shall be available for retirement and employees' compensation costs for extension agents.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITIES

   For the integrated research, education, and extension grants programs, including necessary administrative expenses, $38,000,000, which shall be for the purposes, and in the amounts, specified in the table titled ''National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Integrated Activities'' in the joint explanatory statement accompanying this Act:Provided, That funds for the Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative shall remain available until September 30, 2020: Provided further, That notwithstanding any other provision of law, indirect costs shall not be charged against any Extension Implementation Program Area grant awarded under the Crop Protection/Pest Management Program (7 U.S.C. 7626).