To provide for the establishment of a Department of Agriculture research program to enhance and develop the nitrogen-fixing ability of legumes and other commercial crops.

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a priority research program to: (1) enhance the nitrogen-fixing ability of legumes; and (2) develop other such plants and legume varieties.

[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2004 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2004

    To provide for the establishment of a Department of Agriculture 
research program to enhance and develop the nitrogen-fixing ability of 
                  legumes and other commercial crops.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 24, 2001

Mr. Smith of Michigan introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                    to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To provide for the establishment of a Department of Agriculture 
research program to enhance and develop the nitrogen-fixing ability of 
                  legumes and other commercial crops.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RESEARCH PROGRAM ON NITROGEN-
              FIXING BY PLANTS.

    (a) Research Program.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall make it a 
priority to establish a research program, directly or through grants--
            (1) to enhance the nitrogen-fixing ability and efficiency 
        of legumes;
            (2) to develop new varieties of legumes that fix nitrogen 
        more efficiently; and
            (3) to develop new varieties of other commercially 
        important crops that potentially are able to fix nitrogen.
    (b) Funding Source.--From funds available to the Secretary for 
agricultural research, the Secretary shall use not less than $5,000,000 
to carry out this section.
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