Native American Seeds Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to award grants to, and enter into agreements with, Indian tribes and 1994 Institutions to conduct research and education and training programs concerning the purity of Native American seeds. (1994 Institutions are Native American tribally-controlled colleges and universities that were granted land-grant status in 1994.)
Requires grant applicants to certify that any research conducted will be performed under a cooperative agreement with at least one other entity that has the capacity and infrastructure necessary to carry out agricultural research projects.
Authorizes the use of the grants to fund research to assess the impact of: (1) public law and policies on traditional ways of life and cultural practices relating to the harvesting and cultivating of Native American seeds, and (2) contaminants that compromise the integrity and purity of those seeds.
Authorizes the use of the grants to fund education and training programs on: (1) the methods necessary to conduct such research; and (2) the best methods to continuously test, monitor, and otherwise protect the purity of Native American seeds.
Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to authorize the use of grants under the community facilities grant program to expand, construct, and develop seed storage facilities that are used to protect and preserve Native American seeds.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3782 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3782
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with Indian
tribes, to make grants, competitive grants, and special research grants
to, and enter into cooperative agreements and other contracting
instruments with, eligible entities to conduct research and education
and training programs to protect and preserve Native American seeds,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 16, 2013
Ms. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with Indian
tribes, to make grants, competitive grants, and special research grants
to, and enter into cooperative agreements and other contracting
instruments with, eligible entities to conduct research and education
and training programs to protect and preserve Native American seeds,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Native American Seeds Protection Act
of 2013''.
SEC. 2. RESEARCH GRANTS FOR PURPOSES OF PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION OF
NATIVE AMERICAN SEEDS.
(a) In General.--Subtitle C of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3151 et seq.) is
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``SEC. 1419C. RESEARCH GRANTS FOR PURPOSES OF PROTECTION AND
PRESERVATION OF NATIVE AMERICAN SEEDS.
``(a) Authority.--Consistent with this section, the Secretary may
make grants, competitive grants, and special research grants to, and
enter into cooperative agreements and other contracting instruments
with, eligible entities to conduct research and education and training
programs that are objective, operationally independent, and external to
the Federal Government and that concern the purity of Native American
seeds (as defined by the Secretary, in consultation with Indian
tribes).
``(b) Cooperation Required.--Grant applications submitted by an
eligible entity under this section shall certify that the research to
be conducted will be performed under a cooperative agreement with at
least one other qualified research entity.
``(c) Activities.--Under this section, funding may be provided to
conduct--
``(1) research to assess the direct and indirect impacts
of--
``(A) public law and policies on traditional ways
of life and cultural practices relating to the
harvesting and cultivating of Native American seeds;
and
``(B) contaminants that compromise the integrity
and purity of Native American seeds; and
``(2) education and training programs on--
``(A) the methods necessary to conduct the research
described in paragraph (1); and
``(B) the best methods to continuously test,
monitor, and otherwise protect the purity of Native
American seeds.
``(d) Report.--Beginning not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this section, and each year thereafter, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and
Forestry of the Senate a report that contains--
``(1) the results of any research conducted under this
section;
``(2) the effectiveness of any education and training
programs conducted under this section in enabling eligible
entities to ensure the purity of Native American seeds; and
``(3) any recommendations of the Secretary to improve the
effectiveness of such education and training programs.
``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
``(A) a 1994 Institution (as defined in section 532
of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of
1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note)); or
``(B) an Indian tribe.
``(2) Indian tribe.--The term `Indian tribe' has the
meaning given such term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).
``(3) Qualified research entity.--The term `qualified
research entity' means an entity with a demonstrated capacity
and infrastructure necessary to carry out agricultural research
projects, including--
``(A) a State agricultural experiment station;
``(B) a college or university (including a 1994
Institution);
``(C) another research institution or organization;
``(D) a private organization;
``(E) a corporation; or
``(F) an individual.''.
(b) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue regulations to carry
out section 1419C of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and
Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as added by subsection (a), including
regulations to define the term ``Native American seed'' as specified in
subsection (a) of such section 1419C.
SEC. 3. DEVELOPING SEED STORAGE FACILITIES TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT
NATIVE AMERICAN SEEDS.
Section 306 (a)(19)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(19)(A)) is amended by inserting ``,
including the expansion, construction, and infrastructure costs
associated with developing seed storage facilities that are used to
protect and preserve Native American seeds (as defined by the Secretary
pursuant to section 1419C of the National Agricultural Research,
Education, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977)'' before the period at the
end.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture.
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