Macadamia Tree Health Initiative Amendments Act

Macadamia Tree Health Initiative Amendments Act

This bill expands the research and extension grant program for the macadamia tree health initiative. Under current law, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) may provide competitive grants under the initiative to support research and extension activities to combat the insect known as the macadamia felted coccid (Eriococcus ironsidei).

Specifically, the bill authorizes USDA to provide competitive grants for

• developing and disseminating science-based tools and treatments to combat plant pests and noxious weeds that impact macadamia trees;
• establishing an area-wide integrated pest management program in areas affected by, or at risk of being affected by, the invasive plant pests or noxious weeds;
• surveying and collecting data on macadamia tree production and health;
• investigating macadamia tree biology, immunology, ecology, genomics, and bioinformatics; and
• conducting research on various factors that may contribute to or be associated with macadamia tree immune systems and other serious threats to macadamia trees.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5422 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5422

To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to 
  modify the macadamia tree health initiative, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 29, 2021

  Mr. Kahele (for himself, Mr. Case, Mrs. Radewagen, and Mr. Sablan) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                              Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to 
  modify the macadamia tree health initiative, 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 ``Macadamia Tree Health Initiative 
Amendments Act''.

SEC. 2. MACADAMIA TREE HEALTH INITIATIVE.

    Section 1672(d) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade 
Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925(d)) is amended by striking paragraph (11) 
and inserting the following:
            ``(11) Macadamia tree health initiative.--
                    ``(A) Definitions.--In this paragraph, the terms 
                `noxious weed' and `plant pest' have the meanings given 
                those terms in section 403 of the Plant Protection Act 
                (7 U.S.C. 7702).
                    ``(B) High-priority research and extension.--
                Research and extension grants may be made under this 
                section for the purposes of--
                            ``(i) developing and disseminating science-
                        based tools and treatments to combat plant 
                        pests and noxious weeds that impact macadamia 
                        trees;
                            ``(ii) establishing an areawide integrated 
                        pest management program in areas affected by, 
                        or areas at risk of being affected by, invasive 
                        plant pests or noxious weeds;
                            ``(iii) surveying and collecting data on 
                        macadamia tree production and health;
                            ``(iv) investigating macadamia tree 
                        biology, immunology, ecology, genomics, and 
                        bioinformatics; and
                            ``(v) conducting research on various 
                        factors that may contribute to or be associated 
                        with macadamia tree immune systems, and other 
                        serious threats to macadamia trees, including--
                                    ``(I) the sublethal effects of 
                                insecticides, herbicides, and 
                                fungicides on beneficial insects and 
                                plants to macadamia tree growth; and
                                    ``(II) the development of 
                                mitigative and preventative measures to 
                                improve habitat conservation and best 
                                management practices in macadamia tree 
                                growing regions.
                    ``(C) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
                authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
                paragraph such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal 
                years 2022 through 2033.''.
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