Cacao Tree Health Initiative Act of 2023

Cacao Tree Health Initiative Act of 2023

This bill establishes a research and extension grant program for a cacao tree health initiative.

Specifically, the bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture to provide competitive grants for

• developing and disseminating science-based tools and treatments to combat plant pests that affect cacao trees;
• establishing an integrated pest management programs for cacao trees in areas affected by or at risk of being affected by such pests;
• surveying and collecting data on cacao tree production, health, and markets;
• investigating cacao tree biology, ecology, genomics, and production systems;
• conducting research on factors that may contribute to, or be associated with, resilient cacao production systems; and
• conducting research on factors that may contribute to, or be associated with, serious threats to cacao trees, including the sublethal effects of insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides on beneficial insects and cacao tree growth.

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1454 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1454

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 8, 2023

    Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon (for herself and Ms. Tokuda) 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 
   establish a cacao 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 ``Cacao Tree Health Initiative Act of 
2023''.

SEC. 2. CACAO TREE HEALTH INITIATIVE.

    (a) In General.--Section 1672(d) of the Food, Agriculture, 
Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925(d)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
            ``(21) Cacao tree health initiative.--Research and 
        extension grants may be made under this section for the 
        purposes of--
                    ``(A) developing and disseminating science-based 
                tools and treatments to combat plant pests (as defined 
                in section 403 of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 
                7702)) that affect cacao trees;
                    ``(B) establishing an integrated pest management 
                program for cacao trees in areas affected by or at risk 
                of being affected by such pests;
                    ``(C) surveying and collecting data on cacao tree 
                production, health, and markets;
                    ``(D) investigating cacao tree biology, ecology, 
                genomics, and production systems;
                    ``(E) conducting research on factors that may 
                contribute to, or be associated with, resilient cacao 
                production systems, including--
                            ``(i) the selection and propagation of 
                        cacao tree varieties that improve the market 
                        advantage of cacao grown in the United States; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) best management practices in cacao-
                        growing regions under various climate 
                        conditions; and
                    ``(F) conducting research on factors that may 
                contribute to, or be associated with, serious threats 
                to cacao trees, including the sublethal effects of 
                insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides on beneficial 
                insects and cacao tree growth.''.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 1672(h) of the Food, 
Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925(h)) is 
amended by striking ``2023'' and inserting ``2034''.
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