California Institute Special Report —



PDF Version  FY 2010 House Agriculture Appropriations

House FY 2010

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration
Appropriations and California Implications

On June, 18, 2009, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2997, the FY2010 Appropriations for the Departments of Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies. The vote was 266 to 160. The bill provides $22.900 billion in new authority, compared to the budget request of $22.979 billion, and the fiscal year 2009 enacted level of $20.602 billion.

The following is a quick analysis of the bill from a California perspective prepared by the California Institute. The ordering of items generally reflects their appearance in the bill and does not mean to imply any relative importance.

Agricultural Programs

Hazardous Materials Management

For Hazardous Materials Management, the Committee provides an appropriation of $5,125,000, an increase of $25,000 above the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and the same amount as the budget request.

Agricultural Research Service Salaries and Expenses

For Salaries and Expenses of the Agricultural Research Service, the Committee provides an appropriation of $1,155,568,000, an increase of $15,162,000 above the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and an increase of $2,200,000 above the budget request.

The Committee identified the following Administration research priorities: prevention of childhood obesity, bioenergy, world hunger, and global climate change. The Committee recommendation includes an increase of $8,632,000 to support these research initiatives. This increase brings the total provided for this research at ARS to at least $138,000,000. This amount includes the $317,000 for the Water Management Research Laboratory, in Brawley, CA

Buildings and Facilities

For Agricultural Research Service, Buildings and Facilities, the Committee provides an appropriation of $35,000,000, a decrease of $11,752,000 below the amount available in fiscal year 2009, and an increase of $35,000,000 above the budget request. This amount includes $3,000,000 for the Center for Advanced Viticulture and Tree Crop Research, Davis, CA and $3,654,000 for the U.S. Agricultural Research Station, Salinas, CA.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

For Research and Education Activities, the Committee provides an appropriation of $708,004,000, an increase of $16,961,000 above the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and an increase of $85,112,000 above the budget request. The Committee provides an increase of $1,000,000 for global change/UVB radiation research, to be spent as the agency determines appropriate.

Specifically, the following outlines the amount provided by the Committee for Research and Education Activities, in thousands of dollars:

             Hatch Act                                                                                         $215,000

             McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research Program                $28,000,000

             Evans-Allen Program (1890 Colleges and Tuskegee University)        $48,000,000

             Agriculture and Food Research Initiative                                           $210,000,000

             Special Research Grants                                                                   $70,676,000

             1994 Institutions Research Program                                                  $1,610,000

             Rangeland Research                                                                         $983

             Graduate Fellowship Grants                                                             $3,859

             Institution Challenge Grants                                                              $5,654

             Multicultural Scholars Program                                                         $981

             Hispanic Serving Institutions Education Grants                                  $10,000

             Secondary/2-year Post-secondary                                                   $983

             Capacity Building Grants (1890 Institutions)                                     $20,000

             Resident Instruction Grants for Insular Areas                                    $1,000

             Distance Education Grants for Insular Areas                                     $1,000

             Sun Grant Program                                                                          $3,000

             New Era Rural Technology Program                                                $1,000

             Veterinary Medical Services Act                                                      $4,000

             Aquaculture Centers (Sec. 1475)                                                     $3,928,000

             Sustainable Agriculture                                                                     $14,399,000


The following is a list of California-specific Congressionally-designated Special Research Grants to be administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture:

Aquaculture, CA, FL, TX          $416,000

Fresh Produce Food Safety, CA      $704,000

Pierce’s Disease, CA                 $1,531,000

Sustainable Agriculture, CA           $357,000

Applied Agriculture and Environmental Research, CA    $693,000

Best Practices in Agriculture Waste Management, CA   $300,000

Nutrition and Diet, CA             $925,000

Viticulture Consortium        $1,454,000


For the Native American Institutions Endowment Fund, the Committee provides $11,880,000, the same as the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request.


Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

For the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Salaries and Expenses, the Committee recommended an appropriation of $881,019,000, an increase of $4,344,000 above the amount appropriated in fiscal year 2009 and an increase of $8,596,000 above the budget request.

The Committee recommendation provides $13,157,000 for the Cattle Fever Tick program. Within this amount, the recommendation includes an increase of $3,000,000, as requested, to strengthen the implementation of the five-year cattle fever tick eradication strategic plan.

The Committee recommendation eliminates funding for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). After receiving $142,000,000 in funding since fiscal year 2004, APHIS has yet to put into operation an effective national system that would provide needed animal health and livestock market benefits.

The Committee recommendation provides $6,394,000 for the Aquaculture program, as requested.


Agricultural Marketing Service

For Marketing Services of the Agricultural Marketing Service, the Committee provides an appropriation of $90,848,000, an increase of $4,137,000 above the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request.

The Committee provides an increase of $2,800,000, as requested, to enhance the accreditation and oversight capabilities of the National Organic Program.


Payments to States and Possessions

For Payments to States and Possessions, the Committee provides an appropriation of $1,334,000, the same as the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request.

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration

For Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), the Committee provides $41,964,000, an increase of $1,622,000 above the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request.

The Committee provides the following increases, as requested: $722,000 for employee pay costs; and $900,000 for increased staff for the Packers and Stockyards program to strengthen the agency’s compliance, investigative, and enforcement activities in the field.


Food Safety and Inspection Service

For the Food Safety and Inspection Service, the Committee provides an appropriation of $1,018,520,000, an increase of $46,954,000 above the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request.

Farm Assistance Programs

For the Office of the Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, the Committee provides an appropriation of $662,000, an increase of $16,000 above the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and a decrease of $233,000 below the budget request.

Farm Service Agency

For Salaries and Expenses of the Farm Service Agency (FSA), the Committee provides an appropriation of $1,253,777,000 and transfers from other accounts of $321,340,000, for a total program level of $1,575,117,000. This is an increase of $92,357,000, as requested, above the amount available for fiscal year 2009.

State Mediation Grants

For State Mediation Grants, the Committee provides an appropriation of $4,000,000, a decrease of $369,000 below the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and a decrease of $369,000 below the budget request.

Grassroots Source Water Protection Program

For the Grassroots Source Water Protection Program, the Committee provides an appropriation of $5,000,000, the same as the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request.

Dairy Indemnity Program

For the Dairy Indemnity Program, the Committee provides an appropriation of such sums as may be necessary (estimated to be $930,000 in the President’s fiscal year 2010 budget request), a decrease of $770,000 below the amount estimated for fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request.

Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund Program Account

For the Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund program account, the Committee provides a loan level of $4,151,397,000, an increase of $723,813,000 above the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and an increase of $41,940,000 above the budget request.

Risk Management Agency

For the Risk Management Agency, the Committee provides an appropriation of $80,325,000, an increase of $3,148,000 above the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request.

The Committee provides increases, as requested, for: pay costs, $1,348,000; and $1,800,000 for an additional 15 staff years for enhanced compliance and oversight work.

Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Fund

For the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Fund, the Committee provides an appropriation of such sums as may be necessary (estimated to be $7,502,601,000 in the President’s fiscal year 2010 budget request), an increase of $919,656,000 above the amount provided in fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request.


Hazardous Waste Management

For CCC Hazardous Waste Management, the Committee provides a limitation of $5,000,000, the same as the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request.

Conservation Programs

Natural Resources Conservation Service

For Conservation Operations, the Committee provides an appropriation of $869,397,000, an increase of $15,997,000 above the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and an increase of $2,200,000 above the budget request. Specifically, the Committee provides: $9,930,000 for the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative; $10,965,000 for the Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting program; $11,088,000 for Plant Materials Centers; and $93,939,000 for the Soil Surveys Program.

California-Specific Congressionally Designated Projects include:

             Mojave Water Agency Non-Native Plant Removal, California: $667,000

             Municipal Water District of Orange County for Efficient Irrigation, California: $134,000

             Water Quality Protection Program for the Monterey Bay Sanctuary, California: $400,000


Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations

For Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations, the Committee provides an appropriation of $20,000,000, a decrease of $4,289,000 below the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and an increase of $20,000,000 above the budget request. The bill includes $1,337,000 for California’s Alameda Creek Watershed Project.

Watershed Rehabilitation Program

For the Watershed Rehabilitation Program, the Committee provides an appropriation of $40,161,000, an increase of $161,000 above the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request.

Resource Conservation and Development

For Resource Conservation and Development, the Committee provides an appropriation of $50,730,000, the same as the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and an increase of $50,730,000 above the budget request.

Rural Development Programs

Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program Account

For the Rural Housing Insurance Fund program account, the Committee provides a loan level of $7,590,897,000, a decrease of $8,924,000 below the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and an increase of $10,488,000 above the budget request.

The following reflects the FY2010 Committee provision loan levels for the Rural Housing Insurance Fund program account in thousands of dollars:

Rural Housing Insurance Fund Loans:

Single family housing (sec. 502):

Direct                                                                          $1,121,488

Unsubsidized guaranteed                                              $6,204,444

Housing repair (sec. 504)                                             $34,412

Rental housing (sec. 515)                                             $80,000

Multi-family guaranteed (sec. 538)                               $129,090

Housing site development (sec. 524)                            $5,045

Credit sales of acquired property                                 $11,448

Self-help housing land development fund                      $4,970

Total, Loan authorization                                             $7,590,897


Rental Assistance Program

For the Rental Assistance Program, the Committee provides a program level of $980,000,000 an increase of $77,500,000 above the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and a decrease of $111,430,000 below the budget request.

Multifamily Housing Revitalization Program Account

For the Multifamily Housing Revitalization Program Account, the Committee provides an appropriation of $31,756,000, an increase of $4,042,000 above the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and an increase of $5,140,000 above the budget request.

The Committee provides $4,965,000 for the rural housing voucher program; $1,791,000 for the preservation of the section 515 multi-family housing portfolio; and $25,000,000 to continue a demonstration program for projects financed under the section 515 program.

Mutual and Self-Help Housing Grants

For Mutual and Self-Help Housing Grants, the Committee provides an appropriation of $45,000,000, an increase of $6,273,000 above the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and an increase of $6,273,000 above the budget request.

Rural Housing Assistance Grants

For the Rural Housing Assistance Grants program, the Committee provides an appropriation of $45,500,000, an increase of $4,000,000 above the amount provided in fiscal year 2009 and an increase of $4,000,000 above the budget request. The appropriated amount includes $31,600,000 for very-low income housing repair grants, $9,400,000 for rural housing preservation grants, and $500,000 for the compensation for construction defects program.

Farm Labor Program Account

For the Farm Labor program account, the Committee provides a loan subsidy of $11,023,000, which supports a loan level of $30,501,000, an increase of $1,888,000 in loan subsidy and an increase of $8,823,000 in loan level above the amount available in fiscal year 2009, and an increase of $3,189,000 in loan subsidy and an increase of $8,824,000 in loan level above the amount in the budget request.

The Committee also provides $11,500,000 in grants, an increase of $2,366,000 above the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and an increase of $2,366,000 above the budget request.

Rural Community Facilities Program Account

For the Rural Community Facilities Program Account, the Committee provides an appropriation of $51,091,000, a decrease of $12,739,000 below the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and a decrease of $3,902,000 below the budget request. The following programs are included in bill language for the Rural Community Facilities Program: $6,256,000 is for the Rural Community Development Initiative; $3,972,000 is for community facilities grants to tribal colleges; $10,000,000 is for economic impact initiative grants; and $1,000,000 is for empowerment zones and enterprise communities (EZ/EC) and communities designated by the Secretary of Agriculture as Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones.

Rural Business Program Account

For the Rural Business Program Account, the Committee provides an appropriation of $97,116,000, an increase of $9,731,000 above the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request.

The following outlines the Committee’s provisions in thousands of dollars:

Business and industry guaranteed loans($993,002)

Business and industry guaranteed loans$ 52,927

Rural business enterprise grants – $ 38,727

Rural business opportunity grants – $ 2,483

Delta regional authority  – $ 2,979

Total, Rural Business Program subsidy and grants –  $ 97,116


The following programs are included in bill language for the Rural Business Program: $500,000 for rural transportation technical assistance; $4,000,000 for Federally Recognized Native American Tribes, of which $250,000 is for transportation technical assistance; and $8,300,000 is for empowerment zones and enterprise communities (EZ/EC) and communities designated by the Secretary of Agriculture as Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones.

Rural Development Loan Fund Program Account

For the Rural Development Loan Fund program account, the Committee provides for a loan level of $33,536,000, the same as the amount provided for fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request.

For the estimated loan subsidy, the Committee provides an appropriation of $8,464,000, a decrease of $5,571,000 below the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request.

Rural Economic Development Loans Program Account

For the Rural Economic Development Loans Program Account, the Committee provides for a loan level of $33,077,000, the same as the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request.

Rural Cooperative Development Grants

For Rural Cooperative Development Grants, the Committee provides an appropriation of $30,636,000, an increase of $18,000,000 above the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and a decrease of $8,000,000 below the budget request. Of the amount provided: $2,582,000 is provided for a cooperative agreement for the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) program through a cooperative agreement with the National Center for Appropriate Technology; $3,463,000 is for cooperatives or associations of cooperatives whose primary focus is to provide assistance to small, minority producers; $5,424,000 is for cooperative development grants; $300,000 is for a cooperative research agreement with a qualified academic institution; and $18,867,000 is for the value-added agricultural product market development grant program.

Rural Micro-enterprise Investment Program Account

For the Rural Microenterprise Investment Program Account, the Committee does not provide an appropriation, the same as the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and a decrease of $22,000,000 below the budget request. The 2008 Farm Bill provided $4,000,000 in fiscal year 2010 for this program.

Rural Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities Grants

For Rural Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities Grants, the Committee does not provide an appropriation, a decrease of $8,130,000 below the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request.

Rural Energy for America Program

For the Rural Energy for America Program, the Committee provides an appropriation of $20,000,000, an increase of $15,000,000 above the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and a decrease of $48,130,000 below the budget request.

The 2008 Farm Bill provided $60,000,000 in mandatory funding for this program in fiscal year 2010, which provides an additional program level of $244,000,000.

The Committee expects the Department to fund projects that use a variety of feedstock alternatives and other alternative sources of renewable energy such as wind, solar and anaerobic digesters.

Biorefinery Assistance Program Account

For the Biorefinery Assistance Program Account, the Committee does not provide an appropriation, the same as the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and a decrease of $17,339,000 below the budget request. The 2008 Farm Bill provided $245,000,000 in mandatory funding for this program in fiscal year 2010, which provides a program level of $690,725,000.

Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Account

For the Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Account, the Committee provides an appropriation of $546,230,000, a decrease of $10,038,000 below the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request.

The following programs are included in bill language for the Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program: $993,000 is for grants to nonprofit organizations to finance construction, refurbishing, and servicing of individually-owned household water well systems in rural areas; $41,085,000 is for water and waste disposal systems in the Colonias and for Federally Recognized Native American Tribes; $19,500,000 is for technical assistance for rural water and waste systems, of which $6,000,000 is for a rural community assistance program, and of which $800,000 is for technical assistance for rural water systems for tribal communities; $15,000,000 is for a circuit rider program; and $12,700,000 is for empowerment zones and enterprise communities (EZ/EC) and communities designated by the Secretary of Agriculture as Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones.

Rural Electrification and Telecommunications Loans Program Account

For the Rural Electrification and Telecommunications Loans Program Account, the Committee provides a loan level of $7,920,000,000, the same as the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request. In addition, the Committee provides $39,959,000 for administrative expenses, an increase of $714,000 above the amount available in 2009 and the same as the budget request.

Distance Learning, Telemedicine and Broadband Program

For the Distance Learning, Telemedicine, and Broadband Program, the Committee provides an appropriation of $81,691,000, an increase of $17,911,000 above the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request, including: $34,755,000 for Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants; $28,960,000 for Broadband Telecommunications loan subsidy, which supports a loan level of $400,000,000; and $17,976,000 for Broadband Grants.

Food and Nutrition Service

Child Nutrition Programs

For the Child Nutrition Programs, the Committee provides a total of $16,799,584,000, an increase of $1,847,673,000 above the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and an increase of $2,338,000 above the budget request. Of the total amount provided, $10,051,707,000 is by direct appropriation and $6,747,877,000 is by transfer from Section 32.

The following reflects the Committee recommendations for the child nutrition programs, in thousands of dollars:

Child Nutrition Programs:

School lunch program                        $9,821,347

School breakfast program                  $2,866,683

Child and adult care food program     $2,686,523

Summer food service program           $377,752

Special milk program                         $13,590

State administrative expenses             $193,268

Commodity procurement                    $793,045

Team nutrition                                    $15,016

Food safety education                        $ 2,510

Coordinated review                            $ 5,751

Computer support and processing      $9,525

CACFP training/tech assist                $3,537

Studies and other activities                 $11,037

Total                                                  $16,799,584


The Committee provides $2,510,000 for Food Safety Education.

The Committee provides $5,000,000 to implement Hunger-Free Community grants as authorized in Section 4405 of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, to be used for competitive grants that focus on promotion, outreach, demonstration projects and technical assistance to community gardens, community-supported agriculture programs, and linkages between farmers and local markets.

The Committee provides $2,338,000 to enable the agency to increase efforts to work directly with State and local administrators to provide technical assistance to promote accuracy in payments, and to develop appropriate improvement strategies. Funding will support increased technical assistance to States in areas such as data analysis, policy interpretation and training development.

Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)

For the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Committee provides an appropriation of $7,541,000,000, an increase of $681,000,000 above the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and a decrease of $236,00,000 below the budget request. The President’s request included an increase of $625,000,000 to provide an estimated average monthly participation of 9.8 million and average monthly food cost per person at $45.01 in fiscal year 2010. Given the uncertainty of participation, the Committee is providing an increase of $645,000,000 to support an average monthly participation of 10.1 million.

The Committee recommendation includes language to allow funds to be used for WIC electronic benefit transfer (EBT) systems and sets the authorized level of infrastructure funding at $14,000,000, which includes funding to develop EBT systems.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

For the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Committee provides $61,351,846,000, an increase of $7,382,600,000 above the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request. The total amount includes $3,000,000,000 for a contingency reserve in fiscal year 2010 and $253,250,000 for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).

Commodity Assistance Program

The Committee provides an appropriation of $255,570,000 for the Commodity Assistance Program, an increase of $24,770,000 above the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and an increase of $22,182,000 above the budget request.

The Committee recommendation includes $20,000,000 for the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, an increase of $200,000 above the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request.

The Committee recommendation includes $5,000,000 for Emergency Food Program Infrastructure Grants, an increase of $5,000,000 above the amount available for fiscal year 2009 and an increase of $5,000,000 above the budget request.

Food and Drug Administration

The Committee provides an appropriation of $2,337,656,000 in budget authority, an increase of $298,692,000 above the amount available in fiscal year 2009 and the same as the budget request. In addition, the Committee makes available $578,162,000 in prescription drug user fees, $57,014,000 in medical device user fees, $17,280,000 in animal drug user fees, and $5,106,000 in generic animal drug user fees, for total Salaries and Expenses of $2,995,218,000.

The Committee provides the following in its appropriation:

             $782,915,000 for the Center for the Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and related field activities of the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA);

             $873,104,000 for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and related field activities of ORA;

             $305,249,000 for the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research and related field activities of ORA;

             $155,540,000 for the Center for Veterinary Medicine and related field activities of ORA;

             $349,262,000 for the Center for Devices and Radiological Health and related field activities of ORA;

             $58,745,000 for the National Center for Toxicological Research;

             $185,793,000 for headquarters and the Office of the Commissioner;

             $168,728,000 for GSA rental payments;

             $74,386,000 for other rent and rent-related activities; and

             $41,496,000 for White Oak consolidation expenses.

From funds provided for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the Committee provides an increase over fiscal year 2009 of $5,000,000 for the Office of Generic Drugs.

The Committee provides funding for the following items: $174,000 for the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Commission; $2,077,000 for the National Center for Food Safety and Technology; $1,608,000 for the National Center for Natural Products Research; and $1,650,000 for the New Mexico State University Agricultural Products Food Safety Laboratory. Funding for these activities is included in the President’s fiscal year 2010 budget request.

Directed Spending by Congress and the Executive Branch

The Committee Report states: “the bill contains about $1.3 billion in grant funding to be awarded solely at the discretion of the Administration, and $3.011 million in funding requested by the President for specific projects. In addition to placing a one year moratorium on earmarks in appropriations bills enacted in 2007 so that new rules could be put in place, the Committee has subsequently taken unprecedented action to increase transparency and reduce funding for earmarks. This bill continues to further reduce earmarks in 2010 and is expected ultimately to be 3% below 2009. In this bill since 2006, the total funding earmarked has been reduced by 56%. This year earmarked funding will equal 1% of the cost of the bill.”

 


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