What This Bill Does
This bill creates a new program that allows research and extension grants (money given to researchers and educators) to be used for studying and protecting flowers and nursery plants from diseases and harmful pests. The bill amends a previous farming law from 1990 to add this new program.
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Who It Affects
Researchers and educators who receive grants for plant health work. Flower and nursery plant growers and producers. Companies and industries that grow or sell floriculture and nursery crops.
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Key Provisions
- The government may give research and extension grants to develop and share science-based tools and treatments to fight plant pests and diseases that harm flowers and nursery plants. (Sec. 2(a))
- The government may give grants to set up area-wide integrated pest management programs (coordinated efforts to control pests across regions) in places affected by or at risk from invasive plant pests or diseases. (Sec. 2(a))
- The government may give grants to survey and collect information about how flowers and nursery plants are produced, their health, and their markets. (Sec. 2(a))
- The government may give grants to study the biology, genetics, and production systems of flowers and nursery plants. (Sec. 2(a))
- The government may give grants to research factors that help flowers and nursery crops survive and stay healthy, including studying beneficial insects, soil improvement, chemicals, breeding new varieties, and best management practices. (Sec. 2(a))
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What Changes
If this bill becomes law, a new section will be added to the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 that creates the Floriculture and Nursery Plant Health Initiative. This program will allow federal grant money to be used for five specific types of research and educational work related to flower and nursery plant health. The authorization for this program extends through 2034. (Sec. 2(b))
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Important Definitions
The bill defines plant pests by reference to another law (the Plant Protection Act) but does not provide its own definition of what a plant pest is.
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Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1426
To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990
to establish a floriculture and nursery plant health initiative, and for
other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 7, 2023
Ms. TOKUDA (for herself and Mr. CASE) 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 floriculture and nursery plant
health initiative, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Floriculture and Nurs-
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ery Plant Health Initiative Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. ESTABLISHING THE FLORICULTURE AND NURSERY
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PLANT HEALTH INITIATIVE.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1672(d) of the Food, Ag-
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riculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C.
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•HR 1426 IH
5925(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following
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new paragraph:
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‘‘(21) FLORICULTURE
AND
NURSERY
PLANT
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HEALTH
INITIATIVE.—Research
and
extension
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grants may be made under this section for the pur-
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poses of—
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‘‘(A) developing and disseminating science-
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based tools and treatments to combat plant
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pests (as defined in section 403 of the Plant
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Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7702)) and pathogens
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that impact floriculture and nursery crops;
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‘‘(B) establishing area-wide integrated pest
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management programs in areas affected by, or
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areas at risk of being affected by, invasive plant
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pests or pathogens;
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‘‘(C) surveying and collecting data on the
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production of, health of, and markets for flori-
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culture and nursery crops;
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‘‘(D) investigating the biology, genomics,
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and production systems of floriculture and
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nursery crops; and
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‘‘(E) conducting research on various fac-
22
tors that may contribute to (or be associated
23
with) resilient floriculture and nursery crop sys-
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tems, and combating other serious threats to
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•HR 1426 IH
floriculture and nursery crops, including re-
1
search on—
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‘‘(i) utilizing beneficial insects, soil
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improvement techniques, and chemicals
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(organic and nonorganic) to improve the
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health and productivity of floriculture and
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nursery crops;
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‘‘(ii) breeding new varieties to main-
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tain the worldwide market advantage of
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the floriculture and nursery crop indus-
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tries; and
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‘‘(iii) best management practices in
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floriculture and nursery crop growing re-
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gions under various climate conditions.’’.
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(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section
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1672(h) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and
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Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925(h)) is amended by
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striking ‘‘2023’’ and inserting ‘‘2034’’.
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Æ
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