§5854. State agricultural weather information systems

(a) Advisory program grants

(1) Grants required

With funds allocated to carry out this section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall make grants to not fewer than 10 eligible States to plan and administer, in cooperation with persons described in paragraph (2), advisory programs for State agricultural weather information systems.

(2) Persons described

The persons referred to in paragraph (1) are the Director of the Agricultural Weather Office, the Administrator of the Extension Service, the Administrator of the Cooperative State Research Service, and other persons as appropriate (such as the directors of the appropriate State agricultural experiment stations and State extension programs).

(b) Consultation

For purposes of selecting among applications submitted by States for grants under this section, the Secretary shall take into consideration the recommendation of the Advisory Board on Agricultural Weather and consult with the Director.

(c) Eligibility requirements

To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, the chief executive officer of a State shall submit to the Secretary an application that contains-

(1) assurances that the State will expend such grant to plan and administer a State agricultural weather system that will-

(A) collect observational weather data throughout the State and provide such data to the National Weather Service and the Agricultural Weather Office;

(B) develop methods for packaging information received from the national system for use by agricultural producers (with State Cooperative Extension Services and the private sector to serve as the primary conduit of agricultural weather forecasts and climatic information to producers); and

(C) develop programs to educate agricultural producers on how to best use weather and climate information to improve management decisions; and

(2) such other assurances and information as the Secretary may require by rule.

(Pub. L. 101 624, title XVI, §1640, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3749.)

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 5852, 5855 of this title.