Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Title I: Agricultural Programs

Title II: Conservation Programs

Title III: Rural Economic and Community Development Programs

Title IV: Domestic Food Programs

Title V: Foreign Assistance and Related Programs

Title VI: Related Agencies and Food and Drug Administration

Title VII: General Provisions

Title VIII: Supplemental Appropriations and Rescission for

the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 1996

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997 - Title I: Agricultural Programs - Appropriates funds for FY 1997 for the following Department of Agriculture programs and services: (1) Office of the Secretary of Agriculture; (2) executive operations (Chief Economist, National Appeals Division, Office of Budget and Program Analysis); (3) Chief Financial Officer; (4) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration; (5) Agriculture buildings and facilities and rental payments; (6) hazardous waste management; (7) departmental administration; (8) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations; (9) Office of Communications; (10) Office of the Inspector General; (11) Office of the General Counsel; (12) Office of the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics; (13) Economic Research Service; (14) National Agricultural Statistics Service; (15) Agricultural Research Service (including conveyance to Southeastern Oklahoma State University of the Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Water Quality Laboratory in Durant, Oklahoma); (16) Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; (17) Native American Institutions Endowment Fund; (18) extension activities; (19) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs; (20) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; (21) Agricultural Marketing Service; (22) Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration; (23) Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety; (24) Food Safety and Inspection Service; (25) Office of the Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services; (26) Farm Service Agency (including State mediation grants and boll weevil eradication); (27) Office of Risk Management; (28) Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Fund; and (29) Commodity Credit Corporation Fund.

Title II: Conservation Programs - Appropriates funds for the following: (1) Office of the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment; and (2) Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Title III: Rural Economic and Community Development Programs - Appropriates funds for the following: (1) Office of the Under Secretary for Rural Development; (2) Rural Housing Service; (3) Rural Business-Cooperative Service; and (4) Rural Utilities Service.

Title IV: Domestic Food Programs - Appropriates funds for the Office of the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. Requires State agencies to award Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) infant formula contracts to lowest bidders unless statewide prices for different brands do no vary by more than five percent.

Title V: Foreign Assistance and Related Programs - Appropriates funds for the Foreign Agricultural Service and General Sales Manager.

Title VI: Related Agencies and Food and Drug Administration - Appropriates funds for the following: (1) Food and Drug Administration; (2) Farm Credit System Financial Assistance Corporation; (3) Commodity Futures Trading Commission; and (4) Farm Credit Administration (limited obligations).

(Sec. 601) Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to request that relevant medical, health care, and pharmaceutical entities develop a comprehensive plan with goals consistent with a specified Federal Drug Administration (FDA) proposed rule regarding consumer prescription information.

(Sec. 602) Amends the Saccharin Study and Labeling Act to extend the saccharin ban moratorium to May 1, 2002.

(Sec. 603) Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to labeling of exported drugs and exporting of certain unapproved drugs and devices.

Title VII: General Provisions - Specifies certain uses and limits on or prohibitions against the use of funds appropriated by this Act.

(Sec. 716) Requires compliance with the Buy American Act and expresses the sense of the Congress that only American-made products and equipment should be purchased with funds appropriated under this Act.

(Sec. 721) Limits FY 1997 wetlands reserve acreage but permits additional enrollment if non-Federal acreage is used to compensate for such additional costs.

(Sec. 732) Prohibits funds made available under this Act from being used to implement a specified final rule relating to the labeling of raw poultry products. States that such rule shall not be effective during FY 1997. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to issue a revised final rule and labeling standards which shall incorporate specified temperature-related provisions.

(Sec. 733) States that any domestic fish or fish product in compliance with specified FDA regulations shall be deemed to have met Federal commodity purchase program inspection requirements.

(Sec. 734) Amends the Housing Act of 1949 with respect to rural housing to extend through FY 1997: (1) the multifamily rural housing loan program; (2) nonprofit set-asides; and (3) the underserved area housing program. Revises provisions regarding: (1) project transfer; (2) equity contributions and loans; and (3) assistance approval.

Establishes equity skimming penalties with respect to the farm labor housing and rural housing for the elderly programs.

(Sec. 735) Authorizes the Department of Agriculture to make voluntary separation incentive payments for FY 1997 through 2000. Requires the prior submission of a separation plan to the appropriate congressional committees. Sets forth plan provisions.

(Sec. 736) Amends Federal law to extend a specified moratorium on bypass flows.

Title VIII: Supplemental Appropriations and Rescission for the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 1996 - Appropriates additional funds for: (1) the Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund Program Account for natural disaster relief; and (2) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms for salaries and expenses.

Rescinds specified funds for the Internal Revenue Service.