7 U.S.C. § 3221

(a) Authorization of appropriations (1) In general There are hereby authorized to be appropriated annually such sums as Congress may determine necessary to support continuing agricultural and forestry extension at colleges eligible to receive funds under the Act of August 30, 1890 ( 26 Stat. 417–419 , as amended; 7 U.S.C. 321–326 and 328), including Tuskegee University (hereinafter in this section referred to as “eligible institutions”). (2) Minimum amount Beginning with fiscal year 2003, there shall be appropriated under this section for each fiscal year an amount that is not less than 20 percent of the total appropriations for such year under the Act of May 8, 1914 ( 7 U.S.C. 341 et seq.), and related acts pertaining to cooperative extension work at the land-grant institutions identified in the Act of May 8, 1914 ( 38 Stat. 372 , chapter 79; 7 U.S.C. 341 et seq.), except that for the purpose of this calculation, the total appropriations shall not include amounts made available under section 3(d) of that Act ( 7 U.S.C. 343(d) ). (3) Uses Funds appropriated under this section shall be used for expenses of conducting extension programs and activities, and for contributing to the retirement of employees subject to the provisions of section 331 of this title . (b) Distribution of funds (1) In general Funds made available under this section shall be distributed among eligible institutions in accordance with this subsection. (2) Base amount Any funds annually appropriated under this section up to the amount appropriated for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1978 , pursuant to section 343(d) of this title , for eligible institutions, shall be allocated among the eligible institutions in the same proportion as funds appropriated under section 343(d) of this title for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1978 , were allocated among the eligible institutions, as so designated as of that date. (3) Additional amount Any funds appropriated annually under this section in excess of an amount equal to the amount appropriated under section 343(d) of this title , for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1978 , for eligible institutions, shall be distributed as follows: (A) A sum equal to 4 per centum of the total amount appropriated each fiscal year under this section shall be allotted to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the Department of Agriculture for administrative, technical, and other services, and for coordinating the extension work of the Department of Agriculture and the several States. (B) Except as provided in paragraph (4), of the remainder, 20 per centum shall be allotted among the eligible institutions in equal proportions; 40 per centum shall be allotted among the eligible institutions in the proportion that the rural population of the State in which each eligible institution is located bears to the total rural population of all the States in which eligible institutions are located, as determined by the last preceding decennial census current at the time each such additional sum is first appropriated; and the balance shall be allotted among the eligible institutions in the proportion that the farm population of the State in which each eligible institution is located bears to the total farm population of all the States in which the eligible institutions are located, as determined by the last preceding decennial census current at the time each such additional sum is first appropriated. (C) In computing the distribution of funds allocated under this paragraph, the allotments to Tuskegee University and Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University shall be determined as if each institution were in a separate State. (4) Special amounts (A) Definitions In this paragraph: (i) Covered fiscal year The term “covered fiscal year” means the fiscal year for which the qualified eligible institution first received an allocation of $3,000,000 under subparagraph (B)(i). (ii) Other eligible institution The term “other eligible institution” means an eligible institution, other than the qualified eligible institution, receiving an allocation of funds under this section. (iii) Qualified eligible institution The term “qualified eligible institution” means the eligible institution described in subparagraph (B)(i). (B) Fiscal year 2019, 2020, 2021, or 2022 (i) In general Subject to clause (ii), for 1 of fiscal year 2019, 2020, 2021, or 2022, if the calculation under paragraph (3)(B) would result in a distribution for a fiscal year of less than $3,000,000 to an eligible institution that first received funds under this section on a date occurring after February 7, 2014 , and before September 30, 2018 , that institution shall receive an allocation of $3,000,000 for that fiscal year. (ii) Limitation Clause (i) shall apply only if amounts are appropriated under this section in an amount sufficient to provide that each other eligible institution receiving an allocation of funds under this section for fiscal year 2019, 2020, 2021, or 2022, as applicable, receives not less than the amount of funds received by that other eligible institution under this section for the preceding fiscal year. (C) Subsequent fiscal years (i) Minimum additional funding amounts Subject to clauses (ii) and (iii), for each fiscal year following the covered fiscal year— (I) the qualified eligible institution shall receive an allocation under this subsection of at least $3,000,000; and (II) each other eligible institution shall receive an allocation under this subsection of at least the amount received by such other eligible institution under this subsection for the covered fiscal year. (ii) Shortfall of special amounts (I) Applicability This clause shall apply to any fiscal year following the covered fiscal year and for which the total amount appropriated under this section is insufficient to provide for the minimum additional funding amounts described in clause (i). (II) Reductions in allocations In the case of a fiscal year to which this clause applies, reductions in allocations shall be made proportionally from the qualified eligible institution and from each other eligible institution based on the increased amounts (if any) that the qualified eligible institution and each other eligible institution were allocated for the covered fiscal year as compared to the fiscal year immediately preceding the covered fiscal year. (iii) Effect of census Clauses (i) and (ii) shall not apply in any fiscal year for which a shortfall in the minimum additional funding amounts described in clause (i) is attributable to the incorporation of new census data into the calculation under paragraph (3), as determined by the Secretary. (c) Comprehensive program of extension for each State The State director of the cooperative extension service and the extension administrator at the eligible institution in each State where an eligible institution is located shall jointly develop, by mutual agreement, a comprehensive program of extension for such State to be submitted for approval by the Secretary within one year after September 29, 1977 and each five years thereafter. (d) Ascertainment of entitlement to funds; time and manner of payment; State reporting requirements; plans of work (1) Ascertainment of entitlement On or about the first day of October in each year after September 29, 1977 , the Secretary shall ascertain whether each eligible institution is entitled to receive its share of the annual appropriation for extension work under this section and the amount which it is entitled to receive. Before the funds herein provided shall become available to any eligible institution for any fiscal year, plans for the work to be carried out under this section shall be submitted, as part of the State plan of work, and approved by the Secretary. (2) Time and manner of payment; related reports The amount to which an eligible institution is entitled shall be paid in equal quarterly payments on or about October 1, January 1, April 1, and July 1 of each year to the treasurer or other officer of the eligible institution duly authorized to receive such payments and such officer shall be required to report to the Secretary on or about the first day of December of each year a detailed statement of the amount so received during the previous fiscal year and its disbursement, on forms prescribed by the Secretary. (3) Requirements related to plan of work Each plan of work for an eligible institution required under this section shall contain descriptions of the following: (A) A summary of planned projects or programs in the State using formula funds. (B) A description of matching funds provided by the State with respect to the previous fiscal year. (4) Extension protocols (A) In general The Secretary shall develop protocols to be used to evaluate the success of multistate, multi-institutional, and multidisciplinary extension activities and joint research and extension activities in addressing critical agricultural issues identified in the plans of work submitted under this section. (B) Consultation The Secretary shall develop the protocols in consultation with the Advisory Board and land-grant colleges and universities. (5) Treatment of plans of work for other purposes To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall consider a plan of work submitted under this section to satisfy other appropriate Federal reporting requirements. (e) Diminution, loss, or misapplication of funds If any portion of the moneys received by any eligible institution for the support and maintenance of extension work as provided in this section shall by any action or contingency be diminished or lost or be misapplied, it shall be replaced by such institution and until so replaced no subsequent appropriation shall be apportioned or paid to such institution. No portion of such moneys shall be applied, directly or indirectly, to the purchase, erection, preservation, or repair of any building or buildings, or the purchase or rental of land, or in college course teaching, lectures in college, or any other purpose not specified in this section. It shall be the duty of such institution, annually, on or about the first day of January, to make to the Governor of the State in which it is located a full and detailed report of its operations in extension work, including a detailed statement of receipts and expenditures from all sources for this purpose, a copy of which report shall be sent to the Secretary. (f) Mailing of correspondence, bulletins, and reports To the extent that the official mail consists of correspondence, bulletins, and reports for furtherance of the purposes of this section, it shall be transmitted in the mails of the United States. Such items may be mailed from a principal place of business of each eligible institution or from an established subunit of such institution.