(a) In general

The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish a national organic certification cost-share program to assist producers and handlers of agricultural products in obtaining certification under the national organic production program established under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.).

(b) Federal share

(1) In general

Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary shall pay under this section not more than 75 percent of the costs incurred by a producer or handler in obtaining certification under the national organic production program, as certified to and approved by the Secretary.

(2) Maximum amount

The maximum amount of a payment made to a producer or handler under this section shall be $750.

(c) Reporting

Terms Used In 7 USC 6523

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • handler: means any person engaged in the business of handling agricultural products, except such term shall not include final retailers of agricultural products that do not process agricultural products. See 7 USC 6502
  • producer: means a person who engages in the business of growing or producing food or feed. See 7 USC 6502
  • Secretary: means the Secretary of Agriculture. See 7 USC 6502
  • State: means a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any other territory or possession of the United States. See 1 USC 7

Not later than March 1 of each year, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that describes the requests by, disbursements to, and expenditures for each State under the program during the current and previous fiscal year, including the number of producers and handlers served by the program in the previous fiscal year.

(d) Mandatory funding

(1) In general

Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall make available to carry out this section—

(A) $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 and 2020;

(B) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2021; and

(C) $8,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2024.

(2) Availability

Amounts made available under paragraph (1) shall remain available until expended.

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