,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #egfd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #aj1 #bjah,mr4  
,ben ,ray ,lujn of ,new ,mexico 7for    
himself1 ,mr4 ,fortenberry1 ,ms4        
,michelle ,lujan ,grisham of ,new       
,mexico1 ,mr4 ,sean ,patrick ,maloney of
 ,new ,york1 and ,ms4 ,pingree7         
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,agriculture  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the  
,agricultural ,risk ,protection ,act of 
#bjjj to require peer review for        
value-added agricultural product market 
development grants1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,growing            
,value-,added ,economies ,act4  #b4     
,value-added agricultural product market
 development grants ,section #bca7;b7 of
 the 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #afcb;a7b77 is       
amended--  7#a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by   
striking paragraph 7#g7 and inserting   
paragraph 7#aj72  7#b7 by striking      
paragraph 7#g72 and  7#c7 by inserting  

after paragraph 7#f7 the following new  
paragraphs3  7#g7 ,peer review  7,a7 ,in
 general ,the ,secretary shall establish
 independent external review panels     
comprised of members with relevant      
expertise who are not employees of the  
,department to review and evaluate each 
eligible application based on merit and 
relevance4  7,b7 ,members of review     
panel ,members assigned to a panel      
established under subparagraph 7,a7 may 
include-- 7i7 producers2 and  7ii7      
experts from colleges and universities1 
,state and local agencies1 private      
nonprofit organizations1 industry1 and  
related institutions4  7,c7             
,confidentiality ,the ,secretary shall  
ensure that the identity of a member of 
a panel established under subparagraph  
7,a7 is1 to the maximum extent          
practicable1 confidential4  7,d7        
,conflicts of interest ,the ,secretary  
shall ensure that no person with a      
conflict of interest may be assigned to 
be a member of a panel established under

 subparagraph 7,a74  7#h7 ,outreach and 
technical assistance ,the ,secretary    
shall develop and implement an outreach 
and technical assistance strategy1      
including entering into cooperative     
agreements with private nonprofit       
entities1 cooperative extension1 ,state 
and local units of government1 to--     
7,a7 further the purposes of the program
 established under this section2 and    
7,b7 ensure that underserved ,states and
 communities are served by the program4 
7#i7 ,program evaluation  7,a7 ,in      
general ,the ,secretary shall provide   
for the periodic evaluation of the      
program that measures the impact of the 
program and the impact of projects in   
achieving the purposes of the program4  
7,b7 ,cooperative agreements ,the       
,secretary may enter into cooperative   
agreements with private nonprofit       
entities1 cooperative extension1 ,state 
and local units of government for the   
purpose of the program evaluation       
required under subparagraph 7,a74  7#aj7

 ,funding  7,a7 ,in general ,of the     
funds of the ,commodity ,credit         
,corporation1 the ,secretary shall make 
available to carry out this subsection  
#bj1jjj1jjj1 to remain available until  
expended1 for each of fiscal years #bjai
 through #bjbc4  7,b7 ,discretionary    
funding ,there is authorized to be      
appropriated to carry out this          
subsection #dj1jjj1jjj for each of      
fiscal years #bjjh through #bjbc4  7,c7 
,reservation of funds for projects to   
benefit beginning farmers or ranchers1  
socially disadvantaged farmers or       
ranchers1 and mid-tier value chains  7i7
 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall      
reserve #aj percent of the amounts made 
available for each fiscal year under    
this paragraph to fund projects that    
benefit producers described in clauses  
7ii71 7iii71 and 7iv7 of paragraph      
7#f77;,a7 or that best contribute to    
creating or increasing marketing        
opportunities for such producers4  7ii7 
,mid-tier value chains ,the ,secretary  

shall reserve #aj percent of the amounts
 made available for each fiscal year    
under this paragraph to fund            
applications of eligible entities       
described in paragraph 7#a7 that propose
 to develop mid-tier value chains4      
7iii7 ,unobligated amounts ,any amounts 
in the reserves for a fiscal year       
established under clauses 7i7 and 7ii7  
that are not obligated after the        
completion of the peer review process   
for such fiscal year shall be available 
to the ,secretary to make grants under  
this subsection to eligible entities in 
any ,state1 as determined by the        
,secretary4  7,d7 ,administrative       
expenses and program evaluation ,not    
more than #e percent of the total amount
 made available to carry out this       
subsection for a fiscal year may be used
 for administrative expenses1 program   
evaluation1 outreach1 and technical     
assistance4  4