,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dhih  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,august #e1 #bjbe,mr4
 ,pallone 7for himself and ,mrs4        
,cammack7 introduced the following bill2
 which was referred to the ,committee on
 ,agriculture  ,a ,,bill  ,to support   
equity for aquaculture and seafood at   
the ,department of ,agriculture1 and for
 other purposes4  #a4 ,short title2     
table of contents  7a7 ,short title     
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,supporting ,equity for ,aquaculture and
 ,seafood ,act or the ,,seas ,act4  7b7 
,table of contents ,the table of        
contents for this ,act is as follows3   
,sec4 #a4 ,short title2 table of        
contents4,sec4 #b4 ,aquaculture         
defined4,title ,i--,reports on          
aquaculture,sec4 #aja4 ,report on       
,department of ,agriculture seafood     
purchases and grants4,sec4 #ajb4 ,report
 on ,department of ,agriculture support 
for aquaculture and the seafood         
industry4,sec4 #ajc4 ,seafood industry  

defined4,title ,,ii--,promoting equity  
for aquaculture at ,department of       
,agriculture,sec4 #bja4 ,promoting      
equity for aquaculture producers in     
administration of ,department of        
,agriculture grant programs4,sec4 #bjb4 
,department of ,agriculture internal    
education requirement4,title            
,,iii--,support for aquaculture         
producers,sec4 #cja4 ,regional          
aquaculture centers4,sec4 #cjb4         
,shellfish research under ,agriculture  
and ,food ,research ,initiative4,sec4   
#cjc4 ,crop insurance policy for        
aquaculture products4  #b4 ,aquaculture 
defined ,in this ,act1 the term         
aquaculture means the controlled        
breeding1 rearing1 and harvesting of    
fish1 shellfish1 sea vegetables1 and    
other organisms in freshwater1          
saltwater1 and any other controlled     
water environments4  ,i ,reports on     
aquaculture  #aja4 ,report on           
,department of ,agriculture seafood     
purchases and grants ,not later than #a 

year after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 and annually thereafter      
through fiscal year #bjbh1 the          
,secretary of ,agriculture shall submit 
to ,congress a report that includes1    
with respect to the previous fiscal     
year-- 7#a7 the total amount of         
expenditures of the ,department of      
,agriculture on seafood purchases and   
aquaculture purchases and the value of  
such expenditures2  7#b7 the total      
amount of expenditures of the           
,department on seafood and aquaculture  
promotion and outreach supporting the   
seafood and aquaculture industries and  
the value of such expenditures2  7#c7   
the number of grants made by the        
,secretary of ,agriculture to the       
seafood industry and aquaculture        
industry1 and the amount of such grants2
 and  7#d7 the number of grants made by 
the ,secretary of ,agriculture to       
facilitate seafood and aquaculture      
research1 the amount of such grants1 and
 the subject matter of such research4   

#ajb4 ,report on ,department of         
,agriculture support for aquaculture and
 the seafood industry ,not later than #b
 years after the date of the enactment  
of this ,act1 the ,secretary of         
,agriculture shall submit to ,congress a
 report-- 7#a7 evaluating the           
,department of ,agriculture's role in   
supporting aquaculture and the seafood  
industry2  7#b7 evaluating the domestic 
seafood processing capacity of the      
,united ,states and the impact of       
overseas processing on domestic supply  
chains1 aquaculture1 and the seafood    
industry2  7#c7 examining the access to 
the ,department of ,agriculture's grants
 and resources aquaculture and seafood  
producers have1 as compared to          
traditional land-based farmers2  7#d7   
evaluating the potential environmental  
benefits of aquaculture1 with respect to
 climate1 conservation1 and pollution2  
7#e7 evaluating the potential negative  
impacts of aquaculture1 with respect to 
pollution1 waste1 disease1 and other    

repercussions2 and  7#f7 providing      
recommendations to support and advance  
best practices for aquaculture in the   
,united ,states4  #ajc4 ,seafood        
industry defined ,in this title1 the    
term seafood industry means shellfish   
growers1 shellfish harvesters1 sea      
vegetable growers1 fish farmers1        
commercial fishermen that harvest       
shellfish or finfish1 and other         
aquaculture producers4  ,,ii ,promoting 
equity for aquaculture at ,department of
 ,agriculture  #bja4 ,promoting equity  
for aquaculture producers in            
administration of ,department of        
,agriculture grant programs  7a7 ,in    
general ,in awarding grants 7or other   
assistance7 under programs administered 
by the ,secretary1 the ,secretary shall 
give the same consideration to          
aquaculture producers as animal         
agriculture producers4  7b7 ,aquaculture
 funding ,the ,secretary shall ensure   
adequate and fair funding levels are    
made available to aquaculture producers 

through grants 7or other assistance7    
under ,department of ,agriculture       
programs4  7c7 ,animal agriculture      
defined ,in this section1 the term      
animal agriculture means the raising1   
breeding1 harvesting1 and slaughtering  
of beef1 lamb1 goat1 pork1 duck1        
poultry1 and other land-based organisms 
for consumption and the production of   
animal products1 including milk1 eggs1  
meat1 skins1 fibers1 bones1 feathers1   
and other byproducts4  #bjb4 ,department
 of ,agriculture internal education     
requirement  7a7 ,in general ,subtitle  
,b of the ,department of ,agriculture   
,reorganization ,act of #aiid 7#g       
,u4,s4,c4 #fica et seq47 is amended by  
inserting after section #bbf;,b 7#g     
,u4,s4,c4 #ficd7 the following3         
#bbf;,c4 ,aquaculture education  7a7    
,,fsa offices ,the ,secretary shall     
develop and implement a requirement for 
employees of each regional office of the
 ,farm ,service ,agency with respect to 
education on aquaculture4 ,such         

requirement shall include training for  
all existing and new employees on-- 7#a7
 eligibility for aquaculture-related    
,federal grants and programs2  7#b7 the 
role of aquaculture in ,united ,states  
agriculture2 and  7#c7 the support the  
,department of ,agriculture provides to 
seafood producers and aquaculture4  7b7 
,memorandum ,not later than #b years    
after the date of the enactment of this 
section1 the ,secretary shall issue a   
department-wide memorandum that-- 7#a7  
affirms the ,department of              
,agriculture's current position that    
aquaculture plays a vital role in the   
,united ,states agriculture system2 and 
7#b7 reiterates the eligibility of      
aquaculture and seafood products and    
producers for programs administered by  
the ,secretary4  7c7 ,webinars ,the     
,secretary shall1 beginning not later   
than #b years after the date of the     
enactment of this section and every #b  
years thereafter1 convene a conference  
7including a conference held on a       

virtual platform or through webinars7   
providing for education of officers and 
employees of the ,department of         
,agriculture and relevant stakeholders  
on the state of aquaculture in the      
,united ,states4  4  7b7 ,technical     
correction ,effective as if included in 
the enactment of the ,agricultural ,act 
of #bjah1 subtitle ,a of the ,department
 of ,agriculture ,reorganization ,act of
 #aiid 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #fiab et seq47 is  
amended by redesignating the first      
section #bbe 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #fibe7       
7relating to the ,food ,access ,liaison7
 as section #bbd;,a4  7c7 ,conforming   
amendment ,section #bif7;b77#g7 of the  
,department of ,agriculture             
,reorganization ,act of #aiid 7#g       
,u4,s4,c4 #gjad7;b77#g77 is amended by  
inserting before the period at the end  
the following3 or to develop and        
implement the requirement relating to   
aquaculture education under section     
#bbf;,c4  ,,iii ,support for aquaculture
 producers  #cja4 ,regional aquaculture 

centers  7a7 ,extension ,section        
#adgg7;a7 of the ,national ,agricultural
 ,research1 ,extension1 and ,teaching   
,policy ,act of #aigg 7#g ,u4,s4,c4     
#ccbd7;a77 is amended-- 7#a7 in         
paragraph 7#a71 by striking and at the  
end2  7#b7 in paragraph 7#b71 by        
striking the period at the end and      
inserting 2 and2 and  7#c7 by adding at 
the end the following3  7#c7 to carry   
out section #adge7;b71 #cj1jjj1jjj for  
each of fiscal years #bjbf through      
#bjcj4  4  7b7 ,indirect costs ,section 
#adgg of the ,national ,agricultural    
,research1 ,extension1 and ,teaching    
,policy ,act of #aigg 7#g ,u4,s4,c4     
#ccbd7 is amended by adding at the end  
the following3  7c7 ,indirect costs ,of 
the funds made available under          
subsection 7a7 to carry out this section
 for a fiscal year1 not more than #ae   
percent may be used for expenses related
 to administering the program under this
 section4  4  #cjb4 ,shellfish research 
under ,agriculture and ,food ,research  

,initiative  7a7 ,in general ,subsection
 7b77#b77;,b77i7 of the ,competitive1   
,special1 and ,facilities ,research     
,grant ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4               
#caeg7;b77#b77;,b77i77 is amended to    
read as follows3  7i7 7,i7 aquaculture2 
and  7,,ii7 methods of increasing       
survival rate and adaptability of       
shellfish1 including resistance to heat1
 disease1 salinity1 and acidification2  
4  7b7 ,developing next generation      
technology for the seafood and          
aquaculture industries ,title ,,ix of   
the ,farm ,security and ,rural          
,investment ,act of #bjjb 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 
#haja et seq47 is amended by adding at  
the end the following3  #ijae4          
,developing next generation technology  
for the seafood and aquaculture         
industries  7a7 ,in general ,the        
,secretary1 in consultation with the    
heads of other relevant ,federal        
agencies1 shall make competitive grants 
to eligible entities to develop next    
generation technology1 which may include

 more efficient gear and equipment1 to  
reduce pollution and fuel usage in the  
seafood and aquaculture industries4  7b7
 ,eligible entity defined ,in this      
section1 the term eligible entity       
includes a regional aquaculture center  
established under section #adge of the  
,national ,agricultural ,research1      
,extension1 and ,teaching ,policy ,act  
of #aigg 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #ccbb71          
institution of higher education1        
federally-funded research and           
development center1 and an organization 
organization described in section       
#eja7;c77#e7 of the ,internal ,revenue  
,code of #aihf and exempt from taxation 
under section #eja7;a7 of such ,code4   
7c7 ,authorization of appropriations    
,there are authorized to be appropriated
 to carry out this section #aj1jjj1jjj  
for each of fiscal years #bjbf through  
#bjcj4  4  #cjc4 ,crop insurance policy 
for aquaculture products ,section       
#ebb7;c7 of the ,agricultural           
,adjustment ,act of #aich 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 

#aebb7;c77 is amended by adding at the  
end the following3  7#bj7 ,aquaculture  
products  7,a7 ,in general ,the         
,corporation shall carry out research   
and development1 or offer to enter into 
#a or more contracts with #a or more    
qualified persons to carry out research 
and development1 regarding a policy to  
insure aquaculture products4  7,b7      
,availability ,the ,corporation shall   
establish a policy to insure aquaculture
 products for the first reinsurance year
 that begins after the date of the      
enactment of this paragraph4  4