,,ii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #dfeb ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #b1 #bjbf,mr4 ,schiff introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,agricultural ,research1 ,extension1 and ,education ,reform ,act of #aiih to reauthorize the specialty crop research initiative and establish a specialty crop mechanization and automation research and development program1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,advancing ,automation ,research and ,development in ,agriculture ,act4 #b4 ,specialty crop research initiative 7a7 ,in general ,section #dab of the ,agricultural ,research1 ,extension1 and ,education ,reform ,act of #aiih 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #gfcb7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7f77#c71 by striking subsection 7d7 and 7j71 and inserting subsections 7d71 7j71 and 7k712 7#b7 in subsection 7g7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#c71 by adding at the end the following3 7,c7 ,waiver ,the ,secretary may waive the matching funds requirement under subparagraph 7,a74 2 and 7,b7 in paragraph 7#d71 by striking the ,initiative and inserting this section2 7#c7 by redesignating subsections 7j7 and 7k7 as subsections 7k7 and 7l71 respectively2 7#d7 by inserting after subsection 7i7 the following3 7j7 ,specialty crop mechanization and automation research and development program 7#a7 ,establishment and purpose ,the ,secretary shall establish a competitive research and extension grant program to increase the competitiveness of specialty crops in the ,united ,states through the advancement and acceleration of mechanization and automation1 under which the ,secretary awards competitive grants to eligible entities-- 7,a7 to create or improve cost-effective mechanization1 automation1 and other innovations and technologies-- 7i7 to reduce the manual labor requirements of a specialty crop grower2 7ii7 to improve specialty crop farmworker safety and health or working conditions2 and 7iii7 to increase the efficiency of specialty crop-- 7,i7 production2 7,,ii7 resource management2 7,,iii7 harvesting2 7,,iv7 processing2 7,v7 postharvest technologies2 or 7,,vi7 packaging2 7,b7 to increase the adoption of specialty crop mechanization1 automation1 and other innovations and technologies by-- 7i7 emphasizing adoption drivers1 which may include connectivity1 autonomy1 reliability1 durability1 in-field validation1 and cost-effectiveness2 or 7ii7 investing in and developing human capital to increase the capacity of the specialty crop sector to work with new technologies2 or 7,c7 to accelerate specialty crop mechanization and automation through-- 7i7 prototype development2 7ii7 in-field trial testing2 7iii7 ongoing industry engagement2 or 7iv7 rapid commercialization4 7#b7 ,priority ,in awarding grants under this subsection1 the ,secretary shall give priority to proposals for projects that-- 7,a7 address the training or retraining of farmworkers 7including to maintain adequate worker safety7 to operate1 repair1 program1 or otherwise maintain mechanization and automation solutions involved in the project2 and 7,b7 include explicit mechanisms to communicate the results of the project to producers and the public4 7#c7 ,applicability ,subsections 7a71 7c7 through 7g71 7i71 and 7l7 shall apply to the program established under this subsection4 2 7#e7 in subsection 7k7 7as so redesignated71 in paragraph 7#e71 by striking ,in addition to the amounts reserved under subsection 7k77#a77;,c71 there and inserting ,there2 and 7#f7 in subsection 7l7 7as so redesignated7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by striking subparagraphs 7,c7 and 7,d7 and inserting the following3 7,c7 ,reservation ,for each of fiscal years #bjbf through #bjca1 the ,secretary shall reserve not less than #cj1jjj1jjj of the funds made available under subparagraph 7,b7 to carry out the program established under subsection 7j74 7,d7 ,reallocation ,notwithstanding paragraph 7#d71 any funds reserved under subparagraph 7,c7 that remain unobligated at the end of the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which such funds are first made available shall be reallocated to carry out the ,initiative4 2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#b7-- 7i7 in the paragraph heading1 by striking for fiscal years #bjad through #bjbc2 7ii7 by striking ,in addition and inserting the following3 7,a7 ,in general ,in addition 2 and 7iii7 in subparagraph 7,a7 7as so designated71 by striking #bjbc and inserting #bjca2 7,c7 by redesignating paragraph 7#c7 as subparagraph 7,b7 of paragraph 7#b7 and indenting appropriately2 and 7,d7 by redesignating paragraphs 7#d7 and 7#e7 as paragraphs 7#c7 and 7#d71 respectively4 7b7 ,technical and conforming amendments 7#a7 ,section #adjh;,a of the ,national ,agricultural ,research1 ,extension1 and ,teaching ,policy ,act of #aigg 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #cabc;a7 is amended-- 7,a7 in subsection 7a77#b77;,a71 by striking 7j77#c7 and inserting 7k77#c72 7,b7 in subsection 7c77#e71 by striking specialty crop research initiative and inserting programs2 and 7,c7 in subsection 7g71 in the matter preceding paragraph 7#a71 by striking 7j7 and inserting 7k74 7#b7 ,section #bea7;f77#a77;,d77x7 of the ,department of ,agriculture ,reorganization ,act of #aiid 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #figa7;f77#a77;,d77x77 is amended by striking specialty crop research initiative under section #dab of the ,agricultural ,research1 ,extension1 and ,education ,reform ,act of #aiih and inserting programs under section #dab of the ,agricultural ,research1 ,extension1 and ,education ,reform ,act of #aiih 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #gfcb74 7#c7 ,section #abfje7;c7 of the ,agriculture ,improvement ,act of #bjah 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #gfcb note2 ,public ,law #aae-ccd7 is amended-- 7,a7 by striking #dab7;j7 and inserting #dab7k72 and 7,b7 by striking #gfcb7;j77 and inserting #gfcb7k774