View all text of Subchapter II [§ 7621 - § 7633]
§ 7624. Biobased products
(a) “Biobased product” defined
(b) Coordination of biobased product activities
The Secretary of Agriculture shall—
(1) coordinate the research, technical expertise, economic information, and market information resources and activities of the Department to develop, commercialize, and promote the use of biobased products;
(2) solicit input from private sector persons who produce, or are interested in producing, biobased products;
(3) provide a centralized contact point for advice and technical assistance for promising and innovative biobased products; and
(4) submit an annual report to Congress describing the coordinated research, marketing, and commercialization activities of the Department relating to biobased products.
(c) Cooperative agreements for biobased products
(1) Agreements authorized
(2) Description of cooperative activities
Cooperative activities may include—
(A) research on potential environmental impacts of a biobased product;
(B) methods to reduce the cost of manufacturing a biobased product; and
(C) other appropriate research.
(3) Authority of Secretary
(d) Eligible partners
The following entities shall be eligible to enter into a cooperative agreement under subsection (c):
(1) A party that has entered into a cooperative research and development agreement with the Secretary under section 12 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710a).
(2) A recipient of funding from the Biotechnology Research and Development Corporation.
(3) A recipient of funding from the Secretary under a Small Business Innovation Research Program established under section 638 of title 15.
(e) Pilot project
The Secretary, acting through the Agricultural Research Service, may establish and carry out a pilot project under which grants are provided, on a competitive basis, to scientists of the Agricultural Research Service to—
(1) encourage innovative and collaborative science; and
(2) during each of fiscal years 1999 through 2012, develop biobased products with promising commercial potential.
(f) Source of funds
(1) In general
Except as provided in paragraph (2), to carry out this section, the Secretary may use—
(A) funds appropriated to carry out this section; and
(B) funds otherwise available for cooperative research and development agreements under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.).
(2) Exception
(g) Sale of developed products
(h) Authorization of appropriations
(Pub. L. 105–185, title IV, § 404, June 23, 1998, 112 Stat. 570; Pub. L. 107–171, title VI, § 6201(d)(4), title VII, § 7124, May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 419, 434; Pub. L. 110–234, title VII, § 7304, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1242; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VII, § 7304, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2003; Pub. L. 111–88, div. A, title IV, § 431, Oct. 30, 2009, 123 Stat. 2964.)