---
kind: "section"
citation: "6 U.S.C. § 321q"
title: "6"
title_heading: "Domestic Security"
number: "321q"
heading: "Coordination of Department of Homeland Security efforts related to food, agriculture, and veterinary defense against terrorism"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/6/321q"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — Homeland Security Organization"
  - "Subchapter V — National Emergency Management"
---

# §321q. Coordination of Department of Homeland Security efforts related to food, agriculture, and veterinary defense against terrorism

- (a) **Program required—** The [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16), acting through the Assistant [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, shall carry out a program to coordinate the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5)’s efforts related to defending the food, agriculture, and veterinary systems of the [United States](/usc/6/101.md?p=19-A) against [terrorism](/usc/6/101.md?p=18) and other high-consequence events that pose a high risk to [homeland](/usc/6/101.md?p=1) security.
- (b) **Program elements—** The coordination program required by [subsection (a)](#a) shall include, at a minimum, the following:
  - (1) Providing oversight and management of the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5)’s responsibilities pursuant to [Homeland](/usc/6/101.md?p=1) Security Presidential Directive 9–Defense of [United States](/usc/6/101.md?p=19-A) Agriculture and Food.
  - (2) Providing oversight and integration of the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5)’s activities related to veterinary public health, food defense, and agricultural security.
  - (3) Leading the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5)’s policy initiatives relating to food, animal, and agricultural [incidents](/usc/6/677a.md?p=6), and the impact of such [incidents](/usc/6/677a.md?p=6) on animal and public health.
  - (4) Leading the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5)’s policy initiatives relating to overall domestic preparedness for and collective response to agricultural [terrorism](/usc/6/101.md?p=18).
  - (5) Coordinating with other [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) components, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as appropriate, on activities related to food and agriculture security and screening procedures for domestic and imported products.
  - (6) Coordinating with appropriate Federal [departments](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) and [agencies](/usc/6/311.md?p=2).
  - (7) Other activities as determined necessary by the [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16).
- (c) **Rule of construction—** Nothing in this section may be construed as altering or superseding the authority of the [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) of Agriculture or the [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) of Health and Human Services.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 107–296, title V, § 528, as added Pub. L. 115–43, § 2(a), June 30, 2017, 131 Stat. 884; amended Pub. L. 115–387, § 2(f)(5), Dec. 21, 2018, 132 Stat. 5168.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–387 substituted “the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office,” for “Health Affairs,”.