---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 2327"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "2327"
heading: "Plant Variety Protection Board"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/2327"
units:
  - "Chapter 57 — Plant Variety Protection"
  - "Subchapter I — Plant Variety Protection Office"
  - "Part A — Organization and Publications"
---

# §2327. Plant Variety Protection Board

- (a) **Appointment—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) shall appoint a Plant [Variety](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-10) Protection Board. The Board shall consist of individuals who are experts in various areas of varietal development covered by this chapter. Membership of the Board shall include farmer representation and shall be drawn approximately equally from the private or [seed](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-6) industry sector and from the sector of government or the public. The [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) or the designee of the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) shall act as chairperson of the Board without voting rights except in the case of ties.
- (b) **Functions of Board—** The functions of the Plant [Variety](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-10) Protection Board shall include:
  - (1) Advising the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) concerning the adoption of Rules and Regulations to facilitate the proper administration of this chapter;
  - (2) Making advisory decisions on all appeals from the examiner. The Board shall determine whether to act as a full Board or by panels it selects; and whether to review advisory decisions made by a panel. For service on such appeals, the Board may select, as temporary members, experts in the area to which the particular appeal relates; and
  - (3) Advising the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) on all questions under [section 2404 of this title](/usc/7/2404.md).
- (c) **Compensation of Board—** The members of the Plant [Variety](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-10) Protection Board shall serve without compensation except for standard government reimbursable expenses.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 91–577, title I, § 7, Dec. 24, 1970, 84 Stat. 1543; Pub. L. 103–349, § 13(a), Oct. 6, 1994, 108 Stat. 3142.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–349 substituted “the designee of the Secretary shall act as chairperson” for “his designee shall act as chairman” in last sentence.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1994 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 103–349 effective 180 days after Oct. 6, 1994, see section 15 of Pub. L. 103–349, set out as a note under section 2401 of this title.