---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 3317"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "3317"
heading: "Program evaluation studies"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/3317"
units:
  - "Chapter 64 — Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching"
  - "Subchapter X — Funding and Miscellaneous Provisions"
---

# §3317. Program evaluation studies

- (a) The [Secretary](/usc/7/3103.md?p=15) shall regularly conduct program evaluations to meet the purposes of this chapter and the responsibilities assigned to the [Secretary](/usc/7/3103.md?p=15) and the [Department of Agriculture](/usc/7/3103.md?p=7) in this chapter. Such evaluations shall be designed to provide information that may be used to improve the administration and effectiveness of [agricultural research](/usc/7/3103.md?p=2), [extension](/usc/7/3103.md?p=8), and [teaching](/usc/7/3103.md?p=20) programs in achieving their stated objectives.
- (b) The [Secretary](/usc/7/3103.md?p=15) is authorized to encourage and foster the regular evaluation of [agricultural research](/usc/7/3103.md?p=2), [extension](/usc/7/3103.md?p=8), and [teaching](/usc/7/3103.md?p=20) programs within the [State agricultural experiment stations](/usc/7/3103.md?p=17), [cooperative extension services](/usc/7/3103.md?p=6), and [colleges](/usc/7/3103.md?p=4-A) and [universities](/usc/7/3103.md?p=4-A), through the development and support of cooperative evaluation programs and program evaluation centers and institutes.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 95–113, title XIV, § 1471, as added Pub. L. 97–98, title XIV, § 1439(a), Dec. 22, 1981, 95 Stat. 1314.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

For definition of “this chapter”, referred to in subsec. (a), see note set out under section 3102 of this title.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Dec. 22, 1981, see section 1801 of Pub. L. 97–98, set out as a note under section 4301 of this title.