---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 361g"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "361g"
heading: "Duties of Secretary; ascertainment of entitlement of State to funds; plans of work"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/361g"
units:
  - "Chapter 14 — Agricultural Experiment Stations"
  - "Subchapter I — General Provisions"
---

# §361g. Duties of Secretary; ascertainment of entitlement of State to funds; plans of work

- (a) **Duties of Secretary—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) of Agriculture is charged with the responsibility for the proper administration of sections [361a](/usc/7/361a.md) to [361i](/usc/7/361i.md) of this title, and is authorized and directed to prescribe such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out its provisions. It shall be the duty of the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) to furnish such advice and assistance as will best promote the purposes of said sections, including participation in coordination of research initiated under said sections by the [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) agricultural experiment stations, from time to time to indicate such lines of inquiry as to him seem most important, and to encourage and assist in the establishment and maintenance of cooperation by and between the several [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) agricultural experiment stations, and between the stations and the United States Department of Agriculture.
- (b) **Ascertainment of entitlement—** On or before the first day of October in each year after the passage of sections [361a](/usc/7/361a.md) to [361i](/usc/7/361i.md) of this title, the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) of Agriculture shall ascertain as to each [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) whether it is entitled to receive its share of the annual appropriations for agricultural experiment stations under said sections and the amount which thereupon each is entitled, respectively, to receive.
- (c) **Carryover—**
  - (1) **In general—** The balance of any annual funds provided under sections [361a](/usc/7/361a.md) to [361i](/usc/7/361i.md) of this title to a [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) agricultural experiment station for a fiscal year that remains unexpended at the end of the fiscal year may be carried over for use during the following fiscal year.
  - (2) **Failure to expend full allotment—**
    - (A) **In general—** If any unexpended balance carried over by a [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) is not expended by the end of the second fiscal year, an amount equal to the unexpended balance shall be deducted from the next succeeding annual allotment to the [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5).
    - (B) **Redistribution—** Federal funds that are deducted under [subparagraph (A)](#c-2-A) for a fiscal year shall be redistributed by the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) in accordance with the formula set forth in [section 361c(c) of this title](/usc/7/361c.md?p=c) to those [States](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) for which no deduction under [subparagraph (A)](#c-2-A) has been taken for that fiscal year.
- (d) **Plan of work required—** Before funds may be provided to a [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) under sections [361a](/usc/7/361a.md) to [361i](/usc/7/361i.md) of this title for any fiscal year, a plan of work to be carried out under sections [361a](/usc/7/361a.md) to [361i](/usc/7/361i.md) of this title shall be submitted by the proper officials of the [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) and shall be approved by the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) of Agriculture.
- (e) **Requirements related to plan of work—** Each plan of work for a [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) required under [subsection (d)](#d) shall contain descriptions of the following:
  - (1) A summary of planned projects or programs in the [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) using formula funds.
  - (2) A description of the manner in which the [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) will meet the requirements of subsections (c)(3) and (i)(2) of [section 361c of this title](/usc/7/361c.md).
  - (3) A description of matching funds provided by the [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) with respect to the previous fiscal year.
- (f) **Research protocols—**
  - (1) **Development—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) of Agriculture shall develop protocols to be used to evaluate the success of multistate, multi-institutional, and multidisciplinary research activities and joint research and extension activities in addressing critical agricultural issues identified in the plans of work submitted under [subsection (d)](#d).
  - (2) **Consultation—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) of Agriculture shall develop the protocols in consultation with the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board established under [section 3123 of this title](/usc/7/3123.md) and land-grant colleges and universities.
- (g) **Treatment of plans of work for other purposes—** To the maximum extent practicable, the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) shall consider a plan of work submitted under [subsection (d)](#d) to satisfy other appropriate Federal reporting requirements.

## Source credit

(Mar. 2, 1887, ch. 314, § 7, 24 Stat. 441; Aug. 11, 1955, ch. 790, § 1, 69 Stat. 673; Pub. L. 86–533, § 1(22), June 29, 1960, 74 Stat. 249; Pub. L. 94–273, § 3(2), Apr. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 376; Pub. L. 105–185, title I, § 103(f)(2), title II, § 202(b), June 23, 1998, 112 Stat. 528, 532; Pub. L. 107–171, title VII, § 7202, May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 437; Pub. L. 115–334, title VII, § 7612(b)(2), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4832.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 379 of this title. See section 361h of this title.

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 115–334 added pars. (1) to (3) and struck out former pars. (1) to (4) which read as follows:

“(1) The critical short-term, intermediate, and long-term agricultural issues in the State and the current and planned research programs and projects targeted to address the issues.

“(2) The process established to consult with users of agricultural research regarding the identification of critical agricultural issues in the State and the development of research programs and projects targeted to address the issues.

“(3) The efforts made to identify and collaborate with other colleges and universities within the State, and within other States, that have a unique capacity to address the identified agricultural issues in the State and the extent of current and emerging efforts (including regional efforts) to work with those other institutions.

“(4) The manner in which research and extension, including research and extension activities funded other than through formula funds, will cooperate to address the critical issues in the State, including the activities to be carried out separately, the activities to be carried out sequentially, and the activities to be carried out jointly.”

2002—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 107–171 added subsec. (c) and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (c). Text read as follows: “Whenever it shall appear to the Secretary of Agriculture from the annual statement of receipts and expenditures of funds by any State agricultural experiment station that any portion of the preceding annual appropriation allotted to that station under sections 361a to 361i of this title remains unexpended, such amount shall be deducted from the next succeeding annual allotment to the State concerned.”

1998—Pub. L. 105–185, § 202(b), inserted section catchline, designated existing provisions as subsecs. (a) to (c), inserted subsec. headings, and added subsecs. (d) to (g).

Pub. L. 105–185, § 103(f)(2), struck out at end “If the Secretary of Agriculture shall withhold from any State any portion of the appropriations available for allotment, the facts and reasons therefor shall be reported to the President and the amount involved shall be kept separate in the Treasury until the close of the next Congress. If the next Congress shall not direct such sum to be paid, it shall be carried to surplus.”

1976—Pub. L. 94–273 substituted “October” for “July” in second par.

1960—Pub. L. 86–533 repealed provisions which required the Secretary of Agriculture to make a report to the Congress of the receipts, expenditures and work of the agricultural experiment stations in all the States under the provisions of sections 361a to 361i of this title.

1955—Act Aug. 11, 1955, amended section generally to prescribe the powers and duties of the Secretary of Agriculture, to provide for the determination of the amount of entitlement, to authorize deduction of unexpended balances, and to require reports. For provisions which stated that the relation of the college to the State was unaffected, see section 361h of this title.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1998 Amendment

Amendment by section 202(b) of Pub. L. 105–185 effective Oct. 1, 1999, see section 202(c) of Pub. L. 105–185, set out as a note under section 344 of this title.

### Executive Documents

### Transfer of Functions

Functions of all officers, agencies, and employees of Department of Agriculture transferred, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of Agriculture by 1953 Reorg. Plan No. 2, § 1, eff. June 4, 1953, 18 F.R. 3219, 67 Stat. 633, set out as a note under section 2201 of this title.