---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 8912"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "8912"
heading: "Agricultural biosecurity communication center"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/8912"
units:
  - "Chapter 114 — Agricultural Security"
  - "Subchapter I — Agricultural Security"
---

# §8912. Agricultural biosecurity communication center

- (a) **Establishment—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) shall establish a communication center within the [Department](/usc/7/8901.md?p=8) to—
  - (1) collect and disseminate information and prepare for an [agricultural disease emergency](/usc/7/8901.md?p=5), [agroterrorist act](/usc/7/8901.md?p=6), or other threat to [agricultural biosecurity](/usc/7/8901.md?p=2); and
  - (2) coordinate activities described in [paragraph (1)](#a-1) among agencies and offices within the [Department](/usc/7/8901.md?p=8).
- (b) **Relation to existing DHS communication systems—**
  - (1) **Consistency and coordination—** The communication center established under [subsection (a)](#a) shall, to the maximum extent practicable, share and coordinate the dissemination of timely information with the [Department](/usc/7/8901.md?p=8) of Homeland [Security](/usc/7/24.md?p=b) and other communication systems of appropriate Federal [departments](/usc/7/8901.md?p=8) and agencies.
  - (2) **Avoiding redundancies—** [Paragraph (1)](#b-1) shall not be construed to impede, conflict with, or duplicate the communications activities performed by the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) of Homeland [Security](/usc/7/24.md?p=b) under any provision of law.
- (c) **Authorization of appropriations—** There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section—
  - (1) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2013; and
  - (2) $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2023.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 110–234, title XIV, § 14112, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1455; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title XIV, § 14112, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2217; Pub. L. 113–79, title VII, § 7501, Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 900; Pub. L. 115–334, title VII, § 7401, Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4817.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 enacted identical sections. Pub. L. 110–234 was repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 115–334 substituted “2023” for “2018”.

2014—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 113–79 amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.”

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Enactment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as a note under section 8701 of this title.

### Definition of “Secretary”

“Secretary” as meaning the Secretary of Agriculture, see section 8701 of this title.