7 U.S.C. § 7612 — Priority setting process

(a) Setting priorities. Following section 3101, the Secretary must set priorities for the agricultural research, extension, and education activities the Department runs or funds.

(b) The Secretary's duty. While setting these priorities, the Secretary must ask for and consider input and recommendations from people who do or use this research, extension, or education work.

(c) University duties. Starting October 1, 1999, each 1862, 1890, and 1994 Institution and each Hispanic-serving agricultural college or university must set up and run a process for getting input from people who do or use this work, about how the formula funds get spent, in order to keep receiving those funds. The Secretary must write regulations spelling out what an institution must do to follow this rule, and what happens if it doesn't — which can include withholding the institution's funds or giving them to another institution until it complies.

(d) How the work should run. As much as possible, the Secretary must make sure Department-funded research, extension, and education work: connects research to getting new technology and information out to people; encourages regional and multi-state programs that tackle shared issues and stretch limited resources further; and reaches its goals by using approaches and facilities that combine multiple institutions and multiple functions.