Daryl Chase, Utah State Agricultural College Clifford M. Hardin, University of Nebraska R. F. Poole, Clemson Agricultural College (South Carolina) 'Walter S. Newman, Virginia Polytechnic Institute J. Wayne Reitz, University of Florida "Arthur A. Hauck, University of Maine I do not have in my file, neither have I heard, one statement in opposition to the bill. H. R. 5562 is a bill to consolidate the Hatch Act of 1887 and other supplementary laws providing for grants to the States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico for the support to agricultural experiment stations. Such consolidation would (1) simplify budgeting and accounting requirements for the Department of Agriculture and for the States, Territories, and Puerto Rico, since separate budgets and accounts are now required under each of the acts providing for grants. This bill would also (2) prevent any part of the State allotments from shifting with shifts in relative rural and farm populations; (3) repeal the requirements that 20 percent of the funds appropriated pursuant to section 9 of the Bankhead-Jones Act be devoted to marketing research; and (4) omit a provision which in providing for payment to the Georgia Experiment Station of funds which had been withheld by the Secretary in 1918, permanently exempted that station from the Secretary's authority to withhold funds from stations not complying with the act. Consolidation as outlined in this bill has been recommended by the Appropriations Committees of the House and Senate. The bill has been approved unanimously by a committee representing the Association of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities. It has received a favorable report from the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of the Budget. It has been endorsed by 30 different college presidents from all over the United States in letters to me. This bill, which takes the form of an amendment to the Hatch Act, consolidates 12 acts or sections thereof. The first of these acts was passed in 1887, the Hatch Act, which provided for the establishment of an agricultural experiment station at each land-grant college and the contribution of Federal funds annually to the States to partially support research programs carried on by these stations. The Hatch Act provided grants for experiment stations to the amount of $15,000 for each State. The Adams Act of 1906 provided grants for experiment stations of $15,000 for each State. The Purnell Act of 1925 provided grants for experiment of $60,000 for each State. Title I, sections 5 and 9 of the Bankhead-Jones Act of 1935 were passed granting increases in Federal funds for experiment stations and prescribing the basis of apportionment, and the types of research which should be undertaken. In addition to these grants, under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, agricultural experiment stations were made eligible for funds for marketing research. Altogether these acts authorize an appropriation of approximately $27 million each year for work in these experiment stations. I would like to point out, however, that while the various acts do in fact authorize appropriations of $27 million (plus some additional amounts as the Congress may from time to time deem necessary) up to 1954 the Congress has only appropriated $13.5 million. I might also point out that in 1954 the States did provide $5.08 for every dollar provided by the Federal Government. Although the language of the various existing acts does vary somewhat, their objectives are broad, particularly in the case of the Bankhead-Jones and Purnell Acts, which provide the major part of the money; and it would appear that any research which might be undertaken under the proposed language could be undertaken under one or more of the existing acts. Moneys appropriated under the Hatch Act may be used for original researches and investigation of experiments on enumerated problems concerned with production and other researches bearing "directly" on the agricultural industry of the United States. Adams Act funds are limited to "original" researches bearing "directly" on the agricultural industry of the United States. The Purnell Act provides for experiments bearing directly on the production, manufacture, preparation, use, distribution, and marketing of agricultural products— including researches directed toward the establishment and maintenance of the efficient agricultural industry and such economic and sociological investigations as have for their purpose the development and improvement— of rural life. The Bankhead-Jones Act provides for— research into the laws and principles underlying the basic problems of agriculture in its broadest aspects. Despite the broad language of the existing acts, their differences complicate budgeting and accounting procedures. Miscellaneous Publication No. 515, issued by the Department of Agriculture, Federal Legislation, Ruling and Regulations Affecting the State Agricultural Experiment Stations, states, on page 4: The Federal-grant funds are available only for investigations within the purposes outlined in the respective acts. *** To assure compliance, it is necessary that expenditures of funds under a respective act be accounted for as separate units of expenditures accomplished by administration of the research and expenditures on the basis of separate programs of specific research projects, representing definite pieces of investigation within the authorization of the respective acts. Since the separate identity of the several Federal-grant funds, Hatch, Adams, Purnell, Bankhead-Jones, section 5, and Bankhead-Jones, section 9 (b) (1) and (2), and allotments from the Agricultural Marketing Act, section 204 (b), must be maintained in reporting expenditures and results, not more than one of these direct grant funds should be used to support a supplement and allotment of Bankhead-Jones, section 9 (b) (3), funds. It is the purpose of this bill to correct this difficulty. From the time of its inception, some 68 years ago, this program has expanded until today there are some 500 research centers func tioning as part of the State experiment station system. In the fiscal year 1954 this program involved the employment of 8,000 persons and a total expenditure of about $80 million. The Federal Government contributed $13.5 million of this total, or approximately $1 for every $5.08 supplied by the States. In my former capacity as president of the Utah State Agricultural College I became familiar with many of the problems confronting the State agricultural experiment stations. One of the great problems under which these stations are forced to operate is the cumbersome accounting system due to the diversity of laws and requirements imposed by them. According to the present directives, the stations must account separately for the money received under each law-the Hatch Act, the Adams Act, the Purnell Act, the Bankhead-Jones Act, and the amendments of 1946. H. R. 5562 proposes to consolidate the provisions of all of these acts into one law. I have introduced this measure, at the request of the Department of Agriculture and the agricultural experiment station directors with whom I have worked at Utah's land-grant college. The agricultural experiment stations have been trying to bring about this legislation for the past 4 years. I ask for your favorable consideration of this bill for the following reasons: First of all, H. R. 5562 does not change the intent of Congress which is to encourage research at State agricultural experiment stations as set forth in the original Hatch Act and succeeding laws. The principles which have been tried and tested and have proven to be sound over the years is maintained in this bill. It merely combines the basic provisions of these acts into one single law. The most obvious and the greatest advantage of this bill will be to simplify the accounting and administrative processes involved, at the Federal as well as at the State levels. This in turn would cut administrative costs and improve the service rendered by the experiment stations. The language contained in the appropriation acts would also be simplified. Each of the laws were enacted, one at a time. I believe now, however, that the work of the experiment stations has progressed to a point when one basis overall authorizing act will best serve the needs of this program. H. R. 5562 provides the apportionment of funds according to the same pattern of distribution as that prevailing in the fiscal year 1955. In the past that portion of funds which were allocated on the basis of population had to be adjusted with every change in census data. This shifting of funds has been a problem to those directing the work of the experiment stations. Whenever the appropriation is larger than that provided in 1955, however, this provision will not apply with respect to the amount in excess of the 1955 appropriation. The distribution of this increase will be based on the "census current at the time each additional sum is first appropriated." This method of distribution will avoid, to some extent, the adjustment of apportionment with every change in the census and yet keep allocations reasonably in line with shifts in farm and rural population. It will have the effect of stabilizing the agricultural experiment program. This bill will continue to foster Federal-State cooperation which has proved so successful through the years. The role of the Federal Government in the work of the experiment stations is that of a helpful partner. While the experiment stations initiate the various projects of research, the Secretary of Agriculture offers advice, assistance, and grants approval for those activities supported by Federal funds. Consolidation and codifying the various acts authorizing appropriations for agricultural experiment stations is long overdue. During the 83d Congress legislation was enacted to combine funds provided for the Extension Service in just the same way that this bill proposes to consolidate the funds granted to the experiment stations. The results of such consolidation have proven very effective in streamlining the operations of the Extension Service. I sincerely believe that the enactment of this measure will greatly improve the service rendered by the agricultural experiment stations. I, therefore, strongly recommend its passage. Mr. ABERNETHY. We will adjourn at this point. (The committee adjourned at 11:45 a. m.). |