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March. 



Develop a consensus among congressional, USDA, and 

 university officials regarding a reasonable facilities 

 planning process, including a capital budgeting program. 



Enforce the funding cap established in the 1985 and 1990 

 farm bills which requires any facility construction exceeding 

 $500,000 to be authorized by legislation passed through this 

 Subcommittee . 



- Implement the Agricultural Research Facilities Planning and 

 Closure Study Commission as authorized in the 1990 farm bill. 

 The Secretary of Agriculture has the authority to convene such 

 a commission even as we speak. 



In the long term, what to do? Again, we must grapple with the 

 essential nature of the crisis, reaching consensus on its 

 definition and then agreeing on how to solve the problems arising 

 from the root cause. 



One of the first efforts at reviewing research facility needs 

 was undertaken by USDA in 1973. At that time, the Agricultural 

 Research Facilities Review Task Force called upon the Secretary of 

 Agriculture to bring together interested parties to work together 

 in planning for research: 



The Committee anticipates that only very limited funds will 

 become available in the foreseeable future for construction of 

 new agricultural research facilities. Therefore we strongly 

 recommend close federal-state-public and industry coordination 

 in planning any new federal or state facilities and the 

 programs to be conducted in them. 



USDA cannot achieve reform acting alone. The scientific 

 community cannot achieve reform acting alone. And, the Congress 



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