HACU Member Advisory--December 21, 2006

The 2002 Farm Bill Reauthorization

HSIs Have a Voice in 2007 Amendments
 

HACU, with the help of our members, will undertake several activities during 2007 to develop a set of recommendations and amendments to the 2002 Farm Bill, officially called the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. Congress is scheduled to reauthorize the 2002 Farm Bill during the 110th Congress this fall.

You can help bring new federal resources to your college and to our membership with your participation in a quick survey and upcoming focus groups in key cities. 

As the authorization expires in 2007, new legislation will be developed to authorize the Farm Bill for another six years. The Farm Bill authorizes the agriculture and food science-related programs operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Colleges have a vested interest in the reauthorization of the Farm Bill if they are institutions with academic programs, courses, majors and minors or supporting research and outreach  to Hispanic and other communities in these academic areas: agriculture, horticulture, food science, environmental science, forestry, human nutrition,  bio-energy and international agriculture programs.

HACU and its partners have a tremendous opportunity to recommend amendments to the 2007 Farm Bill that could increase:  

• New funding for programs already in place that will enhance research, outreach and infrastructure capacity in these academic areas.
  
  
• New funding for agriculture, food science, bio energy, forestry, human nutrition and other related programs with a focus in programs to enhance the career and research options for students and faculty.

These changes will increase the number of courses, minors, majors and research capacity in the agriculture (food science, environmental sciences, bio energy) areas in our colleges that  will provide more course and career options for Hispanic students that attend our HSIs and partner institutions. 

In 2007, HACU will host several focus groups in select sites across the country beginning in January. Focus groups will bring together our members to review the current Farm Bill and to develop new recommendations for the 2007 Farm Bill.  

All HACU members are encouraged to complete a survey on the Farm Bill located at the HACU web site in the Government Relations section of the HACU web page. 

For more information on the Farm Bill and the scheduled dates and sites for the Focus Group meetings, visit Government Relations at the HACU website at www.hacu.net.

HACU Member Advisories are a service
of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.