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10.203 PAYMENTS TO AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS UNDER THE HATCH ACT

(Hatch Act)

FEDERAL AGENCY
COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

AUTHORIZATION
Hatch Act of 1887, as amended; Public Law 84-352, 7 U.S.C. 361a-361i; Education Amendments of 1972, Section 506, Public Law 92-318; Public Law 93-471; Public Law 95-113; Education Amendments of 1980, Section 1361, Public Law 96-374, 7 U.S.C. 301; Public Law 97-98; Public Law 99-198; Public Law 101-624; Public Law 104-127; Public Law 105-185.

OBJECTIVES
To support agricultural research at State Agricultural Experiment Stations. Its purpose is to promote efficient production, marketing, distribution, and utilization of products of the farm as essential to the health and welfare of people and to promote a sound prosperous agriculture and rural life. Up to 25 percent of funds to be used for integrated cooperative research and extension activities.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE
Formula Grants.

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS
Money appropriated pursuant to this Act shall also be available, in addition to meeting expenses for research and investigations conducted under authority of Section 2, for printing and disseminating the results of such research, retirement of employees subject to the provisions of an Act approved March 4, 1940 (54 Stat. 39), administrative planning and direction, and for the purchase and rental of land and the construction, acquisition, alteration, or repair of buildings necessary for conducting research. The State Agricultural Experiment Stations are authorized to plan and conduct any research authorized under Section 2 of this Act in cooperation with each other and such other agencies and individuals as may contribute to the solution of the agricultural problems involved, and moneys appropriated pursuant to this Act shall be available for paying the necessary expenses of planning, coordinating, and conducting such cooperative research. Up to 25 percent of funds to be used for integrated cooperative research and extension activities.

Applicant Eligibility
Funds under the Hatch Act are allocated in accordance with the statutory formula stated in the Act to the State agricultural experiment stations of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Micronesia, and Northern Mariana Islands. These institutions have been identified and declared eligible by their respective State legislatures.

Beneficiary Eligibility
Funds under the Hatch Act are allocated in accordance with the statutory formula stated in the Act to the State agricultural experiment stations of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Micronesia, and Northern Mariana Islands. These institutions have been identified and declared eligible by their respective State legislatures.

Credentials/Documentation
None. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

Preapplication Coordination
This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102 and E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure
State 5-year plans of work must be submitted to and approved by CSREES before funds are released. This program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110 as implemented by 7 CFR Part 3019.

Award Procedure
Awards are made to States according to statute.

Deadlines
None.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Not applicable.

Appeals
Not applicable.

Renewals
Not applicable.

Formula and Matching Requirements
Formula: Payments to States for fiscal year 1955 was a fixed base and sums appropriated in excess of 1955 level use the following fund allocation statistical factors: (1) 20 percent allotted equally to each State; (2) not less than 52 percent to States as follows: One-half in an amount which bears the same ratio as the rural population of the State bears to the total rural population of all the States (and the source is the 1990 Decennial Census); and one-half in an amount which bears the same ratio as the farm population of the State bears to the total farm population of all the States (and the source is the 1990 Decennial Census); and (3) at least 25 percent to States for cooperative research in which 2 or more State agricultural experiment stations are cooperating to solve problems of agriculture in more than one State. The statistical factor used for eligibility does not apply to this program. Matching requirement: Federal funds must be matched with nonfederal funding on a dollar-for-dollar basis. In the case of Guam, the Virgin Islands, Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa, Federal funds are subject to not less than a 45 percent match with nonfederal funds in fiscal year 2001; and not less than a 50 percent match with nonfederal funds in fiscal year 2002 and each fiscal year thereafter.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Fiscal year appropriated. Unobligated balance September 30 deducted from subsequent year allocation. Funds are released quarterly under the electronic transfer system.

Reports
Due dates and plans of work and reporting requirements will be provided to eligible institutions by the agency.

Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records
Maintained by project. Retain payment documents 3 years.

Account Identification
12-1500-0-1-352.

Obligations
(Grants) FY 07 $304,477,264; FY 08 est $154,804,258; and FY 09 est not reported.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance
$611,608 to $5,831,557. Average: $2,796,141.

PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Examples of accomplishments: (1) Researchers developed a computerized system that uses infrared video to assess spray coverage of crop protection products on the complex surface of a vertical grain head; (2) Researchers conducted a scientific review of available information and concluded that dietary fat recommendations for adults have been inappropriately applied to children. The researchers suggested that dietary fat should not be restricted until 5 years of age and reduced gradually down to 30 percent throughout childhood and teen years.

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE
Administrative Manual for the Hatch (Experiment Station) Act as amended, Agricultural Handbook No. 381 revised November 1980; Manual for Cooperative Regional Research, revised 1986; 7 CFR Part 3015, USDA Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations; 7 CFR part 3017, Government wide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Government wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants); 7 CFR Part 3018, New Restrictions on Lobbying; and 7 CFR Part 3019, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Nonprofit Organizations.

Regional or Local Office
None.

Headquarters Office
Deputy Administrator, Partnerships, Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250-2201. Telephone: (202) 720-5623.

Web Site Address
http://www.reeusda.gov

RELATED PROGRAMS
10.001, Agricultural Research_Basic and Applied Research; 10.200, Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants; 10.202, Cooperative Forestry Research; 10.205, Payments to 1890 Land-Grant Colleges and Tuskegee University; 10.206, Grants for Agricultural Research_Competitive Research Grants; 10.207, Animal Health and Disease Research; 10.219, Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research; 10.250, Agricultural and Rural Economic Research; 10.500, Cooperative Extension Service; 10.652, Forestry Research.

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS
Not applicable.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS
Not applicable.


General Services Administration
Office of Chief Acquisition Officer
Regulatory and Federal Assistance Division (VIR)