Discussion draft published

The House Agriculture subcommittee with jurisdiction on horticulture and organic agriculture published a discussion draft on the House Ag Web site here. The long awaited 32-page document will be the basis for tomorrow's markup hearing by the subcommittee.

Here ares the numbers on specialty crop block grants.

FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary of Agriculture shall make grants under this section, using—
‘‘(1) $20,000,000 in fiscal year 2008;
‘‘(2) $25,000,000 in fiscal year 2009;
‘‘(3) $30,000,000 in fiscal year 2010;
‘‘(4) $35,000,000 in fiscal year 2011; and
‘‘(5) $55,000,000 in fiscal year 2012.’’.

TK: But wait, those funds are contingent on the following language.
Here is the text:

(b) CONTINGENT FUNDING AMENDMENT.—In title XI of this Act— (1) if a change in law or laws not pertaining to section 101 of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness 12 Act of 2004 (Public Law 108–465; 7 U.S.C. 1621 note) reduces outlays and/or increases revenue by an amount sufficient to offset the increased outlays that would occur over the period of fiscal years 2007 through 2012 and the period of fiscal years 2007 through 2017 if total funding for the program were increased as provided in the amendment made by paragraph (3) for fiscal years 2008 through 2012 (as estimated by the House Committee on the Budget at the time of enactment of this Act); and (2) if such reductions in outlays or increases in revenue in paragraph (1) are specifically and exclusively dedicated to providing funding for section 101 of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 in each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012; then (3) subsection (i) of section 101 of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 is amended to read as follows:

TK: We'll get an opinion from one of the industry lobbyists about what the legislative language means, but I think the industry did not get the mandatory money that they covet. Developing..