112 STAT. 532 PUBLIC LAW 105-185-^JUNE 23, 1998 States, that have a iinique capacity to address the identified agricultural issues in the State ana the extent of current and emerging efforts (including regional efforts) to work with those other institutions. "(4) The meinner in which research and extension, including research and extension activities funded other than through formula funds, will cooperate to address the critical issues in the State, including the activities to be carried out separately, the activities to be carried out sequentially, and the activities to be carried out jointly. "(5) The education and outreach programs already underway to convey available research results that are pertinent to a critical agricultural issue, including efforts to encourage multicounty cooperation in the dissemination of research results. " (d) EXTENSION PROTOCOLS.— " (1) DEVELOPMENT. —The Secretary of Agriculture shall develop protocols to be used to evaluate the success of multistate, multi-institutional, and multidisciplinary extension activities and joint research and extension activities in addressing critical agricultural issues identified in the plans of work submitted under subsection (a). " (2) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall develop the protocols in consultation with the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board established under section 1408 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123) and land-grant colleges and universities. " (e) TREATMENT OF PLANS OF WORK FOR OTHER PURPOSES.— To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall consider a plan of work submitted under subsection (a) to satisfy other appropriate Federal reporting requirements.". (b) HATCH ACT OF 1887. —Section 7 of the Hatch Act of 1887 (7 U.S.C. 361g) (as amended by section 103(f)(2)) is amended— (1) by striking "SEC. 7." and inserting the following: «SEC. 7. DUTIES OF SECRETARY; ASCERTAINMENT OF ENTITLEMENT OF STATE TO FUNDS; PLANS OF WORK. "(a) DUTIES OF SECRETARY.— "; (2) by striking "On or before" and inserting the following: "(b) ASCERTAINMENT OF ENTITLEMENT. —On or before"; (3) by striking "Whenever it shall appear" and inserting the following: "(c) EFFECT OF FAILURE TO EXPEND FULL ALLOTMENT.— Whenever it shall appear"; and (4) by adding at the end the following: "(d) PLAN OF WORK REQUIRED. —Before funds may be provided to a State under this Act for any fiscal year, a plan of work to be carried out under this Act shall be submitted by the proper officials of the State and shall be approved by the Secretary of Agriculture. "(e) REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO PLAN OF WORK. — Each plan of work for a State required under subsection (d) shall contain descriptions of the following: "(1) The critical short-term, intermediate, and long-term agricultural issues in the State and the current and planned research programs and projects targeted to address the issues.
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