12 2 STA T . 1 75 2 PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 2 46—J U NE 1 8, 2008 SEC.1620 . L E A S INGOF OFFICE S P ACE. Notla t er t h a n1y ear a f ter the d ate of ena c t m ent of th isA ct , the S ecretary shall s ub mit to the C ommittee on A g riculture and the Committee on A p propriations of the H ouse of R epresenta - ti v es and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and F orestry and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate a report that describes —( 1 ) the costs and time associated w ith complying with leasing procedures of the G eneral Services Administration rel- ative to the previous independent leasing procedures of the D epartment of Agriculture
( 2 ) the additional staffing needs associated with complying with those procedures; and ( 3 ) the value added to the leasing process and the ability of the Department to secure best-value leases by complying with the General Services Administration leasing procedures . SEC. 1621. GEOG R AP H ICALL YD ISAD V AN T AGED FAR M ERS AND RANCHERS. (a) D EFIN I T I O N S .— I n this section
(1) A GR I CUL TUR A LCO M MO D IT Y .— T he term ‘ ‘agricultural commodity ’ ’ has the meaning given the term in section 1 0 2 of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1 978 (7 U .S.C. 56 02). (2) GEOGRA PH ICALLY DISAD V ANTAGED FARMER OR RANCHER.—The term ‘‘geographically disadvantaged farmer or rancher’’ has the meaning given the term in section 10906(a) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 220 4 note; P ublic L aw 107 – 171). (b) AUTHORI Z ATION.—Sub j ect to the availability of funds under subsection (d), the Secretary may provide geographically disadvan- taged farmers or ranchers direct reimbursement payments for activities described in subsection (c). (c) TRANSPORTATION.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the Secretary may provide direct reimbursement payments to a geographically disadvantaged farmer or rancher to transport an agricultural commodity, or inputs used to produce an agricul- tural commodity, during a fiscal year. (2) PROOF OF ELIGI B ILITY.—To be eligible to receive assist- ance under paragraph (1), a geographically disadvantaged farmer or rancher shall demonstrate to the Secretary that transportation of the agricultural commodity or inputs occurred over a distance of more than 30 miles, as determined by the Secretary. (3) AMOUNT.— (A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), the amount of direct reimbursement payments made to a geographically disadvantaged farmer or rancher under this section for a fiscal year shall e q ual the product obtained by multi- plying— (i) the amount of costs incurred by the geographi- cally disadvantaged farmer or rancher for transpor- tation of the agricultural commodity or inputs during the fiscal year; and (ii)(I) the percentage of the allowance for that fiscal year under section 5941 of title 5, United States Code, 7USC8 7 92.Deadlin e. R e ports .
�
