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7 U.S. Code § 7101 - Findings and declaration of policy
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(a) FindingsCongress finds that—
(2)
the production ofsheep andsheep products play a significant role in the economy of the United Statesin that sheepandsheep products are produced throughout the United Statesand used by millions of people throughout the United Statesand foreign countries;
(3)
sheep andsheep products must be high quality, readily available, handled properly, and marketed efficiently to ensure that consumers have an adequate supply ofsheep products;
(4)
the maintenance and expansion of existing markets and development of new markets forsheep andsheep products are vital to the welfare of sheep producersand personsconcerned with marketing, using, and producing sheepandsheep products, as well as to the general economy of the United States, and necessary to ensure the ready availability and efficient marketing of sheepandsheep products;
(6)
the cooperative development, financing, and implementation of a coordinated national program ofsheep andsheep productpromotion, research,consumer information, education, and industry informationare necessary to maintain and expand existing markets and develop new markets for sheepand sheep products; and
(7)
sheep andsheep products move in interstate and foreign commerce, and sheepandsheep products that do not move in such channels of commerce directly burden or affect interstate commerce in sheepandsheep products.
(b) PolicyIt is the policy ofCongress that it is in the public interest to authorize the establishment, through the exercise of the powers provided in this chapter, of an orderly procedure for developing, financing (through adequate assessments on sheepand sheep productsproduced or imported into the United States), and carrying out an effective, continuous, coordinated program of promotion, research, consumer information, education, and industry informationdesigned to—
(2)
maintain and expand existing domestic and foreign markets and uses forsheep andsheep products; and
(c) Construction
Nothing in this chapter provides for the control of production, or otherwise limits, the right of anyperson to produce sheeporsheep products.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Short Title of 2004 Amendment
Pub. L. 108–429, title IV, § 4001,Dec. 3, 2004,118 Stat. 2600, provided that:
“This title [amending provisions set out as a note under this section] may be cited as the ‘Wool Suit and Textile Trade Extension Act of 2004’.”
Short Title
Pub. L. 103–407, § 1,Oct. 22, 1994,108 Stat. 4210, provided that:
“This Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Sheep Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1994’.”
Agriculture Wool Apparel Manufacturers Trust Fund
Pub. L. 113–79, title XII, § 12315,Feb. 7, 2014,128 Stat. 995, as amended byPub. L. 115–334, title XII, § 12603,Dec. 20, 2018,132 Stat. 5005;Pub. L. 118–22, div. B, title I, § 102(d)(8)(B),Nov. 17, 2023,137 Stat. 118;Pub. L. 119–21, title I, § 10607(d),July 4, 2025,139 Stat. 111, provided that:
“(a) Establishment of Trust Fund.—
There is established in the Treasury of theUnited States a trust fund to be known as the ‘Agriculture WoolApparel Manufacturers Trust Fund’ (in this section referred to as the ‘Trust Fund’), consisting of such amounts as may be transferred to the Trust Fund pursuant to subsection (f), and to be used for the purpose of reducing the injury to domestic manufacturers resulting from tariffs on woolfabric that are higher than tariffs on certain apparel articles made of woolfabric.
“(b) Distribution of Funds.—
“(1) In general.—From amounts in the Trust Fund, theSecretary [of Agriculture] may make payments annually beginning in calendar year 2014 for calendar years 2010 through 2031 as follows:
“(A)
To each eligible manufacturer under paragraph (3) of section 4002(c) of theWool Suit and Textile Trade Extension Act of 2004 (Public Law 108–429;118 Stat. 2600 [2603]), as amended by section 1633(c) [1633(b)(1)] of theMiscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2006 (Public Law 109–280;120 Stat. 1166) and section 325(b) of theTax Extenders and Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008 (division C ofPublic Law 110–343;122 Stat. 3875), and any successor-in-interest to such a manufacturer as provided for under paragraph (4) of such section 4002(c) [118 Stat. 2603], that submits an affidavit in accordance with paragraph (2) for the year of the payment, payments in amounts authorized under that paragraph.
“(B)
To each eligible manufacturer under paragraph (6) of suchsection 4002(c) [118 Stat. 2603], payments in amounts authorized under that paragraph.
“(c) Payment of Amounts.—
TheSecretary shall make payments to eligible manufacturers and successors-in-interest described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b) not later than April 15 of the year of the payment.
“(d) Memoranda of Understanding.—
TheSecretary [of Agriculture] shall, as soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this Act [Feb. 7, 2014], negotiate memoranda of understanding with the Commissioner responsible for U.S. Customs and Border Protection and theSecretary of Commerce to establish procedures pursuant to which the Commissioner and theSecretary of Commerce will assist in carrying out the provisions of this section.
“(e) Increase in Payments in the Event of Expiration of Duty Suspensions.—
“(1) In general.—
In any calendar year in which the suspension of duty onwool fabrics provided for under headings 9902.51.11, 9902.51.13, 9902.51.14, 9902.51.15, and 9902.51.16 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of theUnited States are not in effect, the amount of any payment described in subsection (b)(1) to a manufacturer or successor-in-interest shall be increased by an amount the Secretary[of Agriculture], after consultation with theSecretary of Commerce, determines is equal to the amount the manufacturer or successor-in-interest would have saved during the calendar year of the payment if the suspension of duty on woolfabrics were in effect.
“(2) No appeal of determinations.—
A determination of theSecretary under this subsection shall be final and not subject to appeal or protest.
“(f) Funding.—
“(1) In general.—Of the funds of theCommodity Credit Corporation, the Secretaryshall transfer to the Trust Fund for each of calendar years 2014 through 2031 an amount equal to the lesser of—
“(A)
the amount theSecretary determines to be necessary to make payments required by this section in that calendar year; or
“(B)
$30,000,000.
“(2) Availability.—
Amounts transferred to the Trust Fund under paragraph (1) shall remain available until expended.”
Wool Research and Promotion
Pub. L. 113–79, title XII, § 12316,Feb. 7, 2014,128 Stat. 997, as amended byPub. L. 115–334, title XII, § 12604,Dec. 20, 2018,132 Stat. 5006;Pub. L. 118–22, div. B, title I, § 102(d)(8)(C),Nov. 17, 2023,137 Stat. 118; ;Pub. L. 119–21, title I, § 10607(e),July 4, 2025,139 Stat. 111, provided that:
“(a) In General.—
Of the funds of theCommodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary[of Agriculture] shall use to provide grants described in section 506(d) of theTrade and Development Act of 2000 (7 U.S.C. 7101 note) [section 506(d) of Pub. L. 106–200] $2,250,000 for each of calendar years 2019 through 2031, to remain available until expended.
“(b) Authorization to Distribute Unexpended Balance.—
In addition to funds made available under subsection (a) and notwithstanding subsection (f) of section 506 of theTrade and Development Act of 2000 (7 U.S.C. 7101 note), the Secretarymay use any unexpended balances remaining in the Wool Research, Development, and PromotionTrust Fund established under that section as ofDecember 31, 2014, to provide grants described in subsection (d) of that section.”
Wool Research, Development, and Promotion Trust Fund
Pub. L. 106–200, title V, § 506,May 18, 2000,114 Stat. 303, as amended byPub. L. 107–210, div. E, title L, § 5102(c)(2),Aug. 6, 2002,116 Stat. 1047;Pub. L. 108–429, title IV, § 4002(c)(5),Dec. 3, 2004,118 Stat. 2603;Pub. L. 109–280, title XIV, § 1633(b)(2),Aug. 17, 2006,120 Stat. 1166;Pub. L. 110–343, div. C, title III, § 325(b)(2),Oct. 3, 2008,122 Stat. 3875, provided that:
“(a) Establishment.—
There is hereby established within the Treasury of theUnited States a trust fund to be known as the Wool Research, Development, and PromotionTrust Fund (hereafter in this section referred to as the ‘Trust Fund’), consisting of such amounts as may be transferred to the Trust Fund under subsection (b)(1) and any amounts as may be credited to the Trust Fund under subsection (c)(2).
“(b) Transfer of Amounts.—
“(1) In general.—
TheSecretary of the Treasury shall transfer to the Trust Fund out of the general fund of the Treasury of theUnited States amounts determined by the Secretaryof the Treasury to be equivalent to the amounts received into such general fund that are attributable to the duty received on articles under chapters 51 and 52 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of theUnited States [see Publication of Harmonized Tariff Schedule note set out undersection 1202 of Title 19, Customs Duties], subject to the limitation in paragraph (2).
“(2) Limitation.—
TheSecretary shall not transfer more than $2,250,000 to the Trust Fund in any fiscal year.
“(3) Transfers based on estimates.—
The amounts required to be transferred under paragraph (1) shall be transferred at least quarterly from the general fund of the Treasury of theUnited States to the Trust Fund on the basis of estimates made by the Secretaryof the Treasury of the amounts referred to in paragraph (1) that are received into the Treasury. Proper adjustments shall be made in the amounts subsequently transferred to the extent prior estimates were in excess of, or less than, the amounts required to be transferred.
“(c) Investment of Trust Fund.—
“(1) In general.—
It shall be the duty of theSecretary of the Treasury to invest such portion of the Trust Fund as is not, in theSecretary’s judgment, required to meet current withdrawals. Such investments may be made only in interest-bearing obligations of theUnited States or in obligations guaranteed as to both principal and interest by theUnited States. For such purpose, such obligations may be acquired on original issue at the issue price or by purchase of outstanding obligations at the market price. Any obligation acquired by the Trust Fund may be sold by the Secretaryof the Treasury at the market price.
“(2) Interest and proceeds from sale or redemption of obligations.—
The interest on, and the proceeds from the sale or redemption of, any obligations held in the Trust Fund shall be credited to and form a part of the Trust Fund.
“(d) Availability of Amounts from Trust Fund.—From amounts available in the Trust Fund (including any amounts not obligated in previous fiscal years), theSecretary of Agriculture is authorized to provide grants to a nationally-recognized council established for the development of theUnited States woolmarket for the following purposes:
“(1)
AssistUnited States wool producersto improve the quality of woolproduced in theUnited States, including to improve woolproduction methods.
“(2)
Disseminate information on improvements described in paragraph (1) toUnited States wool producersgenerally.
“(3)
“(e) Reports to Congress.—
TheSecretary of the Treasury, in consultation with theSecretary of Agriculture, shall prepare and submit toCongress an annual report on the financial condition and the results of the operations of the Trust Fund, including a description of the use of amounts of grants provided under subsection (d), during the preceding fiscal year and on its expected condition and operations during the next fiscal year.
“(f) Sunset Provision.—
EffectiveJanuary 1, 2015, the Trust Fund shall be abolished and all amounts in the Trust Fund on such date shall be transferred to the general fund of the Treasury of the United States.”
| CFR Title | Parts |
|---|---|
| 7 | 1471 |