---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 7712a"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "7712a"
heading: "Reduction in backlog of agricultural export petitions"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/7712a"
units:
  - "Chapter 104 — Plant Protection"
  - "Subchapter I — Plant Protection"
---

# §7712a. Reduction in backlog of agricultural export petitions

- (a) **Reduction efforts—** To the maximum extent practicable, the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) of Agriculture shall endeavor to reduce the backlog in the number of applications for [permits](/usc/7/7702.md?p=11) for the [export](/usc/7/7702.md?p=4) of [United States](/usc/7/7702.md?p=20) [agricultural commodities](/usc/7/5602.md?p=1). In achieving such reduction, the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) shall not dilute or diminish existing personnel resources that are currently managing sanitary and phytosanitary issues for—
  - (1) [United States](/usc/7/7702.md?p=20) [agricultural commodities](/usc/7/5602.md?p=1) for which [exportation](/usc/7/7702.md?p=4) is sought; and
  - (2) interdiction and control of [pests](/usc/7/136.md?p=t) and diseases, including for the evaluation of [pest](/usc/7/136.md?p=t) and disease concerns of foreign [agricultural commodities](/usc/7/5602.md?p=1) for which [importation](/usc/7/7702.md?p=5) is sought.
- (b) **Report—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) of Agriculture shall submit to the [Committee](/usc/7/2132.md?p=n) on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the [Committee](/usc/7/2132.md?p=n) on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate an annual report specifying, for the year covered by the report—
  - (1) the total number of applications processed to completion;
  - (2) the number of backlog applications processed to completion;
  - (3) the percentage of backlog applications processed to completion; and
  - (4) the number of backlog applications remaining.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 108–465, title II, § 202, Dec. 21, 2004, 118 Stat. 3884.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was enacted as part of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004, and not as part of the Plant Protection Act which comprises this chapter.