Bill > HR2410

This bill, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014, provides funding for fiscal year 2014 for the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Farm Credit Administration, while also outlining specific limitations and conditions on how these funds can be used. Key provisions include restrictions on the purchase of new vehicles for the USDA, allowing only those deemed essential for safety or cost reduction, and permitting the transfer of unobligated funds within the USDA to a Working Capital Fund for administrative and IT services, provided certain approvals are obtained. The bill also clarifies that appropriations generally remain available only for the current fiscal year unless explicitly stated otherwise, limits indirect cost rates on certain cooperative agreements with non-profit institutions to 10% of the total direct cost, and ensures that funds for direct and guaranteed loans for rural development, electrification, and housing remain available until expended. Furthermore, it requires approval from the Chief Information Officer and an executive board for new IT systems or significant upgrades within the USDA, restricts the use of funds for first-class travel, and sets limits on indirect costs for agricultural research grants. The bill also addresses specific programs within the USDA, such as the Food for Peace Act and various conservation and nutrition programs, by setting spending caps or enrollment limits, and includes provisions for rescinding certain unobligated balances. Additionally, it mandates that any pre-packaged news stories funded by executive branch agencies must clearly identify their origin, and prohibits the use of funds for certain activities related to horse inspection and the extraterritorial application of swaps provisions under the Commodity Exchange Act. Finally, the bill establishes a National Commission on Hunger to study and recommend solutions for domestic hunger and food insecurity.