(33) Administer teaching funds authorized under section 22 of the Bankhead Jones Act as amended (7 U.S.C. 329).

(34) Administer higher education programs in the food and agriculture sciences as well as grants to colleges and universities (7 U.S.C. 3152).

(35) Obtain and furnish Federal excess property to eligible recipients for use in the conduct of research and extension programs (40 U.S.C. 483(d((2)).

[46 FR 47754, Sept. 30, 1981, as amended at 48 FR 12689, Mar. 28, 1983; 49 FR 10539, Mar. 21, 1984; 51 FR 34946, Oct. 1, 1986; 52 FR 21931, June 10, 1987; 52 FR 31373, Aug. 20, 1987; 53 FR 6783, Mar. 3, 1988]

§ 2.108 Administrator, Extension Service. (a) Delegations. Pursuant to § 2.30 (a) and (c), subject to reservations in § 2.30a, the following delegations of authority are made by the Assistant Secretary for Science and Education to the Administrator, Extension Service:

(1) Administer a cooperative agricultural extension program related to agriculture, uses of solar energy with respect to agriculture, and home economics under the Smith-Lever Act, as amended (7 U.S.C. 341-349).

(2) Administer a cooperative agricultural extension program related to agriculture, uses of solar energy with respect to agriculture, and home economics in the District of Columbia (D.C. Code Section 31-1719).

(3) Conduct educational and demonstration work related to the distribution and marketing of agricultural products under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1621-1627).

(4) Administer in cooperation with the States a cooperative rural development and small farm extension program under the Rural Development Act of 1972, as amended (7 U.S.C. 2661-2667).

(5) Administer a cooperative extension program under the Farmer-toConsumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976 (7 U.S.C. 3004).

(6) Administer a national food and human nutrition extension program under the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching

Policy Act of 1977, as amended (7 U.S.C. 3171-3177).

(7) Support continuing agricultural and forestry extension at 1890 landgrant colleges including Tuskegee Institute (7 U.S.C. 3221).

(8) Administer in relation to uses of solar energy a cooperative program with the States on model farms and demonstration projects, and a program of extension and demonstration at regional solar energy research and development centers (7 U.S.C. 3261-3263, 3271, 3281-3282).

(9) Cooperate and work with national and international institutions and other persons throughout the world in the performance of agricultural extension activities (7 U.S.C. 3291).

(10) Conduct educational and demonstration work in cooperative farm forestry programs (16 U.S.C. 568).

(11) Provide for an expanded and comprehensive extension program for forest and rangeland renewable resources (16 U.S.C. 1671-1676).

(12) Administer extension education programs in aquaculture (16 U.S.C. 2804, 2806).

(13) Authorize the use of 4H Club name and emblem (18 U.S.C. 707).

(14) Conduct demonstration and promotion activities related to farm dwellings and other buildings for the purpose of reducing costs and adapting and developing fixtures and appurtenances for more efficient and economical farm use (42 U.S.C. 1476(b)).

(15) Provide leadership and direct assistance to the Cooperative Extension Service in planning, conducting, and evaluating extension programs under a memorandum of agreement with the Bureau of Indian Affairs dated May 1956.

(16) Exercise responsibilities of the Secretary under regulations dealing with Equal Employment Opportunity in the Cooperative Extension Service (Part 18 of this subtitle).

(17) Administer through the Cooperative Extension Service, education and information services assigned under the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (50 U.S.C. App. 2061 et seq.), and the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950, as amended (50 U.S.C. App. 2251 et seq.).

(18) Provide national leadership and support for cooperative extension programs in the food and agricultural sciences to meet the needs and challenges in (i) food and agricultural system productivity, (ii) development of new food, fiber, and energy sources, (iii) agricultural energy use and production, (iv) natural resources, (v) promotion of the health and welfare of people, (vi) human nutrition, and (vii) international food and agriculture pursuant to the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as amended (7 U.S.C. 3121, 3124a).

(19) Conduct program evaluations to improve the administration and effectiveness of the cooperative extension programs involving colleges, universities, and other organizations and institutions (7 U.S.C. 3317).

(20) Enter into contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements to further extension programs in the food and agricultural sciences (7 U.S.C. 3318).

(21) Administer an aquaculture assistance program by (i) supporting eligible institutions for extension to facilitate or expand production and marketing of aquaculture food species and products, and (ii) conducting a program of extension and demonstration at aquacultural demonstration centers (7 U.S.C. 3322, 3324).

(22) Design, implement, and distribute in cooperation with the cooperative extension services of the States, educational programs and materials emphasizing the importance of productive farmland pursuant to section 1544(a) of the Farmland Protection Policy Act (7 U.S.C. 4205(a)).

(23) Provide management support services for the Cooperative State Research Service and the Office of Grants and Programs Systems as agreed upon by the agencies with authority to take actions required by law or regulation. As used herein, the term management support services includes finance, personnel, procurement, property management, communications, paperwork management and related administrative services.

(24) Enter into cost-reimbursable agreements relating to agricultural research, extension, or teaching activities (7 U.S.C. 3319a).

(25) Carry out demonstration and education activities authorized in section 202(c) of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act (42 U.S.C. 1592(c)).

(26) Provide education and technical assistance in implementing and administering the conservation reserve program authorized in sections 1231-1244 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (Pub. L. 99-198).

(27) Provide technical assistance to farm owners and operators, marketing cooperatives, and others in the development and implementation of a research and pilot project program for the development of supplemental and alternative crops (7 U.S.C. 3319d).

(28) Obtain and furnish excess property to eligible recipients for use in the conduct of research and extension programs (40 U.S.C. 483(d)(2)).

(29) Make grants, under such terms and conditions as the Administrator determines, to eligible institutions for the purpose of assisting such institutions in the purchase of equipment and land, and the planning, construction, alteration, or renovation of buildings, to provide adequate facilities to conduct extension work, and issue rules and regulations as necessary to carry out this authority (7 U.S.C. 3224).

[46 FR 47754, Sept. 30, 1981, as amended at 48 FR 12689, Mar. 28, 1983; 48 FR 27715, June 17, 1983; 48 FR 37360, Aug. 18, 1983; 51 FR 34946, Oct. 1, 1986; 52 FR 240, Jan. 5, 1987; 52 FR 21931, June 10, 1987; 53 FR 6783, Mar. 3, 1988; 54 FR 30711, July 24, 1989]

nation for the agricultural libraries of colleges, universities, Department of Agriculture, and their closely allied information gathering and dissemination units in close conjunction with private industry and other research libraries (7 U.S.C. 2201, 2204, 3126).

(3) Assure the acquisition, preservation and accessibility of all information concerning food and agriculture by providing leadership to and coordination of the acquisition programs and related activities of the library and information systems, and the agencies of USDA, other Federal departments and agencies, State agricultural experiment stations, colleges and universities, and other research institutions and organizations.

(4) Formulate, write and/or prescribe bibliographic and technically related standards for the library and information systems of USDA.

(5) Determine by survey and other appropriate means the information needs of the Department's scientific, professional, technical and administrative staffs, its constituencies and the general public in the areas of food, agriculture, the environment, and solar energy.

(6) Represent the Department on all library and information science matters before Congressional Committees and appropriate commissions, and provide representation to the coordinating committees of the Federal and State governments concerned with library and information science activities.

(7) Represent the Department in international organizational activities and on international technical committees concerned with library and information science activities.

(8) Prepare and disseminate computer bibliographic files, indexes and abstracts, bibliographies, reviews and other analytical information tools.

(9) Arrange for the consolidated purchasing and dissemination of indexes, abstracts, journals and other widely used information publications and services.

(10) Provide assistance and support to professional organizations concerned with library and information science matters and issues.

(11) Copy and deliver on demand selected articles and other materials from its collections by photographic reproduction or other means within the permissions, constraints and limitations of sections 106, 107, and 108 of the Copyright Act of October 19, 1976 (Title 17 U.S.C.).

(12) Provide national leadership in the development and maintenance of library and related information systems to support the research, extension, and teaching programs in the food and agricultural sciences pursuant to the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as amended (7 U.S.C. 3121, 3124a).

(13) Conduct program evaluations to improve the administration and effectiveness of the library and related information systems in the food and agricultural sciences (7 U.S.C. 3317).

(14) Enter into contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements to further library and related information programs supporting research, extension, and teaching programs in the food and agricultural sciences (7 U.S.C. 3318).

(15) Administer the National Agricultural Library to include the farmland information center pursuant to section 1544(b) of the Farmland Protection Policy Act (7 U.S.C. 4205(b)).

(16) Assemble and collect food and nutrition education materials, including results of nutrition research, training methods, procedures, and other materials related to the purpose of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as amended; maintain such information; and provide for the dissemination of such information and materials on a regular basis to State educational agencies and other interested parties (7 U.S.C. 3126).

(17) Enter into cost-reimbursable agreements to further library and related information programs supporting research, extension, and teaching programs in the food and agricultural sciences (7 U.S.C. 3319a).

[46 FR 47754, Sept. 30, 1981, as amended at 48 FR 12690, Mar. 28, 1983; 48 FR 27716, June 17, 1983; 48 FR 51141, Nov. 7, 1983; 51 FR 34946, Oct. 1, 1986]

§3.1 Purposes of the act and regulations.

The principal purposes of the act and of the regulations in this part are to provide means of: (a) Settling, by compromise, adjustment or cancellation relatively small debts long past due and owing to the Government arising from loans or payments made under farm programs administered by the Department; (b) recovering by the Department of substantial sums which are found uncollectible when the indebtednesses are treated as full obligations, and which otherwise would probably never be collected; (c) clearing the accounts of balances so small as not to warrant continued efforts of collection; and (d) the clearing of the accounts of the records of indebtedness made uncollectible by reason of the death or disappearance of the debtors. The existence of the act will neither serve as grounds for any relaxation in the general collection policy of the Department nor should it serve as grounds for any lessening of the efforts of farmers to pay their indebted

ness.

§ 3.2 Definitions.

(a) "Department" means Department of Agriculture.

(b) "Indebtedness" with respect to any person, means his debt to the

Government under each of the acts and programs listed in § 3.10, except that the total amount owned by any person under all loan, purchase, sale and other programs of the Commodity Credit Corporation with respect to a single commodity and without being limited to any crop year or marketing season shall be considered to be an "indebtedness".

(c) "Compromise" means final liquidation of the indebtedness through the immediate payment of a portion thereof, and acceptance by the United States of such payment in full satisfaction of the indebtedness.

(d) "Adjustment" means the scaling down of the amount of the indebtedness including interest, conditioned upon the payment of the adjusted amount at some specified future time or times; such adjustment is not to be considered as effective as a settlement under this act until the provisions of the adjustment arrangement have been carried out.

(e) "Cancellation" means the complete discharge, without payment, of the indebtedness and the debtor.

[10 FR 807, Jan. 23, 1945, as amended at 11 FR 11984, Oct. 15, 1946. Redesignated at 13 FR 6903, Nov. 24, 1948]

§ 3.3 Settlement of indebtedness.

(a) Indebtedness will be compromised, adjusted, or canceled, upon applicability by the debtor except in those cases where it is found that it is legally impossible for the debtor to make application, and upon the making of all the following findings:

(1) That said indebtedness has been due and payable for five years or more;

(2) That the debtor is unable to pay said indebtedness in full and has no reasonable prospect of being able to do so; officers of the Department shall not make such findings on the basis of mere unwillingness to pay on the part of the debtor, or mere financial disadvantage to him, but should find that the settlement is the most advantageous arrangement possible from the standpoint of the Government under the findings prescribed in this part. In no event shall cancellation be made unless, in addition to the foregoing requirements, there is an advantage in

removing the indebtedness from the accounts.

(3) That the debtor has acted in good faith in an effort to meet his obligation; and

(4) That the principal amount of said indebtedness is not in excess of $1,000.

(b) Indebtedness may also be canceled without application when any one of the following circumstances is found:

(1) The amount of said indebtedness, including interest, is less than $10; such efforts of collection have been made as are warranted under the circumstances, and the cost of collection or of continued maintenance of accounts is deemed greater than the amount of the indebtedness;

(2) The debtor is deceased and there is no reasonable prospect of recovering from his estate;

(3) The debtor's whereabouts has remained unknown for two years and there is no reasonable prospect of obtaining collection; heads of agencies designated in § 3.5 will prescribe procedures which will assure that cancellations on this ground will be made only after a diligent effort has been made to locate the debtor, including such contact with other agencies of the Department or otherwise as the amount of the indebtedness and the circumstances warrant;

(4) The debtor has been discharged of the indebtedness in any proceeding under "An act to establish a uniform system of bankruptcy throughout the United States."

(5) It is impossible or impracticable for legal or other reasons to obtain the debtor's application but all of the findings required by paragraph (a) of this section are made.

[10 FR 807, Jan. 23, 1945, as amended at 12 FR 441, Jan. 22, 1947. Redesignated at 13 FR 6903, Nov. 24, 1948, and amended at 21 FR 3213, May 16, 1956]

§ 3.4 Investigations and findings.

The heads of agencies designated in § 3.5 shall prescribe procedures for the conduct of investigations to determine the facts incident to the settlement of any indebtedness. These procedures should include, among other things,