text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``United States Specialty Crop Export 
  Opportunities Act of 2007''.
  
  SEC. 2. REGULATION OF EXPORTS OF PLANTS, PLANT PRODUCTS, BIOLOGICAL 
                CONTROL ORGANISMS, AND NOXIOUS WEEDS.
  
      (a) In General.--Subtitle A of title IV of the Agricultural Risk 
  Protection Act of 2000 (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
  the end the following new section:
  
  ``SEC. 420. REGULATION OF EXPORTS OF PLANTS, PLANT PRODUCTS, BIOLOGICAL 
                CONTROL ORGANISMS, AND NOXIOUS WEEDS.
  
      ``(a) In General.--The Secretary may regulate plants, plant 
  products, biological control organisms, and noxious weeds for export 
  purposes.
      ``(b) Duties.--The Secretary shall--
              ``(1) coordinate fruit and vegetable market analyses with 
          the private sector and the Administrator of the Foreign 
          Agricultural Service; and
              ``(2) make publicly available on an Internet website--
                      ``(A) the status of all export petitions;
                      ``(B) to the greatest extent possible, an 
                  explanation of the sanitary or phytosanitary issues 
                  associated with each pending export petition; and
                      ``(C) to the greatest extent possible, information 
                  on the import requirements of foreign countries for 
                  fruits and vegetables.
      ``(c) Regulations.--The Secretary may issue regulations to 
  implement this section.''.
      (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of 
  such Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 note) is amended by inserting after the item 
  relating to section 419 the following new item:
  
  ``Sec. 420. Regulation of exports of plants, plant products, biological 
                              control organisms, and noxious weeds.''.
  
  SEC. 3. RESTORATION OF IMPORT AND ENTRY AGRICULTURAL INSPECTION 
                FUNCTIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
  
      (a) Repeal of Transfer of Functions.--Section 421 of the Homeland 
  Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 231) is repealed.
      (b) Conforming Amendment to Function of Secretary of Homeland 
  Security.--Section 402 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
  202) is amended--
              (1) by striking paragraph (7); and
              (2) by redesignating paragraph (8) as paragraph (7).
      (c) Transfer Agreement.--
              (1) In general.--Not later than the effective date 
          described in subsection (g), the Secretary of Agriculture and 
          the Secretary of Homeland Security shall enter into an 
          agreement to effectuate the return of functions required by the 
          amendments made by this section.
              (2) Use of certain employees.--The agreement may include 
          authority for the Secretary of Agriculture to use employees of 
          the Department of Homeland Security to carry out authorities 
          delegated to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
          regarding the protection of domestic livestock and plants.
      (d) Restoration of Department of Agriculture Employees.--Not later 
  than the effective date described in subsection (e), all full-time 
  equivalent positions of the Department of Agriculture transferred to 
  the Department of Homeland Security under section 421(g) of the 
  Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 231(g)) (as in effect on the 
  day before the effective date described in subsection (g)) shall be 
  restored to the Department of Agriculture.
      (e) Authority of APHIS.--
              (1) Establishment of program.--The Secretary of Agriculture 
          shall establish within the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
          Service a program, to be known as the ``International 
          Agricultural Inspection Program'', under which the 
          Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
          (referred to in this subsection as the ``Administrator'') shall 
          carry out import and entry agricultural inspections.
              (2) Information gathering and inspections.--In carrying out 
          the program under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall have 
          full access to--
                      (A) each secure area of any terminal for screening 
                  passengers or cargo under the control of the Department 
                  of Homeland Security on the day before the date of 
                  enactment of this Act for purposes of carrying out 
                  inspections and gathering information; and
                      (B) each database (including any database relating 
                  to cargo manifests or employee and business records) 
                  under the control of the Department of Homeland 
                  Security on the day before the date of enactment of 
                  this Act for purposes of gathering information.
              (3) Inspection alerts.--The Administrator may issue 
          inspection alerts, including by indicating cargo to be held for 
          immediate inspection.
              (4) Inspection user fees.--The Administrator may, as 
          applicable--
                      (A) continue to collect any agricultural quarantine 
                  inspection user fee; and
                      (B) administer any reserve account for the fees.
              (5) Career track program.--
                      (A) In general.--The Administrator shall establish 
                  a program, to be known as the ``import and entry 
                  agriculture inspector career track program'', to 
                  support the development of long-term career 
                  professionals with expertise in import and entry 
                  agriculture inspection.
                      (B) Strategic plan and training.--In carrying out 
                  the program under this paragraph, the Administrator, in 
                  coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall--
                              (i) develop a strategic plan to incorporate 
                          import and entry agricultural inspectors into 
                          the infrastructure protecting food, fiber, 
                          forests, bioenergy, and the environment of the 
                          United States from animal and plant pests, 
                          diseases, and noxious weeds; and
                              (ii) as part of the plan under clause (i), 
                          provide training for import and entry 
                          agricultural inspectors participating in the 
                          program not less frequently than once each year 
                          to improve inspection skills.
      (f) Duties of Secretary.--
              (1) In general.--The Secretary of Agriculture (referred to 
          in this subsection as the ``Secretary'') shall--
                      (A) develop standard operating procedures for 
                  inspection, monitoring, and auditing relating to import 
                  and entry agricultural inspections, in accordance with 
                  recommendations from the Comptroller General of the 
                  United States and reports of interagency advisory 
                  groups, as applicable; and
                      (B) ensure that the Animal and Plant Health 
                  Inspection Service has a national electronic system 
                  with real-time tracking capability for monitoring, 
                  tracking, and reporting inspection activities of the 
                  Service.
              (2) Federal and state cooperation.--
                      (A) Communication system.--The Secretary shall 
                  develop and maintain an integrated, real-time 
                  communication system with respect to import and entry 
                  agricultural inspections to alert State departments of 
                  agriculture of significant inspection findings of the 
                  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
                      (B) Advisory committee.--
                              (i) Establishment.--The Secretary shall 
                          establish a committee, to be known as the 
                          ``International Trade Inspection Advisory 
                          Committee'' (referred to in this subparagraph 
                          as the ``committee''), to advise the Secretary 
                          on policies and other issues relating to import 
                          and entry agricultural inspection.
                              (ii) Model.--In establishing the committee, 
                          the Secretary shall use as a model the 
                          Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee.
                              (iii) Membership.--The committee shall be 
                          composed of members representing--
                                      (I) State departments of 
                                  agriculture;
                                      (II) directors of ports and 
                                  airports in the United States;
                                      (III) the transportation industry;
                                      (IV) the public; and
                                      (V) such other entities as the 
                                  Secretary determines to be appropriate.
              (3) Report.--Not less frequently than once each year, the 
          Secretary shall submit to Congress a report containing an 
          assessment of--
                      (A) the resource needs for import and entry 
                  agricultural inspection, including the number of 
                  inspectors required;
                      (B) the adequacy of--
                              (i) inspection and monitoring procedures 
                          and facilities in the United States; and
                              (ii) the strategic plan developed under 
                          subsection (e)(5)(B)(i); and
                      (C) new and potential technologies and practices, 
                  including recommendations regarding the technologies 
                  and practices, to improve import and entry agricultural 
                  inspection.
              (4) Funding.--The Secretary shall pay the costs of each 
          import and entry agricultural inspector employed by the Animal 
          and Plant Health Inspection Service--
                      (A) from amounts made available to the Department 
                  of Agriculture for the applicable fiscal year; or
                      (B) if amounts described in subparagraph (A) are 
                  unavailable, from amounts of the Commodity Credit 
                  Corporation.
      (g) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section take 
  effect on the date that is 180 days after the date of enactment of this 
  Act.
  
  SEC. 4. REPORTS OF TRADE ADVISORY COMMITTEES.
  
      Whenever the Agricultural Policy Committee on Trade or the 
  Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee on Trade in Fruits and 
  Vegetables, established under section 135 of the Trade Act of 1974, 
  provides any recommendations to the United States Trade Representative, 
  that committee shall at the same time provide those recommendations to 
  the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Ways and Means of the 
  House of Representatives and to the Committee on Agriculture and the 
  Committee on Finance of the Senate.
  
  SEC. 5. REPORT ON FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE STAFFING LEVELS FOR 
                MONITORING OTHER COUNTRIES' COMPLIANCE WITH TRADE 
                AGREEMENTS.
  
      Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
  the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to Congress a report--
              (1) evaluating the ability of the Foreign Agricultural 
          Service to adequately monitor other countries' compliance with 
          the terms of the Uruguay Round Agreements and the terms of 
          other agreements (including NAFTA and other bilateral 
          agreements) to ensure that the United States realizes the full 
          benefits of these agreements as they relate to agricultural 
          commodities; and
              (2) containing the recommending of the Secretary regarding 
          whether current vacancies in the monitoring office of the 
          Foreign Agricultural Service should be filled.
  
  SEC. 6. FEASIBILITY REPORT REGARDING EXPORT INDEMNIFICATION FOR 
                UNSUBSIDIZED COMMODITIES.
  
      Not later than January 1, 2008, the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
  submit to Congress a report evaluating the feasibility and cost of 
  establishing an indemnity program for exporters of articles classified 
  under chapters 7 and 8 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United 
  States that will provide compensation to those exporters when they 
  comply fully with United States export and foreign country import 
  requirements for the articles, but the articles are wrongfully denied 
  entry into the foreign country.
  
  SEC. 7. TREATMENT OF UNSUBSIDIZED COMMODITIES UNDER AGREEMENT ON 
                AGRICULTURE.
  
      The United States Trade Representative shall propose in the Doha 
  Round of negotiations conducted under the auspices of the World Trade 
  Organization that all articles classified under chapters 7 and 8 of the 
  Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States be excluded from 
  coverage under article 13 of the Agreement on Agriculture referred to 
  in section 101(d)(2) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 
  3511(d)(2)).
  
  SEC. 8. SPECIAL EXPORT CREDIT GUARANTEE PROGRAM.
  
      The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish and maintain a program 
  of export credits that is, as nearly as may be, identical to the 
  program administered under sections 1493.400 through 1493.530 of title 
  7, Code of Federal Regulations, except that--
              (1) either an exporter to, or an importer in, a foreign 
          place shall be eligible for a credit guarantee;
              (2) the guarantee shall be for a period of 45 days 
          beginning on the date of issuance of the guarantee; and
              (3) the cost of the guarantee shall not exceed 45 cents for 
          each $100 of coverage purchased.
  
  SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION LEVELS FOR EMERGING MARKET CREDIT PROGRAM.
  
      Section 1542 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act 
  of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5622 note) is amended--
              (1) in subsections (a) and (d)(1)(A)(i) by striking 
          ``2007'' and inserting ``2013''; and
              (2) in subsections (a) and (d) (1)(H) by striking 
          $10,000,000'' and inserting ``$20,000,000''.
  
  SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.
  
      In this Act:
              (1) NAFTA.--The term ``NAFTA'' means the North American 
          Free Trade Agreement.
              (2) Uruguay round agreements.--The term ``Uruguay Round 
          Agreements'' means the agreements referred to in section 101(d) 
          of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 3511(d)).
target: United States Specialty Crop Export Opportunities Act of 2007 - Amends the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to regulate plants, plant products, biological control organisms, and noxious weeds for export purposes.
  
  Directs the Secretary to: (1) coordinate fruit and vegetable market analyses with the private sector and the Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service; and (2) make publicly available on an Internet website the status of all export petitions and an explanation of the sanitary or phytosanitary issues associated with each pending export petition, and information on the import requirements of foreign countries for fruits and vegetables.
  
  Amends the Homeland Security Act to repeal the transfer of agricultural import and entry inspection functions from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
  
  Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) within the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service the international agricultural inspection program to carry out import and entry agricultural inspections; (2) a federal-state agricultural inspection communications system; (3) the International Trade Inspection Advisory Committee; and (4) a special export credit guarantee program.
  
  Amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to extend: (1) the promotion of agricultural exports to emerging markets program; and (2) the E. (Kika) de la Garza Agricultural Fellowship program.
feat_title: To provide for assistance to United States exporters of certain fruits and vegetables in order to ensure better access to foreign markets.