The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominees to fill 14 positions as members on the Plant Variety Protection Board. Individuals appointed to the board will serve two-year terms beginning Oct. 1, 2022, and ending Sept. 31, 2024. The board is an advisory committee established in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
Members of the board are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture in accordance with the Plant Variety Protection Act. The duties of the board are to advise the Secretary concerning the adoption of rules and regulations to facilitate the proper administration of the Act; make advisory decisions for the Secretary on appeals concerning decisions on applications by the Plant Variety Protection Office (PVPO) and on requests for emergency public-interest compulsory licenses; and advise the Secretary on any other matters under the rules and regulations. The PVPO also seeks assistance from the board for advice on procedural matters.
For nominating information, contact the Plant Variety Protection Office at (202) 260-8983 or PVPOmail@usda.gov.
AMS encourages all eligible persons to seek nomination for a seat on the Plant Variety Protection Board.
AMS policy is that diversity of the board should reflect the diversity of its industries in terms of the experience of members, methods of production and distribution, marketing strategies, and other distinguishing factors, including but not limited individuals from historically underserved communities, that will bring different perspectives and ideas to the table. Throughout the full nomination process, the industry must conduct extensive outreach, paying particular attention to reaching underserved communities, and consider the diversity of the population served and the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the members to serve a diverse population.
More information about the board is available on AMS’s Plant Variety Protection Office webpage.
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