7 U.S.C. § 2255b: Department of Agriculture conference transparency

Not later than September 30 of each year, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, a report on conferences sponsored or held by the Department of Agriculture or attended by employees of the Department of Agriculture. the name of the conference; the location of the conference; the number of Department of Agriculture employees attending the conference; and the costs (including travel expenses) relating to such conference; and for each conference sponsored or held by the Department of Agriculture for which the Department awarded a procurement contract, a description of the contracting procedures related to such conference. for which the cost to the Federal Government was less than $50,000; or outside of the United States that is attended by the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee as an official representative of the United States government. Each report submitted in accordance with subsection (a) shall be posted in a searchable format on a Department of Agriculture website that is available to the public. is held for consultation, education, awareness, or discussion; includes participants from at least one agency of the Department of Agriculture; is held in whole or in part at a facility outside of an agency of the Department of Agriculture; and involves costs associated with travel and lodging for some participants; and does not include any training program that is continuing education or a curriculum-based educational program, provided that such training program is held independent of a conference of a non-governmental organization.