H.R. 5562 — Tropical Plant Health Initiative Act

This section adds a new high-priority research and extension area—tropical plant health initiative—to the list of areas eligible for competitive specialized research and extension grants (7 U.S.C. 5925(d)). The initiative supports developing science-based tools and treatments to combat pests and noxious weeds affecting tropical plants (e.g., coffee, macadamia, cacao, plantains and bananas, mangos, floriculture and nursery crops, vanilla, and others determined by the Secretary of Agriculture); establishing areawide integrated pest management programs; surveying and collecting data on production and health; investigating biology, immunology, ecology, genomics, and bioinformatics; and researching plant immune systems and other threats. This section also extends the authorization of appropriations for the grants program through 2030 (from 2023).