H.R. 3656 — To amend the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to waive the matching funds requirement under the specialty crop research initiative, and for other purposes.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to waive, for grants awarded on or after the date of enactment, the matching funds requirement applicable to the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI). (As background, SCRI establishes a competitive grant program within USDA to develop and disseminate science-based tools addressing critical needs of the specialty crop industry—such as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery crops, and horticulture—through research in plant breeding and genetics; pest and disease management; production efficiency; and labor-saving technologies.)