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.

HR 3656 amends the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 to allow the Secretary of Agriculture to waive the matching funds requirement for grants under the Specialty Crop Research Initiative. This directly affects specialty crop researchers and institutions applying for these grants, as they would no longer be required to provide their own matching funds for awards made after the bill's enactment. The key provision adds a new subsection (C) to Section 412(g)(3), authorizing the Secretary to grant waivers for matching funds on a case-by-case basis. The change simplifies funding access for specialty crop research projects without altering the initiative's core purpose. This is a procedural adjustment to grant administration, not a policy change to research priorities.