[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3568 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3568
To amend the Research Facilities Act and the Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 to address deferred
maintenance at agricultural research facilities, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 21, 2025
Ms. Schrier (for herself and Mr. Mann) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Research Facilities Act and the Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 to address deferred
maintenance at agricultural research facilities, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Augmenting Research and Educational
Sites to Ensure Agriculture Remains Cutting-edge and Helpful Act'' or
the ``AG RESEARCH Act''.
SEC. 2. AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FACILITIES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) in 2019, agriculture and related industries--
(A) contributed $1,109,000,000,000 to the gross
domestic product of the United States (5.2 percent of
the total gross domestic product of the United States);
and
(B) provided 22,200,000 jobs domestically (10.9
percent of total employment in the United States);
(2) the National Institute of Food and Agriculture provides
more than $1,700,000,000 in research funding each year to
schools of agriculture;
(3) a study published in 2015 found that deferred
maintenance needs at 91 schools of agriculture across the
United States totaled $8,400,000,000, with a total replacement
cost of $29,000,000,000;
(4) a study published in 2021 found that deferred
maintenance needs at schools of agriculture across the United
States had increased to $11,500,000,000, with a total
replacement cost of $38,100,000,000; and
(5) infrastructure investments must be made at schools of
agriculture to ensure that United States agricultural research
remains globally competitive.
(b) Evaluation of Proposals.--Section 3(d) of the Research
Facilities Act (7 U.S.C. 390a(d)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as paragraphs
(2) and (3), respectively; and
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so redesignated)
the following:
``(1) review the proposal in consultation with
representatives of National Institute of Food and Agriculture
peer review panels;''.
(c) Grants for Agricultural Research Facilities.--Section 4 of the
Research Facilities Act (7 U.S.C. 390b) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FACILITIES.
``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to assist
agricultural research facilities in efforts to alter or repair those
facilities or equipment of the facilities necessary for conducting
agricultural research.
``(b) Grant Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish in the
National Institute of Food and Agriculture a competitive grant
program to provide to agricultural research facilities the
Federal share of the cost of the construction, alteration,
acquisition, modernization, renovation, or remodeling of--
``(A) the agricultural research facilities; or
``(B) equipment of the agricultural research
facilities necessary for conducting agricultural
research.
``(2) Secretarial waiver.--Notwithstanding section
3(c)(2)(A), the Secretary may provide that the Federal share
described in paragraph (1) is up to 100 percent of the costs
described in that paragraph on a case-by-case basis, as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate.
``(c) Requirements.--
``(1) Amount; terms and conditions.--Grants awarded under
this section shall be in such amounts and under such terms and
conditions as the Secretary determines are necessary to carry
out the purpose of this section.
``(2) Equitable distribution.--To the maximum extent
practicable, grants shall be awarded under this section to
ensure--
``(A) an equitable geographic distribution of
funds;
``(B) an equitable distribution of funds to diverse
institutions;
``(C) an equitable distribution of funds to
institutions with diverse areas of study within
agricultural science; and
``(D) an equitable distribution of funds to
agricultural research facilities of various sizes.
``(3) Limitation.--Not greater than 20 percent of amounts
made available to carry out this section shall be awarded to
projects in any 1 State.
``(4) Administration.--In carrying out this section, the
Secretary shall establish procedures for--
``(A) the submission of proposals for competitive
grants; and
``(B) in consultation with representatives of
National Institute of Food and Agriculture peer review
panels, the review and selection of proposals submitted
under subparagraph (A).''.
(d) Funding.--Section 6 of the Research Facilities Act (7 U.S.C.
390d) is amended--
(1) by striking the section designation and heading and all
that follows through the end of subsection (a) and inserting
the following:
``SEC. 6. FUNDING AND LIMITATIONS ON USE OF FUNDS.
``(a) Funding.--
``(1) Mandatory funding.--
``(A) In general.--Subject to subsections (b)
through (d), but notwithstanding any other provision of
law, on October 1, 2025, and on each October 1
thereafter through October 1, 2029, out of any funds in
the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the Secretary
of the Treasury shall transfer to the Secretary to
carry out section 4 $500,000,000, to remain available
until expended.
``(B) Receipt and acceptance.--The Secretary shall
be entitled to receive, shall accept, and shall use to
carry out section 4 the funds transferred under
paragraph (1), without further appropriation.
``(2) Authorization of appropriations.--In addition to
amounts made available under paragraph (1), subject to
subsections (b) through (d), there is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary not more than $1,000,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030, to remain available
until expended, for the study, plan, design, structure, and
related costs of agricultural research facilities under this
Act.''; and
(2) in subsection (b), by inserting ``Federal'' before
``administration''.
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