May 21, 2025
Ms. Hirono (for herself and Mr. Moran) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
To amend the Research Facilities Act 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)
agriculture and related industries—
(A)
contributed $1,530,000,000,000 to the gross domestic product of the United States (5.6 percent of the total gross domestic product of the United States) in 2023; and
(B)
provided 22,000,000 jobs domestically (10.4 percent of total employment in the United States) in 2022;
(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:
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:
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 $1,000,000,000, 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 are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as are necessary 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
.