H.R. 3568

[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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