H.R. 4832

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4832 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4832

To amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to improve 
the biobased markets program, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

August 1, 2025

Mr. Alford (for himself, Ms. McDonald Rivet, Mr. Messmer, and Ms. 
Craig) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight 
and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to improve 
the biobased markets program, 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 ``Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES.

(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) biobased products provide additional markets for farm 
commodities, reducing the reliance of the United States on 
petroleum and increasing the use of renewable agricultural 
resources while driving rural economic development and growth;
(2) United States farmers produce feedstock used to produce 
a variety of biobased products, including personal care 
products, industrial paints solvents, construction materials, 
and apparels and textiles;
(3) the BioPreferred Program of the Department of 
Agriculture is designed to increase the purchase and use of 
biobased products through a mandatory Federal purchasing 
initiative and a voluntary labeling initiative, thereby 
supporting additional markets for agricultural commodities and 
rural economic development;
(4) according to the Department of Agriculture, there are 
approximately 15,000 biobased products participating in the 
BioPreferred Program, with approximately 2,600 biobased 
products authorized to display the ``USDA Certified Biobased 
Product'' label under the voluntary labeling initiative;
(5) there were 3,940,000 people employed in the United 
States biobased products industry in 2021;
(6) the value-added contribution of the biobased products 
industry to the economy grew even through the COVID-19 
pandemic, from $470,000,000,000 in 2017 to $489,000,000,000 in 
2021; and
(7) each job in the biobased products industry supports an 
estimated 1.4 jobs in other sectors of the economy.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to recognize the value that biobased products bring to 
agriculture in the United States;
(2) to support domestic manufacturing of biobased products 
made from agricultural commodities, including corn and 
soybeans;
(3) to expand the role of the Department of Agriculture in 
the promotion of biobased products;
(4) to build on procurement programs administered by the 
Department of Agriculture to increase Federal purchasing of 
biobased products;
(5) to strengthen domestic manufacturing of biobased 
products; and
(6) to make a national commitment to the rural and 
agricultural economies of the United States.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

Section 9001 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 
(7 U.S.C. 8101) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (6), (7) 
through (12), and (13) through (17) as paragraphs (7) through 
(9), (11) through (16), and (18) through (22), respectively;
(2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
``(4) Bio-attributed plastic.--The term `bio-attributed 
plastic' means a plastic product that is a bioproduct and not a 
biobased product.
``(5) Bio-attributed product.--
``(A) In general.--The term `bio-attributed 
product' means a product that is determined by the 
Secretary to be a commercial or industrial product 
(other than food or feed) that is produced from or 
composed of (in whole or in part) biological products, 
including a material or compound subsequently used to 
make a more complex compound or product.
``(B) Biological product.--For purposes of 
subparagraph (A), the term `biological product' 
includes a product that contains, in whole or in part, 
renewable agricultural material, a plant-based product, 
animal-derived material, or forestry material.
``(6) Biobased plastic.--The term `biobased plastic' means 
a plastic product that is a biobased product.'';
(3) by inserting after paragraph (9) (as so redesignated) 
the following:
``(10) Bioproduct.--The term `bioproduct' means--
``(A) a biobased product; or
``(B) a bio-attributed product.''; and
(4) by inserting after paragraph (16) (as so redesignated) 
the following:
``(17) Plant-based product.--The term `plant-based product' 
means a product (other than food or feed) that--
``(A) is composed, in whole or in significant part, 
of materials produced by plants or other organisms 
through photosynthesis; and
``(B) is a biobased product.''.

SEC. 4. BIOBASED MARKETS PROGRAM.

Section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 
(7 U.S.C. 8102) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)(i)--
(I) in subclause (II)(bb), by 
striking ``and'' at the end;
(II) in subclause (III), by 
striking the period at the end and 
inserting ``; and''; and
(III) by adding at the end the 
following:
``(IV) on an annual basis, update 
the procurement requirement described 
in subclause (III) by increasing the 
number of biobased-only contracts or 
the volume purchased under those 
contracts from the previous year.'';
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
clause (iii) and inserting the following:
``(iii) are available only at a price that 
exceeds the price premium established under 
paragraph (3)(B)(viii) for those items.''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(G) Guidance.--The Secretary, in coordination 
with the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, shall 
issue guidance to procuring agencies to consider 
product lifespan, savings, and efficacy when making 
procurement decisions under this subsection.'';
(B) in paragraph (3)(B)--
(i) in clause (vii), by striking ``and'' at 
the end;
(ii) by redesignating clause (viii) as 
clause (ix); and
(iii) by inserting after clause (vii) the 
following:
``(viii) establish price premiums for 
different types of biobased products; and''; 
and
(C) in paragraph (4)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)--
(I) by striking clause (ii); and
(II) by redesignating clauses (iii) 
and (iv) as clauses (ii) and (iii), 
respectively;
(ii) in subparagraph (B)(i)--
(I) in the matter preceding 
subclause (I)--
(aa) by inserting ``and the 
Secretary'' after ``Policy''; 
and
(bb) by striking 
``information concerning--'' 
and inserting ``a report that 
describes, for the year covered 
by the report--'';
(II) in subclause (I), by inserting 
``, including the actions taken by the 
procuring agency to establish and 
implement the biobased procurement 
program of the procuring agency under 
that paragraph'' before the semicolon;
(III) in subclause (IV), by 
striking ``and'' at the end;
(IV) in subclause (V), by striking 
``and'' at the end; and
(V) by adding at the end the 
following:
``(VI)(aa) the specific categories 
of biobased products that are 
unavailable to meet the procurement 
needs of the procuring agency; and
``(bb) the desired performance 
standards and other relevant 
specifications for those products; and
``(VII) if applicable, the 
procurement requirement or updated 
procurement requirement established 
under paragraph (2)(A)(i) that the 
procuring agency failed to meet and 
reasons for the failure; and''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(D) Verification.--The Office of Federal 
Procurement Policy, in consultation with the Secretary, 
shall--
``(i) annually collect the information 
required to be reported under subparagraph (B) 
and make the information publicly available; 
and
``(ii) annually verify, using the 
information collected under subparagraph (B), 
that each procuring agency under paragraph 
(2)(A)(i), as applicable, has established a 
procurement program in accordance with 
subclause (I) of that paragraph.
``(E) Training.--
``(i) In general.--Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this 
subparagraph, each procuring agency shall have 
completed training on biobased product 
purchasing for the appropriate staff of the 
procuring agency, including contracting 
officers, purchase card managers, and purchase 
card holders.
``(ii) Materials.--The Office of Federal 
Procurement Policy, in cooperation with the 
Secretary, shall provide training materials for 
procuring agencies conducting training pursuant 
to clause (i).
``(F) Federal catalog updates.--Not later than 2 
years after the date of the enactment of this 
subparagraph, the Administrator for Federal Procurement 
Policy, in cooperation with the Secretary, shall--
``(i) direct the Administrator of General 
Services to update the Federal Procurement Data 
System described in section 1122(a)(4) of title 
41, United States Code, or any successor 
system, to include biobased product 
designations;
``(ii) direct that the System for Award 
Management collect biobased product purchasing 
data;
``(iii) direct that Federal online 
procurement systems, including GSA Advantage! 
and FedMall, include designations for products 
that meet the guidelines under paragraph (3);
``(iv) require, to the maximum extent 
practicable, that Federal online procurement 
systems, including GSA Advantage! and FedMall, 
use North American Industry Classification 
System codes, North American Product 
Classification System-based product codes, and 
other product codes, as determined in 
consultation with the Secretary, when 
identifying products that meet the guidelines 
under paragraph (3); and
``(v) require agencies with online Federal 
sales platforms to include reporting of these 
purchases in their reporting on products that 
meet the guidelines under paragraph (3).'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (3), by adding at the end the 
following:
``(C) Unauthorized use.--Not later than 120 days 
after the date of enactment of this subparagraph, the 
Secretary shall, in coordination with the Inspector 
General of the Department of Agriculture, notify the 
public of how to report an instance of unauthorized use 
of the label described in paragraph (1).''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(5) Public marketing and education.--The Secretary may 
conduct outreach to educate the public on and promote the use 
of biobased products, including by--
``(A) conducting outreach to small businesses 
producing biobased products that seek a label under 
this subsection;
``(B) providing information about biobased product 
procurement preferences to State procurement agencies; 
and
``(C) establishing public-private partnerships to 
further increase awareness and use of biobased 
products.
``(6) Acceptance and use of contributions.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary may establish an 
account to accept contributions of non-Federal funds to 
carry out public marketing and education under 
paragraph (5).
``(B) Deposit and use of contributions.--
Contributions of non-Federal funds received to carry 
out the activities under paragraph (5) shall--
``(i) be deposited into the account 
established under this paragraph for those 
activities;
``(ii) be available to and subject to the 
control of the Secretary, without further 
appropriation and until expended, to carry out 
those activities; and
``(iii) supplement any funding made 
available under subsection (k) and allocated by 
the Secretary for those activities.
``(7) Report.--Not later than December 31, 2025, and 
annually thereafter, the Secretary shall make publicly 
available on the website of the Department of Agriculture and 
submit to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 
of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
Representatives a report that includes--
``(A) a list of the biobased products that were 
authorized to use the label described in paragraph (1) 
during the preceding fiscal year;
``(B) a description of the audit and compliance 
activities conducted under paragraph (3)(B) during the 
preceding fiscal year, including any findings of 
noncompliance and any actions taken by the Secretary to 
address the noncompliance;
``(C)(i) a description of the public marketing and 
education conducted by the Secretary under paragraph 
(5); and
``(ii) a plan for conducting public marketing and 
education under that paragraph for the following two 
fiscal years that is designed to increase the use of 
the label described in paragraph (1) and the purchase 
of biobased products; and
``(D) the total amount of contributions of non-
Federal funds accepted into the account established 
under paragraph (6).'';
(3) in subsection (f)(1), in the matter preceding 
subparagraph (A), by striking ``The Secretary and the Secretary 
of Commerce shall jointly'' and inserting ``The Secretary of 
Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary, shall'';
(4) in subsection (j)(3)--
(A) in subparagraph (A)--
(i) in clause (v), by striking ``; and'' 
and inserting ``, including greenhouse gas 
emissions reduced and avoided;'';
(ii) in clause (vi), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(vii) identifying available industry 
methodologies to establish a lifecycle 
greenhouse gas emissions assessment methodology 
for biobased products.''; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``this 
subparagraph'' and inserting ``the Biomanufacturing and 
Jobs Act of 2025 and every 5 years thereafter'';
(5) in subsection (k), by striking ``2023'' each place it 
appears and inserting ``2031''; and
(6) in subsection (l)--
(A) by striking ``In this section'' and inserting 
the following:
``(1) In general.--In this section''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) Standard.--
``(A) In general.--To determine the contents of 
biobased products, the Secretary shall use--
``(i) the most recent version of the ASTM-
D-6866 standard of ASTM International; or
``(ii) any alternative standard that the 
Secretary determines appropriate.
``(B) Administrative procedure act.--In carrying 
out subparagraph (A)(ii), the Secretary shall, to the 
maximum extent practicable, comply with the 
requirements for a Federal agency issuing a rule under 
chapter 5 of title 5, United States Code (commonly 
referred to as the `Administrative Procedure Act').
``(C) Stakeholder input.--Prior to issuing any rule 
or guidance pursuant to this subsection, the Secretary 
shall consult with stakeholders that the Secretary 
determines relevant, such as farmers, feedstock 
suppliers and handlers, and biomanufacturers, regarding 
the potential impact of the rule or guidance on the 
relevant industry.''.

SEC. 5. BIOBASED TASK FORCE.

Title IX of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 is 
amended by inserting after section 9003 (7 U.S.C. 8103) the following:

``SEC. 9004. BIOBASED TASK FORCE.

``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a task force 
(referred to in this section as the `task force')--
``(1) to coordinate programs and activities within the 
Department of Agriculture relating to the research, 
development, promotion, marketing, and analysis of biobased 
products, including to support the use of agricultural 
commodities and forest products in biobased products;
``(2) to maximize the resources allocated towards the 
research, development, promotion, marketing, and analysis of 
biobased products by the Department of Agriculture;
``(3) to determine the effectiveness of the programs and 
activities described in paragraph (1); and
``(4) to make recommendations for improvements to those 
programs and activities.
``(b) Membership.--The task force shall be composed of not less 
than 1 representative from each of the following mission areas or 
offices of the Department of Agriculture:
``(1) The rural development mission area.
``(2) The National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
``(3) The Economic Research Service.
``(4) The Agricultural Research Service.
``(5) The National Agricultural Statistics Service.
``(6) The Office of the Chief Scientist.
``(7) The Office of the Chief Economist.
``(8) The Office of Energy Policy and New Uses.
``(9) Any other mission area or office with 
responsibilities relating to the research, development, 
promotion, marketing, or analysis of biobased products.
``(c) Lead Mission Area.--The rural development mission area of the 
Department of Agriculture shall be the lead mission area for the task 
force.
``(d) Process for Public Input.--The task force shall establish a 
process for public input to help inform the determination of the task 
force under subsection (a)(3) of the effectiveness of the programs and 
activities described in subsection (a)(1).
``(e) Study and Report.--
``(1) In general.--The task force shall conduct a study 
that--
``(A) identifies any existing programs and 
activities of the Department of Agriculture that may 
offer new opportunities to advance the research, 
development, promotion, marketing, and analysis of 
biobased products; and
``(B) describes those new opportunities and how 
those programs and activities may be used to advance 
and support the research, development, promotion, 
marketing, and analysis of biobased products.
``(2) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
enactment of the Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act of 2025, the 
task force shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on 
Agriculture of the House of Representatives a report that 
describes--
``(A) a summary of the work conducted by the task 
force;
``(B) the findings of the study conducted under 
paragraph (1); and
``(C) recommendations for improvements to the 
programs and activities described in subsection (a)(1) 
and identified under paragraph (1)(A).
``(f) Termination.--The task force shall terminate on the date that 
is 4 years after the date of enactment of the Biomanufacturing and Jobs 
Act of 2025.
``(g) Nonapplicability.--Chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code, 
shall not apply to the task force.''.

SEC. 6. BIOPRODUCT LABELING.

(a) In General.--Title IX of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 
Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8101 et seq.) is amended by inserting after 
section 9008 the following:

``SEC. 9009. BIOPRODUCTS.

``(a) Definition of Covered Term.--In this section, the term 
`covered term' means each of the following terms:
``(1) Bio-attributed plastic.
``(2) Bio-attributed product.
``(3) Biobased plastic.
``(4) Biobased product.
``(5) Intermediate ingredient or feedstock.
``(6) Plant-based product.
``(7) Renewable biomass.
``(8) Renewable chemical.
``(b) Alternate Definitions.--For the purposes of this section 
only, the Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator, may, for 
any covered term, adopt an alternative definition to the definition 
given the term under this title.
``(c) Prohibition.--It shall be unlawful to sell or label a product 
using a covered term that does not meet, as applicable--
``(1) the definition of that term under this title; or
``(2) the alternate definition adopted by the Secretary for 
that covered term under subsection (b).
``(d) Confidentiality.--For purposes of enforcing subsection (c), 
except as directed by the Secretary or the Attorney General, no 
officer, employee, or agent of the United States shall make available 
to the public any information, statistic, or document obtained from, or 
made available by, any person under this title other than in a manner 
that ensures that confidentiality is preserved regarding--
``(1) the identity of all relevant persons (including 
parties to a contract); and
``(2) proprietary business information.''.
<all>