S. 3637

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3637 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3637

To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching 
Policy Act of 1977 to reauthorize the Agriculture Advanced Research and 
Development Authority, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 14, 2026

Mr. Marshall (for himself and Mr. Bennet) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching 
Policy Act of 1977 to reauthorize the Agriculture Advanced Research and 
Development Authority, 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 ``Advancing Cutting Edge Agriculture 
Act of 2026'' or the ``ACE Agriculture Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. AGRICULTURE ADVANCED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.

Section 1473H of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and 
Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3319k) is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``pilot'';
(2) in subsection (a)(6)(A), by striking ``growing,'' and 
inserting ``growing (including water conservation technologies 
and innovation),'';
(3) in subsection (b)--
(A) by striking ``pilot program'' each place it 
appears and inserting ``program'';
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (B)--
(I) by inserting ``the long-term 
and high-risk technological'' before 
``barriers''; and
(II) by striking ``and resilience 
to extreme weather;'' and inserting 
``water conservation, the reduction, 
avoidance, sequestration, or mitigation 
of greenhouse gas emissions from the 
agriculture sector, and resilience to 
extreme weather, drought, infectious 
diseases, plant and animal pathogens, 
and plant and animal pests;''; and
(ii) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``or 
economic cost'' before the period at the end;
(C) in paragraph (3)(B)--
(i) in clause (ii), in the matter preceding 
subclause (I), by striking ``advise the Chief 
Scientist on, and''; and
(ii) by striking clause (iii) and inserting 
the following:
``(iii) Relationship within the department 
of agriculture.--
``(I) Chief scientist.--The 
Director shall work in close 
collaboration with the Office of the 
Chief Scientist.
``(II) Other programs.--No other 
official who is the head of any other 
program of the Department of 
Agriculture shall report to the 
Director.''; and
(D) in paragraph (9), by striking the paragraph 
designation and heading and all that follows through 
``In carrying out'' and inserting the following:
``(9) Personnel matters.--
``(A) In general.--The Director shall establish and 
maintain within the AGARDA a staff with sufficient 
qualifications and expertise to enable the AGARDA to 
carry out the responsibilities of the AGARDA under this 
section in conjunction with other operations of the 
Department of Agriculture.
``(B) Use of existing personnel authorities.--In 
carrying out'';
(4) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following:
``(4) Use of strategic plan.--The Secretary shall use the 
strategic plan developed under paragraph (1) and dated 2022 to 
inform the administration of the AGARDA under this section.'';
(5) in subsection (d)--
(A) by redesignating subparagraph (C) of paragraph 
(2) as paragraph (5), indenting appropriately, and 
moving the paragraph so as to appear after paragraph 
(3);
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``$50,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023'' and inserting 
``$100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 
2031'';
(C) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
``(4) Other funding.--In addition to amounts otherwise made 
available to carry out this section, the Secretary may use to 
carry out this section other unobligated funds available to the 
Secretary for any other purpose.''; and
(D) in paragraph (5) (as redesignated by 
subparagraph (A)), by striking ``this paragraph'' and 
inserting ``paragraph (2) or (4)''; and
(6) by striking subsection (e).
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