[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5925 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5925

   To provide for Federal research, development, demonstration, and 
 commercial application activities to enable the development of farms 
that are net producers of both food and energy, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 27, 2006

   Mr. Bartlett of Maryland introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Science, and in addition to the Committee 
   on Agriculture, 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 provide for Federal research, development, demonstration, and 
 commercial application activities to enable the development of farms 
that are net producers of both food and energy, 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. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) the productivity of the ``green revolution'' has been 
        fueled by abundant, low cost fossil fuels providing raw 
        material and energy for fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides, 
        and for powering mechanization, thereby multiplying farm worker 
        output;
            (2) farm worker productivity is based on the input of large 
        quantities of fossil fuel based energy and chemicals, with 
        typically an input of as much as 10 fossil calories used to 
        produce a calorie of food output;
            (3) food production in this manner cannot be sustained if 
        fossil fuels are depleted and become increasingly costly and 
        scarce, and biofuels are not a viable alternative if their 
        production consumes more energy than they contain;
            (4) reduction of energy consumption through maximum 
        efficiency is a prerequisite to sustainable reliance on 
        renewable resources at an affordable scale; and
            (5) for over a century, agriculture extension has shown 
        that demonstration of viable techniques and technologies is a 
        powerful force for their adoption and promotion.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a regional, State, local, or tribal agency;
                    (B) a nonprofit organization or institution that 
                farms or provides farm or educational services to 
                persons or organizations that own or operate farms;
                    (C) a farm or farmer or for-profit corporation that 
                farms, or group of such farms, farmers, or 
                corporations, at least 50 percent of the gross revenue 
                of which is derived from the sale of food or fiber 
                grown on the farm, if the acreage under their control, 
                individually and collectively, whether through 
                ownership or leasehold interests, is less than 160 
                acres; and
                    (D) institutions of higher education, as defined in 
                section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1001(a)).
            (2) Renewable energy.--The term ``renewable energy'' means 
        energy obtained from a resource in a manner capable of being 
        indefinitely sustained or replenished.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.
            (4) Self-powered farm.--The term ``self-powered farm'' 
        means a farm or collection of farms that--
                    (A) is capable of independence from offsite sources 
                of energy, fuel, and raw materials for fuel;
                    (B) is a community resource for--
                            (i) food; and
                            (ii) energy, fuel, or raw materials for 
                        fuel;
                    (C) minimizes or eliminates ongoing operating 
                expenditures to offsite entities for fossil fuel-
                derived energy;
                    (D) employs sustainable farming practices for long 
                term soil fertility; and
                    (E) produces at least 2 times as much energy, 
                including fuel or raw materials for fuel, as it 
                consumes both on site and in the transfer of farm 
                products to market.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES RECOMMENDATIONS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall enter into an arrangement with 
the National Academy of Sciences for--
            (1) the development of recommendations for appropriate 
        evaluation measures and criteria for the programs under this 
        Act; and
            (2) an evaluation of the feasibility of prize and best 
        practices award programs as tools to promote self-powered 
        farms, and recommendations for how to carry out such programs, 
        if feasible.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit to the Congress a report 
containing the recommendations and evaluation described in subsection 
(a).

SEC. 4. RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

    The Secretary shall establish a program, taking into account the 
recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences under section 3, 
for the research, development, demonstration, and commercial 
application of energy technologies or other technologies that have the 
potential to increase energy efficiency or otherwise to enable self-
powered farms. The Secretary shall award grants under this section to 
eligible entities, or consortia thereof, on a competitive basis. The 
Secretary shall encourage participation in the program under this 
section through the Agricultural Cooperative Extension System.

SEC. 5. STATE AGRICULTURAL DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM AWARDS.

    The Secretary shall establish a program, taking into account the 
recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences under section 3, 
for making awards to not more than 30 State agricultural research 
programs for the demonstration in a farm setting of the integration of 
technologies developed under section 4, or other technologies, in a 
manner that best achieves the goal of self-powered farms.

SEC. 6. LOAN PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall provide, on a competitive 
basis, low-cost revolving loans and loan guarantees to eligible 
entities for the commercial application of energy technologies or other 
technologies that will contribute to the goal of establishing self-
powered farms.
    (b) Preferences.--In providing loans or loan guarantees under this 
section, the Secretary shall give preference to applicants who propose 
to derive the highest proportion of their energy needs from 
technologies that use biobased feedstocks or other renewable energy 
sources. The Secretary shall give highest preference to applicants who 
propose to meet their energy needs from biobased feedstocks or other 
renewable energy sources produced on that farm.
    (c) Oversight.--The Secretary shall establish procedures to enable 
the Secretary to oversee the operation of projects supported by loans 
or loan guarantees under this section, to ensure that such projects are 
operated consistent with the goals and requirements of this Act.
    (d) Loan Amount.--The amount of a loan under this section shall not 
exceed 80 percent of the cost of the project for which the loan is 
provided.
    (e) Guarantee Amount.--The Secretary shall not guarantee under this 
section more than 80 percent of the principal of any loan.

SEC. 7. CONSULTATION.

    In carrying out this Act, the Secretary shall consult with the 
Secretary of Agriculture.

SEC. 8. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES REVIEW.

    The Secretary shall enter into an arrangement with the National 
Academy of Sciences for a review of the programs under this Act and the 
development of recommendations for improvements to such programs. Not 
later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary shall transmit to the Congress a report containing such 
review and recommendations.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary--
            (1) to carry out section 4, $25,000,000 for each of the 
        fiscal years 2007 through 2011;
            (2) to carry out section 5, $25,000,000 for each of the 
        fiscal years 2007 through 2011; and
            (3) to carry out section 6, $25,000,000 for each of the 
        fiscal years 2007 through 2011.

SEC. 10. COST SHARING.

    In carrying out a research, development, demonstration, or 
commercial application program or activity under this Act through an 
award of a grant, contract, cooperative agreement, or other instrument 
other than a loan or loan guarantee, the Secretary shall require cost 
sharing in accordance with section 988 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 
(42 U.S.C. 16352).
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