[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8613 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8613

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Director of the National 
    Science Foundation to carry out cross-cutting and collaborative 
research and development activities focused on the joint advancement of 
   Department of Agriculture and National Science Foundation mission 
          requirements and priorities, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 4, 2024

Mr. Lucas (for himself and Ms. Salinas) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, 
  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 direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Director of the National 
    Science Foundation to carry out cross-cutting and collaborative 
research and development activities focused on the joint advancement of 
   Department of Agriculture and National Science Foundation mission 
          requirements and priorities, 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 ``NSF and USDA Interagency Research 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 
              RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COORDINATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture (in this section 
referred to as the ``Secretary'') and the Director of the National 
Science Foundation (in this section referred to as the ``Director'') 
shall carry out cross-cutting and collaborative research and 
development activities focused on the joint advancement of Department 
of Agriculture and National Science Foundation mission requirements and 
priorities.
    (b) Memoranda of Understanding.--The Secretary and the Director 
shall coordinate the activities under subsection (a) through the 
establishment of memoranda of understanding or other appropriate 
interagency agreements. Such memoranda or agreements, as the case may 
be, shall require the use of a competitive, merit review process, as 
appropriate. Such activities may include components proposed by Federal 
agencies, institutions of higher education, non-profit institutions, 
and other appropriate entities, as determined appropriate under the 
memoranda or agreements.
    (c) Coordination.--In carrying out the activities under subsection 
(a), the Secretary and the Director may--
            (1) conduct collaborative research in a variety of focus 
        areas, such as--
                    (A) plant, animal, and microbial biology relevant 
                to agricultural challenges;
                    (B) food and nutrition security;
                    (C) rural economic revitalization;
                    (D) cyber-physical systems;
                    (E) smart and connected communities;
                    (F) advanced sensors and models of soil and plant 
                processes;
                    (G) nano-biosensing and analytical technologies to 
                improve food safety, water quality, biosecurity, plant 
                and animal diseases, and soil health;
                    (H) monitoring of food- or water-borne pathogens, 
                allergens, and accidental, natural, or intentional bio- 
                or chemical contaminants;
                    (I) key emerging technology areas such as 
                artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation, 
                robotics, digital agriculture, and information and 
                communication technology for agricultural uses;
                    (J) development and testing of new precision 
                agriculture tools; and
                    (K) workforce needs, education, and development;
            (2) promote collaboration, open community-based 
        development, and data and information sharing between Federal 
        agencies, institutions of higher education, community colleges, 
        area career and technical education schools, nonprofit 
        institutions, and other appropriate entities by providing the 
        necessary access and secure data and information transfer 
        capabilities;
            (3) support research infrastructure, including new 
        facilities, equipment and broadband deployment, as the 
        Secretary and Director determine necessary;
            (4) develop translational technologies for commercial 
        utilization;
            (5) organize education, training, and research initiatives 
        relating to STEM education and workforce development, which may 
        include--
                    (A) activities supported by the Cooperative 
                Extension System;
                    (B) industrial partnership programs;
                    (C) workshops for educating preschool through grade 
                12 teachers on how to increase agricultural literacy;
                    (D) development of agricultural-based science 
                curricula for kindergarten through grade 12 students; 
                and
                    (E) distribution of resources for educators to 
                implement curricula, such as the workshops developed 
                under subparagraph (C);
            (6) award grants to institutions of higher education, 
        community colleges, area career and technical education 
        schools, or eligible nonprofit institutions (or consortia 
        thereof), to establish a Center for Agricultural Research, 
        Education, and Workforce Development; and
            (7) facilitate relationships between public and private 
        entities to carry out the activities specified in paragraphs 
        (1) through (6) upon the termination of any agreement entered 
        into under subsection (b).
    (d) Agreements.--In carrying out the activities under subsection 
(a), the Secretary and the Director are authorized to--
            (1) carry out reimbursable agreements between the 
        Department of Agriculture, the National Science Foundation, and 
        other entities in order to maximize the effectiveness of 
        research and development; and
            (2) collaborate with other Federal agencies, as 
        appropriate.
    (e) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the appropriate committees of Congress, a report 
detailing the following:
            (1) Interagency coordination between each Federal agency 
        involved in the research and development activities carried out 
        under this section.
            (2) Potential opportunities to expand the technical 
        capabilities of the Department of Agriculture and the National 
        Science Foundation.
            (3) Collaborative research achievements.
            (4) Areas of future mutually beneficial successes.
            (5) Continuation of coordination activities between the 
        Department of Agriculture and the National Science Foundation.
    (f) Research Security.--The activities authorized under this 
section shall be applied in a manner consistent with subtitle D of 
title VI of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation 
Act (enacted as division B of the CHIPS Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-
167; 42 U.S.C. 19231 et seq.)).
    (g) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means each of the 
        following committees:
                    (A) The Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
                Representatives.
                    (B) The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
                of the House of Representatives.
                    (C) The Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation of the Senate.
                    (D) The Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
                Forestry of the Senate.
            (2) Area career and technical education school.--The term 
        ``area career and technical education school'' has the meaning 
        given such term in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
        Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302).
            (3) Community college.--The term ``community college'' has 
        the meaning given such term in section 3167B of the Energy 
        Science Education Enhancement Act (42 U.S.C. 7381c-3).
            (4) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
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