103 S1385 IS: Organic Science and Research Investment Act of 2025
U.S. Senate
2025-04-09
text/xml
EN
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II
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1385
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 9, 2025
Mr. Fetterman (for himself, Mr. Schiff, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Booker, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Smith, Mr. Welch, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. King) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
A BILL
To amend the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 and the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to direct the Agricultural Research Service to expand organic research, and for other purposes.
1.

Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Organic Science and Research Investment Act of 2025”.
2.

Coordinating and expanding Organic Research Initiative
Title IV of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 is amended by inserting before section 404 (7 U.S.C. 7624) the following:
“401.

Coordinating and expanding Organic Research Initiative
(a)

Definitions
In this section:
(1)

Initiative
The term Initiative means the Coordinating and Expanding Organic Research Initiative established under subsection (b).
(2)

Secretary
The term Secretary means the Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, in consultation with the Office of the Chief Scientist.
(b)

Establishment
The Secretary shall establish, and appoint the members of, an initiative, to be known as the “Coordinating and Expanding Organic Research Initiative”, to coordinate and expand the resources that the Agricultural Research Service, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the Economic Research Service, and the National Agricultural Statistics Service dedicate to organic agricultural research.
(c)

Duties
The Initiative shall carry out the following duties:
(1)
Coordinating all research conducted by the Secretary that is applicable to organic agricultural producers and transitioning-to-organic agricultural producers.
(2)
Reviewing and assessing the completed and ongoing organic and transitioning-to-organic agricultural research of the Secretary.
(3)
Developing iterative strategic plans for future organic and transitioning-to-organic agricultural research of the Secretary.
(4)
Conducting the surveys and submitting to the Secretary the reports under subsection (e)(1).
(d)

Appointment of members
(1)

In general
The Secretary shall appoint not fewer than 12, and not more than 18, members to the Initiative.
(2)

Eligibility
To be eligible for appointment to the Initiative under paragraph (1), an individual shall—
(A)
be in the competitive service or the Senior Executive Service (as defined in sections 2102 and 2101a of title 5, United States Code); and
(B)
have expertise in organic agriculture from a science, research, or technical assistance division of a Department agency.
(3)

Representation
In appointing members to the Initiative, the Secretary shall ensure that—
(A)
not fewer than 1/4 of the members are appointed from each of—
(i)
the Agricultural Research Service; and
(ii)
the National Institute of Food and Agriculture; and
(B)
not fewer than 1 member is appointed from each of—
(i)
the Office of the Chief Scientist;
(ii)
the National Organic Program of the Agricultural Marketing Service;
(iii)
the Economic Research Service; and
(iv)
the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
(4)

Chair
The Secretary shall designate a member of the Initiative appointed from the Office of the Chief Scientist to serve as the Chair of the Initiative.
(5)

Term
A member of the Initiative—
(A)
shall serve for a term of 5 years; and
(B)
may be reappointed to the Initiative.
(e)

Surveys; reports
(1)

In general
Not later than 3 years after the establishment of the Initiative, and every 5 years thereafter, in coordination with the roadmap for agricultural research, education, and extension described in section 7504 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 7614a), the Initiative shall—
(A)
conduct a survey of all research relating to organic agriculture of the Secretary; and
(B)
submit to the Secretary a report containing the findings of the survey conducted under subparagraph (A), which shall include sections relating to each of the 4 agencies described in subsection (b).
(2)

Recommendations
The Initiative shall include in each report submitted under paragraph (1)(B) recommendations relating to—
(A)
expanding the research conducted by the Secretary that—
(i)
is applicable to agricultural producers that adhere to the requirements under the national organic program established under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.); and
(ii)
would explore the new or enhanced research opportunities that could lead to new discoveries, foster innovation, improve technologies, and promote integrated systems approaches to assist—
(I)
organic agricultural producers;
(II)
consumers of organic food products;
(III)
organic marketing and distribution channels;
(IV)
transitioning-to-organic agricultural producers, including with respect to barriers to transitioning to organic production and producers who have considered transitioning to organic production but decided not to do so; and
(V)
the organic food industry;
(B)
strategies to increase the coordination and effectiveness of projects carried out by the Secretary that are applicable to organic production and that would improve the efficiency, productivity, profitability, and ecosystem services of organic crop and livestock production, including strategies relating to—
(i)
developing new public plant cultivars and livestock breeds that are regionally adapted and appropriate for organic production;
(ii)
expanding the applicability and cost-effectiveness of integrated, ecologically based pest, weed, and disease management for crop and livestock systems;
(iii)
developing integrated organic production systems that—
(I)
enhance ecosystem services relating to organic crop and livestock production; and
(II)
optimize agricultural resilience to the impacts of climate change and other stresses, including soil conservation and soil health, biodiversity, water management, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse gas mitigation;
(iv)
improving the remote sensing and monitoring capabilities for ecosystem services relating to organic crop and livestock production, including soil conservation and soil health, biodiversity, water management, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse gas mitigation;
(v)
developing grazing, pasture, forage, and livestock manure management techniques that are regionally adapted and appropriate for organic production;
(vi)
enhancing irrigation and water management techniques used in organic crop and livestock production;
(vii)
enhancing food safety relating to organic crops and livestock products, including guidance on compliance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.);
(viii)
developing new products and new uses of organic crops and livestock products;
(ix)
enhancing the quality of organically produced food, including taste, appearance, and nutritional value, after being processed into organic crop and livestock products, through genetic, processing, and related research topics; and
(x)
other similar, relevant topics, as determined by the Initiative; and
(C)
the development of data and applied research-based information useful to organic and conventional crop producers, associations of those producers, and other interested beneficiaries in evaluating the organic and conventional crops industries from a regional and national perspective.
(3)

Review of prior report
The Initiative shall include in each report submitted under paragraph (1)(B)—
(A)
a review of the recommendations described in paragraph (2) included in the prior report submitted under paragraph (1)(B); and
(B)
the actions taken by the Secretary to implement those recommendations.
(f)

Consultation
(1)

In general
In carrying out this section, the Initiative shall engage in consultation, including with—
(A)
the National Organic Standards Board; and
(B)
land-grant colleges and universities.
(2)

Organic and conventional industries
In preparing each report under subsection (e)(1)(B), the Initiative shall consult, on an ongoing basis, with a diverse array of—
(A)
organic and conventional farmers, ranchers, handlers; and
(B)
organizations that serve those farmers, ranchers, and handlers.
(g)

Consideration by Secretary
In preparing the annual budget recommendations for the Department, the Secretary shall take into consideration the findings and recommendations contained in the most recently submitted report under subsection (e)(1)(B).
(h)

Report by Secretary
In the budget material submitted to Congress by the Secretary of Agriculture in connection with the budget of the United States Government submitted by the President under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, for each fiscal year, the Secretary of Agriculture shall include a report describing how the Secretary addressed each recommendation of the Initiative contained in the most recently submitted report under subsection (e)(1)(B).”.
3.

Organic research and extension initiative
Section 1672B of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925b) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—
(i)
by striking “subsection (e)” and inserting “subsection (f)”; and
(ii)
by striking “2023” and inserting “2030”;
(B)
in paragraph (7), by striking “and” at the end;
(C)
in paragraph (8), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and
(D)
by adding at the end the following:
“(9)
facilitating the identification and adoption of traditional ecological knowledge in accordance with subsection (e);
(10)
developing cultural practices and other allowable alternatives to substances recommended for removal from the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances of the National Organic Program of the Agricultural Marketing Service; and
(11)
identifying how organic agriculture can adapt to and mitigate climate change through reducing greenhouse gas emissions, building landscape resiliency, establishing regenerative agriculture systems, and facilitating other related ecosystem services.”;
(2)
in subsection (b)—
(A)
in the subsection heading, by striking “Types and Process,” and inserting “Term, Types, and Process;”;
(B)
by inserting “(3)” after “Paragraphs”; and
(C)
by striking “(7 U.S.C. 450i)” and inserting “(7 U.S.C. 3157(b))”;
(3)
by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following:
“(e)

Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge
Any grants made under this section for the purposes of facilitating the identification and adoption of indigenous traditional ecological knowledge shall be subject to the following requirements:
(1)
A 1994 Institution (as defined in section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103–382)) or an Alaska Native-serving institution or Native Hawaiian-serving institution (as those terms are defined in section 317(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b))) shall have the role of project director.
(2)
The free, prior, and informed consent of any Indian Tribes (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)) or Native Hawaiian organizations that possess the applicable indigenous traditional ecological knowledge shall be obtained.
(3)
Appropriate attribution to the sources of the applicable indigenous traditional ecological knowledge shall be identified.”; and
(4)
in subsection (f)—
(A)
in paragraph (1)—
(i)
in subparagraph (F), by striking “and” at the end;
(ii)
in subparagraph (G), by striking “2023 and each fiscal year thereafter.” and inserting “2023;”; and
(iii)
by adding at the end the following:
“(H)
$60,000,000 for fiscal year 2026;
(I)
$70,000,000 for fiscal year 2027;
(J)
$80,000,000 for fiscal year 2028;
(K)
$90,000,000 for fiscal year 2029; and
(L)
$100,000,000 for fiscal year 2030 and each fiscal year thereafter.”; and
(B)
in paragraph (2), by striking “2023” and inserting “2030”.
4.

Researching the transition to organic
Title XVI of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 is amended by inserting after section 1673 (7 U.S.C. 5926) the following:
“1674.

Researching the transition to organic
(a)

Competitive specialized research and extension grants authorized
The Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”), in consultation with the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board, may make competitive grants to support research, education, and extension activities relating to the transition of nonorganic production systems into organic agricultural production systems for the purposes of—
(1)
overcoming barriers to transitioning to organic agricultural production;
(2)
documenting and understanding the effects of organic practices on ecosystem services, including soil health and fertility, greenhouse gas mitigation and sequestration, water management, biodiversity-related services, and pest management; and
(3)
developing improved technologies, methods, models, and metrics to document, describe, and optimize ecosystem services of transitioning agricultural production into organic management.
(b)

Grant administration
Paragraphs (4), (7), (8), and (11)(B) of subsection (b) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157(b)) shall apply with respect to the making of grants under this section.
(c)

Partnerships encouraged
Following the completion of a peer review process for grant proposals received under this section, the Secretary may provide a priority to the grant proposals, found in the peer review process to be scientifically meritorious, that—
(1)
actively partner with producers or conduct on-farm research; and
(2)
actively involve—
(A)
1890 Institutions (as defined in section 2 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601));
(B)
1994 Institutions (as defined in section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103–382));
(C)
Hispanic-serving institutions (as defined in section 502 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a)); or
(D)
Alaska Native-serving institutions or Native Hawaiian-serving institutions (as those terms are defined in section 317(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b))).
(d)

Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section—
(1)
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027; and
(2)
$20,000,000 for fiscal year 2028 and each fiscal year thereafter.”.
5.

Organic production and market data initiatives
Section 7407 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 5925c) is amended—
(1)
by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e);
(2)
by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
“(d)

Economic impact analysis of organic farming and certification
(1)

In general
The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Economic Research Service (referred to in this subsection as the Secretary), shall conduct an economic impact analysis of organic agricultural management conducted in accordance with the national organic program established under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.).
(2)

Requirements
The analysis under paragraph (1) shall—
(A)
take into consideration information about farming and ranching operations of a variety of sizes, with regional differences, and that have a diversity of production practices and methods; and
(B)
consider the direct and indirect economic impacts of organic agriculture on rural and urban communities, including—
(i)
the vitality of the local economy;
(ii)
the labor market;
(iii)
environmental quality;
(iv)
social dynamics;
(v)
land ownership; and
(vi)
any other information, data, or analysis that the Secretary determines to be necessary to make the analysis comprehensive, accurate, and useful.
(3)

Plan
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Organic Science and Research Investment Act of 2025, the Secretary shall submit a plan to conduct the analysis under paragraph (1) to—
(A)
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate; and
(B)
the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives.
(4)

Submission
Not later than 3 years after the date on which the Secretary submits the plan under paragraph (3), the Secretary shall submit to the committees described in that paragraph a report describing the results of the analysis conducted under paragraph (1).”; and
(3)
in subsection (e) (as so redesignated)—
(A)
in paragraph (1)—
(i)
in subparagraph (A), by striking “and” at the end;
(ii)
in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
(iii)
by adding at the end the following:
“(C)
$10,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2030.”; and
(B)
in paragraph (2), by striking “$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2023” and inserting “$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2030”.