[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 115 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4929-S4930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2590. Mr. YOUNG (for himself and Mr. Padilla) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4638, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2025 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place in subtitle H of title X, insert 
     the following:

     SEC. 10__. NATIONAL SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY CENTER.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) the application of synthetic biology to accelerate 
     innovation in food and agriculture is critical to--
       (A) the national security and economic future of the United 
     States; and
       (B) the ability of the United States to feed and fuel the 
     global economy;
       (2) while agriculture has experienced significant 
     advancements in productivity and sustainability, the future 
     of the food system relies on disruptive technologies 
     catalyzed by synthetic biology at the intersections of soil 
     health, plant science, animal health, and, ultimately, human 
     health;
       (3) synthetic biology is a key tool to defend against 
     terrorism and high-consequence events;
       (4) investments into synthetic biology will catalyze the 
     strengths of engineering, agriculture, and manufacturing to 
     develop a resilient food and agriculture system;
       (5) resiliency is accomplished through advanced 
     biotechnology and digital solutions to keep the United States 
     at the forefront of feeding the United States and the world;
       (6) Congress has historically prioritized a safe and secure 
     food supply in the United States, as evidenced by the 
     enactment of the Securing Our Agriculture and Food Act 
     (Public Law 115-43; 131 Stat. 884); and
       (7) innovation and research are necessary to push the 
     boundaries of science to develop

[[Page S4930]]

     disruptive technologies that advance national security 
     through food security.
       (b) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) 1862 institution; 1890 institution.--The terms ``1862 
     Institution'' and ``1890 Institution'' have the meanings 
     given those terms in section 2 of the Agricultural Research, 
     Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601).
       (2) 1994 institution.--The term ``1994 Institution'' has 
     the meaning given the term in section 532 of the Equity in 
     Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; 
     Public Law 103-382).
       (3) Center.--The term ``Center'' means the National 
     Synthetic Biology Center established under subsection (c)(1).
       (4) Eligible institution.--The term ``eligible 
     institution'' means--
       (A) an 1862 Institution;
       (B) an 1890 Institution; and
       (C) a 1994 Institution.
       (5) National laboratory.--The term ``National Laboratory'' 
     has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Energy 
     Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).
       (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Agriculture.
       (c) Establishment of National Synthetic Biology Center.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
     head of any other relevant Federal agency, shall establish a 
     center, to be known as the ``National Synthetic Biology 
     Center'', to award grants, on a competitive basis, to 
     eligible institutions.
       (2) Purpose.--The purpose of the Center is to provide a hub 
     for researchers and industry partners in the United States to 
     discover and develop science-based solutions based on 
     synthetic biology to improve agricultural performance while 
     minimizing environmental impact and improving overall food 
     system resiliency.
       (d) Partnerships.--The Center shall provide grants to 
     eligible institutions to carry out projects in partnership 
     with not fewer than 1 other entity, which may include--
       (1) a nonprofit organization;
       (2) a State entity;
       (3) a National Laboratory;
       (4) an 1862 Institution;
       (5) an 1890 Institution;
       (6) a 1994 Institution; or
       (7) any combination of entities described in paragraphs (1) 
     through (6).
       (e) Application.--
       (1) In general.--An eligible institution seeking a grant 
     under this section shall submit an application to the Center 
     at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
     as the Center may require.
       (2) Requirements.--An application submitted under paragraph 
     (1) shall include, at a minimum, a description of how the 
     proposed project will--
       (A) promote innovative synthetic biology technologies and 
     practices that address current and emerging challenges in the 
     food and agriculture sector;
       (B) foster the development and dissemination of science-
     based educational resources and training programs on 
     synthetic biology for stakeholders in the agricultural 
     community;
       (C) enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and resiliency 
     of food production systems through synthetic biology 
     interventions; and
       (D) monitor and evaluate the impacts, benefits, and 
     challenges of implementing synthetic biology solutions in 
     real-world agricultural settings.
       (f) Use of Funds.--
       (1) Research priorities.--In awarding grants to eligible 
     institutions, the Center shall prioritize the following areas 
     of research:
       (A) Cellular biology.
       (B) Genomes to phenomes.
       (C) Microbiomes or microbes.
       (D) Gene editing.
       (E) Digital agriculture.
       (F) Fermentation.
       (G) Controlled environment agriculture.
       (2) Purposes.--An eligible institution receiving a grant 
     from the Center may use the grant for the following purposes:
       (A) To explore and advance biotechnology applied to food 
     science in the creation of new protein sources for human and 
     animal consumption.
       (B) To build on the Agricultural Genome to Phenome 
     Initiative (also known as the ``AG2PI'') of the National 
     Institute of Food and Agriculture to inform approaches to 
     understanding how variable weather, environments, and 
     production systems interact with genetic diversity in crops 
     and animals to impact growth and productivity.
       (C) To advance the development and commercialization of 
     nutritional and therapeutic innovations to improve the health 
     of livestock and companion animals.
       (D) To create new crops that have functional mutations that 
     improve performance and increase climate resiliency through 
     increased efficiency in the use of inputs and increased 
     disease and pest resistance.
       (E) To apply artificial intelligence, machine learning, 
     data science, and advanced computational processes to 
     accelerate modeling and measurement for new synthetic 
     biological solutions.
       (F) To strengthen advanced manufacturing sciences and 
     infrastructure to use microorganisms to produce food and 
     agricultural products, including vaccines, crop protection 
     products, and food products for human and animal nutrition, 
     by capitalizing on the strength of food science, engineering, 
     and pharmacy.
       (G) To advance diversity of crops to increase the food 
     supply and explore pharmaceutical plant-based derivatives 
     within a controlled environment.
       (g) Timing of Awards.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
     of enactment of this Act, the Center shall begin awarding 
     grants under this section.
       (h) Coordination.--
       (1) Grant recipients.--An eligible institution receiving a 
     grant from the Center under this section shall endeavor to 
     coordinate with a wide range of experts and researchers to 
     create efficiency in the innovation development pipeline.
       (2) Center.--The Center shall coordinate with technology 
     transfer offices or technology licensing offices in order to 
     disseminate innovations and reach commercialization.
       (i) Website.--The Center shall establish and maintain a 
     website with a user friendly portal in order to disseminate 
     synthetic biology findings and connect researchers and 
     innovators to collaborative opportunities.
       (j) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the 
     Center shall submit to the relevant committees of Congress a 
     report detailing--
       (1) any findings from the research funded by the Center;
       (2) the progress of any innovation funded by the Center;
       (3) a description of the focus and proposed goals of each 
     grant recipient;
       (4) an assessment, based on a common set of metrics across 
     all grant recipients, of the success of each grant recipient 
     in improving efficiency in the innovation development 
     pipeline; and
       (5) any recommendations for administrative or legislative 
     action that may optimize the effectiveness of the research 
     activities carried out by grant recipients under this 
     section.
       (k) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary--
       (1) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029, 
     to remain available until expended, for the awarding of 
     grants by the Center; and
       (2) $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029, 
     to remain available until expended, for the establishment of 
     the Center and for other activities of the Center.
                                 ______