II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4182 

To authorize appropriations for certain agricultural research of the 

Department of Agriculture, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 18, 2024 

Mr. MERKLEY (for himself and Mr. WYDEN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL 

To authorize appropriations for certain agricultural research 

of the Department of Agriculture, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Oregon Research 

5 Bounty Act of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 

7 The purpose of this Act is to permanently authorize 

8 certain programs of the Agricultural Research Service. 


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1 SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF SECRETARY. 

2 In this Act, the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Sec3 retary of Agriculture. 

4 SEC. 4. AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry out 

6 each of the research activities required by this section by 

7 making grants or entering into cooperative agreements. 

8 (b) SMOKE EXPOSURE.— 

9 (1) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this subsection 

10 is to support research to address the impacts of 

11 wildfire smoke on wine grape production. 

12 (2) RESEARCH.—The Secretary shall carry out 

13 research to assist growers and processors of wine 

14 grapes by— 

15 (A) establishing science-based threshold 

16 levels of smoke compounds that cause smoke17 tainted grapes; 

18 (B) identifying the compounds responsible 

19 for smoke taint in grapes; 

20 (C) developing mitigation methods to re21 duce or eliminate smoke taint in grapes; and 

22 (D) identifying compounds that can act as 

23 a barrier between grapes and smoke com24 pounds. 

25 (3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

26 There is authorized to be appropriated to the SecVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:37 May 18, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4182.IS S4182

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1 retary to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for 

2 each fiscal year. 

3 (c) RESILIENT DRYLAND FARMING.— 

4 (1) RESEARCH.—The Secretary shall carry out 

5 research on resilient dryland farming of cereal 

6 grains, with a focus on— 

7 (A) improving yield and quality param8 eters; 

9 (B) developing cropping systems capable of 

10 tolerating drought, heat, and diseases; and 

11 (C) quantifying economic and environ12 mental benefits from dryland crop production 

13 systems. 

14 (2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

15 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec16 retary to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for 

17 each fiscal year. 

18 (d) SMALL FRUITS.— 

19 (1) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this subsection 

20 is to support research to promote sustainable and 

21 organic production of berry and grape crops with the 

22 goal of reducing pesticide use and improving quality 

23 and yield. 


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1 (2) RESEARCH.—The Secretary shall carry out 

2 research to improve the ability, with respect to berry 

3 and grape crops— 

4 (A) to forecast pest and disease spread; 

5 (B) to implement precision management 

6 strategies; and 

7 (C) to improve the overall quality of fruit. 

8 (3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

9 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec10 retary to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for 

11 each fiscal year. 

12 (e) RANGELAND PRECISION LIVESTOCK MANAGE13 MENT.— 

14 (1) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this subsection 

15 is to develop precision livestock management strate16 gies and tools to promote economically efficient and 

17 environmentally responsive livestock production sys18 tems for the Western rangeland. 

19 (2) ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary shall— 

20 (A) for the purpose of optimizing the 

21 health and productivity of Western rangeland22 based livestock and the Western rangeland eco23 system, develop— 

24 (i) precision nutrition strategies for 

25 rangeland-based livestock; and 


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1 (ii) technology-based rangeland and 

2 livestock management strategies; and 

3 (B) transfer new knowledge and technology 

4 strategies into data-informed tools and decision 

5 guidance for Western livestock and rangeland 

6 managers. 

7 (3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

8 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec9 retary to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for 

10 each fiscal year. 

11 (f) PACIFIC SHELLFISH GENETICS.— 

12 (1) FINDING.—Congress finds that there 

13 exist— 

14 (A) an economic importance of shellfish 

15 aquaculture for rural and coastal communities 

16 on the Pacific coast; and 

17 (B) the need for resilient, healthy genetic 

18 shellfish stocks that can withstand the changing 

19 ocean and coastal conditions in the Pacific 

20 coastal region and new shellfish disease threats. 

21 (2) PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall carry out a 

22 shellfish genetics and breeding program— 

23 (A) to develop genetically improved shell24 fish stock; 


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1 (B) to promote enhanced disease resiliency 

2 of shellfish; 

3 (C) to modernize shellfish production tech4 nologies; and 

5 (D) to transfer technology and improved 

6 stocks to shellfish farmers in Pacific States. 

7 (3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

8 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec9 retary to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for 

10 each fiscal year. 

11 (g) HEMP PRODUCTION SYSTEMS.— 

12 (1) FINDING.—Congress finds that there is an 

13 emerging market potential for United States hemp 

14 and hemp-based products for a variety of uses. 

15 (2) RESEARCH.—The Secretary shall carry out, 

16 in accordance with Federal and State laws, region17 ally focused research, development, stakeholder en18 gagement, and technology transfer activities to im19 prove agronomic and agro-economic understanding 

20 of effectively integrating hemp into existing agricul21 tural cropping, processing, and marketing systems. 

22 (3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

23 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec24 retary to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for 

25 each fiscal year. 


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1 (h) RANGELAND RESEARCH.— 

2 (1) FINDING.—Congress finds that there is a 

3 demonstrated potential for cooperative partnerships 

4 to address complex sagebrush steppe ecosystem chal5 lenges in the Great Basin region. 

6 (2) RESEARCH.—The Secretary shall support a 

7 regional, multi-institutional cooperative partnership 

8 to advance collaborative science-based conservation 

9 research, extension, and education to address time10 sensitive and shared rangeland challenges affecting 

11 sustainable agricultural productivity, rural commu12 nities, and ecosystem health. 

13 (3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

14 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec15 retary to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for 

16 each fiscal year. 

17 (i) SUDDEN OAK DEATH.— 

18 (1) FINDING.—Congress finds that the Euro19 pean strain 1 and the North American strain 1 of 

20 the sudden oak death pathogen are major threats to 

21 western Douglas-fir and tanoak forests, resulting in 

22 quarantine restrictions that threaten United States 

23 forests and export markets for log shipments and 

24 lily bulbs. 


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1 (2) RESEARCH.—The Secretary shall carry out 

2 research to improve— 

3 (A) understanding of the European strain 

4 1 and North American strain 1 of the sudden 

5 oak death pathogen; and 

6 (B) treatment methods to inform control 

7 and management techniques for those strains in 

8 wildlands. 

9 (3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

10 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec11 retary to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for 

12 each fiscal year. 

13 (j) FOREST PRODUCTS RESEARCH.— 

14 (1) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

15 (A) the forest products sector plays an im16 portant role in the United States economy; and 

17 (B) the creation of new and improved 

18 value-added products and renewable energy 

19 from the United States wood supply is critical 

20 to the sustainability of the United States econ21 omy. 

22 (2) RESEARCH.—The Secretary, in coordination 

23 with the Forest Products Laboratory of the Forest 

24 Service, shall carry out research on— 

25 (A) wood product quality improvement; 


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1 (B) improvement in forest products evalua2 tion standards and valuation techniques; and 

3 (C) advances in forest production innova4 tion, development, and testing. 

5 (3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

6 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec7 retary to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for 

8 each fiscal year. 

9 (k) HOPS RESEARCH.— 

10 (1) RESEARCH.—The Secretary shall carry out 

11 research relating to hop production. 

12 (2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

13 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec14 retary to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for 

15 each fiscal year. 

16 (l) SOIL CARBON RESEARCH.— 

17 (1) FINDING.—Congress finds that there is a 

18 need for research into current and future dryland 

19 production practices in cereal grain cropping sys20 tems to increase profitability, conserve soil, enhance 

21 soil water storage, promote sequestration of carbon 

22 and soil health, and reduce reliance on herbicides. 

23 (2) RESEARCH.—The Secretary shall carry out 

24 research focused on— 

25 (A) improving yields; 


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1 (B) assessing the level of carbon sequestra2 tion through existing practices; 

3 (C) developing new cropping systems capa4 ble of tolerating drought, heat, and diseases by 

5 improving soil health; 

6 (D) improving sequestration of carbon; 

7 (E) forecasting pest and disease spread; 

8 (F) implementing precision management 

9 strategies; and 

10 (G) identifying opportunities for increasing 

11 sustainability of dryland crop production. 

12 (3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

13 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec14 retary to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for 

15 each fiscal year. 

16 (m) TREE FRUIT POST-HARVEST RESEARCH.— 

17 (1) FINDING.—Congress finds that the tree 

18 fruit industry faces significant economic vulner19 ability from variations in post-harvest quality con20 trol. 

21 (2) RESEARCH.—The Secretary shall carry out 

22 research relating to cherry and pear fruit physiology 

23 and pathology necessary to promote enhanced qual24 ity and resiliency from endemic and emerging dis25 eases. 


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1 (3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

2 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec3 retary to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for 

4 each fiscal year. 

Æ 


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