AG RESEARCH Act

To amend the Research Facilities Act and the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 to address deferred maintenance at agricultural research facilities, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Augmenting Research and Educational Sites to Ensure Agriculture Remains Cutting-Edge and Helpful Act AG RESEARCH Act 2. Agricultural research facilities (a) Findings Congress finds that— (1) in 2019, agriculture and related industries— (A) contributed $1,109,000,000,000 to the gross domestic product of the United States (5.2 percent of the total gross domestic product of the United States); and (B) provided 22,200,000 jobs domestically (10.9 percent of total employment in the United States); (2) the National Institute of Food and Agriculture provides more than $1,700,000,000 in research funding each year to schools of agriculture; (3) a study published in 2015 found that deferred maintenance needs at 91 schools of agriculture across the United States totaled $8,400,000,000, with a total replacement cost of $29,000,000,000; (4) a study published in 2021 found that deferred maintenance needs at schools of agriculture across the United States had increased to $11,500,000,000, with a total replacement cost of $38,100,000,000; and (5) infrastructure investments must be made at schools of agriculture to ensure that United States agricultural research remains globally competitive. (b) Evaluation of proposals Section 3(d) of the Research Facilities Act ( 7 U.S.C. 390a(d) (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively; and (2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so redesignated) the following: (1) review the proposal in consultation with representatives of National Institute of Food and Agriculture peer review panels; . (c) Grants for agricultural research facilities Section 4 of the Research Facilities Act ( 7 U.S.C. 390b 4. Grants for agricultural research facilities (a) Purpose The purpose of this section is to assist agricultural research facilities in efforts to alter or repair those facilities or equipment of the facilities necessary for conducting agricultural research. (b) Grant program (1) In general The Secretary shall establish in the National Institute of Food and Agriculture a competitive grant program to provide to agricultural research facilities the Federal share of the cost of the construction, alteration, acquisition, modernization, renovation, or remodeling of— (A) the agricultural research facilities; or (B) equipment of the agricultural research facilities necessary for conducting agricultural research. (2) Secretarial waiver Notwithstanding section 3(c)(2)(A), the Secretary may provide that the Federal share described in paragraph (1) is up to 100 percent of the costs described in that paragraph on a case-by-case basis, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. (c) Requirements (1) Amount; terms and conditions Grants awarded under this section shall be in such amounts and under such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines are necessary to carry out the purpose of this section. (2) Equitable distribution To the maximum extent practicable, grants shall be awarded under this section to ensure— (A) an equitable geographic distribution of funds; (B) an equitable distribution of funds to diverse institutions; (C) an equitable distribution of funds to institutions with diverse areas of study within agricultural science; and (D) an equitable distribution of funds to agricultural research facilities of various sizes. (3) Limitation Not greater than 20 percent of amounts made available to carry out this section shall be awarded to projects in any 1 State. (4) Administration In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall establish procedures for— (A) the submission of proposals for competitive grants; and (B) in consultation with representatives of National Institute of Food and Agriculture peer review panels, the review and selection of proposals submitted under subparagraph (A). . (d) Funding Section 6 of the Research Facilities Act ( 7 U.S.C. 390d (1) by striking the section designation and heading and all that follows through the end of subsection (a) and inserting the following: 6. Funding and limitations on use of funds (a) Funding (1) Mandatory funding (A) In general Subject to subsections (b) through (d), but notwithstanding any other provision of law, on October 1, 2023, and on each October 1 thereafter through October 1, 2027, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer to the Secretary to carry out section 4 $1,000,000,000, to remain available until expended. (B) Receipt and acceptance The Secretary shall be entitled to receive, shall accept, and shall use to carry out section 4 the funds transferred under paragraph (1), without further appropriation. (2) Authorization of appropriations In addition to amounts made available under paragraph (1), subject to subsections (b) through (d), there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary not more than $3,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028, to remain available until expended, for the study, plan, design, structure, and related costs of agricultural research facilities under this Act. ; and (2) in subsection (b), by inserting Federal administration 3. Agricultural research centers (a) Finding Congress finds that the Agricultural Research Service Capital Investment Strategy dated April 2012 indicates that research facilities of the Agricultural Research Services have more than $1,000,000,000 in deferred maintenance. (b) Direct funding for deferred maintenance at ARS research facilities 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 401. Direct funding for deferred maintenance at ARS research facilities (a) In general Using amounts made available under subsection (c), the Secretary shall provide direct payments to research facilities of the Agricultural Research Service for the purpose of addressing deferred maintenance. (b) Priority In providing direct payments under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give priority to the most critical structures in accordance with the Agricultural Research Service Capital Investment Strategy dated April 2012. (c) Funding (1) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of law, on October 1, 2023, and on each October 1 thereafter through October 1, 2027, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer to the Secretary to carry out this section $200,000,000, to remain available until expended. (2) Receipt and acceptance The Secretary shall be entitled to receive, shall accept, and shall use to carry out this section the funds transferred under paragraph (1), without further appropriation. .

Summary: Augmenting Research and Educational Sites to Ensure Agriculture Remains Cutting-Edge and Helpful Act or the AG RESEARCH Act This bill provides funding for maintenance at agricultural research facilities. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must (1) revise its review process for evaluating proposals for agricultural research facilities to include consulting with representatives of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) peer review panels; and (2) establish a grant program within NIFA to provide agricultural research facilities with a federal share of the cost for the construction, alteration, acquisition, modernization, renovation, or remodeling of the research facilities or the equipment necessary for agricultural research. Additionally, the bill provides funding for the grant program and for USDA to provide direct payments to research facilities of the Agricultural Research Service for addressing deferred maintenance. USDA must give priority to the most critical structures in accordance with the Agricultural Research Service Capital Investment Strategy (April 2012).