572 
‘‘(A) support the potential for large re-
search-driven advances in technologies for pro-
duction of biobased industrial products as well 
as associated benefits; and 
‘‘(B) document the need for a focused, inte-
grated, and innovation-driven research effort to 
provide the appropriate progress in a timely 
manner. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) ADVISORY
COMMITTEE.—The term ‘Advi-
sory Committee’ means the Biomass Research and De-
velopment Technical Advisory Committee established 
by this section. 
‘‘(2) BIOBASED FUEL.—The term ‘biobased fuel’ 
means any transportation fuel produced from bio-
mass. 
‘‘(3) BIOBASED PRODUCT.—The term ‘biobased 
product’ means an industrial product (including 
chemicals, materials, and polymers) produced from 
biomass, or a commercial or industrial product (in-
cluding animal feed and electric power) derived in 
connection with the conversion of biomass to fuel. 
‘‘(4) BIOMASS.—The term ‘biomass’ means any 
organic matter that is available on a renewable or re-
curring basis, including agricultural crops and trees, 
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wood and wood wastes and residues, plants (includ-
ing aquatic plants), grasses, residues, fibers, and ani-
mal wastes, municipal wastes, and other waste mate-
rials. 
‘‘(5) BOARD.—The term ‘Board’ means the Bio-
mass Research and Development Board established by 
this section. 
‘‘(6) DEMONSTRATION.—The term ‘demonstra-
tion’ means demonstration of technology in a pilot 
plant or semi-works scale facility. 
‘‘(7) INITIATIVE.—The term ‘Initiative’ means 
the Biomass Research and Development Initiative es-
tablished under this section. 
‘‘(8) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘institution of higher education’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 102(a) of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(a)). 
‘‘(9) NATIONAL
LABORATORY.—The term ‘Na-
tional Laboratory’ has the meaning given that term 
in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. 
‘‘(10) POINT OF CONTACT.—The term ‘point of 
contact’ means a point of contact designated under 
this section. 
‘‘(d) COOPERATION AND COORDINATION IN BIOMASS 
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture 
and the Secretary of Energy shall cooperate with re-
spect to, and coordinate, policies and procedures that 
promote research and development leading to the pro-
duction of biobased fuels and biobased products. 
‘‘(2) POINTS OF CONTACT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To coordinate research 
and development programs and activities relat-
ing to biobased fuels and biobased products that 
are carried out by their respective Depart-
ments— 
‘‘(i) the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
designate, as the point of contact for the De-
partment of Agriculture, an officer of the 
Department of Agriculture appointed by the 
President to a position in the Department 
before the date of the designation, by and 
with the advice and consent of the Senate; 
and 
‘‘(ii) the Secretary of Energy shall des-
ignate, as the point of contact for the De-
partment of Energy, an officer of the De-
partment of Energy appointed by the Presi-
dent to a position in the Department before 
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the date of the designation, by and with the 
advice and consent of the Senate. 
‘‘(B) DUTIES.—The points of contact shall 
jointly— 
‘‘(i) assist in arranging interlabora-
tory and site-specific supplemental agree-
ments for research and development projects 
relating to biobased fuels and biobased 
products; 
‘‘(ii) serve as cochairpersons of the 
Board; 
‘‘(iii) administer the Initiative; and 
‘‘(iv) respond in writing to each rec-
ommendation of the Advisory Committee 
made under subsection (f). 
‘‘(e) 
BIOMASS
RESEARCH
AND
DEVELOPMENT 
BOARD.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the 
Biomass Research and Development Board, which 
shall supersede the Interagency Council on Biobased 
Products and Bioenergy established by Executive 
Order No. 13134, to coordinate programs within and 
among departments and agencies of the Federal Gov-
ernment for the purpose of promoting the use of 
biobased fuels and biobased products by— 
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‘‘(A) maximizing the benefits deriving from 
Federal grants and assistance; and 
‘‘(B) bringing coherence to Federal strategic 
planning. 
‘‘(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Board shall consist 
of— 
‘‘(A) the point of contact of the Department 
of Energy designated under subsection (d), who 
shall serve as cochairperson of the Board; 
‘‘(B) the point of contact of the Department 
of Agriculture designated under subsection (d), 
who shall serve as cochairperson of the Board; 
‘‘(C) a senior officer of each of the Depart-
ment of the Interior, the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency, the National Science Foundation, 
and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, 
each of whom shall— 
‘‘(i) be appointed by the head of the re-
spective agency; and 
‘‘(ii) have a rank that is equivalent to 
the rank of the points of contact; and 
‘‘(D) at the option of the Secretary of Agri-
culture and the Secretary of Energy, other mem-
bers appointed by the Secretaries (after consulta-
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tion with the members described in subpara-
graphs (A) through (C)). 
‘‘(3) DUTIES.—The Board shall— 
‘‘(A) coordinate research and development 
activities relating to biobased fuels and biobased 
products— 
‘‘(i) between the Department of Agri-
culture and the Department of Energy; and 
‘‘(ii) with other departments and agen-
cies of the Federal Government; 
‘‘(B) provide recommendations to the points 
of contact concerning administration of this title; 
‘‘(C) ensure that— 
‘‘(i) solicitations are open and com-
petitive with awards made annually; and 
‘‘(ii) objectives and evaluation criteria 
of the solicitations are clearly stated and 
minimally prescriptive, with no areas of 
special interest; and 
‘‘(D) ensure that the panel of scientific and 
technical peers assembled under subsection (g) to 
review proposals is composed predominantly of 
independent experts selected from outside the De-
partments of Agriculture and Energy. 
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‘‘(4) FUNDING.—Each agency represented on the 
Board is encouraged to provide funds for any purpose 
under this section. 
‘‘(5) MEETINGS.—The Board shall meet at least 
quarterly to enable the Board to carry out the duties 
of the Board under paragraph (3). 
‘‘(f) BIOMASS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TECH-
NICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the 
Biomass Research and Development Technical Advi-
sory Committee, which shall supersede the Advisory 
Committee on Biobased Products and Bioenergy es-
tablished by Executive Order No. 13134— 
‘‘(A) to advise the Secretary of Energy, the 
Secretary of Agriculture, and the points of con-
tact concerning— 
‘‘(i) the technical focus and direction of 
requests for proposals issued under the Ini-
tiative; and 
‘‘(ii) procedures for reviewing and 
evaluating the proposals; 
‘‘(B) to facilitate consultations and partner-
ships among Federal and State agencies, agricul-
tural producers, industry, consumers, the re-
search community, and other interested groups 
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to carry out program activities relating to the 
Initiative; and 
‘‘(C) to evaluate and perform strategic 
planning on program activities relating to the 
Initiative. 
‘‘(2) MEMBERSHIP.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Advisory Com-
mittee shall consist of— 
‘‘(i) an individual affiliated with the 
biofuels industry; 
‘‘(ii) an individual affiliated with the 
biobased industrial and commercial prod-
ucts industry; 
‘‘(iii) an individual affiliated with an 
institution of higher education who has ex-
pertise in biobased fuels and biobased prod-
ucts; 
‘‘(iv) two prominent engineers or sci-
entists from government or academia who 
have 
expertise 
in 
biobased 
fuels 
and 
biobased products; 
‘‘(v) an individual affiliated with a 
commodity trade association; 
‘‘(vi) 2 individuals affiliated with an 
environmental or conservation organization; 
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‘‘(vii) an individual associated with 
State government who has expertise in 
biobased fuels and biobased products; 
‘‘(viii) an individual with expertise in 
energy and environmental analysis; 
‘‘(ix) an individual with expertise in 
the economics of biobased fuels and biobased 
products; 
‘‘(x) an individual with expertise in 
agricultural economics; 
‘‘(xi) an individual with expertise in 
agronomy, crop science, or soil science; and 
‘‘(xii) at the option of the points of 
contact, other members. 
‘‘(B) APPOINTMENT.—The members of the 
Advisory Committee shall be appointed by the 
points of contact. 
‘‘(3) DUTIES.—The Advisory Committee shall— 
‘‘(A) advise the points of contact with re-
spect to the Initiative; and 
‘‘(B) evaluate whether, and make rec-
ommendations in writing to the Board to ensure 
that— 
‘‘(i) funds authorized for the Initiative 
are distributed and used in a manner that 
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is consistent with the objectives, purposes, 
and considerations of the Initiative; 
‘‘(ii) solicitations are open and com-
petitive with awards made annually and 
that objectives and evaluation criteria of the 
solicitations are clearly stated and mini-
mally prescriptive, with no areas of special 
interest; 
‘‘(iii) the points of contact are funding 
proposals under this title that are selected 
on the basis of merit, as determined by an 
independent panel of scientific and tech-
nical peers predominantly from outside the 
Departments of Agriculture and Energy; 
and 
‘‘(iv) activities under this section are 
carried out in accordance with this section. 
‘‘(4) COORDINATION.—To avoid duplication of 
effort, the Advisory Committee shall coordinate its ac-
tivities with those of other Federal advisory commit-
tees working in related areas. 
‘‘(5) MEETINGS.—The Advisory Committee shall 
meet at least quarterly to enable the Advisory Com-
mittee to carry out the duties of the Advisory Com-
mittee. 
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‘‘(6) TERMS.—Members of the Advisory Com-
mittee shall be appointed for a term of 3 years, except 
that— 
‘‘(A) one-third of the members initially ap-
pointed shall be appointed for a term of 1 year; 
and 
‘‘(B) one-third of the members initially ap-
pointed shall be appointed for a term of 2 years. 
‘‘(g) BIOMASS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INITIA-
TIVE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture 
and the Secretary of Energy, acting through their re-
spective points of contact and in consultation with 
the Board, shall establish and carry out a Biomass 
Research and Development Initiative under which 
competitively awarded grants, contracts, and finan-
cial assistance are provided to, or entered into with, 
eligible entities to carry out research on, and develop-
ment and demonstration of, biobased fuels and 
biobased products, and the methods, practices and 
technologies, for their production. 
‘‘(2) OBJECTIVES.—The objectives of the Initia-
tive are to develop— 
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‘‘(A) technologies and processes necessary 
for abundant commercial production of biobased 
fuels at prices competitive with fossil fuels; 
‘‘(B) high-value biobased products— 
‘‘(i) to enhance the economic viability 
of biobased fuels and power; 
‘‘(ii) as substitutes for petroleum-based 
feedstocks and products; and 
‘‘(iii) to enhance the value of coprod-
ucts arise from such technologies and proc-
esses; and 
‘‘(C) a diversity of sustainable domestic 
sources of biomass for conversion to biobased 
fuels and biobased products. 
‘‘(3) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Initiative 
are— 
‘‘(A) to increase the energy security of the 
United States; 
‘‘(B) to create jobs and enhance the eco-
nomic development of the rural economy; 
‘‘(C) to enhance the environment and public 
health; and 
‘‘(D) to diversify markets for raw agricul-
tural and forestry products. 
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