I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8613 
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Director of the National 
Science Foundation to carry out cross-cutting and collaborative research 
and development activities focused on the joint advancement of Depart-
ment of Agriculture and National Science Foundation mission require-
ments and priorities, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 4, 2024 
Mr. LUCAS (for himself and Ms. SALINAS) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and 
in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Director of 
the National Science Foundation to carry out cross-cut-
ting and collaborative research and development activities 
focused on the joint advancement of Department of Agri-
culture and National Science Foundation mission re-
quirements and priorities, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘NSF and USDA Inter-
agency Research Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND NATIONAL 
SCIENCE FOUNDATION RESEARCH AND DE-
VELOPMENT COORDINATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture (in 
this section referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) and the Direc-
tor of the National Science Foundation (in this section 
referred to as the ‘‘Director’’) shall carry out cross-cutting 
and collaborative research and development activities fo-
cused on the joint advancement of Department of Agri-
culture and National Science Foundation mission require-
ments and priorities. 
(b) MEMORANDA
OF UNDERSTANDING.—The Sec-
retary and the Director shall coordinate the activities 
under subsection (a) through the establishment of memo-
randa of understanding or other appropriate interagency 
agreements. Such memoranda or agreements, as the case 
may be, shall require the use of a competitive, merit review 
process, as appropriate. Such activities may include com-
ponents proposed by Federal agencies, institutions of 
higher education, non-profit institutions, and other appro-
priate entities, as determined appropriate under the 
memoranda or agreements. 
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(c) COORDINATION.—In carrying out the activities 
under subsection (a), the Secretary and the Director 
may— 
(1) conduct collaborative research in a variety 
of focus areas, such as— 
(A) plant, animal, and microbial biology 
relevant to agricultural challenges; 
(B) food and nutrition security; 
(C) rural economic revitalization; 
(D) cyber-physical systems; 
(E) smart and connected communities; 
(F) advanced sensors and models of soil 
and plant processes; 
(G) nano-biosensing and analytical tech-
nologies to improve food safety, water quality, 
biosecurity, plant and animal diseases, and soil 
health; 
(H) monitoring of food- or water-borne 
pathogens, allergens, and accidental, natural, or 
intentional bio- or chemical contaminants; 
(I) key emerging technology areas such as 
artificial intelligence, machine learning, automa-
tion, robotics, digital agriculture, and informa-
tion and communication technology for agricul-
tural uses; 
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(J) development and testing of new preci-
sion agriculture tools; and 
(K) workforce needs, education, and devel-
opment; 
(2) promote collaboration, open community- 
based development, and data and information shar-
ing between Federal agencies, institutions of higher 
education, community colleges, area career and tech-
nical education schools, nonprofit institutions, and 
other appropriate entities by providing the necessary 
access and secure data and information transfer ca-
pabilities; 
(3) support research infrastructure, including 
new facilities, equipment and broadband deployment, 
as the Secretary and Director determine necessary; 
(4) develop translational technologies for com-
mercial utilization; 
(5) organize education, training, and research 
initiatives relating to STEM education and work-
force development, which may include— 
(A) activities supported by the Cooperative 
Extension System; 
(B) industrial partnership programs; 
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(C) workshops for educating preschool 
through grade 12 teachers on how to increase 
agricultural literacy; 
(D) 
development 
of 
agricultural-based 
science curricula for kindergarten through 
grade 12 students; and 
(E) distribution of resources for educators 
to implement curricula, such as the workshops 
developed under subparagraph (C); 
(6) award grants to institutions of higher edu-
cation, community colleges, area career and tech-
nical education schools, or eligible nonprofit institu-
tions (or consortia thereof), to establish a Center for 
Agricultural Research, Education, and Workforce 
Development; and 
(7) facilitate relationships between public and 
private entities to carry out the activities specified in 
paragraphs (1) through (6) upon the termination of 
any agreement entered into under subsection (b). 
(d) AGREEMENTS.—In carrying out the activities 
under subsection (a), the Secretary and the Director are 
authorized to— 
(1) carry out reimbursable agreements between 
the Department of Agriculture, the National Science 
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Foundation, and other entities in order to maximize 
the effectiveness of research and development; and 
(2) collaborate with other Federal agencies, as 
appropriate. 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the appropriate committees 
of Congress, a report detailing the following: 
(1) Interagency coordination between each Fed-
eral agency involved in the research and development 
activities carried out under this section. 
(2) Potential opportunities to expand the tech-
nical capabilities of the Department of Agriculture 
and the National Science Foundation. 
(3) Collaborative research achievements. 
(4) Areas of future mutually beneficial suc-
cesses. 
(5) Continuation of coordination activities be-
tween the Department of Agriculture and the Na-
tional Science Foundation. 
(f) RESEARCH SECURITY.—The activities authorized 
under this section shall be applied in a manner consistent 
with subtitle D of title VI of the Research and Develop-
ment, Competition, and Innovation Act (enacted as divi-
sion B of the CHIPS Act of 2022 (Public Law 117–167; 
42 U.S.C. 19231 et seq.)). 
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(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) 
APPROPRIATE
COMMITTEES
OF
CON-
GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con-
gress’’ means each of the following committees: 
(A) The Committee on Agriculture of the 
House of Representatives. 
(B) The Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives. 
(C) The Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate. 
(D) The Committee on Agriculture, Nutri-
tion, and Forestry of the Senate. 
(2) AREA CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION 
SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘area career and technical edu-
cation school’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Tech-
nical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302). 
(3) COMMUNITY COLLEGE.—The term ‘‘commu-
nity college’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 3167B of the Energy Science Education En-
hancement Act (42 U.S.C. 7381c–3). 
(4) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
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