SEC. 2. AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FACILITIES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
(1) in 2019, agriculture and related indus-
tries— 
(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 Agri-
culture provides more than $1,700,000,000 in re-
search funding each year to schools of agriculture; 
(3) a study published in 2015 found that de-
ferred maintenance needs at 91 schools of agri-
culture 
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 de-
ferred 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 
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(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)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 
paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so re-
designated) 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 FACILI-
TIES.—Section 4 of the Research Facilities Act (7 U.S.C. 
390b) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FACILI-
TIES. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to as-
sist agricultural research facilities in efforts to alter or re-
pair those facilities or equipment of the facilities necessary 
for conducting agricultural research. 
‘‘(b) GRANT PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish in the National Institute of Food and Agri-
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culture 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 re-
search facilities necessary for conducting agri-
cultural 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 para-
graph on a case-by-case basis, as the Secretary de-
termines 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 max-
imum extent practicable, grants shall be awarded 
under this section to ensure— 
‘‘(A) an equitable geographic distribution 
of funds; 
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‘‘(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 per-
cent of amounts made available to carry out this sec-
tion 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 com-
petitive 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) is amended— 
(1) by striking the section designation and 
heading and all that follows through the end of sub-
section (a) and inserting the following: 
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‘‘SEC. 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 oth-
erwise appropriated, the Secretary of the Treas-
ury shall transfer to the Secretary to carry out 
section 4 $200,000,000, to remain available 
until expended. 
‘‘(B) RECEIPT
AND
ACCEPTANCE.—The 
Secretary shall be entitled to receive, shall ac-
cept, 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 $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2024 through 2028, to remain available until ex-
pended, for the study, plan, design, structure, and 
related costs of agricultural research facilities under 
this Act.’’; and 
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(2) in subsection (b), by inserting ‘‘Federal’’ be-
fore ‘‘administration’’. 
SEC. 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 de-
ferred maintenance. 
(b) DIRECT FUNDING
FOR DEFERRED MAINTE-
NANCE 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) the following: 
‘‘SEC. 401. DIRECT FUNDING FOR DEFERRED MAINTE-
NANCE 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 Re-
search 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 Re-
search Service Capital Investment Strategy dated April 
2012. 
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‘‘(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 appro-
priated, 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 Sec-
retary shall be entitled to receive, shall accept, and 
shall use to carry out this section the funds trans-
ferred under paragraph (1), without further appro-
priation.’’. 
Æ 
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