IIB 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1713 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
DECEMBER 5, 2023 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources 
AN ACT 
To provide for Department of Energy and Department of 
Agriculture joint research and development activities, 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 ‘‘DOE and USDA Inter-
agency Research Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND DEPARTMENT OF 
AGRICULTURE JOINT RESEARCH AND DEVEL-
OPMENT ACTIVITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Energy and the 
Secretary of Agriculture (in this section referred to as the 
‘‘Secretaries’’) shall carry out cross-cutting and collabo-
rative research and development activities focused on the 
joint advancement of Department of Energy and Depart-
ment of Agriculture mission requirements and priorities. 
(b) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.—The Sec-
retaries shall carry out and coordinate the activities under 
subsection (a) through the establishment of a memo-
randum of understanding, or other appropriate inter-
agency agreement. Such memorandum or agreement shall 
require the use of a competitive, merit-reviewed process, 
which considers applications from Federal agencies, Na-
tional Laboratories, institutions of higher education, non-
profit institutions, and other appropriate entities. 
(c) COORDINATION.—In carrying out the activities 
under subsection (a), the Secretaries may— 
(1) conduct collaborative research over a variety 
of focus areas, such as— 
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(A) modeling and simulation, machine 
learning, artificial intelligence, data assimila-
tion, large scale data analytics, and predictive 
analysis in order to optimize algorithms for 
purposes related to agriculture and energy, 
such as life cycle analysis of agricultural or en-
ergy systems; 
(B) fundamental agricultural, biological, 
computational, and environmental science and 
engineering, including advanced crop science, 
crop protection, breeding, and biological pest 
control, in collaboration with the program au-
thorized under section 306 of the Department 
of Energy Research and Innovation Act (42 
U.S.C. 18644); 
(C) integrated natural resources and the 
energy-water nexus, including in collaboration 
with the program authorized under section 
1010 of the Energy Act of 2020 (enacted as di-
vision Z of the Consolidated Appropriations 
Act, 2021 (42 U.S.C. 16183)); 
(D) advanced biomass, biobased products, 
and biofuels, including in collaboration with the 
activities authorized under section 9008(b) of 
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the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 
2002 (7 U.S.C. 8108(b)); 
(E) diverse feedstocks for economically and 
environmentally sustainable fuels, including 
aviation and naval fuels; 
(F) colocation of agricultural resources and 
activities and ecosystem services with diverse 
energy technologies and resources, such as geo-
thermal energy, nuclear energy, solar energy, 
wind energy, natural gas, hydropower, and en-
ergy storage; 
(G) colocation of agricultural resources 
and activities with carbon storage and utiliza-
tion technologies; 
(H) invasive species management to fur-
ther the work done by the Federal Interagency 
Committee for the Management of Noxious and 
Exotic Weeds; 
(I) long-term and high-risk technological 
barriers in the development of transformative 
science and technology solutions in the agri-
culture and energy sectors, including in collabo-
ration with the program authorized under sec-
tion 5012 of the America COMPETES Act (42 
U.S.C. 16538); 
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(J) grid modernization and grid security; 
(K) rural technology development, includ-
ing manufacturing, precision agriculture tech-
nologies, and mechanization and automation 
technologies; and 
(L) wildfire risks and prevention, including 
the power sector’s role in fire prevention and 
mitigation and wildfire impacts on energy infra-
structure; 
(2) develop methods to accommodate large vol-
untary standardized and integrated data sets on ag-
ricultural, environmental, supply chain, and eco-
nomic information with variable accuracy and scale; 
(3) promote collaboration, open community- 
based development, and data and information shar-
ing between Federal agencies, National Labora-
tories, institutions of higher education, nonprofit in-
stitutions, industry partners, and other appropriate 
entities by providing reliable access to secure data 
and information that are in compliance with Federal 
rules and regulations; 
(4) support research infrastructure and work-
force development as the Secretaries determine nec-
essary; and 
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(5) conduct collaborative research, development, 
and demonstration of methods and technologies to— 
(A) improve the efficiency of agriculture 
operations and processing of agricultural prod-
ucts; and 
(B) reduce greenhouse gas emissions asso-
ciated with such operations and such proc-
essing. 
(d) AGREEMENTS.—In carrying out the activities 
under subsection (a), the Secretaries are authorized to— 
(1) carry out reimbursable agreements between 
the Department of Energy, the Department of Agri-
culture, 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 Secretaries shall submit 
to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and 
the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representa-
tives, and the Committee on Energy and Natural Re-
sources and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry of the Senate, a report detailing the following: 
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(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 Energy and 
the Department of Agriculture. 
(3) Collaborative research achievements. 
(4) Areas of future mutually beneficial suc-
cesses. 
(5) Continuation of coordination activities be-
tween the Department of Energy and the Depart-
ment of Agriculture. 
(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 Public Law 117–167; 42 U.S.C. 19231 et seq.). 
Passed the House of Representatives December 4, 
2023. 
Attest: 
KEVIN F. MCCUMBER, 
Clerk. 
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