SARE Modernization Act
Bill: H.R.9667 | Sponsor: Rep. Schrier, Kim (D-WA)
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Modernization Act or the SARE Modernization Act
This bill reauthorizes the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and expands the program to include research on agricultural production systems that increase resilience and climate mitigation in the context of a changing climate. The bill also expands SARE's regional councils to include representatives from 1890 land grant institutions, 1994 land grant institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native serving institutions, or Native Hawaiian serving institutions.

To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to 
 establish a sustainable agriculture research and education resilience 
                  initiative, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Sustainable Agriculture Research and 
Education Modernization Act'' or the ``SARE Modernization Act''.

SEC. 2. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PURPOSE, 
              DEFINITIONS, AND FUNDING.

    (a) Purpose and Definitions.--Section 1619 of the Food, 
Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5801) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(7) increase resilience and climate change mitigation in 
        the context of a changing climate and related economic, social, 
        environmental, and biodiversity challenges.''; and
            (2) by subsection (b) to read as follows:
    ``(b) Definitions.--For purposes of this subtitle:
            ``(1) The terms `1890 Institution' and `1994 Institution' 
        have the meanings given such terms in section 2 of the 
        Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 
        1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601).
            ``(2) The term `agribusiness' includes a producer or 
        organization engaged in an agricultural enterprise with a 
        profit motive.
            ``(3) The term `climate change mitigation' means, with 
        respect to agricultural management systems, the ability of such 
        system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester and 
        store carbon in agricultural soils and plant biomass. 
            ``(4) The term `extension' has the meaning given such term 
        in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, 
        Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103).
            ``(5) The term `Hispanic-serving institution' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 1404 of the National 
        Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 
        1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103).
            ``(6) The term `regional host institution' means an entity 
        that is identified pursuant to section 1622(a) to carry out 
        projects under section 1621 in a specific region of the United 
        States.
            ``(7) The term `integrated crop and livestock management 
        systems and practices' means a set of management measures and 
        activities that integrate all controllable agricultural 
        production and conservation factors for long-term sustained 
        productivity, profitability, resilience, soil carbon 
        sequestration and storage, and ecological soundness.
            ``(8) The term `nonprofit organization' means an 
        organization, group, institute, or institution that--
                    ``(A) has a demonstrated capacity to conduct 
                agricultural research or education programs;
                    ``(B) has experience in research, demonstration, 
                education, or extension in sustainable agricultural 
                practices and systems; and
                    ``(C) qualifies as a nonprofit organization under 
                section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
            ``(9) The term `resilience' means, with respect to an 
        agricultural management system, the ability of such system to 
        absorb, mitigate, and recover from climate and other 
        disturbances, such that the system thrives in the face of 
        severe challenges.
            ``(10) The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of 
        Agriculture.
            ``(11) The term `State' means each of the 50 States, the 
        District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, 
        the Virgin Islands of the United States, American Samoa, the 
        Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Trust 
        Territory of the Pacific Islands, or federally recognized 
        Indian tribes.
            ``(12) The term `State agricultural experiment stations' 
        shall have the same meaning given to that term by section 1404 
        of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching 
        Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103).
            ``(13) The term `sustainable agriculture' shall have the 
        same meaning given to that term by section 1404 of the National 
        Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 
        1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103).''.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Title XVI of the Food, 
Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5801 et 
seq.) is amended--
            (1) by inserting after section 1620 the following:

``SEC. 1620A. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title 
$100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2028.'';
            (2) by striking section 1624; and
            (3) in section 1627, by striking subsection (d).

SEC. 3. BEST UTILIZATION OF BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS.

    (a) Research and Extension Projects.--Section 1621 of the Food, 
Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5811) is 
amended--
            (1) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
    ``(b) Grants and Agreements.--The Secretary shall carry out this 
section through grants awarded to, and agreements entered into with, 
land-grant colleges or universities (including 1890 Institutions and 
1994 Institutions), other universities (including Hispanic-serving 
institutions), State agricultural experiment stations, the State 
cooperative extension services, nonprofit organizations with 
demonstrable expertise, or Federal, State, or Tribal governmental 
entities.'';
            (2) in subsection (f), by striking ``and environmental 
        implications'' and inserting ``, environmental, and public 
        policy implications''; and
            (3) by amending subsection (g) to read as follows:
    ``(g) Selection; Terms.--
            ``(1) Regional host institution selection.--The Secretary 
        shall select regional host institutions not more frequently 
        than once every 10 years.
            ``(2) Cooperative agreements.--The term of a cooperative 
        agreement entered into under subsection (b) with a regional 
        host institution shall be 10 years.
            ``(3) Grants.--The term of a competitive grant awarded by a 
        regional host institution under this section may not exceed 5 
        years.''.
    (b) Program Administration.--Section 1622(b) of the Food, 
Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990(b) (7 U.S.C. 5812) is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) through (K) 
                as subparagraphs (F) through (L);
                    (B) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the 
                following:
                    ``(E) 1890 Institutions, 1994 Institutions, 
                Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native serving 
                institutions, or Native Hawaiian serving 
                institutions;'';
                    (C) in subparagraph (F), as so redesignated, by 
                striking ``Soil'' and inserting ``Natural Resources''; 
                and
                    (D) by amending subparagraph (K), as so 
                redesignated, to read as follows:
                    ``(K) rural sociologists or other social scientists 
                with demonstrable expertise; and'';
            (2) in paragraph (2)(C), by inserting ``, with diverse 
        representation of farmers, scientists, educators, and non-
        profit representatives,'' after ``technical committee''; and
            (3) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``, fellowships, or 
        other awards'' after ``proposed projects''.
    (c) Sunset of Federal-State Matching Grant Program.--Section 1623 
of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 
5813) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Sunset.--The Secretary may not award grants under this 
section on or after September 30, 2023.''.

SEC. 4. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSFER 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) Technical Guides and Books.--Section 1628 of the Food, 
Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5831) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``Not later than two years after 
                the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary'' 
                and inserting ``The Secretary''; and
                    (B) by striking ``educational materials'' and 
                inserting ``educational and outreach resources and 
                materials'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in the subsection heading, by striking ``and 
                Coordination'';
                    (B) by striking ``educational materials'' and 
                inserting ``educational and outreach resources and 
                materials''; and
                    (C) by striking ``The Secretary shall coordinate 
                activities'' and all that follows through ``section 
                1446'';
            (3) in subsection (c), by striking ``educational 
        materials'' and inserting ``educational and outreach resources 
        and materials'';
            (4) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                striking ``educational materials'' and inserting 
                ``educational and outreach resources and materials'';
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as 
                paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively; and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3) adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate 
        change;'';
            (5) in subsection (e), by striking ``Soil Conservation'' 
        and inserting ``Natural Resources Conservation''; and
            (6) by striking subsection (f).
    (b) National Training Program.--Section 1629 of the Food, 
Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5832) is 
amended--
            (1) by striking subsections (c), (d), and (i); 
            (2) by redesignating subsections (e), (f), (g), and (h) as 
        subsections (c), (d), (e), and (f), respectively;
            (3) in subsection (e), as so redesignated--
                    (A) in paragraph (5), by striking ``Soil 
                Conservation Service and the Agricultural Stabilization 
                and Conservation Service'' and inserting ``Natural 
                Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Service 
                Agency'';
                    (B) in paragraph (7), by inserting ``cover crops, 
                perennial production systems, integrated crop and 
                livestock management systems and practices'' after 
                ``alternative crops,'';
                    (C) by redesignating paragraphs (10) and (11) as 
                paragraphs (13) and (14), respectively; and
                    (D) by inserting after paragraph (9) the following;
            ``(10) develop and provide information concerning climate 
        change adaptation and mitigation developed under this subtitle 
        and other research and education programs of the Department;
            ``(11) provide specific information on ecological systems-
        based pest management practices developed under this subtitle 
        and other research and education programs of the Department;
            ``(12) provide specific information on organic farming 
        systems developed under this subtitle and through the research 
        program section 1672B and other appropriate research programs 
        of the Department;''; and
            (4) in subsection (f), as so redesignated, by striking 
        ``Soil Conservation Service'' and inserting ``Natural Resources 
        Conservation Service''.
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