Biochar Research Network Act of 2022
Bill: S.4895 | Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck (R-IA)
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Biochar Research Network Act of 2022
This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to establish a biochar research network of not more than 20 research stations or facilities to test the impact of biochar across various soil types, application methods, and climates to learn more about its potential to benefit farmers and the environment.

To amend the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act 
of 1998 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a national 
           biochar research network, 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 ``Biochar Research Network Act of 
2022''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL BIOCHAR RESEARCH NETWORK.

    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. 403. NATIONAL BIOCHAR RESEARCH NETWORK.

    ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a national 
biochar research network (referred to in this section as the `research 
network') of not more than 20 research stations or facilities described 
in subsection (c) to test the full range of biochar types across soil 
types, soil conditions, application methods, and climatic and agronomic 
regions--
            ``(1) to assess the soil carbon sequestration potential of 
        biochar;
            ``(2) to understand how to use biochar productively to 
        contribute to climate mitigation, crop production, resilience 
        to extreme weather events, ecosystem health, and natural 
        resource conservation; and
            ``(3) to deliver science-based, region-specific, cost-
        effective, and practical information to farmers, ranchers, 
        foresters, land reclamation managers, urban land managers, and 
        other land and natural resource managers and businesses on 
        sustainable biochar production and application.
    ``(b) Scope.--
            ``(1) In general.--The research network shall encompass--
                    ``(A) agriculture, horticulture, rangeland, 
                forestry, and other biochar uses; and
                    ``(B) a broad range of feedstocks, production 
                processes, and application treatments.
            ``(2) Research.--The research conducted by the research 
        network shall include--
                    ``(A) cross-site and mechanistic experiments--
                            ``(i) to fill critical knowledge gaps and 
                        gain a more complete understanding of the 
                        impact of various types of biochar in varying 
                        site conditions on soil properties, plant 
                        growth, greenhouse gas emissions, and carbon 
                        sequestration in different soils, climates, and 
                        other natural and agronomic conditions;
                            ``(ii) to provide mechanistic and 
                        technoeconomic insights on thermochemical 
                        conversion processes in biochar production and 
                        the coproduction of biochar and bioenergy, 
                        including interactions of feedstock properties 
                        with reactor conditions and processes on the 
                        relative proportions and properties of biochar, 
                        biofuels, and value-added coproducts, as well 
                        as process efficiency;
                            ``(iii) to generate data to develop, 
                        calibrate, and validate robust mechanistic 
                        models to predict the full life cycle of 
                        greenhouse gas, crop response, and related 
                        agronomic and environmental implications of 
                        particular applications of biochar;
                            ``(iv) to generate data to help guide the 
                        design of new, more efficient biochar and 
                        bioenergy production reactors and 
                        biorefineries; and
                            ``(v) to generate data to develop, 
                        calibrate, and validate testing methodologies 
                        for biochar to identify potential contaminants 
                        or other factors that may cause unintended 
                        consequences; and
                    ``(B) site-specific farm and forestry systems 
                assessments and pilot-scale biochar production and 
                application systems--
                            ``(i) to refine the most promising soil-
                        based uses, sources, and methods of producing 
                        and applying biochar in particular regions--
                                    ``(I) to enhance productivity;
                                    ``(II) to increase profitability, 
                                scalability, and portability;
                                    ``(III) to reduce greenhouse gas 
                                emissions;
                                    ``(IV) to improve ecosystem health;
                                    ``(V) to strengthen resilience to 
                                extreme weather events; and
                                    ``(VI) to explore soil, crop, 
                                climate, management, and biochar 
                                interactions;
                            ``(ii) to develop new knowledge to support 
                        decisions on sustainable production and use of 
                        biochar;
                            ``(iii) to collect relevant data needed for 
                        full life cycle greenhouse gas and economic 
                        analyses and complete those analysis;
                            ``(iv) to predict plant response, soil 
                        health, soil carbon sequestration, ecosystem 
                        health, water quality, greenhouse gas, and 
                        economic outcomes for specific implementations 
                        of biochar technology;
                            ``(v) to provide data to evaluate local 
                        biomass feedstocks, support selection of 
                        sustainable biochar production methods, and 
                        address biochar production issues; and
                            ``(vi) to share research results to inform 
                        farmers, horticulturalists, ranchers, 
                        foresters, urban biochar users, extension 
                        agents and specialists, and technical 
                        assistance providers on the most advantageous 
                        ways to use biochar to increase profitability, 
                        raise productivity, lower costs, improve soil 
                        and plant health, and enhance resilience to 
                        extreme weather events while contributing to 
                        carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas 
                        reductions.
    ``(c) Eligibility.--An entity shall be eligible to be selected to 
conduct research as part of the research network if the entity is--
            ``(1) a State agricultural experiment station or a State 
        forestry experiment station;
            ``(2) a research facility of the Agricultural Research 
        Service, the Forest Service, or any other agency of the 
        Department of Agriculture that the Secretary determines to be 
        appropriate; or
            ``(3) a research facility of the Department of Energy, the 
        Department of Commerce, or the Department of the Interior.
    ``(d) Administration.--
            ``(1) In general.--The research network shall be 
        administered by the Administrator of the Agricultural Research 
        Service, in partnership with--
                    ``(A) the Chief of the Forest Service;
                    ``(B) the Director of the National Institute of 
                Food and Agriculture;
                    ``(C) the Secretary of Energy;
                    ``(D) the Secretary of Commerce;
                    ``(E) the Secretary of the Interior; and
                    ``(F) such other agencies of the Department of 
                Agriculture as the Secretary determines to be 
                appropriate.
            ``(2) Conservation.--The Secretary, acting through the 
        Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service--
                    ``(A) may develop a practice standard informed by 
                the research conducted by the research network; and
                    ``(B) shall coordinate the activities of the 
                research network with--
                            ``(i) the development and refinement of a 
                        biochar conservation practice standard; and
                            ``(ii) improvements and expansion of 
                        conservation program technical and financial 
                        support for biochar production and application.
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2023 through 2028.''.
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