AIM Act of 2021
Bill: S.1242 | Sponsor: Sen. Cotton, Tom (R-AR)
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Agricultural Intelligence Measures Act of 2021 or the AIM Act of 2021
This bill establishes the Office of Intelligence in the Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the National Intelligence Program.
The office must

To establish the Office of Intelligence in the Department of 
                  Agriculture, 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 ``Agricultural Intelligence Measures 
Act of 2021'' or the ``AIM Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE IN DEPARTMENT OF 
              AGRICULTURE.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--Subtitle A of the Department of 
        Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6912 et seq.) 
        is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 224B. OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Department an 
Office of Intelligence. The Office shall be under the National 
Intelligence Program.
    ``(b) Director.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Office shall be headed by the 
        Director of the Office of Intelligence, who shall be an 
        employee in the Senior Executive Service and who shall be 
        appointed by the Secretary. The Director shall report directly 
        to the Secretary.
            ``(2) Qualifications.--The Secretary shall select an 
        individual to serve as the Director from among individuals who 
        have significant experience serving in the intelligence 
        community.
            ``(3) Staff.--The Director may appoint and fix the 
        compensation of such staff as the Director considers 
        appropriate, except that the Director may not appoint more than 
        5 full-time equivalent positions at an annual rate of pay equal 
        to or greater than the maximum rate of basic pay for GS-15 of 
        the General Schedule.
            ``(4) Detail of personnel of intelligence community.--Upon 
        the request of the Director, the head of an element of the 
        intelligence community may detail any of the personnel of such 
        element to assist the Office in carrying out its duties. Any 
        personnel detailed to assist the Office shall not be taken into 
        account in determining the number of full-time equivalent 
        positions of the Office under paragraph (3).
    ``(c) Duties.--The Office shall carry out the following duties:
            ``(1) The Office shall be responsible for leveraging the 
        capabilities of the intelligence community and National 
        Laboratories intelligence-related research, to ensure that the 
        Secretary is fully informed of threats by foreign actors to 
        United States agriculture.
            ``(2) The Office shall focus on understanding foreign 
        efforts to--
                    ``(A) steal United States agriculture knowledge and 
                technology; and
                    ``(B) develop or implement biological warfare 
                attacks, cyber or clandestine operations, or other 
                means of sabotaging and disrupting United States 
                agriculture.
            ``(3) The Office shall prepare, conduct, and facilitate 
        intelligence briefings for the Secretary and appropriate 
        officials of the Department.
            ``(4) The Office shall operate as the liaison between the 
        Secretary and the intelligence community, with the authority to 
        request intelligence collection and analysis on matters related 
        to United States agriculture.
            ``(5) The Office shall collaborate with the intelligence 
        community to downgrade intelligence assessments for broader 
        dissemination within the Department.
            ``(6) The Office shall facilitate sharing information on 
        foreign activities related to agriculture, as acquired by the 
        Department with the intelligence community.
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated for the Office $970,000 for fiscal year 2022.
    ``(e) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions 
apply:
            ``(1) The term `Director' means the Director of the Office 
        of Intelligence appointed under subsection (b).
            ``(2) The terms `intelligence community' and `National 
        Intelligence Program' have the meaning given such terms in 
        section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 
        3003).
            ``(3) The term `Office' means the Office of Intelligence of 
        the Department established under subsection (a).''.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--
                    (A) Subtitle A of the Department of Agriculture 
                Reorganization Act of 1994 is amended by redesignating 
                the first section 225 (relating to Food Access Liaison) 
                (7 U.S.C. 6925) as section 224A.
                    (B) Section 296(b) of the Department of Agriculture 
                Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b)) is 
                amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(11) The authority of the Secretary to carry out section 
        224B.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments Relating to Existing Functions and 
Authorities.--
            (1) Existing functions of office of homeland security of 
        department relating to intelligence on threats to food and 
        agriculture critical infrastructure sector.--
                    (A) In general.--Section 221(d) of the Department 
                of Agriculture Reorganization Act (7 U.S.C. 6922(d)) is 
                amended--
                            (i) by striking paragraphs (4) and (5); and
                            (ii) by redesignating paragraphs (6) 
                        through (8) as paragraphs (4) through (6), 
                        respectively.
                    (B) Transfer of related personnel and assets of 
                office of homeland security.--The functions which the 
                Office of Homeland Security of the Department of 
                Agriculture exercised under paragraphs (4) and (5) of 
                section 221(d) of the Department of Agriculture 
                Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6922(d)) before 
                the effective date of this paragraph, together with the 
                funds, assets, and other resources used by the Director 
                of the Office of Homeland Security of the Department of 
                Agriculture to carry out such functions before the 
                effective date of this paragraph, are transferred to 
                the Director of the Office of Intelligence of the 
                Department of Agriculture.
            (2) Carrying out interagency exchange program for defense 
        of food and agriculture critical infrastructure sector.--
        Section 221(e) of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization 
        Act (7 U.S.C. 6922(e)) is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new paragraph:
            ``(3) Authority of director of office of intelligence and 
        counterintelligence.--The Secretary shall carry out this 
        subsection acting through the Director of the Office of 
        Intelligence of the Department.''.
            (3) Coordinating with intelligence community on potential 
        threats to agriculture.--Section 335(a)(3) of the Public Health 
        Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 
        (7 U.S.C. 3354(a)(3)) is amended by striking ``strengthen 
        coordination'' and inserting ``acting through the Director of 
        the Office of Intelligence in the Department of Agriculture, 
        strengthen coordination''.
            (4) Effective date.--This subsection and the amendments 
        made by this subsection shall take effect upon the appointment 
        of the Director of the Office of Intelligence in the Department 
        of Agriculture under section 224B(b) of the Department of 
        Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (as added by subsection 
        (a)(1)).
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