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Support for advanced technologies that strengthen United States agricultural production, agrifood systems, and associated bioindustrial manufacturing capacity

Division A · Title II: RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST, AND EVALUATION · Subtitle B: Program Requirements, Restrictions, and Limitations

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The Department of Defense, working with the Department of Agriculture, can support developing and testing advanced technologies to protect and improve U.S. agriculture, food systems, and related manufacturing against threats like diseases, supply disruptions, and natural disasters. This includes efforts in areas such as biosecurity, automation, resource management, and wildfire response, with collaboration across government, academia, and the private sector. An implementation plan for these activities must be submitted to Congress within 180 days of the law’s enactment.

AI-generated from this section’s text — a quick orientation, not a substitute for the full text below. Not legal advice.

Section Text · Sec. 226.
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(a) In general

The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, in coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture, may carry out activities to support the development, testing, validation, demonstration, and transition of advanced technologies that strengthen the resilience, security, and operational continuity of United States agricultural production, agrifood systems, and associated bioindustrial manufacturing capacity against biological threats, supply chain disruptions, natural disasters, and other risks to national security, including technologies relating to—

(1)

agricultural biosecurity, including detection, prevention, mitigation, and recovery relating to plant disease, livestock disease, invasive species, and other biological threats;

(2)

advanced plant, animal, microbial, and bioindustrial technologies supporting defense readiness, domestic manufacturing capacity, and supply chain security;

(3)

engineering, automation, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and data systems supporting agricultural production, logistics, and operational resilience;

(4)

natural resource management technologies relating to water, energy, soil, forests, and food systems that reduce scarcity risks and enhance civilian and military resilience; and

(5)

wildfire prediction, prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery technologies relevant to agricultural productivity, infrastructure resilience, and military readiness.

(b) Activities

The activities carried out under subsection (a) shall include—

(1)

interagency collaboration to accelerate research, development, testing, evaluation, field validation, demonstration, deployment, and transition of technologies described in subsection (a);

(2)

collaboration with Federal agencies, federally funded research and development centers, national laboratories, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and private sector entities; and

(3)

prioritization, to the extent practicable, of projects demonstrating clear potential to enhance food security, operational readiness, domestic production resilience, or defense supply chain security.

(c) Reporting

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, in coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall submit to the congressional defense committees an implementation plan for activities to be carried out under this section.

(d) Rule of construction

Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit authorities of the Department of Defense or the Department of Agriculture that—

(1)

were in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act; and

(2)

authorize or require conduct or support of research, development, testing, evaluation, or operational activities.