HR1326-119

What This Bill Does

The DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act directs the Energy Secretary and Agriculture Secretary to conduct cross-cutting and collaborative research and development tied to both agencies' mission requirements and priorities. They must coordinate through a memorandum of understanding or other interagency agreement and use a competitive, merit-reviewed process for applications from federal agencies, National Laboratories, institutions of higher education, nonprofit institutions, and other appropriate entities. The bill allows work on modeling, simulation, machine learning, artificial intelligence, data assimilation, large data analytics, life-cycle analysis, advanced crop science, crop protection, breeding, biological pest control, energy-water issues, advanced biomass, biobased products, biofuels, sustainable aviation and naval fuels, colocation of agriculture with energy resources, carbon storage and utilization, invasive species management, high-risk agriculture and energy technologies, grid modernization and security, rural manufacturing, precision agriculture, mechanization, automation, wildfire prevention, and energy-infrastructure wildfire impacts. It also supports shared data sets, secure data access, open community-based development, research infrastructure, workforce development, collaborative RD&D to improve agricultural operations and processing efficiency, and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. DOE and USDA may use reimbursable agreements and collaborate with other federal agencies. Within two years, they must report to House and Senate science, agriculture, and energy committees.

Who Benefits and How

National Laboratories, universities, nonprofit research institutions, agricultural technology companies, biofuels producers, biobased product manufacturers, precision agriculture developers, rural manufacturers, crop scientists, wildfire researchers, grid modernization researchers, farmers, and workforce-training programs benefit from a coordinated federal research path across DOE and USDA capabilities. The MOU can make it easier to combine energy labs, agricultural science, data infrastructure, and field deployment around problems that sit between the two departments.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, DOE program offices, USDA research agencies, federal grant managers, merit-review panels, data-security staff, National Laboratory administrators, university grants offices, nonprofit research administrators, and congressional report writers must coordinate priorities, run competitions, manage reimbursable agreements, support secure data sharing, and report to Congress within two years.

Key Provisions

• Requires DOE and USDA to conduct cross-cutting collaborative R&D through an MOU or interagency agreement.
• Requires competitive merit review for applications from federal agencies, National Laboratories, universities, nonprofits, and other entities.
• Authorizes research on AI, data analytics, crop science, energy-water systems, biomass, biofuels, sustainable fuels, agrivoltaics, carbon storage, invasive species, grid security, rural technology, and wildfire risk.
• Supports shared data, open community-based development, research infrastructure, and workforce development.
• Authorizes reimbursable agreements and collaboration with other federal agencies.
• Requires a two-year report to House and Senate science, agriculture, and energy committees.