Sponsors (3)
The bill channels significant, predictable federal funding to upgrade agricultural research infrastructure and support rural jobs, at the cost of substantial new federal spending and risks of uneven access and administrative uncertainty.
Researchers, universities, and state research programs receive substantial, predictable multi-year federal funding for agricultural research facilities and equipment, improving research capacity and enabling longer-term projects.
Rural communities and small agricultural businesses gain access to facility upgrades and equipment through grants and waived matching requirements, supporting local agriculture and jobs.
Universities and researchers nationwide benefit from limits on per-state shares and requirements for equitable distribution, reducing concentration of funds and increasing broader institutional access.
All taxpayers face large new federal outlays (mandatory $500M/year transfers plus up to $1B/year in authorized appropriations), increasing budgetary costs and potential pressure on other programs or deficits.
Smaller institutions and minority-serving institutions may be disadvantaged if they lack grant-writing capacity or matching funds and do not receive waivers, concentrating benefits among better-resourced entities.
Grant applicants (universities and researchers) may face uncertainty because competitive grant terms, award sizes, and timelines are largely set at the Secretary's discretion.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Establishes a NIFA competitive grant program for agricultural research facilities, adds peer-review consultation, and provides mandatory and discretionary funding transfers.
Introduced May 21, 2025 by Kim Schrier · Last progress May 21, 2025
Creates a competitive grant program at USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to fund construction, renovation, equipment, and related costs for agricultural research facilities and requires NIFA peer-review consultation in proposal reviews and selections. Provides significant new funding by directing mandatory Treasury transfers of $500 million each year on October 1 of 2025–2029 (available until expended) and authorizing up to $1 billion in additional annual appropriations for fiscal years 2026–2030, while allowing the Secretary to waive matching requirements on a case-by-case basis and requiring geographic and institutional distribution limits.