Sponsors (3)
The bill provides substantial, predictable federal investment to expand agricultural research infrastructure and reach rural institutions, at the cost of significant new federal spending and risks that smaller or less-resourced institutions may be left behind or that large projects remain constrained by administrative limits.
Scientists, researchers, and colleges/universities will receive substantial, multi-year federal funding to build and equip agricultural research facilities, increasing research capacity and enabling long-term projects.
Rural communities and small agricultural businesses can access grants and waived matching requirements to upgrade local facilities and equipment, supporting local agriculture and jobs.
The bill requires limits on per‑state shares and equitable distribution rules, reducing concentration of funds and helping a broader set of institutions gain access to infrastructure support.
Taxpayers face large new federal outlays (mandatory $500 million per year plus up to $1 billion/year in authorized funding), increasing federal spending and potential pressure on other budget priorities.
Smaller institutions and minority‑serving schools risk being disadvantaged because federal prioritization and competitive grants favor applicants with grant-writing capacity or matching resources unless waivers are granted.
Existing administrative caps and single-project funding limits remain, which could prevent very large or transformative facility projects from receiving sufficient funding despite the program's expansion.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a NIFA competitive grant program for agricultural research facilities with peer‑review consultation and funds via mandatory Treasury transfers and authorized appropriations.
Provides a new competitive grant program in USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to fund construction, renovation, equipment, and related research facility projects for agricultural research and education. It requires NIFA peer-review consultation in proposal review and selection, sets geographic and institutional distribution rules, and allows the Secretary to waive the usual non‑Federal match requirement in some cases. Establishes mandatory transfers of $500 million from the Treasury to USDA on Oct 1 of each year 2025–2029 (available until expended) to carry out the program, and authorizes up to $1 billion in additional annual appropriations for FY2026–2030 (available until expended), while keeping several existing administrative and project caps in place.
Official title: To amend the Research Facilities Act and the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 to address deferred maintenance at agricultural research facilities, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 21, 2025 by Kim Schrier · Last progress May 21, 2025