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Replaces the existing 7 U.S.C. 3352 with a new 'Agriculture and food protection grant program' specifying program purposes, allowable uses, eligible entities, and an authorization of appropriations for FY2026–FY2030.
Replaces subsections (a) through (c) of 7 U.S.C. 5926 with a new subsection (a) that establishes Centers of Excellence (areas of focus, host institution eligibility and duties, award duration and renewal limits, prohibition on use of funds for construction, reporting requirements, and an authorization of appropriations). Redesignates subsection (d) as subsection (b) and makes further modifications to that subsection, including adding new areas of focus (forest health and conservation; food safety, bioprocessing, and value-added agriculture) and revising paragraph (1) language to reference the centers recognized under the new subsection (a).
This bill directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to recognize “centers of excellence” in key farm and food topics to boost research, teaching, and outreach. Focus areas include aquaculture; training new farmers; biosecurity and cybersecurity to defend the food supply; precision and digital agriculture; biotechnology; crop protection; farm business management; food quality (including PFAS, microplastics, and heavy metals); foreign animal diseases; and forestry. It also allows centers focused on forest health and on food safety, bioprocessing, and value‑added agriculture. Centers run for five years (with one possible five‑year renewal), must partner widely to avoid duplication and support rural jobs, cannot use funds for construction, and must report yearly on projects and results. Funding is authorized at $10 million per year for 2026–2030 for these centers .
It also creates a competitive grant program to help protect the nation’s food and farm system from chemical, biological, cybersecurity, or bioterrorism attacks, as well as other global catastrophic and existential threats. Grant funds can support research on countermeasures, expand teaching programs to train more experts in agricultural biosecurity and cybersecurity, upgrade labs for safety, buy equipment, and improve rapid response capacity. Eligible applicants include state agricultural experiment stations and departments, colleges and universities, research foundations and institutions, federal agencies, national labs, and groups of these. Funding is authorized at $10 million per year for 2026–2030 for this program .
Key points
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced June 26, 2025 by Donald J. Bacon · Last progress June 26, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced in House