Sponsors (4)
The bill strengthens regional agricultural cybersecurity, workforce training, and targeted R&D to protect supply chains, while requiring $25M/year in federal funding and creating risks of exclusion for non‑land‑grant innovators and added costs for small farms.
Farmers, rural communities, and agricultural businesses gain region-specific cybersecurity research, tools, operational support, and tailored testbeds/exercises that improve resilience of local supply chains and reduce the risk of disruptive cyberattacks.
Universities and students receive funding and training opportunities to build a skilled agricultural cybersecurity workforce, increasing regional technical capacity and long-term sector resilience.
Federal investment fosters R&D collaboration among industry, government, and academia to accelerate development and deployment of agriculture‑specific cybersecurity solutions and spur innovation in the sector.
Taxpayers are committed to $25 million per year through 2030 to fund the program, increasing federal spending and creating opportunity costs for other programs or priorities.
Small farms and local operators may face new compliance, equipment, or operational costs to adopt recommended security technologies and practices promoted by the regional centers.
Limiting eligible applicants to land‑grant universities could exclude non‑land‑grant institutions and private sector innovators with relevant cybersecurity expertise, narrowing the pool of contributors and solutions.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced September 18, 2025 by Theodore Paul Budd · Last progress September 18, 2025
Creates a USDA‑led program to fund five Regional Agriculture Cybersecurity Centers and a national network to improve cybersecurity for seed, horticulture, animal agriculture, and the agricultural supply chain. The centers, run by eligible land‑grant colleges or universities through competitive grants or cooperative agreements, must conduct research, host security operations centers and live testbeds, develop domain‑specific cybersecurity tools, run attack/defense exercises, and provide education and workforce training. The bill authorizes $25 million per year for fiscal years 2026–2030 and requires consultation with the Department of Homeland Security on foreign threat priorities.