Sponsors (4)
Official title: To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to eliminate the prohibition on indirect costs with respect to aquaculture assistance, and for other purposes.
Introduced September 4, 2025 by Jill Tokuda · Last progress September 4, 2025
The bill directs modest new annual funding to aquaculture research and relaxes indirect-cost limits to strengthen grantee capacity, at the trade-off of added federal spending and the risk that more grant dollars could go to overhead rather than direct research while administrative adjustments occur.
Aquaculture researchers and related programs receive $15 million per year (authorized starting FY2026) to fund aquaculture research and projects, increasing available federal research support for the sector.
Universities, nonprofits, and other grant recipients can recover more indirect costs because the bill removes the section 1473 indirect-cost limit, improving their capacity to administer grants and support overhead needs.
Grantees and state partners benefit from simpler budgeting and potentially fewer conflicts because the bill makes the section 1462 indirect-cost cap applicable, aligning indirect-cost treatment with an existing standard.
Researchers and program participants could see a smaller share of award money go to direct research if higher indirect-cost recovery reduces the portion of each grant available for direct project activities.
Taxpayers bear increased federal spending because the bill authorizes $15 million annually, adding to budgetary commitments that could crowd out other priorities.
Applicants and USDA administrators may face short-term administrative confusion and transition costs as grant-making shifts to a different indirect-cost regime, slowing award issuance or increasing compliance burden temporarily.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes $15M/year (FY2026–2030) for aquaculture research and changes which statutory indirect-cost limitation applies to awards, effective on enactment.
Reauthorizes $15 million per year for fiscal years 2026–2030 for aquaculture research programs and changes which statutory indirect cost limitation applies to awards under the cited subtitle, making the limit in section 1462 govern and specifying that the limit in section 1473 does not apply. The indirect cost rule change takes effect on enactment; the funding authorization applies for the specified fiscal years.