What This Bill Does
This bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a national biochar research network with up to 20 research sites. The network will test different types of biochar (a charcoal-like material made from plant material) across various soil types, climates and farming regions to understand how biochar can improve soil health, reduce greenhouse gases and help farms become more profitable.
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Who It Affects
- The Secretary of Agriculture
- Farmers, ranchers and foresters
- State agricultural and forestry experiment stations
- The Agricultural Research Service, Forest Service and other Department of Agriculture agencies
- The Department of Energy, Department of Commerce and Department of the Interior
- Land and urban managers who use biochar
- Extension agents and technical assistance providers
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Key Provisions
- The Secretary shall establish a biochar research network of no more than 20 research sites or facilities to test biochar across different soil types, soils health conditions, climates and farming regions (Sec. 403(a))
- The research network will assess soil carbon sequestration potential (ability of soil to trap carbon) of various biochars and how biochar can improve crop production, reduce extreme weather damage, improve soil health and increase farm profitability (Sec. 403(a))
- The research network shall include cross-site experiments to understand how different biochar types affect soil properties, plant growth and greenhouse gas emissions in different conditions (Sec. 403(b)(2)(A))
- The network shall also conduct farm and forestry system assessments and pilot-scale biochar production studies to develop region-specific knowledge that helps farmers and land managers decide whether and how to use biochar (Sec. 403(b)(2)(B))
- Eligible entities to conduct research include state agricultural and forestry experiment stations, research facilities of the Agricultural Research Service and Forest Service, and research facilities of the Departments of Energy, Commerce and Interior (Sec. 403(c))
- The Agricultural Research Service Administrator will administer the network in partnership with the Forest Service Chief, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Director and the Secretaries of Energy, Commerce and Interior (Sec. 403(d)(1))
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What Changes
If this bill becomes law, the Department of Agriculture must establish and fund a coordinated network of research sites focused specifically on biochar. Currently, no such dedicated national network exists. The bill requires these research sites to work together studying biochar across multiple regions and farm types, then share their findings with farmers, ranchers, foresters and other land managers to help them make better decisions about using biochar.
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Important Definitions
- Biochar: A charcoal-like material produced from plant material through thermochemical conversion (heating without oxygen)
- Soil carbon sequestration: The process of trapping carbon in soil so it stays out of the atmosphere
- Greenhouse gas emissions: Gases like carbon dioxide that trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to climate change
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Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 732
To amend the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act
of 1998 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a national
biochar research network, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 9, 2023
Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Mr. TESTER, Mr. THUNE, and Mr. BROWN) in-
troduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Com-
mittee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
A BILL
To amend the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Edu-
cation Reform Act of 1998 to direct the Secretary of
Agriculture to establish a national biochar research net-
work, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Biochar Research Net-
4
work Act of 2023’’.
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•S 732 IS
SEC. 2. NATIONAL BIOCHAR RESEARCH NETWORK.
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Title IV of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and
2
Education Reform Act of 1998 is amended by inserting
3
before section 404 (7 U.S.C. 7624) the following:
4
‘‘SEC. 403. NATIONAL BIOCHAR RESEARCH NETWORK.
5
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall estab-
6
lish a national biochar research network (referred to in
7
this section as the ‘research network’) of not more than
8
20 research sites or facilities described in subsection (c)
9
to test the full range of biochar types across soil types,
10
soil health and soil management conditions, application
11
methods, and climatic and agronomic regions—
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‘‘(1) to assess the soil carbon sequestration po-
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tential of various biochars and management systems
14
integrating biochar use;
15
‘‘(2) to understand how to use biochar produc-
16
tively to contribute to climate mitigation, crop pro-
17
duction, resilience to extreme weather events, eco-
18
system and soil health, natural resource conserva-
19
tion, and farm profitability; and
20
‘‘(3) to deliver science-based, region-specific,
21
cost-effective, and practical information to farmers,
22
ranchers, foresters, land reclamation managers,
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urban land managers, and other land and natural
24
resource managers and businesses on sustainable
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biochar production and application.
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•S 732 IS
‘‘(b) SCOPE.—
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The research network shall
2
encompass—
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‘‘(A) agriculture, horticulture, rangeland,
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forestry, and other biochar uses; and
5
‘‘(B) a broad range of feedstocks, produc-
6
tion processes, and application treatments.
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‘‘(2) RESEARCH.—The research conducted by
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the research network shall include—
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‘‘(A) cross-site and mechanistic experi-
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ments—
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‘‘(i) to fill critical knowledge gaps and
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gain a more complete understanding of the
13
impact of various types of biochar in vary-
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ing site conditions on soil properties, plant
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growth, greenhouse gas emissions, and car-
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bon sequestration in different soils, cli-
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mates, and other natural and agronomic
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conditions;
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‘‘(ii) to provide mechanistic and
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technoeconomic insights on thermochemical
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conversion processes in biochar production
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and the coproduction of biochar and bio-
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energy, including interactions of feedstock
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properties with reactor conditions and
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•S 732 IS
processes on the relative proportions and
1
properties of biochar, biofuels, and value-
2
added coproducts, as well as process effi-
3
ciency;
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‘‘(iii) to generate data to develop, cali-
5
brate, and validate robust mechanistic
6
models to predict the full life cycle of
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greenhouse gas, crop response, and related
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agronomic and environmental implications
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of particular applications of biochar;
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‘‘(iv) to generate data to help guide
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the design of new, more efficient biochar
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and bioenergy production reactors and bio-
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refineries; and
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‘‘(v) to generate data to develop, cali-
15
brate, and validate testing methodologies
16
for biochar to identify potential contami-
17
nants or other factors that may cause un-
18
intended consequences; and
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‘‘(B) site-specific farm and forestry sys-
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tems assessments and pilot-scale biochar pro-
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duction and application systems—
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‘‘(i) to refine the most promising soil-
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based uses, sources, and methods of pro-
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•S 732 IS
ducing and applying biochar in particular
1
regions—
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‘‘(I) to enhance productivity;
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‘‘(II) to increase profitability,
4
scalability, and portability;
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‘‘(III) to reduce greenhouse gas
6
emissions;
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‘‘(IV) to improve ecosystem and
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soil health;
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‘‘(V) to strengthen resilience to
10
extreme weather events; and
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‘‘(VI) to explore soil, crop, cli-
12
mate, management, and biochar inter-
13
actions;
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‘‘(ii) to develop new knowledge to sup-
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port decisions on sustainable production
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and use of biochar;
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‘‘(iii) to collect relevant data needed
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for full life cycle greenhouse gas and eco-
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nomic analyses and complete those anal-
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ysis;
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‘‘(iv) to predict plant response, soil
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health, soil carbon sequestration, eco-
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system health, water quality, greenhouse
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gas, and economic outcomes for specific
1
implementations of biochar technology;
2
‘‘(v) to provide data to evaluate local
3
biomass feedstocks, support selection of
4
sustainable biochar production methods,
5
and address biochar production issues; and
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‘‘(vi) to share research results to in-
7
form farmers, horticulturalists, ranchers,
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foresters, urban biochar users, extension
9
agents and specialists, and technical assist-
10
ance providers on the most advantageous
11
ways to use biochar to increase profit-
12
ability, raise productivity, lower costs, im-
13
prove soil and plant health, and enhance
14
resilience to extreme weather events while
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contributing to carbon sequestration and
16
greenhouse gas reductions.
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‘‘(c) ELIGIBILITY.—An entity shall be eligible to be
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selected to conduct research as part of the research net-
19
work if the entity is—
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‘‘(1) a State agricultural experiment station or
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a State forestry experiment station;
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‘‘(2) a research facility of the Agricultural Re-
23
search Service, the Forest Service, or any other
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•S 732 IS
agency of the Department of Agriculture that the
1
Secretary determines to be appropriate; or
2
‘‘(3) a research facility of the Department of
3
Energy, the Department of Commerce, or the De-
4
partment of the Interior.
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‘‘(d) ADMINISTRATION.—
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The research network shall
7
be administered by the Administrator of the Agricul-
8
tural Research Service, in partnership with—
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‘‘(A) the Chief of the Forest Service;
10
‘‘(B) the Director of the National Institute
11
of Food and Agriculture;
12
‘‘(C) the Secretary of Energy;
13
‘‘(D) the Secretary of Commerce;
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‘‘(E) the Secretary of the Interior; and
15
‘‘(F) such other agencies of the Depart-
16
ment of Agriculture as the Secretary determines
17
to be appropriate.
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‘‘(2) CONSERVATION.—The Secretary, acting
19
through the Chief of the Natural Resources Con-
20
servation Service—
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‘‘(A) may develop or revise practice stand-
22
ards informed by the research conducted by the
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research network; and
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•S 732 IS
‘‘(B) shall coordinate the activities of the
1
research network with—
2
‘‘(i) the development, expansion, and
3
refinement of conservation practice stand-
4
ards for biochar production and use for
5
soil and forest health, climate adaptation
6
and mitigation, and other conservation
7
purposes; and
8
‘‘(ii) improvements and expansion of
9
conservation program technical and finan-
10
cial support for biochar production, appli-
11
cation, and integration into soil health
12
management systems and other conserva-
13
tion approaches.
14
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
15
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
16
$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2028.’’.
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Æ
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