What This Bill Does
This bill directs the Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture to work together on research projects that help both agencies meet their goals. The two departments must create an agreement and use a competitive review process to select which projects to fund. The research can involve topics like artificial intelligence, renewable energy, crops, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in farming.
Who It Affects
The federal government agencies involved (Department of Energy and Department of Agriculture), National Laboratories (science research centers run by the federal government), colleges and universities, nonprofit organizations, other federal agencies, and private industry partners.
Key Provisions
- The Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of Agriculture must carry out joint research and development activities through a memorandum of understanding or interagency agreement that uses a competitive, merit-reviewed selection process (Sec. 2(b))
- The departments can conduct collaborative research in areas including artificial intelligence, agriculture science, energy and water resources, biofuels, renewable energy technologies, rural technology development, and wildfire prevention (Sec. 2(c)(1))
- The departments must submit a report to Congress within two years detailing coordination efforts, research achievements, and whether coordination should continue (Sec. 2(e))
- The departments can enter into reimbursable agreements with other entities and collaborate with other federal agencies to conduct the research (Sec. 2(d))
What Changes
If this becomes law, the Department of Energy and Department of Agriculture will be required to formally collaborate on joint research projects instead of working separately. They must establish a formal agreement and use a competitive process to decide which projects receive funding. The departments will share data and information with universities, national labs, and private companies to advance research in agriculture and energy.
Important Definitions
The bill defines "Secretaries" as the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of Agriculture (Sec. 2(a)).
IIB
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1713
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
DECEMBER 5, 2023
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources
AN ACT
To provide for Department of Energy and Department of
Agriculture joint research and development activities, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘DOE and USDA Inter-
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agency Research Act’’.
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SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND DEPARTMENT OF
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AGRICULTURE JOINT RESEARCH AND DEVEL-
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OPMENT ACTIVITIES.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Energy and the
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Secretary of Agriculture (in this section referred to as the
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‘‘Secretaries’’) shall carry out cross-cutting and collabo-
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rative research and development activities focused on the
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joint advancement of Department of Energy and Depart-
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ment of Agriculture mission requirements and priorities.
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(b) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.—The Sec-
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retaries shall carry out and coordinate the activities under
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subsection (a) through the establishment of a memo-
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randum of understanding, or other appropriate inter-
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agency agreement. Such memorandum or agreement shall
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require the use of a competitive, merit-reviewed process,
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which considers applications from Federal agencies, Na-
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tional Laboratories, institutions of higher education, non-
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profit institutions, and other appropriate entities.
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(c) COORDINATION.—In carrying out the activities
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under subsection (a), the Secretaries may—
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(1) conduct collaborative research over a variety
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of focus areas, such as—
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(A) modeling and simulation, machine
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learning, artificial intelligence, data assimila-
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tion, large scale data analytics, and predictive
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analysis in order to optimize algorithms for
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purposes related to agriculture and energy,
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such as life cycle analysis of agricultural or en-
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ergy systems;
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(B) fundamental agricultural, biological,
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computational, and environmental science and
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engineering, including advanced crop science,
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crop protection, breeding, and biological pest
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control, in collaboration with the program au-
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thorized under section 306 of the Department
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of Energy Research and Innovation Act (42
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U.S.C. 18644);
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(C) integrated natural resources and the
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energy-water nexus, including in collaboration
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with the program authorized under section
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1010 of the Energy Act of 2020 (enacted as di-
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vision Z of the Consolidated Appropriations
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Act, 2021 (42 U.S.C. 16183));
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(D) advanced biomass, biobased products,
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and biofuels, including in collaboration with the
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activities authorized under section 9008(b) of
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the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of
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2002 (7 U.S.C. 8108(b));
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(E) diverse feedstocks for economically and
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environmentally sustainable fuels, including
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aviation and naval fuels;
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(F) colocation of agricultural resources and
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activities and ecosystem services with diverse
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energy technologies and resources, such as geo-
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thermal energy, nuclear energy, solar energy,
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wind energy, natural gas, hydropower, and en-
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ergy storage;
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(G) colocation of agricultural resources
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and activities with carbon storage and utiliza-
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tion technologies;
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(H) invasive species management to fur-
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ther the work done by the Federal Interagency
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Committee for the Management of Noxious and
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Exotic Weeds;
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(I) long-term and high-risk technological
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barriers in the development of transformative
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science and technology solutions in the agri-
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culture and energy sectors, including in collabo-
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ration with the program authorized under sec-
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tion 5012 of the America COMPETES Act (42
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U.S.C. 16538);
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(J) grid modernization and grid security;
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(K) rural technology development, includ-
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ing manufacturing, precision agriculture tech-
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nologies, and mechanization and automation
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technologies; and
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(L) wildfire risks and prevention, including
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the power sector’s role in fire prevention and
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mitigation and wildfire impacts on energy infra-
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structure;
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(2) develop methods to accommodate large vol-
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untary standardized and integrated data sets on ag-
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ricultural, environmental, supply chain, and eco-
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nomic information with variable accuracy and scale;
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(3) promote collaboration, open community-
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based development, and data and information shar-
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ing between Federal agencies, National Labora-
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tories, institutions of higher education, nonprofit in-
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stitutions, industry partners, and other appropriate
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entities by providing reliable access to secure data
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and information that are in compliance with Federal
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rules and regulations;
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(4) support research infrastructure and work-
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force development as the Secretaries determine nec-
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essary; and
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(5) conduct collaborative research, development,
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and demonstration of methods and technologies to—
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(A) improve the efficiency of agriculture
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operations and processing of agricultural prod-
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ucts; and
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(B) reduce greenhouse gas emissions asso-
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ciated with such operations and such proc-
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essing.
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(d) AGREEMENTS.—In carrying out the activities
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under subsection (a), the Secretaries are authorized to—
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(1) carry out reimbursable agreements between
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the Department of Energy, the Department of Agri-
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culture, and other entities in order to maximize the
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effectiveness of research and development; and
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(2) collaborate with other Federal agencies as
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appropriate.
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(e) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the date
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of the enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall submit
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to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and
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the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representa-
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tives, and the Committee on Energy and Natural Re-
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sources and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and
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Forestry of the Senate, a report detailing the following:
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(1) Interagency coordination between each Fed-
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eral agency involved in the research and development
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activities carried out under this section.
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(2) Potential opportunities to expand the tech-
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nical capabilities of the Department of Energy and
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the Department of Agriculture.
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(3) Collaborative research achievements.
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(4) Areas of future mutually beneficial suc-
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cesses.
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(5) Continuation of coordination activities be-
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tween the Department of Energy and the Depart-
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ment of Agriculture.
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(f) RESEARCH SECURITY.—The activities authorized
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under this section shall be applied in a manner consistent
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with subtitle D of title VI of the Research and Develop-
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ment, Competition, and Innovation Act (enacted as divi-
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sion B of Public Law 117–167; 42 U.S.C. 19231 et seq.).
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Passed the House of Representatives December 4,
2023.
Attest:
KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,
Clerk.
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