A Republican bill with 2 Democratic cosponsors · See all 2 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The DOD and USDA Interagency Research Act directs the Secretaries of Defense and Agriculture to conduct joint research and development activities. This collaboration focuses on mission requirements in agriculture and food defense, including national security and agricultural resilience. The Secretaries must establish a memorandum of understanding to coordinate these efforts and provide a framework for public-private partnerships. Research topics include biological sciences, supply chain security, and wildfire mitigation. The Act also establishes requirements for research security, annual reporting to Congress, and periodic GAO reviews.
Yes· 3 of 17
- Scored +6
Does this put more money into scientific research?
The bill explicitly establishes frameworks for joint research and development between agencies.
- Scored +5
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill addresses the mitigation of chemical impacts (PFAS) on farmland and manages natural resources.
- Scored +5
Would farmers be better off under this?
The bill focuses on agricultural resilience, food security, and new technologies that benefit agricultural economies.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
By limiting the disclosure of certain agricultural data under FOIA, transparency is slightly reduced.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Agricultural Resilience and Security: The bill directs research into biological sciences to address natural disaster and weather resiliency, biosecurity, and invasive species management (Section 2(c)(1)(C)). It also focuses on management strategies for water, energy, soil, forests, and food to reduce scarcity risks (Section 2(c)(1)(D)).
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Mitigation of Environmental Impacts: The research includes efforts to mitigate the impacts on farmland contiguous to military bases caused by Department of Defense chemical releases, specifically PFAS (Section 2(c)(1)(C)(iv)).
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Support for Rural Economies: The Act identifies innovations that are beneficial to rural agricultural economies, such as precision agriculture technologies, drones, and remote sensing (Section 2(c)(1)(G)).
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Food Supply Stability: Research is aimed at agrifood supply chain security to minimize food disruptions and protect agriculture as critical national infrastructure (Section 2(c)(1)(F)).
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Disaster Preparedness: The bill calls for research into wildfire prediction, prevention, and mitigation to help manage impacts on agricultural productivity (Section 2(c)(1)(I)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Financial Burden on Grant Recipients: Under the public-private partnership framework, the Secretaries may require the recipient of any grant to provide an amount of non-Federal matching funds equal to the amount of the grant involved (Section 2(b)(3)(B)).
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Data Privacy Restrictions: While the bill aims to protect producer data from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, it also establishes that such data is not subject to disclosure under specific circumstances (Section 2(c)(4)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill addresses the mitigation of chemical impacts (PFAS) on farmland and manages natural resources. Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill focuses on innovations that benefit rural agricultural economies, such as precision agriculture. Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster? — The bill invests in research for weather resiliency and wildfire prediction/mitigation. Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests? — Research into forest and water management aims to improve resource stewardship.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would farmers be better off under this? — The bill focuses on agricultural resilience, food security, and new technologies that benefit agricultural economies. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill specifically targets innovations beneficial to rural agricultural economies. Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill promotes public-private partnerships and market-based adoption of new technologies.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — The bill explicitly establishes frameworks for joint research and development between agencies. Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The bill includes provisions to protect producer data from public disclosure.
- Healthcare
- Does this put more money into medical research? — The act directs research and development activities through interagency cooperation and public-private partnerships. Does this make the country readier for the next outbreak? — Research into biosecurity and biological sciences can help prevent and mitigate biological threats.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — The bill emphasizes research security, cybersecurity, and protecting the agrifood supply chain. Does this strengthen ties with allied countries? — The bill encourages leveraging existing bilateral and multilateral agreements with allies.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to grow the economy? — By fostering public-private partnerships and high-payoff research, the bill aims to drive market-based adoption of new technologies. Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill supports workforce development and innovation in the agricultural and defense sectors.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — It establishes protections for the privacy of agricultural producer data. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill increases interagency coordination and federal oversight of research and development. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — By limiting the disclosure of certain agricultural data under FOIA, transparency is slightly reduced.
- 6/15/2026
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
- 2/24/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 2/12/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Donald DavisDemocrat · North Carolina
Chrissy HoulahanDemocrat · Pennsylvania