DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act
The source supplies the latest action, but no lifecycle stage.
Latest action (25 Mar 2025): Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
What this bill does
This bill, H.R. 1326, would require the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to work together on research and development projects. They would establish a formal agreement to coordinate these activities, which could involve areas like artificial intelligence in agriculture, biofuels, grid modernization, rural technology, and wildfire prevention. The agencies would be allowed to enter into agreements where one agency reimburses another for research services and collaborate with other federal bodies.
The bill mandates that this collaborative research must use a competitive, merit-reviewed process. This process would consider applications from federal agencies, national laboratories, universities, and nonprofit institutions. The research itself could focus on developing methods for integrating large datasets on agricultural and environmental information, supporting research infrastructure and workforce development, and improving agricultural efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Having passed the House of Representatives, the bill will now move to the Senate for consideration. If enacted into law, the Secretaries of Energy and Agriculture would be required to submit a report to Congress within two years detailing the coordination, achievements, and future opportunities of these joint research activities.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act
This bill requires the Department of Energy and Department of Agriculture to carry out cross-cutting and collaborative research and development activities through the establishment of an interagency agreement.
The agencies are authorized to (1) carry out reimbursable agreements in order to maximize research and development effectiveness, and (2) collaborate with other federal agencies. Further, the interagency agreement must require the use of a competitive, merit-reviewed process, which considers applications from federal agencies, national laboratories, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit institutions.
Research and development activities may include
• collaborative research in a variety of focus areas such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, biofuels and biobased products, grid modernization and security, rural technology development, and wildfire risks and prevention;
• developing methods to accommodate large voluntary standardized and integrated data sets on agricultural, environmental, supply chain, and economic information;
• supporting research infrastructure and workforce development; and
• collaborative research and development on ways to improve agriculture operations and processing efficiencies, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Timeline
25 Mar 2025
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Common questions
- What does H.R. 1326 do?
- This bill, H.R. 1326, would require the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to work together on research and development projects. They would establish a formal agreement to coordinate these activities, which could involve areas like artificial intelligence in agriculture, biofuels, grid modernization, rural technology, and wildfire prevention. The agencies would be allowed to enter into agreements where one agency reimburses another for research services and collaborate with other federal bodies. The bill mandates that this collaborative research must use a competitive, merit-reviewed process. This process would consider applications from federal agencies, national laboratories, universities, and nonprofit institutions. The research itself could focus on developing methods for integrating large datasets on agricultural and environmental information, supporting research infrastructure and workforce development, and improving agricultural efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Having passed the House of Representatives, the bill will now move to the Senate for consideration. If enacted into law, the Secretaries of Energy and Agriculture would be required to submit a report to Congress within two years detailing the coordination, achievements, and future opportunities of these joint research activities.
- Has H.R. 1326 become law?
- The source does not supply a confirmed lifecycle stage for H.R. 1326. Check the latest action and official source below.
- Who sponsored H.R. 1326?
- H.R. 1326 was sponsored by Rep. Lucas, Frank D. [R-OK-3] (R-OK), with 2 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on H.R. 1326?
- Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (25 Mar 2025).
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