Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4832
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Agriculture and Food
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-08-01: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 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.
- Last Updated
- 2025-12-05T22:03:18Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act of 2025 aims to enhance the use and promotion of biobased products—items made from renewable agricultural materials like crops or forestry resources. It seeks to boost markets for farm commodities, reduce dependence on petroleum, support rural economic growth, and strengthen domestic manufacturing. By expanding the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) BioPreferred Program, the Act promotes federal purchases of these products and voluntary labeling to drive job creation and economic value in agriculture.
Key Provisions
- Findings and Purposes (Sec. 2): Recognizes the economic benefits of biobased products, including job support (e.g., 3.94 million jobs in 2021) and industry growth ($489 billion contribution in 2021). Purposes include expanding USDA's promotion role, increasing federal buying, and committing to rural economies.
- New Definitions (Sec. 3): Adds terms to the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, such as:
- Bio-attributed plastic: A plastic made via biological processes but not qualifying as fully biobased.
- Bio-attributed product: Commercial or industrial items (non-food/feed) derived partly from biological sources like plants or animals.
- Biobased plastic: Plastics meeting biobased content standards.
- Bioproduct: Encompasses biobased or bio-attributed items.
- Plant-based product: Non-food items mainly from photosynthetic organisms like plants.
- Biobased Markets Program Improvements (Sec. 4): Amends the existing program to:
- Require federal agencies to annually increase biobased purchases or contracts.
- Set price premiums (allowable extra costs) for different biobased categories.
- Mandate guidance on considering product lifespan and efficiency in buying decisions.
- Enhance agency reporting on procurement, including unmet needs and failure reasons; requires public verification and staff training on biobased buying within 2 years.
- Update federal procurement systems (e.g., GSA Advantage!) to track and designate biobased products using industry codes.
- Allow public reporting of label misuse; add USDA outreach to small businesses, states, and partnerships for promotion.
- Permit USDA to accept non-federal funds for marketing without needing extra congressional approval.
- Require annual reports on labeling authorizations, audits, marketing plans, and contributions.
- Extend program funding authorization through 2031.
- Standardize biobased content testing using ASTM International methods or alternatives, with stakeholder input and Administrative Procedure Act-like processes.
- Biobased Task Force (Sec. 5): Creates a temporary USDA task force (lasting 4 years) led by the Rural Development mission area. It coordinates research, promotion, and analysis across USDA offices (e.g., Agricultural Research Service, Economic Research Service). The group will study program effectiveness, seek public input, and report recommendations to Congress within 3 years. Exempt from formal advisory committee rules.
- Bioproduct Labeling Rules (Sec. 6): Prohibits selling or labeling products with misleading terms (e.g., "biobased product," "renewable chemical") unless they meet defined standards or USDA-approved alternatives. Protects confidentiality of business data during enforcement.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Expands Definitions and Scope: Introduces broader terms like "bio-attributed" and "bioproduct," shifting from solely biobased focus to include biologically derived items, potentially covering more products.
- Strengthens Procurement Mandates: Adds annual purchase increases, price premiums, and lifecycle considerations; replaces vague reporting with detailed, verified annual submissions and training requirements—previously, reporting was less structured.
- Enhances Promotion and Enforcement: Introduces public marketing funds from private sources, misuse reporting, and standardized testing; extends funding from 2023 to 2031. Shifts some research coordination (e.g., on greenhouse gases) to USDA consultation.
- New Structures: Establishes a dedicated task force for internal coordination (absent before) and explicit labeling prohibitions with enforcement tools, building on the voluntary BioPreferred labeling.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Federal procuring agencies (e.g., via General Services Administration) must ramp up biobased buys, undergo training, and report more rigorously, increasing administrative workload but promoting sustainable procurement. USDA gains expanded promotional tools and funding flexibility.
- Citizens: Boosts rural jobs and economic growth by creating markets for farm outputs (e.g., corn, soybeans), potentially adding indirect jobs (1.4 per biobased job). Consumers benefit from clearer labeling and more eco-friendly options in products like paints or textiles.
- International Relations: Reduces U.S. petroleum reliance, enhancing energy security and supporting global sustainability goals; may indirectly aid trade by promoting U.S. agricultural exports as feedstocks, with minimal direct foreign policy effects.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Farmers and Rural Communities: Gain expanded markets for commodities, driving economic development.
- Biobased Manufacturers and Small Businesses: Benefit from federal preferences, labeling opportunities, and USDA outreach; face stricter labeling rules.
- USDA and Federal Agencies: USDA leads implementation, coordination, and enforcement; other agencies handle increased procurement and reporting.
- Consumers and Industry Suppliers: Access verified biobased products; suppliers (e.g., feedstock handlers) see demand growth.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Introduces enforceable prohibitions on misleading labels, with confidentiality protections for business data (similar to trade secret safeguards). Requires rule-making-like processes for standards, ensuring public and stakeholder input to avoid arbitrary decisions. No criminal penalties specified, but enables USDA/Attorney General enforcement.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's commerce and spending powers (e.g., directing federal purchases); task force exemption from advisory rules streamlines operations without violating due process.
- Political: Reinforces bipartisan support for agriculture and green manufacturing, potentially advancing rural revitalization agendas. Highlights economic multipliers (e.g., job creation) to justify federal involvement, but could spark debates on procurement costs or industry burdens from new reporting.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (7)
Rep. McDonald Rivet, Kristen [D-MI-8], Rep. Messmer, Mark B. [R-IN-8], Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2], Rep. Finstad, Brad [R-MN-1], Rep. Hinson, Ashley [R-IA-2], Rep. Baird, James R. [R-IN-4], Rep. Flood, Mike [R-NE-1]
Recent Actions
- 2025-08-01: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 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.
- 2025-08-01: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 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.
- 2025-08-01: Introduced in House
- 2025-08-01: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act of 2025 — issued 2025-08-01 — PDF (21 pages)