DOD and USDA Interagency Research Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 7547
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Agriculture and Food
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-02-12: 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.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-23T13:29:09Z
AI-Generated Summary
H.R. 7547: DOD and USDA Interagency Research Act
Purpose This bill directs the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct joint research and development (R&D) activities. Its goal is to advance shared mission needs in agriculture and food defense, including national security, agricultural resilience, bioindustrial manufacturing feedstocks, and natural resource management.
Key Provisions
- The Secretaries of Defense and Agriculture must collaborate on R&D in areas such as:
- Engineering and mechanization improvements for the agrifood supply chain.
- Agricultural data systems, including artificial intelligence and machine learning applications.
- Biological sciences for disaster resilience, biosecurity, chemical and toxin threat mitigation, PFAS cleanup on farmland near military sites, and invasive species control.
- Management of water, energy, soil, forests, and food resources to reduce scarcity risks.
- Supply chain security for defense-related materials like propellants and fuels.
- Agrifood supply chain protection and military feeding logistics.
- Precision agriculture technologies, drones, remote sensing, and positioning systems.
- Resilience to natural disasters, biosecurity threats, and wildfires (including fuel management and post-fire recovery).
- The Secretaries must sign a memorandum of understanding or interagency agreement that requires competitive, merit-based project selection, public-private partnerships with matching funds, and a risk management framework for national security.
- Activities include secure data sharing with federal, state, local, Tribal, academic, and industry partners; protection of agricultural producer data from public disclosure (including under the Freedom of Information Act); workforce development and personnel exchanges; and field-testing of new technologies.
- The bill allows use of existing programs such as the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AgARDA) and DoD research offices, as well as unobligated funds.
- Annual reports must be submitted to designated congressional committees, with a public version that protects sensitive information. The Comptroller General must review the initiative every five years.
- All activities must follow existing research security rules.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill creates a new formal framework for ongoing DoD-USDA collaboration on agriculture-related R&D, which previously lacked this level of mandated coordination. It adds specific requirements for data protection, matching funds in partnerships, and judicial deference to the Secretaries’ reasonable interpretations of ambiguous provisions. It also expands eligible research topics to include direct military applications such as PFAS mitigation and defense supply chain security.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Strengthens coordination between DoD and USDA, potentially improving military readiness through better agricultural logistics and resource management while leveraging existing authorities.
- Citizens and rural economies: May accelerate adoption of precision agriculture tools and resilience measures that benefit farmers, while supporting rural economies through defense-related innovations.
- International relations: Permits use of existing bilateral and multilateral agreements with allies.
- Overall, the initiative aims to reduce risks to critical infrastructure and enhance long-term operational effectiveness in both sectors.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- DoD and USDA (primary implementers).
- Congressional committees on Armed Services, Agriculture, and related topics (oversight and reporting).
- Agricultural producers, rural communities, and the agrifood industry.
- Research institutions, National Laboratories, nonprofit organizations, and private-sector partners.
- Intelligence community and other federal agencies involved in supply chain or biosecurity matters.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill includes a judicial deference provision that directs courts to defer to the Secretaries’ reasonable interpretations of ambiguous sections. It emphasizes research security and data protection to address national security concerns. The legislation was introduced on a bipartisan basis and focuses on integrating defense and agricultural priorities without altering existing appropriations processes.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Messmer, Mark B. [R-IN-8]
Cosponsors (2)
Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1], Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6]
Recent Actions
- 2026-02-12: 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.
- 2026-02-12: 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.
- 2026-02-12: Introduced in House
- 2026-02-12: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- DOD and USDA Interagency Research Act — issued 2026-02-12 — PDF (12 pages)