Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to include facilities that convert renewable biomass into renewable chemicals in the definitions of "biomass conversion facility" and "biorefinery."
Defines "renewable chemical" as a monomer, polymer, plastic, or formulated product produced from renewable biomass.
Amends the biobased markets program to: (1) require federal procuring agencies to issue a certain number of biobased-only contracts; and (2) require the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to designate intermediate ingredients or feedstocks and assembled and finished biobased products in the program guidelines; (3) require the Secretary to issue criteria for determining which assembled and finished products may carry the USDA Certified Biobased Product label; (4) require the Secretary to assess the economic impact of the biobased products industry; (5) authorize the Secretary to carry out outreach, education, and promotion activities; and (6) authorize the Secretary to perform audits.
Makes renewable chemicals and biobased product manufacturing eligible for grant and loan guarantee assistance.
Eliminates feedstocks research, development, and demonstration activities from the Biomass Research and Development Initiative.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2155 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2155
To amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to promote
biobased manufacturing.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 5, 2012
Ms. Stabenow (for herself, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Coons,
Mr. Conrad, Mr. Casey, Mr. Tester, Mr. Carper, Mr. Harkin, and Mr.
Nelson of Nebraska) introduced the following bill; which was read twice
and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to promote
biobased manufacturing.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS.
Section 9001 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002
(7 U.S.C. 8101) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (6)--
(A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``or'';
(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at
the end and inserting ``; or''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(E) renewable chemicals.'';
(2) in paragraph (7), by striking subparagraph (A) and
inserting the following:
``(A) converts renewable biomass into biofuels,
renewable chemicals, or biobased products; and'';
(3) in paragraph (11), by striking ``or compound'' and
inserting ``, compound, or renewable chemical'';
(4) by redesignating paragraphs (13) and (14) as paragraphs
(14) and (15), respectively; and
(5) by inserting after paragraph (12) the following:
``(13) Renewable chemical.--The term `renewable chemical'
means a monomer, polymer, plastic, formulated product, or
chemical substance produced from renewable biomass.''.
SEC. 2. BIOBASED MARKETS PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8102) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (2)(A)(i)--
(i) in subclause (I), by striking ``and''
at the end;
(ii) in subclause (II)(bb), by striking the
period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(III) establish a targeted
biobased-only procurement requirement
under which the procuring agency shall
issue a certain number of biobased-only
contracts when the procuring agency is
purchasing products, or purchasing
services that include the use of
products, that are included in a
biobased product category designated by
the Secretary.''; and
(B) in paragraph (3)--
(i) in subparagraph (B)--
(I) in clause (v)--
(aa) by inserting ``as
determined to be necessary by
the Secretary based on the
availability of data,'' before
``provide information''; and
(bb) by striking ``and'' at
the end;
(II) by redesignating clause (vi)
as clause (vii); and
(III) by inserting after clause (v)
the following:
``(vi) require reporting of quantities and
types of biobased products purchased by
procuring agencies; and''; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``(F) Required designations.--Not later than 1 year
after the date of enactment of this subparagraph, the
Secretary shall begin to designate intermediate
ingredients or feedstocks and assembled and finished
biobased products in the guidelines issued under this
paragraph.'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (3)--
(i) by striking ``The Secretary'' and
inserting the following:
``(A) In general.--The Secretary''; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Auditing and compliance.--The Secretary may
carry out such auditing and compliance activities as
the Secretary determines to be necessary to ensure
compliance with subparagraph (A).''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) Assembled and finished products.--Not later than 1
year after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the
Secretary shall begin issuing criteria for determining which
assembled and finished products may qualify to receive the
label under paragraph (1).'';
(3) by redesignating subsections (d) through (h) as
subsections (e) through (i), respectively;
(4) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
``(d) Outreach, Education, and Promotion.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may engage in outreach,
educational, and promotional activities intended to increase
knowledge, awareness, and benefits of biobased products.
``(2) Authorized activities.--In carrying out this
subsection, the Secretary, at a minimum, may--
``(A) conduct consumer education and outreach
(including consumer and awareness surveys);
``(B) conduct outreach to and support for State and
local governments interested in implementing biobased
purchasing programs;
``(C) partner with industry and nonprofit groups to
produce educational and outreach materials and conduct
educational and outreach events;
``(D) sponsor special conferences and events to
bring together buyers and sellers of biobased products;
and
``(E) support pilot and demonstration projects.'';
and
(5) in subsection (h) (as redesignated by paragraph (3))--
(A) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking
``and'' at the end;
(ii) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking
the period at the end and inserting a
semicolon; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) the progress made by other Federal agencies
in compliance with the biobased procurement
requirements, including the quantity of purchases made;
and
``(D) the status of outreach, educational, and
promotional activities carried out by the Secretary
under subsection (d), including the attainment of
specific milestones and overall results.''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) Economic impact study and report.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct a
study to assess the economic impact of the biobased
products industry, including--
``(i) the quantity of products sold;
``(ii) the value of the products;
``(iii) the quantity of jobs created;
``(iv) the quantity of petroleum displaced;
``(v) other environmental benefits; and
``(vi) areas in which the use or
manufacturing of biobased products could be
more effectively used, including identifying
any technical and economic obstacles and
recommending how those obstacles can be
overcome.
``(B) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of this subparagraph, the Secretary
shall submit to Congress a report containing the
results of the study conducted under subparagraph
(A).''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 944(c)(2)(A) of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16253(c)(2)(A)) is amended by striking
``section 9002(h)(1)'' and inserting ``section 9002(b)''.
SEC. 3. BIOREFINERY, RENEWABLE CHEMICAL, AND BIOBASED PRODUCT
MANUFACTURING ASSISTANCE.
Section 9003 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002
(7 U.S.C. 8103) is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by inserting ``, renewable
chemical, and biobased product manufacturing'' after
``biorefinery'';
(2) in subsection (a), by inserting ``renewable chemicals,
and biobased product manufacturing'' after ``advanced
biofuels,''; and
(3) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) grants and loan guarantees to fund the development
and construction of renewable chemical and biobased product
manufacturing facilities.''.
SEC. 4. BIOMASS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
Section 9008(e) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of
2002 (7 U.S.C. 8108(e)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (3)--
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by
striking ``3'';
(B) by striking subparagraph (A); and
(C) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and (C) as
subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively; and
(2) in paragraph (6)(A)(iv), by striking ``(A), (B), and
(C)'' and inserting ``(A) and (B)''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
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