ACE Agriculture Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7142 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7142

 To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching 
Policy Act of 1977 to extend and permanently authorize the Agriculture 
  Advanced Research and Development Authority, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 16, 2026

  Mr. Panetta (for himself and Mr. Feenstra) introduced the following 
        bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching 
Policy Act of 1977 to extend and permanently authorize the Agriculture 
  Advanced Research and Development Authority, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Advancing Cutting Edge Agriculture 
Act'' or the ``ACE Agriculture Act''.

SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF AGARDA.

    Section 1473H of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and 
Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3319k) is amended--
            (1) in the section heading, by striking ``pilot'';
            (2) in subsection (a)(6), by striking ``growing,'' and 
        inserting ``growing (including water conservation technologies 
        and innovation),'';
            (3) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``pilot'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as 
                        follows:
                    ``(B) to overcome the long term and high-risk 
                technological barriers in the development of 
                agricultural technologies, research tools, and 
                qualified products and projects that enhance export 
                competitiveness, environmental sustainability, water 
                conservation, the reduction, avoidance, sequestration, 
                or mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, and 
                resilience to extreme weather, drought, infectious 
                diseases, plant and animal pathogens, and plant and 
                animal pests;''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``or 
                        economic cost'' after ``financial 
                        uncertainty'';
                    (C) in paragraph (3)(B)--
                            (i) in clause (ii), in the matter preceding 
                        subclause (I), by striking ``advise the Chief 
                        Scientist on, and''; and
                            (ii) by amending clause (iii) to read as 
                        follows:
                            ``(iii) Relationship within the department 
                        of agriculture.--
                                    ``(I) Chief scientist.--The 
                                Director shall report to the Chief 
                                Scientist.
                                    ``(II) Other programs.--No other 
                                official who is the head of any other 
                                program of the Department of 
                                Agriculture shall report to the 
                                Director.'';
                    (D) in paragraph (6), by striking ``pilot'' each 
                place it appears in subparagraphs (A) and (B); and
                    (E) by amending paragraph (9) to read as follows:
            ``(9) Personnel matters.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Director shall establish and 
                maintain within the AGARDA a staff with sufficient 
                qualifications and expertise to enable the AGARDA to 
                carry out the responsibilities of the AGARDA under this 
                section in conjunction with other operations of the 
                Department of Agriculture.
                    ``(B) Use of existing personnel authorities.--In 
                carrying out this subsection, the Secretary may appoint 
                highly qualified individuals to scientific or 
                professional positions on the same terms and conditions 
                as provided in subsections (b)(3), (b)(4), (c), (d), 
                (e), and (f) of section 620 of the Agricultural 
                Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 
                (7 U.S.C. 7657).'';
            (4) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Use of strategic plan.--The Secretary shall use the 
        strategic plan developed under paragraph (1) to inform the 
        administration of the AGARDA under this section.'';
            (5) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraph (C);
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``$50,000,000 for 
                each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023'' and inserting 
                ``$100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 
                2032''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Other funding.--In addition to amounts otherwise made 
        available to carry out this section, the Secretary may use to 
        carry out this section other funds available to the Secretary 
        for any other purpose.
            ``(5) Clarification.--Nothing in paragraph (2) or (4) 
        authorizes the use of the funds of the Commodity Credit 
        Corporation to carry out this section.''; and
            (6) by striking subsection (e).
                                 <all>