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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2598 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2598
To expand research relating to the use of forest products, to support
research and technologies of the Forest Service, and to establish a
mass timber science and education program to respond to the emerging
research needs of architects, developers, and the forest products
industry.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 31, 2025
Mr. Heinrich (for himself, Mr. Daines, Mr. Warnock, and Mr. Justice)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To expand research relating to the use of forest products, to support
research and technologies of the Forest Service, and to establish a
mass timber science and education program to respond to the emerging
research needs of architects, developers, and the forest products
industry.
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 ``Forest Bioeconomy Act''.
SEC. 2. BIOECONOMY RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER.
(a) Forest Products Research.--The Secretary of Agriculture
(referred to in this section as the ``Secretary''), in coordination
with the Secretary of Energy, shall expand research relating to the use
of wood--
(1) to facilitate the establishment of new markets,
including nontraditional markets, for material produced from
forest management projects that typically has little or no
commercial value;
(2) to increase the economic viability of manufacturing
products using material described in paragraph (1); and
(3) as a feedstock for the production of renewable fuel,
including sustainable aviation fuel.
(b) Office of Technology Transfer.--
(1) Establishment.--There is established within the Forest
Service an Office of Technology Transfer (referred to this
subsection as the ``Office'').
(2) Mission.--The mission of the Office shall be--
(A) to expand the commercial impact of the research
investments of the Forest Service; and
(B) to provide for the commercialization of
technologies that support the mission of the Forest
Service.
(3) Chief commercialization officer.--
(A) In general.--The Office shall be headed by an
officer, who shall--
(i) be known as the ``Chief
Commercialization Officer''; and
(ii) report to the Deputy Chief of the
Forest Service for Research and Development.
(B) Qualifications.--An individual appointed to the
position of Chief Commercialization Officer shall be an
individual who, by reason of professional background
and experience, is specially qualified to advise the
Chief of the Forest Service and the Deputy Chief of the
Forest Service for Research and Development on
technology transfer at the Forest Service.
(C) Duties.--The Chief Commercialization Officer
shall--
(i) oversee the expenditure of funds
allocated for technology transfer within the
Forest Service;
(ii) represent the Forest Service on--
(I) the Federal Laboratory
Consortium for Technology Transfer
established by section 11(e) of the
Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation
Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710(e)); and
(II) other similar interagency
coordinating entities;
(iii) coordinate with--
(I) other technology transfer and
commercialization offices within the
Department of Agriculture; and
(II) other similar Federal
entities, as appropriate;
(iv) oversee efforts to engage with private
sector entities, including venture capital
companies, on issues relating to technology
transfer and commercialization; and
(v) coordinate efforts to patent or
otherwise protect under title 35, United States
Code, any inventions arising from a Forest
Service laboratory.
(4) Technology transfer working group.--
(A) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish
within the Forest Service a Technology Transfer Working
Group, which shall consist of--
(i) the Deputy Chief of the Forest Service
for Research and Development;
(ii) the Chief Commercialization Officer
appointed under paragraph (3);
(iii) representatives from each research
station within the Forest Service; and
(iv) representatives from other Forest
Service entities with relevant expertise, as
appropriate.
(B) Duties.--The Technology Transfer Working Group
established under subparagraph (A) shall--
(i) assist with the coordination of
technology transfer and commercialization
opportunities occurring at Forest Service
laboratories;
(ii) develop and disseminate guidance to
researchers at Forest Service laboratories on
technology transfer and commercialization
requirements under the Stevenson-Wydler
Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C.
3701 et seq.) and associated agreements to
implement those requirements; and
(iii) develop and disseminate to the public
and prospective technology partners information
about opportunities and procedures for
technology transfer with the Forest Service.
(C) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Technology Transfer
Working Group established under subparagraph (A) shall
submit to Congress a report that describes--
(i) the number of cooperative research and
development agreements entered into by the
Forest Service under section 12 of the
Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of
1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710a) during the preceding 5
years;
(ii) the number of agreements with
partnership intermediaries entered into by the
Forest Service under section 23 of the
Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of
1980 (15 U.S.C. 3715) during the preceding 5
years;
(iii) the number of licenses and other use
authorizations issued by the Forest Service for
patents held by the Forest Service during the
preceding 5 years; and
(iv) recommendations for legislative,
programmatic, or regulatory changes to support
the mission of the Office.
(5) Key performance indicators.--Beginning with the first
year after the report under paragraph (4)(C) is submitted, and
each year thereafter, the President shall include in the budget
of the United States Government submitted to Congress under
section 1105 of title 31, United States Code--
(A) the number of cooperative research and
development agreements entered into by the Forest
Service under section 12 of the Stevenson-Wydler
Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710a)
during the preceding year;
(B) the number of agreements with partnership
intermediaries entered into by the Forest Service under
section 23 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology
Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3715) during the
preceding year; and
(C) the number of licenses or other use
authorizations issued by the Forest Service for patents
held by the Forest Service during the preceding year.
(6) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this
subsection $5,000,000 for each fiscal year.
(c) National Forest Foundation Activities.--Section 402(b)(3) of
the National Forest Foundation Act (16 U.S.C. 583j(b)(3)) is amended by
striking ``cooperative forestry'' and inserting ``technology transfer,
commercialization, cooperative forestry,''.
(d) Small Business Voucher Pilot Program.--
(1) Establishment.--The Secretary, in consultation with the
Secretary of Energy and the Administrator of the Small Business
Administration, shall establish an innovation voucher pilot
program to accelerate product development, demonstration, and
commercialization in the forest products sector.
(2) Vouchers.--Under the pilot program established under
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall provide vouchers to small
business concerns (as defined in section 3 of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)) to be used at research facilities
of the Forest Service for research, development, demonstration,
technology transfer, skills training and workforce development,
or commercial application activities.
(3) Cost sharing.--
(A) Basic research.--The Secretary may require up
to 20 percent of the cost of a voucher provided under
paragraph (2) for a research or development activity
that is of a basic or fundamental nature, at the
discretion of the Secretary, to be provided by a non-
Federal source.
(B) Applied research.--Except as provided in
subparagraph (D), the Secretary shall require not less
than 20 percent of the cost of a voucher provided under
paragraph (2) for a research or development activity
that is not of a basic or fundamental nature, at the
discretion of the Secretary, to be provided by a non-
Federal source.
(C) Demonstration and commercial application.--
Except as provided in subparagraph (D), the Secretary
shall require not less than 50 percent of the cost of a
voucher provided under paragraph (2) for a
demonstration or commercial application activity to be
provided by a non-Federal source.
(D) Reduction in cost-share.--The Secretary may
reduce a non-Federal share required under subparagraph
(B) or (C) if the Secretary determines the reduction to
be necessary and appropriate, taking into account any
technological risk relating to the activity.
(4) Termination.--The authorities provided under this
subsection (except for paragraph (5)) shall expire on September
30, 2031.
(5) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the termination
of the pilot program under paragraph (4), the Secretary shall
submit to Congress a report describing the outcomes of the
pilot program, including any recommendations to improve the
pilot program.
SEC. 3. JOINT MASS TIMBER SCIENCE AND EDUCATION PROGRAM.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Mass timber.--The term ``mass timber'' includes--
(A) cross-laminated timber;
(B) nail laminated timber;
(C) glue laminated timber;
(D) dowel laminated timber;
(E) laminated strand lumber; and
(F) laminated veneer lumber.
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Agriculture, acting through the Deputy Chief of the Forest
Service for Research and Development.
(3) Tall wood building.--The term ``tall wood building''
means a building designed to be--
(A) constructed with mass timber; and
(B)(i) in the case of a residential building, more
than 4 stories in height; or
(ii) in the case of a commercial building, more
than 5 stories in height.
(b) Mass Timber Science and Education Program.--The Secretary shall
establish a mass timber science and education program to respond to the
emerging research needs of architects, real estate developers, and the
forest products industry.
(c) Coordination.--The Secretary shall coordinate with research
programs at colleges and universities in administering the mass timber
science and education program established under subsection (b) to
supplement the current research and educational efforts of colleges and
universities.
(d) Purposes.--The mass timber science and education program
established under subsection (b) shall have the following principal
purposes:
(1) To provide practical research responsive to the needs
of architects, real estate developers, and the forest products
industry, including assessments of carbon impacts in the
originating forests and the end use of mass timber in the built
environment.
(2) To develop focused, strategic lines of new research
responsive to the needs described in paragraph (1), including
research relating to flammability and performance during a
fire, structural characteristics, energy use and savings,
acoustics, and slab construction composed of hybrid materials.
(3) To solicit competitive funding proposals from
scientists selected through a rigorous peer-review process
designed to ensure the best projects are funded.
(4) To disseminate research findings so that architects,
real estate developers, and the forest products industry are
aware of, understand, and can use the information to make sound
decisions and implement projects.
(5) To develop and facilitate the voluntary adoption of a
curriculum for building structures using mass timber for use in
schools of engineering and architecture that includes--
(A) structural design; and
(B) the possibilities, benefits, and limitations of
using mass timber in construction.
(e) Mass Timber Strategy.--Not later than September 30, 2026, the
Secretary shall submit to the relevant committees of Congress a
strategy to carry out the mass timber science and education program
established under subsection (b) that includes--
(1) an assessment of the current state of knowledge about
mass timber and tall wood buildings;
(2) an integrated approach to improve knowledge sharing on
the manufacturing and use of mass timber products;
(3) an approach for mass timber project monitoring and
evaluation; and
(4) an approach for setting research priorities for the
program.
(f) Stakeholder Advisory Group.--
(1) Membership.--The Secretary shall appoint a stakeholder
advisory group of technical experts that consists, at a
minimum, of--
(A) a Forest Service scientist;
(B) a researcher from a college or university;
(C) a representative of a trade association;
(D) an architect or real estate developer;
(E) a representative of an agency or unit of a
local government that is responsible for the issuance
of permits for building construction (commonly known as
a ``local approving agency'');
(F) a representative of a forest products company;
and
(G) a representative of a nongovernmental
organization with experience--
(i) designing or constructing tall wood
buildings; or
(ii) complying with or revising related
building codes.
(2) Duties.--The stakeholder advisory group shall meet at
least annually--
(A) to consider immediate and long-term science
needs relating to the use of mass timber and the
construction of tall wood buildings;
(B) to suggest to the Secretary appropriate topic
areas, specific issues within those topic areas, and
information transfer needs for which the Secretary
shall solicit proposals described in subsection (d)(3);
and
(C) to assist the Secretary in drafting the
strategy required under subsection (e).
(g) Availability of Appropriations.--From amounts appropriated for
Forest Service research, excluding funding made available for the
Forest Inventory and Analysis program, the Secretary may use not more
than $4,000,000 to carry out the activities described in this section.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
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