Bill · S. 4607· Senate(119-S-4607)
DOD and USDA Interagency Research Act
- Introduced
- 5/20/2026
- Last activity
- 5/20/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
- Sponsored by
- Jim Banks
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The DOD and USDA Interagency Research Act directs the Secretaries of Defense and Agriculture to conduct joint research and development activities. This collaboration focuses on agriculture and food defense, including national security, agricultural resilience, and natural resource management. The bill establishes a framework for public-private partnerships and competitive, merit-reviewed processes. It covers various topics such as biological sciences, supply chain security, and wildfire mitigation. The act also outlines requirements for research security, risk management, and annual reporting to Congress.
Yes· 3 of 11
Would farmers be better off under this?+5
The bill invests in technologies and research that enhance agricultural productivity and resilience.
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?+5
The bill specifically highlights innovations designed to be beneficial to rural agricultural economies.
Does this invest in rural communities?+5
The bill focuses on technological innovations that are beneficial to rural agricultural economies, such as precision agriculture and drones.
The opposite
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?-3
The bill limits public access to certain Federal data and records by exempting them from the Freedom of Information Act.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Agricultural Resilience and Security: The collaboration aims to advance mission requirements in areas like food defense, agricultural resilience, and managing resources like water, energy, and soil to reduce scarcity risks (Section 2(a) and Section 2(c)(1)(D)).
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Economic and Technological Benefits for Rural Areas: The bill promotes innovations that are beneficial to rural agricultural economies, including technologies like precision agriculture, drones, and remote sensing (Section 2(c)(1)(G)).
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Protection of Farmland: Research into biological sciences includes efforts to mitigate the impacts of Department of Defense chemical releases on farmland contiguous to military bases (Section 2(c)(1)(C)(iv)).
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Disaster Preparedness: The act funds research into wildfire prediction, prevention, and mitigation to help with post-fire recovery and agricultural productivity (Section 2(c)(1)(I)).
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Workforce and Innovation Development: The bill supports research and workforce development to foster innovation within both the agricultural and defense sectors (Section 2(c)(6)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Financial Requirements for Partners: Under the public-private partnership framework, the Secretaries may require grant recipients to provide non-Federal matching funds equal to the amount of the grant (Section 2(b)(3)(B)).
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Data Privacy Limitations: While the bill protects certain Federal data and records from the Freedom of Information Act, it specifies that such data is not subject to disclosure under section 552 of title 5, United States Code (Section 2(c)(4)(A)).
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Judicial Constraints: The bill includes a provision where a court must defer to the Secretaries' reasonable interpretation of any ambiguous provision of the Act (Section 2(g)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Farmers+5Good For Rural Residents+5Good For Business Owners+4
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+5Improves Disaster Relief And F E M A+4Improves Environmental Protections+4
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Economic Growth+3Increases Job Creation+3
- Education And Technology
- Increases Scientific Research Funding+5
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency-3
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Cybersecurity Defense+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+2
- 5/20/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Ted BuddRepublican · North Carolina