Seeds and Breeds for the Future Act

Increased Funding for Research: The bill mandates that the Secretary ensure not less than $75,000,000 is used each fiscal year for competitive research grants to develop public cultivars and animal breeds (Section 2, subsection l, paragraph 1).

Environmental and Nutritional Benefits: Priority is given to research that creates products bred for environmental resilience, such as changing climates, and those intended to enhance nutritional and health outcomes for local and Indigenous populations (Section 2, subsection l, paragraph 2, subparagraphs B and E).

Protection of Cultural Heritage: The bill prioritizes the development of cultivars and breeds that have Indigenous and place-based importance but are currently endangered (Section 2, subsection l, paragraph 2, subparagraph F).

Support for Diverse Agricultural Systems: The Secretary is directed to develop a plan that considers traits relevant to organic systems, such as forage-based growth, mobility, and natural disease resistance (Section 5, subsection e, paragraph 2).

Enhanced Coordination and Transparency: The appointment of a research activities coordinator and the requirement for annual reports to Congress aim to ensure research meets diverse needs in a timely and transparent manner (Section 3, subsection a, paragraph 1).

Restrictions on Intellectual Property Rights: For those receiving funds, the bill specifies that if intellectual property rights are asserted, they must be in the form of animal breed patents or plant variety protection rather than utility patents (Section 2, subsection a, paragraph 3, subparagraphs C and D).

Production Restrictions: Any person receiving title to a patent or variety protection from these funds, or their assignee, is prohibited from granting exclusive rights to use or sell the product unless the person agrees that the production will happen substantially in the United States (Section 2, subsection l, paragraph 4).