# 119-hr-4014: Preventing Lethal Agricultural and National Threats (PLANT) Act

119-hr-4014, Preventing Lethal Agricultural and National Threats (PLANT) Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Nunn, Zachary [R-IA-3] (R-IA); status introduced (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4014
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-4014
- Congress: 119
- Title: Preventing Lethal Agricultural and National Threats (PLANT) Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-06-13
- Sponsor: Rep. Nunn, Zachary [R-IA-3] (R-IA)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**Criminalizes reckless importation of high-risk agricultural pathogens.** This bill would create a new federal offense in Title 18 for anyone who knowingly or recklessly imports a biological agent, toxin, or organism that the U.S. Department of Agriculture or another agency designates by regulation as a high-risk agricultural pathogen. - Farmers and rural communities: Targets imports that could harm crops, livestock, or agricultural ecosystems and aims to deter threats to food and farm markets. - Importers, researchers, and labs: Requires a permit or authorization from USDA or the appropriate agency; importing without authorization can lead to fines or up to 10 years in prison. - Foreign actors and bad actors: Concealing origin, acting for a foreign government, or causing over $1 million in economic damage raises the maximum penalty to 20 years. - Agencies and enforcement: The Secretary of Agriculture and other agencies must define which pathogens are "high-risk" and set the permitting rules that determine how the offense is applied.

## Cosponsors (3)

- Rep. Riley, Josh [D-NY-19] (D-NY), 2025-06-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6] (D-MD), 2025-08-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3] (R-WI), 2026-05-11T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- New crime for dangerous farm pathogen imports: benefit, high. If enacted, this bill would create a federal crime for importing certain dangerous biological agents, toxins, or organisms without a permit. It would apply when someone acts knowingly or recklessly; recklessly means ignoring a big, unjustifiable risk of harm to crops or animals. USDA, or another ag…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-6644: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
- 119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-5106: Restore Trust in Congress Act
- 119-hr-3184: PFAS Alternatives Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-4014 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4014)

## Related
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-6644: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6644)
- [119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1229)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-5106: Restore Trust in Congress Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5106)
- [119-hr-3184: PFAS Alternatives Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3184)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4014 (as of 2026-09-21).