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119-hr-7547119th CongressWALLET

DOD and USDA Interagency Research Act

Sponsored By: Representative Messmer, Mark B. [R-IN-8]

In Committee

Summary

DoD-USDA joint research program to develop technologies that strengthen agricultural resilience and food defense while supporting military logistics. It creates a formal framework for shared projects, secure data sharing, public-private grants, and moving successful innovations into real-world agricultural and defense operations.

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  • Farmers and rural communities: Funds research on precision agriculture, wildfire and PFAS impacts, water and soil management, and feedstock security. Encourages market adoption and workforce exchanges to boost rural economies.
  • Military and national security: Focuses on agrifood supply chain security to reduce disruptions and improve logistics for feeding personnel. Supports bioindustrial feedstocks research for fuels, propellants, and defense materials.
  • Researchers, industry, and partners: Creates a competitive, merit-reviewed grant program with public-private matching and pathways to field-test innovations. Requires research security measures, shields producer data from FOIA, mandates annual reports and GAO reviews, and allows the agencies to use certain unobligated USDA and DoD research funds.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Joint Defense and Agriculture Research Program

If enacted, the Defense and Agriculture departments would run a joint research and development program on food, farm, and defense needs. The program would use a competitive, merit-reviewed process open to federal labs, universities, nonprofits, industry, and state or Tribal partners. It would fund applied research, demonstrations, and field tests, support workforce exchanges, and encourage public–private partnerships. Grant recipients would, where required, provide nonfederal matching funds equal to the grant (a 1:1 match). The Secretaries could use unobligated USDA ARDA and DoD RDT&E funds in addition to any new appropriations and must set documented research-security and risk-management practices.

Courts Defer to Agency Interpretations

If enacted, courts would have to defer to the Secretaries' reasonable interpretation of any unclear part of this Act. That means agency readings would control when the law is ambiguous. This change would mainly affect legal challenges and agency decisionmaking, not direct household payments.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Messmer, Mark B. [R-IN-8]

IN • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1]

    NC • D

    Sponsored 2/12/2026

  • Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6]

    PA • D

    Sponsored 2/24/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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