DOD and USDA Interagency Research Act
Sponsored By: Representative Messmer
Introduced
Summary
DoD and USDA joint research to protect and harden U.S. agriculture and food supply. This bill creates an interagency program that funds collaborative R&D on biosecurity, supply chain resilience, PFAS impacts, wildfire risks, and feedstocks for bioindustrial manufacturing. It requires a formal agreement between the departments, competitive merit review for awards, and safeguards for sensitive research and data.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Research workforce training and exchanges
If enacted, the Secretaries would support research workforce development for agriculture and defense. That support could include sharing personnel between DoD and USDA through an existing interagency exchange program. Students, researchers, and workers could gain training and job opportunities tied to the joint program. Workforce support would be provided as the Secretaries determine necessary.
Stronger protections for farm data
If enacted, authorized program partners would get secure access to federal and producer data for food and agriculture defense research. Data from agricultural producers used by the program would not be subject to FOIA disclosure. Access and sharing would follow the program's secure information-sharing and research-security rules. These protections could make producers more willing to share records for research.
Annual reports and GAO reviews
If enacted, the Secretaries would report to Congress within one year and then every year on coordination, selection methods, research results, security, and spending. The public report would omit sensitive information under Controlled Unclassified Information rules. The Comptroller General would review the initiative at least once every five years to assess effectiveness and impact. These steps would increase transparency and oversight of the program.
Joint DoD and USDA research program
If enacted, the Secretaries of Defense and Agriculture would create a joint research and development program for agriculture and food defense. They would sign an interagency agreement and use a competitive, merit-reviewed process to pick projects. The program would support public–private partnerships and follow federal research-security rules. Activities would target supply chains, genetics, PFAS mitigation, wildfire resilience, data and AI, and other shared priorities.
Reimbursable agreements and intel collaboration
If enacted, the Secretaries would be able to enter reimbursable agreements with other agencies and entities to share resources for research. They could collaborate with the intelligence community, National Laboratories, and allied partners as appropriate. These authorities aim to improve coordination and effectiveness of joint R&D. The change is meant to help federal research capacity and mission alignment.
Competitive grants with 1:1 match
If enacted, the Secretaries would be able to award competitive, merit-reviewed grants to agencies, labs, universities, nonprofits, industry, and small businesses. Grant recipients would need to provide matching non‑Federal funds equal to the grant (a 1:1 match). The program could use appropriated money or certain unobligated USDA AARDA and DoD RDT&E funds to carry out activities. The match requirement would affect applicants' financing needs even as grants become available.
Courts defer to agency interpretations
If enacted, courts would be directed to defer to the Secretaries' reasonable interpretation of ambiguous provisions of the Act. This would limit judicial review of agency decisions under the program. The change affects legal challenges to how the Secretaries implement the law. It could make agency decisions harder to overturn in court.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Messmer
IN • R
Cosponsors
Davis (NC)
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.
View on Congress.gov