Title 7, AgricultureRelease 119-110

§9204 Availability of Data and Congressional Briefings

Title 7 › CHAPTER 116 — NATIONAL BIO AND AGRO-DEFENSE FACILITY › § 9204

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Every 6 months, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and other relevant federal agency leaders must send a report and give a briefing to four congressional committees: the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and the House Committees on Agriculture and on Homeland Security. These reports must continue until the date that is 5 years after the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility reaches full operating capability. Each report must describe three things: progress on any unfinished steps in the June 20, 2019 Memorandum of Agreement that were not completed by December 27, 2020; the status of actions under the January 7, 2020 Memorandum of Understanding about NBRAF collaboration; and how NBRAF is operating and carrying out its mission, including how it follows those agreements (and any successors or similar joint agreements) and information about research and the facility’s users.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §9204

Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general

Every 6 months until the date described in subsection (b), the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the heads of other appropriate Federal departments and agencies, as appropriate, shall provide to the Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committees on Agriculture and Homeland Security of the House of Representatives a report and briefing describing—

(1)progress under each phase described in the memorandum of agreement entitled “Memorandum of Agreement Between the U.S. Department of Agriculture Marketing and Regulatory Programs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Research, Education, and Economics, and the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate” and dated June 20, 2019, that is not completed as of December 27, 2020;

(2)the status of the actions taken pursuant to the areas of collaborative opportunity and responsibilities as described in the memorandum of understanding entitled “Memorandum of Understanding Between the U.S. Department of Agriculture Marketing and Regulatory Programs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Research, Education, and Economics, and the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate for National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility Collaboration” and dated January 7, 2020; and

(3)the operations and mission of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, including the coordination and carrying out of—

(A)the memorandum of agreement and memorandum of understanding described in paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively;

(B)any successor memoranda of agreement or understanding to the memorandum of agreement and memorandum of understanding described in paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively;

(C)any similar joint agreement or understanding between the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Homeland Security, or other relevant agencies, that documents the biodefense mission of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility; and

(D)research, including a description of the users of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility.

(b)Termination

The reporting and briefing requirements under subsection (a) shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date on which the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility attains full operating capability.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 9204

Title 7, Agriculture

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110