The AG RESEARCH Act addresses deteriorating conditions at agricultural research facilities across the United States by establishing a competitive federal grant program to fund repairs, upgrades, and equipment purchases at these institutions. According to the bill, deferred maintenance needs at agricultural schools have ballooned from $8.4 billion in 2015 to $11.5 billion by 2021, threatening America's competitiveness in agricultural innovation. The legislation guarantees $500 million annually from the Treasury for five fiscal years (2025–2029) and authorizes an additional $1 billion per year in discretionary spending for fiscal years 2026–2030. The grants will be distributed competitively through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture with requirements for geographic diversity, support for different institution types and sizes, and peer review by NIFA panels. No single state can receive more than 20 percent of available funds.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.