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To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to extend and permanently authorize the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill makes the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AGARDA) a permanent program by removing "pilot" designation and expands its mission to include water conservation, environmental sustainability, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, and resilience to extreme weather, drought, and agricultural diseases and pests. The bill increases AGARDA's annual funding authorization from $50 million (2019-2023) to $100 million per fiscal year (2027-2032) and allows the Secretary of Agriculture to use additional available funds for the program. It establishes a clear reporting structure with the Director reporting to the Chief Scientist and clarifies personnel authorities to allow appointment of highly qualified scientific and professional staff. The bill requires AGARDA to use strategic plans to inform its administration and allows it to address long-term, high-risk technological barriers to developing agricultural technologies that enhance export competitiveness and environmental sustainability. It also clarifies that Commodity Credit Corporation funds cannot be used to support AGARDA operations.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
3 cosponsors
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Jimmy Panetta’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- NULL $19,200
- NFP $15,500
- APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT $13,500
- ROCKET CENTRAL $12,000
- FOLKTALE WINERY $7,760
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Jimmy Panetta → · Outside spending →
Actions (3)
- Mar 20, 2026 Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology. · house
- Jan 16, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture. · house
- Jan 16, 2026 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 16, 2026
Mr. Panetta (for himself and Mr. Feenstra) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
A BILL
To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to extend and permanently authorize the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Advancing Cutting Edge Agriculture Act” or the “ACE Agriculture Act”.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF AGARDA.
Section 1473H of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3319k) is amended—
(1) in the section heading, by striking “pilot”;
(2) in subsection (a)(6), by striking “growing,” and inserting “growing (including water conservation technologies and innovation),”;
(3) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “pilot”;
(B) in paragraph (2)—
(i) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as follows:
“(B) to overcome the long term and high-risk technological barriers in the development of agricultural technologies, research tools, and qualified products and projects that enhance export competitiveness, environmental sustainability, water conservation, the reduction, avoidance, sequestration, or mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, and resilience to extreme weather, drought, infectious diseases, plant and animal pathogens, and plant and animal pests;”; and
(ii) in subparagraph (D), by inserting “or economic cost” after “financial uncertainty”;
(C) in paragraph (3)(B)—
(i) in clause (ii), in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking “advise the Chief Scientist on, and”; and
(ii) by amending clause (iii) to read as follows:
“(iii) Relationship within the department of agriculture.—
“(I) Chief scientist.—The Director shall report to the Chief Scientist.
“(II) Other programs.—No other official who is the head of any other program of the Department of Agriculture shall report to the Director.”;
(D) in paragraph (6), by striking “pilot” each place it appears in subparagraphs (A) and (B); and
(E) by amending paragraph (9) to read as follows:
“(9) Personnel matters.—
“(A) In general.—The Director shall establish and maintain within the AGARDA a staff with sufficient qualifications and expertise to enable the AGARDA to carry out the responsibilities of the AGARDA under this section in conjunction with other operations of the Department of Agriculture.
“(B) Use of existing personnel authorities.—In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary may appoint highly qualified individuals to scientific or professional positions on the same terms and conditions as provided in subsections (b)(3), (b)(4), (c), (d),
(e), and (f) of section 620 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7657).”;
(4) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following:
“(4) Use of strategic plan.—The Secretary shall use the strategic plan developed under paragraph (1) to inform the administration of the AGARDA under this section.”;
(5) in subsection (d)—
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraph (C);
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking “$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023” and inserting “$100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2032”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(4) Other funding.—In addition to amounts otherwise made available to carry out this section, the Secretary may use to carry out this section other funds available to the Secretary for any other purpose.
“(5) Clarification.—Nothing in paragraph (2) or (4) authorizes the use of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out this section.”; and
(6) by striking subsection (e). <all>
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