This bill establishes a formal research partnership between the Department of Energy and USDA through an interagency agreement. Collaborative research areas include AI, biofuels, grid modernization, rural technology, wildfire prevention, and reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.
Latest Action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill establishes a formal research partnership between the Department of Energy and USDA through an interagency agreement. Collaborative research areas include AI, biofuels, grid modernization, rural technology, wildfire prevention, and reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.
Last updated: 1/6/2026
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act</strong></p><p>This bill requires the Department of Energy and Department of Agriculture to carry out cross-cutting and collaborative research and development activities through the establishment of an interagency agreement.</p><p>The agencies are authorized to (1) carry out reimbursable agreements in order to maximize research and development effectiveness, and (2) collaborate with other federal agencies. Further, the interagency agreement must require the use of a competitive, merit-reviewed process, which considers applications from federal agencies, national laboratories, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit institutions.</p><p>Research and development activities may include</p><ul><li>collaborative research in a variety of focus areas such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, biofuels and biobased products, grid modernization and security, rural technology development, and wildfire risks and prevention;</li><li>developing methods to accommodate large voluntary standardized and integrated data sets on agricultural, environmental, supply chain, and economic information;</li><li>supporting research infrastructure and workforce development; and</li><li>collaborative research and development on ways to improve agriculture operations and processing efficiencies, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.</li></ul>
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Establishes DOE-USDA interagency research agreement
Enables collaborative research on AI and machine learning
Covers biofuels, grid modernization, and rural technology
Addresses wildfire risks and agricultural emissions reduction
Uses competitive merit-reviewed process for projects
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
Federal research on agriculture and energy would be better coordinated. Rural communities could benefit from technology development. Research into reducing agricultural emissions and improving farm efficiency would receive joint agency support.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Related Subjects
Advanced technology and technological innovations
Agricultural practices and innovations
Agricultural research
Alternative and renewable resources
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Department of Agriculture
Department of Energy
Energy research
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Fires
+5 more
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
1326, 119th Congress (2025). "DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-1326
