H.R. 7142 — ACE Agriculture Act

This section reauthorizes the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AGARDA)—previously a pilot program established to accelerate innovative agricultural research and development through other transactions (i.e., flexible agreements beyond procurement contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements)—removes its pilot designation throughout, and makes several modifications. Specifically, it (1) expands the definition of qualified product or project to expressly include water conservation technologies and innovation in growing agricultural products; (2) revises AGARDA's purposes in subsection (b)(2)(B) to overcome long-term, high-risk technological barriers in developing agricultural technologies, research tools, and qualified products or projects that enhance export competitiveness, environmental sustainability, water conservation, greenhouse gas emissions reduction or mitigation, and resilience to extreme weather, drought, infectious diseases, plant and animal pathogens, and pests; (3) in subsection (b)(2)(D), adds economic cost to considerations beyond financial uncertainty; (4) specifies in subsection (b)(3)(B) that the AGARDA Director reports to the USDA Chief Scientist and no other program heads report to the Director; (5) authorizes in new subsection (b)(9) hiring sufficient expert staff using existing USDA personnel authorities (7 U.S.C. 7657); (6) requires in new subsection (c)(4) using AGARDA's strategic plan to inform its administration; (7) increases annual funding in subsection (d)(3) to $100 million for FY2027 through 2032 (from $50 million for FY2019 through 2023), strikes subsection (d)(2)(C), and adds subsections (d)(4) and (d)(5) authorizing use of other available USDA funds while clarifying no Commodity Credit Corporation funds may be used; and (8) strikes subsection (e).