Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires the Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture to carry out cross-cutting and collaborative research and development activities through the establishment of an interagency agreement.

Highlights:

• Requires the Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture to carry out cross-cutting and collaborative research and development activities through the establishment of an interagency agreement (Sec. 2).

• Authorizes the agencies to do the following, including (Sec. 2):

• Carry out reimbursable agreements to maximize research and development effectiveness; and

• Collaborate with other federal agencies.

• Specifies 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 (Sec. 2).

• Specifies research and development activities may include (Sec. 2):

• 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;

• Developing methods to accommodate large voluntary standardized and integrated data sets on agricultural, environmental, supply chain, and economic information;

• Supporting research infrastructure and workforce development; and

• Collaborative research and development on improving agriculture operations and processing efficiencies, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text