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Title II — Research

H.R. 5861 · 116th Congress · Feb 12, 2020 · Lineage

II Research

Sec. 201 Research, extension, and education purpose

Section 1402 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3101) is amended—
(1)
by redesignating paragraphs (8) and (9) as paragraphs (9) and (10), respectively; and
(2)
by inserting after paragraph (7) the following:

“(8) accelerate the ability of agriculture and the food system of the United States to first achieve net zero carbon emissions and then go further to be carbon positive by removing additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere;”

Sec. 202 Regional hubs for risk adaptation and mitigation to climate change

Title IV of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 is amended by inserting before section 404 (7 U.S.C. 7624) the following new section:

“401. Regional hubs for risk adaptation and mitigation to climate change

“(a) Establishment—The Secretary shall establish a national network of regional hubs for risk adaptation and mitigation to climate change to deliver science-based, region-specific, cost-effective, and practical information and program support to farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, and other agricultural and natural resource managers to support science-informed decision-making in light of the increased costs, opportunities, risks, and vulnerabilities associated with a changing climate, and to provide access to assistance to implement those decisions.

“(b) Eligibility—An entity is eligible to be selected as a regional hub under subsection (a) if such entity is any office of the Agricultural Research Service, the Forest Service, or any other agency of the Department of Agriculture that the Secretary determines is appropriate.

“(c) Administration

“(1) In general—The network established under subsection (a) shall be designated and administered jointly by the Agricultural Research Service and the Forest Service, in partnership with other Federal agencies, including the following:

“(A) Within the Department of Agriculture, the following agencies:

“(i) The Natural Resource Conservation Service.

“(ii) The Farm Service Agency.

“(iii) The Risk Management Agency.

“(iv) The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

“(v) The National Institute for Food and Agriculture.

“(B) The Department of the Interior.

“(C) The Department of Energy.

“(D) The Environmental Protection Agency.

“(E) The United States Geological Survey.

“(F) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“(G) National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

“(H) Other Federal agencies as the Secretary determines appropriate.

“(2) Partners—The regional hubs established under subsection (a) shall work in close partnership with other stakeholders and partners, including—

“(A) colleges and universities;

“(B) cooperative extension services (as defined in section 1404 of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103));

“(C) State agricultural experiment stations (as defined in such section);

“(D) private entities;

“(E) State, local and regional governments;

“(F) Tribes;

“(G) agriculture and commodity organizations;

“(H) nonprofit and community-based organizations; and

“(I) other partners, as determined by the Secretary.

“(d) Responsibilities—A regional hub established under this section shall—

“(1) offer tools, strategies management options, and technical support to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to help such farmers, ranchers, and landowners mitigate and adapt to climate change;

“(2) direct farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to Federal agencies that can provide program support to enable such farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to implement science-informed management practices that address climate change;

“(3) determine how climate and weather projections will impact the agricultural and forestry sectors;

“(4) provide periodic regional assessments of risk and vulnerability in the agricultural and forestry sectors to help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners better understand the potential direct and indirect impacts of climate change and to inform the United States Global Change Research Program;

“(5) provide to farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, and rural communities outreach, education, and extension on science-based risk management through partnerships with the land-grant colleges and universities (as defined in section 1404 of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103)), cooperative extension services, and other entities;

“(6) work with any cooperative extension services (as defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103)), conservation districts, and non-governmental organizations involved in farmer outreach in the region served by such hub to assist producers in developing business plans and conservation plans that take into account emerging climate risk science with respect to crop, production, and conservation system changes that will help producers adapt to a changing climate; and

“(7) establish, working in partnership with programs and projects carried out under subtitle B of title XVI of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5801 et seq.), additional partnerships with farmers and non-profit and community-based organizations to conduct applied on-farm research on climate change.

“(e) Priorities—A regional hub established under this section shall prioritize research and data collection activities in the following areas:

“(1) Improved measurement and monitoring of—

“(A) soil organic carbon sequestration; and

“(B) total net greenhouse gas impacts of different farming systems and practices.

“(2) Lifecycle analysis for total net greenhouse gas emissions related to—

“(A) alternative cropping systems;

“(B) alternative livestock production systems;

“(C) integrated cropping-livestock systems;

“(D) alternative biofuel crop production systems and biofuel end uses;

“(E) alternative agroforestry practices and systems; and

“(F) alternative forestry management systems.

“(3) Research and education on—

“(A) optimal soil health practices;

“(B) advanced biological nutrient management based on optimal soil health practices;

“(C) enhanced synergies between crop roots and soil biota;

“(D) linkages between soil, plant, animal, and human health;

“(E) adaption and mitigation needs of stakeholders;

“(F) new crops or new varieties to help producers be profitable while adapting to a changing climate;

“(G) social and economic barriers to stakeholder adoption of new practices that improve adaptation, mitigation, and soil sequestration; and

“(H) evaluation and assessment of climate-related decision tools of the Department of Agriculture.

“(4) Grazing-based livestock management systems to optimize net greenhouse gas footprint including—

“(A) grazing land carbon sequestration; and

“(B) mitigation of enteric methane.

“(f) Stakeholder input—Each regional hub established under this section shall solicit input from stakeholders on pressing needs, important issues, and outreach strategies through a variety of mechanisms including regional stakeholder committees and may partner with stakeholders in conducting research and developing tools.

“(g) Risk management

“(1) In general—The Secretary shall appoint a team of individuals representing the regional hubs, regional hub partners, and the Risk Management Agency to develop recommendations to better account for—

“(A) climate risk in actuarial tables; and

“(B) soil health and other risk-reducing conservation activities in the Federal crop insurance program under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508 et seq.).

“(2) Submission of recommendations—The team appointed under paragraph (1) shall submit to the Secretary on an iterative basis, but not less frequently than once every two years, the team’s recommendations developed pursuant to such paragraph.

“(h) Authorization of appropriations—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each fiscal years 2021 through 2030.”

Sec. 203 Sustainable agriculture research and education resilience initiative

(a)
Sustainable agriculture research and education— Section 1619 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5801) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
in paragraph (5), by striking “and” at the end;
(B)
in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
(C)
by adding at the end the following:

“(7) increase resilience in the context of a changing climate and related economic, social, and environmental shocks.”

(2)
in subsection (b)—
(A)
in paragraph (2)—
(i)
by striking “management” and inserting “systems and practices”; and
(ii)
by inserting “resilience,” after “profitability,”; and
(B)
by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:

“(3) The term resilience means, with respect to an agricultural management system, the ability of such system to absorb and recover from climate and other disturbances, such that the system thrives in the face of severe shocks.”

(b)
Eligibility of tribal colleges To enter into research and extension project agreements— Section 1621(b) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5811(b)) is amended by striking “or Federal or State” inserting “1994 Institutions (as defined in section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103–382)), or Federal, State, or Tribal”.
(c)
Agricultural and food system resilience initiative—
(1)
In general— Section 1627 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5821) is amended—
(A)
in subsection (a)—
(i)
in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—
(I)
by striking the first sentence and inserting the following: “In close conjunction with programs and projects established under sections 1621 and 1623, the Secretary shall establish a research, education, extension, and outreach initiative, which may include farmer and rancher research and demonstration grants, and use an interdisciplinary approach wherever appropriate, to increase the resilience of agriculture and the food system in the context of a changing climate and related economic, social, and environmental shocks.”; and
(II)
in the second sentence, by striking “program” and inserting “initiative”;
(ii)
by striking paragraph (3);
(iii)
by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), (4), and (5) as paragraphs (3), (4), (5), and (6), respectively;
(iv)
by inserting before paragraph (3) (as so redesignated), the following:

“(1) to equip farmers to prepare for, adapt, and transform their farming systems when confronted by shocks and stresses to their agricultural production and livelihoods;

“(2) to support local and regional food systems that support resilience and enhance local access and control over productive resources;”

(v)
in paragraph (3) (as redesignated by clause (iii))—
(I)
by inserting “climate and” after “adverse”;
(II)
by inserting “soil quality and” after “enhance”; and
(III)
by inserting “reduce dependency on fossil fuels,” after “inputs,”;
(vi)
in paragraph (4) (as redesignated by clause (iii)), by inserting “increase resilience” after “practices to”; and
(vii)
in paragraph (6) (as redesignated by clause (iii)), by striking “integrated” and all that follows through “programs” and inserting “policies and programs to improve food and agricultural system resilience”;
(B)
by striking subsections (b), (c), and (d); and
(C)
by inserting after subsection (a) the following:

“(b) Funding

“(1) Mandatory funding—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall make available to carry out this section $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2021 and each fiscal year thereafter.

“(2) Discretionary funding—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2013 through 2023.”

(2)
Conforming amendment— The chapter heading of chapter 2 of subtitle B of title XVI of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5821) is amended to read as follows: “Agricultural and food system resilience initiative”.

Sec. 204 Sustainable agriculture technology development and transfer program

(a)
Technical guides and books— Section 1628 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5831) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (d)—
(A)
by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively; and
(B)
by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:

“(3) adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change;”

(2)
in subsection (e), by striking “Soil Conservation” and inserting “Natural Resources Conservation”.
(b)
National training program— Section 1629 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5832) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (g)—
(A)
in paragraph (5), by striking “Soil Conservation Service and the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service” and inserting “Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Service Agency”;
(B)
by redesignating paragraphs (10) and (11) as paragraphs (11) and (12), respectively; and
(C)
by inserting after paragraph (9) the following;

“(10) develop and provide information concerning climate change adaptation and mitigation developed under this subtitle and other research and education programs of the Department;”

(2)
in subsection (h), by striking “Soil Conservation Service” and inserting “Natural Resources Conservation Service”; and
(3)
in subsection (i), by striking “2023” and inserting the following: “2020, and $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2030”.

Sec. 205 Long-Term Agroecological Network

Title IV of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 is amended by inserting after section 401 (as added by section 201), the following:

“402. Long-Term Agroecological Network

“(a) In general—The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service, shall provide for the establishment and maintenance of a network of research sites operated by the Agricultural Research Service for research on the sustainability of agricultural systems in the United States, to be known as the “Long-Term Agroecological Research Network” (in this section referred to as the “Network”) with the following goals:

“(1) To understand and enhance the sustainability of agriculture.

“(2) To integrate research projects with common measurements on multiple agroecosystems (such as croplands, rangelands, and pasturelands).

“(3) To develop new farming systems, practices, and technologies to address agricultural challenges and opportunities, including challenges and opportunities posed by climate change.

“(b) Activities described—The activities of the Network shall include—

“(1) research conducted for a minimum of 30 years to develop novel scientific insights at regional and national scales and evaluate the applicability and adaptation to local conditions;

“(2) the establishment and maintenance of multiple sites or research centers that capture the diversity of agricultural production systems that function as a network; and

“(3) the coordination of large-scale data collection related to the sustainability of agricultural systems and the provision of infrastructure to research sites to allow for analyzing and disseminating such data.

“(c) Coordination of research—The Secretary, shall, in carrying out subsection (a)—

“(1) coordinate long-term agroecological research to improve understanding within the Department of Agriculture of how agroecosystems function at the field, regional, and national scales;

“(2) designate research sites for inclusion in the Network that are representative of major agricultural regions;

“(3) ensure that every research site so included conducts experiments with common goals and methods—

“(A) to increase agricultural productivity and profitability;

“(B) to enhance agricultural resilience and the capacity to mitigate and adapt to climate change;

“(C) boost the provision of ecosystem services from agricultural landscapes; and

“(D) improve opportunities for rural communities;

“(4) make data collected at research sites included in the Network open to researchers and the public whenever practicable, and integrate data across the network and partner sites; and

“(5) provide infrastructure to research sites included in the Network for data collection, common measurements, and data streams that complement other national networks, such as the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) and the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) network.

“(d) Authorization of appropriations—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2030.”

Sec. 206 Public breed and cultivar research

(a)
In general— The Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following:

“(3) Definitions—In this section:

“(A) Conventional breeding—The term conventional breeding means the development of new varieties of an organism through controlled mating and selection without the use of transgenic methods, provided that information gained through gene sequencing, genomic, and metabolomics analyses can be used to inform mating and selection choices.

“(B) Cultivar—The term cultivar means a variety of a species of plant that has been intentionally selected for use in cultivation because of the improved characteristics of that variety of the species.

“(C) Public breed and cultivar—The term public breed and cultivar means an animal breed or crop cultivar that is the commercially available end product of a publicly funded breeding program that has been sufficiently tested to demonstrate improved characteristics and stable performance, and for which the farmers' rights to save and use, and breeders' rights to share and improve are protected.”

(2)
by adding at the end the following:

“(l) Public breed and cultivar development funding

“(1) In general—Of the amount of grants made under subsections (b) and (c), the Secretary shall ensure that not less than the following amounts are used for competitive research grants that support the development of public breeds and cultivars:

“(A) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2021;

“(B) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;

“(C) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;

“(D) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2024;

“(E) $90,000,000 for fiscal year 2025; and

“(F) $100,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

“(2) Priority—In making grants under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to high-potential research projects that lead to the release of public breeds and cultivars that assist producers in mitigating and adapting to climate change.

“(3) Grants—The Secretary shall ensure that—

“(A) the terms for any competitive grants made under subsection (b) are not less than 5 years;

“(B) any such term or associated renewal process facilitates the development and commercialization of public breeds and cultivars through long-term grants; and

“(C) when necessary, Tribal consultation occurs to ensure public breed and cultivar development does not infringe on Tribes’ abilities to maintain culturally sensitive breeds and cultivars.”

(b)
Public breed and cultivar research activities coordinator— Section 251 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6971) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (e), by adding at the end the following:

“(7) Public breed and cultivar research activities coordinator

“(A) In general—The Under Secretary shall appoint a coordinator within the Office of the Chief Scientist that reports to the Under Secretary to coordinate research activities at the Department relating to the breeding of public breeds and cultivars (as defined in paragraph (3) of subsection (a) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157(a))).

“(B) Duties of Coordinator—The coordinator appointed under subparagraph (A) shall—

“(i) coordinate animal and plant breeding research activities funded by the Department relating to the development and delivery to producers of climate resilient and regionally adapted public breeds and crop cultivars;

“(ii)

“(I) carry out ongoing analysis and track activities for any Federal research funding supporting animal and plant breeding (including any public breeds and cultivars developed with Federal funds); and

“(II) ensure that the analysis and activities are made available to the public not later than 60 days after the last day of each fiscal year;

“(iii) develop a strategic plan that establishes targets for public breed and cultivar research investments across the Department to ensure that a diverse range of animal and crop needs are being met in a timely and transparent manner, with a strong focus on delivery of resource-efficient, stress-tolerant, regionally adapted animal breeds and crop cultivars that help build agricultural resilience to climate change and support on-farm carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas mitigation, nutritional quality, and other farmer-identified priority agronomic and market traits;

“(iv) convene a working group in order to carry out the coordination functions described in this subparagraph comprised of individuals who are responsible for the management, administration, or analysis of public breeding programs within the Department from—

“(I) the National Institute of Food and Agriculture;

“(II) the Agricultural Research Service; and

“(III) the Economic Research Service;

“(v) in order to maximize delivery of public breeds and cultivars, promote collaboration among—

“(I) the coordinator;

“(II) the working group convened under clause (iv);

“(III) the advisory council established under section 1634 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5843);

“(IV) genetic resource conservation centers;

“(V) land-grant colleges and universities (as defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103));

“(VI) Hispanic-serving institutions (as defined in section 502(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a));

“(VII) Native American-serving nontribal institutions (as defined in section 371(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(c)));

“(VIII) Tribal organizations (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304));

“(IX) nongovernmental organizations with interest or expertise in public breeding; and

“(X) public and private plant breeders;

“(vi) convene regular stakeholder listening sessions to provide input on national and regional priorities for public breed and cultivar research activities across the Department; and

“(vii) evaluate and make recommendations to the Under Secretary on training and resource needs to meet future breeding challenges, including the challenges stemming from climate change.”

(2)
in subsection (f)(1)(D)(i), by striking “(7 U.S.C. 450i(b))” and inserting “(7 U.S.C. 3157(b))”.
(c)
Conforming amendment— Section 296(b)(6)(B) of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b)(6)(B)) is amended by striking “Office; and” and inserting “Office (including the public breed and cultivar research activities coordinator under subsection (e)(7) of that section); and”.
(d)
Public breed and cultivar development— Subtitle H of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5921) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

“1681. Public breed and cultivar development

“(a) Funding—The Secretary of Agriculture, in conjunction with the Director of the National Genetic Resources Program appointed under section 1633 and acting through the Agricultural Research Service, shall support the development of public breeds and cultivars (as defined in paragraph (3) of subsection (a) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157(a))) by Federal researchers.

“(b) Priority—In supporting research under subsection (a) using funds made available pursuant to subsection (d), the Secretary shall give priority to high-potential research projects that lead to the release of public breeds and cultivars that assist producers in mitigating and adapting to climate change.

“(c) Report—Not later than October 1 of each year, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that provides information on all public breed and cultivar research funded by the Agricultural Research Service and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, including—

“(1) a list of public breeds and cultivars developed and released in a commercially available form;

“(2) areas of high priority research;

“(3) identified research gaps relating to public breed and cultivar development, including newly emerging needs stemming from climate change; and

“(4) an assessment of the state of commercialization for breeds and cultivars that have been developed.

“(d) Funding—Of the funds made available to the Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service for a fiscal year, not less than $50,000,000 shall be made available to carry out this section.”

Sec. 207 ARS Climate Scientist Career Development Program

(a)
In general— The Secretary of Agriculture shall, in accordance with section 922 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 2279c), carry out an internship program within the Agricultural Research Service for graduate students pursuing a degree or conducting research related to climate change and agriculture.
(b)
Funding— Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary may use not more than $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2030 to carry out the program referred to in subsection (a).

Sec. 208 Agricultural Climate Adaptation and Mitigation through AFRI

Subsection (b)(2) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157(b)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(G) Agricultural Climate Adaptation and Mitigation—Agricultural climate adaptation and mitigation, including—

“(i) strategies for agricultural adaptation to climate change, including adaptation strategies for small and medium-sized dairy, livestock, crop and other commodity operations;

“(ii) on-farm mitigation strategies and solutions, including infrastructure, equipment, and agricultural ecosystems-based strategies;

“(iii) the economic costs, benefits, effectiveness, and viability of producers adopting conservation practices and technologies designed to improve soil health, including carbon sequestration in soil;

“(iv) the effectiveness of existing conservation practices and enhancements to improve soil health, including the effectiveness to sequester carbon in soil;

“(v) new technologies to measure and verify environmentally beneficial outcomes of healthy soils practices, including carbon sequestration in soil; and

“(vi) links between human health and soil health.”

Sec. 209 Specialty crop research initiative

Section 412 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7632) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (b)—
(A)
in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting “, multi-crop production systems,” after “specific crops”;
(B)
in paragraph (4)(E), by striking “; and” at the end and inserting a semicolon;
(C)
in paragraph (5), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
(D)
by adding at the end the following:

“(6) efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, including—

“(A) on-farm mitigation strategies and solutions, including agricultural ecosystems-based strategies;

“(B) conservation practices and technologies designed to improve soil health, including those that sequester carbon in soil; and

“(C) breeding research and cultivar development to help adapt to climate change.”

(2)
in subsection (g)(3)(A), by striking “equal to not less than the amount of the grant” and inserting “in an amount that is equal to not less than 25 percent of the funds provided through the grant”.

Sec. 210 Integrated pest management

Section 406 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7626) is amended—
(1)
by redesignating subsections (d), (e), and (f) as subsections (f), (g), and (h), respectively; and
(2)
by inserting after subsection (c) the following:

“(d) Emphasis on climate resilience—The Secretary shall ensure that grants made under this section are, where appropriate, consistent with the development of food and agricultural systems that improve climate resilience.

“(e) Ecologically Based pest management—The Secretary shall ensure that grants made under this section to support pest management prioritize ecologically based approaches that are effective, affordable, and environmentally sound, maintain agricultural productivity and healthy communities, and improve climate resilience.”

Sec. 211 National Academy of Sciences Study

(a)
Study— The Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences, under which the National Academy agrees to produce an analysis of current scientific findings to determine the links between human health and soil health by—
(1)
reviewing existing research on the connections between the human microbiome and soil microbiome;
(2)
identifying linkages between soil management practices and the nutrient density of foods for human consumption;
(3)
exploring potential impact of increasing soil organic matter across the agricultural and food value chain;
(4)
determining how to best leverage healthy soil management practices to maximize benefits and minimize adverse impacts on human health; and
(5)
highlighting areas for future research.
(b)
Report— The agreement under subsection (a) shall include a requirement that the National Academy of Sciences, not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report on the results of the study conducted pursuant to subsection (a).

Sec. 212 Appropriate technology transfer to rural areas

Section 310B(i)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(i)(2)) is amended—
(1)
in subparagraph (C), by striking “and” at the end; and
(2)
by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E) and inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:

“(D) increase resilience by adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change; and”