---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 9203"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "9203"
heading: "Evaluation and research plan"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/9203"
units:
  - "Chapter 116 — National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility"
---

# §9203. Evaluation and research plan

- (a) **In general—** Not less frequently than biennially, the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) of Agriculture, in coordination with the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) of Homeland [Security](/usc/7/24.md?p=b) and the heads of other appropriate Federal departments and agencies, shall—
  - (1) evaluate the work of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility;
  - (2) develop, biennially update, and publish a strategic plan for research at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility based on priority risk and threat assessments, including strategies to—
    - (A) develop [veterinary countermeasures](/usc/7/9201.md?p=3) for emerging foreign [animal](/usc/7/9201.md?p=1) diseases and [animal](/usc/7/9201.md?p=1) [transboundary diseases](/usc/7/9201.md?p=2);
    - (B) provide advanced testing, diagnostic, and evaluation capabilities for threat detection, vulnerability assessments of [animal](/usc/7/9201.md?p=1) and zoonotic diseases, and [veterinary countermeasures](/usc/7/9201.md?p=3) for [animal](/usc/7/9201.md?p=1) and zoonotic diseases;
    - (C) assist, as appropriate, with the development, and address vulnerability assessments, of the agriculture and food sectors;
    - (D) address gaps in the ongoing [animal](/usc/7/9201.md?p=1) and zoonotic disease research efforts across the Federal Government, ensuring not to duplicate those ongoing efforts; and
    - (E) be used for such other purposes as the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) of Agriculture, in consultation with the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) of Homeland [Security](/usc/7/24.md?p=b) and the heads of other appropriate Federal departments and agencies, determines to be appropriate; and
  - (3) submit to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, the Committee on Homeland [Security](/usc/7/24.md?p=b) and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Homeland [Security](/usc/7/24.md?p=b) of the House of Representatives, the strategic plan for research described in [paragraph (2)](#a-2).
- (b) **Classified information—** The strategic plan for research required under [subsection (a)(2)](#a-2)—
  - (1) shall be published in an unclassified format that is publicly available;
  - (2) shall be submitted under [subsection (a)(3)](#a-3) in unclassified form; and
  - (3) may include in the submission under [subsection (a)(3)](#a-3) a classified annex for any sensitive or classified information, as necessary.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 116–260, div. P, § 4, Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2160.)