Advancing Automation Research and Development in Agriculture Act

Summary

Establishes a stand-alone competitive research and extension grant program under the Department of Agriculture to advance mechanization and automation for specialty crops.

Mandates projects to create or improve cost-effective technologies that reduce manual labor and increase efficiency in crop production, resource management, and processing.

Requires projects to promote the adoption of mechanization and automation technologies by emphasizing factors such as connectivity, autonomy, and cost-effectiveness.

Specifies projects to accelerate automation through prototype development, in-field trials, and rapid commercialization.

Allows grants to be awarded to federal agencies, universities, research institutions, private organizations, and other eligible entities.

Mandates a competitive grant process based on scientific peer review and industry relevance.

Requires annual consultations with the specialty crops committee to review procedures, objectives, and grant awards.

Allocates $20 million annually from the Commodity Credit Corporation to fund the program starting fiscal year 2024.

Cites this Act as the “Advancing Automation Research and Development in Agriculture Act”.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the “Advancing Automation Research and Development in Agriculture Act”.

Establishes a competitive grant program to enhance specialty crop mechanization and automation in the U.S.

SEC. 2. MECHANIZATION AND AUTOMATION FOR SPECIALTY CROPS. The Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601 et seq.) is amended by inserting at the end the following: “SEC. 412A. MECHANIZATION AND AUTOMATION FOR SPECIALTY CROPS. “(a) Establishment.—The Secretary shall establish within the Department a stand-alone competitive research and extension grant program to increase the competitiveness of specialty crops in the United States through the advancement and acceleration of the mechanization and automation, including— “(1) Projects that create or improve cost-effective technologies to reduce a specialty crop grower’s manual labor requirements and increase the efficiency of crop production, resource management, harvesting, processing, post-harvest technologies, and packaging through mechanization, automation, and other innovations and technologies. “(2) Projects that increase adoption of mechanization and automation technologies by: “(A) Emphasizing adoption drivers that could include but are not limited to connectivity, autonomy, reliability, durability, in-field validation, and cost-effectiveness. “(B) Investing and developing human capital to increase the specialty crop sector’s capacity to work with new technologies, and to manage a more tech-focused farm workforce. “(3) Projects that accelerate automation and mechanization through prototype development, in-field trial testing, ongoing industry engagement, and rapid commercialization.

Allows the Secretary to work with federal agencies, laboratories, universities, research institutions, corporations, and other specified entities.

“(b) Eligible Entities.—The Secretary may carry out the section through eligible entities described in subsection (c). “(c) Eligible Entities Described.—Eligible entities described in this subsection are— “(1) Federal agencies; “(2) national laboratories; “(3) colleges or universities; “(4) research institutions or organizations; “(5) private organizations or corporations; “(6) State agricultural experiment stations; “(7) individuals; “(8) organizations representing specialty crop growers; or “(9) groups consisting of 2 or more entities described in paragraphs (1) through (8).

Requires awarding of grants based on scientific peer review and industry relevance and impact ranking.

“(d) Review Of Proposals.—In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall award competitive grants on the basis of— “(1) a scientific peer review conducted by a panel of subject matter experts from Federal agencies, non-Federal entities, and the specialty crop industry; and “(2) a review and ranking for merit, relevance, and impact conducted by a panel of specialty crop industry representatives for the specific specialty crop.

Requires the Secretary to consult with the specialty crops committee before conducting scientific and merit reviews.

“(e) Consultation.—Each fiscal year, before conducting the scientific peer review described in paragraph (1) of subsection (d) and the merit and relevancy review described in paragraph (2) of such subsection, the Secretary shall consult with the specialty crops committee regarding such reviews. The committee shall provide the Secretary— “(1) in the first fiscal year in which that consultation occurs, any recommendations for conducting such reviews in such fiscal year; and “(2) in any subsequent fiscal year in which such consultation occurs— “(A) an assessment of the procedures and objectives used by the Secretary for such reviews in the previous fiscal year; “(B) any recommendations for such reviews for the current fiscal year; and “(C) any comments on grants awarded under subsection (d) during the previous fiscal year.

Requires the Secretary to report on consultations, recommendations, and grant reviews to relevant agriculture committees.

“(f) Report.—The Secretary shall 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— “(1) the results of the consultations with the specialty crops committee conducted under subsection (e); “(2) the specialty crops committee’s recommendations, if any, provided to the Secretary during such consultations; and “(3) the specialty crops committee’s review of the grants awarded under subsection (d) in the previous fiscal year.

Requires the Secretary to seek proposals, set terms, and accept non-Federal matching funds for grants.

“(g) Administration.— “(1) IN GENERAL.—With respect to grants awarded under this section, the Secretary shall seek and accept proposals for grants. “(2) TERM.—The term of a grant under this section may not exceed 10 years. “(3) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.— “(A) IN GENERAL.—An entity receiving a grant under this section shall provide non-Federal matching funds (including funds from an agricultural commodity promotion, research, and information program) equal to not less than 15 percent of the amount of the grant. “(B) IN-KIND SUPPORT.—Non-Federal matching funds described in subparagraph (A) may include in-kind support. “(C) WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive the matching requirement under subparagraph (A). “(4) OTHER CONDITIONS.—The Secretary may set such other conditions on the award of a grant under the program under subsection (a) as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

Prioritizes projects training farm workers and communicating results to producers and the public.

“(h) Priorities.—In making grants under the program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide a higher priority to projects that— “(1) include proposals that address the training or retraining of farm workers to operate, repair, program or otherwise maintain resulting automation solutions; and “(2) include explicit mechanisms to communicate results to producers and the public.

Prohibits using allocated funds for constructing, acquiring, expanding, or remodeling buildings or facilities.

“(i) Buildings And Facilities.—Funds made available under this section shall not be used for the construction of a new building or facility or the acquisition, expansion, remodeling, or alteration of an existing building or facility (including site grading and improvement, and architect fees). “(j) Definitions.—In this section: “(1) SPECIALTY CROP.—The term ‘specialty crop’ has the meaning given that term in section 3 of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (7 U.S.C. 1621 note; Public Law 108–465). “(2) SPECIALTY CROPS COMMITTEE.—The term ‘specialty crops committee’ means the committee established under section 1408A of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123a). “(3) PROGRAM.—The term ‘program’ means the Specialty Crop Mechanization and Automation Research and Development Program established in subsection (a).

Allocates $20,000,000 annually from the Commodity Credit Corporation funds, available until expended.

“(k) Mandatory Funding.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 and each fiscal year thereafter, and shall remain available until expended.”.