Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7142

ACE Agriculture Act

Congress Proposes Doubling Funds to $100 Million for High-Tech Farming and Climate Research

Jan 16·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Part of: Bipartisan Bill Seeks Permanent $100M Funding for High-Tech Agriculture

This bill is one vehicle in a longer effort. See the full story across every version.View effort →

Next up: A house committee

A house committee must act next: committee consideration.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

How we got here

This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.

Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 2385 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 2385 (118th) →

Key Points

Congress is moving to make a temporary agricultural research program permanent. This program focuses on "high-risk, high-reward" projects that private companies often avoid because they are too expensive or difficult to develop on their own.
The bill would double the program's yearly budget from $50 million to $100 million through 2032. This funding will support the creation of new tools to help farmers manage extreme weather, long-term droughts, and evolving pests.
A major focus of the research is environmental sustainability. Scientists will work on technologies to conserve water, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and protect crops and livestock from infectious diseases.
To get the best results, the Department of Agriculture would be allowed to hire highly qualified scientific experts more easily. These teams will work to make American farming more competitive globally while keeping the food supply stable.

AgricultureEnergy Environment

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works

Small agricultural businesses — including family farms and ag-tech startups — could benefit from the research breakthroughs this program funds. Technologies developed through AGARDA could eventually lower costs, improve yields, and help small operations compete with larger corporate farms, especially when it comes to adapting to climate challenges like drought and extreme weather.

ImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Milestones

3 milestones3 actions

Mar 20, 2026House

Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Jan 16, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Jan 16, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Related News

3 articles

DTN Progressive Farmer·Jan 16

Searching for 'Cutting-Edge' Ag Research, Congress Often Leaves 'Fungus Hall'

Lawmakers reintroduced the ACE Agriculture Act to double funding for the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AgARDA) from $50 million to $100 million. The bill aims to support 'high-risk, high-reward' research projects that private capital often avoids.

Center

National Hog Farmer·Jan 16

ACE Agriculture Act to spur high-risk, high-reward research

Sens. Michael Bennet and Roger Marshall introduced the ACE Agriculture Act to bolster innovation at the USDA. The legislation aims to secure the food supply by funding breakthroughs in pest management, water conservation, and extreme weather resilience.

Center

Beef Magazine·Jan 16

Bennet, Marshall Reintroduce Bill to Bolster Agricultural Innovation

The ACE Agriculture Act focuses on practical tools to help producers adapt to a changing climate. The bill would expand the scope of AgARDA to include research on animal pathogens and pests, helping farmers increase global competitiveness.

Center

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