H.R. 7734
Land Grant Research Prioritization Act of 2026
Sponsor: Scott Franklin
2 cosponsors
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
Land Grant Research Prioritization Act of 2026
This bill includes additional priorities as Department of Agriculture (USDA) high-priority research and extension areas.
Under the bill, USDA may award grants for developing and evaluating (1) technologies to mechanize agricultural processes (and may emphasize processes for harvesting specialty crops), and (2) agricultural uses of artificial intelligence (and may emphasize uses for improving specialty crop production).
Further, USDA may award grants to support research projects at land-grant colleges and universities to develop and apply
- methods to manage and eradicate invasive species of plants and animals, including through methods of biocontrol; and
- aquaculture methods, including through the propagation and rearing of economically and ecologically valuable aquatic and marine species.
Text of the bill
This Act may be cited as the Land Grant Research Prioritization Act of 2026.
Section 1672(d) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(21) Advanced mechanized harvester technologies research and extension
(A) In general. Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purpose of developing and evaluating technologies to mechanize agricultural processes.
(B) Emphasis. In awarding grants under subparagraph (A), the Secretary may place emphasis on mechanizing the process for harvesting specialty crops.
(22) Agricultural application of artificial intelligence research and extension
(A) In general. Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purpose of developing and evaluating agricultural uses of artificial intelligence.
(B) Emphasis. In awarding grants under subparagraph (A), the Secretary may place emphasis on uses of artificial intelligence that improve specialty crop production.
(23) Invasive species research and extension. Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purpose of supporting research projects at 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)) to develop and apply methods to manage and eradicate invasive species of plants and animals, including through methods of biocontrol.
(24) Aquaculture research and extension. Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purpose of supporting research projects at 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)) to develop and apply aquaculture methods, including through the propagation and rearing of economically and ecologically valuable aquatic and marine species.