H.R. 4832 — Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act of 2025

This section states congressional findings on the benefits of biobased products, including support for markets for farm commodities such as corn and soybeans; administration of the BioPreferred Program by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), which designates approximately 15,000 products with 2,600 authorized to use the USDA Certified Biobased Product label; employment of 3.94 million people in the biobased products industry in 2021; growth in the industry's value-added contribution to $489 billion in 2021 (from $470 billion in 2017); and multiplier effects whereby each biobased job supports an estimated 1.4 jobs in other sectors. The section also sets forth the Act's purposes, including recognizing the value of biobased products to U.S. agriculture, expanding USDA's promotion of such products, increasing federal purchasing, strengthening domestic manufacturing, and committing to rural and agricultural economies.

This section adds definitions to the Biomass Research and Development Act for (1) bio-attributed plastic (i.e., a plastic product that is a bioproduct and not a biobased product); (2) bio-attributed product (i.e., a commercial or industrial product, other than food or feed, produced from or composed of biological products such as renewable agricultural, plant-based, animal-derived, or forestry materials); (3) biobased plastic (i.e., a plastic product that is a biobased product); (4) bioproduct (i.e., a biobased product or a bio-attributed product); and (5) plant-based product (i.e., a product, other than food or feed, composed in whole or significant part of materials produced by plants or other organisms through photosynthesis and that is a biobased product)—with corresponding redesignation of existing paragraphs.

This section revises federal procurement requirements for biobased products under the Biobased Markets Program (i.e., USDA-designated products derived from renewable biological resources) as follows: (1) requires procuring agencies to annually increase the number or volume of biobased-only contracts; (2) limits the price-based exception for non-procurement to items exceeding a Secretary-established price premium for different biobased product types; (3) directs the Secretary, in coordination with the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), to issue guidance considering product lifespan, savings, and efficacy; (4) enhances agency reporting on procurement programs, unavailable biobased categories, performance standards, and unmet requirements; (5) requires OFPP to annually verify agency compliance and make reports public; (6) mandates biobased purchasing training for agency staff (e.g., contracting officers) within two years, with OFPP providing materials; and (7) within two years, directs updates to federal procurement systems (e.g., Federal Procurement Data System, GSA Advantage!) to designate and track biobased products. The section also (1) requires the Secretary to notify the public within 120 days on reporting unauthorized use of the USDA biobased label; (2) authorizes USDA public marketing and education on biobased products, including outreach to small businesses and state agencies and public-private partnerships; and (3) permits USDA to accept non-Federal funds for such activities.

This section establishes a Biobased Task Force within USDA, led by the Rural Development mission area, to coordinate department-wide programs on the research, development, promotion, marketing, and analysis of biobased products (i.e., products derived from agricultural commodities and forest products); maximize allocated resources; assess program effectiveness with public input; and recommend improvements. The task force comprises at least one representative from nine specified USDA offices or mission areas (Rural Development; National Institute of Food and Agriculture; Economic Research Service; Agricultural Research Service; National Agricultural Statistics Service; Office of the Chief Scientist; Office of the Chief Economist; Office of Energy Policy and New Uses; and others with relevant responsibilities). Within three years of enactment, the task force must submit to the agriculture committees of Congress a report summarizing its work, study findings on opportunities from existing USDA programs to advance biobased products, and recommendations. The task force terminates four years after enactment and is exempt from the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

This section establishes labeling requirements for bioproducts by amending Title IX of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8101 et seq.) to add a new section 9009 that prohibits selling or labeling a product using a "covered term" (i.e., bio-attributed plastic, bio-attributed product, biobased plastic, biobased product, intermediate ingredient or feedstock, plant-based product, renewable biomass, renewable chemical) unless it meets the term's definition under that title or an alternate definition adopted by the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Administrator. The section further directs confidentiality protections for enforcement information, including identities of relevant persons and proprietary business information.