“To improve connections between the Department of Agriculture and national and homeland security agencies, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section states the sense of Congress that federal activities addressing homeland security vulnerabilities in the food and agriculture sector—including agriculture and food defense, critical infrastructure, emergency management, and catastrophic events—have increased, but additional efforts are needed to identify national security vulnerabilities related to food and agriculture, particularly emerging technologies.
This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture to prioritize national security alongside homeland security—including by increasing Department of Agriculture (USDA) staff with security clearances and access to classified systems—and establishes complementary structures within USDA's Office of Homeland Security (7 U.S.C. 6922), which coordinates departmental homeland security activities, including agriculture and food defense. Specifically, the section (1) requires appointment of a Senior Advisor for National Security within 180 days of enactment to advise the Secretary, liaise with the National Security Council and other agencies, coordinate national security activities, and engage stakeholders on food and agriculture vulnerabilities; (2) authorizes detailees to and from defense, national and homeland security, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies (new 7 U.S.C. 6922(e)(3)); and (3) requires biennial reports to Congress and the National Security Council, beginning 180 days after enactment, assessing gaps in food and agriculture national security (e.g., foreign influence, supply chain disruptions, cybersecurity), actions taken, policy recommendations, and required resources (new 7 U.S.C. 6922(f)).