“A bill to amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to improve the biobased markets program, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section states congressional findings on biobased products, including that they provide markets for farm commodities, support 3.94 million jobs (in 2021), contribute $489 billion in value-added to the economy (up from $470 billion in 2017), and that the USDA BioPreferred Program (which increases purchase and use of biobased products via mandatory federal purchasing and voluntary labeling) includes approximately 15,000 products with 2,600 authorized to display the "USDA Certified Biobased Product" label. The section declares the purposes of the Act to recognize the value of biobased products to U.S. agriculture, support domestic manufacturing from agricultural commodities (including corn and soybeans), expand USDA's promotion of such products, increase federal purchasing, strengthen manufacturing, and commit to rural and agricultural economies.
This section revises definitions applicable to biomass research and development programs (i.e., federal initiatives to coordinate research, development, and commercialization of biofuels and biobased products) by redesignating certain existing paragraphs and adding the following new terms: (1) bio-attributed plastic, meaning a plastic product that is a bioproduct and not a biobased product; (2) bio-attributed product, meaning a commercial or industrial product (other than food or feed) produced from or composed of biological products (i.e., including renewable agricultural material, plant-based product, animal-derived material, or forestry material); (3) biobased plastic, meaning a plastic product that is a biobased product; (4) bioproduct, meaning a biobased product or a bio-attributed product; and (5) plant-based product, meaning 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.
This section amends the federal biobased markets program (i.e., BioPreferred program), which requires procuring agencies to prioritize biobased products derived from renewable domestic biomass in federal purchases, as follows: (1) requires procuring agencies to annually update their targeted biobased-only procurement requirement by increasing the number of such contracts or purchase volume from the previous year; (2) revises the flexibility exception for non-procurement of biobased products from availability at an "unreasonable price" to availability only at a price exceeding a USDA-established price premium for those items; (3) directs USDA, in coordination with the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), to establish such price premiums for different biobased product types and issue guidance directing agencies to consider product lifespan, savings, and efficacy in procurement decisions; (4) expands annual reporting by procuring agencies to include implementation details, unmet biobased needs with specifications, and reasons for failing procurement targets, with OFPP required to verify program establishment and publicly release data; (5) requires procuring agencies to complete biobased purchasing training for relevant staff (e.g., contracting officers) within two years of enactment, with OFPP and USDA providing materials; and (6) directs OFPP and USDA, within two years of enactment, to update federal procurement data systems (e.g., Federal Procurement Data System, GSA Advantage!, FedMall) and online platforms to designate and track biobased products using product codes. This section further amends product labeling provisions to require USDA public notification within 120 days of enactment on reporting unauthorized label use and authorizes USDA to promote biobased products through outreach (e.g., to small businesses and state agencies), public-private partnerships, and acceptance of non-federal funds for such activities.
This section establishes a Biobased Task Force within the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to coordinate programs and activities relating to the research, development, promotion, marketing, and analysis of biobased products (i.e., products derived from renewable agricultural commodities and forest products); maximize USDA resources for such activities; assess their effectiveness; and recommend improvements. The task force, led by USDA's Rural Development mission area and including at least one representative from each of the following—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 other relevant offices—must establish a public input process and conduct a study identifying existing USDA programs offering opportunities to advance biobased products. Not later than three years after enactment of the Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act of 2025, the task force must submit a report to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the House Committee on Agriculture summarizing its work, study findings, and recommendations. The task force terminates four years after enactment and is exempt from the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
This section establishes a new section 9009 in Title IX of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8101 et seq.) that prohibits selling or labeling a product using a "covered term"—(1) bio-attributed plastic, (2) bio-attributed product, (3) biobased plastic, (4) biobased product, (5) intermediate ingredient or feedstock, (6) plant-based product, (7) renewable biomass, or (8) renewable chemical—unless the product meets that term's definition under Title IX or an alternate definition adopted by the Secretary of Agriculture (in consultation with the Administrator). The section also requires confidentiality protections for nonpublic enforcement information obtained under Title IX, preserving the identity of relevant persons and proprietary business information.