Summary

This bill directs the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to establish an agriculture cybersecurity program. Under the program, NIFA must provide grants to or enter into cooperative agreements with eligible land-grant colleges or universities. These institutions must establish five Regional Agriculture Cybersecurity Centers to carry out research, development, and education on agriculture cybersecurity related to seed agriculture, horticulture, animal agriculture, and the agriculture supply chain. The bill specifies that certain research, technologies and tools, and exercises conducted or developed by the centers must be designed to prevent cyberattacks from China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran. An eligible college or university must have programs in food and agriculture sciences and cybersecurity. It must also coordinate regional industry partners, cooperatives, government authorities, and other stakeholders to (1) strengthen security, privacy, and resiliency of agricultural systems; (2) bolster the resiliency of cybersecurity infrastructure used by independent, noncentralized, locally owned and operated agricultural networks; and (3) develop a skilled workforce equipped to manage and protect agricultural systems from cyberattacks. The program must also establish a national network of such regional centers and designate one college or university to coordinate the national network's activities.

Summary written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. Heard is not affiliated with it. Written at: Introduced in Senate, 9/18/2025.

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