YourVoice.Now Summary
Your MoneyWorkers & JobsCivil LibertiesCriminal Justice & Due ProcessCorporate BenefitsHigh-Earner BenefitsEnvironmentTransparency & AccountabilityTargeted & Unrelated ProvisionsGun LawsFive land-grant college centers would help farms fight hackers from China, Russia, and others — up to $25M a year
The details
Most people would not notice a change in daily life. Farms and others in agriculture could get new help against hackers. The Agriculture Department would pay land-grant colleges to set up five regional centers on farm cybersecurity. Only land-grant colleges or universities could apply. The centers would study threats to crops, livestock, and the food supply chain. They would build tools to spot and stop break-ins on farm computer systems. They would also run practice attacks and train people across agriculture. The centers' research, tools, and practice attacks would have to be built to stop cyberattacks from China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran. The Agriculture Secretary, working with Homeland Security, could add other countries. Colleges would compete for the money. To qualify, a school must teach both farm science and cybersecurity. It must also work with local farm groups, businesses, and governments. One college would lead a national network linking the five centers. Congress could spend up to $25 million a year from 2026 through 2030.
Congressional Summary
Cybersecurity in Agriculture Act of 2025This 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.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2025-09-18
- Date Added
- 2026-10-22
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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