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HR 2720 118th Congress House Agriculture and Food

Strengthening Organic Agricultural Research (SOAR) Act of 2023

Introduced: September 12, 2023 Introduced by: Newhouse, Dan Republican · Washington See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 118th Congress ended
It never became law before the 118th Congress (2023–2024) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 15, 2023
Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
May 15, 2023
Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture.
Apr 19, 2023
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Apr 19, 2023
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Strengthening Organic Agricultural Research (SOAR) Act of 2023

This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand organic research, including through grant opportunities and the collection of data.

Specifically, the bill reauthorizes and increases funding for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative, a grant program which funds projects to enhance the ability of producers and processors who have already adopted organic standards to grow and market organic high quality agricultural products.

USDA may also provide competitive grants for research, education, and extension activities regarding the transition from nonorganic production systems into organic production. The grants may be offered for the purposes of

  • overcoming social, economic, and management barriers to organic transition;
  • documenting and understanding the effects of organic practices on ecosystem services (e.g., soil health and fertility); and
  • developing improved technologies, methods, models, and metrics for transitioning to organic management.

USDA may prioritize grants for proposals that actively involve certain historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges or universities, and Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities. 

The bill also provides additional funding for the Organic Production and Market Data Initiatives to collect data and report on the production and marketing of organic agricultural products.

Further, USDA's Economic Research Service must conduct an economic impact analysis of organic agriculture and submit a report to Congress. The report must include an analysis of farming and ranching operations and the economic impacts, both direct and indirect, of organic agriculture on rural and urban communities.

What's happening now May 15, 2023

Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.

 Related & companion bills 2
  • S 2317 Related bill Organic Science and Research Investment Act of 2023
  • S 2756 Related bill Streamlining Organic Research Act of 2023
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
 Lobbying activity 6

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

 Cosponsors 14
All 14 Democratic 11 Republican 1
D
Adams, Alma S.
North Carolina · Oct 29, 2024
 D
Lofgren, Zoe
California · May 21, 2024
 D
Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp
Washington · Mar 26, 2024
 D
Pocan, Mark
Wisconsin · Mar 26, 2024
 D
Salinas, Andrea
Oregon · Mar 12, 2024
 D
Pappas, Chris
New Hampshire · Feb 13, 2024
 D
Bonamici, Suzanne
Oregon · Nov 30, 2023
 D
Neguse, Joe
Colorado · Oct 20, 2023
Blumenauer, Earl
· Sep 12, 2023
 D
Carbajal, Salud O.
California · Sep 12, 2023
Kuster, Ann
· Sep 12, 2023
 R
Lawler, Michael
New York · Sep 12, 2023
 D
Panetta, Jimmy
California · Apr 19, 2023
 D
Pingree, Chellie
Maine · Apr 19, 2023
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2720: Strengthening Organic Agricultural Research (SOAR) Act of 2023. 118th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-2720/
MLA
"H.R. 2720: Strengthening Organic Agricultural Research (SOAR) Act of 2023." 118th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-2720/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 2720, 118th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-2720/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 2720: Strengthening Organic Agricultural Research (SOAR) Act of 2023](https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-2720/)
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