,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dhie  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #bj1
 #bjbb,mr4 ,grassley 7for himself1 ,mr4 
,brown1 ,mr4 ,thune1 and ,mr4 ,tester7  
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 
and ,forestry  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the 
,agricultural ,research1 ,extension1 and
 ,education ,reform ,act of #aiih to    
direct the ,secretary of ,agriculture to
 establish a national biochar research  
network1 and for other purposes4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,biochar ,research ,network ,act of 
#bjbb4  #b4 ,national biochar research  
network ,title ,,iv of the ,agricultural
 ,research1 ,extension1 and ,education  
,reform ,act of #aiih is amended by     
inserting before section #djd 7#g       
,u4,s4,c4 #gfbd7 the following3  #djc4  
,national biochar research network  7a7 
,establishment ,the ,secretary shall    
establish a national biochar research   

network 7referred to in this section as 
the research network7 of not more than  
#bj research stations or facilities     
described in subsection 7c7 to test the 
full range of biochar types across soil 
types1 soil conditions1 application     
methods1 and climatic and agronomic     
regions-- 7#a7 to assess the soil carbon
 sequestration potential of biochar2    
7#b7 to understand how to use biochar   
productively to contribute to climate   
mitigation1 crop production1 resilience 
to extreme weather events1 ecosystem    
health1 and natural resource            
conservation2 and  7#c7 to deliver      
science-based1 region-specific1         
cost-effective1 and practical           
information to farmers1 ranchers1       
foresters1 land reclamation managers1   
urban land managers1 and other land and 
natural resource managers and businesses
 on sustainable biochar production and  
application4  7b7 ,scope  7#a7 ,in      
general ,the research network shall     
encompass-- 7,a7 agriculture1           

horticulture1 rangeland1 forestry1 and  
other biochar uses2 and  7,b7 a broad   
range of feedstocks1 production         
processes1 and application treatments4  
7#b7 ,research ,the research conducted  
by the research network shall include-- 
7,a7 cross-site and mechanistic         
experiments-- 7i7 to fill critical      
knowledge gaps and gain a more complete 
understanding of the impact of various  
types of biochar in varying site        
conditions on soil properties1 plant    
growth1 greenhouse gas emissions1 and   
carbon sequestration in different soils1
 climates1 and other natural and        
agronomic conditions2  7ii7 to provide  
mechanistic and technoeconomic insights 
on thermochemical conversion processes  
in biochar production and the           
coproduction of biochar and bioenergy1  
including interactions of feedstock     
properties with reactor conditions and  
processes on the relative proportions   
and properties of biochar1 biofuels1 and
 value-added coproducts1 as well as     

process efficiency2  7iii7 to generate  
data to develop1 calibrate1 and validate
 robust mechanistic models to predict   
the full life cycle of greenhouse gas1  
crop response1 and related agronomic and
 environmental implications of          
particular applications of biochar2     
7iv7 to generate data to help guide the 
design of new1 more efficient biochar   
and bioenergy production reactors and   
biorefineries2 and  7v7 to generate data
 to develop1 calibrate1 and validate    
testing methodologies for biochar to    
identify potential contaminants or other
 factors that may cause unintended      
consequences2 and  7,b7 site-specific   
farm and forestry systems assessments   
and pilot-scale biochar production and  
application systems-- 7i7 to refine the 
most promising soil-based uses1 sources1
 and methods of producing and applying  
biochar in particular regions-- 7,i7 to 
enhance productivity2  7,,ii7 to        
increase profitability1 scalability1 and
 portability2  7,,iii7 to reduce        

greenhouse gas emissions2  7,,iv7 to    
improve ecosystem health2  7,v7 to      
strengthen resilience to extreme weather
 events2 and  7,,vi7 to explore soil1   
crop1 climate1 management1 and biochar  
interactions2  7ii7 to develop new      
knowledge to support decisions on       
sustainable production and use of       
biochar2  7iii7 to collect relevant data
 needed for full life cycle greenhouse  
gas and economic analyses and complete  
those analysis2  7iv7 to predict plant  
response1 soil health1 soil carbon      
sequestration1 ecosystem health1 water  
quality1 greenhouse gas1 and economic   
outcomes for specific implementations of
 biochar technology2  7v7 to provide    
data to evaluate local biomass          
feedstocks1 support selection of        
sustainable biochar production methods1 
and address biochar production issues2  
and  7vi7 to share research results to  
inform farmers1 horticulturalists1      
ranchers1 foresters1 urban biochar      
users1 extension agents and specialists1

 and technical assistance providers on  
the most advantageous ways to use       
biochar to increase profitability1 raise
 productivity1 lower costs1 improve soil
 and plant health1 and enhance          
resilience to extreme weather events    
while contributing to carbon            
sequestration and greenhouse gas        
reductions4  7c7 ,eligibility ,an entity
 shall be eligible to be selected to    
conduct research as part of the research
 network if the entity is-- 7#a7 a      
,state agricultural experiment station  
or a ,state forestry experiment station2
  7#b7 a research facility of the       
,agricultural ,research ,service1 the   
,forest ,service1 or any other agency of
 the ,department of ,agriculture that   
the ,secretary determines to be         
appropriate2 or  7#c7 a research        
facility of the ,department of ,energy1 
the ,department of ,commerce1 or the    
,department of the ,interior4  7d7      
,administration  7#a7 ,in general ,the  
research network shall be administered  

by the ,administrator of the            
,agricultural ,research ,service1 in    
partnership with-- 7,a7 the ,chief of   
the ,forest ,service2  7,b7 the         
,director of the ,national ,institute of
 ,food and ,agriculture2  7,c7 the      
,secretary of ,energy2  7,d7 the        
,secretary of ,commerce2  7,e7 the      
,secretary of the ,interior2 and  7,f7  
such other agencies of the ,department  
of ,agriculture as the ,secretary       
determines to be appropriate4  7#b7     
,conservation ,the ,secretary1 acting   
through the ,chief of the ,natural      
,resources ,conservation ,service-- 7,a7
 may develop a practice standard        
informed by the research conducted by   
the research network2 and  7,b7 shall   
coordinate the activities of the        
research network with-- 7i7 the         
development and refinement of a biochar 
conservation practice standard2 and     
7ii7 improvements and expansion of      
conservation program technical and      
financial support for biochar production

 and application4  7e7 ,authorization of
 appropriations ,there is authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out this       
section #ej1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal  
years #bjbc through #bjbh4  4