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 entities to establish a network of 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.
An eligible entity is a college or university that has programs in food and agriculture sciences and cybersecurity that coordinate regional industry partners, cooperatives, government authorities, and other stakeholders to (1) strengthen security, privacy, and resiliency; (2) bolster the independent networks; and (3) develop a skilled workforce.
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.
