Overview

Title

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to publish, on an annual basis, an assessment of United States dependency on critical agricultural products or inputs from the People’s Republic of China, and for other purposes.

ELI5 AI

The bill wants the United States to check every year how much it depends on important farm products from China and to find ways to make more of these things in the US instead. It also makes sure the info stays safe and private.

Summary AI

The bill, titled the "Securing American Agriculture Act," seeks to reduce the United States' reliance on critical agricultural products or inputs from China. It mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to submit an annual report assessing any dependencies the US has on such products, and how these dependencies might be exploited. The reports will also include recommendations for reducing China's influence on supply chains, such as supporting domestic production. Privacy protections are in place so that the information collected remains confidential and anonymized.

Published

2024-09-25
Congress: 118
Session: 2
Chamber: SENATE
Status: Introduced in Senate
Date: 2024-09-25
Package ID: BILLS-118s5277is

Keywords AI

securing american agriculture act united states dependency critical agricultural products china secretary of agriculture supply chain vulnerabilities domestic production annual report privacy protections data submission

Sources

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
2
Words:
918
Pages:
5
Sentences:
23

Language

Nouns: 273
Verbs: 50
Adjectives: 61
Adverbs: 2
Numbers: 22
Entities: 56

Complexity

Average Token Length:
4.24
Average Sentence Length:
39.91
Token Entropy:
4.77
Readability (ARI):
21.82

AnalysisAI

General Summary of the Bill

In the 118th Congress, a new bill, designated as S. 5277, has been introduced with the intent to bolster national security and agricultural independence. Known as the "Securing American Agriculture Act," this legislation mandates that the Secretary of Agriculture conducts an annual assessment of the United States' reliance on critical agricultural products or inputs sourced from the People's Republic of China. The findings of this assessment are to be submitted to relevant committees in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The reports are intended to identify current production capacities and potential supply chain vulnerabilities, along with suggestions for reducing dependency on Chinese imports through potential legislative and regulatory measures.

Summary of Significant Issues

Several issues emerge from the language of the bill. A notable concern is the vagueness surrounding terms like "weaponizes," which are not clearly defined, leaving room for subjective interpretation. This lack of clarity could pose challenges in both policy-making and enforcement.

Additionally, while the bill requires input and recommendations from various high-level government officials and departments, it does not specify timelines or metrics for accountability. This absence may hinder the effectiveness and implementation of the proposed measures.

Another issue highlights the reliance on voluntary data submission from private entities. This approach may compromise the accuracy and completeness of the collected data, potentially undermining efforts to address dependencies on China.

Furthermore, the bill gives significant discretionary power to the Secretary by allowing them to determine what constitutes "critical agricultural inputs." This subjective authority could lead to inconsistent evaluations over time.

Finally, the bill provides no specific criteria or thresholds for assessing what is deemed a "critical" dependency. This lack of specificity may result in inconsistent assessments and inadequate evaluations of the U.S.'s reliance on Chinese imports.

Impact on the Public

If enacted, this bill could have several implications for the general public. The intention behind reducing dependency on Chinese agricultural imports is to enhance national security and stabilize domestic supply chains. Ideally, this would lead to more reliable access to agricultural products and inputs, helping to safeguard food security and potentially prevent price spikes that could arise from geopolitical tensions.

However, the effectiveness of these measures might be limited by the aforementioned issues in the bill’s language and structure. Without clear definitions, accountability metrics, and comprehensive data, the assessments might fall short of identifying real vulnerabilities or proposing actionable solutions.

Impact on Specific Stakeholders

Farmers and Agricultural Producers: These groups are primary stakeholders in this bill. If the bill successfully identifies vulnerabilities in the supply chain and proposes effective solutions, it could benefit farmers by making essential inputs, such as fertilizers and machinery, more reliably available. However, the outcome depends heavily on the clarity and effectiveness of the assessments and subsequent actions proposed by the government.

Agribusiness and Supply Chain Participants: Companies involved in the production and distribution of agricultural inputs might be affected by recommendations to onshore or nearshore the production of these critical supplies. These changes could entail adjustments in operations and potential increases in domestic production, possibly leading to increased costs that might be passed down to consumers.

Policymakers and Government Agencies: These groups will likely experience an increase in responsibility. The success of the bill relies heavily on inter-agency cooperation and timely, accurate reporting. The bill's lack of specificity might pose challenges in executing these responsibilities efficiently.

Overall, while the bill's goals are laudable, its impact will largely depend on resolving the identified issues to ensure precise and effective measures are enacted to safeguard against dependency on imports from China.

Issues

  • The language in Section 2 requires an annual assessment of dependency on critical agricultural products but uses terms like 'weaponizes' without clear definitions, leading to subjective interpretations that could affect policy-making and enforcement.

  • Section 2 mandates recommendations from multiple high-level officials and departments but lacks clear timelines or metrics for accountability, potentially impacting the implementation and efficacy of the recommendations.

  • In Section 2, the assessment relies on voluntary data submission, which could limit accuracy and completeness, potentially undermining efforts to address agricultural dependencies on China.

  • Section 2 allows the Secretary significant discretion by stating 'any other critical agricultural inputs, as determined by the Secretary', which could lead to subjective and potentially inconsistent assessments over time.

  • The lack of specific criteria in Section 2 for determining 'critical' dependencies may result in inconsistent or inadequate evaluations, affecting strategies to mitigate dependency on China.

Sections

Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.

1. Short title Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The first section of this act gives it the official name “Securing American Agriculture Act.”

2. Critical agricultural products or inputs study Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The bill section requires the Secretary of Agriculture to submit annual reports to Congress outlining the U.S.'s reliance on critical agricultural products or inputs that could be manipulated by China. The reports must detail current production capacities, supply chain vulnerabilities, and offer recommendations to decrease dependency on China, while ensuring data confidentiality and voluntary information sharing from private entities.