---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 9203"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "9203"
heading: "Evaluation and research plan"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/9203"
units:
  - "Chapter 116 — National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility"
---

# §9203. Evaluation and research plan

- (a) **In general—** Not less frequently than biennially, the Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the heads of other appropriate Federal departments and agencies, shall—
  - (1) evaluate the work of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility;
  - (2) develop, biennially update, and publish a strategic plan for research at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility based on priority risk and threat assessments, including strategies to—
    - (A) develop [veterinary countermeasures](/usc/7/8914.md?p=a-9) for emerging foreign [animal](/usc/7/8901.md?p=7) diseases and [animal](/usc/7/8901.md?p=7) [transboundary diseases](/usc/7/9201.md?p=2);
    - (B) provide advanced testing, diagnostic, and evaluation capabilities for threat detection, vulnerability assessments of [animal](/usc/7/8901.md?p=7) and zoonotic diseases, and [veterinary countermeasures](/usc/7/8914.md?p=a-9) for [animal](/usc/7/8901.md?p=7) and zoonotic diseases;
    - (C) assist, as appropriate, with the development, and address vulnerability assessments, of the agriculture and food sectors;
    - (D) address gaps in the ongoing [animal](/usc/7/8901.md?p=7) and zoonotic disease research efforts across the Federal Government, ensuring not to duplicate those ongoing efforts; and
    - (E) be used for such other purposes as the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the heads of other appropriate Federal departments and agencies, determines to be appropriate; and
  - (3) submit to the [Committee](/usc/7/2132.md?p=n) on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, the [Committee](/usc/7/2132.md?p=n) on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the [Committee](/usc/7/2132.md?p=n) on Agriculture of the House of Representatives, and the [Committee](/usc/7/2132.md?p=n) on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives, the strategic plan for research described in [paragraph (2)](#a-2).
- (b) **Classified information—** The strategic plan for research required under [subsection (a)(2)](#a-2)—
  - (1) shall be published in an unclassified format that is publicly available;
  - (2) shall be submitted under [subsection (a)(3)](#a-3) in unclassified form; and
  - (3) may include in the submission under [subsection (a)(3)](#a-3) a classified annex for any sensitive or classified information, as necessary.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 116–260, div. P, § 4, Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2160.)