CIVIL PREPAREDNESS FOR AGROTERRORISM EXERCISE ACT OF 2026

On 2026-09-16, Representative Seth Magaziner (D-RI-2) delivered a floor speech titled "CIVIL PREPAREDNESS FOR AGROTERRORISM EXERCISE ACT OF 2026" in the House.

CIVIL PREPAREDNESS FOR AGROTERRORISM EXERCISE ACT OF 2026

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 146 (Wednesday, September 16, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 146 (Wednesday, September 16, 2026)] [House] [Pages H5900-H5901] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CIVIL PREPAREDNESS FOR AGROTERRORISM EXERCISE ACT OF 2026 Mr. VAN EPPS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9394) to require the Department of Homeland Security to conduct an exercise related to agroterrorism, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 9394 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Civil Preparedness for Agroterrorism Exercise Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. EXERCISE ON AGROTERRORISM. (a) In General.--In addition to, or as part of exercise programs currently carried out by the Department of Homeland Security, to enhance domestic preparedness for and collective response to terrorism, promote the dissemination of homeland security information, and test the security posture of the United States, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through appropriate offices and components of the Department and in coordination with the heads of appropriate Federal departments and agencies, shall, not later than four years after the date of the enactment of this section, conduct an exercise related to the prevention, response to, recovery from, and mitigation of an act of agroterrorism. (b) Exercise Requirements.--The exercise required under subsection (a) shall-- (1) include a scenario involving-- (A) developing preparedness for agroterrorists attempting to unlawfully transport into the United States a biological agent capable of adversely affecting the operations of-- (i) the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector; or (ii) other related economic sectors; (B) developing preparedness for agroterrorists deploying within the United States a biological agent capable of adversely affecting the operations of-- (i) the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector; or (ii) other related economic sectors; and (C) collective action by participants to determine the most effective response in managing and mitigating the effects of widespread disruption to the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector or other related economic sectors as a result of agroterrorism, including through-- (i) effectively deploying incident command involving the entities specified in paragraph (2); (ii) identifying key resources necessary to respond to, and recover from, and mitigate widespread disruption of the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector or other related economic sectors as a result of agroterrorism; and (iii) determining an efficient and effective allocation of such key resources, and addressing capability and capacity gaps at all levels of government; and (2) include coordination with appropriate-- (A) Federal departments and agencies; (B) State, local, Tribal, and territorial agencies; (C) private sector owners and operators of-- (i) food and agricultural facilities; (ii) other components of the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector; and (iii) components of other related economic sectors; (D) representatives of and practitioners from the emergency preparedness and response community; and (E) other stakeholders in, and subject matter experts of, the defense of the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector from agroterrorism. (c) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the completion of the exercise required under subsection (a), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, consistent with the protection of classified information, submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate an after-action report that contains the following: (1) The findings of such exercise, together with associated plans and a timeline for incorporating lessons learned into future operations of the Department of Homeland Security to counter and deter agroterrorism. (2) Recommended legislative actions for improving the security posture of the United States and the future operations of the Department to counter and deter agroterrorism. (d) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Agroterrorism.--The term ``agroterrorism'' means an act of terrorism (as such term is defined in section 2 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101)) that threatens to target or targets the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector of the United States. (2) Agroterrorist.--The term ``agroterrorist'' means any actor who commits an act of agroterrorism. (3) Biological agent.--The term ``biological agent'' has the meaning given such term in section 178 of title 18, United States Code. (4) Critical infrastructure.--The term ``critical infrastructure'' has the meaning given such term in section 1016(e) of Public Law 107-56 (42 U.S.C. 5195c(e)). The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Van Epps) and the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Magaziner) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee. General Leave Mr. VAN EPPS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 9394. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Tennessee? There was no objection. Mr. VAN EPPS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 9394, the Civil Preparedness for Agroterrorism Exercise Act. This bill would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and conduct an exercise focusing on prevention, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts pertaining to agroterrorism. This exercise would include State, local, Tribal, territorial, and private sector partners and would require the Department to submit findings of the exercise to Congress. {time} 1200 The threat of agroterrorism is becoming more pronounced, with the Department of Justice bringing a number of cases against Chinese nationals accused of attempting to smuggle dangerous biological materials into the United States. [[Page H5901]] The committee has held hearings related to agroterrorism, and the exercise mandated by this bill would further inform this body of the seriousness of this growing threat as well as identify where Congress can support DHS as they strengthen resilience against agroterrorism. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 9394, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. MAGAZINER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here today in support of Representative Strong's bill, H.R. 9394, the Civil Preparedness for Agroterrorism Exercise Act of 2026. Our Nation's agriculture and food systems are critical infrastructure, and a successful terror attack against them could have devastating consequences for our economy, our communities, and our national security. H.R. 9394 takes an important step toward ensuring that we are prepared for this threat by requiring the Department of Homeland Security to conduct an exercise focused specifically on agroterrorism. Exercises like this are critical because they allow us to identify gaps in our capabilities before a real attack occurs, determine what resources would be needed, and ensure that all levels of government know their roles and responsibilities. This bill also requires DHS to report back to Congress with the findings of the exercise, a timeline for implementing the lessons learned, and recommendations for additional legislative action. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill. I urge my colleagues to do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. VAN EPPS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Strong). Mr. STRONG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, H.R. 9394, the Civil Preparedness for Agroterrorism Exercise Act of 2026. I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their support. The threats facing our Nation continue to evolve, and we must ensure that our Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial partners are fully prepared to meet them. As chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology, I led two hearings earlier this Congress examining the threats of agroterrorism to America's food and agriculture sector. Those hearings made one reality clear: Our adversaries recognize the strategic value of targeting the critical infrastructure that feeds, fuels, and sustains our country. In just the past 1\1/2\ years, multiple foreign nationals have been charged or convicted for attempting to smuggle dangerous biological agents from China into the United States. As Dr. Wims, president of Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, testified before my committee that if deployed, these agents could devastate our economy, compromise our food supply, and threaten public health. We cannot wait for an attack to identify our vulnerabilities. This is why I introduced H.R. 9394. My bill directs the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a nationwide agroterrorism exercise alongside key stakeholders to identify gaps, establish best practices, and strengthen our collective resilience. Equally important, this bill guarantees strong congressional oversight. It requires DHS to submit an after-action report to Congress detailing exercise outcomes, coordination gaps, and needed legal fixes. This gives us the data to fix policy loopholes, allocate resources effectively, and hold agencies accountable. This is a commonsense, proactive measure to safeguard one of our Nation's most vital sectors. We should not wait until an attack occurs t

Referenced legislation: HR9394, HR9394