Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act of 2025
The Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act of 2025 would modernize and expand the USDA’s BioPreferred program under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. Its core aim is to create more markets for biobased products (including plastics, polymers, plant-based products, and other renewable-material products) by boosting federal procurement, updating reporting and cataloging systems, and strengthening oversight and public awareness. The bill also establishes a dedicated Biobased Task Force within USDA to coordinate research, promotion, and analysis across agencies, and it creates a new framework for labeling biobased and related products to prevent misleading marketing. Key features include: annual increases in biobased procurement commitments, price premiums to support biobased products, improved lifecycle and cost-effectiveness guidance for procurement, a robust reporting and verification regime through the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, public marketing and education funded by government and private contributions, and a comprehensive labeling regime with defined terms (such as biobased product, bio-attributed product, biobased plastic, etc.) that would be enforceable to prevent mislabeling. The act also sets up a four-year Biobased Task Force to evaluate USDA programs, gather public input, and report to Congress, with stakeholder involvement and consideration of new opportunities for biobased product development. Overall, the bill is designed to grow rural economies and U.S. biomanufacturing by expanding demand for biobased feedstocks like corn and soy via federal purchasing and clearer product labeling and standards. Sponsor information in the bill indicates introduction in the Senate by Ms. Slotkin (with co-sponsors listed), and the measure was referred to the Agriculture Committee.
Key Points
- 1Strengthened BioPreferred procurement and market-building: the bill expands annual biobased procurement requirements, requires updates to the number/volume of biobased-only contracts year to year, and adds a price premium structure for biobased items to encourage federal use and market growth. It also directs guidance on considering product lifespan, savings, and efficacy in purchasing decisions.
- 2Modernization of reporting, verification, and cataloging: creates a formal verification process led by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy to collect and publicly publish procurement data, ensure agencies implement a biobased procurement program, and mandate training for procurement staff. It also requires updates to federal procurement catalogs and systems to designate biobased products and aligns product codes to help identify eligible items.
- 3Public marketing, outreach, and funding flexibility: authorizes public marketing and education efforts around biobased products, supports small businesses producing biobased goods seeking labeling, and allows non-Federal contributions to fund outreach activities, deposited into a dedicated account and used to supplement (not replace) other funding.
- 4Biobased Task Force: establishes a USDA task force to coordinate research, development, promotion, and analysis of biobased products across USDA missions, with representatives from multiple USDA offices; the Rural Development mission area leads; it includes a public-input process, a study of existing programs, and a report with recommendations due within three years. The task force expires four years after enactment.
- 5Bioproduct labeling framework and enforcement: creates a comprehensive labeling scheme for terms such as bio-attributed product, biobased product, bio-attributed plastic, and plant-based product; prohibits selling or labeling products with a covered term that does not meet the defined definition (or Secretary-approved alternate definitions); includes confidentiality protections for business information; and provides for enforcement mechanisms to prevent misuse of labeling.