On August 1, 2025, Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) reintroduced the bipartisan Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act (S. 2654). According to Slotkin’s August 6, 2025, press release, the bill would “create jobs and create new markets for our farmers by strengthening the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) BioPreferred program, a program designed to promote the use of domestic biobased products.” The press release states that biobased products, derived from raw materials such as plants and other renewable agricultural materials, can “provide an alternative to conventional petroleum derived products like plastic.” The legislation would:
- Strengthen markets for farmers while also supporting good-paying manufacturing jobs;
- Allow the Secretary of Agriculture to set acceptable price premiums under the BioPreferred program;
- Require each federal agency to increase their procurement of biobased-only contracts or biobased volume purchased under those contracts; and
- Improve reporting of biobased products that are purchased through online federal procurement systems.
Representatives Mark Alford (R-MO), Angie Craig (D-MN), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI), and Mark Messmer (R-IN) introduced companion legislation (H.R. 4832) in the House on August 1, 2025.
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