[House Report 117-167]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


117th Congress    }                                   {     Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session      }                                   {     117-167

======================================================================



 
                    PYROLYSIS INNOVATION GRANTS ACT

                                _______
                                

November 1, 2021.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

    Mr. David Scott of Georgia, from the Committee on Agriculture, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 5589]

    The Committee on Agriculture, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 5589) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out 
a program to award grants to eligible entities to carry out 
projects with the potential to reduce or sequester greenhouse 
emissions that convert and valorize tree nut harvest by-
products into multiple higher value biocarbon products, and for 
other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably 
thereon with an amendment and recommends that the bill as 
amended do pass.
    The amendment is as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``Pyrolysis Innovation Grants Act''.

SEC. 2. PYROLYSIS INNOVATION GRANT PROGRAM.

  (a) In General.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, the 
Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this Act as the 
``Secretary''), acting through the Director of the National Institute 
of Food and Agriculture, shall establish a program under which the 
Secretary will award competitive grants to eligible entities to carry 
out not fewer than 10 pilot projects with the potential to reduce or 
sequester greenhouse gas emissions by converting and valorizing tree 
nut harvest by-products into multiple higher value biocarbon products, 
including sustainable industrial applications, agrochemicals, 
repurposing process heat, energy, and construction materials.
  (b) Eligible Entity Defined.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
          (1) a college or university (as defined in section 1404 of 
        the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching 
        Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103));
          (2) a third-party private entity, the primary business of 
        which is related to agriculture (as determined by the 
        Secretary);
          (3) a nongovernmental organization with experience working 
        with agricultural producers (as determined by the Secretary); 
        and
          (4) a Federal agency or other governmental organization.
  (c) Report.--Not later than two years after the date on which the 
first grant is awarded under subsection (a), and biennially thereafter 
until two years after the date on which the last grant is awarded under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 
Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report on--
          (1) the activities carried out using grants awarded under 
        such subsection;
          (2) best practices used to leverage the investment of the 
        Federal Government for the purposes specified in subsection 
        (a); and
          (3) an assessment of the results achieved by the program 
        established under this section.
  (d) Funding.--
          (1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized to 
        be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section 
        $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027, to 
        remain available until expended.
          (2) Administrative costs.--Of the amounts made available 
        under this section in any fiscal year, not more than 8 percent 
        may be used for evaluation, monitoring, salaries, and 
        administrative expenses.

                           BRIEF EXPLANATION

    This legislation, as reported out of Committee, creates a 
new grant program for pilot projects that focus on using 
pyrolysis to convert, recycle, and repurpose tree nut harvest 
by-products into reusable products, such as biocarbon and 
biogas. The bill authorizes $5 million to be appropriated for 
Fiscal Years 2023-2027.

                    PURPOSE AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    Often tree nut by-products are left to decompose after the 
primary crop is taken to market. Using pyrolysis to convert and 
repurpose tree nut husks and shells has the potential to create 
new sources of income for tree nut producers and create new 
jobs in rural communities. Biomass and tree nut by-products are 
often low-value co-products, but pyrolysis has the potential to 
add value to these products by converting them over to reusable 
products making the value chain more efficient and more 
environmentally friendly.
    H.R. 5589 will support the tree nut industries and 
producers through the creation of a new grant program that has 
the potential to reduce the potential of greenhouse gas 
emissions by repurposing the leftover tree nut shells and 
husks. With prohibitions on burning and limitations on 
disposal, this is a much-needed option for growers and shellers 
to add value to the by-products of shelling.

               H.R. 5589, PYROLYSIS INNOVATION GRANTS ACT

                           SECTION-BY-SECTION

Section 1. Short title

    Section 1 provides the short title of the bill as the 
``Pyrolysis Innovation Grants Act.''

Section 2. Pyrolysis innovation grant program

    Subsection (a) requires the Secretary of Agriculture, 
through the Director of the National Institute of Food and 
Agriculture, to establish a program to award grants to eligible 
entities for not fewer than 10 pilot projects that have the 
potential to reduce or sequester greenhouse emissions by 
converting and valorizing tree nut harvest by-products into 
biocarbon products.
    Subsection (b) defines eligible entity to mean a college or 
university, a third-party private entity with a primary 
business related to agriculture, a nongovernmental organization 
with experience working with agricultural producers, or a 
Federal agency or other governmental organization.
    Subsection (c) requires the Secretary to submit a biennial 
report to the House Agriculture Committee and the Senate 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry on the 
activities carried out with the grants awarded, best practices 
used to leverage the investment of the Federal government for 
purposes specified in subsection (a), and an assessment of the 
results achieved by the program.
    Subsection (d) authorizes $5,000,000 for each of Fiscal 
Years 2023 through 2027, to remain available until expended. 
The Secretary is authorized to use not more than 8 percent for 
evaluation, monitoring, salaries, and administrative expenses.

                        COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

    On October 21, 2021, the Committee on Agriculture met 
pursuant to notice, with a quorum present, to consider H.R. 
5589, the Pyrolysis Innovation Grants Act. Chairman Scott made 
an opening statement as did Ranking Member Thompson. Chairman 
Scott requested other Members submit their opening statements 
for the record. Without objection, H.R. 5589 was placed before 
the Committee for consideration, a first reading of the bill 
was waived, and it was opened for amendment at any point.
    Chairman Scott offered an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute, and without objection, the reading of the amendment 
was waived, and the substitute was considered as original text 
for the purposes of further amendment. Chairman Scott 
recognized Mr. Harder, the bill's sponsor, to speak on the 
bill. Discussion occurred and without objection, the Committee 
considered the whole amendment in the nature of a substitute. 
There being no further amendments, a voice vote was conducted 
and the bill was reported favorably from Committee.
    At the conclusion of the meeting, Chairman Scott advised 
Members that pursuant to the Rules of the House of 
Representatives, Members had until October 28, 2021 to file any 
supplemental, additional, dissenting, or minority views with 
the Committee. Without objection, staff was given permission to 
make any necessary technical, clarifying, or conforming changes 
to reflect the intent of the Committee. Chairman Scott thanked 
all the Members and adjourned the meeting.

                            COMMITTEE VOTES

    In compliance with clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the House of 
Representatives, H.R. 5589 was reported by voice vote with a 
majority quorum present. There was no request for a recorded 
vote.

                      COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

    Pursuant to clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee report incorporates the 
cost estimates prepared by the Direction of the Congressional 
Office pursuant to sections 402 and 423 of the Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974.

          COST OF LEGISLATION AND THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT

    With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 
308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and with respect 
to requirements of clause (3)(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives and section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has requested 
but not received a cost estimate for this bill from the 
Director of Congressional Budget Office. The Committee adopts 
as its own cost estimate the forthcoming cost estimate of the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office, should such cost 
estimate be made available before House passage of the bill.
    The Committee has requested but not received from the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office a statement as to 
whether this bill contains any new budget authority, spending 
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in 
revenues or tax expenditures. Congressional Budget Office staff 
has informed the Committee on a preliminary, informal, 
nonbinding basis that there does not appear to be any direct 
spending associated with the bill.

                   CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

    The Committee finds the Constitutional authority for this 
legislation in Article I, section 8, clause 18, that grants 
Congress the power to make all laws necessary and proper for 
carrying out the powers vested by Congress in the consideration 
of the United States or in any department or officer thereof.

                    PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the House of 
Representatives, the performance goals and objectives of this 
measure are to award grants to eligible entities to carry out 
projects with the potential to reduce or sequester greenhouse 
emissions that convert and valorize tree nut harvest by-
products into multiple higher value biocarbon products.

                      ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

    No advisory committee within the meaning of section 5(b) of 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act was created by this 
legislation.

                APPLICABILITY TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law 
104-1).

                       FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

    An estimate of Federal mandates prepared by the Director of 
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was not made available to the 
Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chair of 
the Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the 
Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee.

                           EARMARK STATEMENT

    This measure does not contain any congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in 
clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of rule XXI of the House of 
Representatives.

                    DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS

    This measure does not establish or reauthorize a program of 
the Federal Government known to be duplicative of another 
Federal program, a program that was included in any report from 
Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to 
section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program related to a 
program in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance.

                  DISCLOSURE OF DIRECTED RULE MAKINGS

    The Committee does not believe that the legislation directs 
an Executive Branch official to conduct any specific rule 
making proceedings within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 551.

                                  
                                  
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