Civil Preparedness for Agroterrorism Exercise Act of 2026
- Sponsor
- Rep. Strong, Dale W. [R-AL-5]
- Committees
- Homeland Security Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Sep 10, 2026
Bottom line
H.R. 9394 requires DHS to conduct a large-scale agroterrorism preparedness exercise within four years, aiming to enhance national security and resilience in the critical agriculture and food sectors.
What it actually does
This bill mandates that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conduct a comprehensive exercise focused on preventing, responding to, recovering from, and mitigating acts of agroterrorism. The exercise must include scenarios involving the unlawful transport and deployment of biological agents targeting the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector, and require coordination across federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and private sector entities. Following the exercise, DHS must submit an after-action report to Congress detailing findings, lessons learned, and recommended legislative actions.
Proponents argue
Supporters argue that proactive exercises are crucial for identifying vulnerabilities, improving interagency coordination, and strengthening the nation's ability to respond to and recover from potential agroterrorism attacks. They contend that the agriculture and food sector is a vital but potentially vulnerable critical infrastructure, and robust preparedness is essential to protect public health, economic stability, and national security.
Opponents contend
Critics might argue that while preparedness is important, mandating specific exercises could be overly prescriptive, potentially diverting resources from other critical homeland security priorities or allowing DHS less flexibility to design exercises that best fit evolving threats. Some might also raise concerns about the potential cost of such a large-scale, multi-stakeholder exercise without a clear funding mechanism.
The bill is concise and straightforward, making it highly accessible for a reader to understand its core purpose and provisions within a short timeframe.
Section 2(a) and (b)
Mandatory Agroterrorism Exercise
This provision requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct a comprehensive exercise within four years of the bill's enactment. The exercise must simulate scenarios where agroterrorists attempt to transport or deploy biological agents that could harm the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector or related economic sectors. It also mandates collective action among participants to manage and mitigate widespread disruption, including deploying incident command, identifying key resources, and addressing capability gaps.
Supporters argue
Proponents argue that this exercise is vital for national security, as it directly addresses a significant, yet often overlooked, threat to the nation's food supply and economy. They believe that by simulating real-world scenarios, the exercise will expose weaknesses in current preparedness, foster better interagency and public-private coordination, and ultimately enhance resilience against agroterrorism.
Critics contend
Opponents might contend that while the goal is laudable, mandating a specific exercise type and timeline could limit DHS's flexibility to adapt to evolving threat landscapes or prioritize other pressing security concerns. They might also argue that existing exercise programs could be adapted to cover agroterrorism without needing a new, specific legislative mandate, potentially leading to redundant efforts or inefficient resource allocation.
Tradeoffs
The bill balances the need for specific, targeted preparedness against the desire for agency flexibility in threat response. It aims to ensure a critical sector is not neglected, but this specificity could potentially constrain DHS's ability to allocate resources to other perceived higher-priority threats or to integrate agroterrorism preparedness into broader, more flexible exercise frameworks.
Section 2(c)
After-Action Report to Congress
This provision requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit an after-action report to the House and Senate Committees on Homeland Security within 180 days of completing the agroterrorism exercise. The report must detail the exercise's findings, outline plans and a timeline for incorporating lessons learned into future DHS operations to counter agroterrorism, and recommend legislative actions to improve the nation's security posture against such threats.