New federal felony for importing dangerous crop pathogens without USDA approval
H.R. 4014 — Preventing Lethal Agricultural and National Threats (PLANT) Act · Filed by Zachary (Zach) Nunn (R-IA) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Jun 13, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill creates a new federal crime for knowingly or recklessly importing dangerous agricultural pathogens without a permit from the USDA or other authorized agency. Violations carry up to 10 years in prison and fines; aggravating factors (concealment, foreign government involvement, or over $1 million in crop damage) can extend sentences to 20 years. The USDA will define which pathogens qualify as 'high-risk' by regulation.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is establishing a new federal felony for reckless or knowing importation of USDA-designated dangerous agricultural pathogens. It is a straightforward public-health and biosecurity measure with no hidden riders or private carve-outs.
What the text implies
- The USDA's regulatory definition of 'high-risk agricultural pathogen' will determine the scope of criminal liability; overly broad or narrow definitions could either chill legitimate agricultural research/imports or leave gaps in coverage.
- The 'recklessly' standard requires proof of conscious disregard of substantial risk; prosecutors may face evidentiary challenges distinguishing recklessness from negligence in borderline cases.
- Aggravating factors tied to foreign government involvement may create tension with legitimate international agricultural research and trade relationships if applied broadly.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill protects U.S. agricultural systems and food security by criminalizing reckless or knowing importation of dangerous pathogens that could devastate crops and livestock. Ordinary citizens benefit from reduced biosecurity risk to food supply and agricultural economy; the criminal threshold requires knowledge or recklessness (not strict liability), and the USDA's regulatory definition of 'high-risk' provides notice of what is prohibited.
Named in the bill
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 18 U.S.C. § 175c (new section), Secretary of Agriculture
Where it stands
3 cosponsors: 2 Democrats, 1 Republicans.
- Jun 13, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Jun 13, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,380 characters) on Jun 8, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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