Voluntary Agroterrorism Preparedness Exercise with Cost Cap and Sunset

Congress has the power to authorize this exercise, and the Constitution sets its limits. Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 permits federal action to protect interstate food transport, processing, and distribution from terrorist attack, and Clause 18 permits a single planning exercise as a necessary and proper means to that end. The Tenth Amendment reserves control of purely local farming to the states, and Fifth Amendment due process protects private firms from compelled participation or misuse of their property and data. This proposal therefore ties the exercise to interstate systems and national security, keeps private participation voluntary, and ends the authority by sunset. The proposal would direct the Department of Homeland Security to hold one national exercise within four years to test prevention, response, and recovery from terrorism aimed at agriculture and food systems. The exercise would use a scenario involving movement of a harmful biological agent in the United States. Its purpose would be to find gaps in coordination before a real attack occurs. The strongest objection is that a federal farm exercise could reach into local farms and force private firms to take part. This proposal answers that objection directly: no farm, plant, or firm would face penalties for declining, and no new inspection or reporting mandate would be created. DHS would invite state emergency agencies, public health officials, farm groups, and food firms on a voluntary basis, and would consult governors and state agriculture officials on design. State leadership would be central. DHS would protect confidential business and farm data shared during planning. Any information shared would be used only for the exercise and follow-up planning, with safeguards consistent with due process and existing privacy protections. Within 180 days after the exercise, DHS would send Congress a public after-action report with findings, plans to apply lessons learned, and suggested legislative changes. The Inspector General would review costs and compliance with the voluntary and privacy limits. Authority under this proposal would end after five years unless Congress renews it.