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Promoting Precision Agriculture Act of 2025
3/12/2025, 2:38 AM
Summary of Bill S 507
One of the key provisions of the bill is to establish a task force that will work to identify gaps in broadband coverage in rural areas. This is important because many precision agriculture technologies rely on a strong internet connection to function effectively. By addressing these gaps, the bill aims to ensure that farmers across the country have access to the tools they need to implement precision agriculture practices.
Additionally, the bill directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to create a comprehensive and standardized process for collecting data on the availability of broadband services in agricultural areas. This data will be used to better understand the current state of broadband access in rural areas and to inform future policy decisions. Overall, the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2019 seeks to promote the use of technology in agriculture and improve access to broadband services in rural areas. By doing so, the bill aims to help farmers increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve sustainability in their operations.
Congressional Summary of S 507
Promoting Precision Agriculture Act of 2025
This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop voluntary standards for precision agriculture (i.e., managing, tracking, or reducing crop or livestock production inputs, including seed, feed, fertilizer, chemicals, water, and time at a heightened level of spatial and temporal granularity to improve efficiencies, reduce waste, and maintain environmental quality).
USDA, in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), must develop voluntary, consensus-based, private sector-led interconnectivity standards and best practices for precision agriculture to promote economies of scale and ease the burden of adoption. USDA must (1) coordinate with relevant public and trusted private sector stakeholders and relevant industry organizations, and (2) consult with sector-specific agencies and state and local governments.
Further, in developing the standards, USDA must, in consultation with NIST and the FCC, consider the
- connectivity needs of precision agriculture equipment,
- cybersecurity challenges facing precision agriculture, and
- impact of artificial intelligence on this area.
The Government Accountability Office must periodically assess and report to Congress on the standards.
