II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 720 

To leverage incentives for the adoption of precision agriculture equipment 

and technology, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 8, 2023 

Mrs. FISCHER (for herself and Ms. KLOBUCHAR) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL 

To leverage incentives for the adoption of precision agriculture equipment and technology, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Producing Responsible 

5 Energy and Conservation Incentives and Solutions for the 

6 Environment Act of 2023’’ or the ‘‘PRECISE Act of 

7 2023’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. CONSERVATION LOAN AND LOAN GUARANTEE PRO2 GRAM. 

3 Section 304 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural De4 velopment Act (7 U.S.C. 1924) is amended— 

5 (1) in subsection (b)— 

6 (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), 

7 and (3) as paragraphs (3), (4), and (1), respec8 tively, and moving the paragraphs so as to ap9 pear in numerical order; 

10 (B) in paragraph (1) (as so redesig11 nated)— 

12 (i) by redesignating subparagraphs 

13 (F) and (G) as subparagraphs (G) and 

14 (H), respectively; and 

15 (ii) by inserting after subparagraph 

16 (E) the following: 

17 ‘‘(F) the adoption of precision agriculture 

18 practices and the acquisition of precision agri19 culture technology;’’; and 

20 (C) by inserting after paragraph (1) (as so 

21 redesignated) the following: 

22 ‘‘(2) PRECISION AGRICULTURE; PRECISION AG23 RICULTURE TECHNOLOGY.—The terms ‘precision ag24 riculture’ and ‘precision agriculture technology’ have 

25 the meanings given those terms in section 1201(a) 


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1 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

2 3801(a)).’’; 

3 (2) in subsection (d)— 

4 (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

5 the end; 

6 (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘1985.’’ 

7 and inserting ‘‘1985 (16 U.S.C. 3812); and’’; 

8 and 

9 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(4) producers who use the loans to adopt pre11 cision agriculture practices or acquire precision agri12 culture technology, including adoption or acquisition 

13 for the purpose of participating in the environmental 

14 quality incentives program under subchapter A of 

15 chapter 4 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Se16 curity Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa et seq.).’’; 

17 (3) in subsection (e), by striking paragraph (2) 

18 and inserting the following: 

19 ‘‘(2) 90 percent of the principal amount of the 

20 loan in the case of— 

21 ‘‘(A) a producer that is a qualified socially 

22 disadvantaged farmer or rancher or a beginning 

23 farmer or rancher; or 

24 ‘‘(B) a loan that is used for the purchase 

25 of precision agriculture technology.’’; and 


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1 (4) in subsection (f)— 

2 (A) by striking ‘‘(f) ADMINISTRATIVE PRO3 VISIONS.—The Secretary’’ and inserting the fol4 lowing: 

5 ‘‘(f) ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.— 

6 ‘‘(1) GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY.—The Sec7 retary’’; and 

8 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(2) COORDINATION WITH NRCS.—In making 

10 or guaranteeing loans under this section, the Sec11 retary shall ensure that there is coordination be12 tween the Farm Service Agency and the Natural Re13 sources Conservation Service.’’. 

14 SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE TO RURAL ENTITIES. 

15 Section 310B(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

16 Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(a)) is amended— 

17 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

18 (A) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as 

19 subparagraph (C); and 

20 (B) by inserting after subparagraph (A) 

21 the following: 

22 ‘‘(B) PRECISION AGRICULTURE; PRECISION

23 AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY.—The terms ‘pre24 cision agriculture’ and ‘precision agriculture 

25 technology’ have the meanings given those 


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1 terms in section 1201(a) of the Food Security 

2 Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801(a)).’’; and 

3 (2) in paragraph (2)— 

4 (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking 

5 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

6 (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the 

7 period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

8 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(E) expanding the adoption of precision 

10 agriculture practices, including by financing the 

11 acquisition of precision agriculture technology, 

12 in order to promote best practices, reduce costs, 

13 and improve the environment.’’. 

14 SEC. 4. FOOD SECURITY ACT OF 1985 DEFINITIONS. 

15 Section 1201(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 

16 (16 U.S.C. 3801(a)) is amended— 

17 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (20) through 

18 (27) as paragraphs (22) through (29), respectively; 

19 and 

20 (2) by inserting after paragraph (19) the fol21 lowing: 

22 ‘‘(20) PRECISION AGRICULTURE.—The term 

23 ‘precision agriculture’ means managing, tracking, or 

24 reducing crop or livestock production inputs, includ25 ing seed, feed, fertilizer, chemicals, water, and time, 


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1 at a heightened level of spatial and temporal granu2 larity to improve efficiencies, reduce waste, and 

3 maintain environmental quality. 

4 ‘‘(21) PRECISION AGRICULTURE TECH5 NOLOGY.—The term ‘precision agriculture tech6 nology’ means any technology (including equipment 

7 that is necessary for the deployment of such tech8 nology) that directly contributes to a reduction in, or 

9 improved efficiency of, inputs used in crop or live10 stock production, including— 

11 ‘‘(A) Global Positioning System-based or 

12 geospatial mapping; 

13 ‘‘(B) satellite or aerial imagery; 

14 ‘‘(C) yield monitors; 

15 ‘‘(D) soil mapping; 

16 ‘‘(E) sensors for gathering data on crop, 

17 soil, or livestock conditions; 

18 ‘‘(F) Internet of Things and telematics 

19 technologies; 

20 ‘‘(G) data management software and ad21 vanced analytics; 

22 ‘‘(H) network connectivity products and 

23 solutions; 

24 ‘‘(I) Global Positioning System guidance or 

25 auto-steer systems; 


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1 ‘‘(J) variable rate technology for applying 

2 inputs, such as section control; and 

3 ‘‘(K) any other technology, as determined 

4 by the Secretary, that leads to a reduction in, 

5 or improves efficiency of, crop and livestock 

6 production inputs, which may include seed, 

7 feed, fertilizer, chemicals, water, and time.’’. 

8 SEC. 5. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM. 

9 (a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 1240A(6)(B)(v) of the 

10 Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa– 

11 1(6)(B)(v)) is amended by inserting ‘‘(including the adop12 tion of precision agriculture practices and the acquisition 

13 of precision agriculture technology)’’ after ‘‘planning’’. 

14 (b) PAYMENTS.— 

15 (1) OTHER PAYMENTS.—Section 1240B(d)(6) 

16 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

17 3839aa–2(d)(6)) is amended— 

18 (A) by striking ‘‘A producer shall’’ and in19 serting the following: 

20 ‘‘(A) PAYMENTS UNDER THIS SUBTITLE.— 

21 A producer shall’’; and 

22 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

23 ‘‘(B) CONSERVATION LOAN AND LOAN

24 GUARANTEE PROGRAM PAYMENTS.— 


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1 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—A producer receiv2 ing payments for practices on eligible land 

3 under the program may also receive a loan 

4 or loan guarantee under section 304 of the 

5 Consolidated Farm and Rural Develop6 ment Act (7 U.S.C. 1924) to cover costs 

7 for the same practices on the same land. 

8 ‘‘(ii) NOTICE TO PRODUCERS.—The 

9 Secretary shall inform a producer partici10 pating in the program in writing of the 

11 availability of a loan or loan guarantee 

12 under section 304 of the Consolidated 

13 Farm and Rural Development Act (7 

14 U.S.C. 1924) as it relates to costs of im15 plementing practices under the program.’’. 

16 (2) INCREASED PAYMENTS FOR HIGH-PRIORITY

17 PRACTICES.—Section 1240B(d)(7) of the Food Se18 curity Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(d)(7)) is 

19 amended, in the paragraph heading, by inserting 

20 ‘‘STATE-DETERMINED’’ before ‘‘HIGH-PRIORITY’’. 

21 (3) INCREASED PAYMENTS FOR PRECISION AG22 RICULTURE.—Section 1240B(d) of the Food Secu23 rity Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(d)) is amend24 ed by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘(8) INCREASED PAYMENTS FOR PRECISION AG2 RICULTURE.—Notwithstanding paragraph (2), the 

3 Secretary may increase the amount that would oth4 erwise be provided for a practice under this sub5 section to not more than 90 percent of the costs as6 sociated with adopting precision agriculture practices 

7 and acquiring precision agriculture technology.’’. 

8 (c) CONSERVATION INCENTIVE CONTRACTS.—Sec9 tion 1240B(j)(2)(A)(i) of the Food Security Act of 1985 

10 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(j)(2)(A)(i)) is amended by inserting 

11 ‘‘(which may include the adoption of precision agriculture 

12 practices and the acquisition of precision agriculture tech13 nology)’’ after ‘‘incentive practices’’. 

14 SEC. 6. CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM. 

15 (a) CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PAYMENTS.—Sec16 tion 1240L(c) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 

17 U.S.C. 3839aa–24(c)) is amended by striking paragraph 

18 (3) and inserting the following: 

19 ‘‘(3) EXCLUSION.—A payment to a producer 

20 under this subsection shall not be provided for con21 servation activities for which there is no cost in22 curred or income forgone by the producer.’’. 

23 (b) SUPPLEMENTAL PAYMENTS FOR RESOURCE24 CONSERVING CROP ROTATIONS AND ADVANCED GRAZING


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1 MANAGEMENT.—Section 1240L(d) of the Food Security 

2 Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–24(d)) is amended— 

3 (1) in the subsection heading, by striking ‘‘AND

4 ADVANCED GRAZING MANAGEMENT’’ and inserting 

5 ‘‘, ADVANCED GRAZING MANAGEMENT, AND PRECI6 SION AGRICULTURE’’; 

7 (2) in paragraph (2)— 

8 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘or’’ 

9 at the end; 

10 (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the 

11 period at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

12 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(C) precision agriculture.’’; and 

14 (3) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘or advanced 

15 grazing management’’ and inserting ‘‘, advanced 

16 grazing management, or precision agriculture’’. 

17 SEC. 7. DELIVERY OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 

18 Section 1242(f) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 

19 U.S.C. 3842(f)) is amended by adding at the end the fol20 lowing: 

21 ‘‘(6) SOIL HEALTH PLANNING.—The Secretary 

22 shall emphasize the use of third-party providers in 

23 providing technical assistance for soil health plan24 ning, including planning relating to the use of cover 

25 crops, precision conservation management, comVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:18 Mar 16, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S720.IS S720

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1 prehensive nutrient management planning, and other 

2 innovative plans.’’. 

Æ 


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