U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

79–010 

" ! SENATE 115TH CONGRESS

2d Session 

REPORT

2018

115–342 

Calendar No. 615 

PRECISION AGRICULTURE CONNECTIVITY 

ACT OF 2018 

R E P O R T 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND 

TRANSPORTATION 

ON

S. 2343 

OCTOBER 2 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 28), 2018.—Ordered to be printed 


congress.#13
(II) 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION 

ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

JOHN THUNE, South Dakota, Chairman 

ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi BILL NELSON, Florida 

ROY BLUNT, Missouri MARIA CANTWELL, Washington 

TED CRUZ, Texas AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota 

DEB FISCHER, Nebraska RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut 

JERRY MORAN, Kansas BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii 

DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts 

DEAN HELLER, Nevada TOM UDALL, New Mexico 

JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma GARY C. PETERS, Michigan 

MIKE LEE, Utah TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin 

RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois 

SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia MARGARET WOOD HASSAN, New Hampshire 

CORY GARDNER, Colorado CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada 

TODD C. YOUNG, Indiana JON TESTER, Montana 

NICK ROSSI, Staff Director 

ADRIAN ARNAKIS, Deputy Staff Director 

JASON VAN BEEK, General Counsel 

KIM LIPSKY, Democratic Staff Director 

CHRISTOPHER DAY, Democratic Deputy Staff Director 

Calendar No. 615 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 115–342 

PRECISION AGRICULTURE CONNECTIVITY ACT OF 2018 

OCTOBER 2 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 28), 2018.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. THUNE, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 2343] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to 

which was referred the bill (S. 2343) to require the Federal Communications Commission to establish a task force for meeting the 

connectivity and technology needs of precision agriculture in the 

United States, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment (in the nature of a substitute) and recommends that the bill (as amended) do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

S. 2343 would require the Federal Communications Commission 

(‘‘FCC’’ or ‘‘Commission’’) to establish a task force to make recommendations to the Commission and others on gaps in broadband 

availability on agricultural lands and ways to close those gaps in 

order to support precision agriculture technologies. 

BACKGROUND AND NEEDS

Precision agriculture practices allow farmers to significantly increase crop yields, eliminate overlap in operations, and reduce inputs such as seed, fertilizer, pesticides, water, and fuel. They allow 

farmers to collect data in real-time about their fields, automate 

field management, and maximize resources. These practices generally encompass the use of mobile devices, robotics, field sensors, 

remote monitoring, and other Internet of Things technologies. They 

enable farmers and growers to better manage their fields by obtaining more data about the weather, soil, air quality, crop maturity, 

equipment, labor costs, and resource availability. In turn, these 

precision agriculture technologies empower farmers to make smartVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:07 Oct 03, 2018 Jkt 079010 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR342.XXX SR342
2 

1Profiles in Innovation: Precision Farming: Cheating Malthus with Digital Agriculture, The 

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., at 4 (https://docdrop.org/static/drop-pdf/GSR_agricultureN1sH6.pdf). 2See, e.g., Ensuring Intermodal USF Support for Rural America, Testimony of Darrington 

Seward before the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet, 

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, February 4, 2016, at 5 

(https://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/86a9b24c-e124-4b4b-a701-f0fe165be074/ 

F3297DD6CC57D51B9EA2A54F209F07E3.darrington-seward-testimony.pdf). 

er decisions about field management and increase the efficiency 

and productivity of their operations. Studies estimate that precision agriculture technologies can reduce agricultural operation 

costs by up to $25 per acre and increase farm yields by up to 70 

percent by 2050.1

The critical cost savings and productivity benefits of most precision agriculture technologies cannot be realized without the availability of reliable broadband delivered to agricultural lands. Despite the growing demand for broadband on agricultural land, 

though, many suggest that broadband is not consistently available 

where needed to support precision agricultural operations.2 And 

the Federal Government to date largely has not studied the unique 

broadband needs stemming from the increased use of precision agriculture. Most current Federal broadband support mechanisms 

focus on promoting broadband availability based on population. Ensuring broadband connectivity on agricultural lands and precision 

agriculture, though, may require adjustments in the way the Commission, the Department of Agriculture, and other Federal agencies 

review and promote broadband deployment and adoption. A task 

force would be useful in studying and making recommendations on 

these issues. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

S. 2343 was introduced on January 25, 2018, by Senator Wicker 

(for himself and Senators Klobuchar, Daines, and Tester) and was 

referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. Senators McCaskill, Gardner, Hoeven, Blunt, 

Smith, Baldwin, Thune, Fischer, King, and Heitkamp are also cosponsors of the bill. On April 25, 2018, the Committee met in open 

Executive Session and by voice vote ordered S. 2343 to be reported 

favorably with an amendment (in the nature of a substitute). 

On January 25, 2018, similar legislation to S. 2343, H.R. 4881, 

was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative 

Latta (for himself and Representative Loebsack). On January 26, 

2018, that bill was referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 

House of Representatives. Representatives Hartzler, Luetkemeyer, 

Blum, Cramer, Brooks (of Indiana), Young (of Iowa), Blackburn, 

Griffith, and Walden are also cosponsors of that bill. On July 18, 

2018, that bill was reported as amended by that committee, and on 

July 23, 2018, that bill was passed by the House of Representatives 

by a vote of 378 to 4. On July 24, 2018, that bill was referred to 

the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 

Senate. 

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ESTIMATED COSTS

In accordance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the Congressional Budget 

Act of 1974, the Committee provides the following cost estimate, 

prepared by the Congressional Budget Office: 

S. 2343—Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2018 

S. 2343 would direct the Federal Communications Commission 

(FCC) to establish the Task Force for Reviewing the Connectivity 

and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the United States 

and select 15 members to serve two-year terms. The task force 

would be required to recommend rules and steps the FCC should 

take to expand broadband Internet access to unserved agricultural 

land and to report annually to the FCC. The task force would terminate on January 1, 2025. Under the bill, the FCC and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) would be required to provide information to the task force on all federal programs and resources 

available for the expansion of broadband Internet access to 

unserved agricultural land. 

Using information from the FCC, CBO estimates that imple- menting S. 2343 would cost $1 million over the 2018–2023 period 

for the agency to oversee and appoint members to serve on the task 

force and to produce the required reports. However, under current 

law, the FCC is authorized to collect fees sufficient to offset the 

costs of its regulatory activities each year; therefore, CBO estimates that the net cost to the FCC to implement the bill would be 

negligible, assuming appropriation actions consistent with that authority. CBO estimates that the costs to USDA to coordinate with 

the task force and produce the required report would not be significant. 

Enacting S. 2343 would not affect direct spending or revenues; 

therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

CBO estimates that enacting S. 2343 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 

10-year periods beginning in 2029. 

S. 2343 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Stephen Rabent. The 

estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant 

Director for Budget Analysis. 

REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT

In accordance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides the following evaluation of the regulatory impact of the legislation, as reported: 

NUMBER OF PERSONS COVERED

The bill would have no effect on the number or types of individuals and businesses regulated in the United States. 

ECONOMIC IMPACT

S. 2343, as reported, is not expected to have a negative impact 

on the Nation’s economy. 

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PRIVACY

S. 2343, as reported, is not expected to have an adverse impact 

on the personal privacy of individuals. 

PAPERWORK

While the Committee does not anticipate a major increase in paperwork burdens resulting from the passage of this legislation, the 

Committee notes that the task force created by the legislation could 

recommend new data collection requirements for the FCC to adopt. 

The task force also would be directed to collaborate with the Secretary of Agriculture and others to identify and measure gaps in 

broadband access on agricultural land. The legislation also would 

direct the task force created by the bill to submit a report to the 

FCC regarding its activities. 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

In compliance with paragraph 4(b) of rule XLIV of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides that no provisions 

contained in the bill, as reported, meet the definition of congressionally directed spending items under the rule. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

This section provides that this bill may be cited as the ‘‘Precision 

Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2018.’’ 

Section 2. Findings 

This section includes findings regarding the benefits of precision 

agriculture and the need for broadband Internet access service in 

unserved and underserved agriculture land in order to further 

those benefits. The findings would further note that broadband 

service is not consistently available where needed for agricultural 

operations in the United States. Finally, the section would find 

that the FCC has an important role to play in the deployment of 

broadband Internet access service. 

Section 3. Task Force 

Subsection (a) of this section would set out definitions used in 

the bill. In particular, it would provide that the term ‘‘broadband 

Internet access service’’ has the meaning given the term in section 

8.2 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation. 

Subsection (b) of this section would direct the FCC to establish, 

within a year of enactment, the Task Force for Reviewing the 

Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the 

United States (Task Force). 

Subsection (c) of this section would set out the duties of the Task 

Force. Specifically, the Task Force, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture (or designee), and in collaboration with public 

and private stakeholders, would be required to do the following: (1) 

identify and measure current gaps in the availability of broadband 

Internet access service on agricultural land; (2) develop policy recommendations to promote the rapid, expanded deployment of 

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broadband Internet access service on unserved agricultural land, 

with a goal of achieving reliable capabilities on 95 percent of agricultural land in the United States by 2025; (3) promote effective 

policy and regulatory solutions that encourage the adoption of 

broadband Internet access service on farms and ranches and promote precision agriculture; (4) recommend rules or amendments to 

rules of the Commission to achieve the bill’s goals and purposes; 

(5) recommend specific steps that the Commission should take to 

obtain reliable and standardized data measurements of the availability of broadband Internet access service as may be necessary to 

target broadband funding support, from existing or future programs of the Commission dedicated to the deployment of 

broadband Internet access service, to unserved agricultural land; 

and (6) recommend specific steps that the Commission should consider to ensure that the expertise of the Secretary and available 

farm data are reflected in existing or future programs of the Commission dedicated to the infrastructure deployment of broadband 

Internet access service and to direct available funding to unserved 

agricultural land where needed. 

Subsection (c) would further require that the Commission, in performing duties under this section, ensure that no provider of 

broadband Internet access service be required to provide duplicates 

of data that the provider is already required to report. 

Subsection (c) also would direct the Task Force and the Commission not to interpret the phrase ‘‘future programs of the Commission’’ as used in this section to include future operations of extant 

universal service programs of the Commission established under 

section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934. 

Subsection (c) also would require the Secretary of Agriculture (or 

a designee), to make available to the Task Force, the expertise, 

data mapping information, and resources of the Department of Agriculture. Further, it would require that, within 180 days of enactment, the Secretary and the Commission jointly submit to the Task 

Force a list of all Federal programs or resources available for the 

expansion of broadband Internet access service on unserved agricultural land. 

Subsection (d) of this section would set forth various operational 

specifics for the Task Force. It would be composed of not more than 

15 voting members who would be selected by the FCC Chairman 

and would be required to include representatives of various named 

stakeholder groups. The subsection also would specify that the 

Task Force should be fairly balanced in terms of technologies, 

points of view, and fields represented on the Task Force. The Committee recommends, given the responsibilities of the Task Force, 

that the FCC Chairman consider including representatives on the 

Task Force with relevant expertise in broadband network data collection, geospatial analysis, and coverage mapping. Finally, the 

subsection would specify the treatment of appointments to and vacancies on the Task Force, including persons who would serve as 

ex officio members of the Task Force. 

Subsection (e) of this section would require that, not later than 

1 year after it is established, and annually thereafter, the Task 

Force submit to the FCC Chairman a report on its activities, which 

would be made public not later than 30 days after its receipt. The 

report would detail the following: (1) the status of fixed and mobile 

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broadband Internet access service coverage of agricultural land; (2) 

the projected future connectivity needs of agricultural operations, 

farmers, and ranchers; and (3) the steps being taken to accurately 

measure the availability of broadband Internet access service on 

agricultural land and the limitations of current measurement processes. 

Subsection (f) of this section would require that the Commission 

renew the Task Force every 2 years until the Task Force terminates on January 1, 2025. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee states that the bill as reported 

would make no change to existing law. 

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