I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2518 

To leverage incentives for the adoption of costly precision agriculture 

technology, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 14, 2021 

Mrs. HINSON (for herself, Mr. FEENSTRA, Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS, and Mrs. 

FISCHBACH) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To leverage incentives for the adoption of costly precision 

agriculture 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’’ or the ‘‘PRECISE Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. CONSERVATION LOAN AND LOAN GUARANTEE PRO8 GRAM. 

9 Section 304 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural De10 velopment Act (7 U.S.C. 1924) is amended— 


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1 (1) in subsection (b)(3), by redesignating sub2 paragraphs (F) and (G) as subparagraphs (G) and 

3 (H), respectively, and inserting after subparagraph 

4 (E) the following: 

5 ‘‘(F) the adoption of precision agriculture 

6 practices, and the acquisition of precision agri7 culture technology;’’; 

8 (2) in subsection (d)— 

9 (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’; 

10 (B) in paragraph (3), by striking the pe11 riod and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

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

13 ‘‘(4) producers who use the loans to adopt pre14 cision agriculture practices or acquire precision agri15 culture technology, including adoption or acquisition 

16 for the purpose of participating in the environmental 

17 quality incentives program under subchapter A of 

18 chapter 4 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Se19 curity Act of 1985.’’; 

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

21 and inserting the following: 

22 ‘‘(2) 90 percent of the principal amount of the 

23 loan in the case of— 


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

2 disadvantaged farmer or rancher or a beginning 

3 farmer or rancher; or 

4 ‘‘(B) loans that are used for the purchase 

5 of precision agriculture technology.’’; and 

6 (4) in subsection (f)— 

7 (A) by striking ‘‘(f) ADMINISTRATIVE PRO8 VISIONS.—The Secretary’’ and inserting the fol9 lowing: 

10 ‘‘(f) ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.— 

11 ‘‘(1) GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY.—The Sec12 retary’’; and 

13 (B) by adding after and below the end the 

14 following: 

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

16 or guaranteeing loans under this section, the Sec17 retary shall ensure that there is coordination be18 tween the Farm Service Agency and the Natural Re19 sources Conservation Service.’’. 

20 SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE TO RURAL ENTITIES. 

21 Section 310B(a)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and 

22 Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(a)(2)) is amend23 ed— 

24 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara25 graph (C); 


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1 (2) by striking the period at the end of sub2 paragraph (D) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

3 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(E) expanding precision agriculture prac5 tices, including by financing equipment and 

6 farm-wide broadband connectivity, in order to 

7 promote best-practices, reduce costs, and im8 prove the environment.’’. 

9 SEC. 4. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM. 

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

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

12 1(6)(B)(v)) is amended by inserting ‘‘(including the adop13 tion of precision agriculture practices and the acquisition 

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

15 (b) PAYMENTS.— 

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

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

18 3839aa–2(d)(6)) is amended— 

19 (A) by striking ‘‘A producer shall’’ and in20 serting the following: 

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

22 A producer shall’’; and 

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

24 ‘‘(B) CONSERVATION LOAN AND LOAN

25 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 to cover costs for same practices 

7 on the same land. 

8 ‘‘(ii) NOTICE TO PRODUCER.—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 as it re14 lates to costs of implementing practices 

15 under this 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 subsection 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)(3)(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. 5. CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM. 

15 (a) CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PAYMENTS.—Sec16 tion 1240L(c)(3) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 

17 U.S.C. 3839aa–24(c)(3)) is amended to read as follows: 

18 ‘‘(3) EXCLUSIONS.—A payment to a producer 

19 under this subsection shall not be provided for con20 servation activities for which there is no cost in21 curred or income forgone by the producer.’’. 

22 (b) SUPPLEMENTAL PAYMENTS FOR RESOURCE23 CONSERVING CROP ROTATIONS AND ADVANCED GRAZING

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

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


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

2 ADVANCED GRAZING MANAGEMENT’’ and inserting 

3 ‘‘, ADVANCED GRAZING MANAGEMENT, AND PRECI4 SION AGRICULTURE’’; 

5 (2) in paragraph (2)— 

6 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘; 

7 or’’ and inserting a semicolon; 

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

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

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

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

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

13 grazing management’’ and inserting ‘‘, advanced 

14 grazing management, or precision agriculture’’. 

15 SEC. 6. DELIVERY OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 

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

17 U.S.C. 3842(f)) is amended by adding at the end the fol18 lowing: 

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

20 shall emphasize the use of third-party providers in 

21 providing technical assistance for soil health plan22 ning, including planning related to the use of cover 

23 crops, precision conservation management, comVerDate Sep 11 2014 16:40 Jun 07, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2518.IH H2518

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1 prehensive nutrient management planning, and other 

2 innovative plans.’’. 

Æ 


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