Promoting Precision Agriculture Act of 2023

To enhance the participation of precision agriculture in the United States, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Promoting Precision Agriculture Act of 2023 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Advanced wireless communications technology The term advanced wireless communications technology (2) Artificial intelligence The term artificial intelligence Public Law 115–232 (3) Foreign adversary The term foreign adversary (4) Precision agriculture The term precision agriculture (5) Precision agriculture equipment The term precision agriculture equipment (A) global positioning system-based or geospatial mapping; (B) satellite or aerial imagery; (C) yield monitors; (D) soil mapping; (E) sensors for gathering data on crop, soil, and livestock conditions; (F) Internet of Things and technology that relies on edge and cloud computing; (G) data management software and advanced analytics; (H) network connectivity products and solutions, including public and private wireless networks; (I) global positioning system guidance, auto-steer systems, autonomous fleeting, and other machine-to-machine operations; (J) variable rate technology for applying inputs, such as section control; and (K) any other technology that leads to a reduction in, or improves efficiency of, crop and livestock production inputs, which may include— (i) seed; (ii) feed; (iii) fertilizer; (iv) chemicals; (v) water; (vi) time; (vii) fuel; and (viii) such other inputs as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. (6) Secretary The term Secretary (7) Trusted The term trusted (8) Voluntary consensus standards development organization The term voluntary consensus standards development organization Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment Activities 3. Purposes The purposes of this Act are— (1) to enhance the participation of precision agriculture in the United States; and (2) to promote United States leadership in voluntary consensus standards development organizations that set standards for precision agriculture. 4. Interconnectivity standards for precision agriculture (a) In general Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Federal Communications Commission, shall— (1) develop voluntary, consensus-based, private sector-led interconnectivity standards, guidelines, and best practices for precision agriculture that will promote economies of scale and ease the burden of the adoption of precision agriculture; and (2) in carrying out paragraph (1)— (A) coordinate with relevant public and trusted private sector stakeholders and other relevant industry organizations, including voluntary consensus standards development organizations; and (B) consult with sector-specific agencies, other appropriate agencies, and State and local governments. (b) Considerations The Secretary, in carrying out subsection (a), shall, in consultation with the Federal Communications Commission and the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, consider— (1) the evolving demands of precision agriculture; (2) the connectivity needs of precision agriculture equipment; (3) the cybersecurity challenges facing precision agriculture, including cybersecurity threats for agriculture producers and agriculture supply chains; (4) the impact of advanced wireless communications technology on precision agriculture; and (5) the impact of artificial intelligence on precision agriculture. 5. GAO assessment of precision agriculture standards (a) Study Not later than 1 year after the Secretary develops standards under section 4, and every 2 years thereafter for the following 8 years, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study that assesses those standards, including the extent to which those standards, as applicable— (1) are voluntary; (2) were developed in coordination with relevant industry organizations, including voluntary consensus standards development organizations; and (3) have successfully encouraged the adoption of precision agriculture. (b) Report The Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that summarizes the findings of each study conducted under subsection (a).

Summary: Promoting Precision Agriculture Act of 2023 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 the impact of artificial intelligence on this area. The Government Accountability Office must periodically assess and report on the standards.