Title: Precision Farming Act
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Precision Farming Act
This bill amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to require the Department of Agriculture to give priority to loan applicants that offer to provide broadband service, at better than the minimum acceptable level of broadband service, to agricultural producers in the proposed service territory to improve their ability to conduct precision farming or ranching. (Precision farming is a strategy that uses various technologies to manage production through data analysis and automation.)
The bill also amends the Communications Act of 1934 to provide universal service support for the installation of broadband services to improve the ability of an agricultural producer to conduct precision farming or ranching. The bill requires broadband providers to install the services at a discount and makes the providers eligible for a reimbursement of the discount. Agricultural producers are limited to one discount that is the lesser of: (1) the amount that the provider would charge other parties for a similar installation, or (2) $15,000.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4291 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4291

 To utilize loans and loan guarantees under the rural broadband access 
program to provide broadband service for agricultural producers and to 
    provide universal service support for installation charges for 
   broadband service for agricultural producers in order to improve 
        precision farming and ranching, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 7, 2017

 Ms. Stefanik introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To utilize loans and loan guarantees under the rural broadband access 
program to provide broadband service for agricultural producers and to 
    provide universal service support for installation charges for 
   broadband service for agricultural producers in order to improve 
        precision farming and ranching, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Precision Farming Act''.

SEC. 2. LOAN PRIORITIES IN PROVIDING ACCESS TO BROADBAND 
              TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES IN RURAL AREAS.

    Section 601(c)(2) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 
U.S.C. 950bb(c)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (C);
            (2) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E) 
        and, in such subparagraph, by striking ``in the applications of 
        the applicants''; and
            (3) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following new 
        subparagraph (D):
                    ``(D) give priority to applicants that offer to 
                provide broadband service, at better than the minimum 
                acceptable level of broadband service established under 
                subsection (e), to agricultural producers in the 
                proposed service territory to improve their ability to 
                conduct precision farming or ranching, as determined by 
                the Secretary; and''.

SEC. 3. UNIVERSAL SERVICE SUPPORT FOR BROADBAND SERVICE INSTALLATION 
              CHARGES FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS.

    Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(m) Support for Broadband Service Installation Charges for 
Agricultural Producers.--
            ``(1) In general.--A provider of broadband service serving 
        a geographic area shall, upon a bona fide request from an 
        agricultural producer for connection to such service to improve 
        the ability of the producer to conduct precision farming or 
        ranching, install any line or other facility or equipment 
        necessary to enable such connection at a discount from the 
        amount that the provider would charge other parties for a 
        similar installation.
            ``(2) Amount of discount.--The amount of the discount 
        provided under paragraph (1) shall be the lesser of--
                    ``(A) the amount that the provider would charge 
                other parties for a similar installation; or
                    ``(B) $15,000.
            ``(3) Limit of one discount per agricultural producer.--An 
        agricultural producer may not receive more than one discount 
        under paragraph (1).
            ``(4) Offset or reimbursement.--A provider of broadband 
        service that makes an installation under paragraph (1) shall--
                    ``(A) have an amount equal to the amount of the 
                discount provided under such paragraph treated as an 
                offset to its obligation to contribute to the 
                mechanisms to preserve and advance universal service; 
                or
                    ``(B) notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 
                (e), receive reimbursement utilizing the support 
                mechanisms to preserve and advance universal service.
            ``(5) Consistency with rural broadband access program.--The 
        Commission shall, in consultation with the Secretary of 
        Agriculture, promulgate such regulations as are necessary to 
        ensure that this subsection is carried out in a manner that is 
        consistent with the manner in which the Secretary of 
        Agriculture carries out subparagraph (D) of section 601(c)(2) 
        of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 
        950bb(c)(2)).''.
                                 <all>