Title: Forest TECH Improvement Act
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Forest Technology Enhancements for Conservation and Habitat Improvement Act or the Forest TECH Improvement Act
This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to either establish a research and development pilot program or expand an applicable existing program to
USDA and Interior shall enter into an agreement to develop consistent protocols and plans for the use of unmanned aircraft system technologies for reforestation activities.
Any unmanned aircraft system technology or component of such technology that is used pursuant to this bill shall be made and manufactured in the United States.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2500 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2500

    To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to assess the use of new 
 technologies across reforestation activities, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 14, 2021

   Mr. Moore of Utah (for himself, Mr. Westerman, Mr. Newhouse, Mr. 
    Simpson, Mr. Graves of Louisiana, and Mr. Owens) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to assess the use of new 
 technologies across reforestation activities, 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 ``Forest Technology Enhancements for 
Conservation and Habitat Improvement Act'' or the ``Forest TECH 
Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. REFORESTATION TECHNOLOGY PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment of Pilot Program.--Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of 
Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, shall 
either establish a research, development, and testing pilot program or 
expand an applicable existing program to--
            (1) assess new technologies, including unmanned aircraft 
        system, geospatial, or remote sensing technologies, across all 
        reforestation activities;
            (2) accelerate the deployment and integration of such 
        technologies into the operations of the Secretaries; and
            (3) collaborate and cooperate with State, Tribal, and 
        private geospatial information system organizations with 
        respect to such technologies.
    (b) Expanding Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems.--Not later than 1 
year after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretaries shall 
enter into an agreement to develop consistent protocols and plans for 
the use of unmanned aircraft system technologies for reforestation 
activities.
    (c) Domestic Manufacture Requirement.--Any unmanned aircraft system 
technology or component of unmanned aircraft system technology used 
under this section shall be made and manufactured in the United States.
    (d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed as prohibiting the Secretary of Agriculture from using 
unmanned aircraft systems technologies in effect on the date of the 
enactment of this section.
    (e) Unmanned Aircraft System Defined.--In this section, the term 
``unmanned aircraft system'' has the meaning given the term in section 
44801 of title 49, United States Code.
    (f) Sunset.--The authority to carry out this section shall 
terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment 
of this section.
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