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H.R. 1985House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Promoting Precision Agriculture Act

Sponsored by Donald G. DavisRep. Donald G. Davis (D-NC)
Introduced March 10, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 2:03 AM UTC

The Promoting Precision Agriculture Act aims to boost the use of high‑tech farming methods in the United States by establishing voluntary, industry‑led standards for how precision‑ag equipment connects and shares data. It tasks the USDA Secretary, together with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Federal Communications Commission, with creating these standards within two years, while also requiring regular government reviews to ensure they are effective and widely adopted. The bill primarily affects farmers, agricultural equipment makers, technology providers, and related state and local agencies.

Key Provisions

  • Within two years, the USDA Secretary, working with the NIST Director and FCC, must create voluntary, consensus‑based standards and best‑practice guidelines for precision‑ag technology to make it easier and cheaper for farms to adopt.
  • The standards‑development process must involve trusted private‑sector stakeholders, relevant industry groups, state and local governments, and consider needs such as connectivity, cybersecurity, advanced wireless (5G‑plus), and artificial‑intelligence impacts.
  • The Government Accountability Office must study the standards one year after they are issued and then every two years for eight years, checking whether they are truly voluntary, coordinated with industry, and effective at encouraging precision‑ag adoption.
  • The GAO must report its findings to the agriculture and science committees in both the House and Senate.

Legislative Activity

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3 earlier actions
HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.

Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee

March 28, 2025

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

March 10, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H1045)

March 10, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

March 10, 2025

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.

Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee

March 28, 2025

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued March 10, 2025

I

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1985

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 10, 2025

Mr. Davis of North Carolina (for himself and Mr. Mann) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

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.

2.

Definitions

In this Act:

(1)

Advanced wireless communications technology

The term advanced wireless communications technology means advanced technology that contributes to mobile (5G or beyond) networks, next-generation Wi-Fi networks, or other future networks using other technologies, regardless of whether the network is operating on an exclusive licensed, shared licensed, or unlicensed frequency band.

(2)

Artificial intelligence

The term artificial intelligence has the meaning given the term in section 238(g) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115–232; 10 U.S.C. note prec. 4061).

(3)

Foreign adversary

The term foreign adversary means any foreign government or foreign nongovernment person engaged in a long-term pattern or serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the United States, or security and safety of United States persons.

(4)

Precision agriculture

The term precision agriculture means managing, tracking, or reducing crop or livestock production inputs, including seed, feed, fertilizer, chemicals, water, time, and such other inputs as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, at a heightened level of spatial and temporal granularity to improve efficiencies, reduce waste, and maintain environmental quality.

(5)

Precision agriculture equipment

The term precision agriculture equipment means any equipment or technology that directly contributes to a reduction in, or improved efficiency of, inputs used in crop or livestock production, including—

(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, as determined by the Secretary, that directly contributes to a reduction in, or improved efficiency of, the use of crop or livestock production inputs, which may include—

(i)

seed;

(ii)

feed;

(iii)

fertilizer;

(iv)

soil amendments;

(v)

chemicals;

(vi)

water;

(vii)

time;

(viii)

fuel; and

(ix)

such other inputs as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

(6)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.

(7)

Trusted

The term trusted means, with respect to a provider of advanced communications service or a supplier of communications equipment or service, that the Secretary has determined that the provider or supplier is not owned by, controlled by, or subject to the influence of, a foreign adversary.

(8)

Voluntary consensus standards development organization

The term voluntary consensus standards development organization means an organization that develops standards in a process that meets the principles for the development of voluntary consensus standards (as defined in the document of the Office of Management and Budget entitled Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment Activities (OMB Circular A–119)).

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).