[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2343 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 615
115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2343

                          [Report No. 115-342]

 To require the Federal Communications Commission to establish a task 
 force for meeting the connectivity and technology needs of precision 
                   agriculture in the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 25, 2018

 Mr. Wicker (for himself, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Daines, Mr. Tester, Mrs. 
McCaskill, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Blunt, Ms. Smith, Ms. Baldwin, 
  Mr. Thune, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. King, and Ms. Heitkamp) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Commerce, Science, and Transportation

            October 2 (legislative day, September 28), 2018

                Reported by Mr. Thune, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Federal Communications Commission to establish a task 
 force for meeting the connectivity and technology needs of precision 
                   agriculture in the United States.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Precision Agriculture 
Connectivity Act of 2018''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Congress finds the following:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Precision agriculture technologies and 
        practices allow farmers to significantly increase crop yields, 
        eliminate overlap in operations, and reduce inputs such as 
        seed, fertilizer, pesticides, water, and fuel.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) These technologies allow farmers to collect 
        data in real time about their fields, automate field 
        management, and maximize resources.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Studies estimate that precision agriculture 
        technologies can reduce agricultural operation costs by up to 
        25 dollars per acre and increase farm yields by up to 70 
        percent by 2050.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) The critical cost savings and productivity 
        benefits of precision agriculture cannot be realized without 
        the availability of reliable broadband Internet access service 
        delivered to the cropland and ranchland of the United 
        States.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) The deployment of broadband Internet access 
        service to unserved and underserved cropland and ranchland is 
        critical to the United States economy and to the continued 
        leadership of the United States in global food 
        production.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) Despite the growing demand for broadband 
        Internet access service on cropland and ranchland, broadband 
        Internet access service is not consistently available where 
        needed for agricultural operations.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) The Federal Communications Commission has an 
        important role to play in the deployment of broadband Internet 
        access service infrastructure on unserved and underserved 
        cropland and ranchland to promote precision 
        agriculture.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. TASK FORCE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Definitions.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--In this section--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the term ``broadband Internet access 
                service'' has the meaning given the term in section 8.2 
                of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any 
                successor regulation;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the term ``Commission'' means the 
                Federal Communications Commission;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) the term ``Department'' means the 
                Department of Agriculture;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) the term ``Secretary'' means the 
                Secretary of Agriculture; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) the term ``Task Force'' means the Task 
                Force for Meeting the Connectivity and Technology Needs 
                of Precision Agriculture in the United States, as 
                established under subsection (b).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Agricultural terms.--For purposes of this Act, 
        the Secretary shall define the terms ``agricultural 
        operations'', ``cropland'', and ``ranchland''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall establish the Task Force 
for Meeting the Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision 
Agriculture in the United States.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Duties.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--The Task Force shall collaborate 
        with the Secretary and public and private stakeholders in the 
        agriculture and technology fields to--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) identify and measure current gaps in 
                broadband Internet access service coverage of cropland 
                and ranchland;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) assemble a comprehensive guide of all 
                Federal programs or resources working to expand 
                broadband Internet access service on unserved cropland 
                and ranchland;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) develop policy recommendations to 
                promote the rapid, expanded deployment of fixed and 
                mobile broadband Internet access service on unserved 
                croplands and ranchlands, with a goal of achieving 
                reliable service on 95 percent of croplands and 
                ranchlands in the United States by 2025;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) promote effective policy and 
                regulatory solutions that encourage the adoption of 
                broadband Internet access service on farms and ranches 
                and promote precision agriculture;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) propose new rules of the Commission or 
                amendments to existing rules of the Commission to 
                achieve the goals and purposes described in 
                subparagraph (C);</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) recommend specific steps that the 
                Commission and other Federal agencies should take to 
                obtain reliable and standardized data measurements of 
                broadband Internet access service coverage as may be 
                necessary to target funding support to unserved 
                croplands and ranchlands in need of broadband Internet 
                access service; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (G) recommend specific steps that the 
                Commission should take to ensure that the expertise of 
                the Secretary and available farm data are reflected in 
                developing Federal programs to deploy broadband 
                Internet access service infrastructure and to direct 
                available funding to unserved croplands and ranchlands 
                where needed.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Consultation.--The Task Force shall consult 
        with the Secretary to develop recommendations for the 
        Commission that utilize the expertise, data mapping 
        information, and resources of the Department that the 
        Department uses to identify croplands, ranchlands, and other 
        areas with agricultural operations.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Membership.--The Task Force shall be--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) composed of not more than 15 members who 
        shall--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) be selected by the Chairman of the 
                Commission in consultation with appropriate staff of 
                the Commission and with the Secretary; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) include--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) agricultural producers 
                        representing diverse geographic regions and 
                        farm sizes, including owners and operators of 
                        farms of less than 100 acres;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) Internet service providers, 
                        including regional or rural fixed and mobile 
                        broadband Internet access service providers and 
                        telecommunications infrastructure 
                        providers;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) representatives from the 
                        satellite industry;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iv) representatives from 
                        precision agriculture equipment manufacturers, 
                        including drone manufacturers, manufacturers of 
                        autonomous agricultural machinery, and 
                        manufacturers of farming robotics technologies; 
                        and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (v) representatives from State and 
                        local governments; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) fairly balanced in terms of technologies, 
        points of view, and fields represented on the Task 
        Force.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date on 
which the Commission establishes the Task Force, and annually 
thereafter, the Commission shall submit to Congress a report that 
details--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the status of fixed and mobile broadband 
        Internet access service coverage of croplands and 
        ranchlands;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the projected future connectivity needs of 
        agricultural operations, farmers, and ranchers; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) the steps being taken to accurately measure 
        the availability of high speed broadband Internet access 
        service on croplands and ranchlands and the limitations of 
        current, as of the date of the report, measurement 
        processes.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (f) Existing Funds.--The Commission shall use existing 
funds of the Commission to carry out the Task Force and the duties of 
the Commission under this section.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (g) Termination.--The Task Force shall terminate on 
January 1, 2025.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Precision Agriculture Connectivity 
Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Precision agriculture technologies and practices allow 
        farmers to significantly increase crop yields, eliminate 
        overlap in operations, and reduce inputs such as seed, 
        fertilizer, pesticides, water, and fuel.
            (2) These technologies allow farmers to collect data in 
        real time about their fields, automate field management, and 
        maximize resources.
            (3) Studies estimate that precision agriculture 
        technologies can reduce agricultural operation costs by up to 
        25 dollars per acre and increase farm yields by up to 70 
        percent by 2050.
            (4) The critical cost savings and productivity benefits of 
        precision agriculture cannot be realized without the 
        availability of reliable broadband Internet access service 
        delivered to the agricultural land of the United States.
            (5) The deployment of broadband Internet access service to 
        unserved agricultural land is critical to the United States 
        economy and to the continued leadership of the United States in 
        global food production.
            (6) Despite the growing demand for broadband Internet 
        access service on agricultural land, broadband Internet access 
        service is not consistently available where needed for 
        agricultural operations.
            (7) The Federal Communications Commission has an important 
        role to play in the deployment of broadband Internet access 
        service on unserved agricultural land to promote precision 
        agriculture.

SEC. 3. TASK FORCE.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section--
            (1) the term ``broadband Internet access service'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 8.2 of title 47, Code of 
        Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation;
            (2) the term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission;
            (3) the term ``Department'' means the Department of 
        Agriculture;
            (4) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        Agriculture; and
            (5) the term ``Task Force'' means the Task Force for 
        Reviewing the Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision 
        Agriculture in the United States established under subsection 
        (b).
    (b) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall establish the Task Force 
for Reviewing the Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision 
Agriculture in the United States.
    (c) Duties.--
            (1) In general.--The Task Force shall consult with the 
        Secretary, or a designee of the Secretary, and collaborate with 
        public and private stakeholders in the agriculture and 
        technology fields to--
                    (A) identify and measure current gaps in the 
                availability of broadband Internet access service on 
                agricultural land;
                    (B) develop policy recommendations to promote the 
                rapid, expanded deployment of broadband Internet access 
                service on unserved agricultural land, with a goal of 
                achieving reliable capabilities on 95 percent of 
                agricultural land in the United States by 2025;
                    (C) promote effective policy and regulatory 
                solutions that encourage the adoption of broadband 
                Internet access service on farms and ranches and 
                promote precision agriculture;
                    (D) recommend specific new rules or amendments to 
                existing rules of the Commission that the Commission 
                should issue to achieve the goals and purposes of the 
                policy recommendations described in subparagraph (B);
                    (E) recommend specific steps that the Commission 
                should take to obtain reliable and standardized data 
                measurements of the availability of broadband Internet 
                access service as may be necessary to target funding 
                support, from future programs of the Commission 
                dedicated to the deployment of broadband Internet 
                access service, to unserved agricultural land in need 
                of broadband Internet access service; and
                    (F) recommend specific steps that the Commission 
                should consider to ensure that the expertise of the 
                Secretary and available farm data are reflected in 
                future programs of the Commission dedicated to the 
                infrastructure deployment of broadband Internet access 
                service and to direct available funding to unserved 
                agricultural land where needed.
            (2) No duplicate data reporting.--In performing the duties 
        of the Commission under paragraph (1), the Commission shall 
        ensure that no provider of broadband Internet access service is 
        required to report data to the Commission that is, on the day 
        before the date of enactment of this Act, required to be 
        reported by the provider of broadband Internet access service.
            (3) Hold harmless.--The Task Force and the Commission shall 
        not interpret the phrase ``future programs of the Commission'', 
        as used in subparagraphs (E) and (F) of paragraph (1), to 
        include the universal service programs of the Commission 
        established under section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 
        (47 U.S.C. 254).
            (4) Consultation.--The Secretary, or a designee of the 
        Secretary, shall explain and make available to the Task Force 
        the expertise, data mapping information, and resources of the 
        Department that the Department uses to identify cropland, 
        ranchland, and other areas with agricultural operations that 
        may be helpful in developing the recommendations required under 
        paragraph (1).
            (5) List of available federal programs and resources.--Not 
        later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
        the Secretary and the Commission shall jointly submit to the 
        Task Force a list of all Federal programs or resources 
        available for the expansion of broadband Internet access 
        service on unserved agricultural land to assist the Task Force 
        in carrying out the duties of the Task Force.
    (d) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The Task Force shall be--
                    (A) composed of not more than 15 voting members who 
                shall--
                            (i) be selected by the Chairman of the 
                        Commission; and
                            (ii) include--
                                    (I) agricultural producers 
                                representing diverse geographic regions 
                                and farm sizes, including owners and 
                                operators of farms of less than 100 
                                acres;
                                    (II) an agricultural producer 
                                representing tribal agriculture;
                                    (III) Internet service providers, 
                                including regional or rural fixed and 
                                mobile broadband Internet access 
                                service providers and 
                                telecommunications infrastructure 
                                providers;
                                    (IV) representatives from the 
                                electric cooperative industry;
                                    (V) representatives from the 
                                satellite industry;
                                    (VI) representatives from precision 
                                agriculture equipment manufacturers, 
                                including drone manufacturers, 
                                manufacturers of autonomous 
                                agricultural machinery, and 
                                manufacturers of farming robotics 
                                technologies; and
                                    (VII) representatives from State 
                                and local governments; and
                    (B) fairly balanced in terms of technologies, 
                points of view, and fields represented on the Task 
                Force.
            (2) Period of appointment; vacancies.--
                    (A) In general.--A member of the Committee 
                appointed under paragraph (1)(A) shall serve for a 
                single term of 2 years.
                    (B) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Task Force--
                            (i) shall not affect the powers of the Task 
                        Force; and
                            (ii) shall be filled in the same manner as 
                        the original appointment.
            (3) Ex-officio member.--The Secretary, or a designee of the 
        Secretary, shall serve as an ex-officio, nonvoting member of 
        the Task Force.
    (e) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which the 
Commission establishes the Task Force, and annually thereafter, the 
Task Force shall submit to the Chairman of the Commission a report, 
which shall be made public not later than 30 days after the date on 
which the Chairman receives the report, that details--
            (1) the status of fixed and mobile broadband Internet 
        access service coverage of agricultural land;
            (2) the projected future connectivity needs of agricultural 
        operations, farmers, and ranchers; and
            (3) the steps being taken to accurately measure the 
        availability of broadband Internet access service on 
        agricultural land and the limitations of current, as of the 
        date of the report, measurement processes.
    (f) Termination.--The Commission shall renew the Task Force every 2 
years until the Task Force terminates on January 1, 2025.
                                                       Calendar No. 615

115th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 2343

                          [Report No. 115-342]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To require the Federal Communications Commission to establish a task 
 force for meeting the connectivity and technology needs of precision 
                   agriculture in the United States.

_______________________________________________________________________

            October 2 (legislative day, September 28), 2018

                       Reported with an amendment