[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 720 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 720

   To leverage incentives for the adoption of precision agriculture 
           equipment and technology, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 8, 2023

 Mrs. Fischer (for herself and Ms. Klobuchar) introduced the following 
      bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                  Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To leverage incentives for the adoption of precision agriculture 
           equipment and technology, 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 ``Producing Responsible Energy and 
Conservation Incentives and Solutions for the Environment Act of 2023'' 
or the ``PRECISE Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. CONSERVATION LOAN AND LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM.

    Section 304 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 
U.S.C. 1924) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) 
                as paragraphs (3), (4), and (1), respectively, and 
                moving the paragraphs so as to appear in numerical 
                order;
                    (B) in paragraph (1) (as so redesignated)--
                            (i) by redesignating subparagraphs (F) and 
                        (G) as subparagraphs (G) and (H), respectively; 
                        and
                            (ii) by inserting after subparagraph (E) 
                        the following:
                    ``(F) the adoption of precision agriculture 
                practices and the acquisition of precision agriculture 
                technology;''; and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (1) (as so 
                redesignated) the following:
            ``(2) Precision agriculture; precision agriculture 
        technology.--The terms `precision agriculture' and `precision 
        agriculture technology' have the meanings given those terms in 
        section 1201(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
        3801(a)).'';
            (2) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``1985.'' and 
                inserting ``1985 (16 U.S.C. 3812); and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) producers who use the loans to adopt precision 
        agriculture practices or acquire precision agriculture 
        technology, including adoption or acquisition for the purpose 
        of participating in the environmental quality incentives 
        program under subchapter A of chapter 4 of subtitle D of title 
        XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa et 
        seq.).'';
            (3) in subsection (e), by striking paragraph (2) and 
        inserting the following:
            ``(2) 90 percent of the principal amount of the loan in the 
        case of--
                    ``(A) a producer that is a qualified socially 
                disadvantaged farmer or rancher or a beginning farmer 
                or rancher; or
                    ``(B) a loan that is used for the purchase of 
                precision agriculture technology.''; and
            (4) in subsection (f)--
                    (A) by striking ``(f) Administrative Provisions.--
                The Secretary'' and inserting the following:
    ``(f) Administrative Provisions.--
            ``(1) Geographic diversity.--The Secretary''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Coordination with nrcs.--In making or guaranteeing 
        loans under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that there 
        is coordination between the Farm Service Agency and the Natural 
        Resources Conservation Service.''.

SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE TO RURAL ENTITIES.

    Section 310B(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act 
(7 U.S.C. 1932(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as 
                subparagraph (C); and
                    (B) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the 
                following:
                    ``(B) Precision agriculture; precision agriculture 
                technology.--The terms `precision agriculture' and 
                `precision agriculture technology' have the meanings 
                given those terms in section 1201(a) of the Food 
                Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801(a)).''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) expanding the adoption of precision 
                agriculture practices, including by financing the 
                acquisition of precision agriculture technology, in 
                order to promote best practices, reduce costs, and 
                improve the environment.''.

SEC. 4. FOOD SECURITY ACT OF 1985 DEFINITIONS.

    Section 1201(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
3801(a)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (20) through (27) as 
        paragraphs (22) through (29), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (19) the following:
            ``(20) Precision agriculture.--The term `precision 
        agriculture' means 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.
            ``(21) Precision agriculture technology.--The term 
        `precision agriculture technology' means any technology 
        (including equipment that is necessary for the deployment of 
        such 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, or 
                livestock conditions;
                    ``(F) Internet of Things and telematics 
                technologies;
                    ``(G) data management software and advanced 
                analytics;
                    ``(H) network connectivity products and solutions;
                    ``(I) Global Positioning System guidance or auto-
                steer systems;
                    ``(J) variable rate technology for applying inputs, 
                such as section control; and
                    ``(K) any other technology, as determined by the 
                Secretary, that leads to a reduction in, or improves 
                efficiency of, crop and livestock production inputs, 
                which may include seed, feed, fertilizer, chemicals, 
                water, and time.''.

SEC. 5. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--Section 1240A(6)(B)(v) of the Food Security Act 
of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-1(6)(B)(v)) is amended by inserting 
``(including the adoption of precision agriculture practices and the 
acquisition of precision agriculture technology)'' after ``planning''.
    (b) Payments.--
            (1) Other payments.--Section 1240B(d)(6) of the Food 
        Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-2(d)(6)) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``A producer shall'' and inserting 
                the following:
                    ``(A) Payments under this subtitle.--A producer 
                shall''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) Conservation loan and loan guarantee program 
                payments.--
                            ``(i) In general.--A producer receiving 
                        payments for practices on eligible land under 
                        the program may also receive a loan or loan 
                        guarantee under section 304 of the Consolidated 
                        Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1924) 
                        to cover costs for the same practices on the 
                        same land.
                            ``(ii) Notice to producers.--The Secretary 
                        shall inform a producer participating in the 
                        program in writing of the availability of a 
                        loan or loan guarantee under section 304 of the 
                        Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 
                        U.S.C. 1924) as it relates to costs of 
                        implementing practices under the program.''.
            (2) Increased payments for high-priority practices.--
        Section 1240B(d)(7) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
        3839aa-2(d)(7)) is amended, in the paragraph heading, by 
        inserting ``State-determined'' before ``high-priority''.
            (3) Increased payments for precision agriculture.--Section 
        1240B(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-
        2(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) Increased payments for precision agriculture.--
        Notwithstanding paragraph (2), the Secretary may increase the 
        amount that would otherwise be provided for a practice under 
        this subsection to not more than 90 percent of the costs 
        associated with adopting precision agriculture practices and 
        acquiring precision agriculture technology.''.
    (c) Conservation Incentive Contracts.--Section 1240B(j)(2)(A)(i) of 
the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-2(j)(2)(A)(i)) is 
amended by inserting ``(which may include the adoption of precision 
agriculture practices and the acquisition of precision agriculture 
technology)'' after ``incentive practices''.

SEC. 6. CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM.

    (a) Conservation Stewardship Payments.--Section 1240L(c) of the 
Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-24(c)) is amended by 
striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
            ``(3) Exclusion.--A payment to a producer under this 
        subsection shall not be provided for conservation activities 
        for which there is no cost incurred or income forgone by the 
        producer.''.
    (b) Supplemental Payments for Resource-Conserving Crop Rotations 
and Advanced Grazing Management.--Section 1240L(d) of the Food Security 
Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-24(d)) is amended--
            (1) in the subsection heading, by striking ``and Advanced 
        Grazing Management'' and inserting ``, Advanced Grazing 
        Management, and Precision Agriculture'';
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``or'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; or''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) precision agriculture.''; and
            (3) in paragraph (3), by striking ``or advanced grazing 
        management'' and inserting ``, advanced grazing management, or 
        precision agriculture''.

SEC. 7. DELIVERY OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

    Section 1242(f) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
3842(f)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(6) Soil health planning.--The Secretary shall emphasize 
        the use of third-party providers in providing technical 
        assistance for soil health planning, including planning 
        relating to the use of cover crops, precision conservation 
        management, comprehensive nutrient management planning, and 
        other innovative plans.''.
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