[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 193 (Thursday, December 6, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7367-S7368]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





             PRECISION AGRICULTURE CONNECTIVITY ACT OF 2018

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 615, S. 2343.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 2343) 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.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation, with an amendment to strike all after the enacting 
clause and insert in lieu thereof the following:

                                S. 2343

       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 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 cropland and ranchland of the United States.
       [(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.
       [(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.
       [(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.

     [SEC. 3. TASK FORCE.

       [(a) Definitions.--
       [(1) In general.--In this section--
       [(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;
       [(B) the term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
     Communications Commission;
       [(C) the term ``Department'' means the Department of 
     Agriculture;
       [(D) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
     Agriculture; and
       [(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).
       [(2) Agricultural terms.--For purposes of this Act, the 
     Secretary shall define the terms ``agricultural operations'', 
     ``cropland'', and ``ranchland''.
       [(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.
       [(c) Duties.--
       [(1) In general.--The Task Force shall collaborate with the 
     Secretary and public and private stakeholders in the 
     agriculture and technology fields to--
       [(A) identify and measure current gaps in broadband 
     Internet access service coverage of cropland and ranchland;
       [(B) assemble a comprehensive guide of all Federal programs 
     or resources working to expand broadband Internet access 
     service on unserved cropland and ranchland;
       [(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;
       [(D) promote effective policy and regulatory solutions that 
     encourage the adoption of broadband Internet access service 
     on farms and ranches and promote precision agriculture;
       [(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);
       [(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
       [(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.
       [(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.
       [(d) Membership.--The Task Force shall be--
       [(1) composed of not more than 15 members who shall--
       [(A) be selected by the Chairman of the Commission in 
     consultation with appropriate staff of the Commission and 
     with the Secretary; and
       [(B) include--
       [(i) agricultural producers representing diverse geographic 
     regions and farm sizes, including owners and operators of 
     farms of less than 100 acres;
       [(ii) Internet service providers, including regional or 
     rural fixed and mobile broadband Internet access service 
     providers and telecommunications infrastructure providers;
       [(iii) representatives from the satellite industry;
       [(iv) representatives from precision agriculture equipment 
     manufacturers, including drone manufacturers, manufacturers 
     of autonomous agricultural machinery, and manufacturers of 
     farming robotics technologies; and
       [(v) representatives from State and local governments; and
       [(2) fairly balanced in terms of technologies, points of 
     view, and fields represented on 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 Commission shall submit to Congress a report 
     that details--
       [(1) the status of fixed and mobile broadband Internet 
     access service coverage of croplands and ranchlands;
       [(2) the projected future connectivity needs of 
     agricultural operations, farmers, and ranchers; and
       [(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.
       [(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.
       [(g) Termination.--The Task Force shall terminate on 
     January 1, 2025.]

     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.

[[Page S7368]]

       (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.

  Mr. CORNYN. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported 
substitute be agreed to, that the bill, as amended, be read a third 
time and passed, and that the motion to reconsider be considered made 
and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was 
agreed to.
  The bill (S. 2343), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.

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