[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 200 (Wednesday, November 17, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S8386]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4777. Mrs. FISCHER (for herself and Ms. Klobuchar) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3867 submitted by Mr. 
Reed and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 4350, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2022 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense 
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the appropriate place in title X, insert the following:

     SEC. ____. ADVANCING IOT FOR PRECISION AGRICULTURE.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the 
     ``Advancing IoT for Precision Agriculture Act of 2021''.
       (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to promote 
     scientific research and development opportunities for 
     connected technologies that advance precision agriculture 
     capabilities.
       (c) National Science Foundation Directive on Agricultural 
     Sensor Research.--In awarding grants under its applicable 
     sensor systems and networked systems programs, and in 
     coordination with the Department of Agriculture, the Director 
     of the National Science Foundation shall include in 
     consideration of portfolio balance research and development 
     on sensor connectivity in environments of intermittent 
     connectivity and intermittent computation--
       (1) to improve the reliable use of advance sensing systems 
     in rural and agricultural areas; and
       (2) that considers--
       (A) direct gateway access for locally stored data;
       (B) attenuation of signal transmission;
       (C) loss of signal transmission; and
       (D) at-scale performance for wireless power.
       (d) Updating Considerations for Precision Agriculture 
     Technology Within the NSF Advanced Technical Education 
     Program.--Section 3 of the Scientific and Advanced-Technology 
     Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862i) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (d)(2)--
       (A) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (B) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(F) applications that incorporate distance learning tools 
     and approaches.'';
       (2) in subsection (e)(3)--
       (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(E) applications that incorporate distance learning tools 
     and approaches.''; and
       (3) in subsection (j)(1), by inserting ``agricultural,'' 
     after ``commercial,''.
       (e) GAO Review.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
     enactment of this section, the Comptroller General of the 
     United States shall provide--
       (1) a technology assessment of precision agriculture 
     technologies, such as the existing use of--
       (A) sensors, scanners, radio-frequency identification, and 
     related technologies that can monitor soil properties, 
     irrigation conditions, and plant physiology;
       (B) sensors, scanners, radio-frequency identification, and 
     related technologies that can monitor livestock activity and 
     health;
       (C) network connectivity and wireless communications that 
     can securely support digital agriculture technologies in 
     rural and remote areas;
       (D) aerial imagery generated by satellites or unmanned 
     aerial vehicles;
       (E) ground-based robotics;
       (F) control systems design and connectivity, such as smart 
     irrigation control systems; and
       (G) data management software and advanced analytics that 
     can assist decision making and improve agricultural outcomes; 
     and
       (2) a review of Federal programs that provide support for 
     precision agriculture research, development, adoption, 
     education, or training, in existence on the date of enactment 
     of this section.
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