Advancing IoT for Precision Agriculture Act of 2021

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3784 To promote scientific research and development opportunities for connected technologies that advance precision agriculture capabilities. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 8, 2021 Mr. MCNERNEY (for himself and Mr. FEENSTRA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be sub- sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To promote scientific research and development opportunities for connected technologies that advance precision agri- culture capabilities. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Advancing IoT for Pre- 4 cision Agriculture Act of 2021’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:26 Jun 28, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3784.IH H3784 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 3784 IH SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 1 It is the purpose of this Act to promote scientific re- 2 search and development opportunities for connected tech- 3 nologies that advance precision agriculture capabilities. 4 SEC. 3. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION DIRECTIVE ON 5 AGRICULTURAL SENSOR RESEARCH. 6 In awarding grants under its sensor systems and 7 networked systems programs, the Director of the National 8 Science Foundation shall include in consideration of port- 9 folio balance research and development on sensor 10 connectivity in environments of intermittent connectivity 11 and intermittent computation— 12 (1) to improve the reliable use of advance sens- 13 ing systems in rural and agricultural areas; and 14 (2) that considers— 15 (A) direct gateway access for locally stored 16 data; 17 (B) attenuation of signal transmission; 18 (C) loss of signal transmission; and 19 (D) at-scale performance for wireless 20 power. 21 SEC. 4. UPDATING CONSIDERATIONS FOR PRECISION AGRI- 22 CULTURE TECHNOLOGY WITHIN THE NSF AD- 23 VANCED TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM. 24 Section 3 of the Scientific and Advanced-Technology 25 Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862i) is amended— 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:26 Jun 28, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3784.IH H3784 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 3784 IH (1) in subsection (d)(2)— 1 (A) in subparagraph (D), by striking 2 ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 3 (B) in subparagraph (E), by striking the 4 period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 5 (C) by adding at the end the following: 6 ‘‘(F) applications that incorporate distance 7 learning tools and approaches.’’; 8 (2) in subsection (e)(3)— 9 (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking 10 ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 11 (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the 12 period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 13 (C) by adding at the end the following: 14 ‘‘(E) applications that incorporate distance 15 learning tools and approaches.’’; and 16 (3) in subsection (j)(1), by inserting ‘‘agricul- 17 tural,’’ after ‘‘commercial,’’. 18 SEC. 5. GAO REVIEW. 19 Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 20 of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 21 shall provide— 22 (1) a technology assessment of precision agri- 23 culture technologies, such as the existing use of— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:26 Jun 28, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3784.IH H3784 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 3784 IH (A) sensors, scanners, radio-frequency 1 identification, and related technologies that can 2 monitor soil properties, irrigation conditions, 3 and plant physiology; 4 (B) sensors, scanners, radio-frequency 5 identification, and related technologies that can 6 monitor livestock activity and health; 7 (C) network connectivity and wireless com- 8 munications that can securely support digital 9 agriculture technologies in rural and remote 10 areas; 11 (D) aerial imagery generated by satellites 12 or unmanned aerial vehicles; 13 (E) ground-based robotics; 14 (F) control systems design and 15 connectivity, such as smart irrigation control 16 systems; and 17 (G) data management software and ad- 18 vanced analytics that can assist decision mak- 19 ing and improve agricultural outcomes; and 20 (2) a review of Federal programs that provide 21 support for precision agriculture research, develop- 22 ment, adoption, education, or training, in existence 23 on the date of enactment of this Act. 24 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:26 Jun 28, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3784.IH H3784 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS