H.R. 1985 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Agriculture, Mar 10, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryUSDA develops voluntary precision agriculture standards
The bill asks the U.S. Department of Agriculture to work with other agencies and farm equipment makers to create voluntary standards for precision agriculture—using technology to manage farming inputs like seeds, fertilizer, and water more efficiently. These standards would help different pieces of farming equipment work together better and make it easier for farmers to adopt this technology. The department must also consider cybersecurity and how artificial intelligence fits into precision farming.
How it affects you
Farmers who want to use precision agriculture tools could benefit if these voluntary standards make equipment easier to use and afford. The standards aren't required—they're optional for the private sector to follow—so their actual impact on your daily life depends on whether farm equipment companies decide to adopt them.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Mar 10, 2025)
Promoting Precision Agriculture Act
This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop voluntary standards for precision agriculture (i.e., 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).
USDA, in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), must develop voluntary, consensus-based, private sector-led interconnectivity standards, guidelines, and best practices for precision agriculture to promote economies of scale and ease the burden of adoption. USDA must (1) coordinate with relevant public and trusted private sector stakeholders and relevant industry organizations, and (2) consult with sector-specific agencies and state and local governments.
Further, in developing the standards, USDA must, in consultation with NIST and the FCC, consider the
• connectivity needs of precision agriculture equipment,
• cybersecurity challenges facing precision agriculture, and
• impact of artificial intelligence on this area.
The Government Accountability Office must periodically assess and report to Congress on the standards.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 1985
A BILL
Promoting Precision Agriculture Act
Sponsor: Rep. Donald G. Davis (D-NC-1) · Introduced Mar 10, 2025 · Agriculture and Food · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 28, 2025: “Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.”