The Precision Agriculture Cybersecurity Act directs federal agencies to assess cybersecurity risks facing modern farming technologies, such as sensors and data management systems. Specifically, it requires the Secretaries of Agriculture and Homeland Security to produce a public report within a year that evaluates current cyber threats, identifies planning gaps, and reviews existing funding and staff resources. The bill also mandates a study by the Government Accountability Office to examine how well different federal departments are coordinating their cybersecurity efforts in this sector. These reports will be shared with relevant congressional committees to inform future policy decisions regarding the protection of agricultural technology.
This bill expands the scope of federal programs supporting rural areas to include cybersecurity support, digital literacy, workforce development, and job training alongside existing telemedicine and distance learning services. It amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to update the section heading and modify multiple subsections to explicitly incorporate these new categories of assistance. The changes apply to programs that provide technical support and educational resources to rural communities, with an effective date set for six months after the bill is enacted.
This bill establishes a Senior Advisor for National Security within the USDA to coordinate national security efforts related to food and agriculture. It requires the USDA Secretary to submit biennial reports to Congress and the National Security Council identifying vulnerabilities such as foreign control of agricultural data, supply chain disruptions, cybersecurity risks, and dependence on foreign-sourced inputs. The bill mandates improved interagency coordination, including sharing personnel with defense and intelligence agencies, and requires the USDA to assess gaps in security efforts and propose solutions. The primary direct effect is on the USDA's internal operations and reporting structure, not on agricultural policies or farmers.
This bill establishes a federal program to improve cybersecurity for rural water and wastewater systems. It directly affects rural water associations by providing technical assistance through "circuit riders" who assess security risks, develop protection protocols, and document cyber readiness. Key mechanisms include rapid threat assessments, developing security plans, and requiring annual reports on program activities. The program is funded at $10 million annually for fiscal years 2025-2029, with circuit riders needing specific cybersecurity certifications. This is a concrete policy change focused on strengthening infrastructure protection for rural communities.
The Promoting Precision Agriculture Act directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop voluntary, private-sector-led standards for precision agriculture equipment within two years. These standards will focus on improving connectivity between farm technologies (like GPS systems, sensors, and data software), addressing cybersecurity concerns, and supporting the use of advanced networks and AI in farming. The bill requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess these standards every two years for eight years, checking if they were developed with industry input and effectively encourage adoption. The primary beneficiaries are U.S. farmers and agricultural technology companies, aiming to make farming more efficient by reducing waste of resources like water, fertilizer, and fuel.
The LAST ACRE Act of 2025 establishes the "Last Acre Program" to expand high-speed broadband access to agricultural land that lacks sufficient connectivity. The program provides grants and loans to broadband providers to build networks meeting minimum speed requirements (100 Mbps downstream, 20 Mbps upstream) on unserved or underserved cropland, pastureland, and farm sites used for active agricultural production. It prioritizes assistance for limited resource farmers (those with lower income and farm sales) and requires providers to meet cybersecurity standards and submit detailed bid applications. The bill also mandates data collection about agricultural broadband usage and requires annual reporting to Congress on program implementation.
This bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to develop voluntary, industry-led technical standards for precision agriculture equipment within two years, coordinating with NIST and the FCC. It requires these standards to address connectivity needs, cybersecurity, and compatibility across devices like GPS systems, soil sensors, and data management tools used by farmers. The bill also mandates a GAO assessment every two years for eight years to evaluate whether the standards are truly voluntary, developed with industry input, and successfully encourage wider adoption of precision agriculture. The policy affects farmers, ag-tech companies, and equipment manufacturers by creating common technical rules to reduce adoption barriers, without imposing new regulations or costs.
This bill establishes five regional cybersecurity centers for the agriculture sector through competitive grants awarded to eligible land-grant universities. These centers will conduct research, develop security tools (like intrusion detection systems), and run training exercises specifically targeting cyber threats from countries including China, Russia, and Iran. The centers must focus on protecting seed agriculture, horticulture, animal agriculture, and supply chains from cyberattacks. The bill authorizes $25 million annually from 2026 to 2030 to fund these centers and their activities.
Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act of 2025 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to (1) assess cybersecurity threats in the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector, and (2) conduct annual crisis simulation exercises for food-related emergencies or disruptions. The agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector includes (1) any activity relating to the production, processing, distribution, storage, transportation, consumption, or disposal of agricultural or food products; and (2) any entity involved in any of these activities. Specifically, USDA, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, must conduct a risk assessment every two years on the cybersecurity threats to, and security vulnerabilities in, this sector. The risk assessment must include any recommendations for federal legislative or administrative actions to address related threats and vulnerabilities. USDA must also conduct an annual simulation exercise relating to a food-related emergency or disruption in coordination with DHS, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Among other things, the exercise must (1) involve a realistic and plausible scenario that simulates a food-related emergency or disruption that affects multiple sectors and jurisdictions, and (2) incorporate input from experts and stakeholders from various disciplines and sectors (e.g., agriculture, public health, emergency management, transportation, and energy). USDA, in consultation with DHS, HHS, and ODNI, must submit a report to Congress on each simulation exercise, including recommendations to enhance the cybersecurity and resilience of the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector.
