House Passes Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act

The House passed the Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act (HR-1339) Wednesday on a 409-11 vote. HR-1339 would require the FCC to review and potentially institute changes to satellite rules to promote precision agriculture. The chamber also passed (see 2304260056) the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences Codification Act (HR-1343) and Advanced, Local Emergency Response Telecommunications Parity Act (HR-1353) earlier in the week. House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Bob Latta, R-Ohio, hailed passage of all three bills, which their panel advanced in March (see 2303240065). "Americans need access to reliable, high-speed internet services, whether on the farm, in their home, or in emergency situations," Rodgers and Latta said. "It is essential that America continues to lead in developing these technologies to close the digital divide.”