Satellite-Based Agricultural Data Act

This bill would make “commercial weather services” a priority for research grants at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. In plain terms, it tells USDA to put more funding toward projects that use weather data and tools (like satellite-based information) to help farming and food production. The short title is the Satellite-Based Agricultural Data Act.

What this could mean for everyday people:

• Who is affected: Farmers, ranchers, rural communities, university researchers, and companies that provide weather data and tools.
• What changes: USDA research grants would prioritize work that uses commercial weather information to improve planting decisions, pest and disease warnings, irrigation planning, and harvest timing.
• When: Takes effect once enacted into law; it amends existing USDA research priorities to include commercial weather services.