Satellite-Based Agricultural Data Act

The Satellite-Based Agricultural Data Act would, within the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) administered by the Department of Agriculture, designate commercial weather services as a priority area for AFRI funding. Specifically, it amends the statute governing AFRI grant priorities to authorize the use of data and tools from commercial weather providers as part of mitigation measures in research funded under AFRI. In short, the bill aims to encourage and legitimize the use of private sector weather data and related tools in federally funded agricultural research, including projects that rely on satellite-based data. The bill does not create new funding or authorize new appropriations. Rather, it broadens the scope of AFRI-supported research by explicitly allowing and prioritizing partnerships and data use involving commercial weather services.