{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.budd.senate.gov/2026/05/21/budd-leads-group-of-bipartisan-senators-in-introducing-farm-ai-act/", "Budd Leads Group of Bipartisan Senators in Introducing FARM AI Act to Expand Access to Technology for American Farmers", "2026-05-21", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "Senate", "NC", "Ted Budd", "B001305", "www.budd.senate.gov", "budd", "https://www.budd.senate.gov/category/news/press-releases/page/", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) led a bipartisan group of his Senate colleagues, including U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), in introducing the Fostering Agricultural Research and Modernization through Artificial Intelligence (FARM AI) Act today. The bill would increase capital for AI projects through U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grants and ensure USDA programs are deployed to educate farmers on the latest AI technologies to advance American production. By investing in agricultural workforce development, this bipartisan legislation will expand access to AI in farming, enabling America\u2019s producers to compete more effectively in the global marketplace.\n\n\u201cAI technologies are advancing at a rapid pace, and if we fail to address the barriers of access to AI deployment in agriculture, America\u2019s producers will fall behind. Precision technologies have the potential to enhance innovation and productivity in farming and ranching, but outdated USDA programs are holding this potential back from reaching our rural communities. I am proud to be leading the bipartisan FARM AI Act to unlock the untapped potential of AI technology to advance American agriculture,\u201d said Senator Budd.\n\n\u201cWe must ensure that America\u2019s farmers and ranchers are not left behind in utilizing AI innovations and cutting edge technologies to keep our food systems and rural economies strong. I\u2019m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the FARM AI Act, because American agriculture must have access to AI advances to stay competitive in our increasingly global economy,\u201d said Senator Schiff.\n\n\u201cNevada\u2019s farmers and ranchers work hard every day to help American families put food on the table. New artificial intelligence technology could help the agriculture industry cut costs, boost productivity, and expand U.S. competitiveness. That\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to support bipartisan legislation to responsibly invest in this technology to help farmers and ranchers across the country,\u201d said Senator Cortez Masto.\n\n\u201cArtificial intelligence has real potential to transform agriculture operations, particularly with regard to precision technologies and data management. Our legislation would support the use of AI in agriculture by giving the U.S. Department of Agriculture more authority to prioritize AI in their research and extension programs,\u201d said Senator Rounds.\n\n\u201cEmerging technologies, like Artificial Intelligence, offer an opportunity to advance innovation across all industries, but not without access to proper resources and training. The FARM AI Act will increase investments in the agricultural industry\u2019s use of AI and ensure rural communities are empowered to successfully harness its promise,\u201d said Senator Blunt Rochester.\n\nThe FARM AI Act is supported by North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Life Sciences Organization (NCLifeSci).\n\n\u201cThe FARM AI Act provides a crucial framework to accelerate innovation and workforce development across the agricultural sector. By increasing capital for artificial intelligence (AI) projects through USDA grants and ensuring that USDA programs are precisely tailored to include AI development, this legislation will directly empower researchers to develop and deploy cutting-edge solutions. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at North Carolina State University deeply appreciates Sen. Budd\u2019s leadership in recognizing the transformative potential of AI in agriculture and his commitment to empowering land-grant universities to lead this vital frontier,\u201d said Garey Fox, Ph.D., P.E., Dean, North Carolina State University\u2019s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.\n\n\u201cNCLifeSci applauds Senator Budd\u2019s introduction of the FARM AI Act. North Carolina leads the nation in both agriculture and agricultural technology, making this legislation especially relevant to our state. The bill addresses two critical gaps facing farmers: a lack of capital to adopt AI tools and a shortage of trained workers in rural communities to implement them. By directing USDA resources toward AI research, workforce development and Extension outreach, the act strengthens the U.S. food supply chain and positions American farmers to compete internationally,\u201d said Laura Gunter, President, NCLifeSci.\n\nRead the full bill text HERE.\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nFarm AI Act:\n\nAdds AI Development as a Priority Research Area Under the USDA\u2019s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI): Modifying the AFRI will enable more research into AI and workforce development to develop and deploy AI technologies on farms.\n\nEmphasizes AI as an Explicit Focus for Research Under USDA\u2019s Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AgARDA): Amending the focus of the AgARDA will further expand AI research for more complex projects.\n\nEnsures Extension Teaches Farmers How to Harness the Benefits of AI: Ensuring USDA Extension provides outreach and education to farmers on the adoption and responsible use of AI systems will rapidly increase the productivity and security of rural communities.\n\nExpands Agricultural Workforce Training to Include AI and Precision Agriculture: Expanding USDA grants and fellowships for food and agricultural sciences education to fund workforce development and technical training programs in rural communities on artificial intelligence and precision agriculture will equip the next generation of agricultural workers with the skills needed to adopt and utilize modern farming technologies.\n\nNominate a Senior USDA Official to Serve as the AI in Ag Advisor: Nominating a senior official under USDA\u2019s AFRI will ensure grants and outreach programs are tailored to include AI development and implementation, along with ensuring USDA collaborates with the Department of Commerce\u2019s National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish national AI standards for the agriculture sector.\n\n###", 1, "2026-05-22T06:27:39Z", "2026-05-22T06:29:18Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.budd.senate.gov/2026/05/21/budd-leads-group-of-bipartisan-senators-in-introducing-farm-ai-act/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9357258677482605, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}