{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=9BF24858-F58A-439A-BEF2-7425B86FE09D", "Fischer Leads Bill to Address \u201cLast Acre\u201d Connectivity, Expand Broadband Access Across Farmland and Ranchland", "2023-07-27", "2023", "2023-07", "Republican", "Senate", "NE", "Deb Fischer", "F000463", "www.fischer.senate.gov", "fischer", "https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Agriculture and Commerce Committees, this week introduced the Linking Access to Spur Technology for Agriculture Connectivity in Rural Environments (LAST ACRE) Act. This legislation would create a new Last Acre Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s (USDA) Office of Rural Development aiming to expand network connectivity across farmland and ranchland. U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-N.M.) co-led the introduction of the legislation.\n\nExisting Rural Development programs support \u201clast mile\u201d broadband deployment, which connects broadband networks to rural households or businesses. USDA lacks a program focused on extending connectivity across rural acreage, reaching the \u201clast acre.\u201d This last acre connectivity is critical for farmers and ranchers looking to use precision agriculture technologies in their operations.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s time for us to connect the last mile to the last acre. Producers looking to adopt precision agriculture technologies need network connectivity that extends far past their residences. They need to be able to make real-time decisions that increase yields and employ resources more efficiently. Our LAST ACRE Act will ensure that USDA has the strategy and resources needed to support last acre connectivity,\u201dsaid Senator Fischer.\n\n\u201cSmall farms in remote zip codes should not preclude folks from access to high-speed internet. With nearly one-fourth of zip codes in New Mexico classified as \u2018remote,' the LAST ACRE Act will help farms and ranches in remote areas connect to broadband to provide precision agriculture and next generation farming technology. That\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to join Senator Fischer in this effort to close the digital divide in all communities, regardless of zip code,\u201dsaid Senator Luj\u00e1n.\n\nNational Stakeholder Support:\n\n\u201cEquipment manufacturers are proud to provide American farmers and ranchers with innovative tools that will keep our agriculture sector competitive for generations to come. Farmers and ranchers cannot take advantage of the benefits of technology such as precision agriculture without reliable and affordable connectivity. We applaud Senators Fischer and Lujan for championing legislation that ensures all aspects of rural America are connected, from the hospital to the school and from the farmhouse to the field,\u201dsaid Kip Eideberg, Senior Vice President of Government and Industry Relations at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.\n\n\u201cThis bill will play a critical role in securing America\u2019s rural communities and ensuring America\u2018s continued leadership in agriculture. Thank you to Senator Fischer and Senator Luj\u00e1n for their dedication and deliberate action for America\u2019s farmers, ranchers, and the communities they support,\u201d said Julie Bushell, CEO of Ethos Connected, LLC.\n\n\u201cWe thank Senators Fischer and Lujan for their leadership in ensuring America\u2019s dairy farmers have meaningful access to high-speed broadband and wireless network technology. The LAST ACRE Act harnesses USDA\u2019s efforts to expand high-speed broadband in rural communities and the recommendations developed by the Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force to provide farmers and ranchers with the connectivity and infrastructure that will help their hard work and innovation continue to drive agricultural production and advancement,\u201dsaid Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation.\n\n\u201cCompetitive Carriers Association commends Senators Fischer and Luj\u00e1n on the bipartisan introduction of the \u2018Last Acre Connection Act of 2023.\u2019 This bill recognizes the critical role wireless connectivity plays in rural America and provides opportunities to expand and augment those networks. The precision agriculture applications increasingly relied on in rural farmland, ranches, forests, and other areas require enhanced mobile and wireless connectivity. The Last Acre Connection Act of 2023 can help federal USDA support programs provide the ubiquitous wireless connectivity our country\u2019s agriculture community\u2019s diverse needs demand. I thank Senators Fischer and Luj\u00e1n for their unwavering commitment to fully connecting rural communities,\u201d said Tim Donovan, President and CEO of the Competitive Carriers Association.\n\nThe full list of bill endorsements includes: The American Farm Bureau, Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Competitive Carriers Association, Ethos Connected, Farmers Union, John Deere, NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Cattlemen\u2019s Beef Association, National Milk Producers Federation, and the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe LAST ACRE Act would establish the Last Acre Program at USDA to expand high-speed broadband internet access. This access would support ubiquitous last acre coverage across eligible agricultural land, including farmland, ranchland, and farm sites.\n\nThe bill would also direct USDA to update the Census of Agriculture to include questions that would discover insights into producers\u2019 adoption of broadband internet access services. These updates would provide USDA with additional information about service speed and broadband usage purposes, including its use for precision agriculture technologies.\n\nClick here to read a one-pager summarizing the LAST ACRE Act.\n\nClick here to read the full text of the bill.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:25:20Z"]], "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.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=9BF24858-F58A-439A-BEF2-7425B86FE09D"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7308618407696486, "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"}