NY S06543

Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets, in consultation with the New York State Broadband Program Office, shall compile a report assessing precision agriculture use and development in the state with recommendations on technical support, rural broadband accessibility, and cost-benefit analysis.

Report must include definitions of precision agriculture and site-specific farming, statistics on farmer usage and crop yields, rural broadband availability data with emphasis on agricultural land, GPS service availability, and environmental impacts.

Report must analyze costs of precision agriculture including start-up expenses and affordability, provide technology support recommendations for remote areas, recommend regulatory reviews to encourage precision agriculture adoption, and address implementation barriers.

Commissioner shall submit the report to the governor, temporary president of the senate, and speaker of the assembly on or before November 1, 2014.

Act takes effect immediately upon enactment.