Data BRIDGE Act
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to add a new layer to its National Broadband Map that shows where agricultural areas are located. The FCC must complete this update within 180 days and maintain it going forward. In building this layer, the FCC must consult with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, state representatives, and other stakeholders.
Who Benefits and How
Farmers and rural agricultural communities benefit because the map overlay will make it easier to identify where farming regions lack adequate broadband internet service. Broadband providers and state planning agencies can use the data to better target infrastructure investments toward agricultural areas. Federal agencies can use the map to make more informed decisions about broadband funding and deployment priorities.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The FCC bears the primary implementation burden: it must update the National Broadband Map within 180 days and maintain the new layer over time. The USDA must share its existing agricultural location data and participate in the consultation process.
Key Provisions
- Adds an agricultural areas data layer to the FCC National Broadband Map
- Sets a 180-day deadline for the FCC to implement the update
- Requires consultation with USDA, Commerce Department, state representatives, and stakeholders
- Relies on existing USDA data about agricultural area locations
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Directs the Federal Communications Commission to add an agricultural areas data layer to the National Broadband Map within 180 days, in consultation with the USDA and other stakeholders, to help identify broadband coverage gaps in farming regions.
Key Policy Areas
Telecommunications, Agriculture, Government Operations
Primary Purpose
Directs the Federal Communications Commission to add an agricultural areas data layer to the National Broadband Map within 180 days, in consultation with the USDA and other stakeholders, to help identify broadband coverage gaps in farming regions.
Policy Domains
Agricultural Areas Layer on National Broadband Map
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Rural farmers and agricultural communities lacking broadband
- Broadband providers targeting underserved agricultural areas
- State and federal broadband planning agencies
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- FCC (must update and maintain map within 180 days)
- USDA (must consult and share agricultural location data)
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMrs. Houchin (for herself, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Thompson …
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Impact analysis is available but no clear stakeholder effects identified. View clause-level analysis →
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Agriculture
- "the_commission"
- → Federal Communications Commission
- "the_assistant_secretary"
- → Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The Federal Communications Commission.
Each of the several States and the District of Columbia.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology