Budd introduces bipartisan FARM AI bill supported by NC State
Budd introduces bipartisan FARM AI bill supported by NC State
https://www.carolinajournal.com/budd-introduces-bipartisan-farm-ai-bill-supported-by-nc-state/
Publish Date: 2026-05-22 15:41:00
Source Domain: www.carolinajournal.com
On March 21, Republican US Sen. Ted Budd led a bipartisan group of lawmakers in introducing the “Fostering Agricultural Research and Modernization through Artificial Intelligence (FARM AI) Act.” The bill is also sponsored by US Sens. Adam Schiff, D-CA; Jim Banks, R-IN; Catherine Cortez Masto, D-NV; Mike Rounds, R-SD; and Lisa Blount Rochester, D-DE.
“AI technologies are advancing at a rapid pace, and if we fail to address the barriers of access to AI deployment in agriculture, America’s producers will fall behind,” said Budd in a press release. “Precision technologies have the potential to enhance innovation and productivity in farming and ranching, but outdated USDA programs are holding this potential back from reaching our rural communities.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.”
The legislation would increase funding for AI projects through the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) grants, ensuring that programs educate farmers on the latest AI technology to advance American production. The legislation will invest in developing the agricultural workforce development, expanding access to AI in farming, and enabling producers to be more effective in the global marketplace.
“It’s good to see the emphasis on directing resources toward improving productivity,” Brian Balfour, VP of Research at the John Locke Foundation, told the Carolina Journal. “Perhaps even better than government-directed research, however, may be for the government to peel back regulations that slow or hamper farmers’ ability to adopt new technologies. At the state level, legislators could adopt a ‘regulatory sandbox’ for agriculture, in which new technologies would be exempt from state regulations while farmers experiment in finding ways to improve their productivity and quality.”
This bill is also supported by North Carolina State University and…
