A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Agricultural Data Privacy Act of 2026 protects the economic value and security of agricultural data for producers. It establishes that agricultural producers own and control the data originating from their farms, land, devices, and equipment. The bill prohibits controllers and processors from selling this data without the express written consent of the agricultural producer. Additionally, it mandates that companies handling this data maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security practices. The Attorney General is granted exclusive authority to enforce these provisions through civil penalties and injunctive relief.
Yes· 3 of 9
- Scored +8
Would farmers be better off under this?
The bill directly safeguards farmers' data autonomy, prevents unauthorized monetization of their farm data, and mandates data security safeguards.
- Scored +7
Does this give people more control over their personal data?
The legislation establishes robust data privacy rights, ownership controls, and security requirements specifically for agricultural data.
- Scored +6
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?
It explicitly recognizes agricultural producers' ownership and control over their generated data and protects it from unauthorized sale or disclosure.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Ownership and Control: Section 4 states that an agricultural producer owns and has control of the agricultural data that originates from their farm, land, device, or equipment. This ensures that farmers retain fundamental rights over their own operational and management information.
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Consent Required for Data Sales: Section 5 prohibits controllers or processors from selling agricultural data without the express written consent of the agricultural producer, obtained through a clear and conspicuous disclosure separate from primary terms of service. This protects producers from having their business information monetized by third parties without clear agreement.
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Data Security Safeguards: Section 7 requires any controller or processor in possession of agricultural data to establish, implement, and maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and physical data security practices. This protects confidential agricultural information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, modification, or loss.
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Contract Protections: Section 6 mandates that contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2027, must explicitly state that selling the data is prohibited without the agricultural producer's express written consent. It also declares any contract provisions that waive or limit the requirements of the Act to be void and unenforceable, protecting producers from unfair contract terms.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Lack of Private Lawsuits: Section 8 explicitly states that nothing in the Act creates any new private cause of action and that the enforcement authority granted to the Attorney General is the exclusive remedy for violations. This means individual agricultural producers cannot directly sue companies in court if their data rights are violated, relying entirely on government enforcement instead.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would farmers be better off under this? — The bill directly safeguards farmers' data autonomy, prevents unauthorized monetization of their farm data, and mandates data security safeguards. Would business owners be better off under this? — Agricultural business owners benefit directly from retaining ownership and control over their operational and financial data.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — It explicitly recognizes agricultural producers' ownership and control over their generated data and protects it from unauthorized sale or disclosure. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill grants federal enforcement authority to the Attorney General and establishes a national standard for agricultural data privacy. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — It mandates clear and conspicuous disclosures separate from primary terms of service when obtaining consent for data sales.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill protects agricultural producers and small farming businesses by establishing ownership rights over their data and preventing unauthorized sales. Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — It strengthens protections against unfair data practices by requiring express written consent before agricultural data can be sold.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The legislation establishes robust data privacy rights, ownership controls, and security requirements specifically for agricultural data.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — By safeguarding the economic value of agricultural data and empowering producers, the bill supports rural agricultural communities.
- 9/23/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Introduced in Senate