PRIA Logo™
119-s-5459119th CongressWALLET

Agricultural Data Privacy Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Senator Ricketts, Pete [R-NE]

Introduced

Summary

Producer ownership and control of agricultural data is the bill's core aim. It would declare farmers the owners of data tied to their land, livestock, equipment, or management and block companies from selling that data without clear written consent.

Show full summary
  • Agricultural producers would own and control data from their farm, devices, and operations. They would have to give express written consent before any sale of that data.
  • Companies that collect or process agricultural data would get only a nonexclusive right to use it for providing services and maintenance. They would have to follow reasonable security practices and include a contract clause forbidding sales in agreements dated on or after January 1, 2027.
  • The Attorney General could sue for violations and seek injunctive relief or a civil penalty of $1,000 per separate violation and a 45 day notice-and-cure period for many alleged breaches. Civil penalties would be deposited into the Treasury general fund and the law would not create a private right of action.

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.

Farmers keep control of farm data

If enacted, farm producers would own and control data from their farm, land, devices, or equipment. "Control" would mean they get the benefits, can stop others from taking those benefits, and can transfer those powers. Companies could only use farm data to provide services, maintain equipment, or process data the producer authorizes, and they would not be allowed to sell that data without the producer's express written consent. Contracts and agreements made on or after January 1, 2027 would have to state the ban on sale and get clear, separate written consent for any sale. Aggregated data, derived data, and data already made public by a Federal agency would not count as covered agricultural data. Companies holding farm data would also have to use reasonable security practices to protect it.

Attorney General enforcement and fines

If enacted, the Attorney General would be able to sue controllers or processors that break this law. The government could get injunctive relief and a civil penalty of $1,000 for each separate violation. Money recovered would go to the Treasury general fund. Before seeking penalties for contract disclosure or security practice violations, the Attorney General would have to give written notice and 45 days to cure the problem; that 45-day rule would not apply to selling data. The bill would not create a private right for individuals to sue under this Act.

Who runs the law and contracts

If enacted, the Secretary of Agriculture would administer the Act, but the Attorney General would handle enforcement under the law. The bill would not override other federal laws or remove duties imposed by other laws. Private contracts made before the bill takes effect would remain in force and would not be changed by this Act.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Ricketts, Pete [R-NE]

NE • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation