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The U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation authored by Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green), H.R. 6032, the State of Modern Application, Research, and Trends (SMART) of IoT Act, by voice vote last evening. The SMART IoT Act would direct the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a study on the state of the internet-connected device industry. According to one study, Internet of Things (IoT) applications are estimated to have a $11.1 trillion global economic impact by the year 2025.

Latta and Congressman Peter Welch (D-VT) launched an IoT Working Group in the 114^th Congress to discuss policy implications of the Internet of Things and challenges and opportunities that exist to the implementation and security of this technology.

“The Internet of Things is already changing the way we live, the way we farm, the way we manufacture goods, the way we receive health care, and the way we get around,” said Latta. “With a potential impact in the trillions of dollars, we need to look at the policies, opportunities, and challenges that IoT presents. The SMART IoT Act is the result of bipartisan work with my colleague, Congressman Peter Welch, to help find who is doing what at the Federal level when it comes to IoT, and it’s a critical step to future IoT policy efforts.”

Video of Latta’s floor speech on the legislation is available here.

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