Home > 106th Congressional Bills > S. 777 (enr) To require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish an electronic [Enrolled bill] ...S. 777 (enr) To require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish an electronic [Enrolled bill] ...
In the Senate of the United States,
May 18, 2000.
Resolved, That the Senate agree to the amendments of the House of
Representatives to the bill (S. 777, entitled ``An Act to require the
Department of Agriculture to establish an electronic filing and
retrieval system to enable the public to file all required paperwork
electronically with the Department and to have access to public
information on farm programs, quarterly trade, economic, and production
reports, and other similar information.'' with the following
SENATE AMENDMENT TO HOUSE AMENDMENTS:
In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted by the House
amendment to the text of the bill, insert:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Freedom to E-File Act''.
SEC. 2. ELECTRONIC FILING AND RETRIEVAL.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, in accordance with subsection (c), the Secretary
of Agriculture (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall, to
the maximum extent practicable, establish an Internet-based system that
enables agricultural producers to access all forms of the agencies of
the Department of Agriculture (referred to in this Act as the
``Department'') specified in subsection (b).
(b) Applicability.--The agencies referred to in subsection (a) are
the following:
(1) The Farm Service Agency.
(2) The Natural Resources Conservation Service.
(3) The rural development components of the Department
included in the Secretary's service center initiative regarding
State and field office collocation implemented pursuant to
section 215 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act
of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6915).
(4) The agricultural producer programs component of the
Commodity Credit Corporation administered by the Farm Service
Agency and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
(c) Implementation.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary
shall--
(1) provide a method by which agricultural producers may--
(A) download from the Internet the forms of the
agencies specified in subsection (b); and
(B) submit completed forms via electronic
facsimile, mail, or similar means;
(2) redesign the forms by incorporating into the forms
user-friendly formats and self-help guidance materials; and
(3) ensure that the agencies specified in subsection (b)--
(A) use computer hardware and software that is
compatible among the agencies and will operate in a
common computing environment; and
(B) develop common Internet user-interface
locations and applications to consolidate the agencies'
news, information, and program materials.
(d) Progress Reports.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report
that describes the progress made toward implementing the Internet-based
system required under this section.
SEC. 3. ACCESSING INFORMATION AND FILING OVER THE INTERNET.
(a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, in accordance with subsection (b), the Secretary shall
expand implementation of the Internet-based system established under
section 2 by enabling agricultural producers to access and file all
forms and, at the option of the Secretary, selected records and
information of the agencies of the Department specified in section
2(b).
(b) Implementation.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary
shall ensure that an agricultural producer is able--
(1) to file electronically or in paper form, at the option
of the agricultural producer, all forms required by agencies of
the Department specified in section 2(b);
(2) to file electronically or in paper form, at the option
of the agricultural producer, all documentation required by
agencies of the Department specified in section 2(b) and
determined appropriate by the Secretary; and
(3) to access information of the Department concerning farm
programs, quarterly trade, economic, and production reports,
and other similar production agriculture information that is
readily available to the public in paper form.
SEC. 4. AVAILABILITY OF AGENCY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUNDS.
(a) Reservation of Funds.--From funds made available for agencies
of the Department specified in section 2(b) for information technology
or information resource management, the Secretary shall reserve from
those agencies' applicable accounts a total amount equal to not more
than the following:
(1) For fiscal year 2001, $3,000,000.
(2) For each subsequent fiscal year, $2,000,000.
(b) Time for Reservation.--The Secretary shall notify Congress of
the amount to be reserved under subsection (a) for a fiscal year not
later than December 1 of that fiscal year.
(c) Use of Funds.--
(1) Establishment.--Funds reserved under subsection (a)
shall be used to establish the Internet-based system required
under section 2 and to expand the system as required by section
3.
(2) Maintenance.--Once the system is established and
operational, reserved amounts shall be used for maintenance and
improvement of the system.
(d) Return of Funds.--Funds reserved under subsection (a) and
unobligated at the end of the fiscal year shall be returned to the
agency from which the funds were reserved, to remain available until
expended.
SEC. 5. FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE CORPORATION AND RISK MANAGEMENT AGENCY.
(a) In General.--Not later than December 1, 2000, the Federal Crop
Insurance Corporation and the Risk Management Agency shall submit to
the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a plan,
that is consistent with this Act, to allow agricultural producers to--
(1) obtain, over the Internet, from approved insurance
providers all forms and other information concerning the
program under the jurisdiction of the Corporation and Agency in
which the agricultural producer is a participant; and
(2) file electronically all paperwork required for
participation in the program.
(b) Administration.--The plan shall--
(1) conform to sections 2(c) and 3(b); and
(2) prescribe--
(A) the location and type of data to be made
available to agricultural producers;
(B) the location where agricultural producers can
electronically file their paperwork; and
(C) the responsibilities of the applicable parties,
including agricultural producers, the Risk Management
Agency, the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation,
approved insurance providers, crop insurance agents,
and brokers.
(c) Implementation.--Not later than December 1, 2001, the Federal
Crop Insurance Corporation and the Risk Management Agency shall
complete implementation of the plan submitted under subsection (a).
SEC. 6. CONFIDENTIALITY.
In carrying out this Act, the Secretary--
(1) may not make available any information over the
Internet that would otherwise not be available for release
under section 552 or 552a of title 5, United States Code; and
(2) shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that
the confidentiality of persons is maintained.
Attest:
Secretary.
106th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 777
_______________________________________________________________________
SENATE AMENDMENT TO HOUSE AMENDMENTS
Pages: 1 Other Popular 106th Congressional Bills Documents:
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