Freedom to E-File Act

Summary: Directs the Secretary to: (1) provide for downloading and filing of user-friendly forms and self-help guidance materials; and (2) ensure computer system interoperability.(Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary to expand such system to permit producers to access and file all forms, and at the option of the Secretary, access selected records and information.(Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary to reserve specified funds beginning in FY 2001 for such Internet-based system.(Sec. 5) Directs the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation and the Risk Management Agency to submit by December 1, 2000, and implement by December 1, 2001, a plan to permit agricultural producers to obtain and file all appropriate insurance forms over the Internet.Directs the Secretary to provide for participant confidentiality and information protection.

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.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.