I 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4313 

To amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to require 

an evaluation of county workload assessments for purposes of the closure 

or relocation of a county office for the Farm Service Agency, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 29, 2012 

Mr. BOSWELL (for himself and Mr. CRAWFORD) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 

to require an evaluation of county workload assessments 

for purposes of the closure or relocation of a county 

office for the Farm Service Agency, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Farm Service Account5 ability Act’’. 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 4313 IH

1 SEC. 2. EVALUATION REQUIRED FOR PURPOSES OF PROHI2 BITION ON CLOSURE OR RELOCATION OF 

3 COUNTY OFFICES FOR THE FARM SERVICE 

4 AGENCY. 

5 (a) PROHIBITION ON CLOSURE OR RELOCATION OF

6 OFFICES WITH HIGH WORKLOAD VOLUME.—Section 

7 14212 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 

8 (7 U.S.C. 6932a) is amended by striking subsection (a) 

9 and inserting the following subsection: 

10 ‘‘(a) PROHIBITION ON CLOSURE OR RELOCATION OF

11 OFFICES WITH HIGH WORKLOAD VOLUME.—The Sec12 retary of Agriculture may not close or relocate a county 

13 or field office of the Farm Service Agency in a State if 

14 the Secretary determines, after conducting the evaluation 

15 required under subsection (b)(1)(B), that the office has 

16 a high workload volume compared with other county of17 fices in the State.’’. 

18 (b) WORKLOAD EVALUATION.—Section 14212(b)(1) 

19 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 6932a(b)(1)) is amended— 

20 (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and 

21 (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively; 

22 (2) by striking ‘‘the Farm Service Agency, to 

23 the maximum extent practicable’’ and inserting ‘‘the 

24 Farm Service Agency— 

25 ‘‘(A) to the maximum extent practicable’’; 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 4313 IH

1 (3) in clause (ii) (as redesignated by paragraph 

2 (1))— 

3 (A) by inserting ‘‘as of the date of the en4 actment of this Act’’ after ‘‘employees’’; and 

5 (B) by striking the period at the end and 

6 inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

7 (4) by adding at the end the following subpara8 graph: 

9 ‘‘(B) conduct an evaluation of all Farm 

10 Service Agency county office workload assess11 ments.’’. 

12 (c) NOTICE REQUIRED.—Section 14212(b)(2) of 

13 such Act (7 U.S.C. 6932a(b)(2)) is amended— 

14 (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 

15 by striking ‘‘After the period referred to in sub16 section (a)(1), the Secretary of Agriculture may not 

17 close a county or field office of the Farm Service 

18 Agency unless—’’ and inserting ‘‘After carrying out 

19 each of the activities required under paragraph (1), 

20 the Secretary of Agriculture shall, before closing a 

21 county or field office of the Farm Service Agency— 

22 ’’; 

23 (2) in subparagaph (A), by striking ‘‘the Sec24 retary holds’’ and inserting ‘‘hold’’; and 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 4313 IH

1 (3) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘the Sec2 retary notifies’’ and inserting ‘‘notify’’; 

3 (d) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

4 14212(b)(1) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 6932a(b)(1)) is amend5 ed by striking ‘‘After the period referred to in subsection 

6 (a)(1), the Secretary’’ and inserting ‘‘The Secretary’’. 

Æ 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS