I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2427 

To require that an independent review of the efficiency and effectiveness 

of all headquarters offices of USDA Rural Development and the Natural 

Resource Conservation Service be carried out before any county Rural 

Development office may be merged with a county office of the Natural 

Resource Conservation Service or any county office of the Natural Resource Conservation Service may be merged with a county Rural Development office. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 22, 2007 

Mr. BARROW introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To require that an independent review of the efficiency and 

effectiveness of all headquarters offices of USDA Rural 

Development and the Natural Resource Conservation 

Service be carried out before any county Rural Development office may be merged with a county office of the 

Natural Resource Conservation Service or any county 

office of the Natural Resource Conservation Service may 

be merged with a county Rural Development office. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF HEADQUARTERS 

2 OFFICES OF USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT 

3 AND THE NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVA4 TION SERVICE PENDING ANY COUNTY OF5 FICE MERGERS. 

6 (a) REVIEW REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Agri7 culture shall enter into a contract with an independent re8 viewing authority selected by the Secretary to carry out 

9 an independent review of the efficiency and effectiveness 

10 of operations at all headquarters offices of USDA Rural 

11 Development and the Natural Resource Conservation 

12 Service, including— 

13 (1) the headquarters offices in Washington, 

14 DC; and 

15 (2) all State offices. 

16 (b) REVIEW REQUIREMENTS.—The review described 

17 in subsection (a) shall include a review for each office of— 

18 (1) management practices; 

19 (2) information technology purchases and 

20 deliverables; 

21 (3) software development; 

22 (4) contractor hiring practices and related cost23 savings; and 

24 (5) such other factors as the independent re25 viewing authority considers to be relevant to the effi26 ciency and effectiveness of operations at each office. 


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1 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the date 

2 of completion of the independent review, the independent 

3 reviewing authority shall submit to the Secretary, the 

4 Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representa5 tives, and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 

6 Forestry of the Senate a report that contains— 

7 (1) a description of the results of the study; 

8 and 

9 (2) recommendations for improving the effi10 ciency and effectiveness of operations at each office. 

11 (d) PROHIBITION ON COUNTY OFFICE MERGERS IM12 PLEMENTATION OF REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS.—The 

13 Secretary may not merge any county Rural Development 

14 office with a county office of the Natural Resource Con15 servation Service or any county office of the Natural Re16 source Conservation Service with a county Rural Develop17 ment office before the later of the following dates: 

18 (1) The date on which the Secretary determines 

19 that each headquarters office referred to in sub20 section (a) has implemented the recommendations 

21 for that office contained in the report submitted 

22 under subsection (c). 

23 (2) October 1, 2008. 

Æ 


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