I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4157 

To protect the information of livestock producers, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 6, 2014 

Mr. CRAWFORD (for himself, Mr. COSTA, Mr. TERRY, and Mr. MCINTYRE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Agriculture, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 

each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To protect the information of livestock producers, 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 ‘‘Farmer Identity Pro5 tection Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that— 


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1 (1) United States livestock producers supply a 

2 vital link in the food supply of the United States, 

3 which is listed as a critical infrastructure by the 

4 Secretary of Homeland Security; 

5 (2) domestic terrorist attacks have occurred at 

6 livestock operations across the United States, endan7 gering the lives and property of people of the United 

8 States; 

9 (3) livestock operations in the United States are 

10 largely family owned and operated with most fami11 lies living at the same location as the livestock oper12 ation; 

13 (4) State governments and agencies are the pri14 mary authority in almost all States for the protec15 tion of water quality under the Federal Water Pollu16 tion Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.); 

17 (5) State agencies maintain records on livestock 

18 operations and have the authority to address water 

19 quality issues where needed; and 

20 (6) there is no discernible environmental or sci21 entifically research-related need to create a database 

22 or other system of records of livestock operations in 

23 the United States by the Administrator. 

24 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

25 In this Act: 


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1 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis2 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ3 mental Protection Agency. 

4 (2) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Agency’’ means the 

5 Environmental Protection Agency. 

6 (3) LIVESTOCK OPERATION.—The term ‘‘live7 stock operation’’ includes any operation involved in 

8 the raising or finishing of livestock and poultry. 

9 SEC. 4. PROCUREMENT AND DISCLOSURE OF INFORMA10 TION. 

11 (a) PROHIBITION.—Except as provided in subsection 

12 (b), the Administrator, any officer or employee of the 

13 Agency, or any contractor or cooperator of the Agency, 

14 shall not disclose the information of any owner, operator, 

15 or employee of a livestock operation provided to the Agen16 cy by a livestock producer or a State agency in accordance 

17 with the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 

18 1251 et seq.) or any other law, including— 

19 (1) names; 

20 (2) telephone numbers; 

21 (3) email addresses; 

22 (4) physical addresses; 

23 (5) Global Positioning System coordinates; or 


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1 (6) other identifying information regarding the 

2 location of the owner, operator, livestock, or em3 ployee. 

4 (b) EFFECT.—Nothing in this Act affects— 

5 (1) the disclosure of information described in 

6 subsection (a) if— 

7 (A) the information has been transformed 

8 into a statistical or aggregate form at the coun9 ty level or higher without any information that 

10 identifies the agricultural operation or agricul11 tural producer; or 

12 (B) the livestock producer consents to the 

13 disclosure; 

14 (2) the authority of any State agency to collect 

15 information on livestock operations; 

16 (3) the authority of the Agency to disclose the 

17 information on livestock operations to State or other 

18 Federal governmental agencies; or 

19 (4) the authority of the Agency to maintain the 

20 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 

21 permit program’s public notice and comment proc22 ess. 

23 (c) CONDITION OF PERMIT OR OTHER PROGRAMS.— 

24 The approval of any permit, practice, or program adminis25 tered by the Administrator shall not be conditioned on the 


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1 consent of the livestock producer under subsection 

2 (b)(1)(B). 

Æ 


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