Fitzgerald's Freedom to E-File bill will streamline the process of complying with USDA regulations, enabling farmers to spend more time on their farms and less time waiting in line at the county office, the Senator said.
Illinois farmers are busy coping with declining exports and low commodity prices.
Freedom to E-File is a common sense reform that will help make their lives a little easier. Currently, when farmers are required to fill out USDA paperwork, they are forced to travel to their local USDA county offices, complete the paper work, wait in long lines, and file these documents in paper form. This process is inefficient and time consuming, especially during busy times like harvest season, Fitzgerald said. The Senator also pointed to a 1999 Farm Journal study estimating that farmers' internet usage has nearly doubled since 1997. With Freedom to E-File, many Illinois farmers will be able to easily file paperwork from their homes and offices.