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 Re-
source Conservation Service may be merged with a county Rural Develop-
ment 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 Develop-
ment 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF HEADQUARTERS 
OFFICES OF USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT 
AND THE NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVA-
TION SERVICE PENDING ANY COUNTY OF-
FICE MERGERS. 
(a) REVIEW REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture shall enter into a contract with an independent re-
viewing authority selected by the Secretary to carry out 
an independent review of the efficiency and effectiveness 
of operations at all headquarters offices of USDA Rural 
Development and the Natural Resource Conservation 
Service, including— 
(1) the headquarters offices in Washington, 
DC; and 
(2) all State offices. 
(b) REVIEW REQUIREMENTS.—The review described 
in subsection (a) shall include a review for each office of— 
(1) management practices; 
(2) information technology purchases and 
deliverables; 
(3) software development; 
(4) contractor hiring practices and related cost- 
savings; and 
(5) such other factors as the independent re-
viewing authority considers to be relevant to the effi-
ciency and effectiveness of operations at each office. 
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(c) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the date 
of completion of the independent review, the independent 
reviewing authority shall submit to the Secretary, the 
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representa-
tives, and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry of the Senate a report that contains— 
(1) a description of the results of the study; 
and 
(2) recommendations for improving the effi-
ciency and effectiveness of operations at each office. 
(d) PROHIBITION ON COUNTY OFFICE MERGERS IM-
PLEMENTATION OF REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS.—The 
Secretary may not merge any county Rural Development 
office with a county office of the Natural Resource Con-
servation Service or any county office of the Natural Re-
source Conservation Service with a county Rural Develop-
ment office before the later of the following dates: 
(1) The date on which the Secretary determines 
that each headquarters office referred to in sub-
section (a) has implemented the recommendations 
for that office contained in the report submitted 
under subsection (c). 
(2) October 1, 2008. 
Æ 
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