IB
Union Calendar No. 310
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 852
[Report No. 106–565]
To require the Department of Agriculture to establish an electronic filing
and retrieval system to enable the public to file all required paperwork
electronically with the Department and to have access to public informa-
tion on farm programs, quarterly trade, economic, and production re-
ports, and other similar information.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 25, 1999
Mr. LAHOOD introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Agriculture
APRIL 10, 2000
Additional sponsors: Mr. SHOWS, Mr. ISTOOK, Mr. COOKSEY, Mr. LEWIS of
Kentucky, Mr. HOSTETTLER, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr.
ENGLISH, Mr. WYNN, Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, Mr. EWING, Mr.
BEREUTER, Mr. QUINN, Mr. BROWN of California, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mr.
MOORE, Mr. COBURN, Mr. POMBO, Mr. PHELPS, Mr. SMITH of Wash-
ington, Mr. EVANS, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. THUNE, Mr. HOBSON, Mr.
WELLER, Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr.
ROEMER, Mr. GANSKE, Mr. GARY MILLER of California, Mr. EHLERS,
Mr. PASTOR, Mr. CANADY of Florida, Mr. CRANE, Ms. DANNER, Mr.
INSLEE, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. SAXTON, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr.
DAVIS
of Illinois, Mrs. EMERSON, Mr. KOLBE, Mr. COOK, Mr.
NETHERCUTT, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. LUCAS of Kentucky, Mr. JOHN, Mr.
BARRETT of Nebraska, Mr. MINGE, and Mr. SMITH of Texas
APRIL 10, 2000
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House
on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
A BILL
To require the Department of Agriculture to establish an
electronic filing and retrieval system to enable the public
to file all required paperwork electronically with the De-
partment and to have access to public information on
farm programs, quarterly trade, economic, and produc-
tion reports, and other similar information.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Freedom to E-File
Act’’.
SEC. 2. ELECTRONIC FILING AND RETRIEVAL.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture
shall establish an electronic filing and retrieval system to
enable the public to file all required paperwork electroni-
cally with the Department of Agriculture and to have ac-
cess to public information on farm programs, quarterly
trade, economic, and production reports, and other similar
information.
(b) PROGRESS REPORTS.—Not later than 90 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
report to Congress the progress made toward imple-
menting subsection (a).
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Freedom to E-File Act’’.
SEC. 2. ELECTRONIC FILING AND RETRIEVAL.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERNET-BASED SYSTEM.—
The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish an electronic
filing and retrieval system that uses the telecommunications
medium known as the Internet to enable farmers and other
persons—
(1) to file electronically all paperwork required
by the agencies of the Department of Agriculture spec-
ified in subsection (b); and
(2) to have access electronically to information,
readily available to the public in published form, re-
garding farm programs, quarterly trade, economic,
and production reports, price and supply informa-
tion, and other similar information related to produc-
tion agriculture.
(b) COVERED AGENCIES.—Subsection (a) shall apply
to the following agencies of the Department of Agriculture:
(1) The Farm Service Agency.
(2) The Risk Management Agency.
(3) The Natural Resources Conservation Service.