[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3665 Reported in House (RH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3665

                      [Report No. 104-653, Part I]

 To transfer to the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to conduct 
                       the census of agriculture.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 18, 1996

 Mr. Roberts (for himself, Mr. de la Garza, Mr. Emerson, Mr. Rose, Mr. 
 Combest, Mr. Stenholm, Mr. Boehner, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. 
Baker of Louisiana, Mr. Hilliard, Mr. Calvert, Mr. Pomeroy, Mr. Cooley 
    of Oregon, Mr. Bishop, Mr. LaHood, Mr. Baldacci, and Mr. Wise) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 Government Reform and Oversight, and in addition to the Committee on 
Agriculture, 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

                             June 27, 1996

       Additional sponsors: Mr. Minge and Mr. Farr of California
       Reported from the Committee on Agriculture with amendments
  [Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To transfer to the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to conduct 
                       the census of agriculture.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Census of Agriculture Act of 1996''.

SEC. 2. TRANSFER TO THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE OF THE AUTHORITY TO 
              CONDUCT THE CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE.

    (a) In General.--Section 526 of the Revised Statutes (7 U.S.C. 
2204) is amended by adding at the end the following:
<DELETED>    ``(c) Census of Agriculture.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall, in 1998 
        and in every 5th year beginning after 1998, take a census of 
        agriculture. In connection with each such census, the Secretary 
        may conduct any survey or other data collection, and employ any 
        sampling or other statistical method, that the Secretary 
        determines is necessary and appropriate.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) Data.--The data collected in each census 
        taken under this subsection shall relate to the year 
        immediately preceding the year in which the census is 
        taken.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(3) Refusal or neglect to answer questions; 
        false answers.--Any person who refuses or neglects to answer 
        questions submitted to such person in connection with a census 
        or survey under this subsection, or who answers any such 
        questions falsely, shall be subject to section 221 of title 13, 
        United States Code, to the same extent and in the same manner 
        as if--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) section 142 of title 13, United 
                States Code, had remained in effect; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) the census or survey were a census 
                or survey under such section 142, rather than under 
                this subsection.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(4) Geographic scope.--Each census under this 
        subsection shall include each State, and as may be determined 
        by the Secretary, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, 
        Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the 
        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any such other possessions and 
        areas over which the United States exercises jurisdiction, 
        control, or sovereignty. Inclusion of other areas over which 
        the United States exercises jurisdiction, control, or 
        sovereignty shall be subject to the concurrence of the 
        Secretary of State.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(5) Access to data collected under title 13.--
        The Secretary of Commerce may, upon written request of the 
        Secretary of Agriculture, furnish any information collected 
        under title 13, United States Code, which the Secretary of 
        Agriculture considers necessary for the taking of a census or 
        survey under this subsection. Any information so furnished may 
        not be used for any purpose other than the statistical purposes 
        for which it is supplied.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(6) Access to data collected under this 
        subsection.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall, upon written 
        request of the Secretary of Commerce, furnish any information 
        collected in a census taken under this subsection, which the 
        Secretary of Commerce considers necessary for the taking of a 
        census or survey under title 13, United States Code. Any 
        information so furnished may not be used for any purpose other 
        than the statistical purposes for which it is 
        supplied.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(7) Rules and regulations.--Any rules or 
        regulations necessary to carry out this subsection may be 
        prescribed by--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) the Secretary, to the extent that 
                matters within the jurisdiction of the Secretary are 
                involved; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) the Secretary of Commerce, to the 
                extent that matters within the jurisdiction of the 
                Secretary of Commerce are involved.''.</DELETED>
    ``(c)(1) The Secretary shall, in 1998 and in every 5th year 
beginning after 1998, take a census of agriculture. In connection with 
each such census, the Secretary may conduct any survey or other data 
collection, and employ any sampling or other statistical method, that 
the Secretary determines is necessary and appropriate.
    ``(2) The data collected in each census taken under this subsection 
shall relate to the year immediately preceding the year in which the 
census is taken.
    ``(3) Any person who refuses or neglects to answer questions 
submitted to such person in connection with a census or survey under 
this subsection, or who answers any such questions falsely, shall be 
subject to section 221 of title 13, United States Code, to the same 
extent and in the same manner as if--
            ``(A) section 142 of such title 13 had remained in effect; 
        and
            ``(B) the census or survey were a census or survey under 
        such section 142, rather than under this subsection.
The failure or refusal on the part of any person to disclose such 
person's social security number in response to a request made in 
connection with any census or other activity under this subsection 
shall not be a violation under the preceding sentence.
    ``(4) Each census under this subsection shall include each State, 
and as may be determined by the Secretary, the District of Columbia, 
the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any such other 
possessions and areas over which the United States exercises 
jurisdiction, control, or sovereignty. Inclusion of other areas over 
which the United States exercises jurisdiction, control, or sovereignty 
shall be subject to the concurrence of the Secretary of State.
    ``(5) The Secretary of Commerce may, upon written request of the 
Secretary of Agriculture, furnish any information collected under title 
13, United States Code, which the Secretary of Agriculture considers 
necessary for the taking of a census or survey under this subsection. 
Any information so furnished may not be used for any purpose other than 
the statistical purposes for which it is supplied.
    ``(6) The Secretary of Agriculture shall, upon written request of 
the Secretary of Commerce, furnish any information collected in a 
census taken under this subsection which the Secretary of Commerce 
considers necessary for the taking of a census or survey under title 
13, United States Code. Any information so furnished may not be used 
for any purpose other than the statistical purposes for which it is 
supplied.
    ``(7) Any rules or regulations necessary to carry out this 
subsection may be prescribed by--
            ``(A) the Secretary, to the extent that matters within the 
        jurisdiction of the Secretary are involved; and
            ``(B) the Secretary of Commerce, to the extent that matters 
        within the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Commerce are 
        involved.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Effective October 1, 1998--
            (1) section 142 of title 13, United States Code, and the 
        item relating to section 142 in the table of sections for 
        chapter 5 of such title 13, are repealed; and
            (2) section 343(a)(11)(F) of the Consolidated Farm and 
        Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(11)(F)) is amended by 
        inserting ``or section 526(c) of the Revised Statutes (7 U.S.C. 
        2204(c)), as the case may be,'' before ``except''.

SEC. 3. PROVISIONS RELATING TO CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION.

    (a) Information Furnished to the Department of Agriculture.--
            (1) Authority to furnish information.--Section 9(a) of 
        title 13, United States Code, is amended by striking ``chapter 
        10 of this title--'' and inserting ``chapter 10 of this title 
        or section 526(c)(5) of the Revised Statutes--''.
            <DELETED>(2) Continued confidentiality of information 
        received</DELETED>.--<DELETED>Section 1770(d)(5) of the Food
        </DELETED>    (2) Confidentiality of information.--Section 
        1770(d)(5) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 
        2276(d)(5)) is amended to read as follows:
            <DELETED>``(5) subsections (a) and (c)(5) of section 526 of 
        the Revised Statutes (7 U.S.C. 2204);''.
        </DELETED>    ``(5) subsections (a) and (c) of section 526 of 
        the Revised Statutes (7 U.S.C. 2204(a) and (c));''.
    (b) Information Furnished to the Department of Commerce.--
            (1) Authority to furnish information.--Section 1770 of the 
        Food Security Act of 1985 is amended by adding at the end the 
        following:
    ``(e) Nothing in this section shall be considered to prohibit any 
release of information under section 526(c)(6) of the Revised Statutes 
(7 U.S.C. 2204(c)(6)).''.
            <DELETED>(2) Continued confidentiality of information 
        received</DELETED>.--<DELETED>Information furnished under
        </DELETED>    (2) Confidentiality of information.--Information 
        furnished under section 526(c)(6) of the Revised Statutes 
        shall, for purposes of sections 9 and 214 of title 13, United 
        States Code, be treated as if it were information furnished 
        under the provisions of such title 13.
                                 <all>