[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4687 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4687

 To provide for the identification and discipline of members of county 
    and area committees established under the Soil Conservation and 
     Domestic Allotment Act, and employees of such committees, who 
   discriminate against farmers, ranchers, and other participants in 
 programs of the Department of Agriculture on the basis of race, sex, 
      national origin, marital status, religion, age, or handicap.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 15, 2000

 Mr. Thompson of Mississippi (for himself, Mrs. Clayton, Mr. Clyburn, 
Mr. Hilliard, Ms. Norton, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Conyers, Ms. Millender-
     McDonald, Ms. Lee, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. McKinney, Ms. 
Kilpatrick, Mr. Dixon, Mr. Clay, Mr. Payne, Mr. Frost, Mr. Bishop, Mrs. 
Meek of Florida, Ms. Waters, Ms. Carson, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mr. 
  Scott, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Hastings of 
Florida, Mr. Meeks of New York, Mr. Wynn, and Mr. Rush) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government 
 Reform, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for the identification and discipline of members of county 
    and area committees established under the Soil Conservation and 
     Domestic Allotment Act, and employees of such committees, who 
   discriminate against farmers, ranchers, and other participants in 
 programs of the Department of Agriculture on the basis of race, sex, 
      national origin, marital status, religion, age, or handicap.

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

SECTION 1. IDENTIFICATION AND DISCIPLINE OF MEMBERS AND EMPLOYEES OF 
              COUNTY AND AREA COMMITTEES WHO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST OTHER 
              PERSONS IN ADMINISTERING AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) County committee employee.--The term ``county committee 
        employee'' means a county executive director or any other 
        employee of a county or area committee employed pursuant to 
        section 8(b)(5) of the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment 
        Act (16 U.S.C. 590h(b)(5)).
            (2) Committee member.--The term ``committee member'' means 
        any member of a county or area committee established pursuant 
        to section 8(b)(5) of the Soil Conservation and Domestic 
        Allotment Act (16 U.S.C. 590h(b)(5)), any member of a community 
        committee so established, any delegate to a local 
        administrative area convention or county convention, and any 
        alternate to any such office.
    (b) Identification of Sources of Discrimination.--Before settling 
or otherwise resolving any nonemployment-related complaint of 
discrimination based on race, sex, national origin, marital status, 
religion, age, or handicap in the administration of programs of the 
Department of Agriculture, the Secretary of Agriculture shall identify 
any committee member or county committee employee involved in the 
discriminatory conduct so that the alleged discrimination may be 
investigated and addressed in the manner provided in part 7 of title 7, 
Code of Federal Regulations.
    (c) Disciplinary Measures.--
            (1) Civil money penalty.--Subject to paragraph (4), the 
        Secretary of Agriculture may impose a civil penalty in an 
        amount not to exceed $20,000 on a committee member or county 
        committee employee if the Secretary finds that the committee 
        member or county committee employee discriminated on the basis 
        of race, sex, national origin, marital status, religion, age, 
        or handicap in the administration of a program of the 
        Department of Agriculture.
            (2) Loss of annuity or retired pay.--Subject to paragraph 
        (4), the Secretary may terminate the entitlement of a committee 
        member or county committee employee to all or a portion of any 
        annuity or retired pay under subchapter III of chapter 83 of 
        title 5, United States Code, that the committee member or 
        county committee employee would otherwise receive if the 
        Secretary finds that the committee member or county committee 
        employee discriminated on the basis of race, sex, national 
        origin, marital status, religion, age, or handicap in the 
        administration of a program of the Department of Agriculture.
            (3) Removal.--The penalties described in paragraphs (1) and 
        (2) are in addition to the existing authority of the Secretary 
        under section 7.29 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, to 
        remove and disqualify for future service or employment any 
        committee member or county committee employee for cause.
            (4) Due process.--A penalty described in paragraph (1) or 
        (2) may be imposed only on the record after providing the 
        committee member or county committee employee with an 
        opportunity for a hearing in the manner provided in section 
        7.31 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations.
                                 <all>