[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 777 Referred in House (RFH)]

  1st Session
                                 S. 777


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 5, 1999

                Referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
  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 information on farm programs, quarterly trade, economic, and 
           production reports, and other similar information.

    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 ``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, in accordance with subsection (c), the Secretary 
of Agriculture (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall, to 
the maximum extent practicable, establish an Internet-based system that 
enables agricultural producers to access all forms of the agencies of 
the Department of Agriculture specified in subsection (b).
    (b) Applicability.--The agencies referred to in subsection (a) 
are--
            (1) the Farm Service Agency;
            (2) the Rural Utilities Service;
            (3) the Rural Housing Service;
            (4) the Rural Business-Cooperative Service; and
            (5) the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
    (c) Implementation.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall--
            (1) provide a method by which agricultural producers may--
                    (A) download forms from the Internet; and
                    (B) submit completed forms via electronic 
                facsimile, mail, or similar means;
            (2) redesign forms of the agencies of the Department of 
        Agriculture by incorporating into the forms user-friendly 
        formats and self-help guidance materials.
    (d) Progress Reports.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 
that describes the progress made toward implementing the Internet-based 
system required under this section.

SEC. 3. ACCESSING INFORMATION AND FILING OVER THE INTERNET.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, in accordance with subsection (b), the Secretary shall 
expand implementation of the Internet-based system established under 
section 2 by enabling agricultural producers to access and file all 
forms and, at the option of the Secretary, selected records and 
information of the agencies of the Department specified in section 
2(b).
    (b) Implementation.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall ensure that an agricultural producer is able--
            (1) to file electronically or in paper form, at the option 
        of the agricultural producer, all forms required by agencies of 
        the Department specified in section 2(b);
            (2) to file electronically or in paper form, at the option 
        of the agricultural producer, all documentation required by 
        agencies of the Department specified in section 2(b) and 
        determined appropriate by the Secretary; and
            (3) to access information concerning farm programs, 
        quarterly trade, economic, and production reports, and other 
        similar production agriculture information that is readily 
        available to the public in paper form.

SEC. 4. FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE CORPORATION AND RISK MANAGEMENT AGENCY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than December 1, 2000, the Federal Crop 
Insurance Corporation and the Risk Management Agency shall submit to 
the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a plan, 
that is consistent with this Act, to allow agricultural producers to--
            (1) obtain, over the Internet, from approved insurance 
        providers all forms and other information concerning the 
        program under the jurisdiction of the Corporation and Agency in 
        which the agricultural producer is a participant; and
            (2) file electronically all paperwork required for 
        participation in the program.
    (b) Administration.--The plan shall--
            (1) conform to sections 2(c) and 3(b); and
            (2) prescribe--
                    (A) the location and type of data to be made 
                available to agricultural producers;
                    (B) the location where agricultural producers can 
                electronically file their paperwork; and
                    (C) the responsibilities of the applicable parties, 
                including agricultural producers, the Risk Management 
                Agency, the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, 
                approved insurance providers, crop insurance agents, 
                and brokers.
    (c) Implementation.--Not later than December 1, 2001, the Federal 
Crop Insurance Corporation and the Risk Management Agency shall 
complete implementation of the plan submitted under subsection (a).

SEC. 5. CONFIDENTIALITY.

    In carrying out this Act, the Secretary--
            (1) may not make available any information over the 
        Internet that would otherwise not be available for release 
        under section 552 or 552a of title 5, United States Code; and
            (2) shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that 
        the confidentiality of persons is maintained.

            Passed the Senate November 4, 1999.

            Attest:

                                                    GARY SISCO,

                                                             Secretary.