[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 944 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 944

      To require that an independent review of the efficiency and 
effectiveness of all headquarters offices of the Farm Service Agency of 
 the Department of Agriculture be carried out prior to the closure of 
                          any county offices.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 20, 2007

   Mr. Thune introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To require that an independent review of the efficiency and 
effectiveness of all headquarters offices of the Farm Service Agency of 
 the Department of Agriculture be carried out prior to the closure of 
                          any county offices.

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

SECTION 1. INDEPENDENT REVIEW.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this 
Act as the ``Secretary'') shall enter into a contract with an 
independent reviewing authority selected by the Secretary to carry out 
an independent review of the efficiency and effectiveness of operations 
at all headquarters offices of the Farm Service Agency, including--
            (1) all State offices;
            (2) the National Headquarters office in Washington, D.C.;
            (3) the Kansas City office; and
            (4) the Salt Lake City office.
    (b) 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 reviewing 
        authority considers to be relevant to the efficiency and 
        effectiveness of operations at each office.
    (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 
Representatives, 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 efficiency and 
        effectiveness of operations at each office.
    (d) Prohibition.--The Secretary may not close or consolidate any 
county office of the Farm Service Agency before the date on which the 
Secretary determines that each headquarters office has implemented the 
recommendations for that office described in subsection (c)(2).
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