[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6351 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6351

To establish the Commission on National Agricultural Statistics Service 
Modernization to modernize the data collection and reporting processes 
    of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 9, 2023

 Mr. Moore of Alabama (for himself and Mr. Langworthy) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish the Commission on National Agricultural Statistics Service 
Modernization to modernize the data collection and reporting processes 
    of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. COMMISSION ON NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE 
              MODERNIZATION.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a commission to be known 
as the Commission on National Agricultural Statistics Service 
Modernization (referred to in this section as the ``Commission'').
    (b) Study.--The Commission shall conduct a study of the National 
Agricultural Statistics Service and provide recommendations on--
            (1) how data collection can be modernized and streamlined 
        to--
                    (A) improve the quality of statistics reported;
                    (B) account for differences of national, regional, 
                and local production;
                    (C) accelerate adoption of new and innovative 
                technologies to reduce the number of surveys needed;
                    (D) improve producer response rates in statistical 
                surveys and identifying ways to reduce survey fatigue;
                    (E) increase transparency and confidence in 
                statistical reports through improved collaboration with 
                agricultural stakeholders; and
                    (F) use more real-time statistical and 
                environmental data to complement existing survey-based 
                data and reporting; and
            (2) how the modernization and streamlining determined under 
        paragraph (1) can be implemented and the estimated costs of 
        such implementation.
    (c) Membership.--
            (1) Composition.--The Commission shall consist of the 
        following 11 members:
                    (A) The Administrator of the National Agricultural 
                Statistics Service of the Department of Agriculture.
                    (B) The Administrator of the Economic Research 
                Service of the Department of Agriculture.
                    (C) The Chief Economist of the Department of 
                Agriculture.
                    (D) The Chair of the World Agricultural Outlook 
                Board of the Department of Agriculture.
                    (E) A representative from the Bureau of Labor 
                Statistics.
                    (F) 3 members appointed by the Committee on 
                Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, of 
                which--
                            (i) 1 shall be appointed by the Chairman of 
                        the Committee;
                            (ii) 1 shall be appointed by the Ranking 
                        Member of the Committee; and
                            (iii) 1 shall be appointed jointly by the 
                        Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee.
                    (G) 3 members appointed by the Committee on 
                Agriculture of the House of Representatives, of which--
                            (i) 1 shall be appointed by the Chairman of 
                        the Committee;
                            (ii) 1 shall be appointed by the Ranking 
                        Member of the Committee; and
                            (iii) 1 shall be appointed jointly by the 
                        Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee.
            (2) Date of appointments.--The appointment of all members 
        of the Commission shall be made not later than 60 days after 
        the date of enactment of this Act.
            (3) Term; vacancies.--
                    (A) Term.--A member shall be appointed for the 
                duration of the Commission.
                    (B) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Commission--
                            (i) shall not affect the powers of the 
                        Commission; and
                            (ii) shall be filled in the same manner as 
                        the original appointment was made.
            (4) Initial meeting.--Not later than 60 days after the date 
        on which all members of the Commission have been first 
        appointed, the Commission shall hold the initial meeting of the 
        Commission.
    (d) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission shall 
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but a lesser 
number of members may hold hearings.
    (e) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Commission shall be 
selected by a majority of the Members of the Commission.
    (f) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Commission shall submit to the President, the Committee 
on Agriculture of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report containing 
the results of the study required by subsection (b), including--
            (1) an inventory of surveys conducted by the National 
        Agricultural Statistics Service and the frequency with which 
        they are conducted; and
            (2) such recommendations for administrative, regulatory, 
        and legislative changes as the Commission considers 
        appropriate.
    (g) Hearings.--The Commission shall hold such hearings, meet and 
act at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such 
evidence as the Commission considers appropriate to carry out this 
section.
    (h) Stakeholder Engagement.--The Commission shall establish a 
process to collect feedback from agricultural stakeholders to inform 
the results of the study required under subsection (b) and the report 
required under subsection (f).
    (i) Information From Federal Agencies.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission may secure directly from a 
        Federal agency such information as the Commission considers 
        necessary to carry out this section.
            (2) Authority to request information.--At the request of 
        the Chairperson of the Commission for information described in 
        paragraph (1), the head of a Federal agency shall provide such 
        information to the Commission.
    (j) Postal Services.--The Commission may use the United States mail 
in the same manner and under the same conditions as other agencies of 
the Federal Government.
    (k) Assistance From the Secretary.--The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall provide to the Commission appropriate office space and such 
reasonable administrative and support services as the Commission may 
request.
    (l) Compensation of Members.--
            (1) Non-federal employees.--A member of the Commission who 
        is not an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall 
        be compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the 
        annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level IV of the 
        Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States 
        Code, for each day (including travel time) during which the 
        member is engaged in the performance of the duties of the 
        Commission.
            (2) Federal employees.--A member of the Commission who is 
        an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall serve 
        without compensation in addition to the compensation received 
        for the services of the member as an officer or employee of the 
        Federal Government.
            (3) Travel expenses.--A member of the Commission shall be 
        allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
        subsistence, at rates authorized for an employee of an agency 
        under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
        Code, while away from the home or regular place of business of 
        the member in the performance of the duties of the Commission.
    (m) Federal Advisory Committee Act.--Sections 1008 and 1013 of 
title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to the Commission or any 
proceeding of the Commission.
    (n) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on September 30, 
2028.
    (o) Funding.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this section $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2024, to remain available until 
expended.
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