[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 44 (Monday, April 10, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H1973-H1975]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         FREEDOM TO E-FILE ACT

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 777) 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, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 S. 777

       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) Establishment of Internet-Based System.--The Secretary 
     of Agriculture shall establish an electronic filing and 
     retrieval system that uses the telecommunications medium 
     known as the Internet to enable farmers and other persons--
       (1) to file electronically all paperwork required by the 
     agencies of the Department of Agriculture specified in 
     subsection (b); and
       (2) to have access electronically to information, readily 
     available to the public in published form, regarding farm 
     programs, quarterly trade, economic, and production reports, 
     price and supply information, and other similar information 
     related to production agriculture.
       (b) Covered Agencies.--Subsection (a) shall apply to the 
     following agencies of the Department of Agriculture:
       (1) The Farm Service Agency.
       (2) The Risk Management Agency.
       (3) The Natural Resources Conservation Service.
       (4) The rural development components of the Department 
     included in the Secretary's service center initiative 
     regarding State and field office collocation implemented 
     pursuant to section 215 of the Department of Agriculture 
     Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6915).
       (c) Time-Table for Implementation.--Not later than 180 days 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
     shall--
       (1) to the maximum extent practicable, complete the 
     establishment of the electronic filing and retrieval system 
     required by subsection (a) to the extent necessary to permit 
     the electronic information access required by paragraph (2) 
     of such subsection;
       (2) initiate implementation of the electronic filing 
     required by paragraph (1) of such subsection by allowing 
     farmers and other persons to download forms from the Internet 
     and submit completed forms via facsimile, mail, or related 
     means; and
       (3) modify forms used by the agencies specified in 
     subsection (b) into a more user-friendly format, with self-
     help guidance materials.
       (d) Interoperability.--In carrying out this section, the 
     Secretary shall ensure that the agencies specified in 
     subsection (b)--
       (1) use computer hardware and software that is compatible 
     among the agencies and will operate in a common computing 
     environment; and
       (2) develop common Internet user-interface locations and 
     applications to consolidate the agencies' news, information, 
     and program materials.
       (e) Completion of Implementation.--Not later than two years 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
     shall complete the establishment of the electronic filing and 
     retrieval system required by subsection (a) to permit the 
     electronic filing required by paragraph (1) of such 
     subsection.
       (f) Progress Report.--Not later than 180 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
     to Congress a report describing the progress made toward 
     establishing the electronic filing and retrieval system 
     required by subsection (a).

     SEC. 3. AVAILABILITY OF AGENCY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUNDS.

       (a) Reservation of Funds.--From funds made available for 
     each agency of the Department of Agriculture specified in 
     section 2(b) for information technology or information 
     resource management, the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
     reserve an amount equal to not more than the following:
       (1) For fiscal year 2001, $3,000,000.
       (2) For each subsequent fiscal year, $2,000,000.
       (b) Time for Reservation.--The Secretary shall notify 
     Congress of the amount to be reserved under subsection (a) 
     for a fiscal year not later than December 1 of that fiscal 
     year.
       (c) Use of Funds.--Funds reserved under subsection (a) 
     shall be used to establish the electronic filing and 
     retrieval system required by section 2(a). Once the system is 
     established and operational, reserved amounts shall be used 
     for maintenance and improvement of the system.
       (d) Return of Funds.--Funds reserved under subsection (a) 
     and unobligated at the end of the fiscal year shall be 
     returned to the agency from which the funds were reserved, 
     and such funds shall remain available until expended.

     SEC. 4. CONFIDENTIALITY.

       In carrying out this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture--
       (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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte).
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the Freedom to E-File Act, introduced by the gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), requires the United States Department of 
Agriculture to establish an electronic filing and retrieval system to 
enable the public to file with the Department all required paperwork 
electronically. In doing so, the act would allow producers, farmers, 
and rural America to have access to information on farm programs, 
quarterly trade, economic and production reports and other similar 
information. The bill of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) 
allows farmers to do business with the Department of Agriculture over 
the Internet.
  The rapidly evolving e-commerce economy of the 21st century continues 
to assert itself as the future of worldwide commerce. Like any business 
today, farmers are using computers and the Internet for a variety of 
purposes, including financial management systems and market 
information. It is becoming increasingly important to ensure that all 
segments of our economy are technologically efficient.
  Currently, the United States Department of Agriculture operates in a 
progressively antiquated computer environment. The continued use of 
such a system threatens to disable producers and farmers from access to 
a maturing information technology market. Rural Americans face the very 
real potential of being left behind in this era of sweeping 
technological advances. It is vital to empower producers and farmers by 
providing them with the technological tools to do business via the 
Internet with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  The continued absence of a viable common computing environment at the 
Department will result in the failure to assist the very constituency 
it is obliged to serve. The Freedom to E-

[[Page H1974]]

File Act achieves the most important objective of allowing the public 
the access and freedom to do effective, better business with the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture via the Internet.
  The globally integrated e-commerce economy demands that private and 
public entities move quickly to establish efficient avenues of 
commerce. This legislation forces the USDA in the right direction, the 
direction of enabling producers, farmers, and rural Americans to 
benefit in an age of technological revolution.
  Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Congressional Internet Caucus, I want 
to commend the gentleman from Illinois for his leadership on this 
issue. This legislation is badly needed. Changes at the Department of 
Agriculture to get up to speed, even with other government agencies, 
much less with what is happening in the private sector, is long 
overdue. I also thank the gentleman from Texas for his support of this 
bipartisan legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 777 as amended by H.R. 852, the 
Freedom to E-File Act. H.R. 852 was sponsored by the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. LaHood), and I, too, commend him for his leadership in 
this area. It was approved by the House Committee on Agriculture on 
March 29. It would require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish an 
Internet-based system to allow farmers and ranchers and other persons 
to complete and submit program applications electronically and to have 
electronic access to all relevant economic and administrative program 
information and data.
  The legislation before us today also contains a provision that will 
ensure that the Secretary of Agriculture maintains the confidentiality 
of persons, and ensures that that information is released only in 
accordance with current law.
  Mr. Speaker, I have long been a proponent of initiatives at USDA to 
provide better service to farmers and ranchers through streamlining and 
the use of new technologies, while at the same time saving taxpayer 
dollars.
  To date, USDA's progress in the information technology arena has been 
disappointing. For example, a February 2000 General Accounting Office 
report states that USDA's progress in implementing its initiatives, 
reorganization, and modernization efforts has been mixed. The report 
then identifies two primary reasons for its lack of success, the lack 
of a comprehensive plan to guide the modernization effort and the lack 
of a management structure with the accountability and authority to 
resolve differences among the agencies. These findings give me little 
confidence and further validate my concerns that USDA cannot overcome 
its stovepipe culture without the intervention of Congress. USDA 
recognizes this, and, at certain levels, supports this bill.
  Growing numbers of farmers and ranchers are using home computers. 
This fact, coupled with budget demands, is putting enormous pressure on 
USDA's field service employees. It is, therefore, imperative that USDA 
take advantage of the Internet for the efficiencies it can offer. Doing 
so will benefit overworked field service staff, save taxpayer dollars, 
and allow farmers and ranchers to spend more time on their operations 
and less time visiting USDA offices.
  For these reasons, I believe USDA must improve electronic access to 
its programs and services. Consequently, I support the goals of S. 777, 
as amended, otherwise known as the Freedom to E-File Act. While I would 
prefer a more comprehensive look at USDA reorganization and 
modernization needs, it unfortunately appears that changes at USDA are 
only going to be made on an incremental basis.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as 
he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), the author 
of the legislation.
  (Mr. LaHOOD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank very much the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) for his leadership as the chairman of the 
subcommittee that held hearings on the bill; and the ranking member of 
that subcommittee, the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton), 
also for her leadership and support; and certainly the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Stenholm), the ranking member of the full committee, for his 
encouragement over the last year to move ahead with this important 
legislation.
  To put it simply, this legislation will bring the Department of 
Agriculture into the 21st century by allowing farmers, producers, and 
people in rural America to do their business with the USDA over the 
Internet. Like any business, farmers are using computers for a variety 
of purposes, including financial management, accessing market 
information, and utilizing precision agriculture management systems.
  As I have traveled around the 14 counties that I represent in central 
Illinois, much of which is agriculture, and visited farm families and 
visited farm homes, every farmer has a computer today. Every farmer in 
America has access to the world. One of the first things that farmers 
do in the early morning hours is they get on their computer and they 
check the weather. Then in my area they check the price of corn and 
beans and livestock. Then they look and see how their stocks are doing, 
if they have the good fortune of having that kind of capability to own 
stocks.
  But then what we are offering them under this legislation is the fact 
that they do not have to hop in their truck and go down to the FS 
office to file their forms or to find out what the USDA has to offer 
them. All of this information will be available to them. After they 
check the price of corn and beans and after they check the weather, 
they can find out what else is going on at USDA, a marvelous 
opportunity. I believe, if given the opportunity, many farmers would 
choose to file necessary farm program paperwork from their home or 
office computer.
  The interesting thing is that, this year alone, 34 million taxpayers 
have already filed or will file their income taxes before April 15th 
over the Internet, electronically. The Internal Revenue Service has 
moved taxpayers into the 21st century; and we should be doing that for 
our farmers and ranchers, and particularly for those who represent 
large masses of agriculture area, Wyoming, the Dakotas, areas where 
farmers and ranchers have to travel long distances. This will avail 
them of wonderful opportunities to save time and energy by having 
access to this information and filing their forms electronically.
  Mr. Speaker, I say that the Freedom to E-File Act is a reasonable, 
sensible way to help farmers spend less time filling out paperwork and 
more time doing what they know how to do best, which is farming and 
ranching. This legislation will not only increase the efficiency of 
farmers and ranchers, it will also increase the efficiency of the USDA, 
as has been mentioned, by reducing the amount of paperwork that needs 
to be filled out in local county offices.
  USDA has already started down the road to providing some of the 
benefits of the Internet to the American farmer. Freedom to E-File will 
provide the Department with the necessary flexibility and resources to 
allow USDA to bring agriculture into the Internet age.
  Again, I want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Combest), 
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm), the gentleman from Virginia 
(Mr. Goodlatte), and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) 
and all the staff people on both sides for your help in crafting this 
legislation, and also to USDA. We have kind of brought them along 
kicking and screaming in this process, but we think they are with us 
now; and we hope that they will be able to implement this legislation 
after it is signed by the President.
  Finally, Senator Peter Fitzgerald from the other body was most 
helpful in having this legislation pass there; and I want to 
acknowledge his work and encourage all Members to support this very, 
very important legislation.
  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would just say in conclusion, I encourage our 
colleagues to support this bill. We have heard from

[[Page H1975]]

the gentleman from Illinois all of the reasons why this is needed. The 
disappointment is that we have not been able to move it faster within 
USDA, but it is certainly my hope that all of those who may be in the 
category of ``foot-draggers'' within the various agencies and various 
employees of USDA might take this legislation and the support of many 
at USDA and recognize that we will have some additional opportunities 
this year to do more in this area of information technology, and, in 
doing more, we will be able to serve our farmers more efficiently.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank all of those who have been involved in this 
legislation; and I urge the support of it.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would join in urging my colleagues to support this 
legislation. It is very true that farmers in many respects are some of 
our best users of computer technology and the Internet, and it is time 
that the Department that is designed to support their efforts moves 
into the 21st century, as the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) 
indicated.

                              {time}  1530

  So I strongly support this bill. I thank the gentleman for his 
efforts in this matter.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Nethercutt). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 777, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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