[106th Congress Public Law 222]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


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[DOCID: f:publ222.106]


[[Page 114 STAT. 353]]

Public Law 106-222
106th Congress

                                 An Act


 
   To require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish an electronic 
filing and retrieval system to enable farmers and other persons to file 
  paperwork electronically with selected agencies of the Department of 
  Agriculture and to access public information regarding the programs 
  administered by these agencies. <<NOTE: June 20, 2000 -  [S. 777]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress <<NOTE: Freedom to E-File 
Act.>> assembled,

SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 7 USC 6901 note.>> SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Freedom to E-File Act''.

SEC. 2. <<NOTE: 7 USC 7031.>> ELECTRONIC FILING AND RETRIEVAL.

    (a) In <<NOTE: Deadline.>> 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 (referred to in 
this Act as the ``Department'') specified in subsection (b).

    (b) Applicability.--The agencies referred to in subsection (a) are 
the following:
            (1) The Farm Service Agency.
            (2) The Natural Resources Conservation Service.
            (3) 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).
            (4) The agricultural producer programs component of the 
        Commodity Credit Corporation administered by the Farm Service 
        Agency and 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 from the Internet the forms of the 
                agencies specified in subsection (b); and
                    (B) submit completed forms via electronic facsimile, 
                mail, or similar means;
            (2) redesign the forms by incorporating into the forms user-
        friendly formats and self-help guidance materials; and
            (3) ensure that the agencies specified in subsection (b)--
                    (A) use computer hardware and software that is 
                compatible among the agencies and will operate in a 
                common computing environment; and

[[Page 114 STAT. 354]]

                    (B) develop common Internet user-interface locations 
                and applications to consolidate the agencies' news, 
                information, and program materials.

    (d) Progress <<NOTE: Deadline.>> 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. <<NOTE: 7 USC 7032.>> ACCESSING INFORMATION AND FILING OVER THE 
            INTERNET.

    (a) In <<NOTE: Deadline.>> 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 of the Department 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. AVAILABILITY <<NOTE: 7 USC 7033.>> OF AGENCY INFORMATION 
                    TECHNOLOGY FUNDS.

    (a) Reservation of Funds.--From funds made available for agencies of 
the Department specified in section 2(b) for information technology or 
information resource management, the Secretary shall reserve from those 
agencies' applicable accounts a total 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 <<NOTE: Notification.>> 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.--
            (1) Establishment.--Funds reserved under subsection (a) 
        shall be used to establish the Internet-based system required 
        under section 2 and to expand the system as required by section 
        3.
            (2) Maintenance.--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, to remain available until 
expended.

[[Page 114 STAT. 355]]

SEC. 5. FEDERAL <<NOTE: 7 USC 7034.>> CROP INSURANCE CORPORATION 
                    AND RISK MANAGEMENT AGENCY.

    (a) In <<NOTE: Deadline.>> 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 <<NOTE: Deadline.>> 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. 6. <<NOTE: 7 USC 7035.>> 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.

    Approved June 20, 2000.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 777 (H.R. 852):
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HOUSE REPORTS: No. 106-565 accompanying H.R. 852 (Comm. on Agriculture).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
                                                        Vol. 145 (1999):
                                    Nov. 4, considered and passed 
                                        Senate.
                                                        Vol. 146 (2000):
                                    Apr. 10, considered and passed 
                                        House, amended.
                                    May 18, Senate concurred in House 
                                        amendments with an amendment.
                                    June 6, House concurred in Senate 
                                        amendment.

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