Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 114 Part 1.djvu/389

 PUBLIC LAW 106-222—JUNE 20, 2000 114 STAT. 353 Public Law 106-222 106th Congress An Act To require the Secretary of Agricultiore to establish an electronic filing and retrieval system to enable farmers and other persons to file paperwork electronically with June 20, 2000 selected agencies of the Department of Agriculture and to access public information [s~777i regarding the programs administered by these agencies. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, Freedom to E-File Act. SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 7 USC 6901 note. This Act may be cited as the "Freedom to E-File Act". SEC. 2. ELECTRONIC FILING AND RETRIEVAL. 7 USC 7031. (a) IN GENERAL.— Not later than 180 days sifter the date of Deadline, 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 Internetbased 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-fidendly 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

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