[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5033 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5033
To provide standing authority and accountability for the Secretary of
Agriculture and senior leadership of the Department of Agriculture to
improve the equitable availability and distribution of services and
program benefits to the people of the United States, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 27, 2023
Mr. Phillips (for himself, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Mr. Ivey, and Ms.
Clarke of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide standing authority and accountability for the Secretary of
Agriculture and senior leadership of the Department of Agriculture to
improve the equitable availability and distribution of services and
program benefits to the people of the United States, 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. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Ensuring Accountability for Equity
at USDA Act''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act and the amendments made by this Act are--
(1) to implement recommendations from the Department of
Agriculture Equity Commission; and
(2) to emphasize and strengthen section 2501A of the Food,
Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C.
2279-1).
SEC. 3. TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED
FARMERS AND RANCHERS.
Section 2501A of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act
of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279-1) is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (3), in the paragraph heading, by
striking ``Report'' and inserting ``Compilation and
presenting of data''; and
(B) in paragraph (4), by striking ``the report
described in paragraph (3)'' and inserting the
following: ``a report that contains--
``(A) the compiled and presented data under
paragraph (3);
``(B) a description of trends in that data over 5-
and 10-year periods; and
``(C) a discussion of efforts to implement
necessary improvements to equity identified through
activities under subsection (f), including metrics to
quantify, and timelines for implementation, of those
improvements.''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(f) Examination and Assessment of Programs.--In furtherance of
the purposes of this section, the Secretary shall use data collected
under this section to examine and assess programs and policies of the
Department of Agriculture to identify and understand--
``(1) communities, organizations, groups, and individuals
in need of services or benefits provided under Department
programs; and
``(2) the extent to which participants benefitting from
funding distributed under Department programs align with the
communities, organizations, groups, and individuals described
in paragraph (1) such that the funding effectively reduces
disparities in access to Department programs.''.
SEC. 4. ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR EQUITY.
(a) In General.--Subtitle A of the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 is amended by inserting after section 216 (7
U.S.C. 6916) the following:
``SEC. 217. ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR EQUITY.
``(a) Performance Evaluations.--A performance evaluation of an
individual occupying a position of the head of an agency or a senior
executive of the Department shall include an evaluation of appropriate
direct efforts of the individual to improve equity in the programs and
services under the jurisdiction of the agency head or senior executive.
``(b) Customer Experience.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall issue uniform,
Department-wide guidance for each agency and office of the
Department relating to--
``(A) collecting feedback from participants in
Department programs;
``(B) responding to that feedback; and
``(C) using that feedback to improve efforts to
provide more equitable and consistent services to all
individuals that seek service from and engage with the
Department.
``(2) Requirements.--The guidance issued under paragraph
(1) shall require--
``(A) opportunities for participants to provide
feedback through multiple means, such as evaluations,
surveys, or such other means as the Secretary
determines to be appropriate;
``(B) opportunities described in subparagraph (A)
to be advertised through means such as newspaper,
radio, or such other means as the Secretary determines
to be appropriate;
``(C) opportunities described in subparagraph (A)
to be facilitated and advertised, and responses to
feedback to be provided, in multiple languages, as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate; and
``(D) specific opportunities for participants with
direct involvement in a Department program to provide
feedback, including by providing appropriate
compensation to those participants for time and
expertise.
``(c) Customer Service.--
``(1) Training.--The Secretary shall ensure that employees
of the Department receive cultural competency training, as
appropriate for the roles of the employees.
``(2) Language contracts.--The Secretary shall consider, in
entering into contracts or cooperative agreements for language
translation or interpretation services, whether the needed
services would best be provided by a community-based
organization.
``(3) Staff knowledge of applicable programs.--
``(A) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
``(i) Customer.--The term `customer' means
a recipient of, applicant for, or potential
applicant for services or benefits under a
Department program.
``(ii) Frontline customer service staff.--
The term `frontline customer service staff'
means an employee of the Department who
directly interacts with customers.
``(B) Capacity building.--The Secretary shall build
the capacity of frontline customer service staff to
make available to customers the services or benefits
for which the customers are eligible.
``(C) Activities.--In carrying out subparagraph
(B), the Secretary may--
``(i) provide to frontline customer service
staff of the Department--
``(I) training and mentoring
relating to customer service skillsets;
``(II) training on technical tools
at the disposal of the frontline
customer service staff; and
``(III) training and shareable
resources relating to--
``(aa) the Department
programs for which a customer
may be eligible; and
``(bb) the technical
requirements and benefits of
those programs; and
``(ii) establish a customer feedback
opportunity after each interaction with the
Department.
``(d) Notifications to Congress.--
``(1) Lack of authority.--If the Secretary identifies an
opportunity to improve equity in a particular program or
service but lacks authority to make the necessary changes, the
Secretary shall submit to Congress a notification describing--
``(A) that opportunity and lack of authority; and
``(B) a recommendation for a legislative change.
``(2) Insufficient resources.--If the Secretary identifies
the need for additional resources to improve equity in a
particular program or service, the Secretary shall submit to
Congress a notification that provides an explanation of the
needed resources.
``(e) Administration.--The Secretary shall carry out this section
using funding and staff from within existing budgets and appropriations
for the Department.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 296(b) of the Department of
Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b)) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(11) The authority of the Secretary to carry out section
217.''.
<all>