This bill establishes the Commission on National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Modernization to study and provide recommendations on modernizing and streamlining data collection at NASS. As background, NASS conducts the Census of Agriculture and provides official statistics on agricultural production and other farm sector indicators.
The 11-member commission must include 4 specified members from the Department of Agriculture, 1 member from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and 6 members appointed by the House and Senate Agriculture Committees.
At the request of the commission chair, federal agencies must provide the commission information related to the study.
The commission must submit a report to the President and Congress on the results of the study within two years of the bill's enactment. The report must include (1) an inventory of surveys conducted by NASS and their frequency; and (2) recommendations for administrative, regulatory, and legislative changes.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2307 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2307
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
March 24, 2025
Mr. Moore of Alabama (for himself and Mr. Davis of North Carolina)
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;
(F) use more real-time statistical and
environmental data to complement existing survey-based
data and reporting; and
(G) improve collection and generation of timely
data on the specialty crop industry; 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 2 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,
2030.
(o) Funding.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this section $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2026, to remain available until
expended.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
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