To require that an independent review of the efficiency and effectiveness of all headquarters offices of USDA Rural Development and the Natural Resource Conservation Service be carried out before any county Rural Development office may be merged with a county office of the Natural Resource Conservation Service or any county office of the Natural Resource Conservation Service may be merged with a county Rural Development office.

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to contract with an independent reviewing authority to review the efficiency and effectiveness of operations at all headquarters offices of the Department of Agriculture's Rural Development office and its Natural Resources Conservation Service, including: (1) the headquarters offices in Washington, DC; and (2) all state offices.

Prohibits the Secretary from merging any county Rural Development office with a county office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, or any county office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service with a county Rural Development office before the later of: (1) the date on which the Secretary determines that each headquarters office has implemented the recommendations contained in the report required under this Act; or (2) October 1, 2008.

[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2427 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2427

      To require that an independent review of the efficiency and 
effectiveness of all headquarters offices of USDA Rural Development and 
  the Natural Resource Conservation Service be carried out before any 
 county Rural Development office may be merged with a county office of 
 the Natural Resource Conservation Service or any county office of the 
Natural Resource Conservation Service may be merged with a county Rural 
                          Development office.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 22, 2007

  Mr. Barrow introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To require that an independent review of the efficiency and 
effectiveness of all headquarters offices of USDA Rural Development and 
  the Natural Resource Conservation Service be carried out before any 
 county Rural Development office may be merged with a county office of 
 the Natural Resource Conservation Service or any county office of the 
Natural Resource Conservation Service may be merged with a county Rural 
                          Development office.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF HEADQUARTERS OFFICES OF USDA RURAL 
              DEVELOPMENT AND THE NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION SERVICE 
              PENDING ANY COUNTY OFFICE MERGERS.

    (a) Review Required.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall enter into 
a contract with an independent reviewing authority selected by the 
Secretary to carry out an independent review of the efficiency and 
effectiveness of operations at all headquarters offices of USDA Rural 
Development and the Natural Resource Conservation Service, including--
            (1) the headquarters offices in Washington, DC; and
            (2) all State offices.
    (b) Review Requirements.--The review described in subsection (a) 
shall include a review for each office of--
            (1) management practices;
            (2) information technology purchases and deliverables;
            (3) software development;
            (4) contractor hiring practices and related cost-savings; 
        and
            (5) such other factors as the independent reviewing 
        authority considers to be relevant to the efficiency and 
        effectiveness of operations at each office.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 30 days after the date of completion of 
the independent review, the independent reviewing authority shall 
submit to the Secretary, the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
Representatives, and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry of the Senate a report that contains--
            (1) a description of the results of the study; and
            (2) recommendations for improving the efficiency and 
        effectiveness of operations at each office.
    (d) Prohibition on County Office Mergers Implementation of Report 
Recommendations.--The Secretary may not merge any county Rural 
Development office with a county office of the Natural Resource 
Conservation Service or any county office of the Natural Resource 
Conservation Service with a county Rural Development office before the 
later of the following dates:
            (1) The date on which the Secretary determines that each 
        headquarters office referred to in subsection (a) has 
        implemented the recommendations for that office contained in 
        the report submitted under subsection (c).
            (2) October 1, 2008.
                                 <all>