,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #diea  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ac1     
#bjbf,mr4 ,schiff 7for himself and ,mr4 
,mc,cormick7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,agriculture1      
,nutrition1 and ,forestry  ,a ,,bill    
,to direct the ,secretary of            
,agriculture to submit to ,congress a   
report on barriers to participation in  
,department of ,agriculture programs    
faced by certified organic farms and    
farms that may be interested in         
transitioning to organic production1 and
 for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title  
,this ,act may be cited as the ,opening 
,programs to ,organic ,farms ,act4  #b4 
,study on barriers to participation in  
,department of ,agriculture programs    
faced by certified organic farms and    
farms interested in transitioning to    
organic production  7a7 ,definitions ,in
 this section3 7#a7 ,appropriate        
committees of ,congress ,the term       

appropriate committees of ,congress     
means-- 7,a7 ,committee on ,agriculture1
 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry of the       
,senate2 and  7,b7 ,committee on        
,agriculture of the ,house of           
,representatives4  7#b7 ,certified      
organic farm ,the term certified organic
 farm has the meaning given the term in 
section #bajc of the ,organic ,foods    
,production ,act of #aiij 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 
#fejb74  7#c7 ,department ,the term     
,department means the ,department of    
,agriculture4  7#d7 ,secretary ,the term
 ,secretary means the ,secretary of     
,agriculture4  7b7 ,report ,not later   
than #ahj days after the date of        
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall submit to the appropriate         
committees of ,congress1 and make       
publicly available on the website of the
 ,department1 a report on barriers to   
participation in ,department programs   
faced by certified organic farms and    
farms that may be interested in         
transitioning to organic production4    

7c7 ,contents ,the report required under
 subsection 7b7 shall include the       
following3 7#a7 ,program review ,an     
assessment of barriers to participation 
in ,department programs faced by        
certified organic farms and farms that  
may be interested in transitioning to   
organic production1 including barriers  
in programs relating to conservation1   
credit1 disaster assistance1 risk       
management1 export promotion1 market    
development1 technical assistance1 rural
 development1 data collection1          
procurement1 and organic certification  
cost-share4  7#b7 ,participation data   
,to the extent practicable1 data on     
application rates1 approval rates1      
denial rates1 funding levels1 geographic
 distribution1 farm size1 production    
type1 and reasons for denial or         
nonparticipation by certified organic   
farms and farms that may be interested  
in transitioning to organic production4 
7#c7 ,specific barriers ,an assessment  
of barriers relating to program         

eligibility1 payment rates1 ranking     
criteria1 application forms1            
recordkeeping requirements1 crop        
insurance price elections1 disaster     
assistance valuation1 conservation      
practice standards1 certification       
documentation1 supply-chain             
infrastructure1 organic literacy among  
,department staff1 and the availability 
of organic-specific data4  7#d7 ,staff  
training and technical assistance ,an   
assessment of the need for              
organic-specific training1 guidance1 and
 technical assistance for ,department   
field staff1 including staff of the     
,farm ,service ,agency1 the ,natural    
,resources ,conservation ,service1 the  
,risk ,management ,agency1 ,rural       
,development1 the ,foreign ,agricultural
 ,service1 and other relevant agencies  
and offices4  7#e7 ,administrative      
actions ,a description of administrative
 actions that the ,secretary intends to 
take to remove barriers identified in   
the report4  7#f7 ,statutory            

recommendations ,any recommendations for
 statutory changes needed to remove     
barriers identified in the report4  7d7 
,annual updates ,for each of the first  
#c years following submission of the    
report required under subsection 7b71   
the ,secretary shall submit to the      
appropriate committees of ,congress1 and
 make publicly available on the website 
of the ,department1 an annual update to 
that report that describes-- 7#a7 any   
progress made to remove barriers        
identified in that report2  7#b7 any    
administrative actions completed or     
underway2  7#c7 any remaining barriers  
to participation in ,department programs
 faced by certified organic farms and   
farms that may be interested in         
transitioning to organic production2 and
  7#d7 any additional recommendations   
for statutory changes4