| HR 1667 IH
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1667
To provide an additional
opportunity for administrative or judicial relief for socially disadvantaged
farmers and ranchers who were discriminated against by the Department of
Agriculture in farm credit and benefit programs.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 8, 2003
Mr. BURNS introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition
to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To provide an additional
opportunity for administrative or judicial relief for socially disadvantaged
farmers and ranchers who were discriminated against by the Department of
Agriculture in farm credit and benefit programs.
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 `Minority Farmers Fairness Act of 2003'.
SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY
FOR ADMINISTRATIVE OR JUDICIAL RELIEF FOR SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS
AND RANCHERS WHO SUFFERED DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DISCRIMINATION.
(a) OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT
CLAIM- If a person submitted a petition for redress in the settlement of
the consolidated class action lawsuits entitled Pigford v. Veneman and
Brewington v. Veneman (United States District Court for the District of
Columbia, Civil Action Numbers 97-1978 and 98-1693) or under any administrative
process provided by the Department of Agriculture in connection with a
claim of discrimination in the operation of farm credit and benefit programs,
and the petition or claim was not heard on its merits or otherwise denied,
the person may obtain de novo consideration of the petition or claim before
an administrative law judge of the Department of Agriculture or in any
Federal court of competent jurisdiction.
(b) TIME- The request for
de novo consideration of a petition or claim under subsection (a) shall
be submitted not later than one year after the later of--
(1) the date of the enactment
of this Act; or
(2) the date the petition
or claim was denied.
(c) RELIEF- The administrative
law judge or court shall hear and determine the petition or claim on the
merits and, if found to be valid, award appropriate relief under the settlement
or section 742 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration,
and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1999 (section 101(a) of Public
Law 105-277; 7 U.S.C. 2279d).
END
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