National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture

USDA Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

Farm Bill-Section 10704

Provision Description

The Farm Bill creates a new Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at USDA who will report directly to the Secretary of Agriculture. The new Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, who must be confirmed by the Senate, will have the authority to:

Ensure that all agencies and programs of the Department demonstrate their compliance with civil rights statutes.
Coordinate the administration of all civil rights procedures and policies for department employees and participants in all USDA programs; and Ensure that civil rights components are incorporated into all strategic planning initiatives within the Department.

Who to Contact

Rural Coalition
1012 14th Street NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
Telephone (202) 628-7160

http://www.ruralco.org

Resources on the Internet

USDA Office of Civil Rights: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/