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US HB3685
Bill
Status
Introduced
6/3/2025
Primary Sponsor
Jonathan Jackson
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AI Summary
- Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to take corrective action against USDA employees found to have engaged in discrimination, retaliation, harassment, or civil rights violations, including failures to provide receipts for service, timely process applications, or provide program information
- Establishes a Senate-confirmed Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Civil Rights position with responsibility for ensuring civil rights compliance across all USDA agencies, and creates a new Office of Legal Advisor for Civil Rights within 120 days
- Grants the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights independent authority to provide equitable relief to participants who file civil rights complaints regarding USDA programs and farm loans, with decisions reversible only by the Secretary
- Creates an independent Office of the Civil Rights Ombudsperson within 120 days to assist producers navigating the civil rights review process, with required annual reports to Congress and appropriations authorized for fiscal years 2026-2028
- Shifts the burden of proof in National Appeals Division hearings so that USDA agencies must prove by substantial evidence that adverse decisions were valid, rather than placing the burden on the appellant
Legislative Description
JUST Act of 2025 Just USDA Standards and Transparency Act of 2025
Agriculture and food
Last Action
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
6/3/2025
Committee Referrals
Agriculture6/3/2025
Full Bill Text
No bill text available