Freedom to E-File Act
Public Law 106-222 · S. 777 · 106th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Jun 20, 2000 · Agriculture and Food
Sponsor: Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL)
Cosponsors (19): Sen. Conrad Burns, Sen. Ted Stevens,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Freedom to E-File Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish an Internet-based system for agricultural producers to access all forms of the Farm Service Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, certain rural development components of the Department of Agriculture, and certain agricultural producer program components of the Commodity Credit Corporation.
Directs the Secretary to: (1) provide for downloading and filing of user-friendly forms and self-help guidance materials; and (2) ensure computer system interoperability.
(Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary to expand such system to permit producers to access and file all forms, and at the option of the Secretary, access selected records and information.
(Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary to reserve specified funds beginning in FY 2001 for such Internet-based system.
(Sec. 5) Directs the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation and the Risk Management Agency to submit by December 1, 2000, and implement by December 1, 2001, a plan to permit agricultural producers to obtain and file all appropriate insurance forms over the Internet.
Directs the Secretary to provide for participant confidentiality and information protection.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Agriculture Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 20 actions.
- Jun 21, 2000Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 106-222.
- Jun 20, 2000Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jun 8, 2000PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jun 6, 2000Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment to the House amendments Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. LaHood asked unanimous consent that the House agree to the Senate amendment to the House amendments.
- May 18, 2000Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate concurred to the House amendments, with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Apr 10, 2000FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 397 - 1 (Roll no. 113).House roll call 113
- FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Goodlatte moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Nov 12, 1999CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
- Nov 5, 1999CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Agriculture Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- Nov 4, 1999FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Apr 13, 1999CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.