H.R. 5961 (112th): Farmer’s Privacy Act of 2012

Introduced:
Jun 19, 2012 (112th Congress, 2011–2013)
Sponsor:
Rep. Shelley Capito [R-WV2]
Status:
Died (Reported by Committee)

The bill’s title was written by the bill’s sponsor. H.R. stands for House of Representatives bill.

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Status

This bill was introduced on August 1, 2012, in a previous session of Congress, but was not enacted.

Progress
Introduced Jun 19, 2012
Referred to Committee Jun 19, 2012
Reported by Committee Aug 01, 2012
Cosponsors
14 cosponsors (13R, 1D) (show)
Committees

House Transportation and Infrastructure

The committee chair determines whether a bill will move past the committee stage.

Full Title

To provide reasonable limits, control, and oversight over the Environmental Protection Agency's use of aerial surveillance of America's farmers.

Summary

No summaries available.

Text

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Last updated Sep 20, 2012.
8 pages

Primary Source

View on THOMAS (The Library of Congress)

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Citation

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GovTrack’s Bill Summary

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Library of Congress Summary

The summary below was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress.

9/20/2012--Reported to House amended.
Farmer's Privacy Act of 2012 - Prohibits the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in exercising any authority under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act), from conducting aerial surveillance of agricultural land unless the Administrator has:
(1) obtained the voluntary written consent of the owner or operator of the land to be surveilled, and
(2) obtained from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia a certification of reasonable suspicion that a violation of the Act exists in the area to be surveilled.
Requires the Administrator to ensure that such consent:
(1) specifies a period of up to one year during which the consent is effective,
(2) contains a specific description of the geographical area to be surveilled,
(3) contains limitations on the days and times during which the surveillance may be conducted if requested by such owner or operator, and
(4) is granted voluntarily.
Prohibits the Administrator from threatening additional, more detailed, or more thorough inspections or coercing or enticing such owner's or operator's consent.
Prohibits the Administrator, except where a land operator or owner has petitioned for copies of information collected through aerial surveillance permitted under this Act or where the information is pertinent to an active EPA investigation or prosecution, from disclosing information collected through such surveillance.
Excepts information collected through such surveillance from the Freedom of Information Act. Requires the destruction of information collected through aerial surveillance conducted under this Act not later than 30 days after collection, unless it is pertinent to an active EPA investigation or prosecution.

House Republican Conference Summary

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No summary available.

House Democratic Caucus Summary

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The bill contains the following citations to other parts of U.S. law:

United States Code

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