Farm Service Agency Committees: In Brief

Farm Service Agency Committees: In Brief

Farm Service Agency Committees: In Brief
Updated January 29, 2021
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
R40179

Farm Service Agency Committees: In Brief

Introduction
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) relies heavily on state and local officials to
administer Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs. These officials include State Executive
Directors and state, county, and area committees. Members of Congress are sometimes called
upon to nominate candidates for state positions. This report provides background information on
State Executive Directors and state, county, and area committees.
In 1935, the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act (P.L. 74-46) authorized state, county,
and community committees to oversee and administer Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation
Service programs and to consider administrative appeals.
The Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994
(P.L. 103-354) established the Farm Service Agency and authorized a reorganization of USDA.
FSA was created by incorporating selected (primarily farm-related) programs from several
agencies, including the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, the Federal Crop
Insurance Corporation (now within the separate Risk Management Agency [RMA]), and the
Farmers Home Administration. In 1995, due to the USDA reorganization, community committees
were dropped from the official structure of the county committee system. The Farm Security and
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-171) included provisions to increase the transparency and
accountability of county elections and to provide opportunities for the participation of socially
disadvantaged (SDA) farmers in county committees and USDA programs.1 The Food
Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-246) increased the number of members to a
maximum of 11 for a committee established by combining two or more county or area
committees.2 It also clarified that a farmer or rancher may serve only on the county committee for
the county office where their farm records are administered. The Agriculture Improvement Act of
2018 (P.L. 115-334) established a pilot program to operate county committees in counties located
in urban or suburban areas with a high concentration of urban or suburban farms.
State Executive Directors
State Executive Directors are federal political appointees who participate in developing policies,
and in planning, organizing, administering, and directing FSA programs and management
activities for their respective states and who are responsible for the day-to-day running of the
state FSA office. They are excepted service (schedule C) employees who are appointed by the
Secretary of Agriculture under provisions of 5 CFR §213.3301 and serve at the pleasure of the
Secretary. 3 They are generally nominated by their state’s congressional delegation. State
Executive Directors are paid at the GS-15 grade level with a salary range (as of 2020) of
approximately $126,810-$164,858 annually, according to the General Schedule Salary Table for
the “rest of U.S.” geographic area.

1 As defined by 7 U.S.C. §2003(e)(2), a socially disadvantaged farmer is a farmer or rancher who is a member of a
socially disadvantaged group. As defined by 7 U.S.C. §2003(e)(1), a socially disadvantaged group is a group whose
members have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice because of their identity as members of a group
without regard to their individual qualities.
2 A county committee is deemed an area committee when county offices are closed and consolidated with another
county office.
3 Schedule C positions are excepted from the competitive service because of their confidential or policy determining
nature.
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Farm Service Agency Committees: In Brief

State, County, and Area Committees
FSA state, county, and community committees were authorized by Section 8(b)(5)(a) of the Soil
Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1935 (P.L. 74-46, 16 U.S.C. §590h(b)(5)).
Community committees were dropped from the official structure of the county committee system
in 1995. Area committees came into being more recently when some county offices were closed
and consolidated with other county offices into an “area” office. State, county, and area
committees share the responsibility and work together to administer FSA programs (7 CFR §7).
Each committee meets approximately once a month. If committee members fail to perform their
duties, commit fraud, are deemed incompetent, solicit or receive money for political activities, or
fail to comply with equal opportunity and civil rights policy, they can be removed from office.
State Committees
Members of Congress may submit to the Secretary of Agriculture a list of nominees from their
congressional districts for the state committees. From this list, the Secretary appoints between
three and five members who are involved with farming in the state to serve for a term established
by the Secretary. USDA has established one-year terms for state committees, which expire on
December 31.4 Each state committee has one chairperson and up to four members. Once
appointed, state committee members are intermittent USDA employees (part time, not on a
regular schedule) and are paid by the hour. State committee chairpersons are paid at the GS-15,
step 1 salary rate and state committee members are paid at the GS-14, step 1 salary rate.
State committees have both administrative and operational responsibilities. They are responsible
for administering various programs, including state agricultural conservation programs,
production adjustment and price support programs, livestock programs, Agricultural Market
Transition Act programs, and other programs assigned by the Secretary or Congress. Operational
responsibilities include the efficient and orderly operations of county committees and county
offices. State committees also conduct reviews and hear appeals. They are authorized to take
corrective action if a county committee or county office employee fails to make an authorized
program accessible and available to producers, fails to carry out a program according to
regulations and directives, or does not provide the public with timely and reasonable service.
State committees, in conjunction with the State Executive Director, also determine certain local
program and administrative policies.
County and Area Committees5
Farmers or ranchers residing within a local administrative area under the county committee’s
jurisdiction and who participate in a program administered within that area under the county
committee’s jurisdiction can run for a position on that county committee. County committee
nominees can be a committee member with an expiring term or an eligible voter. They cannot,
however, be persons who were dishonorably discharged from military service, removed from
public office, convicted of fraud or larceny, or who are current USDA employees or RMA
employees or sales agents during their term of office.

4 U.S. Department of Agriculture, “Perdue Announces Farm Service Agency State Committee Appointees,” press
release, January 4, 2018, at https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2018/01/04/perdue-announces-farm-service-
agency-state-committee-appointees.
5 The term county also refers to area committees.
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Farm Service Agency Committees: In Brief

County committee nominees may be nominated by an eligible voter or a community-based
organization representing socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, or they may nominate
themselves. 6 The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-171) authorized the
Secretary to appoint one additional SDA committee member to a committee to achieve the goal of
fair representation in a county committee jurisdiction. The Food Conservation and Energy Act of
2008 (P.L. 110-246) required the Secretary to develop procedures to maintain SDA representation
on county committees.
County committees now consist of 3 to 11 members, including the chairperson and vice
chairperson. County committee members serve for three years and are paid at a level equivalent
to the GS-6, Step 1 grade level on an hourly basis. They are limited to eight hours of work a
month. Some committees meet monthly; others meet only a few times per year. County
committee members are limited to three consecutive terms.
County committees are responsible for agricultural conservation programs, production adjustment
and price support programs, livestock programs, and any other program as assigned. Their duties
consist of selecting the County Executive Director; directing outreach activities to inform socially
disadvantaged farmers of programs and county committee election processes; reviewing,
approving, and certifying applications, forms, reports and documents; recommending and
reviewing local administrative area boundaries; informing farmers and the public about FSA
programs; providing committee data to other government agencies upon request; giving public
notice about the designation and boundaries of each local administrative area within the county
prior to county committee elections; informing state committees and others in FSA about
suggestions to programs made by farmers; directing the giving of notices in accordance with
applicable regulations and official instructions; conducting hearings as directed by state
committees; and any other duties as assigned.
County Executive Director
The County Executive Director is a full-time USDA employee responsible for day-to-day county
office operations. This includes staffing the county office; receiving, disposing of, and accounting
for county office property and money; advising the county committee on election procedures; and
assisting the county committee. They are paid under a grade scale that USDA uses for county
employees, which is equivalent to the GS-11 and GS-12 grade levels.
Urban and Suburban County Committees
The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-334) established a pilot program to operate
county committees in counties located in urban or suburban areas with a high concentration of
urban or suburban farms. These county committees focus exclusively on urban agriculture.
The urban and suburban county committees encourage and promote urban, indoor, and other
emerging agricultural production practices. Their duties consist of making determinations;
listening to appeals and making decisions; and conducting outreach to urban and suburban farms
and farmers for both FSA and National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). 7 Additional
duties may include addressing areas such as food access and community engagement and

6 Eligible voters must be of legal voting age and be either involved with farming, the spouse of a farmer, or a
representative of an entity involved in farming.
7 U.S. Department of Agriculture, “Urban Agriculture County Committees Frequently Asked Questions,” fact sheet,
August 2020 at https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/NewsRoom/County-Committee-
Elections/pdf/FSA_UrbanAgCountyCommittees_FAQ.pdf.
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Farm Service Agency Committees: In Brief

supporting local activities to promote and encourage community compost and food waste
reduction.
Urban and suburban county committees consist of 3 to 11 members and meet at least quarterly.
Urban and suburban county committee members terms are for three years, and members have the
option to run for reelection for up to three terms or nine years. Urban farmers who participate or
cooperate in an FSA program in the local area identified for the urban county committee may
either be nominated or may nominate themselves or others. Organizations may also nominate
candidates.
The current locations of urban and suburban county committees include Albuquerque, NM;
Atlanta, GA; Cleveland, OH; Dallas, TX; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN; New Orleans, LA;
Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Portland, OR; Richmond, VA; and St. Louis, MO.

Author Information

Carol Canada

Senior Research Librarian

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