This bill aims to make the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and services more equitable and accessible. It requires USDA to evaluate its leadership on equity efforts, provide guidance on collecting customer feedback, and train frontline staff to better assist eligible individuals. The bill also expands reporting requirements to improve transparency and accountability around USDA's work to support underserved communities.
Latest Action
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill aims to make the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and services more equitable and accessible. It requires USDA to evaluate its leadership on equity efforts, provide guidance on collecting customer feedback, and train frontline staff to better assist eligible individuals. The bill also expands reporting requirements to improve transparency and accountability around USDA's work to support underserved communities.
Last updated: 12/30/2025
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Ensuring Accountability for Equity at USDA Act</strong></p><p>This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to improve the equitable availability and distribution of USDA services and program benefits through specific actions. </p><p>Under the bill, USDA must</p><ul><li>include within the performance evaluations for USDA senior leadership a review of an individual's direct efforts to improve equity in USDA programs and services;</li><li>issue uniform, department-wide guidance on collecting and responding to feedback and using that feedback to improve efforts to provide more equitable and consistent services; and</li><li>build frontline USDA customer service staff capacity to make eligible services or benefits available to customers.</li></ul><p>USDA must also notify Congress when it has identified an opportunity to improve equity in a particular program or service, but lacks the authority to make the necessary changes.</p><p>Further, the bill requires additional information to be included in USDA's annual data report (which is meant to assess and hold USDA accountable for the nondiscriminatory participation of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in USDA programs). The report must also describe trends in the data and include a discussion of efforts to implement necessary improvements to equity.</p><p>In addition, USDA must use collected data to examine and assess USDA programs and policies to identify and understand communities, organizations, groups, and individuals in need of USDA services or benefits. </p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Includes equity goals in performance reviews for USDA senior leadership
Requires USDA to issue guidance on collecting and using customer feedback to improve services
Calls for building capacity of USDA customer service staff to connect eligible individuals with benefits
Expands annual USDA reporting to include more data and analysis on equity efforts
Directs USDA to use data to identify and understand communities in need of its services
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
This bill aims to make USDA programs and services more accessible and beneficial to historically underserved groups, such as socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. By improving equity in USDA operations, the bill could help ensure that eligible individuals and communities are better able to access crucial agricultural assistance and support.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
5033, 119th Congress (2025). "Safe Temperature Act of 2025". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-5033
