# Plain Language Summary: Ensuring Accountability for Equity at USDA Act

This bill requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to focus on making sure its programs and benefits reach people who have historically been left out or underserved. Specifically, it targets socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers—groups that have faced barriers in accessing USDA programs and funding. The bill creates new requirements for tracking data, measuring progress, and holding leadership accountable for improving equity across all USDA services.

The bill makes several practical changes to how the USDA operates. First, it requires the department to collect and analyze detailed data about who is using USDA programs and who isn't, then look for patterns over five and ten-year periods to spot trends. The department must then publish reports explaining what they found and what specific improvements they plan to make, including timelines and measurable goals. Second, the bill requires USDA leaders and agency heads to have their job performance evaluated partly on how well they're improving equity in their programs—meaning equity work becomes part of their official responsibilities. Third, the bill mandates that USDA employees receive cultural competency training and that the department collect feedback from people using its services through surveys, evaluations, and other methods offered in multiple languages.

The bill also focuses on improving customer service. USDA staff who work directly with farmers and ranchers must receive better training so they can help people find all the programs they qualify for. The department must consider hiring community-based organizations for translation services to better serve non-English speakers. If USDA leaders identify ways to improve equity but don't have the legal authority or funding to make those changes, they must notify Congress with specific recommendations. Importantly, the bill specifies that all these new requirements must be carried out using existing USDA budgets—no new funding is being added.

Ensuring Accountability for Equity at USDA Act

Phillips, Dean

Ensuring Accountability for Equity at USDA ActThis bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to improve the equitable availability and distribution of USDA services and program benefits through specific actions.&nbsp;Under the bill, USDA must<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>USDA must also notify Congress&nbsp;when it has identified an opportunity to improve equity in a particular program or service, but&nbsp;lacks the authority to make the necessary changes.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&nbsp;a discussion of efforts to implement necessary improvements to equity.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.&nbsp;