text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``USDA Civil Rights Resolution Act of 
  2000''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
  
      (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
              (1) there exists a strong public policy against 
          discrimination against minority groups, whether the 
          discrimination is committed by private persons or by the 
          Federal Government in the operation of its programs;
              (2) whenever discrimination occurs in the conduct of 
          Federal programs, the responsible Federal agencies should take 
          quick and aggressive action to remedy the discrimination;
              (3) in 1997, it was determined that the Department of 
          Agriculture had, for decades, been guilty of civil rights 
          violations against United States agricultural producers 
          participating, or attempting to participate, in Department 
          programs;
              (4) in 1998, Congress created a 2-year waiver of the 
          statute of limitations to allow persons injured by 
          discrimination by the Department to seek redress in court or by 
          filing an administrative compliant with the Department;
              (5) despite the waiver of the statute of limitations, it 
          remains a difficult challenge to ensure that agricultural 
          producers injured by discrimination by the Department over the 
          years will get a speedy and balanced resolution of their 
          complaints because it appears now that--
                      (A) a number of complaints that have already been 
                  investigated by investigators hired by the Office of 
                  Civil Rights of the Department are not being resolved; 
                  and
                      (B) nothing is being done to expeditiously resolve 
                  these cases; and
              (6) it is unfair for agricultural producers to be faced 
          with these delays because--
                      (A) the producers cannot get on with their lives, 
                  or plan their farming operations, until their 
                  complaints are resolved; and
                      (B) the producers are being wronged a second time 
                  by delays in resolving meritorious complaints.
      (b) Purposes.--It is the purpose of this Act--
              (1) to impose on the Department of Agriculture a reasonable 
          time limit to resolve the complaints described in subsection 
          (a); and
              (2) if the Department fails to meet the reasonable time 
          limit, to enable complainants to seek the experience and 
          expertise of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of 
          Justice in resolving the complaints in a timely manner.
  
  SEC. 3. WAIVER OF STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS.
  
      Section 741(b) of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug 
  Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 (7 U.S.C. 
  2279 note; Public Law 105-277) is amended--
              (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) as 
          subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C), respectively;
              (2) by striking ``(b) The'' and inserting the following:
      ``(b) Administrative Determinations.--
              ``(1) In general.--The'';
              (3) by indenting the margins of subparagraphs (A), (B), and 
          (C) (as so redesignated) to reflect the amendment made by 
          paragraph (2); and
              (4) by adding at the end the following:
              ``(2) Review by department of justice.--
                      ``(A) In general.--If a complainant seeks a 
                  determination by the Department of Agriculture on the 
                  merits of an eligible complaint under paragraph (1) and 
                  the complaint is not resolved by the Department within 
                  270 days after the complaint has been investigated by 
                  the Department, the complainant may petition the Civil 
                  Rights Division of the Department of Justice--
                              ``(i) to review the complaint; and
                              ``(ii) to make recommendations to the 
                          Department of Agriculture to resolve the 
                          complaint.
                      ``(B) Deadline.--The Civil Rights Division of the 
                  Department of Justice shall conduct the review, and 
                  make recommendations to resolve the complaint, not 
                  later than 30 days after the complainant files a 
                  petition under subparagraph (A).
                      ``(C) Access to review for other cases.--
                              ``(i) In general.--The right to review by 
                          the Department of Justice under this paragraph 
                          shall be made available to any complainant with 
                          a complaint that--
                                      ``(I) is not considered an eligible 
                                  complaint under the time criteria 
                                  described in subsection (e); and
                                      ``(II) is pending at the Office of 
                                  Civil Rights of the Department of 
                                  Agriculture on the date of enactment of 
                                  this paragraph.
                              ``(ii) Tolling.--In the case of any 
                          complaint that is reviewed by the Department of 
                          Justice under this paragraph, after the review 
                          process is completed--
                                      ``(I) the complainant--
                                              ``(aa) shall be deemed to 
                                          have exhausted the 
                                          administrative remedies of the 
                                          complainant; and
                                              ``(bb) may file an action 
                                          on the complaint in United 
                                          States District Court; and
                                      ``(II) any applicable statute of 
                                  limitations shall be tolled for the 
                                  period beginning on the date that the 
                                  complaint was filed at the Department 
                                  of Agriculture and ending on the date 
                                  of completion of the review by the 
                                  Department of Justice.''.
target: Makes the right to review by the Department of Justice available to any complainant with a complaint that: (1) is not considered an eligible complaint under specified time criteria (eligible complaints were filed before July 1, 1997, and allege discrimination occurred between 1981 and 1996); and (2) is pending at the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Agriculture on this Act's enactment date.
  Deems complainants to have exhausted administrative remedies after review is completed and authorizes the filing of actions after such time in a district court. Requires the tolling of any statute of limitations beginning on the date the complaint was filed at the Department of Agriculture and ending on date of completion of review by the Department of Justice.
feat_title: USDA Civil Rights Resolution Act of 2000