Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan (NC) today applauded passage of her "Plain Language" amendment to the Farm Bill that will make information about federal crop insurance policies more readable and accessible to farmers in North Carolina and nationwide.

"My commonsense amendment will give our nation's farmers the information they need to make informed decisions about new federal crop insurance programs," Hagan said. "Crop insurance programs and policies approved by USDA's Risk Management Agency are technical and complex. I will continue fighting for North Carolina farmers so that the Farm Bill allows them to do what they dobest: farm."

Hagan's "Plain Language" amendment would require the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) to use clear, concise and easily readable information about federal crop insurance programs. In addition, the amendment requires USDA to improve their Web site so that farmers have easy access to clear information about existing and new crop insurance policies created in the 2012 Farm Bill.


BACKGROUND

In 2010, the President issued an executive order requiring all federal agencies to use "plain language" in government communications. Unfortunately, the RMA is still 4 to 6 months away from completing "plain language training."

Hagan's amendment attempts to speed up compliance by requiring USDA to report to Congress within 180 days on the status of the agency's effort to meet the executive order's requirements. It would also require RMA to improve its Web site within one year so that agriculture producers have easy access to information on existing and new crop insurance policies.

Agriculture is North Carolina's largest industry, generating $74 billion in economic activity and employing nearly one-fifth of our state's workers.