Two overbroad anti-disclosure provisions part of House-Senate negotiations over farm bill
The two proposed exemptions to disclosure contained in the House-passed farm bill (HR 2642) would broadly inhibit public understanding of agriculture issues and prevent valuable uses of public information in our democracy. Congressional negotiators will decide the fate of these provisions as they reconcile differences between farm bills passed in the U.S. House and Senate starting this week. Section 1613 One provision (Sec. 1613) contained in the bill that passed the House (HR 2642), would create a presumption of secrecy about farming operations by prohibiting any agency from disclosing on a discretionary basis information submitted to it “concerning an agricultural [More]