Prohibiting the EPA from Releasing the Personal Information of Farmers and Ranchers (H.R. 4157)

What is H.R. 4157?

(Updated July 18, 2017)

This bill would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or any contractor employed by the EPA from disclosing information (name, telephone number, email address, physical address, GPS coordinates) of any owner, operator or employee of a livestock operation. The bill does allow the NSA to keep doing what it's doing, though, via a clause that okays "criteria for such a disclosure...in a statistical or aggregate form without specifically identifying information." 

This legislation was introduced in response to the EPA releasing the personal information of some 80,000 farmers and ranchers in 29 different states to various environmental groups under a Freedom of Information Act request. 

Argument in favor

Protects farmer and ranchers, and their families. Access to farm data poses potential security risks, and must be protected.

Argument opposed

Harbors the potential to be used as a legal precedent for limiting rights granted under the Freedom of Information Act.

Impact

The bill affects what the EPA can do with the personal information of ranchers and farmers.

Cost of H.R. 4157

A CBO cost is currently unavailable.

Additional Info

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