Department of Agriculture – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is amending the USDA organic regulations to clarify standards for organic mushrooms and organic pet food. The topics addressed by the rule include mushroom substrate composition and sourcing of mushroom spawn in organic mushroom production, composting requirements for organic mushroom production, composition and labeling requirements for organic pet food, and the use of certain synthetic substances, including taurine, in organic pet food.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intent to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of an existing information collection in use without an OMB control number for Dairy Market News pursuant to Section 203(g) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended.

This is a Request for Information to inform the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) development of the Child Nutrition Programs Tribal Pilot Projects, as authorized in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024. The Act authorized USDA to conduct pilot projects to allow one or more Tribes or Tribal organizations to administer one or more Child Nutrition Programs, assuming the roles and responsibilities typically held by State agencies. USDA will use comments received in response to this Request for Information to inform the application process, and eligibility and selection criteria, for the Child Nutrition Tribal Pilot Projects. USDA invites feedback from Tribes; Tribal organizations, leaders, representatives, and associations; State agencies that administer the Child Nutrition Programs; and others interested in opportunities to promote Tribal sovereignty in the operation of the Child Nutrition Programs. This notice is not a request for proposals and does not commit the Government to issue a solicitation, make an award, or pay any costs associated with responding to this announcement. All submitted information will remain with the Government and will not be returned.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or Agency), an agency within Rural Development (RD), announces updates in the process for competitive lender application submissions regarding proposed properties for the Section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program (GRRHP). The amount of program dollars available for the GRRHP will be determined by the Appropriations Act for each fiscal year.

Pursuant to the provisions of the rules and regulations of the USDA and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the USDA is soliciting nominations for membership on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)and announcing potential charges for the 2025-2027 term. USDA seeks to appoint 30 members. Advisory Committee members serve a two-year term beginning September 2025 through September 2027. Members may be reappointed for one additional consecutive term at the discretion of the Secretary of Agriculture.

The Ottawa National Forest Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will hold a public meeting according to the details shown below. The committee is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (the Act) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the committee is to improve collaborative relationships and to provide advice and recommendations to the Forest Service concerning projects and funding consistent with Title II of the Act, as well as make recommendations on recreation fee proposals for sites on the Ottawa National Forest, consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS or Agency), an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Development (RD), announces its intention to request a revision to a currently approved information collection package for Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) program. The Agency invites comments on this information collection for which it intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is amending its regulation to implement changes related to the smoke alarm requirements for properties that receive funding from the Multi-Family Housing Section 515 Rural Rental Housing and the Section 514/516 Farm Labor Housing Direct Loan and Grant Programs. These changes are intended to align the Agency's smoke alarm requirements with the requirements set forth in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, requires each unit of Federally assisted housing to contain hardwired or 10-year non- rechargeable, non-replaceable, sealed, tamper-resistant, primary battery-powered smoke alarm devices containing silencing means, and provides notification for persons with hearing loss as required by applicable law (Qualifying Smoke Alarm requirements).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS or Agency), an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Development (RD), announces its intention to request a revision to a currently approved information collection package for Rural Development Cooperative Agreements (RDCA) Program. The Agency invites comments on this information collection for which it intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

We are advising the public that we have prepared a final supplemental environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) relative to our emergency response activities for highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in commercial and backyard poultry operations located in the four migratory bird flyways in the United States. This final supplemental EA supplements the initial EA and FONSI we published in September 2022, which evaluated the environmental impacts associated with the first seven States where highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks occurred. Based on our FONSI, we have determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared for the proposed action as described in this final supplemental EA.

In accordance with Title II, Subtitle B of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (which is cited as the "Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002" and referred to as the Act), we are amending and republishing the list of select agents and toxins that have the potential to pose a severe threat to animal or plant health, or to animal or plant products. The Act requires the biennial review and republication of the list of select agents and toxins (the list) and the revision of the list as necessary. This action implements the findings from the biennial review of the list. The biennial review was initiated within 2 years of the completion of the previous biennial review. This final rule will focus solely on removing from the select agent list the following pathogens: Peronosclerospora philippinensis (Peronosclerospora sacchari) (Plant Protection and Quarantine select agent), African horse sickness virus (Veterinary Services select agent), and Brucella abortus, Brucella suis, and Brucella melitensis (overlap select agents).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that NRCS will request an extension for a currently approved information collection for Long-Term Contracting forms.

This rule establishes procedures for conducting a referendum to determine whether issuance of the proposed Natural Grass Sod Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Order) is favored by natural grass sod producers. The procedures will also be used for any subsequent referenda under the Order. The proposed Order is published separately in this issue of the Federal Register.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS or the Agency), an agency of the Rural Development (RD) mission area within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is issuing a final rule to adopt changes from the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) that apply to the Biobased Markets (BioPreferred) Program. These changes include the merger of the Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement and the Voluntary Labeling Program for Biobased Products into one streamlined regulation, Biobased Markets (BioPreferred) Program.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, this notice announces the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's (NIFA) intention to extend and revise a previously approved information collection, entitled Organizational Information.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing the extension of a pilot program with updates for simple transfers of USDA Section 514 Farm Labor Housing & 515 Rural Rental Housing properties through December 9, 2025. The Agency's intention is to evaluate the existing regulations and remove regulatory barriers to reduce application requirements for certain types of transfers, resulting in lower transaction-related costs for applicants and improved processing times.

FSIS and FDA (we, the agencies) are seeking public input on food date labeling. This Request for Information seeks information on industry practices and preferences for date labeling, research results on consumer perceptions of date labeling, and any impact date labeling may have on food waste.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), proposes to update and streamline the Single-Family Housing (SFH) Self-Help Technical Assistance Grant Program. The Self-Help Program has evolved, and the current regulations as codified restrict the Agency's ability to be flexible with market changes. The intent of this proposed rule is to reduce the regulatory burdens in the current regulation, to assist the Agency to better achieve the program objectives, streamline administrative regulatory requirements and make the program more effective in serving rural Americans by increasing decent, safe, and sanitary housing stock across the Nation.

In 1986, the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology (Coordinated Framework) was published by the Office of Science and Technology Policy and explained the regulatory roles for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), (herein, the Agencies) and how Federal agencies use existing Federal statutes to ensure public health and environmental safety while maintaining regulatory flexibility to avoid impeding the growth of the biotechnology industry. The Coordinated Framework was subsequently updated in 1992 (57 FR 6753-6762; February 27, 1992) and 2017, taking into account advances that had occurred in the field of biotechnology. Within the USDA, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS') Biotechnology Regulatory Services unit is responsible for ensuring that organisms developed using genetic engineering, such as genetically modified plants, insects, and microbes do not pose a plant pest risk. APHIS derives its authority to promulgate its biotechnology regulations from provisions of the Plant Protection Act (PPA, 7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.) and the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act (VRTA, 21 U.S.C. 151-159). The EPA is charged with protecting human health and the environment through ensuring the safety of pesticides and other chemicals, including those developed using genetic engineering. The EPA derives its regulatory authority from provisions of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA, 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.) and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA, 15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.). The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices; and by ensuring the safety of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation, which includes oversight of food and feed. FDA derives its regulatory authority from provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA, 21 U.S.C. 301-392). Together with the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), FDA has oversight of certain chemicals modified using genetic engineering. FSIS derives its regulatory authority from the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA, 21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) and the Poultry Products Protection Act (PPIA, 21 U.S.C. ch.10, 451 et seq.). On September 12, 2022, Executive Order (E.O.) 14081, Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy, was published and directed the Agencies, among other things, to build on the Unified website for Biotechnology Regulation developed pursuant to E.O. 13874, Modernizing the Regulatory Framework for Agricultural Biotechnology Products, June 11, 2019, by including on the website the information developed under subsection (b) of section 8 of E.O. 14081, and by enabling developers of biotechnology products to submit inquiries about a particular product and promptly receive a single, coordinated response that provides, to the extent practicable, information and, when appropriate, informal guidance regarding the process that the developers must follow for Federal regulatory review. Need and Use of Information: The necessity for this information collection arises from E.O. 13874, Section 5, Unified Biotechnology Web-Based Platform, and E.O. 14081, Section 8(d). These provisions seek to ensure that innovators can easily navigate the Federal regulatory system for products of biotechnology by directing USDA, EPA, and FDA to jointly establish a web-based platform that contains and provides links to relevant United States Government regulatory information for biotechnology products. USDA-APHIS, EPA, and FDA will use a web-form on the contact page of the Unified website to enable site visitors to ask questions, make comments, or request a meeting with one or all of the sponsoring agencies. The web-form will collect basic contact information such as the name and email address of contact page respondents, as well as the respondents' questions or comments and their meeting requests. Respondent use of the contact page is voluntary. Description of Respondents: Business. Number of Respondents: 30. Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Annual. Total Burden Hours: 15.