Federal Crop Insurance Corporation – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has officially filed the plats of survey of the lands described below in the BLM Idaho State Office, Boise, Idaho, effective 9:00 a.m., on the dates specified.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to revise the General and Administrative Regulation Subpart X Interpretations of Statutory and Regulatory Provisions, to incorporate interpretations of procedures previously issued and administered in accordance with Manager's Bulletin MGR-05-018 and to provide a mechanism for interpretations of policy provisions that are not codified in the Code of Federal Regulations. The intended effect of this action is to provide requestors with information on how to request a final agency determination or an interpretation of FCIC procedures within one administrative regulation, bring consistency and clarity to the processes used, and to clarify existing provisions.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Risk Management Agency (RMA) are requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a revision of a currently approved paperwork package associated with the Acreage and Crop Reporting Streamlining Initiative (ACRSI).

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Pear Crop Insurance Provisions. The intended effect of this action is to improve coverage available to pear producers, to clarify existing policy provisions to better meet the needs of insured producers, and to reduce vulnerability to program fraud, waste, and abuse. Changes are also proposed to the Optional Coverage for Pear Quality Adjustment Endorsement to broaden coverage available to producers to manage their risk more effectively. The proposed changes will be effective for the 2015 and succeeding crop years.

This document contains a correction to the final regulation that was published Thursday, May 29, 2014 (79 FR 30703-30708). The regulation pertains to the insurance of Forage Seed.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces its intent to award approximately $2,000,000 to fund the Risk Management Education Partnerships Program. The minimum award for any cooperative partnership agreement is $20,000. The maximum award for any cooperative partnership agreement is $99,999. The cooperative partnership agreements will be awarded on a competitive basis up to one year from the date of the award.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to amend the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Pear Crop Provisions. The intended effect of this action is to improve coverage available to pear producers, to clarify existing policy provisions to better meet the needs of insured producers, and to reduce vulnerability to program fraud, waste, and abuse. Changes are also proposed to the Optional Coverage for Pear Quality Adjustment Endorsement to broaden coverage available to producers to manage their risk more effectively. The proposed changes will be effective for the 2015 and succeeding crop years.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) this notice announces the Risk Management Agency's intention to request an extension to a currently approved information collection for the submission of policies, provisions of policies and rates of premium under section 508(h) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act. This notice announces a public comment period on the information collection requests (ICRs) associated with the submission of policies, provisions of policies and rates of premium under section 508(h) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes amendments made to the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions to make the Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions consistent with the Upland Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions and to allow a late planting period. The intended effect of this action is to provide policy changes to better meet the needs of the producers. The changes will be effective for the 2014 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to add a provision to its regulations that provides forage seed insurance. The provisions will be used in conjunction with the Common Crop Insurance Policy Basic Provisions (Basic Provisions), which contain standard terms and conditions common to most crop programs. The intended effect of this action is to convert the Forage Seed pilot crop insurance program to a permanent insurance program for the 2015 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to amend the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions to make the ELS Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions consistent with the Upland Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions and to allow a late planting period. The intended effect of this action is to provide policy changes and to better meet the needs of the producers. The changes will apply for the 2014 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Area Risk Protection Insurance (ARPI) Basic Provisions, ARPI Barley Crop Insurance Provisions, ARPI Corn Crop Insurance Provisions, ARPI Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions, ARPI Forage Crop Insurance Provisions, ARPI Grain Sorghum Crop Insurance Provisions, ARPI Peanut Crop Insurance Provisions, ARPI Soybean Crop Insurance Provisions, and ARPI Wheat Crop Insurance Provisions to provide area yield protection and area revenue protection. These provisions will replace the Group Risk Plan (GRP) provisions in 7 CFR part 407, which includes the: GRP Basic Provisions, GRP Barley Crop Provisions, GRP Corn Crop Provisions, GRP Cotton Crop Provisions, GRP Forage Crop Provisions, GRP Peanut Crop Provisions, GRP Sorghum Crop Provisions, GRP Soybean Crop Provisions, and GRP Wheat Crop Provisions. The ARPI provisions will also replace the Group Risk Income Protection (GRIP) Basic Provisions, the GRIP Crop Provisions, and the GRIP-Harvest Revenue Option (GRIP-HRO). The GRP and GRIP plans of insurance will no longer be available. The intended effect of this action is to offer producers a choice of Area Revenue Protection, Area Revenue Protection with the Harvest Price Exclusion, or Area Yield Protection, all within one Basic Provision and the applicable Crop Provisions. This will reduce the amount of information producers must read to determine the best risk management tool for their operation and will improve the provisions to better meet the needs of insureds. The changes will apply for the 2014 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces its intent to award approximately $5,000,000 to fund cooperative agreements under the Risk Management Education in Targeted States Program. Purpose: The purpose of the Targeted States program is to deliver crop insurance education and information to U.S. agricultural producers in States where there is traditionally, and continues to be a low level of Federal crop insurance participation and availability, and producers are underserved by the Federal crop insurance program. These states, defined as Targeted States for the purposes of this RFA, are Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Any cooperative agreements that may be funded will not exceed the maximum funding amount established for each of the Targeted States. Awardees must agree to the substantial involvement of RMA in the project. Applications submitted under this RFA must demonstrate how the proposed crop insurance education activities will help producers in Targeted States understand: The kinds of risks addressed by crop insurance; the features of existing and emerging crop insurance products; in states where applicable, the proper use and application of cover crops as recommended or recognized by USDA, to include a thorough discussion of how cover crops are specifically recognized within the Federal crop insurance program and administered in accordance with USDA procedures or recognized good farming practices applicator specific crop and regions/location; the use of crop insurance in the management of risk; how the use of crop insurance can affect other risk management decisions, such as the use of marketing and financial tools; how to make informed decisions on crop insurance prior to the sales closing date deadline; and, record-keeping requirements for crop insurance.

This document contains corrections to the final regulation that was published Friday, December 21, 2012. The regulation pertains to the insurance of Florida Citrus Fruit.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Pecan Revenue Crop Insurance Provisions. The intended effect of this action is to provide policy changes and clarify existing policy provisions to better meet the needs of insured producers, and to reduce vulnerability to program fraud, waste, and abuse. The proposed changes will apply for the 2014 and succeeding crop years. Policyholders are hereby given notice that 2013 will be the last year coverage will be available under the old Pecan Revenue Crop Provisions. The Pecan Revenue Special Provisions will modify the Pecan Revenue Crop Provisions for the 2013 crop year by changing the definition of two-year coverage module to one crop year. This change through the Special Provisions will be applicable to policyholders beginning the first year of a two-year coverage module in the 2013 crop year. All producers who choose to purchase coverage on pecan acreage for the 2014 crop year will begin a new two-year coverage module under the terms and conditions of the revised Pecan Revenue Crop Provisions. Requiring all producers to start a new two-year coverage module for the 2014 crop year under the terms of the revised Pecan Revenue Crop Provisions will provide equitable treatment of pecan producers by allowing all pecan producers to be eligible for the same benefits beginning in the 2014 crop year and will simplify the administration of the transition to the modified program.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Florida Citrus Fruit Crop Insurance Provisions. The intended effect of this action is to provide policy changes and clarify existing policy provisions to better meet the needs of insured producers, and to reduce vulnerability to program fraud, waste, and abuse. The proposed changes will apply for the 2014 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Peach Crop Insurance Provisions. The intended effect of this action is to provide policy changes, to clarify existing policy provisions to better meet the needs of insured producers, and to reduce vulnerability to program fraud, waste, and abuse. The changes will apply for the 2013 and succeeding crop years.

The following paragraph has been added to the beginning of the Summary portion of Federal Register Notice 77 FR 21067, April 9, 2012: The Risk Management Agency (RMA) is changing the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number from 10.460 to 10.459. The CFDA number is needed in order to process an application through Grants.gov. The original CFDA number 10.460 published in the Federal Register on April 9, 2012, is not valid. If you tried to process your application using 10.460, please login to Grants.gov and use CFDA Number 10.459. All other portions and sections of the full text Notice remain unchanged. The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces its intent to award approximately $3,000,000 (subject to availability of funds) to fund the Risk Management Education and Outreach Partnerships Program. Purpose: The purpose of this competitive cooperative partnership agreement program is to deliver crop insurance education and risk management training to U.S. agricultural producers to assist them in identifying and managing production, marketing, legal, financial and human risk. The program gives priority to: (1) Educating producers of crops currently not insured under Federal crop insurance, specialty crops, and underserved commodities, including livestock and forage; and (2) providing collaborative outreach and assistance programs for limited resource, socially disadvantaged and other traditionally under-served farmers and ranchers. Education activities developed under the Risk Management Education and Outreach Partnerships Program shall provide U.S. farmers and ranchers with training and information opportunities to be able to understand: 1. The kinds of risks addressed by existing and emerging risk management tools; 2. The features and appropriate use of existing and emerging risk management tools; and 3. How to make sound risk management decisions. The minimum award for any cooperative partnership agreement is $20,000. The maximum award for any cooperative partnership agreement is $99,999. The cooperative partnership agreements will be awarded on a competitive basis up to one year from the date of the award. Awardees must demonstrate non-financial benefits from a cooperative partnership agreement and must agree to the substantial involvement of RMA in the project. Funding availability for this program may be announced at approximately the same time as funding availability for similar but separate programsCFDA No. 10.458 (Crop Insurance Education in Targeted States). Prospective applicants should carefully examine and compare the notices of each announcement. The collections of information in this Announcement have been approved by OMB under control numbers 0563-0066 and 0563-0067.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces its intent to award approximately $3,000,000 (subject to availability of funds) to fund the Risk Management Education and Outreach Partnerships Program. Purpose: The purpose of this competitive cooperative partnership agreement program is to deliver crop insurance education and risk management training to U.S. agricultural producers to assist them in identifying and managing production, marketing, legal, financial and human risk. The program gives priority to: (1) Educating producers of crops currently not insured under Federal crop insurance, specialty crops, and underserved commodities, including livestock and forage; and (2) providing collaborative outreach and assistance programs for limited resource, socially disadvantaged and other traditionally under-served farmers and ranchers. Education activities developed under the Risk Management Education and Outreach Partnerships Program shall provide U.S. farmers and ranchers with training and information opportunities to be able to understand: 1. The kinds of risks addressed by existing and emerging risk management tools; 2. The features and appropriate use of existing and emerging risk management tools; and 3. How to make sound risk management decisions.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Onion Crop Insurance Provisions. The intended effect of this action is to provide policy changes and clarify existing policy provisions to better meet the needs of insured producers, and to reduce vulnerability to program fraud, waste, and abuse. The changes will apply for the 2013 and succeeding crop years.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C Chapter 35) this notice announces the Risk Management Agency's intention to request an extension for and revision to a currently approved information collection for Risk Management and Crop Insurance Education; Request for Applications.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to amend the General Administrative Regulations to revise Subpart U Ineligibility for Programs under the Federal Crop Insurance Act to eliminate redundancies, improve clarity, remove or update obsolete references, and add references to other provisions regarding ineligibility for Federal crop insurance. In addition, FCIC proposes to remove Subpart CGeneral Administrative Regulations; Mutual Consent Cancellation and Subpart FFood Security Act of 1985, Implementation; Denial of Benefits. The changes will apply for the 2013 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to amend the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Fresh Market Tomato (Dollar Plan) Crop Provisions. The intended effect of this action is to provide policy changes, to clarify existing policy provisions to better meet the needs of insured producers, and to reduce vulnerability to program fraud, waste, and abuse. The proposed changes will be effective for the 2013 and succeeding crop years.

This notice announces a public comment period on the information collection requests (ICRs) associated with the Multiple Peril Crop Insurance.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to amend the Catastrophic Risk Protection Endorsement. The intended effect of this action is to clarify existing policy provisions and to incorporate changes that are consistent with those made in the Common Crop Insurance Policy Basic Provisions and to incorporate provisions regarding catastrophic risk protection coverage for area yield plans from the Group Risk Plan (GRP) of Insurance Basic Provisions. The proposed changes will be effective for the 2013 and succeeding crop years.