Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Federal Grants Program-General Administration Provisions, 58809-58811 [2016-18422]
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58809
Rules and Regulations
Federal Register
Vol. 81, No. 166
Friday, August 26, 2016
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains regulatory documents having general
applicability and legal effect, most of which
are keyed to and codified in the Code of
Federal Regulations, which is published under
50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.
The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by
the Superintendent of Documents. Prices of
new books are listed in the first FEDERAL
REGISTER issue of each week.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
National Institute of Food and
Agriculture
I. Background and Summary
7 CFR Part 3430
Authority
This rulemaking is authorized by
section 2(b) of the Competitive, Special,
and Faculties Research Grant Act 7
U.S.C. 450i(b).
RIN 0524–AA67
Agriculture and Food Research
Initiative Competitive Federal Grants
Program—General Administration
Provisions
National Institute of Food and
Agriculture, USDA.
ACTION: Final rule with request for
comments.
AGENCY:
The National Institute of Food
and Agriculture (NIFA) is publishing as
a final rule a revision to the general
administrative guidelines applicable to
the Agriculture and Food Research
Initiative (AFRI) competitive grant
program. The purpose of this final rule
is to implement the Agriculture and
Food Research Initiative commodity
board provision added by section 7404
of the Agricultural Act of 2014 making
it necessary to modify the AFRI
regulations.
SUMMARY:
This final rule becomes effective
on August 26, 2016. NIFA is requesting
comments for 30 days until September
26, 2016.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
identified by Agriculture and Food
Research Initiative Competitive Federal
Grants Program—General
Administration Provisions, by any of the
following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
Email: commodityboards@
nifa.usda.gov. Include Agriculture and
Food Research Initiative Competitive
Federal Grants Program—General
Administration Provisions in the subject
line of the message.
ehiers on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with RULES
DATES:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:39 Aug 25, 2016
Instructions: All comments received
must include the agency name and
reference to Agriculture and Food
Research Initiative Competitive Federal
Grants Program—General
Administration Provisions. All
comments received will be posted to
https://www.regulations.gov, including
any personal information provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Maria Koszalka, Division Director,
Policy and Oversight Division, Phone:
202–401–4325, Email: maria.koszalka@
nifa.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Jkt 238001
Organization of 7 CFR Part 3430
A primary function of NIFA is the
fair, effective, and efficient
administration of Federal assistance
programs implementing agricultural
research, education, and extension
programs. The awards made under the
above authority are subject to the NIFA
assistance regulations at 7 CFR part
3430, Competitive and Noncompetitive
Non-formula Federal Assistance
Programs—General Award
Administrative Provisions. NIFA’s
development and publication of this
regulation for its non-formula Federal
assistance programs enhances its
accountability and standardizes
procedures across the Federal assistance
programs it administers while providing
transparency to the public. NIFA
published 7 CFR part 3430 with
subparts A through F as a final rule on
September 4, 2009 [74 FR 45736–
45752]. These regulations apply to all
Federal assistance programs
administered by NIFA except for the
formula grant programs identified in 7
CFR 3430.1(f), the Small Business
Innovation Research programs with
implementing regulations at 7 CFR part
3403, and the Veterinary Medicine Loan
Repayment Program (VMLRP), with
implementing regulations at 7 CFR part
3431.
NIFA organized the regulation as
follows: Subparts A through E provide
administrative provisions for all
competitive and noncompetitive nonformula Federal assistance programs.
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Frm 00001
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
Subparts F and thereafter apply to
specific NIFA programs.
NIFA is, to the extent practical, using
the following subpart template for each
program authority: (1) Applicability of
regulations, (2) purpose, (3) definitions
(those in addition to or different from
§ 3430.2), (4) eligibility, (5) project types
and priorities, (6) funding restrictions,
(7) matching requirements, and (8)
duration of grant. Subparts F and
thereafter contain the above seven
components in this order. Additional
sections may be added for a specific
program if there are additional
requirements or a need for additional
rules for the program (e.g., additional
reporting requirements).
Through this rulemaking, NIFA is
making minor additions to Subpart G—
Agriculture and Food Research
Initiative (AFRI) in order to implement
the AFRI commodity board provision
from section 7404 of the Agricultural
Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113–79).
Subpart G of 7 CFR 3430
Subpart G contains the administrative
provisions for the Agriculture and Food
Research Initiative (AFRI). The purpose
of AFRI is to make competitive grants
for fundamental and applied research,
extension, and education to address
food and agricultural sciences, as
defined under section 1404 of the
National Agriculture Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of
1977, as amended (7 U.S.C. 3103).
II. Revisions Included in the Final Rule
Subpart G
Section 7404 of the Agricultural Act
of 2014 amended the general
administration, special considerations,
and eligible entities subsections for the
Agriculture and Food Research
Initiative (AFRI) program, and added a
special contributions requirement
making it necessary to modify the
program’s administrative provisions.
With this rule, NIFA makes clear that
it will solicit funding ideas under this
subpart from statutorily defined
national and state commodity boards for
research topics that the commodity
boards are willing to co-fund equally
with NIFA under the AFRI competitive
grant program. If the ideas are evaluated
and found to be consistent with the
AFRI statutory priorities and priorities
noted in the President’s budget request
related to NIFA, the topics will be
E:\FR\FM\26AUR1.SGM
26AUR1
58810
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 166 / Friday, August 26, 2016 / Rules and Regulations
incorporated in existing program areas
in the relevant AFRI Request for
Applications (RFA(s)). Researchers
wishing to submit a proposal on a topic
suggested by a commodity board will be
required to obtain a letter of support
from the co-funding commodity board.
The applications submitted in response
to a commodity board co-funded topic
will compete against all proposals
submitted in the same RFA program
area. Supported applications will
receive no preference regarding the
evaluation of their scientific merit.
Letters of commodity board support will
be used by NIFA solely to determine
that the application fits within the
commodity board co-funded topic and
the commodity board is willing to cofund that application, if it is evaluated
by the review panel as being meritorious
and recommended for award.
III. Administrative Requirements for
the Rulemaking
While the Administrative Procedure
Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2),
specifically exempts rules that involve
public property, loans, grants, benefits,
or contracts from notice-and-comment
requirements, NIFA is issuing this rule
as final with request for comments.
Accordingly, NIFA is allowing 30 days
for the submission of comments.
If upon consideration of the
comments received in response to this
notice NIFA decides to amend the AFRI
final rule, NIFA will issue a subsequent
final rule that includes an explanation
of any changes made in response to the
comments.
ehiers on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with RULES
Executive Order 12866 and Executive
Order 13563
Executive Orders 12866 and 13563
direct agencies to assess all costs and
benefits of available regulatory
alternatives and, if regulation is
necessary, to select regulatory
approaches that maximize net benefits
(including potential economic,
environmental, public health and safety
effects, distributive impacts, and
equity). Executive Order 13563
emphasizes the importance of
quantifying both costs and benefits, of
reducing costs, of harmonizing rules,
and of promoting flexibility. This rule
has been determined to be not
significant.
Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980
This final rule has been reviewed in
accordance with the Regulatory
Flexibility Act of 1980, as amended by
the Small Business Regulatory
Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, (5
U.S.C. 601–612). The Director certifies
that this final regulation will not have
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:39 Aug 25, 2016
Jkt 238001
a significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities.
This final regulation will affect
institutions of higher education
receiving Federal funds under this
program. The U.S. Small Business
Administration Size Standards define
institutions as ‘‘small entities’’ if they
are for-profit or nonprofit institutions
with total annual revenue below
$5,000,000 or if they are institutions
controlled by governmental entities
with populations below 50,000. The
rule does not involve regulatory and
informational requirements regarding
businesses, organizations, and
governmental jurisdictions subject to
regulation.
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
The Department certifies that this
final rule has been assessed in
accordance with the requirements of the
Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C.
3501 et seq. (PRA). The Department
concludes that this final rule does not
impose any new information
requirements or increase the burden
hours. In addition to the SF–424 form
families (i.e., Research and Related and
Mandatory) and the SF–425 Federal
Financial Report (FFR) No. 0348–0061,
NIFA has three currently approved
OMB information collections associated
with this rulemaking: OMB Information
Collection No. 0524–0042, NIFA
REEport; No. 0524–0041, NIFA
Application Review Process; and No.
0524–0026, Organizational Information.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
This final regulation applies to the
following Federal financial assistance
programs administered by NIFA
including CFDA No. 10.310, Agriculture
and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
and Executive Order 13132
The Department has reviewed this
final rule in accordance with the
requirements of Executive Order No.
13132 and the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act of 1995, 2 U.S.C. 1501 et
seq., and has found no potential or
substantial direct effects on the States,
on the relationship between the national
government and the States, or on the
distribution of power and
responsibilities among the various
levels of government. As there is no
Federal mandate contained herein that
could result in increased expenditures
by State, local, or tribal governments, or
by the private sector, the Department
has not prepared a budgetary impact
statement.
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Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
Clarity of This Regulation
Executive Order 12866 and the
President’s Memorandum of June 1,
1998, require each agency to write all
rules in plain language. The Department
invites comments on how to make this
final rule easier to understand.
List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 3430
Administrative practice and
procedure, Agricultural research,
Education, Extension, Federal
assistance.
Accordingly, the Department of
Agriculture, National Institute of Food
and Agriculture, adopts the final rule
amending 7 CFR part 3430 which was
published at 75 FR 54759 on September
9, 2010, and amends 7 CFR part 3430 as
set forth below:
PART 3430—COMPETITIVE AND
NONCOMPETITIVE NON–FORMULA
FEDERAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS—
GENERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATIVE
PROVISIONS
1. The authority citation for part 3430
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 3316; Pub. L. 106–107
(31 U.S.C. 6101 note).
Subpart G—Agriculture and Food
Research Initiative
■
2. Add § 3430.313 to read as follows:
§ 3430.313 Inclusion of research topics
proposed by national and state commodity
boards in request for applications.
NIFA will solicit funding ideas under
this subpart from statutorily defined
national and state commodity boards for
research topics that the commodity
boards are willing to co-fund equally
with NIFA under the AFRI competitive
grant program. If the ideas are evaluated
and found to be consistent with the
AFRI statutory priorities and priorities
noted in the President’s budget request
related to NIFA, the topics will be
incorporated in existing program areas
in the relevant AFRI Request for
Applications (RFA(s)). Researchers
wishing to submit a proposal on a topic
suggested by a commodity board will be
required to obtain a letter of support
from the co-funding commodity board.
The applications submitted in response
to a commodity board co-funded topic
will compete against all proposals
submitted in the same RFA program
area. Supported applications will
receive no preference regarding the
evaluation of their scientific merit.
Letters of commodity board support will
be used by NIFA solely to determine
that the application fits within the
commodity board co-funded topic and
E:\FR\FM\26AUR1.SGM
26AUR1
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 166 / Friday, August 26, 2016 / Rules and Regulations
the commodity board is willing to cofund that application, if it is evaluated
by the review panel as being meritorious
and recommended for award.
Done at Washington, DC, this 29 day of
July, 2016.
Robert E. Holland,
Associate Director for Operations, National
Institute of Food and Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2016–18422 Filed 8–25–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
74; fax: +41 (0)41 619 67 73; email:
techsupport@pilatus-aircraft.com;
Internet: https://www.pilatusaircraft.com. You may view this
referenced service information at the
FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901
Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106.
For information on the availability of
this material at the FAA, call (816) 329–
4148. It is also available on the Internet
at https://www.regulations.gov by
searching for Docket No. FAA–2016–
7026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
[Docket No. FAA–2016–7026; Directorate
Identifier 2016–CE–016–AD; Amendment
39–18620; AD 2016–17–07]
Doug Rudolph, Aerospace Engineer,
FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901
Locust, Room 301, Kansas City,
Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329–
4059; fax: (816) 329–4090; email:
doug.rudolph@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
RIN 2120–AA64
Discussion
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
Airworthiness Directives; PILATUS
Aircraft Ltd. Airplanes
Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
We are adopting a new
airworthiness directive (AD) for
PILATUS Aircraft Ltd. Model PC–7
airplanes. This AD results from
mandatory continuing airworthiness
information (MCAI) issued by an
aviation authority of another country to
identify and correct an unsafe condition
on an aviation product. The MCAI
describes the unsafe condition as stress
corrosion cracking on the main frame on
frame 11 left and right fittings. We are
issuing this AD to require actions to
address the unsafe condition on these
products.
SUMMARY:
This AD is effective September
30, 2016.
The Director of the Federal Register
approved the incorporation by reference
of a certain publication listed in the AD
as of September 30, 2016.
ADDRESSES: You may examine the AD
docket on the Internet at https://
www.regulations.gov by searching for
and locating Docket No. FAA–2016–
7026; or in person at Document
Management Facility, U.S. Department
of Transportation, Docket Operations,
M–30, West Building Ground Floor,
Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
For service information identified in
this AD, contact PILATUS Aircraft Ltd.,
Customer Technical Support (MCC),
P.O. Box 992, CH–6371 Stans,
Switzerland; phone: +41 (0)41 619 67
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DATES:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:39 Aug 25, 2016
Jkt 238001
We issued a notice of proposed
rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR
part 39 by adding an AD that would
apply to PILATUS Aircraft Ltd. Model
PC–7 airplanes. The NPRM was
published in the Federal Register on
June 9, 2016 (81 FR 37166). The NPRM
proposed to correct an unsafe condition
for the specified products and was
based on mandatory continuing
airworthiness information (MCAI)
originated by an aviation authority of
another country. The MCAI states:
This Airworthiness Directive (AD) is
prompted due to a report of Stress Corrosion
Cracking (SCC) on the Main Frame on Frame
(FR) 11 left fitting Part Number (P/N)
112.35.07.489 and right fitting P/N
112.35.07.490.
Such a condition, if left uncorrected, could
lead to potential loss of the horizontal
stabilizer.
In order to correct and control the
situation, this AD requires a one-time check
to identify the material specification and
inspect the affected areas of the airframe that
are made of aluminum alloy AA2024–T351.
Any structural parts of the aircraft structure
found to be cracked must be reported to
Pilatus prior to further flight.
The MCAI can be found in the AD
docket on the Internet at: https://
www.regulations.gov/
document?D=FAA-2016-7026-0002.
Comments
We gave the public the opportunity to
participate in developing this AD. We
received no comments on the NPRM (81
FR 37166, June 9, 2016) or on the
determination of the cost to the public.
Conclusion
We reviewed the relevant data and
determined that air safety and the
public interest require adopting the AD
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Frm 00003
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
58811
as proposed except for minor editorial
changes. We have determined that these
minor changes:
• Are consistent with the intent that was
proposed in the NPRM (81 FR 37166, June 9,
2016) for correcting the unsafe condition; and
• Do not add any additional burden upon
the public than was already proposed in the
NPRM (81 FR 37166, June 9, 2016).
Related Service Information Under 1
CFR Part 51
We reviewed PILATUS Aircraft Ltd.
PC–7 Service Bulletin No: 53–013; and
PILATUS Aircraft Ltd. PC–7 Service
Bulletin No: 53–014, both dated
February 25, 2016. PILATUS Aircraft
Ltd. PC–7 Service Bulletin No: 53–013,
dated February 25, 2016, describes
procedures for initial and repetitive
inspection of the main frame FR11 left
and right fittings for stress corrosion
cracking; and PILATUS Aircraft Ltd.
PC–7 Service Bulletin No: 53–014, dated
February 25, 2016, describes procedures
for replacement of the main frame FR11
left and right fittings when necessary.
This service information is reasonably
available because the interested parties
have access to it through their normal
course of business or by the means
identified in the ADDRESSES section of
the AD.
Costs of Compliance
We estimate that this AD will affect
19 products of U.S. registry. We also
estimate that it would take about 3
work-hours per product to check the
material specification of the fittings and
11 work-hours per product to inspect
the 2014–T351 fittings as required in
order to comply with the basic
requirements of this AD. The average
labor rate is $85 per work-hour.
Based on these figures, we estimate
the cost of this AD on U.S. operators to
be $17,765, or $935 per product.
In addition, we estimate that any
necessary follow-on actions would take
about 19 work-hours and require parts
costing $5,000 for a cost of $6,615 per
product. We have no way of
determining the number of products
that may need these actions.
According to the manufacturer, some
of the costs of this AD may be covered
under warranty, thereby reducing the
cost impact on affected individuals. We
do not control warranty coverage for
affected individuals. As a result, we
have included all costs in our cost
estimate.
Authority for This Rulemaking
Title 49 of the United States Code
specifies the FAA’s authority to issue
rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I,
section 106, describes the authority of
E:\FR\FM\26AUR1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 166 (Friday, August 26, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 58809-58811]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-18422]
========================================================================
Rules and Regulations
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents
having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed
to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published
under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.
The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
Prices of new books are listed in the first FEDERAL REGISTER issue of each
week.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 166 / Friday, August 26, 2016 / Rules
and Regulations
[[Page 58809]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
7 CFR Part 3430
RIN 0524-AA67
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Federal
Grants Program--General Administration Provisions
AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA.
ACTION: Final rule with request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is
publishing as a final rule a revision to the general administrative
guidelines applicable to the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative
(AFRI) competitive grant program. The purpose of this final rule is to
implement the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative commodity board
provision added by section 7404 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 making
it necessary to modify the AFRI regulations.
DATES: This final rule becomes effective on August 26, 2016. NIFA is
requesting comments for 30 days until September 26, 2016.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Agriculture and Food
Research Initiative Competitive Federal Grants Program--General
Administration Provisions, by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
Email: commodityboards@nifa.usda.gov. Include Agriculture and Food
Research Initiative Competitive Federal Grants Program--General
Administration Provisions in the subject line of the message.
Instructions: All comments received must include the agency name
and reference to Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive
Federal Grants Program--General Administration Provisions. All comments
received will be posted to https://www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Koszalka, Division Director,
Policy and Oversight Division, Phone: 202-401-4325, Email:
maria.koszalka@nifa.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background and Summary
Authority
This rulemaking is authorized by section 2(b) of the Competitive,
Special, and Faculties Research Grant Act 7 U.S.C. 450i(b).
Organization of 7 CFR Part 3430
A primary function of NIFA is the fair, effective, and efficient
administration of Federal assistance programs implementing agricultural
research, education, and extension programs. The awards made under the
above authority are subject to the NIFA assistance regulations at 7 CFR
part 3430, Competitive and Noncompetitive Non-formula Federal
Assistance Programs--General Award Administrative Provisions. NIFA's
development and publication of this regulation for its non-formula
Federal assistance programs enhances its accountability and
standardizes procedures across the Federal assistance programs it
administers while providing transparency to the public. NIFA published
7 CFR part 3430 with subparts A through F as a final rule on September
4, 2009 [74 FR 45736-45752]. These regulations apply to all Federal
assistance programs administered by NIFA except for the formula grant
programs identified in 7 CFR 3430.1(f), the Small Business Innovation
Research programs with implementing regulations at 7 CFR part 3403, and
the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP), with
implementing regulations at 7 CFR part 3431.
NIFA organized the regulation as follows: Subparts A through E
provide administrative provisions for all competitive and
noncompetitive non-formula Federal assistance programs. Subparts F and
thereafter apply to specific NIFA programs.
NIFA is, to the extent practical, using the following subpart
template for each program authority: (1) Applicability of regulations,
(2) purpose, (3) definitions (those in addition to or different from
Sec. 3430.2), (4) eligibility, (5) project types and priorities, (6)
funding restrictions, (7) matching requirements, and (8) duration of
grant. Subparts F and thereafter contain the above seven components in
this order. Additional sections may be added for a specific program if
there are additional requirements or a need for additional rules for
the program (e.g., additional reporting requirements).
Through this rulemaking, NIFA is making minor additions to Subpart
G--Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) in order to
implement the AFRI commodity board provision from section 7404 of the
Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79).
Subpart G of 7 CFR 3430
Subpart G contains the administrative provisions for the
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). The purpose of AFRI is
to make competitive grants for fundamental and applied research,
extension, and education to address food and agricultural sciences, as
defined under section 1404 of the National Agriculture Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as amended (7 U.S.C. 3103).
II. Revisions Included in the Final Rule
Subpart G
Section 7404 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 amended the general
administration, special considerations, and eligible entities
subsections for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)
program, and added a special contributions requirement making it
necessary to modify the program's administrative provisions.
With this rule, NIFA makes clear that it will solicit funding ideas
under this subpart from statutorily defined national and state
commodity boards for research topics that the commodity boards are
willing to co-fund equally with NIFA under the AFRI competitive grant
program. If the ideas are evaluated and found to be consistent with the
AFRI statutory priorities and priorities noted in the President's
budget request related to NIFA, the topics will be
[[Page 58810]]
incorporated in existing program areas in the relevant AFRI Request for
Applications (RFA(s)). Researchers wishing to submit a proposal on a
topic suggested by a commodity board will be required to obtain a
letter of support from the co-funding commodity board. The applications
submitted in response to a commodity board co-funded topic will compete
against all proposals submitted in the same RFA program area. Supported
applications will receive no preference regarding the evaluation of
their scientific merit. Letters of commodity board support will be used
by NIFA solely to determine that the application fits within the
commodity board co-funded topic and the commodity board is willing to
co-fund that application, if it is evaluated by the review panel as
being meritorious and recommended for award.
III. Administrative Requirements for the Rulemaking
While the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2),
specifically exempts rules that involve public property, loans, grants,
benefits, or contracts from notice-and-comment requirements, NIFA is
issuing this rule as final with request for comments. Accordingly, NIFA
is allowing 30 days for the submission of comments.
If upon consideration of the comments received in response to this
notice NIFA decides to amend the AFRI final rule, NIFA will issue a
subsequent final rule that includes an explanation of any changes made
in response to the comments.
Executive Order 12866 and Executive Order 13563
Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 direct agencies to assess all
costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives and, if
regulation is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that maximize
net benefits (including potential economic, environmental, public
health and safety effects, distributive impacts, and equity). Executive
Order 13563 emphasizes the importance of quantifying both costs and
benefits, of reducing costs, of harmonizing rules, and of promoting
flexibility. This rule has been determined to be not significant.
Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980
This final rule has been reviewed in accordance with the Regulatory
Flexibility Act of 1980, as amended by the Small Business Regulatory
Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, (5 U.S.C. 601-612). The Director
certifies that this final regulation will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. This final
regulation will affect institutions of higher education receiving
Federal funds under this program. The U.S. Small Business
Administration Size Standards define institutions as ``small entities''
if they are for-profit or nonprofit institutions with total annual
revenue below $5,000,000 or if they are institutions controlled by
governmental entities with populations below 50,000. The rule does not
involve regulatory and informational requirements regarding businesses,
organizations, and governmental jurisdictions subject to regulation.
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
The Department certifies that this final rule has been assessed in
accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq. (PRA). The Department concludes that this final
rule does not impose any new information requirements or increase the
burden hours. In addition to the SF-424 form families (i.e., Research
and Related and Mandatory) and the SF-425 Federal Financial Report
(FFR) No. 0348-0061, NIFA has three currently approved OMB information
collections associated with this rulemaking: OMB Information Collection
No. 0524-0042, NIFA REEport; No. 0524-0041, NIFA Application Review
Process; and No. 0524-0026, Organizational Information.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
This final regulation applies to the following Federal financial
assistance programs administered by NIFA including CFDA No. 10.310,
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 and Executive Order 13132
The Department has reviewed this final rule in accordance with the
requirements of Executive Order No. 13132 and the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act of 1995, 2 U.S.C. 1501 et seq., and has found no potential
or substantial direct effects on the States, on the relationship
between the national government and the States, or on the distribution
of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government.
As there is no Federal mandate contained herein that could result in
increased expenditures by State, local, or tribal governments, or by
the private sector, the Department has not prepared a budgetary impact
statement.
Clarity of This Regulation
Executive Order 12866 and the President's Memorandum of June 1,
1998, require each agency to write all rules in plain language. The
Department invites comments on how to make this final rule easier to
understand.
List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 3430
Administrative practice and procedure, Agricultural research,
Education, Extension, Federal assistance.
Accordingly, the Department of Agriculture, National Institute of
Food and Agriculture, adopts the final rule amending 7 CFR part 3430
which was published at 75 FR 54759 on September 9, 2010, and amends 7
CFR part 3430 as set forth below:
PART 3430--COMPETITIVE AND NONCOMPETITIVE NON-FORMULA FEDERAL
ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS--GENERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
0
1. The authority citation for part 3430 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 3316; Pub. L. 106-107 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note).
Subpart G--Agriculture and Food Research Initiative
0
2. Add Sec. 3430.313 to read as follows:
Sec. 3430.313 Inclusion of research topics proposed by national and
state commodity boards in request for applications.
NIFA will solicit funding ideas under this subpart from statutorily
defined national and state commodity boards for research topics that
the commodity boards are willing to co-fund equally with NIFA under the
AFRI competitive grant program. If the ideas are evaluated and found to
be consistent with the AFRI statutory priorities and priorities noted
in the President's budget request related to NIFA, the topics will be
incorporated in existing program areas in the relevant AFRI Request for
Applications (RFA(s)). Researchers wishing to submit a proposal on a
topic suggested by a commodity board will be required to obtain a
letter of support from the co-funding commodity board. The applications
submitted in response to a commodity board co-funded topic will compete
against all proposals submitted in the same RFA program area. Supported
applications will receive no preference regarding the evaluation of
their scientific merit. Letters of commodity board support will be used
by NIFA solely to determine that the application fits within the
commodity board co-funded topic and
[[Page 58811]]
the commodity board is willing to co-fund that application, if it is
evaluated by the review panel as being meritorious and recommended for
award.
Done at Washington, DC, this 29 day of July, 2016.
Robert E. Holland,
Associate Director for Operations, National Institute of Food and
Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2016-18422 Filed 8-25-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-22-P
