Aging Administration 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Mineral County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Superior, Montana. 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.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposes to revise the United States Standards for Grades of Processed Raisins. AMS is proposing to remove five references to the term ``midget'' throughout the standards. These changes would modernize and clarify the standards by removing dual terminology for the same requirement.

The Land Between The Lakes Advisory Board (Board) will meet in Golden Pond, Kentucky. The Board is authorized under section 450 of the Land Between The Lakes Protection Act of 1998 (Act) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the Board is to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on the means of promoting public participation for the land and resource management plan for the recreation area; and environmental education. Additional Board information, including the meeting agenda and the meeting summary/minutes can be found at the following Web site: https:// www.landbetweenthelakes.us/about/working-together/.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim rule recommended by the Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee (Committee) that further revised the quantity of Class 3 (Native) spearmint oil that handlers may purchase from, or handle on behalf of, producers during the 2014-2015 marketing year under the Far West spearmint oil marketing order. The salable quantity and allotment percentage for Native spearmint oil was initially established at 1,090,821 pounds and 46 percent, respectively, and was subsequently increased to 1,280,561 pounds and 54 percent in a separate rulemaking action. This action further increases the Native spearmint oil salable quantity to 1,351,704 pounds and the allotment percentage to 57 percent for the 2014-2015 marketing year. This change is expected to help maintain orderly marketing conditions in the Far West spearmint oil market.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposes to revise the United States Standards for Grades of Canned Baked Beans. AMS is proposing to replace process- specific language ``Product description'' in the standard with language reflective of current canned baked bean manufacturing practices. Additionally, AMS proposes separating the canned dried beans, canned pork and beans, and canned baked beans grade standards from one shared standard document into three separate standard documents. These changes would bring the grade standards for canned baked beans in line with the present quality levels being marketed today and would provide guidance in the effective use of these products.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that continued the previous suspension of the marketing order for Irish potatoes grown in Southeastern states (order). The interim rule continued the suspension of all provisions of the order, and the rules and regulations implemented thereunder, through March 1, 2017, as requested by representatives of the Virginia/North Carolina Irish potato industry. This provides the industry more time to consider changes which could affect the need for the order. If the industry does not petition to have the order reactivated by the end of the suspension period, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will propose to terminate the order.

This rule implements a recommendation from the Washington Apricot Marketing Committee (Committee) for a decrease in the assessment rate from $1.50 to $0.75 per ton of Washington apricots handled for the 2015-2016 and subsequent fiscal periods. The Committee locally administers the marketing order and is comprised of producers and handlers of apricots grown in designated counties in Washington. Assessments upon apricot handlers are used by the Committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The fiscal period begins April 1 and ends March 31. The new assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended or terminated.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to amend the definition and standard of identity for the ``roaster'' or ``roasting chicken'' poultry class to better reflect the characteristics of ``roaster'' chickens in the market today. ``Roasters'' or ``roasting chickens'' are described in terms of the age and ready-to-cook (RTC) carcass weight of the bird. Genetic changes and management techniques have continued to reduce the grow-out period and increased the RTC weight for this poultry class. Therefore, FSIS is proposing to amend the ``roaster'' definition to remove the 8-week minimum age criterion and increase the RTC carcass weight from 5 pounds to 5.5 pounds. This action is being taken in response to a petition submitted by the National Chicken Council.

This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the California Walnut Board (Board) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2015-16 and subsequent marketing years from $0.0189 to $0.0379 per kernelweight pound of assessable walnuts. The Board locally administers the marketing order and is comprised of growers and handlers of walnuts operating within the area of production. Assessments upon walnut handlers are used by the Board to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The marketing year begins September 1 and ends August 31. The assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on a proposed information collection, which is a revision of a currently approved form. The purpose of the Food Programs Reporting System (FPRS) is to facilitate data gathering for the reporting of data for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Nutrition Programs. FPRS consolidated certain programmatic and financial data reporting requirements in an electronic reporting system and is the primary collection point for FNS program performance statistics and financial data from State agencies, Indian Tribal Organizations and U.S. Territories participating in the nutrition assistance programs.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing a meeting of the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (Committee). The meeting is being convened to examine the full spectrum of fruit and vegetable industry issues and to provide recommendations and ideas to the Secretary of Agriculture on how the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) can tailor programs and services to better meet the needs of the U.S. produce industry. The meeting is open to the public. This notice sets forth the schedule and location for the meeting.

In accordance with the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4) and (11), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Office of Inspector General (OIG) proposes to revise its systems of records by establishing one new system of records, by deleting a current system of records, by adding new routine uses, and by making technical changes and corrections to certain existing routine uses and systems of records.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in a cooperative partnership with the Softwood Lumber Board and the Binational Softwood Lumber Council is conducting a prize competition funding initiative to support the demonstration of tall wood buildings in the United States. The U.S. Tall Wood Building Prize Competition (the ``Competition'') is being conducted to showcase the architectural and commercial viability of advanced wood products in tall building construction in order to support employment opportunities in rural communities, maintain the health and resiliency of the Nation's forests, and advance sustainability in the built environment. On October 10, 2014, USDA published official competition rules in the Federal Register in Notice 79 FR 61275. The competition rules note that the Prize Purse is a combined pool from the Competition Partners of $2 million and that the Prize Purse may increase, but will not decrease. The rules also state that any increases in the Prize Purse will be posted on the Competition Web site (www.tallwoodbuildingcompetition.org) and published in the Federal Register. The Softwood Lumber Board has committed an additional $1 million to support the competition. By way of this notice, USDA is informing the public that the combined competition prize purse is now $3 million in accordance with the competition's official rules. The Prize Purse will be used to fund one or more awards; the number of awards made will depend on the estimated amount of Eligible Expenses proposed by the winning Project Proponent Team(s). Award(s) will be made to the winning Project Proponent Team(s) to cover incremental costs of transitioning their building from a traditional structure to a wood structure, i.e., those costs incurred only because of the Project Proponent Team's innovative use of wood products in the demonstration structure. Additional details may be found in the original Federal Register Notice.

This notice is announcing that the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold meetings of the full Committee and subcommittees on September 9-11, 2015. The Committee will discuss: (1) Effective Salmonella Control Strategies for Poultry and (2) Virulence Factors and Attributes that Define Foodborne Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) as Severe Human Pathogens.

We are advising the public that we have determined that it is necessary to add to the Plant Protection and Quarantine Treatment Manual two treatment options for use in controlling imported fire ant. We have prepared treatment evaluation documents that describe the new treatment options and provide justification as to why they are effective at neutralizing imported fire ant. In addition, we have prepared a supplemental environmental assessment to update the existing environmental assessment for imported fire ant treatments. We are making the treatment evaluation documents and the supplemental environmental assessment available for review and comment.

In a final rule published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2014, and effective on November 26, 2014, we amended the regulations concerning the importation of citrus fruit to remove certain restrictions on the importation of Unshu oranges from Japan. Among other amendments, we removed a requirement for joint inspection of the fruit at groves and packinghouses by the Government of Japan and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. As an unintended consequence of removing that requirement, we effectively precluded the Government of Japan from being able to meet another one of the requirements of the regulations, which requires oranges produced on two islands in Japan to be fumigated with methyl bromide prior to exportation to the United States, if the oranges are destined for certain commercial citrus-producing areas of the United States. This document corrects that error.

In accordance with the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C.A. 5843), the United States Department of Agriculture announces the solicitation for nominations to fill five vacancies on the National Genetic Resources Advisory Council (NGRAC), a subcommittee of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board.

The Tuolumne and Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Sonora, California. 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. Additional RAC information, including the meeting agenda and the meeting summary/minutes can be found at the following Web site: https:// www.fs.usda.gov/main/pts/specialprojects/racweb.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Energy Answers Arecibo, LLC's (Energy Answers) proposed Waste to Energy Project (Project) in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. RUS is issuing the Draft EIS to inform interested parties and the general public about the proposed Project and to invite the public to comment on the scope, proposed action, and other issues addressed in the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS addresses the construction, operation, and maintenance of Energy Answers' proposed Project, a waste-to-energy generation and resource recovery facility in the Cambalache Ward of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. RUS prepared the EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as amended, the Council on Environmental Quality's Regulation for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and RUS's Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR part 1794). RUS will hold a public hearing to receive oral comments on the Draft EIS.

This document corrects an error in the initial notice that appeared in the Federal Register on July 28, 2015, entitled ``Inviting Rural Business Development Grant Program Applications for Grants to Provide Technical Assistance for Rural Transportation Systems.'' On page 44928, first column, the incorrect application deadline date was used and does not match with the date under the DATES section of the initial notice.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS) is proposing to amend regulations to change program requirements regarding financial reporting to align RHS requirements with those of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which will reduce the burden on the borrower to produce multiple financial reports.

This rule prescribes late payment and interest charges on past due assessments under the Processed Raspberry Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Order). The Order is administered by the National Processed Raspberry Council (Council) with oversight by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Under the Order, assessments are collected from domestic producers and importers and used for research and promotion projects designed to maintain and expand the market for processed raspberries. This rule implements authority contained in the Order that allows the Council to collect late payment and interest charges on past due assessments. Three additional changes are being made to reflect current practices and update the Order and regulations. The changes will contribute to effective administration of the program and were unanimously recommended by the Council.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, and Housing and Urban Development (Departments) are proposing a new information collection: Required Elements for Submission of the Unified or Combined State Plan and Plan Modifications under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) (Pub. L. 113-128).