Department of Agriculture – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Shasta County 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 (FACA). 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 Shasta-Trinity National Forest within Shasta County, consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.

On May 8, 2024, we published a final rule amending the horse protection regulations. The amendments to the final rule initially scheduled to go into effect on February 1, 2025, were delayed until April 2, 2025. In this document, we are further delaying the effective date of the amendments effective April 2, 2025, to February 1, 2026. We are also seeking comment on whether the length of this postponement should be extended and soliciting any supplemental information that may help inform a decision regarding an appropriate length of postponement.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act requirement, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection request associated with the Measurement Service Record.

This document extends the comment period of the January 16, 2025, notice and request for comments on revisions to the United States Classes, Standards, and Grades for Poultry (the Poultry Standards). The last minor revision to the Poultry Standards occurred in 2018, but the last substantial revision prior to that occurred in 1998. Since then, poultry production and quality assessment methods have changed significantly, as have consumer preferences.

We are reopening the comment period for our interim rule that would amend the regulations pertaining to conditions for payment of indemnity for highly pathogenic avian influenza. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.

This notice announces the Department's annual adjustments to the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be used in determining eligibility for free and reduced-price meals and free milk and Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer benefits for the period from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. These guidelines are used by schools, institutions, and facilities participating in the National School Lunch Program (and Commodity School Program), School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program for Children, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program as well as States and Indian Tribal Organizations that administer the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children Program. The annual adjustments are required by section 9 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. The guidelines are intended to direct benefits to those children most in need and are revised annually to account for changes in the Consumer Price Index.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture ("Department") announces adjusted income eligibility guidelines to be used by State agencies in determining the income eligibility of persons applying to participate in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). These income eligibility guidelines are to be used in conjunction with the WIC Regulations.

This notice informs the public of the annual adjustments to the levels of monthly benefits in the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children (Summer EBT) Program. These adjustments reflect changes in the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), as required under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection associated with testing of milk from dairy cattle with reference to the incidence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy cattle.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, FSIS is announcing its intention to renew an approved information collection regarding the importation and transportation of meat, poultry, and egg products. There are no changes to the existing information collection. The approval for this information collection will expire on June 30, 2025.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of USDA, published a final rule on August 15, 2024, to amend the current regulations regarding Special Servicing Options and adjust the Mortgage Recovery Advance (MRA) process. The February 11, 2025, effective date of that final rule is being deferred to April 14, 2025.

On January 10, 2025, we published a final rule that exempted a system of records, titled "Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance (SITC) National Information Communication Activity System (SNICAS), USDA/APHIS-21," from certain provisions of the Privacy Act. In addition, it also amended the Privacy Act regulations to reflect an administrative change to the list of system of records that are exempt from certain provisions of the Privacy Act. The final rule was scheduled to go into effect on February 10, 2025. This document delays the effective date until April 11, 2025.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) is reopening the comment period for 30 days to allow the public additional time to provide comments on our regulation that allowed revenue coverage for flax under the Small Grain Crop Insurance Provisions, combined written agreement deadlines in the Dry Bean Crop Insurance Provisions to match other insurance policies, expanded the availability of enterprise and optional units for some specialty and perennial crops, and made clarifications and corrections to the Area Risk Protection Insurance, Basic Provisions; Common Crop Insurance Policy, Basic Provisions; and several Crop Provisions published on November 27, 2024 and effective on November 30, 2024.

This document delays the effective date of the January 16, 2025, final rule that adopted amendments to the plant records requirement for the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Dairy Grading and Inspection Program. The amendments allow butterfat tests to be performed at an in-house or approved third party laboratory and add a requirement for plants to maintain and make such records available for examination by a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspector. These amendments increase efficiency by conforming to current industry practice.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently approved information collection, the Annual Organic Survey. USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) typically funds an organic production and practices survey in years where the Census of Agriculture Special Study for Organics is not conducted. The next Special Study is planned for 2025 (enumerated in early 2026). With the completion of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, NASS will conduct the Special Study again, return it to its' original scope of questions and the mandatory reporting requirement. This request will also include the 2026 and 2027 voluntary surveys that are funded by USDA-RMA. A minor revision to burden hours will be needed to account for the anticipated data collection plan for the upcoming surveys along with adding some cognitive interviews to test requested changes to the annual surveys.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), published a final rule on December 31, 2024, to update its regulation on how credit reports are obtained for the purposes of determining eligibility and feasibility for Multifamily Housing (MFH) Programs. The effective date of that final rule was January 30, 2025. This document delays the effective date of the final rule by 60 days.

On May 8, 2024, we published a final rule amending the horse protection regulations to provide, among other provisions, that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will screen, train, and authorize qualified persons for appointment by the management of any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction to detect and diagnose soring at such events for the purposes of enforcing the Horse Protection Act. With the exception of Sec. 11.19, which went into effect on June 7, 2024, the remainder of the rule was scheduled to go into effect on February 1, 2025. In this document, we are issuing a temporary postponement of the effective date of those regulations for 60 days, from February 1, 2025 to April 2, 2025.