Department of Agriculture January 26, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Eleven Point Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Winona, Missouri. 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. RAC information can be found at the following Web site: https://cloudapps-usda-gov.force.com/ FSSRS/RAC_page?id=001t0000002JcvzAAC.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) an agency delivering the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Utilities Programs invites comments on this information collection for which approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will be requested.

The Food and Nutrition Service is codifying the requirement for State agencies to verify applicant employment data through the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH) for the determination of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility and correct amount of benefits, pursuant to section 4013 of the Agricultural Act of 2014. This interim final rule requires that State agencies access employment data through the NDNH at the time of SNAP certification, including recertification, and aims to improve Program integrity by reducing the risk of improper payments due to unreported or misreported income. This rule further amends regulations to change the reporting frequency requirement for the ``Program and Budget Summary Statement Part BProgram Activity Statement'' from an annual submission based on the State fiscal year to a quarterly submission based on the Federal fiscal year.

In accordance with Executive Order 13563, ``Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review,'' and Executive Order 13610, ``Identifying and Reducing Regulatory Burdens,'' the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is continuing to review its regulatory programs and evaluate their burdens and their effectiveness. As part of this effort, USDA welcomes public comment on which regulations should be modified, expanded, streamlined, or repealed to make the USDA's regulatory program more effective or less burdensome in achieving the regulatory objectives. The 2015 Fall Regulatory Agenda provides a summary of the USDA regulations under development or review during the coming year. Similarly, USDA's 2015 Statement of Regulatory Priorities provides a list of important regulatory actions that USDA is considering for issuance in proposed or final form during the 2016 fiscal year.