Department of Agriculture July 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are advising the public that we have prepared a final environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact relative to permitting the release of Ramularia crupinae for the biological control of common crupina (Crupina vulgaris) in the contiguous United States. Based on our finding of no significant impact, we have determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared.

This document directs that a referendum be conducted among eligible producers and importers of highbush blueberries to determine whether they favor continuance of the Agricultural Marketing Service's regulations regarding a national highbush blueberry research and promotion program.

This Notice announces the annual adjustments to the national average payments, the amount of money the Federal Government provides States for lunches, afterschool snacks, and breakfasts served to children participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs; to the maximum reimbursement rates, the maximum per lunch rate from Federal funds that a State can provide a school food authority for lunches served to children participating in the National School Lunch Program; and to the rate of reimbursement for a half-pint of milk served to non-needy children in a school or institution that participates in the Special Milk Program for Children. The annual payments and rates adjustments for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs reflect changes in the Food Away From Home series of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The annual rate adjustment for the Special Milk Program reflects changes in the Producer Price Index for Fluid Milk Products. Further adjustments are made to these rates to reflect higher costs of providing meals in Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The payments and rates are prescribed on an annual basis each July. Overall, reimbursement rates this year for the National School Lunch, Breakfast Programs and the Special Milk Program either remained the same or increased compared to last year. Special Note: For the school year beginning July 1, 2021 and ending June 30, 2022, school food authorities operating the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option under Food and Nutrition Service- issued nationwide waivers #85 (Nationwide Waiver to Allow the Seamless Summer Option through School Year 2021-2022) and #86 (Nationwide Waiver to Allow Summer Food Service Program Reimbursement Rates in School Year 2021-2022) may receive the reimbursement rates prescribed for the Summer Food Service Program (85 FR 86901) in lieu of the reimbursement rates established in this notice. The Summer Food Service Program reimbursement rates made available to these school food authorities will similarly be updated effective January 1, 2022 through a future notice published in the Federal Register.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This collection is a revision of a currently approved collection to provide FNS and WIC State agencies with an ongoing/annual data set that can be used to assess State agencies' compliance with WIC vendor management requirements and estimate State agencies' progress in eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse.

In the American Rescue Plan Act, enacted on March 11, 2021, Congress provided the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) with $100 million in budget authority to reduce the costs of overtime inspection for small and very small official meat and poultry establishments and egg products plants. FSIS will implement this provision by reducing overtime and holiday inspection fees for small establishments by 30 percent and very small establishments by 75 percent. FSIS has developed an Overtime/Holiday Rate Reduction form that official establishments will need to submit to request an overtime or holiday inspection fee reduction. FSIS will review the form to determine whether an establishment qualifies for the fee reduction. This notice contains information on how to complete and submit the form to FSIS and describes the procedures FSIS will follow to implement the American Rescue Plan Act's overtime and holiday inspection fee reduction provisions.

This final rule implements a recommendation from the California Desert Grape Administrative Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2021 and subsequent fiscal periods. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

The Office of the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (the Secretary) is providing notice of an increase in the fiscal year (FY) 2021 specialty sugar tariff-rate quota (TRQ) of 40,000 metric tons raw value (MTRV).

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is revising several regulations to streamline its procedures for Electric Program borrowers, including its loan application requirements, approval of construction work plans, contract bidding procedures, contact approval procedures, system operation and maintenance reviews, long-range engineering plans and system design procedures. Additionally, unnecessary sections in the regulations will be removed.

The Payette National Forest is proposing to charge a new fee at four cabins including Paddy Flat, Burgdorf, Warren Bunkhouse, and Warren Ranger cabins. These units are currently not in use by the public. Rentals of other cabins on the Payette National Forest have shown people appreciate and enjoy the availability of rental cabins.

This notice announces the annual adjustments to the national average payment rates for meals and snacks served in child care centers, outside-school-hours care centers, at-risk afterschool care centers, and adult day care centers; the food service payment rates for meals and snacks served in day care homes; and the administrative reimbursement rates for sponsoring organizations of day care homes, to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index. Further adjustments are made to these rates to reflect the higher costs of providing meals in Alaska and Hawaii. The adjustments contained in this notice are made on an annual basis each July, as required by the laws and regulations governing the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

The U.S Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on September 1, 2021. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States (U.S.) positions to be discussed at the 46th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, to be held virtually, September 27-October 1, 2021 with the report adoption on October 7, 2021. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius and the Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 46th Session of the CCFL and to address items on the agenda.

This document reopens the voting period for the referendum being conducted among eligible growers of pecans grown in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas to determine whether they favor continuance of the marketing order regulating the handling of pecans produced in the production area. The voting period has been reopened for an additional 25 days from June 29, 2021, to July 23, 2021.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-108, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA or Department) proposes to modify the current system of records entitled ``Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, FS- 33Law Enforcement and Investigative Records'' (LEIRS). This system allows Law Enforcement and Investigations to record claims and criminal activities in the National Forests which include verified violations of criminal statutes and/or Agency policy, as well as situations that may result in civil claims for or against the government. This information helps the Agency meet its objective of contributing to Officers, Forest Service employees, and National Forest visitor safety.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the renewal of a currently approved information collection, Pesticide-Use Proposal.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), Rural Housing Service (RHS), and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), agencies of the Rural Development mission area within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter collectively referred to as the Agency, offer loan guarantees through four programs: Community Facilities (CF) administered by RHS; Water and Waste Disposal (WWD) administered by the RUS; and Business and Industry (B&I) and Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) administered by the RBCS. This notice provides applicants with the Guarantee Fee rates, Guarantee percent for Guaranteed Loans, the Periodic Retention Fee, and Fee for Issuance of the Loan Note Guarantee Prior to Construction Completion for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, to be used when applying for guaranteed loans under the aforementioned guaranteed loan types. This notice is being published prior to the passage of a FY 2022 appropriation. Should the fees need to be adjusted after passage of the FY 2022 appropriation bill, the agency will publish a subsequent notice in the Federal Register.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to seek approval to conduct a new information collection to gather data related to the motivations of targeted operators to adopt conservation practices.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, notice is hereby given that the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) intends to reestablish the National Wildlife Services Advisory Committee (the Committee) for a 2-year period. The Secretary has determined that the Committee is necessary and in the public interest.