Department of Agriculture August 12, 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule implements a recommendation from the Prune Marketing Committee to increase the assessment rate established for the 2020-21 and subsequent crop years. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

This proposed rule would change the maturity requirements currently prescribed under the Florida avocado marketing order. The order regulates the handling of avocados grown in South Florida and is administered locally by the Avocado Administrative Committee (Committee). The proposed change would establish beginning and end dates for the annual maturity shipping schedule. A corresponding change would be made to the avocado import regulation as required under section 8e of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces the availability of up to $500 million in grant funding, appropriated under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, for the establishment of the Emergency Rural Health Care (ERHC) Grant Program. As authorized under Section 1002 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, funds will be made available and distributed between two tracks of funding to eligible applicants: Track One, Recovery grants to offer support for rural health care services in the form of immediate relief to address the economic conditions arising from the COVID-19 emergency; and Track Two, Impact grants to offer longer-term funding to advance ideas and solutions to support long-term sustainability of rural health.