Department of Agriculture August 24, 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to renew the approved information collection regarding petitions for rulemaking. The approval for this information collection will expire on December 31, 2021. FSIS is making no changes to the approved information collection.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) is hosting a listening session and opening a request for information for public input about the Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) program. The RCDG program provides financial assistance to nonprofit corporations and/or institutions of higher education to start or expand cooperative development centers that provide technical and business development assistance to individuals and businesses to start, expand, or improve cooperatives and other mutually owned businesses. RBCS is currently considering how it can streamline application requirements, establish a multiyear award process, and provide more relevant performance metrics for the program.

The U.S Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on August 31, 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 35th Session of the Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products (CCFFP) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which will meet by correspondence during the period of September 20-October 20, 2021 with report adoption on October 25, 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 35th Session of the CCFFP and to address items on the agenda.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service proposes amendments to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) section of the USDA's organic regulations to implement recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). This rule proposes the removal from the National List of several substances currently allowed for various uses in organic crop production, livestock production, and manufacture of processed products.