Department of Agriculture 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Agriculture withdraws a proposed rule recommended by the Florida Tomato Committee (Committee) to revise the exemption, container, and definition sections under the Marketing Order's handling requirements and to update language to reflect current industry practices. After reviewing and considering the comments received, the proposed rule is being withdrawn.

NRCS is announcing the reopening and 2-week extension of the comment period to give the public an opportunity to provide comments on specified conservation practice standards in National Handbook of Conservation Practices (NHCP). The comment period will end on April 22, 2021.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the 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 voluntary recalls from commerce of meat, poultry, and egg products. There are no changes to the existing burden estimates for this information collection. The approval for this information collection will expire on September 30, 2021.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to revise the approved information collection regarding requirements for official establishments to notify FSIS of adulterated or misbranded product, prepare and maintain written recall procedures, and document certain HACCP plan reassessments. The approval for this information collection will expire on September 30, 2021. FSIS has decreased the burden estimate for this collection by 37,515 hours due to more recent, updated information. The public may comment on either the entire information collection or on one of its three parts.

This document directs that a referendum be 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 final rule entitled Employment and Training Opportunities in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was published on January 5, 2021. The Office of Management and Budget cleared the associated information collection requirements (ICR) on March 16, 2021. This document announces approval of the ICR.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), for a new information collection used in support of the voluntary grading and certification of meat, meat products, shell eggs, poultry products, rabbit products, and Quality Systems Verification Programs. One new form is introduced in this information collection. The new form, LP-109A requests respondents accounts payable contact information used in facilitating billing administration.

This notice is announcing that the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold a public meeting of the full Committee on April 22, 2021. The Committee will discuss and vote on adopting the following two reports: Microbiological testing by industry of ready-to-eat foods under FDA's jurisdiction for pathogens (or appropriate indicator organisms): Verification of prevention controls and The Use of Water in Animal Production, Slaughter and Processing.

This notice advises the public of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's record of decision for the final environmental impact statement titled ``Revisions to USDA-APHIS 7 CFR part 340 Regulations Governing the Importation, Interstate Movement, and Environmental Release of Certain Genetically Engineered Organisms.''

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FSA is requesting comments from interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection request associated with the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2.0).

The Office of the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (the Secretary) is providing notice of a change in the opening date for the fifth tranche of fiscal year (FY) 2021 (October 1, 2020-September 30, 2021) specialty sugar tariff-rate quota (TRQ). The fifth tranche, scheduled to open on July 15, will now open on April 5, 2021.

The United States Department of Agriculture has revised the final rule for the Community Forest and Open Space Program (Community Forest Program). The revisions included in this final rule will allow grant recipients to convey conservation easements to funding entities and, in some circumstances when consistent with the program's purposes, convey community forest land to other eligible entities. The final rule also clarifies the definitions of program-specific terms, streamlines the application process, and implements the Office of Management and Budgets (OMB)'s Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.

The Rural-Business Cooperative Service (the Agency) announces the availability of two individual grants: One single $500,000 grant from the rural transportation funds appropriated for the Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program and another single $250,000 grant for Federally Recognized Native American Tribes (FRNATs) (collectively ``Programs'') from the funds appropriated for the RBDG program. Each grant is to be competitively awarded to an eligible applicant which is a qualified national non-profit organization. One grant is for the provision of technical assistance to rural transportation (RT) projects and the other grant will solely be for the provision of technical assistance to RT projects operated by FRNATs. All applicants are responsible for any expenses incurred in developing their applications.

This agenda provides summary descriptions of the significant and not significant regulatory and deregulatory actions being developed in agencies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in conformance with Executive Orders (E.O.) 12866 ``Regulatory Planning and Review,'' 13771 ``Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs,'' 13777, ``Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda,'' and 13563, ``Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review.'' The agenda also describes regulations affecting small entities as required by section 602 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, Public Law 96-354. This agenda also identifies regulatory actions that are being reviewed in compliance with section 610(c) of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. We invite public comment on those actions as well as any regulation consistent with Executive Order 13563. USDA has attempted to list all regulations and regulatory reviews pending at the time of publication except for minor and routine or repetitive actions, but some may have been inadvertently missed. There is no legal significance to the omission of an item from this listing. Also, the dates shown for the steps of each action are estimated and are not commitments to act on or by the date shown. USDA's complete regulatory agenda is available online at www.reginfo.gov. Because publication in the Federal Register is mandated for the regulatory flexibility agendas required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 602), USDA's printed agenda entries include only: (1) Rules that are likely to have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities; and (2) Rules identified for periodic review under section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. For this edition of the USDA regulatory agenda, the most important regulatory and deregulatory actions are summarized in a Statement of Regulatory Priorities that is included in the Regulatory Plan, which appears in both the online regulatory agenda and in part II of the Federal Register that includes the abbreviated regulatory agenda.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) is requesting public input from interested parties and hosting a listening session on a new Rural Energy Pilot Program. The RBCS is exploring options to provide financial assistance for rural communities to further develop renewable energy; as authorized in The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. Additionally, RBCS requests input regarding the purposes, goals, participants, technologies, and community impacts of the Rural Energy Pilot Program.

This final rule amends Marketing Order No. 984, which regulates the handling of walnuts grown in California. The amendments were proposed by the California Walnut Board (Board) and add the authority for the Board to provide credit for certain market promotion expenses paid by handlers against their annual assessments due under the Order and establish requirements to effectuate the new authority. In addition, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) made necessary changes to conform to the amendments adopted.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intent to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an extension of and revision to the currently approved information collection used in support of the Regulations Governing the Inspection of Eggs (as authorized by the Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA)), which is commonly referred to as the Shell Egg Surveillance Program (OMB: 0581-0113).

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

We are advising the public that we have added India to the list of regions that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service considers to be affected with African swine fever (ASF). We have taken this action because of confirmation of ASF in India.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that NRCS will request an extension for a currently approved information collection for Long-Term Contracting forms.