Department of Agriculture February 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This agenda provides summary descriptions of significant and not significant regulations being developed in agencies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in conformance with Executive Orders (E.O.) 12866, ``Regulatory Planning and Review,'' 13563, ``Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review,'' and 14094, ``Modernizing 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 Orders 13563 and 14094. 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 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 Utilities Service (RUS) announces its' intention to request a revision of a currently approved information collection and invites comments on this information collection.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing a meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The NOSB assists USDA in the development of standards for substances to be used in organic production and advises the Secretary of Agriculture on any other aspects of the implementation of the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA).

The Northeast Oregon Forests Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will hold a public meeting according to the details shown below. 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 (FACA). 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 as well as to make recommendations on recreation fee proposals for sites on the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests, consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.

The Forest Service is withdrawing the notice, ``Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail Advisory Council, Notice of Meeting,'' published in the Federal Register on January 17, 2024.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed revision to the currently approved information collection for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) FNS-885, ``SNAP Education (SNAP-Ed) Intervention Scoring Tool'' and the FNS-886, ``SNAP Education (SNAP-Ed) Intervention Submission Form.'' This revision to forms FNS-885 and FNS-886 will provide an improved user experience by simplifying scoring criteria and clarifying the information requested for certain fields. These updates will also align with the new SNAP-Ed National Program Evaluation and Reporting System (N-PEARS), to ensure consistency with SNAP-Ed specific terms. More information on changes to these forms is in the Supplementary Information section of this notice.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of USDA's Office of Pest Management Policy to request renewal of an existing information collection for Multiple Crop and Pesticide Use Surveys.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is giving notice that it intends to issue a series of revised conservation practice standards in the National Handbook of Conservation Practices (NHCP). NRCS is also giving the public an opportunity to provide comments on the specified conservation practice standards in the NHCP.

This final rule amends the transportation credit balancing fund provisions for the Appalachian and Southeast Federal milk marketing orders and establishes distributing plant delivery credits in the Appalachian, Florida, and Southeast Federal milk marketing orders. More than the required number of producers in the three impacted marketing areas have approved the issuance of the final order.