Department of Agriculture May 9, 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is correcting a notice of solicitation of applications (NOSA) that published in the Federal Register on April 19, 2024, entitled, "Notice of Solicitation of Applications for Section 514 Off-Farm Labor Housing Loans and Section 516 Off-Farm Labor Housing Grants for New Construction for Fiscal Year 2024." The notice described the methods used to distribute funds, the pre-application and final application process, and submission requirements. The purpose of this document is to correct the inadvertent errors to the commitment letter requirements published in the Federal Register on April 19, 2024.

We are amending the animal disease traceability regulations to require that eartags applied on or after a date 180 days after publication in the Federal Register of this final rule be both visually and electronically readable in order to be recognized for use as official eartags for interstate movement of cattle and bison covered under the regulations. We are also clarifying certain record retention and record access requirements and revising some requirements pertaining to slaughter cattle. These changes will enhance the ability of Tribal, State and Federal officials, private veterinarians, and livestock producers to quickly respond to high-impact diseases currently existing in the United States, as well as foreign animal diseases that threaten the viability of the U.S. cattle and bison industries.