Commodity Credit Corporation 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
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Domestic Sugar Program: Overall Allotment Quantity and Marketing Allotments
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is issuing this notice to publish the sugar Overall Allotment Quantity (OAQ), beet and cane sugar marketing allotments, and processor allocations for fiscal year (FY) 2016 (October 1, 2015-September 30, 2016), as well as a summary of the OAQ's, sugar marketing allotments, and allocations for FY 2015 and FY 2014. Although the actions in this notice have already been announced through United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) news releases, each determination establishing, adjusting, or suspending sugar marketing allotments issued by the Secretary is required by the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended, to be published in the Federal Register.
Payment Limitation and Payment Eligibility; Actively Engaged in Farming
This rule changes the requirements for a person to be considered actively engaged in farming for the purpose of payment eligibility for certain Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) programs. Specifically, this rule amends and clarifies the requirements for a significant contribution of active personal management to a farming operation. These changes are required by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Farm Bill). The provisions of this rule do not apply to persons or entities comprised entirely of family members. The rule does not change the existing regulations as they relate to contributions of land, capital, equipment, or labor, or the existing regulations related to landowners with a risk in the crop or to spouses. This rule will apply to eligibility for payments earned for the 2016 crop or program year for farming operations with only 2016 spring planted crops, and to eligibility for payments for the 2017 and subsequent crop or program years for all farming operations (those with either spring or fall planted crops).
Estimate of Peanuts and Peanut Products Available for Donation
On behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), the Farm Service Agency estimates that during fiscal year 2016, peanuts and peanut products in CCC inventory may be made available for programming under section 416 of the Agricultural Act of 1949, as amended, in such quantities as may be determined appropriate for direct human feeding in a manner consistent with United States obligations under its international trade agreements.
Notice of Request for Revision of Currently Approved Information Collection
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Commodity Credit Corporation's (CCC) intention to request a revision from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a currently approved information collection process in support of the Foreign Market Development Cooperator (Cooperator) Program and the Market Access Program (MAP).
Conservation Reserve Program
This notice presents a summary of the Record of Decision (ROD) regarding the alternative selected for implementation from the Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (SPEIS) for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). CRP is a voluntary program that supports the implementation of long-term conservation measures designed to improve the quality of ground and surface waters, control soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat on environmentally sensitive agricultural land. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers CRP on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). The ROD was signed on April 17, 2015, but will not be implemented for at least 30 days following publication of this notice.
Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA); Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership (BIP) Grants to States
The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is announcing the availability of competitive grants to fund States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC (referred to as ``States'' in this document), with respect to activities designed to expand the infrastructure for renewable fuels. BIP grantees must provide matching contributions with a goal of a one-to-one basis to the CCC funds. The CCC funds must be used to pay a portion of the costs related to the installation of fuel pumps and related infrastructure dedicated to the distribution of higher ethanol blends, for example ``E15'' and ``E85,'' at vehicle fueling locations, including, but not limited to, local fueling stations, convenience stores (CS), hypermarket fueling stations (HFS), or fleet facilities. The matching contributions may be used for these items or for additional related BIP costs such as additional infrastructure to support pumps, marketing, education, data collection, program evaluation, and administrative costs associated with the application process.
Facility Guarantee Program
This proposed rule would revise and amend the regulations at 7 CFR 1493 subpart C used to administer the Facility Guarantee Program (FGP). Changes in this proposed rule incorporate statutory changes from the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 and modifications intended to reduce burden on participants and improve program efficiency and effectiveness. Certain revisions will ensure the FGP is operated in compliance with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Arrangement on Officially Supported Export Credits. Additionally, this proposed rule incorporates significant changes made to the regulations for the Export Credit Guarantee Program (GSM-102), that are also applicable to the FGP.
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program
This notice announces that the Farm Service Agency (FSA), on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), intends to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) as required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The PEIS will assess the potential environmental consequences associated with proposed discretionary changes to the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). This notice informs the public of FSA's intent to seek public comment on potential changes being considered for BCAP and on any environmental concerns related to the proposed changes. The input we receive as a result of this notice will enable us to develop alternatives for implementing the proposed changes to BCAP and begin to evaluate the impacts of those alternatives, as required by NEPA.
Biomass Crop Assistance Program
The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) published a final rule on February 27, 2015, amending the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) regulations to implement changes required by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Farm Bill). We are extending the comment period for the final rule to give the public more time to provide input and recommendations on the final rule.
Tobacco Transition Program; Final Date To Request Payments; No Change to Final Assessment Procedures
The Farm Service Agency (FSA), on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), is announcing that the final date for holders of Tobacco Transition Payment Program (TTPP) contracts to request payments on their existing contracts is July 1, 2015. Through TTPP, eligible former tobacco quota holders and producers of quota tobacco received annual payments from funds that CCC collected through quarterly assessments on domestic manufacturers and importers of tobacco products under the Tobacco Transition Assessment Program (TTAP), as required by the Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of 2004 (FETRA). The authority to issue TTAP assessments ended with fiscal year 2014.
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program
NRCS and CCC published an interim rule for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) with a request for comments, and a comment period ending April 28, 2015. This document reopens the comment period.
Changes to Existing Conservation Program Regulations
The Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Act) made several nondiscretionary changes to NRCS conservation programs. These conservation programs have existing regulations that required adjustments. These adjustments include addressing the required review of operating procedures of the State Technical Committee, adding reference of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) to the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act program regulations, adding reference of RCPP to the Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP), expanding the definition of ``acreage owned by Indian Tribes'' under HFRP, revising and simplifying the Regional Equity provision, and adjusting the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) Program to correspond with changes to payment provisions under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Additionally, the Secretary of Agriculture delegated to NRCS administrative responsibility for implementing the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP), and internal NRCS administrative changes warrant updating the appropriate delegated official in the Technical Service Provider (TSP) provision. NRCS published an interim rule with a request for comments on August 1, 2014, to implement changes to these NRCS conservation program regulations that were either necessitated by enactment of the 2014 Act, or required to implement administrative streamlining improvements and clarifications. NRCS received six comments on the interim rule. In this document, NRCS issues a final rule to make permanent these changes and to incorporate two minor mandatory changes in two of the affected parts.
Notice of Funds Availability: Inviting Applications for the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program
The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that it is inviting proposals for the 2016 Foreign Market Development Cooperator (Cooperator) program. The intended effect of this notice is to solicit applications from eligible applicants for fiscal year 2016 and to set out criteria for the award of funds under the program in October 2015. The Cooperator program is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
Notice of Funds Availability: Inviting Applications for the Market Access Program
The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that it is inviting proposals for the 2016 Market Access Program (MAP). The intended effect of this notice is to solicit applications from eligible applicants for fiscal year 2016 and to set out criteria for the award of funds under the program in October 2015. The MAP is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
Notice of Funds Availability: Inviting Applications for the Emerging Markets Program
The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that it is inviting proposals for the 2016 Emerging Markets Program (EMP). The intended effect of this notice is to solicit applications from the private sector and from government agencies for fiscal year 2016 and to set out criteria for the award of funds under the program in October 2015. The EMP is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
Notice of Funds Availability: Inviting Applications for the Quality Samples Program
The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces it is inviting proposals for the 2016 Quality Samples Program (QSP). The intended effect of this notice is to solicit applications from eligible applicants for fiscal year 2016 and to set out the criteria for the award of funds under the program in October 2015. QSP is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
Notice of Funds Availability: Inviting Applications for the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program
The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that it is inviting proposals for the 2016 Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program. The intended effect of this notice is to solicit applications from the private sector and from government agencies for fiscal year 2016 and to set out criteria for the award of funds in October 2015. The TASC program is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
Payment Limitation and Payment Eligibility; Actively Engaged in Farming
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is proposing to revise regulations on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to specify the requirements for a person to be considered actively engaged in farming for the purpose of payment eligibility for certain FSA and CCC programs. Specifically, this rulemaking proposes to revise and clarify the requirements for a significant contribution of active personal management to a farming operation. These changes are required by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Farm Bill). The provisions of this rule would not apply to persons or entities comprised solely of family members. The rule would not change the existing regulations as they relate to contributions of land, capital, equipment, or labor, or the existing regulations related to landowners with a risk in the crop or to spouses.
Pima Agriculture Cotton Trust Fund and Agriculture Wool Apparel Manufacturers Trust Fund
This final rule implements the Pima Agriculture Cotton Trust Fund (Agriculture Pima Trust) and the Agriculture Wool Apparel Manufacturers Trust Fund (Agriculture Wool Trust) Fund established in the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill). The Agriculture Pima Trust provides annually for one payment, called the Pima Cotton Payments. The Agriculture Wool Trust provides annually for four payments. The first payment under the Agriculture Wool Trust is currently administered by the Department of Commerce's Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA), and is called the Grants to Manufacturers of Certain Worsted Wool Fabrics. This program is being transferred from OTEXA to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary), who will administer the payment for the 2015-2019 calendar years, and will be called Payments to Manufacturers of Certain Worsted Wool Fabrics. The second payment is called Monetization of the Wool TRQ. The Farm Bill requires the Secretary to determine a monetary amount equivalent to what a person would have saved if OTEXA's Wool Tariff Rate Quota program (Wool TRQ) were still in effect. This payment will be based on OTEXA's Wool Tariff Rate Quota program, which terminated at the end of calendar year 2014. The Monetization of the Wool TRQ will be administered by the Secretary for the 2015-2019 calendar years. The third payment is called the Wool Yarn, Wool Fiber, and Wool Top Duty Compensation Payment. Payments are made to processors of wool yarn, wool fiber, and wool top to compensate them for termination of the suspension of import duties on such wool. This payment will be administered by the Secretary for the 2015-2019 calendar years. The fourth payment is called the Refund of Duties Paid on Imports of Certain Wool Products. This program is currently administered by the Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) through calendar year 2015. The program will be transferred in calendar year 2016 to the Secretary, who will administer the program for the 2016-2019 calendar years. Regulations for the fourth payment will be published at a later date.
Information Collection Request; Debt Settlement Policies and Procedures
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) are requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection that supports the FSA and CCC Debt Settlement Policies and Procedure regulations.
Biomass Crop Assistance Program
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is amending the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) regulations to implement changes required by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Farm Bill). BCAP provides financial assistance to producers who establish, collect, harvest, store, and transport biomass crops. The 2014 Farm Bill reauthorizes BCAP, with certain changes that are implemented in this rule. The changes include reducing the payment rate per ton for collection, harvest, storage, and transportation of eligible materials, and limiting the cost share per acre for establishment of biomass crops. The requirements for eligible material and eligible land are revised in this rule, as required by the 2014 Farm Bill. The general scope of BCAP is not changing with this rule.
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program
The Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Act) consolidates the purposes of the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP), Grassland Reserve Program (GRP), and Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) into one easement program called the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). ACEP restores, protects, and enhances wetland on eligible land; protects the agricultural use, viability, and related conservation values of eligible land by limiting non-agricultural uses of that land; and protects grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring and conserving eligible land. This interim rule with request for comments sets forth the policies and procedures related to implementation of ACEP as authorized by the 2014 Act. Since the Conservation Farm Option (CFO) is a repealed program that was never implemented, NRCS is replacing the CFO regulations at 7 CFR part 1468 with the regulations necessary to implement ACEP.
Information Collection Request; Assignment and Joint Payment Elections
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) are requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension with a revision of a currently approved information collection associated with various assignment and joint payment forms, including ``Assignment of Payment'', ``Joint Payment Authorization'', ``Notice of Assignment'', and ``Instrument of Assignment''. The information on the forms is used by FSA employees in order to record the payment or contract being assigned, the amount of the assignment, the date of the assignment, and the name and address of the assignee and the assignor. This will enable FSA employees to pay the proper party when payment becomes due.
Export Bonus Programs
This final rule removes regulations for the Export Enhancement Program (EEP) and the Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP) from the Code of Federal Regulations, because the authorities for these programs were repealed by Section 3103 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, Public Law 110-246, and Section 1423 of the Agricultural Act of 2014, Public Law 113-79, respectively.
Marketing Assistance Loans, Loan Deficiency Payments, and Sugar Loans
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is revising regulations on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) as required by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill) to update the Marketing Assistance Loan (MAL) and Loan Deficiency Payments (LDP) Programs for wheat, feed grains, soybeans, oilseeds, peanuts, pulse crops, cotton, honey, wool and mohair. In general, the 2014 Farm Bill extends the existing programs with the minor changes that are implemented in this rule, including a revised formula for upland cotton loan rates. This rule also amends the regulations for the Economic Adjustment Assistance for Users of Upland Cotton Program, the Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton Competitiveness Payment Program, and the Sugar Program to reflect that the programs were extended by the 2014 Farm Bill. Most of the provisions in this rule have already been implemented, beginning with the 2014 crop year.
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