Department of Agriculture – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice informs the public of the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standard-setting activities of the Codex Alimentarius (Codex), in accordance with section 491 of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979, as amended, and the Uruguay Round Agreements Act. This notice also provides a list of other standard-setting activities of Codex, including commodity standards, guidelines, codes of practice, and revised texts. This notice, which covers Codex activities during the time periods of June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023 and June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024, seeks comments on standards under consideration and recommendations for new standards.

The U.S. Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on September 14, 2023, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. EDT. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions to be discussed at the 33rd Session of the Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which will meet in Bordeaux, France from October 2-6, 2023. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius and the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 33rd Session of the CCGP and to address items on the agenda.

The Olympic Peninsula 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 Olympic National Forest within Mason, Jefferson, Clallam, and Grays Harbor County, consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.

The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominations for individuals to serve on the Grain Inspection Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee). The Advisory Committee meets no less than once annually to advise AMS on the programs and services it delivers pursuant to the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA) and in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended. Recommendations by the Advisory Committee help AMS better meet the needs of its customers who operate in a dynamic and changing marketplace.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is announcing an increase in the initial funding for EGSFP to $80 million, which will be the final funding amount for the program, from the initially announced $20 million due to the high demand for EGSFP. FSA published a notice of funding availability (NOFA) notice on March 16, 2023, announcing the availability of $20 million for EGSFP. EGSFP provides financial assistance to eligible grain producers who were affected by an eligible disaster event that damaged or destroyed local commercial grain elevators. EGSFP is cost-share assistance to construct storage facilities needed to meet on-farm grain storage capacity and handling needs necessary to support the marketing of grain for producers. This notice updates the initial funding amount for the program from $20 million to $80 million and closes the application period for the program due to the current volume of applications received. This notice will not change any other information in the original EGSFP NOFA.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection for the revision of a currently approved collection for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training (E&T) Program Activity Report (form FNS- 583) and State requests for additional funding. The Employment and Training Opportunities in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program final rule modified the regulations to introduce priorities for reallocation of 100 percent funds and to specify that State agencies requesting additional funds should submit the requests for the upcoming fiscal year with the E&T State Plans. Requests and recordkeeping for these activities are currently approved under OMB No. 0584-0339, expiration date 03/31/2024. The burden estimate is 49.51 hours. The burden estimate is not impacted by these changes. FNS is not seeking comment on the reporting burden for the FNS-583 because that is under FNS' web-based Food Program Reporting System, OMB Control No: 0584- 0594, expiration date 7/31/2023 (currently under review).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request a revision to and extension of approval of an information collection associated with the export of animals and animal products from the United States.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominations for the Land Between the Lakes Advisory Board pursuant to the authority of the Land Between the Lakes Protection Act of 1998 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended. Additional information on the Land Between the Lakes Advisory Board can be found by visiting the committee website at: https://landbetweenthelakes.us/ about/working-together/advisory-board/.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intent of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently approved information collection, the Livestock Slaughter Survey. Revision to burden hours may be needed due to changes in the size of the target population, sampling design, and/or questionnaire length.

The Secretary hereby announces the availability of funding for cotton merchandisers under the Pandemic Assistance for Cotton Merchandisers (PACM) Program. PACM will be administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and is authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. The funds are intended to reduce the economic impacts of COVID-19 and other supply chain disruptions that impacted cotton merchandisers. Interested entities may apply for program participation by submitting the application, and required supporting documentation, available on our website at www.ams.usda.gov/ services/warehouse/cotton-program.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request for renewal a recordkeeping burden for the information collection for the Export Fruit Acts covering exports of apples and grapes.

We are revising the regulations concerning user fees that we charge for veterinary diagnostic services and for certain import- related and export-related services for live animals, animal products and byproducts, birds, germplasm, organisms, and vectors. We are removing the tables providing the individual fees from the regulations and posting them on an Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service website. The regulations instead specify the methodology (formula) used to calculate the fees (including imputed costs), and the fees will be updated using a notice-based process. Replacing the current user fee listings with a standardized methodology will increase transparency in the process of setting fee rates, align the regulations with other Agency practices, and allow us to streamline processes and reduce the number of rules needed and thus the time necessary in order to update the fees.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) withdraws a proposed rule recommended by the National Mango Board (Board) that would have adjusted the Mango Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Order) to allocate the seven foreign producer Board seats to the top five mango exporting countries, based on mango volume exported to the United States, with an additional seat allocated to the top exporting country, and one at-large seat. In addition, the proposal would have required no more than one Board member be employed by or be affiliated with the same company. After reviewing and considering the comments received, the proposed rule is being withdrawn.

This notice is announcing that the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold a virtual public meeting of the full Committee on August 30, 2023. The Committee will discuss and vote to adopt the following report: Cyclospora cayetanensis in Produce. The Committee will also provide an update on the Cronobacter spp. in Powdered Infant Formula charge.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) announces its intention to request a revision of a currently approved information collection package for Voluntary Labeling Program for Biobased Products.

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 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.

This notice announces the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Appeals Division's request for an extension and revision to a currently approved information collection for the Customer Service Survey.

A national public hearing is being held to consider and take evidence on proposals to amend the pricing formulas in the 11 Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMOs).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) requirements, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a new collection associated with the new automated FSA Online Loan Application for Direct Loan Making Program and Direct Loan ServicingPrimary. For both Direct Loan Making and Direct Loan ServicingPrimary, the collected information is used in eligibility and feasibility determinations for loan making and loan servicing actions. Future releases of the FSA Online Loan Application will provide additional functionality and components for Direct Loan Making & Direct Loan ServicingPrimary applications.