Department of Agriculture – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, and the Office of Management and Budget and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-108 Federal Agency Responsibilities for Review, Reporting, and Publication under the Privacy Act, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposes a new system of records for the information collected, created, and stored in the centralized omni-channel AskUSDA Contact Center. The purpose of this system is to provide industry standard customer service to respond to inquiries from the general public regarding programs and services provided by USDA. The system keeps track of the people asking questions for continuity of support and maintains a record of their interaction. The system provides multiple public channels like phone, email, and live chat. Also, the system maintains a common knowledge base across the organization that improves response consistency. This system also improves the efficiency of the Federal staff providing answers to public inquiry.

The Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail Advisory Council will hold a public meeting according to the details shown below. The Council is authorized under the National Trails System Act (the Act) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The purpose of the Council is to advise and make recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Chief of the Forest Service, on matters relating to the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail as described in the Act.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is revising the United States Standards for Soybeans by removing soybeans of other colors (SBOC) as an official factor. In addition, AMS is revising the table of Grade Limits and Breakpoints for Soybeans to reflect this change.

On May 18, 2023, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published in the Federal Register a notice of preliminary determination entitled ``Adoption of Energy Efficiency Standards for New Construction of HUD- and USDA-Financed Housing: Preliminary Determination and of Comment,'' announcing the two agencies' joint preliminary determination, as required under section 481(d)(1) of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), that adoption of the 2021 IECC and ASHRAE 90.1-2019 code standards will not negatively affect the affordability and availability of housing for new construction of HUD and USDA housing covered by EISA and seeking public comment on the preliminary determination. The preliminary determination is the first step to ultimately requiring compliance with these standards in HUD and USDA housing covered by EISA. The notice provided for a 60-day comment period, which would have ended July 17, 2023. HUD has determined that a 21-day extension of the comment period, until August 7, 2023, is appropriate. This extension will allow interested persons additional time to analyze the preliminary determination and prepare their comments.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Rural Housing Service, and the Rural Utilities Service, agencies of the Rural Development mission area within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter collectively referred to as the Agency to request approval for a new information collection in support of ascertaining the necessary budgetary criteria for planning and performing construction and other development work for facilities, housing and water and wastewater systems.

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. This collection is a NEW information collection. This study informs the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) about the reasons behind under-redemption of the cash-value benefit (CVB) issued to participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

We are notifying the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will hold five virtual listening sessions to receive public input on topics related to updates and improvements to the Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program Standards.

We are reopening the comment period for our request for comments on the 2023 update to the report Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Agriculture and Forestry: Methods for Entity-Scale Inventory, Technical Bulletin Number 1939, Office of the Chief Economist, USDA, Washington, DC. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.

The Foreign Agricultural Service is providing notice of an increase in the fiscal year (FY) 2023 raw cane sugar tariff-rate quota (TRQ) of 125,000 metric tons raw value (MTRV).

This Notice announces the annual adjustments to the national average payments, the amount of money the Federal Government provides States for lunches, afterschool snacks, and breakfasts served to children participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs; to the maximum reimbursement rates, the maximum per lunch rate from Federal funds that a State can provide a school food authority for lunches served to children participating in the National School Lunch Program; and to the rate of reimbursement for a half-pint of milk served to non-needy children in a school or institution that participates in the Special Milk Program for Children. The annual payments and rates adjustments for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs reflect changes in the Food Away From Home series of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The annual rate adjustment for the Special Milk Program reflects changes in the Producer Price Index for Fluid Milk Products. Further adjustments are made to these rates to reflect higher costs of providing meals in Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands. The payments and rates are prescribed on an annual basis each July.

The Rural Utilities Service, a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter referred to as ``RUS'' or ``the Agency'' announced its intent to solicit Letters of Interest (LOI) for loan applications under the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) Program in a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on May 16, 2023, in the Federal Register. In addition, the NOFO also announced the application process for those loans and provided deadlines for applications from eligible entities. Loans will be made to qualified PACE Applicants to finance power generation projects for Renewable Energy Resource (RER) Systems or Energy Storage Systems that support RER Projects. This Notice announces a new opening date for PACE LOI submissions as well as an update on how to submit an LOI and additional information that must be submitted.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), Rural Housing Service (RHS), and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), agencies of the Rural Development mission area within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter collectively referred to as the Agency, offer loan guarantees through four programs: Community Facilities (CF) administered by the RHS; Water and Waste Disposal (WWD) administered by the RUS; and Business and Industry (B&I) and Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) administered by the RBCS. This notice provides applicants with the Guarantee Fee rates, Guarantee percentage for Guaranteed Loans, the Periodic Retention Fee, and Fee for Issuance of the Loan Note Guarantee Prior to Construction Completion for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, to be used when applying for guaranteed loans under the guaranteed loan types listed above. This notice is being published prior to the passage of a FY 2024 appropriation. Should the fees need to be adjusted after passage of the FY 2024 appropriations, the agency will publish a subsequent notice in the Federal Register.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is publishing a correction to a proposed determination that published on April 28, 2023. The correction inserts missing information on how to access the proposed determination's Cost Benefit Analysis on the FSIS website.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is revising specific conservation practice standards in the National Handbook of Conservation Practices (NHCP). This notice provides an overview of the planned changes and gives the public an opportunity to offer comments on the proposed changes to the specific conservation practice standards.

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 importation of live animals, animal germplasm, and animal products into the United States from the European Union.

We are advising the public of our decision to authorize the importation into the continental United States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands of fresh leaves and stems of Garland Chrysanthemum (Glebionis coronarium) from Mexico. Based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh leaves and stems of Garland Chrysanthemum from Mexico.

In accordance with section 12303 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, the United States Department of Agriculture announces its intent to establish of the Tribal Advisory Committee by the Secretary of Agriculture. The Tribal Advisory Committee will advise the Secretary on matters related to Tribal and Indian affairs. The Tribal Advisory Committee will be governed by the provisions of FACA as applicable. Duration of the Tribal Advisory Committee is required by legislation to be permanent, and the Charter will be renewed biannually by the Secretary of Agriculture. This notice also solicits for nominations for membership on the Tribal Advisory Committee.

This final rule revises the Packers and Stockyards regulations to provide instructions for livestock sellers who desire to preserve their interest in the statutory livestock dealer trust under the Packers and Stockyards Act (Act). This rule adds procedures and timeframes for a livestock seller to notify the livestock dealer and the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) that the seller has not received full payment for livestock purchased by the dealer and that the seller intends to preserve its trust interests. Additionally, this rule provides that livestock dealers with average annual purchases over $100,000 are required to obtain written acknowledgement from livestock sellers that trust benefits do not pertain to credit sales. This rule provides further that livestock dealers are required to maintain records related to credit sales. These revisions to the Packers and Stockyards regulations reflect recent amendments to the Act that provide for a livestock dealer trust.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS or Agency), a Rural Development (RD) mission area of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces the acceptance of applications under the Calendar Year (CY) 2022 Disaster Water Grants Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. The Agency will have at least $247,250,000 in grant funding through the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023. Grant funds will be made available to qualified, rural applicants to pay for necessary expenses related to water infrastructure systems damaged by events that occurred during CY 2022 and were recognized through Presidentially Declared Disasters. All applicants are responsible for any expenses incurred in developing their applications.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Montana State Office, in coordination with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, announces its intent to prepare a Watershed Plan and EIS for the St. Mary Canal Modernization Watershed Project (Milk River Project), located east of Babb, in Glacier County, Montana. The proposed Watershed Plan will examine alternatives through the EIS process for improving the St. Mary Canal system to provide for agricultural water management. NRCS is requesting comments to identify significant issues, potential alternatives, information, and analyses relevant to the proposed action from all interested individuals, Federal and State agencies, and Tribes.