Farm Service Agency – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) requirement, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a revision of two currently approved information collection requests, Direct Loan ServicingRegular and Servicing Minor Program Loans, respectively. In the Direct Loan ServicingRegular, the information is used to determine borrower compliance with loan agreements, assist the borrower in achieving business goals, and regular servicing of the loan account such as graduation, subordination, partial release, use of proceeds, and consent. In Servicing Minor Program Loans, the information collected is used to perform routine and special servicing actions for loans authorized and serviced under FSA's Minor Loan Program.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension with a revision of a current information collection request for Inventory Property Management. For Inventory Property Management, the collected information is used to evaluate applicant requests to purchase inventory property, determine eligibility to lease or purchase inventory property, and ensure the payment of the lease amount or purchase amount associated with the acquisition of inventory property.

This rule announces Phase 2 of the Emergency Relief Program (ERP), which provides assistance to producers who suffered crop losses due to wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture, and qualifying droughts occurring in calendar years 2020 and 2021. It also announces Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program (PARP), a new program that provides support for agricultural producers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, this rule makes changes to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP); the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP); the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP); the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP); the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP); the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP); the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP); and general payment eligibility provisions. This rule also makes a technical correction to the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP).

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. CCC and FSA use the information to determine whether representatives or survivors of a producer are entitled to receive payments earned by a producer who dies, disappears, or is declared incompetent before receiving payments or other disbursements.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is hosting three listening sessions for public input about a recently announced planned farm labor stabilization and protection pilot grant program focused on improving the resiliency of our food and agricultural supply chain by addressing current labor shortages in agriculture, reducing irregular migration through increased use of legal pathways, and improving labor protections for farmworkers. FSA is interested in input from agricultural employer organizations, labor unions, farmworker advocates, farmworkers, and other relevant stakeholders. We invite stakeholders to participate in the listening session that best aligns with the perspective they are able and willing to offer to FSA. All listening sessions will be posted publicly and open to the public for registration.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a revision of three currently approved information collection associated with Direct Loan Making Program, Direct Loan ServicingRegular and Servicing Minor Program Loans. For Direct Loan Making, the collected information is used in eligibility and feasibility determinations on farm loan applications. In the Direct Loan ServicingRegular, the information is used to determine borrower compliance with loan agreements, assist the borrower in achieving business goals, and regular servicing of the loan account such as graduation, subordination, partial release, and use of proceeds. In Servicing Minor Program Loans, the information collected is used to perform routine and special servicing actions for loans authorized and serviced under FSA's Minor Loan Program.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is announcing the opportunity for interested eligible entities, including cooperatives, credit unions, and nonprofit organizations certified to operate as a lender, to apply for loans under the Heirs' Property Relending Program (HPRP). Approved entities will serve as intermediaries who will relend HPRP funds for projects that assist heirs with undivided ownership interests to resolve ownership and succession issues on farmland that has multiple owners (commonly referred to as ``Heirs' property'').

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) published a notice on December 14, 2021, announcing the availability of $50 million for the Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program (SMHPP). This document clarifies hog eligibility, documentation requirements, and payment factoring. SMHPP assists producers who sold hogs through a spot market sale from April 16, 2020, through September 1, 2020, the period during which these producers faced the greatest reduction in market prices due to the COVID-19 pandemic. SMHPP excludes non-adult pigs or other swine that were not intended for slaughter. SMHPP also excludes hogs sold under contracts that had a premium or other formula outside a spot market sale. The eligibility requirements, payment calculation, and application procedure for SMHPP are included in this notice.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a revision and an extension of a currently approved information collection request associated with the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) of 1978.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection associated with the Measurement Service Records.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection that supports the 2017 Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP) and the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program. FSA provides payments to eligible producers who suffered eligible crop, tree, bush, and vine losses resulting from a qualifying disaster event. FSA also administers the QLA Program to provide financial assistance to eligible producers who experienced a crop quality loss due to a qualifying disaster event in calendar years 2018 or 2019. The qualifying disaster events are listed in the Background section below.

This rule amends the regulations for Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) to allow supplemental DMC payments to participating eligible dairy operations. DMC provides dairy producers with risk management coverage that pays producers when the difference between the price of milk and the cost of feed (the margin) falls below a certain level. Eligible dairy operations with less than 5 million pounds of established production history may enroll supplemental pounds based upon a formula using 2019 actual milk marketings. Supplemental DMC coverage is applicable to calendar years 2021, 2022, and 2023. Participating dairy operations with supplemental production may receive supplemental payments in addition to payments based on their established production history. In addition, the rule amends the alfalfa hay calculation used in determining the average feed cost and actual dairy production margin. To end prolonged months of milk indemnity payments, the rule amends the regulations for Dairy Indemnity Payment Program (DIPP) to indemnify affected farmers for depopulating and permanently removing cows after discovery of chemical residues affecting the commercial marketing of milk for the applicable farm and likely affecting the marketability of cows for a lengthy duration. The rule also implements a new Oriental Fruit Fly (OFF) Program as authorized in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019. In addition, the rule updates the existing Marketing Assistance Loans (MAL) and Loan Deficiency Payments (LDP) loan rates to be consistent with the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill); the loan rates were already changed administratively because the loan rate changes were self-enacting. This rule also amends the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) regulations to remove two discretionary requirements.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collections associated with Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program (PLIP) and Pandemic Assistance for Timber and Haulers and Harvesters (PATHH) Program. FSA is making PLIP payments to livestock and poultry producers for losses of livestock or poultry depopulated before December 27, 2020, due to insufficient processing access, based on 80 percent of the fair market value of the livestock and poultry, and for the cost of depopulation (other than costs already compensated under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program). FSA is also providing assistance to timber harvesting businesses and timber hauling businesses impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 Outbreak.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is implementing a new Heirs' Property Relending Program (HPRP) authorized in the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill). HPRP provides loans to eligible entities to relend with the purpose of assisting heirs with undivided ownership interests resolve ownership and succession issues on farms that are owned in common by multiple heirs. The loan funds may be used by an ultimate recipient to purchase and consolidate fractional interests held by other heirs in jointly-owned property to pay for costs and fees associated with developing and implementing a succession plan, and to pay for costs associated with buying out fractional interests held in tenancy in common by other heirs in jointly-owned property to clear the title (for example closing costs, appraisals, title searches, surveys, preparing documents, mediation, and legal services). FSA is also amending the Farm Loan Programs (FLP) regulations to revise its rules related to loan making and servicing to improve program delivery and consolidate value-added oversight activities.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is issuing this notice announcing the availability of funds for the Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program (PLIP) to provide assistance to producers for losses of livestock and poultry depopulated from March 1, 2020, through December 26, 2020, due to insufficient processing access as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and for the cost of depopulation and disposal. FSA is implementing PLIP, as authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), and Farm Service Agency (FSA) are requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a revision and an extension of a currently approved information collection.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is issuing this first notice announcing the availability of funds for eligible borrowers with direct loans under the Farm Loan Programs (FLP) and Farm Storage Facility Loan Program (FSFL) as authorized by section 1005 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). A subsequent notice addressing guaranteed loans and remaining loan balances eligible under section 1005 will be published within 120 days of publication of this NOFA. FSA will pay 120 percent of direct loan balances outstanding as of January 1, 2021, for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers as that term is defined by section 2501(a) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990.

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 and revision of a currently approved information collection that supports CCC and FSA loan programs. The information collection is necessary to gather data regarding the applicant which is required on a financing statement, and to obtain the applicant's permission to file a financing statement prior to the execution of a security agreement.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, as amended, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension with a revision of currently approved information collection associated with the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). This information is collected in support of, respectively, sections 401-407 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978, as amended, and section 9011 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, as amended.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and entities on an extension with a revision of a currently approved information collection associated with FSA county committee elections. The collection of information from FSA farmers and ranchers is used to receive nominations from eligible voters for the FSA county committee.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension with a revision of a currently approved information collection associated with the Volunteer Program.

The Rural Utilities Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and Rural Housing Service, agencies that comprise the Rural Development Mission Area within the United States Department of Agriculture, are issuing this final rule to establish the authority authorized by Section 6210 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which will assist rural families and small businesses in gaining access to broadband service by permitting recipients of a loan, grant, or loan guarantee from RD to use up to 10 percent of the amount provided to construct broadband infrastructure in areas not served by minimum acceptable level of broadband service. This rule describes the procedures by which these agencies will consider projects eligible for special broadband authority.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations associated with the extension of two information collection requests. The two collection requests are Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Customer Feedback on the Farm Service Agency Service Delivery (0560-0286), and Certified State Mediation Program (0560-0165). For Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Customer Feedback on FSA Service Delivery, this option is a fast track for approval to streamline the timing to implement certain types of surveys and related collection of information. FSA uses the approval to cover the instruments of collection (such as a survey, a window pop-up survey, a focus group, or a comment card), which are designed to get customer feedback on FSA service delivery for various programs. This request for approval broadly addresses FSA's need for information about what our customers think of our services so that we can improve service delivery; specific information collection activities will be incorporated into the approval as the need for the information is identified. For example, when we implement a new program and provide information about the services for the program on our website, we may provide a voluntary customer service questionnaire about how well the program is working for our customers, specifically within the area of customer service. FSA is requesting to increase the number of respondents in the fast track approval due to an anticipated increase in the number of customer respondents responding to customer service surveys that will be sent to a broader scope and greater number of FSA customers. For Certified State Mediation Program collection is necessary to ensure that the grant program is administered properly. The collection of information is used to determine whether participants meet the eligibility requirements to be a recipient of grant funds. Lack of adequate information to make the determination could result in the improper administration of Federal grant funds.

The general debt management regulations of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) provide that individual USDA agencies may issue regulations for their own specific debt collection activities principally in recognition that the agencies conducted debt collection activities prior to the enactment of the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 (DCIA). Many of the provisions of individual agencies are redundant to part 3. This rule will eliminate the debt collection regulations of the following USDA agencies, and part 3 will be revised to include specific provisions used by these agencies: the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC); the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), and the Farm Service Agency (FSA). In addition, as required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Improvements Act of 2015 (the 2015 Civil Penalties Act), this rule updates the size of civil monetary penalties to reflect inflationary adjustments for 2020.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension and a revision of a currently approved information collection associated with the form of the Power of Attorney. This information collection is used to support the FSA, Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) and Risk Management Agency (RMA) in conducting business and accepting signatures on certain documents from individuals acting on behalf of other individuals or entities.