This rule implements the HAVANA Act of 2021 for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Act provides the authority for the Secretary of Agriculture and other agency heads to provide payments to certain individuals who have incurred qualifying injuries to the brain. The rule covers current and former USDA employees and dependents of current or former employees.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights proposes to update its regulation on nondiscrimination in programs or activities conducted by the Department consistent with Executive Order 14168, entitled, Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government. The final rule removes gender identity and sexual orientation as protected bases and replaces the term gender throughout with the term sex in accordance with the Executive Order 14168, entitled, Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (OASCR) is correcting its’ portion of the Final Rule, Partnerships With Faith-Based and Neighborhood Organizations also known as the Nine Agency Rule published in the Federal Register on March 4, 2024. The summary section of the final rule stated that it clarifies protections for beneficiaries and prospective beneficiaries of federally funded social services, as well as the rights and obligations of organizations providing such services. However, the rule text  for USDA at 7 CFR 16 specifies that the policy applies to all recipients and subrecipients of USDA assistance, without specifically referencing social service programs. This omission created an inconsistency between the summary and the rule text.  Therefore, USDA is  correcting 7 CFR 16.1(b) to include the reference to domestic social service programs.  This correction ensures the regulation accurately reflects the scope and intent of the final rule and clarifies that the protections and obligations apply specifically to the provision of federally funded domestic social service programs.

USDA interim rule based on CEQ rescission of its longstanding NEPA regulations that became effective on April 11, 2025.

USDA previously issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) before the start of this Administration to establish new regulations that will set requirements for the quantification, reporting, and verification of low-carbon, domestic agricultural biofuel feedstocks. The rule may create additional opportunities to produce low-carbon agricultural feedstocks sourcing biofuels, and may provide added-value market opportunities for farmers producing biofuel feedstock crops.  The next steps for this action are currently undetermined.

This final rule amends the U.S. Department of Agriculture's civil monetary penalty regulations by making inflation adjustments as mandated by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015.

USDA has independently determined that it will no longer employ the race- and sex-based socially disadvantaged designation to provide increased benefits based on race and sex in the programs at issue in this regulation.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) issues grants and cooperative agreements to a variety of entities including, but not limited to, colleges and universities, other Federal agencies, and individuals in support of agricultural research, education, and extension programs. The Agency's administrative provisions in 7 CFR part 3430, Competitive and Noncompetitive Non-formula Federal Assistance Programs, contain elements common to all competitive and noncompetitive grant programs it administers in subparts A through E. Subpart F and thereafter apply to specific grant programs.  These regulations do not, however, currently apply to any of the formula grant programs administered by NIFA. Therefore, NIFA will amend the regulations to expand the scope of 7 CFR part 3430 to include these programs and to rename the part Competitive, Noncompetitive, and Capacity Federal Assistance Programs.

At the time 7 CFR part 3430 was established, NIFA planned to eliminate some of its existing program-specific regulations in title 7 and incorporate their provisions into part 3430.  Accordingly, this rule will remove 7 CFR parts 3402 (Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship Grants Program), 3405 (Higher Education Challenge Grants Program), 3406 (1890 Institution Capacity Building Grants Program), and 3415 (Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grants Program) and incorporate their provisions into part 3430 as subparts N, R, S, and T.

The regulations governing the Dairy Tariff-Rate Quota Import Licensing program, 7 CFR 6.206.36, are designed to fulfill our World Trade Organization obligations and facilitate the import of certain dairy products under tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) as set forth in certain notes in chapter 4 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. Under these TRQs, a low tariff rate applies to imports of certain dairy products up to a specified quantity. A higher tariff rate applies to any imports in excess of that amount. Under the licensing program regulations, the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) issues three types of annual licenses: historical, nonhistorical (lottery), and designated. The three license types are used in the same manner but are obtained under different circumstances. No license is required to import products at the over-quota tariff rate. The proposed rule removes the section on license transfers, strengthens the suspension and revocation provisions, and moves forward the surrender date to permit earlier reallocation of surrendered quantities.

This rulemaking would eliminate or incorporate and/or modify waivers to the regulations previously issued by the Licensing Authority. This action would also update and/or clarify language, including definitions, and address circumstances not contemplated in 7 CFR 1530 as currently drafted.  For example, the regulations would address procedures for the treatment of export credits where one refined re-export license holder or its assets are purchased by another refined re-export license holder. The regulations would also address whether refiners, SCPs, and Polyhydric Alcohol manufacturers may buy or sell their export credits to other license holders under the program.

The Export Credit Guarantee Program (GSM-102) provides credit guarantees to encourage financing of commercial exports of U.S. agricultural products.  The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is proposing to update language to reflect FAS's current organizational structure, including requirements for participants in the program to register in the System for Awards Management.

The Foreign Agricultural Service is updating its regulations to remove those regulations that have been rendered obsolete by subsequent authorizing statutes. They are former programs that are no longer needed. The programs’ statutory authority were created in the authorizing laws that have since expired and are no longer in force.  The following regulations are outdated and therefore obsolete and are being removed: 7 CFR 1570 Sunflower Oil and Cottonseed Oil Assistance program, This program is an outdated trade program that has expired and is not in use and, 7 CFR 1560 Import Relief (Canadian Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Imports)--This program is pre-NAFTA and has expired.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is proposing updates to the regulation for the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA).  FSA is addressing numerous aspects of 7 CFR part 781 to propose much needed updates to an old regulation.

The regulations in 7 CFR part 7 specify the election and functions of FSA county committees and the function of the FSA State committees. The regulations are being amended to add a requirement that, to be eligible to serve on an FSA county committee, a producer must not be banned or restricted from entering an FSA office.  The FSA county committee meetings are held in the FSA office.  Any producer who has been banned or restricted from an FSA county office will not be eligible to be a nominee for, or current member of, an FSA county committee.

The regulations will be removed for farm programs that are obsolete, no longer authorized, or administered under different funding. For example, certain regulations such as the Livestock Indemnity Program regulation are located in both the FSA chapter in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and in the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) chapter of the CFR; the current regulations are the CCC regulations, so the rule would remove the obsolete regulations from the FSA chapter of the CFR.  In addition, several subchapter headings would be updated to remove obsolete references, and a few CFR parts would be moved into a more logical subchapter.  FSA will issue rules under this RIN to remove each separate topic.   This is a deregulatory action to remove regulations from the Code of Federal Regulations.

FSA plans to make necessary changes in the APAS regulations, including organizational FSA and FPAC changes and programmatic changes.  This is a Defense Production Act (DPA) regulation.

This rule will implement 3 programs authorized by the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2025 (Division B of the American Relief Act, 2025 Pub. L. 118-158).  The Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) 2023 and 2024 Flood and Wildfire will provide assistance to producers for losses due to increased supplemental feed costs as a result of flooding and on wildfires on non-federally managed land in the 2023 or 2024 calendar years.  The On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program will provide payments to eligible producers who suffered uncompensated losses of harvested commodities stored in farm structures as a result of qualifying disaster events in the 2023 and 2024 calendar years.  The Milk Loss Program will provide payments to eligible dairy operations for milk that was dumped or removed without compensation from the commercial milk market due to qualifying events that occurred in the 2023 and 2024 calendar years.

This rule will announce Stage 2 of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP), which will provide payments for uninsured and uncovered crop losses (shallow losses), including quality losses, and losses of trees, bushes, and vines due to eligible adverse weather events occurring in the 2023 or 2024 calendar year, as authorized by the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2025 (Division B of the American Relief Act, 2025 Pub. L. 118-158).

The final rule would finalize changes made by the interim rule, which had made the minor changes to existing the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) regulation, which were required to implement the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) mandated changes to CRP.  CRP is a Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) program administered by FSA.  There were 63 comments submitted in response to the interim rule.  The final rule will address the issues raised in the comments.

The Farm Service Agency is changing this rule to an inactive rule.  If funding is provided or programmatic changes are required by future legislation, FSA will undertake rulemaking. Background: The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill) extends and revises the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) and authorizes funding to be appropriated through 2023; however funding for the changes has not yet been provided to USDA. BCAP provides financial assistance to producers who establish and harvest biomass crops. The rule makes changes consistent with the 2018 Farm Bill changes. The rule would add algae as an eligible material. Other aspects of BCAP remain essentially unchanged; all biomass must be harvested in a manner that is consistent with a conservation plan, forest stewardship plan or equivalent plan. The rule would revise the definition of biobased to add renewable chemicals and clarify that renewable chemicals are not just an intermediate ingredient, but rather a biobased product, an output that we require for qualified biomass conversion facilities to produce. Finally, the rule would provide notification about adjustments to sign up expectations in order to respond to the changes in funding.

The USDA Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area is withdrawing the plans to revise environmental compliance provisions for the Farm Service Agency, Commodity Credit Corporation, FPAC Business Center, and Risk Management Agency.  With CEQ rescinding its long-standing NEPA regulations effective April 11, 2025 (90 FR 10610), FPAC is no longer pursuing rulemaking.  Accordingly, this rulemaking is being withdrawn as USDA is planning to issue a USDA-wide NEPA amending rule based on the CEQ rescission.   

The final rule made discretionary changes to simplify and streamline deadlines for the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP), the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), and the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP).  The final rule also made changes to clarify ELAP provisions for assistance for transportation of livestock feed.

This rule will assist with uncovered crop losses (shallow losses) including producers without crop insurance and quality losses, due to eligible adverse weather events occurring in the 2023 or 2024 calendar year, as authorized by the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2025 (Division B of the American Relief Act, 2025 Pub. L. 118-158), which authorized up to $18.75 billion for necessary expenses related to losses of revenue, quality or production of crops due to weather related events in 2023 and 2024.

The rule will provide assistance to producers for livestock losses resulting from qualifying drought, wildfires, or both on federally managed lands in the 2023 or 2024 calendar year, as authorized by the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2025 (Division B of the American Relief Act, 2025 Pub. L. 118-158), which authorized $2 billion in assistance to livestock producers for losses due to drought, wildfires, or floods in the 2023 and 2024 calendar years.

The Farm Service Agency is updating its regulations to remove the FSA Crop Assistance Program in 7 CFR part 760 subpart H, which is now obsolete.

Through this final rule, FSA will remove obsolete regulations for the former Soil Bank in 7 CFR part 750, the Tree Assistance and Supplemental Revenue Assistance Programs in 7 CFR part 760, the 2004 Ewe Lamb Replacement and Retention Payment Program in 7 CFR part 784, and Payment Limitations in 7 CFR part 795.

Through this final rule, FSA will remove obsolete regulations in its assistance program regulations that have either moved to other CFR parts or have expired.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation is updating its regulations to remove obsolete regulations for Texas citrus tree crop insurance provisions in 7 CFR 457.106, Sugarcane crop insurance provisions in 7 CFR 457.116, Macadamia tree crop insurance provisions in 7 CFR 457.130, Peanut crop insurance provisions in 7 CFR 457.134, Nursery crop insurance provisions in 7 CFR 457.162, Nursery peak inventory endorsement in 7 CFR 457.163, and Nursery rehabilitation endorsement in 7 CFR 457.164.  These obsolete insurance policies have been replaced by alternate policies, approved under 7 USC 1508(h) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act, that are not in the CFR.  Removing these policies that are no longer in effect will reduce regulatory burden and costs for farmers and insurance personnel.

FCIC is amending the regulations for the 2022 and 2023 reinsurance years.  ADD PAY II is a one time payment to AIPs administering eligible crop insurance contracts for specialty crops for the 2022 and 2023 reinsurance years.

FCIC is making numerous changes in the regulations for greater efficiency related to replanting payments, direct marketing, reducing regulatory and administrative burdens during dispute resolution, clarifications, and corrections.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation is updating its regulations to remove obsolete, unnecessary, and outdated provisions in title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations.  

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) is changing this rule to an inactive rule. If FCIC determines in the future that rulemaking is necessary, FCIC will undertake rulemaking at that time. Background:   FCIC has considered if the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Apple Crop Insurance Provisions required any policy changes to better meet the needs of the apple producers and to address potential program vulnerabilities related to loss ratios and premium costs.  

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) is withdrawing the plans to revise final agency determinations and dispute resolutions regulations.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) is planning to publish an affirmation of the final rule that was done in 2024 as no further changes to the rule that is already effective are planned.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) is planning to publish an affirmation of the final rule that was made effective in 2024. Additionally, FCIC notes that the public comment period was extended in February 2025. FCIC reviewed the public comments received and has determined that no further action is needed.

USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation has identified the following obsolete, unnecessary, and outdated provisions in 7 CFR parts 1405, 1424, and 1429.

The Higher Blends Infrastructure Program (HBIIP) is a program designed to increase the sales and use of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel by expanding the infrastructure for renewable fuels derived from U.S. agricultural products. The program is also intended to encourage a more comprehensive approach to market higher blends by sharing the costs related to building out biofuel-related infrastructure. The program should increase availability of domestic biofuels and give Americans additional fuel options at the pump.

RBCS is proposing a rule to codify the policies and procedures for the program in the Code of Federal Regulations The proposed rule is intended to seek comment on codification of existing authorities provided through statutory language on eligibility requirements, types and terms of funding, program requirements and processing procedures. 

RBCS intends to conduct public engagement to hear from stakeholders and potential applicants about what they would like to see in the regulation as well as what has worked and what has not worked in the past. This program has been implemented for multiple years, so the public should have some input on what has worked and what has not in the past. RBCS is looking for suggestions and input both from those who have applied in the past and those that did not, why they opted not to and if the program could do anything to encourage new applicants.

Targeted primary stakeholders include owners of fueling station owners, convenience store, and fleets, including auto, truck, rail and marine, and their industry associations. Secondary stakeholders include equipment manufacturers, distributors, and installers; State Energy Offices and State Departments of Agriculture; biofuel producers and farmers/agricultural producers and their industry associations; EPA, DOT, DOE, and other Federal agencies; and other stakeholders and groups with related interests such as environmental and health.

The 7 CFR 1970 is Rural Development’s regulation that applies to all programs across the mission area. This regulation is the vehicle through which the Agency implements National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations. With CEQ rescinding its long-standing NEPA regulations effective April 11, 2025 (90 FR 10610), the revisions to 7 CFR 1970 are no longer needed.  Accordingly, this rulemaking is being withdrawn as USDA is planning to issue a USDA-wide NEPA amending rule based on the CEQ rescission. 

The current regulation lists a set of actions that always require an Environmental Impact Statement. The change in the proposed rule intends to give the Agency flexibility when sufficient environmental information is available to indicate no significant impacts to allow the agency to proceed with an Environmental Assessment (EA) not requiring an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). If implemented , the modification will allow the agency to focus its resources on those projects with the most potential impact on the environment .  It will also reduce duplicative work and activity for both applicants and the government.  

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) intends to update 7 CFR 1780, Water and Waste Loans and Grants, as a part of its efforts to improve customer service for its recipients and create more efficient work processes for Agency staff. This regulation provides guidance on application processing, including eligibility, planning, bidding, constructing, closing, and liquidating accounts. While the focus is on the water and waste disposal loans and grants, programs administered through other regulations within WEP’s portfolio follow certain provisions of this regulation.  

RUS intends to publish this rulemaking as a final rule with comment. The updates to 7 CFR part 1780 are expected to: (1) Provide clear and up-to-date policies; (2) provide consistent program delivery; (3) provide greater overall customer service; and (4) bring program delivery more in line with current industry practices and best practices.

Specifically, the regulation updates are expected to: (1) Incorporate new and revised statutory and discretionary language; (2) clarify and consolidate applicant and project eligibility requirements; (3) codify Agency priorities; (4) promote program accessibility; (5) and reorganize topics to more closely align with the life-cycle of a loan and grant. By correcting existing water and wastewater system situations that could threaten the environment or human health, WEP projects improve the livelihoods of community residents and meet pollution mitigation. In FY2021, approximately 70 percent of the projects funded alleviated a health or sanitary issue. Further, the revisions in this final rule with comment expect to expand eligibility for lead service line replacement and clarify the criteria of a health or sanitary hazard.  

The Administrative Procedures Act exempts from prior notice rules any action relating to agency management or personnel or to public property, loans, grants, benefits, or contracts” (5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2)).

RUS intends to update 7 CFR 1782 by publishing a final rule with comment as a part of its continuing effort to improve customer service for its recipients and create more efficient work processes for Agency staff. Specifically, the intent of the updates is to provide: (1) Clearer policies; (2) consistent program delivery; and (3) greater overall customer service.  Additionally, the final rule intends to reorganize the regulation to more closely align with the life-cycle of a loan and grant. The proposed changes are expected to ensure that both internal and external stakeholders have clear guidance on both routine and non-routine servicing actions.

The Administrative Procedures Act exempts from prior notice rules any action "relating to agency management or personnel or to public property, loans, grants, benefits, or contracts" (5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2)). To implement these changes, RUS will publish this action as a final rule with comment.

7 CFR 1782, Servicing of Water and Waste Programs provides recipients and staff guidance on the servicing of water and waste disposal direct loans and grants administered by the USDA, Rural Utilities Service (RUS), Water and Environmental Programs (WEP). This regulation was last updated on September 28, 2007, at 72 CFR 55011. The previous regulation update combined several loan and grant servicing regulations into a single, unified servicing regulation. The regulation provides guidance on routine servicing activities as well as non-routine servicing activities for recipients needing assistance in resolving problem loan or delinquency issues. Servicing activities, especially non-routine, have become more complex and the regulation has proved inadequate. Many of the servicing activities occurring today were not as common in the water and waste disposal industry at the time the regulation was last modified. The updates in this final rule with comments are expected to remedy these issues. 

Collectively, Rural Development’s guaranteed loan programs under the OneRD umbrella work to assist in building and maintaining sustainable rural communities. The Agency has identified areas for revision or clarification and our plan is to issue a fifth final rule with comment to make amendments to the regulation. This OneRD final rule with comment incorporates revisions intended to clarify, improve, expand and enhance the delivery of the guaranteed loan programs.

The ReConnect program provides funding in the form of loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations for the costs of construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas. The expansion of broadband services and infrastructure helps fuel long-term rural economic development and opportunities in rural America.

The final rule that established and codified the requirements for the ReConnect program was published in the Federal Register on February 26, 2021 (86 FR 11603). Since its establishment in 2018 as a pilot program, RUS has successfully opened five funding windows, made awards under four, and is currently reviewing the fifth round of applications. The program has continued to mature, and the agency and its stakeholders have learned valuable lessons over that time.

This regulatory update will also ensure the program rule is in alignment with EO 14236 and implement EO 14192 by alleviating unnecessary burden through a reduction  of application requirements.   The Agency proposes to issue a final rule  that will improve  customer experience and service delivery by ensuring the program is technology neutral, updating definitions for clarity, revising reporting requirements to provide flexibility for awardees ,  and reducing regulatory  burden by removing  application requirements that are no longer needed.

The RUS Electric Program provides leadership and capital to maintain, expand, upgrade, and modernize America's vast rural electric infrastructure.  Under the authority of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, the Electric Program makes direct loans and loan guarantees (Federal Financing Bank), as well as grants and other energy project financing to electric utilities (wholesale and retail providers of electricity) that serve customers in rural areas.

The Agency plans to issue a final rule with comment to update 7 CFR 1767, subpart B to add new accounts to the System of Accounts (USoA) for electric borrowers, delete obsolete accounts, and clarify instructions and definitions. The changes will also add new accounts and general instructions for partially extinguished or forgiven debt. 

The Agency, stakeholders, and RUS Awardees will benefit from this final rule with comments. The changes proposed will provide additional guidance and clarity for the Agency, RUS Awardees and Certified Public Accounting (CPA) firms. These changes will better align the RUS USoA with the FERC USoA, providing consistent accounting treatment for Awardees subject to FERC or RUS. This update will enable greater accuracy in reporting by developing three (3) new production plant categories and a new category for energy storage. Additionally, the revision will provide specific accounts and guidance on accounting for extinguished or forgiven debt. Although this rulemaking is administrative, there will be an opportunity for public input. 

The Rural Housing Service (RHS), the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), agencies of the Rural Development mission area, hereinafter referred to as the Agency, published a final rule with comment on July 14, 2020 (85 FR 42494) that created a unified guaranteed loan platform for enhanced delivery of four existing guaranteed loan programs: Community Facilities (CF) administered by RHS; Water and Waste Disposal (WWD) administered by RUS; and Business and Industry (B&I) and Rural Energy for America (REAP) administered by the RBCS. The final rule was effective on October 1, 2020, and Rural Development began operating under the new guaranteed loan platform.

Collectively, Rural Development’s guaranteed loan programs work to assist in building and maintaining sustainable rural communities. The Agency has identified areas for revision or clarification and our plan is to issue a fourth final rule with comment to make amendments to the regulation. This OneRD final rule with comment incorporates mostly all administrative revisions intended to simplify, clarify, improve, expand, and enhance the delivery of the four guaranteed loan programs. One such example would be expanding the explanation of what is an acceptable financial statement.  There are no policy changes with this regulation update. There is, however, a policy clarification for 5001.103(a)(3), the Community Facilities Guaranteed Loans, which intends to codify the eligibility requirements for business incubators (when not inherently commercial), thrift stores, and fairgrounds, agricultural exposition centers, farmers markets, food distribution and food banks.  

To implement these changes, Rural Development published this action as a final rule with comment. The Administrative Procedures Act exempts from prior notice rules any actions "relating to agency management or personnel or to public property, loans, grants, benefits, or contracts" (5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2)). However, RD will invite the public to participate in the rulemaking process by submitting written comments. RD will consider all of the comments that are received and may conduct additional rulemaking based on the comments received.

The Agency proposes to make these revisions to the policy and procedures which will strengthen oversight and management of the growing CF, WWD, B&I and REAP portfolios. This action is part of a continuing effort by the Agency to improve customer service for its Lender’s and create more efficient work process for its staff.

Rural Development's Environmental regulations are detailed in 7 CFR 1970 and addresses when National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) applies and what actions are exempt from NEPA review. Consistent with Executive Orders and Administration policies, this regulation update clearly indicates that loan guarantees in the OneRD program are not subject to NEPA reviews. There is a significant delay in OneRD guarantees due to environmental reviews even though there are minimal federal oversight in the projects, and this action is consistent with the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. With 7 CFR 1970 being revised, and the Council of Environment Quality regulations rescinded on February 25, 2025 (90 FR 10610), this regulation is being withdrawn.

In keeping with current Administration Executive Orders and guidance, Rural Development (RD) intends to publish a proposed rule to update its Environmental Policies and Procedures in 7 CFR part 1970 which became effective April 1, 2016.  The purpose of this regulation update is for RD to continue to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.) and all applicable environmental requirements and updating and modernizing the requirements to align with oversight entities.  The update will help clarify for staff and applicants the need to base policy decisions on the environmental consequences of proposed actions, and act to protect, restore and enhance the quality of the human environment. This regulation is applicable to programs administered by the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), Rural Housing Service (RHS), and Rural Utilities Service (RUS); herein referred to as the Agency (7 CFR 1970.1(b)).  Since implementation of this regulation, Agency internal and external customers have consistently requested additional guidance on numerous regulation provisions. With 7 CFR 1970 being revised to provide NEPA implementing procedures, and the Council of Environment Quality regulations rescinded effective April 11, 2025 (90 FR 10610), this regulation is being withdrawn.

Consistent with current Executive Orders and Administration directives related to citizenship, the Rural Housing Service (RHS) intends to publish a proposed rule to establish criteria for compliance with section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980 within 7 CFR 3560. Section 214 requires that individuals applying to receive federal assistance under certain programs must provide a U.S. citizenship declaration and verification of the individual’s citizenship status. Customer experience with the program will be enhanced by codifying processes in the regulation that have been run through funding announcements since the inception of the program.

Consistent with the current Administration's directive to agencies addressing cost of living and promote affordable housing options, the Rural Housing Service (RHS) intends to publish a proposed rule that will propose modifications to the Voucher Program, which is expected to address the eligibility of tenants, the inspection of the housing units, and the calculation of the subsidy amount. Since Fiscal Year 2006, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has received funding for its Voucher Program as authorized under section 542 of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1490r). Under section 542, the voucher program offers assistance to very low-income families and people residing in rental housing in rural areas. This program has been operating since 2006 using a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) published annually in the Federal Register incorporating the supplemental appropriation requirements.

On August 13, 2013, RHS published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to add a subpart Q to 7 CFR part 3560 specifically for the Voucher Program. A 60-day comment period was provided that ended October 15, 2013 (78 FR 49374- 49379). As significant time has passed since that proposed rule, RHS will re-propose permanent regulations that reflect the statutory provisions in section 542 of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended. The proposed rule is expected to also provide procedural guidance for the Program.

Rural Development (RD) Rural Housing Service (RHS) intends to publish a proposed rule to update 7 CFR 1924 with the intention of making the current regulation consistent with other current RD requirements and federal agency criteria. The proposed rule is expected to set forth the requirements that are needed in the planning and performance of construction and other development work. The focus will be to consolidate, streamline, and update the various regulations that contain the policies and procedures for planning and performing building construction using financial assistance from a variety of programs from RHS.

The proposed regulation changes will provide guidance for the construction of buildings that are financed across the RD portfolio. The focus will be on habitable structures that are considered to be buildings within the construction industry.  The affected programs are within RHS Community Facilities, Single Family Housing, and Multi-Family Housing programs. Habitable buildings financed by RUS and RBCS will have access to 7 CFR 1924 by a cross reference with those Agency’s applicable program regulations.

The changes are expected to streamline and update code references and application, better external communications to apprise borrowers of the improved product of current standards for construction including energy efficiency and resilience to natural disasters such as provide greater protection against the effects of natural disasters and hazards by implementing greater energy efficiencies, addressing indoor air quality issues, and result in stronger, safer, healthier housing and other building structures.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS) is an agency within the USDA Rural Development (RD) mission area. The SFH Rural Housing Site Loan programs, implemented under 7 CFR 1822, subpart G, provide loans to qualified organizations to help them acquire, carry, and develop land in rural areas. Consistent with the Agency's commitment to delivering programs efficiently, effectively, with integrity, and with a focus on customer service, this proposed rule provides updates and improvements to streamline and simplify SFH requirements to reduce paperwork and result in process improvement. The SFH Site Loan program has evolved, and the current regulations as codified restrict the Agency’s ability to be flexible with market changes. This proposed rule is a result of routine meetings between the SFH program staff and its partners in which stakeholders provide suggestions for process improvement to reduce burden on grantees and borrowers, increase flexibility of the program and improve overall customer satisfaction.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS) is proposing to amend 7 CFR 3560 to update the definition of Non-Profit to include a limited partnership with a non-profit general partner to be considered a nonprofit organization for the RHS Multi-Family Housing (MFH) section 515 program. This is intended to provide consistency with the MFH section 514/516 program.

The Agency is actively pursuing a range of strategies to preserve the MFH portfolio, which has more than 400,000 units nationwide with an average property age around 35 years. More than 60 percent of all MFH properties will reach loan maturity by 2040, resulting in a significant loss of affordable housing in rural communities unless action is taken to facilitate preservation by new and current MFH owners. Expanding the definition of a nonprofit organization is intended to allow more entities to access Agency resources and incentives designated for nonprofits while maintaining the integrity of the nonprofit requirement. By expanding the nonprofit definition to include that entity structure (which is already an option available under section 514/516), the Agency can support organizations seeking third-party funding and reduce some complexities in the sale to nonprofit and transfer processes. For nonprofit organizations seeking to acquire and preserve properties without low income housing tax credits (LIHTC), the option for a nonprofit corporation or limited liability corporation can allow them to limit risk to the nonprofit entity that occurs when the nonprofit directly owns properties.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS), Housing Preservation Grants (HPG) program, authorized under section 533 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490m) and implemented under 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N, provides qualified public agencies, private non-profit organizations including, but not limited to, Faith-Based and neighborhood partnerships, and other eligible entities; grant funds to assist low- and very low-income homeowners in repairing and rehabilitating their homes in rural areas.  In addition, the HPG program assists cooperative housing complexes and rental property owners in rural areas in repairing and rehabilitating their units if they agree to make such units available to very low- and low-income persons.  The Agency plans to make general revisions to streamline and update the regulation.  The Agency anticipates the intended changes will provide a better customer experience because references will be current and useful as opposed to obsolete and not helpful to an applicant.  Updates to the regulation could also potentially reduce the amount of time an applicant would need to prepare an application, which in turn reduces their burden in time and potential costs during the application process.  

The purpose of the Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program (GRRHP) is to increase the supply of affordable rural rental housing by using loan guarantees to encourage partnerships between the Rural Housing Service (RHS or Agency) Multi-Family Housing (MFH) program, private lenders, and public agencies. 7 CFR part 3565 sets forth the regulation requirements for the GRRHP which prescribes the policies, authorizations, and procedures for the guarantee of multifamily loans authorized by section 538, title V, of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490p-2).

7 CFR part 3565 currently requires that applications for a loan guarantee submitted by lenders must include a loan request for projects that demonstrate market feasibility. The regulation does not specifically state the type of documentation the lender can submit to demonstrate the need (feasibility) for affordable rental housing. Some opted to provide it in the form of a formal market study, others did not, opting for another means / information, thus creating inconsistencies when submitting documentation to the agency that demonstrate market demand.  The regulation makes references to market assessment, but there is no specific requirement that a market study be submitted.

The Agency intends to publish a proposed rule to amend 7 CFR part 3565.24(b) to require that applicants (lenders) submit a market study as part of the complete application for a section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing loan guarantee. The Agency expects that this proposed regulatory change will allow the Agency to enforce the requirement that applicants must submit a market study as a part of a complete section 538 GRRHP application to determine feasibility of the project. This change would formalize the process and require all applicants to all use a formal market study when demonstrating market need.

This rulemaking is required by statute. The Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA) was signed into law on July 29, 2016 (Pub. L. 114201, 130 Stat.782), which made numerous changes to statutes governing the determination of household income in Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) programs.

RHS Multifamily Housing programs implemented under 7 CFR 3560, are required by the Housing Act of 1949 statute to be aligned with certain provisions of HOTMA in 24 CFR 5.609. HOTMA changed the requirements for determining household income and net family assets. Currently the RHS regulation found at 7 CFR 3560.153(a) requires that annual income be calculated in accordance with HUD’s regulation at 24 CFR 5.609, as required by the Housing Act 1949. The effective date of HOTMA was January 1, 2024, with a full compliance date not later than January 1, 2025. The Agency expects to publish a proposed rule and then a final rule. RHS will comply with the HOTMA requirements as required by the Housing Act of 1949. An Administrator’s Exception, under the authority granted in 7 CFR 3560.8, has been approved for RHS to exclude 24 CFR 5.609(c) from 7 CFR 3560.153(a) until the final rule is published.  

The Rural Housing Service (RHS) proposes to amend 7 CFR 3555.102(b) and 7 CFR 3555.201(b)(2) specifically related to the purchasing or improving of sites that include income-producing land or buildings that are used principally for income-producing purposes. These changes are being considered to continue supporting and reinforcing the goals of addressing the Nation’s shortage of affordable housing, while increasing access to home ownership.  Changes contemplated by the Agency include: 1. Allow the Agency to issue a guarantee if loan funds are used for a single income producing ADU; 2. Allow the Agency to issue a guarantee if loan funds are used for home-based operations; 3. Clarify that borrowers are allowed to finance sites that include a single income producing ADU; and 4. Add the definition of an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) to the regulation.

The updates are expected to enhance customer experience by allowing rental income from ADUs to be considered for program eligibility would help more borrowers qualify, thereby increasing access to homes with ADUs and benefiting the public. This increased flexibility would enable stakeholders to assist more applicants by offering more financing options, which in turn would help address the nationwide shortage of affordable housing. Additionally, it would expand the Agency's program flexibility by qualifying more borrowers for the SFHGLP, utilizing the potential rental income as part of the loan financing process.

This rule has been discussed at the SFHGLP’s monthly joint housing calls with FHA, FHFA, CFPB, VA, and Ginnie Mae where we provide updates on the status of our proposals and seek input from our partners. Stakeholders have discussed having a benchmark for grounds of administrative action and that was the basis for this plan to get started. Recommendations for simplifying the income calculation methodology has been received during quarterly stakeholder meetings and various housing conferences. All feedback received has been positive and determined to be consistent with other entities within the mortgage industry. An opportunity to provide additional input will be provided during the comment period when the proposed rule is published.  

The Agency is proposing changes to the SFHGLP regulation at 7 CFR 3555 by eliminating the requirement for those who will not be a party to the transaction to supply personal income and asset documentation by using only the income of the applicant(s) when calculating both the income used to determine initial program eligibility as well as income used to determine repayment ability. This will better align the Agency with the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) and standard industry practices, as well as recognize the significantly changing family dynamics which make it difficult to obtain the currently required financial information. It is expected to enhance customer experience for rural low - to- moderate income residents seeking financing through the SFHGLP, lenders and staff.

Discussions have taken place at the SFHGLP’ s monthly joint housing calls with FHA, FHFA, CFPB, VA, and Ginnie Mae and, based on positive feedback received, the proposal appears to align with other entities within the mortgage industry - Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, FHA , and VA have already adopted similar policies. Additional opportunity to provide input will be provided during the comment period once the proposed rule is published.  

The Rural Housing Service (Agency) is proposing changes to the SFH Guaranteed regulations at 7 CFR 3555 to update the maximum principal, interest, taxes, and insurance (PITI) ratio for all non-Guaranteed Underwriting System (GUS) Accept files; eliminating the availability of a PITI ratio waiver for some files; and providing clarification on interested party concessions to adjust to the current mortgage environment and industry standards.  The proposed rule is intended to apply only to lenders. All lenders are required to follow underwriting guidance when underwriting any mortgage loan product, and this action is completed in a lenders’ normal course of business. This requirement is consistent with standard mortgage industry practices and is required regardless of the size of the entity. The proposed rule is not expected to result in any increase in costs or prices to small entities.

Consistent with current Executive Orders and Administration directives to improve housing affordability, it is expected that the proposed changes would benefit the public with increased buying power” (i.e., buy a bigger home, more money available for closing) with a higher PITI ratio. The ability to exclude real estate commission fees from the seller concession limitation allows the buyer more flexibility in negotiating with the seller to pay closing costs and prepaids. Stakeholders will be able to assist more applicants by providing more options in financing with more flexible ratios and concession calculations.

Discussions have taken place at the SFHGLP’s monthly joint housing calls with FHA, FHFA, CFPB, VA, and Ginnie Mae.  During these  tri - annual calls, stakeholders have   expressed concerns regarding the   PITI ratio , stating it does not coincide with typical industry standards .  Additional input is expected during the comment period once the proposed rule is published.    

Subpart A of 7 CFR part 1924 prescribes the basic Agency policies, methods, and responsibilities in the planning and performing of construction and other development work for insured Rural Housing (RH), single unit Labor Housing (LH).  It also provides supplemental requirements for Rural Rental Housing (RRH) loans, Rural Cooperative Housing (RCH) loans, multi-unit (LH) loans and grants, Rural Housing Site loans, and public owned, commercial Community Facilities (CF) loans and grants. The Agency intends to update the requirements for planning development work in 7 CFR 1924.5 by publishing a proposed rule. 

There is an existing work plan (0575-AD26) that was approved August 2022 for a proposed rule for 7 CFR 1924, Planning, Procuring, and Performing Construction.  The proposed rule will revise all of 7 CFR 1924 to consolidate, streamline, and update the various regulations that contain the policies and procedures for planning and performing building construction using financial assistance from a variety of programs from RHS.  While working on the proposed rule for all of 7 CFR 1924 it was identified that 7 CFR 1924.5, 1924.6, and Exhibits D and E pertain to public safety and were identified as critical sections.  The last update to these requirements was in December 2002, and the original regulation was published in March 1987.  Since the last update to these requirements occurred over 20 years ago the current requirements are referencing outdated building codes and not utilizing current industry standards.  Since public safety is affected, PSS would like to issue this proposed rule to update the requirements to the current industry standards while completing the proposed rule for all of 7 CFR 1924. 

 Specifically, the updates are necessary to: (1) remove language that pertains to farm loans, since the Agency no longer processes these; (2) update the Agency’s outdated references pertaining to building construction guides; and (3) update the Agency’s requirements for use of building codes. 

The Single-Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program (SFHGLP) is authorized by section 502(h) of the Housing Act of 1949, (42 U.S.C. 1472(h)), as amended. 7 CFR part 3555 sets forth the regulation requirements of the SFHGLP which includes policies regarding origination, servicing, holding, and liquidating SFHGLP loans .  The SFHGLP makes loan guarantees to provide low- and moderate- income persons in rural areas an opportunity to own decent, safe, and sanitary dwellings and related facilities .  Approved lenders make the initial eligibility determinations, and the Agency reviews those determinations to make a final eligibility decision .    

The Agency proposes the following changes to 7 CFR parts 3555: (1) up date the current guidance regarding contractors and builders; (2) offer an alternative for title insurance for manufactured homes located on tribal land; and (3) establish  a rehabilitation loan program. T he expected benefits include increased accessibility to housing programs, improved borrower and property eligibility standards, increased loan making by increasing purchase options, an aligned SFHGLP with other agencies and government sponsored enterprises, and enhanced overall customer experience within the SFHGLP.

Between now and 2050, the Rural Housing Service (RHS) risks losing 330,000 affordable units to the maturing mortgage and Section 521 Rental Assistance termination risk. Pursuant to 7 CFR 3560.73(a)(Subsequent loans; applicability), the Agency may make a subsequent loan to a borrower to complete, improve, repair, or make modifications to MFH projects initially financed by the Agency or for equity preservation purposes.  The regulation does not explicitly prohibit acquisition as an eligible use; however, it does not specify acquisition is an eligible use. Similar assistance is available if and only if an owner requests prepayment as described in 7 CFR 3560.652 (Prepayment and restrictive-use categories); however, that process is lengthy, burdensome to the borrower and the Agency, and rife with legal vulnerabilities.  The inclusion of acquisition as an eligible use in section 3560.73 would free up credit in preservation transactions without requiring the owner and the Agency to navigate a time-consuming and burdensome threat to prepay the Agency loan with the added risk of an owner exiting the portfolio.  

Consistent with current Executive Orders and Administration directives, the Rural Housing Service (RHS) plans to publish a final rule with comment to consolidate and update three regulations governing Community Facilities Loans and Grants programs, 7 CFR part 1942, subparts A and C, and 7 CFR part 3570, subpart B, into a new regulation, 7 CFR part 3570, subpart A. This new regulation will be used to administer the Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant programs as well as incorporate the Tribal College and Economic Impact Initiative Grant programs. The existing regulations in 7 CFR part 1942, subparts A and C, and 7 CFR part 3570, subpart B, will be removed as obsolete. It is planned to also include language implementing the 2018 Farm Bill to include priority for projects that provide substance abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery services; and to allow as an eligible loan purpose the refinancing of certain rural hospital debt.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS) published a proposed rule on August 4, 2022 [87 FR 47646] to amend the Single-Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program (SFHGLP) regulation found in 7 CFR part 3555.  A 60-day comment period was provided for the proposed rule, which closed on October 3, 2022.  RHS received comments from 41 respondents, of which one of the comments was not applicable to the contents of the rule.  Of the comments received, 30 were from mortgage lenders, one was from a public assistance agency, and ten were from other members of the public. 

As a result of the comments received, the Agency will also add 7 CFR 3555.55 to grant Delegated Lenders the authority to approve and execute loan guarantees with limited to no involvement of Agency staff. The provisions include the following:

 (1) The Agency may grant Delegated Lenders the authority to approve loans and obtain Loan Note Guarantees with limited to no involvement of Agency staff.

 (2) The Agency would reserve the right to suspend or terminate any lender’s delegated status for reasons including, but not limited to, underwriting loans which do not meet Agency guidelines, providing data to the Agency’s automated underwriting system which is not supported by documentation retained by the lender, maintaining a portfolio that does not meet the established delinquency, loss claim, and default rate performance metrics, and other criteria described in Agency loan program requirements in 7 CFR 3555, and any other regulatory guidance issued.

 (3) Delegated Lenders would be required to use the Agency’s automated underwriting system as described in 3555.107(b) Automated underwriting.”

 (4) The Agency would monitor ongoing delegated authority (DA) eligibility using regular collection and analysis of loan level data and performance, as well as through lender oversight reviews/examinations.

The Agency anticipates including in the Final Rule the opportunity for Delegated Lenders to submit files to the Agency for review and approval, in some circumstances.  In addition, the Agency will consider the recommendations on oversight sample size and the roll-out timeframe in development of the final rule.

The changes to 7 CFR 3555 are expected to improve the efficiency of the delivery of the SFHGLP, align Agency practices with industry standards, and provide the public, specifically low- and moderate-income households, with faster and better service by eliminating Agency intervention at loan origination through closing.

The Community Facilities (CF) Program currently utilizes seven existing regulations to service the CF Direct Loans (7 CFR part 1951, subparts E, F, and 0; 7 CFR part 1955, subparts A, B, and C; and 7 CFR part 1956, subpart C). The CF Program will be removed from the existing seven regulations. The Agency will place all regulations for servicing the loans and grants of the CF program into one streamlined regulation; that regulation will apply solely to the CF Program. The Agency will also make changes to improve the servicing options available to CF borrowers.

Under the authority of the Housing Act of 1949, (42 U.S.C. 1471 et seq.), as amended, the Multifamily Housing (MFH) Direct Loan and Grant Programs make direct loans or grants to provide affordable multi-family rental housing for low income, elderly, disabled individuals and families, or domestic farm workers in eligible rural areas. The program is implemented under 7 CFR 3560.

Borrowers are required to purchase and maintain property insurance on all buildings included as security for an Agency loan. Borrowers must also furnish fidelity coverage, liability insurance and various other insurance coverage required by the Agency to protect the security of the asset. Insurance protects the asset against loss or damage.  Failure to maintain adequate insurance coverage may lead to a non-monetary loan default.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS) published a proposed rule on 10/25/2023 with the comment period ending on 12/26/2023 to amend 7 CFR 3560.4; 7 CFR 3560.62; and 7 CFR 3560.105 to implement changes related to insurance requirements for the MFH Direct Loan and Grant programs. These proposed changes to 7 CFR 3560 subparts A, B and C are intended to align insurance coverage types, amounts and deductibles with affordable housing industry standards, as well as simplify the coverage amounts and deductible limits. The intended outcome of these proposed changes is to simplify insurance coverage amounts and deductible limits, which is expected to reduce Agency staff review time of insurance requirements and improve overall efficiency in managing the assets in the multi-family housing portfolio. Simplifying the coverage amounts and deductible limits will also provide a more positive customer experience.

The SFH section 502 Direct and section 504 Programs are implemented under 7 CFR 3550 and the SFH Guaranteed Loan Program is implemented under 7 CFR 3555. Both programs are authorized, by sections 502 and 504 of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended, (42 U.S.C. 1472 and 1474).

The section 502 Direct Loan Program is implemented under 7 CFR 3550 and authorized by section 502 of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended, (42 U.S.C. 1472 and 1474). The purpose of the program is to assist low- and very low-income applicants who currently do not own adequate housing and cannot obtain other credit, the opportunity to acquire, build, rehabilitate, improve, or relocate dwellings in rural areas.

The section 504 Loan and Grant Program is implemented under 7 CFR 3550 and is authorized by section 504 of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended, (42 U.S.C. 1472 and 1474). This program offers loans to very low-income homeowners who cannot obtain other credit to repair or rehabilitate their properties. The section 504 program also offers grants to homeowners aged 62 or older who cannot obtain a loan to correct health and safety hazards or to make the unit accessible to household members with disabilities.

The section 502 Guaranteed Loan Program is implemented under 7 CFR 3555 and is authorized by section 502 of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended, (42 U.S.C. 1472 and 1474). The purpose of the program is to assist low- and moderate-income applicants the opportunity to acquire, build, rehabilitate, improve, or relocate dwellings in rural areas.

The Agency considered expansion of manufactured housing options to deploy new financing mechanisms to build and preserve more housing where housing gaps exist. There is special emphasis on supporting production and availability of manufactured housing through improved loan rates and terms making this type of home ownership more attainable and affordable. RHS is proposing to reduce the regulatory burdens in 7 CFR parts 3550 and 3555 specifically related to manufactured housing requirements, enhance program delivery and customer service, promote consistency between the direct and guaranteed SFH loan programs where feasible, and reflect current housing market conditions and mortgage loan practices. A manufactured home is defined as a structure that is transportable in one or more sections on a permanent chassis, constructed for permanent occupancy, and placed on a permanent foundation.

RHS will continue to require all new and existing manufactured homes to be constructed and placed on a permanent foundation in accordance with the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (FMHCSS), established by HUD and found in 24 CFR part 3280.

The Agency published a proposed rule on 8/16/2023 [88 FR 55601] in the Federal Register outlining these changes that support new financing mechanisms to build and preserve more housing where housing gaps exist. The public comment period ending on 10/16/2023. The proposed updates are expected to include clarifying language addressing the following issues: (1) the ability for borrowers under the direct and guaranteed loan programs to purchase existing manufactured homes constructed in conformance with standards and on or after a specified date; (2) the Agency’s consideration of a land-lease with an unexpired term that is at least two years longer than the mortgage term for new energy efficient manufactured and modular home financing in land-lease communities operating on a nonprofit basis; and (3) the need for Agency approval of manufactured housing dealers. These revisions are expected to allow the Agency to responsibly and effectively utilize funds appropriated by Congress through allowing borrowers more purchase options within a competitive market and thereby increasing the likelihood of finding adequate housing which increases program impact. 

7 CFR part 3550 sets forth the requirements of the Rural Housing Service (RHS) Single Family Housing (SFH) direct programs, authorized by sections 502 and 504 of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1472 and 1474). The "section 502 direct loan program" provides 100 percent loan financing to assist low- and very low-income applicants obtain modest housing in eligible rural areas by providing payment assistance to increase an applicant’s repayment ability. The section 504 loan program provides one percent interest rate loans to very low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas to repair, improve, or modernize their home or to remove health and safety hazards. The "section 504 grant program" provides grants to elderly very low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas to remove health and safety hazards, or accessibility barriers from their home, often in conjunction with a section 504 loan.

The Agency published a proposed rule on 11/20/2023 [88 FR 80641]. The public comment period ended on 1/19/2024. The proposed changes under consideration are part of the Agency’s effort to improve regulatory efficiencies and improve customer service for borrowers by: (1) creating a more efficient application process; (2) promoting consistency between the direct and guaranteed SFH loan programs where feasible; and (3) reviewing current housing market conditions and mortgage loan practices.  The Agency intends to review  procedures and regulations to potentially identify and revise unnecessary and outdated regulations, as well as simplify other policies and procedures that may impose burdensome requirements on borrowers and applicants.

The purpose of the Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program (GRRHP) is to increase the supply of affordable rural rental housing by using loan guarantees to encourage partnerships between the Rural Housing Service (RHS or Agency), private lenders, and public agencies. 7 CFR part 3565 (part 3565) sets forth the regulation requirements for the GRRHP which prescribes the policies, authorizations, and procedures for the guarantee of multifamily loans authorized by section 538, title V, of the Housing Act of 1949.

To preserve affordable housing, part 3565 requires that properties that are financed with a section 538 GRRHP loan be used for occupancy by low- and moderate-income households and remain as affordable rental housing for the original term of the loan. To codify this requirement, part 3565 requires restrictive use language to be outlined in a separate deed restriction. Part 3565, currently, does not specify that the separate deed restriction be recorded.  Only recorded documents will convey with the property if the mortgage and/or deed of trust is prepaid or if the loan transfers to new ownership.  The Agency is proposing to amend 7 CFR part 3565.352(b) by adding language that states the separate deed restriction (containing the restrictive use language) must be recorded.

The Agency expects that this regulatory change would provide a better customer experience by allowing the Agency to enforce the restrictive use requirement to maintain affordability if the loan guaranteed by the section 538 GRRHP is prepaid.

Rural Development (RD) planned to publish a proposed rule to update policies and procedures for implementing the regulations of the Department of Agriculture issued pursuant to title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974, as they relate to the USDA Rural Development or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354. This proposed rule would cover all those items that are specific to RD and not already addressed in 7 CFR part 15. The Agency intends to address requirements that awardees must meet to comply with Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights laws and various executive orders and enhance customer experience with updates to processes and procedures for the first time in over 30 years.

The Rural Housing Service Single Family Housing (SFH) Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants programs provide grants to qualified organizations to help carry out local self-help housing construction projects. Grant recipients supervise groups of very-low- and low-income individuals and families as they construct their own homes in rural areas. The group members provide most of the construction labor on each other’s homes, with technical assistance from the organization overseeing the project. Eligible applicants include government nonprofit organizations, federally recognized Tribes, and private nonprofit organizations.  

Consistent with the Agency's goal to deliver programs efficiently, effectively, with integrity, and with a focus on positive customer experience, the SFH program has identified improvements that are intended to streamline and simplify SFH requirements to reduce paperwork and result in process improvement. 

The Rural Housing Service (RHS) intends to issue a proposed rule to make the following changes to 7 CFR 3555:

(1)  Amend the current regulation for 7 CFR 3555.151(i)(3)(iv) to add a seven-year timeframe when a prior Agency loss is considered significant derogatory credit. The Agency believes the proposed timeframe is reasonable to allow former borrowers the opportunity to create a better financial situation for themselves and their family by re-establishing credit and providing evidence of acceptable payment histories.

(2)  Amend 7 CFR 3555.101(d)(3)(i)(A), (B), and (C) to clarify the streamlined and non-streamlined refinanced loan options do not have a 12-month seasoning requirement, to change the current 12-month seasoning requirement for streamlined-assist refinance loans to a six month seasoning period, and specify the borrower must have no delinquencies greater than 30 days on the mortgage account being refinanced for 180 days prior to loan application.  The intent of the proposed change would allow borrowers to refinance their current, eligible Rural Development loan when it is most beneficial for the borrower to do so.  Limiting the borrower to a 12-month time frame to refinance their current USDA mortgage debt may be detrimental when the economic environment may be favorable to refinance the debt now.  By lowering the mortgage payment for the borrower, it would put them in a better financial situation, allowing the borrower additional financial resources to save or spend on improvements to their home.

(3) Amend 7 CFR 3555.101(d)(3)(iii) to clarify the streamlined, non-streamlined, and streamlined-assist refinance loans must all maintain the current mortgage account for the 180 days prior to loan application. However, if the streamlined and non-streamlined mortgage accounts have not been opened for 180 days prior to loan application, no defaults must have occurred since the mortgage account was opened. The changes are intended to align the Agency with similar federal agencies’ refinance seasoning requirements.  It would also allow our current applicants to take advantage of favorable economic markets to refinance their homes.

This proposed rule would clarify program eligibility requirements in 7 CFR 3555 for USDA's Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program (SFHGLP).  Applicants seeking to purchase a home through USDA Single Family Housing Guaranteed (SF HG) program, must have acceptable citizenship or immigration status.  Specifically, under current regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, a U.S. non-citizen national, or a qualified alien as required by section 401 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PROGRAM) (8 U.S.C. section 1611).  The intended outcome of the proposed changes is increased access to essential opportunities for stakeholders by clarifying program eligibility requirements for USDA’s Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program, and align the Agency with other Federal housing partners. Additionally, the proposed changes are expected to allow more applicants availability to own a home and increase the rate of home ownership and promote community stability which creates the foundation for prosperity in Rural America. This rulemaking is being withdrawn as it does not align with Administration priorities.

RHS intends to codify the changes of the proposed rule published in the Federal Register on March 29, 2024 [89 FR 22094] with this final rule. It is necessary to codify the updates made to the credit reporting process by the Agency, align Agency practice with industry standards, and remove the need to rely on various internal guidance documents during the credit reporting process. The requirements for obtaining credit reports for applicants and borrowers for MFH funding, transfer, and servicing actions will be updated in the regulation and the rulemaking action will include conforming changes to rescind 7 CFR 1910 subparts B and C, and 7 CFR 1955.118, which are outdated. The change is intended to improve customer experience. 

On December 29, 2022, the President signed into law the Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2023 (Pub. L 117-328), which incorporated The Public and Federally Assisted Housing Fire Safety Act of 2022. This new law requires each unit of federally assisted housing to contain hardwired or 10-year non-rechargeable, sealed, tamper-resistant battery-powered smoke alarm devices, as well as other items. To comply with the new statutory requirements, the Rural Housing Service (RHS) will amend 7 CFR 3560.103(a)(3)(xx) and 7 CFR 3560.60 to implement the changes related to smoke alarm requirements for the MFH Direct Loan and Grant programs. The changes to 7 CFR 3560 subparts B and C are intended to align the Agency’s smoke alarm requirements with the new qualified smoke alarm standards under the Public and Federally Assisted Housing Fire Safety Act of 2022.

The Agency published a proposed rule on 1/8/2024 [89 FR 892] with the public comment period ending on 3/8/2024. The Agency expects this final rule to increase the safety of residents and visitors, as well as strengthen measures for the protection of the asset value used to secure the Agency’s section 515 and section 514/516 program loans. Housing repair and replacement costs in the affordable housing industry have been increasing at a steady rate due to economic changes in the open market for labor and materials. Agency stakeholders will benefit from an improved customer experience through improved safety and prevention of potential damage resulting from smoke and fire. 

The Rural Housing Service (RHS) proposes to establish a  formal process to review and initiate administrative actions and civil monetary penalties against approved lenders in noncompliance with USDA, approval, servicing, and/or lending participation requirements called the Lender Review Board (Board) for USDA’s Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program (SFHGLP) SFHGLP defines lender as the entity making, holding, or servicing a loan that is guaranteed under the provisions of 7 CFR 3555. SFH is proposing the Board to be comprised of voting members and non-voting advisors who will work with the Office of General Counsel to ensure cases that are referred are fact-based and meet legal sufficiency.  The Agency anticipates the following results of these changes: (1)  Provide transparency to all parties and creates an effective strategy to ensure lender accountability: (2) Provide procedures that will strengthen the management and oversight of the SFHGLP; (3)  Provide transparency to approved lenders of the enforcement actions that may be taken by USDA: (4)  Strengthen the oversight and management of the SFHGLP, ensuring lender accountability; and (5)  Align the Agency with other Federal housing programs. This rulemaking is being withdrawn as it does not align with Administration priorities.

In August 2020, USDA issued a final rule for the Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended. The final rule made permanent many of the changes USDA had published in an interim rule, with request for comments, on December 7, 2018, to clarify how USDA delineates, determines, and certifies wetlands located on subject land in a manner sufficient for making determinations of ineligibility for certain USDA program benefits. On February 22, 2024, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia determined that the 2020 rulemaking did not comply with the Administrative Procedure Act. This rule would address the deficiencies noted in that opinion.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service is updating its regulations to remove obsolete regulations for the Plant Materials Centers in 7 CFR part 613.

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) mandated changes, which were fully implemented by the interim rule, to several conservation programs and related requirements, including State Technical Committee, Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention, Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP), Technical Service Provider (TSP) Assistance, and Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP).  The changes include:  (1) adding to the membership of the State Technical Committee; (2) waiving the requirement for watershed plans under certain circumstances under the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention; (3) expanding the purposes of HFRP; (4) authorizing that certification of TSPs be through a qualified non-federal entity; and (5) including as a criteria for evaluation of VPA-HIP bids whether the land is enrolled in the Wetlands Reserve Easement component of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program.  The final rule will address issues raised in the comments in the interim rule, and finalize changes made by the interim rule making minor changes to existing NRCS regulations. 

The Natural Resources Conservation Service  is withdrawing the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard regulations; Executive Orders 14148 and 14154 revoked Executive Order 14030.  This is a deregulatory action to remove this rule from the regulatory agenda.

With CEQ rescinding its long-standing NEPA regulations effective April 11, 2025 (90 FR 10610), the Natural Resources Conservation Service is no longer pursuing rulemaking.  Accordingly, this rulemaking is being withdrawn as USDA is planning to issue a USDA-wide NEPA amending rule based on the CEQ rescission.

APHIS is proposing to create as an official program the United States Swine Health Improvement Plan (US SHIP) in title 9, Code of Federal Regulations. US SHIP will be a voluntary swine health improvement program that would operate similarly to the existing voluntary industry-State-Federal cooperative program National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP).

Several sections of APHIS’s import regulations specify that live birds and other avian commodities may not be exposed to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) or sourced from premises quarantined for HPAI within the 90 days immediately preceding export to the United States. We are proposing to lower this period to a time period that aligns with World Organization for Animal Health standards for considering a region affected with HPAI following an outbreak.

We are proposing to amend the regulations regarding the minimum maturation temperature for fresh (chilled or frozen) boneless beef and ovine meat from regions or countries affected with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in order to ensure alignment with international standards and current scientific understanding. All other existing mitigations for the importation of beef from regions or countries affected with FMD would remain unchanged.  

We are proposing to amend the regulations governing the importation of foreign animal casings to allow, under certain conditions, including the adherence to a brining process, the importation of swine casings into the United States from regions where African Swine Fever exists.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to remove the requirement that horses offered for importation into the United States be accompanied by documentation of pre-export examination occurring within 48 hours of departure from the port of embarkation endorsed by a salaried veterinary medical officer.

This document amends the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) regulations at title 9, Code of Federal Regulations (9 CFR) parts 145, 146, and 147. The NPIP is a long-standing, voluntary industry-State-Federal cooperative program governed by a Federal Advisory Committee. Part 145 contains the regulations for breeding poultry NPIP participation and part 146 contains the regulations for commercial poultry NPIP participation. These parts address classification programs for certain diseases which allow APHIS to provide certification for poultry and poultry products being shipped interstate as well as internationally. Part 147, the auxiliary provisions, contains the procedures to make changes to the NPIP program. We are also revising the indemnity regulations governing low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) in 9 CFR part 56.

On a biennial basis, the Committee votes on recommended changes to the NPIP regulations and related provisions (in this case, LPAI indemnity). We are revising the regulations based on the recommendations approved by voting delegates at the NPIP 2022 Biennial Conference.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) amended the regulations pertaining to conditions for payment of indemnity for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) to require commercial poultry premises to successfully pass a biosecurity audit for HPAI-infected premises intending to restock and for buffer zone (uninfected) premises that wish to request that poultry be moved onto the premises.

This interim rule will among other things, create exemptions from USDA’s regulations for plants and microbes that are already subject to EPA regulation and products USDA previously reviewed and deregulated, and provide a permitting exemption for certain modified organisms that are commonly used in laboratory development of products of biotechnology. Other changes are also contemplated.

We are removing the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s regulations implementing the Twenty-Eight Hour Law from the Code of Federal Regulations.  

APHIS is proposing to revise its national Brucellosis eradication program so that State statuses would no longer be based on the prevalence of brucellosis within the State, but rather based on whether a State is consistent or inconsistent with regard to standards contained in a Program Standards document. In addition, APHIS proposes to remove the list of brucellosis State classifications for both the cattle and bison and swine programs from the CFR and move the list to the APHIS website, and to revise conditions for interstate movement of cattle, bison, and swine to reflect the new State classification system. Finally, APHIS is proposing to align vaccination and branding requirements in the regulations with current operational practices.

We are proposing a new approach to indemnity value determination and a new framework for the indemnity regulations currently found at title 9, Code of Federal Regulations (9 CFR) parts 50-56. These parts address payment of indemnity to remove animals the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) classifies as affected, suspect, or exposed to diseases of concern, to eradicate and control foreign animal diseases, emerging diseases, and program diseases. These sections specify values for animals removed for these diseases or the process to determine values if a flat rate was not established, methods of identification, confirmation of destruction, and other aspects of removal. The regulations can cover multiple species in each section based on the disease covered. 

We are amending the regulations governing the importation of cut flowers to remove requirements for the importation of specific types of cut flowers from the regulations, and to list them in the USDA Cut Flowers and Greenery Import Manual instead. Updates to these requirements would occur through notices published in the Federal Register, rather than rulemaking. We are also removing entirely any restrictions on the importation of cut flowers of the genera Chrysanthemum, Leucanthemella, and Nipponanthemum from countries in which chrysanthemum white rust (Puccinia horiana P. Henn., CWR) is known to exist.

We are proposing to amend the regulations that govern the importation of aquatic animal species  into the United States by adding restrictions on the importation of aquatic animal species susceptible to Tilapia Lake Virus from all countries. We are also proposing to move import requirements that are specific to different regulated aquatic animal species to the Aquatic Animal Import Program Handbook.

We are proposing to codify a Federal Order which placed restrictions on the movement of swine and pork products from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to the mainland United States.

The action has been cancelled. The published risk assessment for the action is no longer current and will need to be reinitiated de novo. Public notification of withdrawal will be provided.

The action has been cancelled. The underlying scientific documentation regarding transmissibility, while still technically accurate, is old. The action will be reinitiated with more recent documentation.

The action has been cancelled. The published pest lists for the action are no longer current, and will need to be reinitiated de novo.

In accordance with the Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002, we are amending and republishing the list of select agents and toxins that have the potential to pose a severe threat to animal or plant health, or to animal or plant products. The Act requires the biennial review and republication of the list of select agents and toxins and the revision of the list as necessary. This action implements findings of the biennial review of the lists.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is amending its Privacy Act regulations to exempt a system of records, Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance (SITC) National Information Communication Activity System (SNICAS), USDA/APHIS-21, from certain provisions of the Privacy Act. USDA is further amending its Privacy Act regulations to reflect an administrative change to the list of system of records that are exempt from certain provisions of the Privacy Act.

On May 13, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a final rule to address the public health risk of dog-maintained rabies virus variant (DMRVV) associated with the importation of dogs into the United States (89 FR 41726-41848). This CDC rule includes provisions that substantially reduplicate or otherwise obviate the need for the provisions of this proposed rule. As a result, APHIS is cancelling this action and rescinding the underlying Federal Order.

In accordance with a January 20, 2025, Presidential Memorandum titled Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,” on March 21, 2025, APHIS issued a delay of the effective date for the removal of an exemption to the commercial aircraft user fee for small commercial passenger aircraft. In that same document, also in accordance with the Regulatory Freeze Pending Review” memorandum, APHIS included a request for information regarding the sanitary and phytosanitary risk posed by small commercial passenger aircraft. That action renders this action redundant, and we are cancelling it accordingly.

AMS published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to solicit public comment on ways to address problems in fed cattle markets arising from the way that base prices for live cattle are currently determined under most long-term contracts.

Consistent with 7 CFR 66.7, AMS published a request for information (RFI) soliciting comments on new Bioengineered (BE) crops which have potentially reached the market, including dry edible beans, wheat, cowpea, golden rice, purple tomato, and plums. The RFI was published on March 28, 2024, with a 30-day comment period.  Comment analysis and research would determine which BE foods would be appropriate to add to the List of Bioengineered Foods (List) in the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard.

This action would rescind the rule and regulations issued on December 23, 2024, titled, "National Organic Program; Market Development for Mushrooms and Pet Food.” Amendments made to the USDA organic regulations were intended to clarify production and handling requirements for a) organic pet food standards and b) organic mushrooms.

In September 2022, the ruling from the U.S. District Court of Northern California in Natural Grocers, et al. v. Vilsack, et al. found that Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) action of offering a standalone text message disclosure option (7 CFR 66.108) as an additional and comparable option fell outside of the statutory authority of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621 et. seq.) and failed to address the problem of insufficient access to the bioengineered food disclosure through the electronic or digital link disclosure option.  The Judge also found that an additional and comparable disclosure option must be included when using the electronic or digital link disclosure option (7 CFR 66.106).  The Judge’s order remanded sections 66.106 and 108 to AMS without vacatur for further consideration.

A Request for Information was issued in April 2024.  In accordance with the Judge’s ruling, AMS proposes a rule for public comment that would amend the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard to remove the standalone text message disclosure option found at 7 CFR 66.108 and to add language to the electronic or digital disclosure option found at 7 CFR 66.106, requiring an accompanying BE symbol or on-package text as defined in sections 66.104 and 66.102 when an electronic or digital link disclosure is made.

The National List identifies the synthetic substances that may be used in organic crop and livestock production as well as the nonsynthetic (natural) substances that may not be used. It also identifies the nonorganic substances that may be used in or on processed organic products. Amendments to the National List included in this proposed rule are based on recommendations from the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).

The proposed Olive Oil Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Order) would establish an effective and coordinated program of research, promotion, and information for the olive oil industry. Currently, no organization in the olive oil industry has the resources or funds to develop and disseminate the information and marketing promotions needed to increase awareness and to counter inaccurate or misleading information about olive oil among U.S. consumers, health and culinary professionals, and the media. Under the proposed Order, domestic first handlers and importers who handle or import over 5,000 gallons annually of olive oil would pay $0.08 per gallon. It is estimated the program would collect more than $8 million annually in assessments to carry out the program administered by the Cooperative for Olive Oil Promotion.

This rule identifies and removes regulations that reference tobacco price support programs.  The Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of 2004 repealed all tobacco price support programs yet current regulations still contain language that reference price support services.

This rule identifies and removes regulations that reference tobacco quota provision.  The Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of 2004 repealed the tobacco quota program yet current regulations still contain language that reference and account for the provisions of the tobacco quota program.

This rule identifies and will remove regulations that reflect obsolete business practices that do not reflect current industry norms.

Based on comments received from the September 2022 Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and recommendations from the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) in Fall 2024, this action would propose to replace outdated references in USDA's organic regulations to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) policy on inert ingredients in pesticides.  Inerts, also identified as "other ingredients" on pesticide labels, are any substances other than the active ingredient that are intentionally added to pesticide products.  References to outdated EPA policy appear in the USDA organic regulations in the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) and identify the inert ingredients allowed in pesticides for organic production.  This action has been moved to Long-term Actions because it is not an Administration priority.

The National List identifies the synthetic substances that may be used in organic crop and livestock production as well as the nonsynthetic (natural) substances that may not be used. It also identifies the nonorganic substances that may be used in or on processed organic products. Amendments to the National List included in this proposed rule are based on recommendations from the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The proposed rule seeks comment on the status of the following substances used in organic crop production: sodium nitrate, ammonia, and nitrogen fertilizers that have carbon-to-nitrogen ratio lower than three-to-one (3:1).

The proposed rule would revise the Packers and Stockyards regulations to add provisions to administer and enforce the livestock dealer trust, which arose from amendments to the Packers and Stockyards Act in December 2020.  The revisions would establish procedures for enforcement of the trust provisions, including appointment of an independent trustee.  The rule would also establish the authority, rights and responsibilities of the independent trustee.  The rule would include procedures and responsibilities applicable to the Secretary in the event the Secretary assumes the role of trustee in a dealer statutory trust case.  Moved to Long-Term Actions because it is not currently a priority of the Administration.

The rule proposed adding section 201.308, "Unfair practices and devices,” to specify general practices that are unfair and in violation of section 202(a) of the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 ("P&S Act”). AMS determined it appropriate to withdraw the rule and terminate the rulemaking proceeding.

This action is being terminated because the Order failed in referendum.

This action amended the regulations in 9 CFR 201 to address certain problematic practices related to poultry grower payment systems and capital improvement programs. The final rule prohibits certain payment practices in contract poultry production for broiler chickens, requires live poultry dealers (LPDs) to adopt policies and procedures for operating a fair ranking system for broiler growers, and requires LPDs to provide certain information to broiler growers when the LPD requests or requires the grower to make additional capital investments.

This rulemaking would modernize and increase efficiency of the current butterfat testing process offered as part of Grading Services by creating a butterfat test recordkeeping requirement for dairy product manufacturing plants and eliminate redundant USDA testing.  Currently, plants conduct regular tests to ensure compliance with composition standards and a USDA inspector conducts another test at the time of inspection.  Requiring records of the plant butterfat tests to be made available during a USDA inspection would reduce an additional test and allow USDA to ensure more consistent butterfat composition since there would be multiple test records to review.

This action revised FY2024 fees for grain inspection and weighing services provided by the Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS).  This action also implemented a revised formula to adjust inspection and weighing fees, annually, which will limit large swings in fees and ensure a sufficient reserve balance going forward.  The new formula is similar to the standardized formula used in other user-fee AMS grading programs.  The formula specified rates be based on the actual cost and workload data of the previous fiscal year(s) or accounting period(s) used by the program.  Based on the analysis and using the formula, FGIS determined the fees necessary to sustain program services.  This increases predictability and provides information for planning purposes for the grain industry.

This action established a standardized formula to annually adjust fees for grain inspection and weighing services provided by the Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS). The use of a formula will limit large swings in fees and ensure a sufficient reserve balance going forward. The new formula is similar to the standardized formula used in other user-fee AMS grading programs. The formula specifies that rates be based on the actual cost and workload data of the previous fiscal year(s) or accounting period(s) used by the program. Based on the analysis and using the formula, FGIS will determine the fees necessary to sustain program services. This will increase predictability and provide information for planning purposes for the grain industry.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) revised the regulations governing the inspection and certification for fresh fruits, vegetables, and other products by amending certain fees charged for Section 8e import inspections from a per-carlot basis to a per-pound basis, reducing the fee for each additional sublot by 50 percent, and establishing a new fee calculation for lots less than a carlot.  These revisions were necessary to recover, as nearly as practicable, the costs of performing inspection services on imported commodities in accordance with the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937.

This final rule reauthorizes the Dairy Forward Pricing Program (DFPP) in accordance with the American Relief Act, 2025 (Relief Act).  The program allows handlers regulated under the Federal milk marketing order program to pay producers and cooperative associations in accordance with the terms of a forward contract and not have to pay the minimum Federal order uniform price for milk.  Establishing new contracts under the DFPP was prohibited between the expiration of the program on September 30, 2024, and publication of this final rule.  The Relief Act reauthorizes the DFPP program to allow handlers to enter into new contracts until September 30, 2025.  Any forward contract entered prior to the September 30, 2025, deadline is subject to a September 30, 2028, expiration date.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations titled, "Recordkeeping on Restricted Use Pesticides by Certified Applicators; Surveys and Reports," are contained in part 110 of title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations. These regulations set forth the requirements for recordkeeping on restricted use pesticides by all certified applicators (both private applicators and commercial applicators). Upon reviewing these regulations, USDA has determined that they should be rescinded due to their obsolesce.

This rule identifies and removes regulations that reference mandatory pesticide testing for imported tobacco, which was rendered obsolete with the Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of 2004.