[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 92 (Friday, May 11, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 27658-27659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-11373]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 92 / Friday, May 11, 2012 / Proposed
Rules
[[Page 27658]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Federal Crop Insurance Corporation
7 CFR Part 457
[Docket No. FCIC-12-0001]
RIN 0563-AC37
Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Processing Sweet Corn Crop
Insurance Provisions
AGENCY: Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, USDA.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to
amend the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Processing Sweet Corn Crop
Insurance Provisions. The intended effect of this action is to provide
policy changes that better meet the needs of insured producers. The
proposed changes will be effective for the 2013 and succeeding crop
years.
DATES: Written comments and opinions on this proposed rule will be
accepted until close of business June 11, 2012 and will be considered
when the rule is to be made final.
ADDRESSES: FCIC prefers that comments be submitted electronically
through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. You may submit comments,
identified by Docket ID No. FCIC-12-0001, by any of the following
methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Director, Product Administration and Standards
Division, Risk Management Agency, United States Department of
Agriculture, P.O. Box 419205, Kansas City, MO 64133-6205.
All comments received, including those received by mail, will be
posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided, and can be accessed by the public. All
comments must include the agency name and docket number or Regulatory
Information Number (RIN) for this rule. For detailed instructions on
submitting comments and additional information, see http://www.regulations.gov. If you are submitting comments electronically
through the Federal eRulemaking Portal and want to attach a document,
we ask that it be in a text-based format. If you want to attach a
document that is a scanned Adobe PDF file, it must be scanned as text
and not as an image, thus allowing FCIC to search and copy certain
portions of your submissions. For questions regarding attaching a
document that is a scanned Adobe PDF file, please contact the RMA Web
Content Team at (816) 823-4694 or by email at
rmaweb.content@rma.usda.gov.
Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all
comments received for any dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review the
complete User Notice and Privacy Notice for Regulations.gov at http://www.regulations.gov/#!privacyNotice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Hoffmann, Product Administration
and Standards Division, Risk Management Agency, United States
Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 419205, Stop 0812, Room 421, Kansas
City, MO 64141-6205, telephone (816) 926-7730.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Executive Order 12866
This rule has been determined to be non-significant for the
purposes of Executive Order 12866 and, therefore, it has not been
reviewed by the OMB.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
Pursuant to the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(44 U.S.C. chapter 35), the collections of information in this rule
have been approved by OMB under control number 0563-0053.
E-Government Act Compliance
FCIC is committed to complying with the E-Government Act, to
promote the use of the Internet and other information technologies to
provide increased opportunities for citizen access to Government
information and services, and for other purposes.
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA)
establishes requirements for Federal agencies to assess the effects of
their regulatory actions on State, local, and tribal governments and
the private sector. This rule contains no Federal mandates (under the
regulatory provisions of title II of the UMRA) for State, local, and
tribal governments or the private sector. Therefore, this rule is not
subject to the requirements of sections 202 and 205 of UMRA.
Executive Order 13132
It has been determined under section 1(a) of Executive Order 13132,
Federalism, that this rule does not have sufficient implications to
warrant consultation with the States. The provisions contained in this
rule will not have a substantial direct effect on States, or on the
relationship between the national government and the States, or on the
distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of
government.
Executive Order 13175
This rule has been reviewed in accordance with the requirements of
Executive Order 13175, Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal
Governments. The review reveals that this regulation will not have
substantial and direct effects on Tribal governments and will not have
significant Tribal implications.
Regulatory Flexibility Act
FCIC certifies that this regulation will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Program
requirements for the Federal crop insurance program are the same for
all producers regardless of the size of their farming operation. For
instance, all producers are required to submit an application and
acreage report to establish their insurance guarantees and compute
premium amounts, and all producers are required to submit a notice of
loss and production information to determine the amount of an indemnity
payment in the event of an insured cause of crop loss. Whether a
producer has 10 acres or 1000 acres, there is no difference in the kind
of information collected. To ensure crop insurance is available to
small
[[Page 27659]]
entities, the Federal Crop Insurance Act authorizes FCIC to waive
collection of administrative fees from limited resource farmers. FCIC
believes this waiver helps to ensure that small entities are given the
same opportunities as large entities to manage their risks through the
use of crop insurance. A Regulatory Flexibility Analysis has not been
prepared since this regulation does not have an impact on small
entities, and, therefore, this regulation is exempt from the provisions
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 605).
Federal Assistance Program
This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance under No. 10.450.
Executive Order 12372
This program is not subject to the provisions of Executive Order
12372, which require intergovernmental consultation with State and
local officials. See the Notice related to 7 CFR part 3015, subpart V,
published at 48 FR 29115, June 24, 1983.
Executive Order 12988
This proposed rule has been reviewed in accordance with Executive
Order 12988 on civil justice reform. The provisions of this rule will
not have a retroactive effect. The provisions of this rule will preempt
State and local laws to the extent such State and local laws are
inconsistent herewith. With respect to any direct action taken by FCIC
or to require the insurance provider to take specific action under the
terms of the crop insurance policy, the administrative appeal
provisions published at 7 CFR part 11 or 7 CFR part 400, subpart J for
the informal administrative review process of good farming practices as
applicable, must be exhausted before any action against FCIC may be
brought.
Executive Order 12988
This final rule has been reviewed in accordance with Executive
Order 12988 on civil justice reform. The provisions of this rule will
not have a retroactive effect. The provisions of this rule will preempt
State and local laws to the extent such State and local laws are
inconsistent herewith. With respect to any direct action taken by FCIC
or action by FCIC directing the insurance provider to take specific
action under the terms of the crop insurance policy, the administrative
appeal provisions published at 7 CFR part 11, or 7 CFR part 400,
subpart J for determinations of good farming practices, as applicable,
must be exhausted before any action against FCIC for judicial review
may be brought.
Environmental Evaluation
This action is not expected to have a significant economic impact
on the quality of the human environment, health, or safety. Therefore,
neither an Environmental Assessment nor an Environmental Impact
Statement is needed.
Background
FCIC proposes to amend the Common Crop Insurance Regulations (7 CFR
part 457) by revising Sec. 457.154, Processing Sweet Corn Crop
Insurance Provisions, to be effective for the 2013 and succeeding crop
years. Several requests have been made for changes to improve the
insurance coverage offered and to better meet the needs of insured
producers. Because of limited availability of price data from third
party sources (e.g., Agricultural Marketing Service) for sweet corn
grown under contract with a processor, the insurance guarantee provided
by the sweet corn program is currently based on estimated price
elections that may vary significantly from actual prices offered by
processors. In evaluating the use of processor contracts for crops that
require a contract as a condition of insurability, it was found that
the base contract price more accurately reflects the value of
processing sweet corn. As such, FCIC is proposing to amend the
Processing Sweet Corn Crop Insurance Provisions to utilize the base
contract price as the price election, for the purpose of establishing a
more accurate insurance guarantee that reflects the expected market
price for processing sweet corn.
The proposed changes are as follows:
1. Section 1--FCIC proposes to add the definition of ``Price
election'' utilizing the base contract price as the price election, for
the purpose of establishing a more accurate insurance guarantee that
reflects the expected market price for processing sweet corn.
Accordingly, as set forth in the preamble, the Federal Crop
Insurance Corporation proposes to amend 7 CFR part 457 effective for
the 2013 and succeeding crop years as follows:
PART 457--COMMON CROP INSURANCE REGULATIONS
1. The authority citation for 7 CFR part 457 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1506(l), 1506(o).
2. Amend Sec. 457.154 by:
a. Removing ``1998'' from the introductory text and adding ``2013''
in its place;
b. Adding the definition of ``price election'' in section 1.''
The added text reads as follows:
Sec. 457.154 Processing Sweet Corn crop insurance provisions.
* * * * *
1. Definitions.
* * * * *
Price election. In lieu of the definition of price election in the
Basic Provisions, the price election will be the base contract price
stated in your processor contract.
* * * * *
Signed in Washington, DC, on May 3, 2012.
William J. Murphy,
Manager, Federal Crop Insurance Corporation.
[FR Doc. 2012-11373 Filed 5-10-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-08-P