[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 50 (Friday, March 14, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14472-14475]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-05710]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Farm Service Agency
Risk Management Agency; 2014 Farm Bill Implementation Listening
Session
AGENCY: Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In preparing to implement the Agricultural Act of 2014
(commonly referred to as the 2014 Farm Bill), we are hosting a
listening session for initial public input about the new programs and
changes to existing programs for which the Farm Service Agency (FSA)
and the Risk Management Agency (RMA) have been delegated the authority
to implement. The 2014 Farm Bill is intended to maintain a strong farm
safety-net, restore funding for a
[[Page 14473]]
number of critical programs including disaster assistance that has
lapsed, conserve our natural resources, and prepare the nation for the
next generation of farming and agriculture. The listening session will
provide an opportunity for stakeholders to voice their priorities,
concerns, or requests. Examples of new programs FSA will implement
include the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), Price Loss Coverage (PLC),
and Dairy Margin Protection Programs (MPP-Dairy). RMA will be
implementing the new Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO), Stacked Income
Protection Plan (STAX) for producers of upland cotton, conservation
compliance requirements, and several new program revisions leading to
enhanced crop insurance coverage. Instructions regarding registering
for and attending the listening session are in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section of this notice.
DATES: Listening session: The listening session will be on March 27,
2014, and will begin at 9:00 a.m. and is scheduled to end by 5:00 p.m.
Registration: You must register by March 15, 2014, to attend the
listening session and to provide oral comments during the listening
session.
Comments: Written comments are due by April 2, 2014.
ADDRESSES: We invite you to participate in the listening session. The
listening session is open to the public. The meeting will be held in
the Jefferson Auditorium of the South Building at 14th Street and
Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20250.
We also invite you to submit comments by any of the following
methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments; or
Orally at the listening session; please also provide a
written copy of your comments online as specified above or in hard copy
at the listening session.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Stephenson; phone: (202) 720-
4019. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for
communication (Braille, large print, audio tape, etc.) should contact
the USDA Target Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 7, 2014, the 2014 Farm Bill
(Pub. L. 113-79) was signed into law. The Secretary of Agriculture and
the respective USDA agencies, including, but not limited to FSA and
RMA, are working to implement the provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill as
expeditiously as possible to meet the needs of producers and other
stakeholders. In order to implement the provisions expeditiously and to
ensure transparency, it is important to hear from stakeholders to be
aware of their priorities, concerns, or requests.
FSA and RMA will hold the listening session on the following date
and location. The listening session is open to the public. The
stakeholders and public are invited to provide oral comments during the
meeting on March 27, 2014. A written copy of the oral comments is
requested. (See the ADDRESSES section above for information about
submitting written comments.) In addition, written comments may be
submitted by April 2, 2014. As a listening session, the focus is for
FSA and RMA to hear from the public; this is not a discussion with FSA
and RMA officials or a question and answer session. The purpose is to
receive public input that each agency can factor into discretionary
decisions that need to be made to implement the provisions of the 2014
Farm Bill.
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Date Time Location information
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March 27, 2014................ 9:00 a.m.-5:00 USDA headquarters, in
p.m. the South Building,
Jefferson Auditorium
14th Street and
Independence Ave.
SW., Washington, DC
20250.
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The listening session will begin with brief opening remarks from
the USDA Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services.
Individual speakers providing oral comments will be limited to an
estimated 3-5 minutes; however, this time will be adjusted based on
stakeholder interest. As noted above, we request that speakers
providing oral comments also provide a written copy of their comments.
(See the ADDRESSES section above for information about submitting
written comments.) All stakeholders and interested members of the
public are welcome to register to provide oral comments; however, due
to the time constraints a limited number will be selected on a first
come, first serve basis.
The purpose of the listening session is for FSA and RMA to hear
from stakeholders and other interested members of the public about the
programs that are being implemented or revised by FSA or RMA as
required by the 2014 Farm Bill. Please refer to the name of the FSA or
RMA program in your comment and the relevant section number in the 2014
Farm Bill. In your comments, provide your input about the program,
changes, outreach, education, tools, and anything else that may be
helpful for us as we implement the new programs and changes. The
following list of programs that span multiple sections in the 2014 Farm
Bill or program names that may not be obvious from the section title
include:
New ARC and PLC Programs (2014 Farm Bill sections 1111-
1118);
Revised MAL and LDP for 2015 and subsequent crops and the
extension of the Sugar Program and the related Feedstock Flexibility
Program (2014 Farm Bill sections 1201-1210, 1301, and 9009);
New MPP-Dairy and the new Dairy Product Donation Program
(2014 Farm Bill sections 1401-1422, 1425, and 1431);
Revised disaster assistance programs for 2015 and
subsequent crops, including the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), the
Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), the Emergency Assistance for
Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP), and the Tree
Assistance Program (TAP) (2014 Farm Bill section 1501);
Common provisions for payment limits & payment eligibility
for 2015 and subsequent crops (2014 Farm Bill sections 1603 and 1605);
Actively engaged requirements for payment eligibility
(2014 Farm Bill section 1604);
Highly erodible land and wetland conservation for crop
insurance (2014 Farm Bill section 2611); and
New SCO and STAX programs (2014 Farm Bill sections 11003
and 11017).
To identify the section numbers for your comments and to find the
relevant text for FSA and RMA programs in the 2014 Farm Bill, which is
available on the FSA Farm Bill Web page (http://www.fsa.usda.gov/farmbill), the following is an excerpt from the 2014 Farm Bill Table of
Contents that focuses on the sections for the FSA and RMA programs:
[[Page 14474]]
Agricultural Act of 2014
Title I--Commodities
Subtitle A--Repeals and Reforms
Part II--Commodity Policy
Sec. 1111. Definitions.
Sec. 1112. Base acres.
Sec. 1113. Payment yields.
Sec. 1114. Payment acres.
Sec. 1115. Producer election.
Sec. 1116. Price loss coverage.
Sec. 1117. Agriculture risk coverage.
Sec. 1118. Producer agreements.
Sec. 1119. Transition assistance for producers of upland cotton.
Subtitle B--Marketing Loans
Sec. 1201. Availability of nonrecourse marketing assistance loans
for loan commodities.
Sec. 1202. Loan rates for nonrecourse marketing assistance loans.
Sec. 1203. Term of loans.
Sec. 1204. Repayment of loans.
Sec. 1205. Loan deficiency payments.
Sec. 1206. Payments in lieu of loan deficiency payments for grazed
acreage.
Sec. 1207. Special marketing loan provisions for upland cotton.
Sec. 1208. Special competitive provisions for extra long staple
cotton.
Sec. 1209. Availability of recourse loans for high moisture feed
grains and seed cotton.
Sec. 1210. Adjustments of loans.
Subtitle C--Sugar
Sec. 1301. Sugar policy.
Subtitle D--Dairy
Part I--Margin Protection Program for Dairy Producers
Sec. 1401. Definitions.
Sec. 1402. Calculation of average feed cost and actual dairy
production margins.
Sec. 1403. Establishment of margin protection program for dairy
producers.
Sec. 1404. Participation of dairy operations in margin protection
program.
Sec. 1405. Production history of participating dairy operations.
Sec. 1406. Margin protection payments.
Sec. 1407. Premiums for margin protection program.
Sec. 1408. Effect of failure to pay administrative fees or premiums.
Sec. 1409. Duration.
Sec. 1410. Administration and enforcement.
Part II--Repeal or Reauthorization of Other Dairy-Related Provisions
Sec. 1421. Repeal of dairy product price support program.
Sec. 1422. Temporary continuation and eventual repeal of milk income
loss contract program.
Sec. 1423. Repeal of dairy export incentive program.
Sec. 1424. Extension of dairy forward pricing program.
Sec. 1425. Extension of dairy indemnity program.
Sec. 1426. Extension of dairy promotion and research program.
Sec. 1427. Repeal of Federal Milk Marketing Order Review Commission.
Part III--Dairy Product Donation Program
Sec. 1431. Dairy product donation program.
Subtitle E--Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance Programs
Sec. 1501. Supplemental agricultural disaster assistance.
Subtitle F--Administration
Sec. 1601. Administration generally.
Sec. 1603. Payment limitations.
Sec. 1604. Rulemaking related to significant contribution for active
personal management.
Sec. 1605. Adjusted gross income limitation.
Sec. 1606. Geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.
Sec. 1607. Personal liability of producers for deficiencies.
Sec. 1608. Prevention of deceased individuals receiving payments
under farm commodity programs.
Sec. 1609. Technical corrections.
Sec. 1610. Appeals.
Sec. 1612. Tracking of benefits.
Sec. 1613. Signature authority.
Sec. 1614. Implementation.
Sec. 1615. Research option.
Title II--Conservation
Subtitle A--Conservation Reserve Program
Sec. 2001. Extension and enrollment requirements of conservation
reserve program.
Sec. 2002. Farmable wetland program.
Sec. 2003. Duties of owners and operators.
Sec. 2004. Duties of the Secretary.
Sec. 2005. Payments.
Sec. 2006. Contract requirements.
Sec. 2007. Conversion of land subject to contract to other
conserving uses.
Sec. 2008. Effect on existing contracts.
Subtitle G--Funding and Administration
Sec. 2602. Technical assistance.
Sec. 2604. Reservation of funds to provide assistance to certain
farmers or ranchers for conservation access.
Sec. 2606. Administrative requirements applicable to all
conservation programs.
Sec. 2609. Wetlands mitigation.
Sec. 2610. Lesser prairie-chicken conservation report.
Sec. 2611. Highly erodible land and wetland conservation for crop
insurance.
Sec. 2712. Temporary administration of conservation programs.
Title V--Credit
Subtitle A--Farm Ownership Loans
Sec. 5001. Eligibility for farm ownership loans.
Subtitle B--Operating Loans
Sec. 5101. Eligibility for farm operating loans.
Sec. 5105. Valuation of local or regional crops.
Sec. 5106. Microloans.
Subtitle C--Emergency Loans
Sec. 5201. Eligibility for emergency loans.
Subtitle D--Administrative Provisions
Sec. 5302. Farmer loan pilot projects.
Subtitle E--Miscellaneous
Sec. 5402. Loans to purchasers of highly fractionated land.
Title IX--Energy
Sec. 9009. Feedstock Flexibility Program for Bioenergy Producers.
Sec. 9010. Biomass Crop Assistance Program.
Title XI--Crop Insurance
Sec. 11001. Information sharing.
Sec. 11002. Publication of information on violations of prohibition
on premium adjustments.
Sec. 11003. Supplemental coverage option.
Sec. 11004. Crop margin coverage option.
Sec. 11005. Premium amounts for catastrophic risk protection.
Sec. 11006. Permanent enterprise unit subsidy.
Sec. 11007. Enterprise units for irrigated and nonirrigated crops.
Sec. 11008. Data collection.
Sec. 11009. Adjustment in actual production history to establish
insurable yields.
Sec. 11010. Submission of policies and Board review and approval.
Sec. 11011. Consultation.
Sec. 11012. Budget limitations on renegotiation of the standard
reinsurance agreement.
Sec. 11013. Test weight for corn.
Sec. 11014. Crop production on native sod.
Sec. 11015. Coverage levels by practice.
Sec. 11016. Beginning farmer and rancher provisions.
Sec. 11017. Stacked income protection plan for producers of upland
cotton.
Sec. 11018. Peanut revenue crop insurance.
Sec. 11019. Authority to correct errors.
Sec. 11020. Implementation.
Sec. 11021. Crop insurance fraud.
Sec. 11022. Research and development priorities.
Sec. 11023. Crop insurance for organic crops.
Sec. 11024. Program compliance partnerships.
Sec. 11025. Pilot programs.
Sec. 11026. Index-based weather insurance pilot program.
Sec. 11027. Enhancing producer self-help through farm financial
benchmarking.
Sec. 11028. Technical amendments.
Title XII--Miscellaneous
Subtitle B--Socially Disadvantaged Producers and Limited Resource
Producers
Sec. 12204. Receipt for service or denial of service from certain
department of agriculture agencies.
Subtitle C--Other Miscellaneous Provisions
Sec. 12305. Noninsured crop assistance program.
Instructions for Attending the Meeting
Space for attendance at the meeting is limited. Due to USDA
headquarters security and space requirements, all persons wishing to
attend the public meeting or provide oral comments to FSA and RMA
during the listening session must send an email to
[email protected] by March 25, 2014, to register the names
of
[[Page 14475]]
those planning to attend. Registrations will be accepted until maximum
room capacity is reached. To register, provide the following
information:
First Name
Last Name
Organization
Title
Email
City
State
Upon arrival at the USDA South Building, registered persons must
provide valid photo identification in order to enter the building;
visitors need to enter the South Building through Wing 4. Please allow
extra time to get through security. Additional information about the
listening session, agenda, directions to get to the listening session,
and how to provide comments is available at the FSA Farm Bill Web site:
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/farmbill.
All written comments received will be publicly available on
www.regulations.gov.
If you require special accommodations, such as a sign language
interpreter, use the contact information above. The listening session
location is accessible to persons with disabilities.
Signed on: March 11, 2014.
Michael T. Scuse,
Under Secretary, Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services.
[FR Doc. 2014-05710 Filed 3-12-14; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P