This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains regulatory documents having general

applicability and legal effect, most of which

are keyed to and codified in the Code of

Federal Regulations, which is published under

50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.

The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by

the Superintendent of Documents. Prices of

new books are listed in the first FEDERAL

REGISTER issue of each week.

Rules and Regulations Federal Register

75867 

Vol. 75, No. 234 

Tuesday, December 7, 2010 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

7 CFR Part 63 

[Doc. No. AMS–LS–08–0064] 

National Sheep Industry Improvement 

Center 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Affirmation of interim rule as a 

final rule. 

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS) is affirming without 

changes, its interim rule to promulgate 

rules and regulations establishing a 

National Sheep Industry Improvement 

Center (NSIIC) program, consistent with 

the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act 

of 2008 (Farm Bill). This rule establishes 

the NSIIC and a Board of Directors 

(Board) that will manage and be 

responsible for the general supervision 

of the activities of the NSIIC, with 

oversight from the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA). The NSIIC is 

authorized to use funds to make grants 

to eligible entities in accordance with a 

strategic plan. No comments were 

received. Accordingly, AMS is issuing 

this final rule without changes. 

DATES: Effective Date: December 8, 2010. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kenneth R. Payne, Chief, Marketing 

Programs Branch; Telephone 202/720– 

1115; Fax to 202/720–1125; or e-mail to 

Kenneth.Payne@ams.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This final 

rule is published pursuant to 7 

U.S.C.2008j as amended by section 

11009 of the Food, Conservation, and 

Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110–246). 

This section also affirms information 

contained in the interim rule concerning 

Executive Order 12866, Public Law 

104–4, Executive Order 12988, 

Executive Order 13132, and the 

Regulatory Flexibility Act. Further, for 

this action, the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) has determined that 

this action is not significant under 

Executive Order 12866 and therefore 

has not been reviewed by OMB. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act (PRA), AMS previously 

requested approval from OMB of a new 

information collection. In the interim 

rule, comments were requested on three 

forms concerning the Board nomination 

process. None were received. The 

information collection has been 

approved by OMB under OMB control 

number 0581–002. 

Background Information 

The NSIIC was initially authorized 

under the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (Act) (7 U.S.C. 2008j). 

The Act, as amended, was passed as 

part of the 1996 Farm Bill (Pub. L. 104– 

127). The initial legislation included a 

provision that privatized the NSIIC 10 

years after its ratification or once the 

full appropriation of $50 million was 

disbursed. Subsequently, the NSIIC was 

privatized on September 30, 2006 (72 

FR 28945). 

In 2008, the NSIIC was re-established 

under Title XI of the Food, 

Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 

(Pub. L. 110–246), also known as the 

2008 Farm Bill. Section 11009 of the 

2008 Farm Bill repealed the requirement 

in section 375(e)(6) of the Act to 

privatize the NSIIC. Additionally, the 

2008 Farm Bill provided for $1 million 

in mandatory funding for fiscal year 

(FY) 2008 from the Commodity Credit 

Corporation for the NSIIC to remain 

available until expended, as well as 

authorization for appropriations in the 

amount of $10 million for each of FY 

2008 through FY 2012. 

The authorizing legislation 

established in the U.S. Department of 

the Treasury (Treasury) the NSIIC 

Revolving Fund (Fund). The Fund is to 

be available to the NSIIC, without fiscal 

year limitation, to carry out the 

authorized programs and activities of 

the NSIIC. The law provides authority 

for amounts in the Fund to be used for 

direct loans, loan guarantees, 

cooperative agreements, equity interests, 

investments, repayable grants, and 

grants to eligible entities, either directly 

or through an intermediary, in 

accordance with a strategic plan 

submitted by the NSIIC to the Secretary. 

This rulemaking will establish the 

NSIIC and use of the Fund for making 

only grants to eligible entities. 

The purpose of the NSIIC is to: (1) 

Promote strategic development activities 

and collaborative efforts by private and 

State entities to maximize the impact of 

Federal assistance to strengthen and 

enhance production and marketing of 

sheep or goat products in the United 

States; (2) Optimize the use of available 

human capital and resources within the 

sheep or goat industries; (3) Provide 

assistance to meet the needs of the 

sheep or goat industry for infrastructure 

development, business development, 

production, resource development, and 

market and environmental research; (4) 

Advance activities that empower and 

build the capacity of the U.S. sheep or 

goat industry to design unique 

responses to the special needs of the 

sheep or goat industries on both a 

regional and national basis; and (5) 

Adopt flexible and innovative 

approaches to solving the long-term 

needs of the U.S. sheep or goat industry. 

The final rule authorizes a grant only 

program to be administered by the 

NSIIC Board. 

Comments 

On July 23, 2010, USDA published in 

the Federal Register (75 FR 43031) an 

interim rule with a request for 

comments to be received by September 

21, 2010. USDA received no comments. 

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 63 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Advertising, Lamb and lamb 

products, Goat and goat products, 

Consumer information, Marketing 

agreements, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements. 

PART 63—NATIONAL SHEEP 

INDUSTRY IMPROVEMENT CENTER 

■ Accordingly, the interim rule that 

added part 63 to chapter 1 of title 7, 

which was published on July 23, 2010 

(75 FR 43031), is adopted as a final rule 

without change. 

Dated: December 1, 2010. 

David R. Shipman, 

Acting Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2010–30534 Filed 12–6–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 


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