[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 198 (Monday, October 16, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 71275-71277]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-22718]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

7 CFR Part 3434

RIN 0524-AA39


Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACU) 
Certification Process

AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Department 
of Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This amendment to NIFA regulations updates the list of 
institutions that are granted Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges 
and Universities (HSACU) certification by the Secretary and are 
eligible for HSACU programs for the period starting July 1, 2023, and 
ending July 1, 2024.

DATES: This rule is effective October 16, 2023, and applicable July 1, 
2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amanda Sahinovic; Financial Policy 
Specialist; National Institute of Food and Agriculture; U.S. Department 
of Agriculture; 805 Pennsylvania Ave.; Kansas City, MO 64105; Voice: 
816-266-9905; Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c1899280829481b4b2a5a0efa6aeb7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2d657e6c6e786d585e494c034a425b">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    HSACU Institutions, 2023-2024: This rule makes changes to the 
existing list of institutions in appendix B of 7 CFR part 3434. The 
list of institutions is amended to reflect the institutions that are 
granted HSACU certification by the Secretary and are eligible for HSACU 
programs for the period starting July 1, 2023, and ending July 1, 2024.
    Certification Process: As stated in 7 CFR 3434.4, an institution 
must meet

[[Page 71276]]

the following criteria to receive HSACU certification: (1) Be a 
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), (2) offer agriculture-related 
degrees, (3) not be designated an 1862 land-grant institution, (4) not 
appear on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), (5) be accredited, 
and (6) award at least 15% of agriculture-related degrees to Hispanic 
students over the two most recent academic years.
    NIFA obtained the latest report from the U.S. Department of 
Education's National Center for Education Statistics that lists all 
HSIs and the degrees conferred by these institutions (completion data) 
during the 2020-21 academic year. NIFA used this report to identify 
HSIs that conferred a degree in an instructional program that appears 
in appendix A of 7 CFR part 3434 and to confirm that over the 2019-2020 
and 2020-21 academic years at least 15% of the degrees in agriculture-
related fields were awarded to Hispanic students. NIFA further 
confirmed that these institutions were nationally accredited.
    The updated list of HSACUs is based on (1) completions data from 
2019-20 and 2020-21, and (2) enrollment data from Fall 2021. NIFA 
identified 223 institutions that met the eligibility criteria to 
receive HSACU certification for fiscal year (FY) 2023 (July 1, 2023, to 
July 1, 2024).
    Section 7102 of the Agriculture Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 115-334) 
amended Section 1404(14) of the National Agricultural Research, 
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103(14)) to 
remove the opt-in, opt-out language for Hispanic Serving Agricultural 
Colleges and Universities (HSACU) in order to apply for Non Land-Grant 
College of Agriculture (NLGCA) designation.
    Appeal Process: As set forth in 7 CFR 3434.8, NIFA will permit HSIs 
that are not granted HSACU certification to submit an appeal within 30 
days of the publication of this rule.
    Classification: This rule relates to public property, loans, 
grants, benefits, or contracts. Accordingly, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553, 
notice of proposed rulemaking and opportunity for comment are not 
required, and this rule may be made effective less than 30 days after 
publication in the Federal Register. This rule also is exempt from the 
provisions of Executive Order 12866. This action is not a rule as 
defined by the Regulatory Flexibility Act, as amended by the Small 
Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, 5 U.S.C. 601 et 
seq., or the Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., and thus 
is exempt from the provisions of those Acts. This rule contains no 
information collection or recordkeeping requirements under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 3434

    Administrative practice and procedure, Agricultural research, 
education, extension, Federal assistance, Hispanic-serving 
institutions.

    Accordingly, part 3434 of title 7 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations is amended as set forth below:

PART 3434--HISPANIC-SERVING AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES 
CERTIFICATION PROCESS

0
1. The authority citation for part 3434 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  7 U.S.C. 3103.


0
2. Revise appendix B to read as follows:

Appendix B to Part 3434--List of HSACU Institutions, 2023-2024

    The institutions listed in this appendix are granted HSACU 
certification by the Secretary and are eligible for HSACU programs 
for the period starting July 1, 2023, and ending July 1, 2024. 
Institutions are listed alphabetically under the state of the 
school's location, with the campus indicated where applicable.

Arizona (11)

Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Arizona Western College
Central Arizona College
Glendale Community College
Mesa Community College
Northern Arizona University
Phoenix College
Pima Community College
Rio Salado College
Scottsdale Community College
South Mountain Community College

California (95)

American River College
Antelope Valley Community College District
Bakersfield College
Butte College
Cabrillo College
California Baptist University
California State Polytechnic University--Humboldt
California State Polytechnic University--Pomona
California State University--Bakersfield
California State University--Channel Islands
California State University--Chico
California State University--East Bay
California State University--Fresno
California State University--Fullerton
California State University--Long Beach
California State University--Los Angeles
California State University--Monterey Bay
California State University--Northridge
California State University--Sacramento
California State University--San Bernardino
California State University--San Marcos
California State University--Stanislaus
Chaffey College
Citrus College
City College of San Francisco
Clovis Community College
College of San Mateo
College of the Canyons
College of the Desert
College of the Sequoias
Cosumnes River College
Crafton Hills College
Cuesta College
Cypress College
Diablo Valley College
East Los Angeles College
El Camino Community College District
Evergreen Valley College
Foothill College
Fresno City College
Fresno Pacific University
Fullerton College
Glendale Community College
Hartnell College
Imperial Valley College
Las Positas College
Long Beach City College
Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles Mission College
Los Angeles Pierce College
Los Angeles Southwest College
Merced College
MiraCosta College
Mission College
Modesto Junior College
Monterey Peninsula College
Moorpark College
Mt San Antonio College
Mt San Jacinto Community College District
Napa Valley College
Oxnard College
Palo Verde College
Palomar College
Pasadena City College
Porterville College
Reedley College
Rio Hondo College
Riverside City College
Sacramento City College
Saddleback College
Saint Mary's College of California
San Bernardino Valley College
San Diego City College
San Diego Mesa College
San Diego State University
San Francisco State University
San Jose State University
Santa Ana College
Santa Monica College
Santa Rosa Junior College
Solano Community College
Sonoma State University
Southwestern College
University of California--Irvine
University of California--Riverside
University of California--Santa Barbara
University of California--Santa Cruz
University of La Verne
University of Redlands
Ventura College
West Hills College--Coalinga
West Los Angeles College
Whittier College
Woodland Community College
Yuba College

Colorado (5)

Colorado State University Pueblo

[[Page 71277]]

Community College of Denver
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Regis University
Trinidad State College

Connecticut (1)

Gateway Community College

Florida (11)

Ana G. Mendez University
Broward College
Florida Atlantic University
Florida International University
Indian River State College
Miami Dade College
Nova Southeastern University
Palm Beach State College
Seminole State College of Florida
University of Central Florida
Valencia College

Georgia (2)

Dalton State College
Georgia Gwinnett College

Illinois (7)

City Colleges of Chicago--Richard J Daley College
College of Lake County
Dominican University
North Park University
Northeastern Illinois University
Roosevelt University
University of Illinois Chicago

Indiana (1)

Goshen College

Kansas (1)

Seward County Community College

Massachusetts (1)

Bunker Hill Community College

Nevada (1)

University of Nevada--Las Vegas

New Jersey (9)

Atlantic Cape Community College
Essex County College
Hudson County Community College
Kean University
Middlesex College
Montclair State University
Passaic County Community College
Rutgers University--Newark
William Paterson University of New Jersey

New Mexico (8)

Central New Mexico Community College
Eastern New Mexico University--Main Campus
Eastern New Mexico University--Roswell Campus
Northern New Mexico College
Santa Fe Community College
University of New Mexico--Los Alamos Campus
University of New Mexico--Main Campus
Western New Mexico University

New York (15)

CUNY Bronx Community College
CUNY City College
CUNY Hostos Community College
CUNY Hunter College
CUNY LaGuardia Community College
CUNY Lehman College
CUNY Queens College
CUNY Queensborough Community College
Farmingdale State College
Manhattan College
Manhattanville College
Mercy College
Nassau Community College
Suffolk County Community College
SUNY Westchester Community College

North Carolina (1)

Sampson Community College

Oregon (1)

Chemeketa Community College

Puerto Rico (16)

Instituto Tecnologico de Puerto Rico--Recinto de Manati
Inter American University of Puerto Rico--Aguadilla
Inter American University of Puerto Rico--Barranquitas
Inter American University of Puerto Rico--Bayamon
Inter American University of Puerto Rico--Guayama
Inter American University of Puerto Rico--Ponce
Inter American University of Puerto Rico--San German
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico--Ponce
Universidad Ana G. Mendez--Carolina Campus
Universidad Ana G. Mendez--Cupey Campus
Universidad Ana G. Mendez--Gurabo Campus
University of Puerto Rico--Arecibo
University of Puerto Rico--Humacao
University of Puerto Rico--Medical Sciences
University of Puerto Rico--Rio Piedras
University of Puerto Rico--Utuado

Texas (33)

Amarillo College
Angelo State University
Austin Community College District
Central Texas College
Dallas College
Frank Phillips College
Huston--Tillotson University
Lee College
Lone Star College System
Odessa College
Palo Alto College
Saint Edward's University
San Antonio College
Southwest Texas Junior College
Southwestern University
St. Mary's University
Sul Ross State University
Tarrant County College District
Texas A & M University--Corpus Christi
Texas A & M University--Kingsville
Texas State Technical College
Texas State University
Texas Woman's University
The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at San Antonio
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Tyler Junior College
University of Houston
University of Houston--Clear Lake
University of North Texas
University of the Incarnate Word
Wayland Baptist University

Washington (4)

Big Bend Community College
Heritage University
Wenatchee Valley College
Yakima Valley College

    Done at Washington, DC, this day of October 10, 2023.
Drenda Williams,
Associate Director for Operations, National Institute of Food and 
Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2023-22718 Filed 10-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-22-P


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