Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 235 / Friday, December 8, 2023 / Rules and Regulations 85469 

activity or in the employee’s official 

position with the FMCS, the employee 

must, within 7 calendar days of the 

change, submit a revised request for 

approval. If there are no significant 

changes in the nature or scope of the 

outside employment or outside activity 

or in the employee’s official position 

with the FMCS, the employee does not 

need to reapply after the FMCS’ initial 

approval. 

(e) Implementation guidance. The 

DAEO may issue instructions or manual 

issuances governing the submission of 

requests for approval of outside 

employment or outside activities. The 

instructions or manual issuances may 

exempt categories of employment and 

activities from the prior approval 

requirement of this section based on a 

determination that employment or 

activity within those categories of 

employment or activities would 

generally be approved and is not likely 

to involve conduct prohibited by statute 

or Federal regulation, including 5 CFR 

part 2635. The DAEO may include in 

these instructions or issuances examples 

of outside employment and activities 

that are permissible or impermissible 

consistent with this part and 5 CFR part 

2635. 

Dated: November 28, 2023. 

Anna Davis, 

General Counsel & DAEO. 

Shelley K. Finlayson, 

Acting Director, U.S. Office of Government 

Ethics. 

[FR Doc. 2023–26950 Filed 12–7–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6732–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

7 CFR Part 301 

[Docket No. APHIS–2023–0007] 

Citrus Canker; Designating Alabama a 

Commercial Citrus-Producing Area 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are revising the 

regulations to designate the State of 

Alabama as a commercial citrusproducing area in the current citrus 

canker regulations, and to update the 

scientific name for citrus canker used in 

the regulations. The State of Alabama 

has stated that it has commercial citrus 

production in the State, and the 

scientific name used in the regulations 

for citrus canker is obsolete and no 

longer used. These actions will update 

the regulations in order to provide 

Alabama protections that are afforded 

under the regulations to commercial 

citrus-producing States and be current 

as to the scientific name for citrus 

canker. 

DATES: Effective December 8, 2023. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Derek A. Woller, Senior Regulatory 

Policy Specialist, RCC, IRM, PEIP, PPQ, 

APHIS, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD 

20737–1228; (480) 490–6454; 

Derek.A.Woller@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (APHIS) imposes quarantines on 

citrus products in accordance with the 

regulatory authority provided under the 

Plant Protection Act (PPA or the Act) (7 

U.S.C. 7701 et seq.). Under the Act, 

APHIS may prohibit or restrict the 

importation or interstate movement of 

any plant or plant product if the agency 

determines it is necessary to prevent the 

introduction into the United States or 

dissemination of a plant pest or noxious 

weed within the United States. 

APHIS’ regulations in 7 CFR part 301 

(referred to below as the regulations) 

regulate the interstate movement of 

certain plants, plant parts, and other 

articles from areas of the United States 

quarantined because of citrus canker. 

These regulations are to prevent the 

interstate spread of citrus canker, and 

they are contained in ‘‘Subpart M— 

Citrus Canker’’ (7 CFR 301.75–1 through 

301.75–17). 

Citrus canker is a plant disease caused 

by strains of the bacterium 

Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri. The 

disease is known to affect plants and 

plant parts, including fruit, of citrus and 

citrus relatives (Family Rutaceae). It can 

cause defoliation and other serious 

damage to the leaves and twigs of 

susceptible plants. It may also make the 

fruit of diseased plants unmarketable by 

causing lesions on the fruit. Infected 

fruit may also drop from trees before 

reaching maturity. Some strains of 

Xanthomonas citri. subsp. citri. are 

aggressive and can infect susceptible 

plants rapidly and lead to extensive 

economic losses in commercial citrusproducing areas. 

Current regulations refer to the 

bacterium that causes citrus canker as 

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri; 

however, there has been an 

internationally recognized change in the 

nomenclature. The bacterium should be 

listed as Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri; 

the term Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. 

citri is obsolete and no longer in use. 

Therefore, we are revising the definition 

of citrus canker in § 301.75–1, 

accordingly. 

Paragraph (a) of § 301.75–5 currently 

lists commercial citrus-producing areas 

in the United States. Listed States have 

stated to APHIS that they have 

commercial citrus production in their 

States. The State of Alabama has stated 

to APHIS that it has such production. 

Accordingly, we are adding the State of 

Alabama to this list. 

This recognition will provide the 

State of Alabama with Federal 

protections regarding the interstate 

movement of regulated articles for citrus 

canker that are afforded to the areas 

currently listed in § 301.75–5(a). 

Miscellaneous 

We are also revising the regulations in 

‘‘Subpart M—Citrus Canker’’ to add 

reference to Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) control number 0579– 

0363 and replace references to 0579– 

0325 and 0579–0369. OMB control 

numbers 0579–0325 and 0579–0369 

were discontinued, and the associated 

activities are currently under 0579– 

0363. 

Effective Date 

This rule updates APHIS’ domestic 

regulations regarding citrus canker in 

order to update the scientific name used 

for citrus canker and to recognize 

Alabama as a commercial citrusproducing State. With regard to the 

former change, the scientific name listed 

in the regulations is obsolete and no 

longer in international taxonomic use. 

With regard to the latter change, APHIS 

updates the regulations in this manner 

whenever a State claims that 

commercial citrus production occurs in 

the State. Because the international 

taxonomic norms are not within APHIS’ 

purview, and because the update to the 

list of commercial citrus-producing 

States is based on a State’s selfdesignation and ensures that the 

regulations align with this designation, 

there is good cause pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 

553 to consider notice and a comment 

period for this rule unnecessary and 

contrary to the public interest and to 

make it effective less than 30 days after 

publication in the Federal Register. 

Further, this action is a category that 

OMB has designated exempt from the 

provisions of Executive Order 12866. 

Finally, this action is not a rule as 

defined by the Regulatory Flexibility 

Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) and, thus, it 

is exempt from the provisions of that 

Act. 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with RULES
85470 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 235 / Friday, December 8, 2023 / Rules and Regulations 

Executive Order 12372 

This program/activity is listed in the 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

under No. 10.025 and is subject to 

Executive Order 12372, which requires 

intergovernmental consultation with 

State and local officials. (See 2 CFR 

chapter IV.) 

Executive Order 12988 

This rule has been reviewed under 

Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice 

Reform. This rule: (1) Preempts all State 

and local laws and regulations that are 

inconsistent with this rule; (2) has no 

retroactive effect; and (3) does not 

require administrative proceedings 

before parties may file suit in court 

challenging this rule. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

This rule contains no reporting or 

recordkeeping requirements under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). 

Lists of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 301 

Agricultural commodities, Plant 

diseases and pests, Quarantine, 

Interstate Movement. 

Accordingly, we are amending 7 CFR 

part 301 as follows: 

PART 301—DOMESTIC QUARANTINE 

NOTICES 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 301 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701–7772 and 7781– 

7786; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3. Section 

301.75–15 issued under Sec. 204, Title II, 

Public Law 106–113, 113 Stat. 1501A–293; 

sections 301.75–15 and 301.75–16 issued 

under Sec. 203, Title II, Public Law 106–224, 

114 Stat. 400 (7 U.S.C. 1421 note). 

■ 2. Amend § 301.75–1 by revising the 

definition of ‘‘Citrus canker’’ to read as 

follows: 

§ 301.75–1 Definitions. 

* * * * * 

Citrus canker. A plant disease caused 

by strains of the bacterium 

Xanthomonas citri. subsp. citri. 

* * * * * 

■ 3. Amend § 301.75–5, by revising 

paragraph (a) to read as follows: 

§ 301.75–5 Commercial citrus-producing 

areas. 

(a) The areas as shown in the 

following table are designated as 

commercial citrus-producing areas: 

TABLE 1 TO PARAGRAPH (a) 

Commercial citrus-producing areas 

Alabama. 

TABLE 1 TO PARAGRAPH (a)— 

Continued 

Commercial citrus-producing areas 

American Samoa. 

Arizona. 

California. 

Florida. 

Guam. 

Hawaii. 

Louisiana. 

Northern Mariana Islands. 

Puerto Rico. 

Texas. 

Virgin Islands of the United States. 

■ 4. Amend § 301.75–6 by revising the 

OMB citation at the end of the section 

to read as follows: 

§ 301.75–6 Interstate movement of 

regulated nursery stock from a quarantined 

area. 

* * * * * 

(Approved by the Office of Management and 

Budget under control number 0579–0363) 

■ 5. Amend § 301.75–7 by revising the 

OMB citation at the end of the section 

to read as follows: 

§ 301.75–7 Interstate movement of 

regulated fruit from a quarantined area. 

* * * * * 

(Approved by the Office of Management and 

Budget under control number 0579–0363) 

■ 6. Amend § 301.75–12 by adding an 

OMB citation at the end of the section 

to read as follows: 

§ 301.75–12 Certificates and limited 

permits. 

* * * * * 

(Approved by the Office of Management and 

Budget under control number 0579–0363) 

■ 7. Amend § 301.75–13 by adding an 

OMB citation at the end of the section 

to read as follows: 

§ 301.75–13 Compliance agreements. 

* * * * * 

(Approved by the Office of Management and 

Budget under control number 0579–0363) 

Done in Washington, DC, this 4th day of 

December 2023. 

Michael Watson, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–27034 Filed 12–7–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Housing Service 

7 CFR Part 3550 

[Docket No. RHS–23–SFH–0026] 

Single Family Housing Section 502 

Direct Loan Program—Community 

Land Trust Pilot 

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notification of waivers. 

SUMMARY: The Rural Housing Service 

(RHS or the Agency), a Rural 

Development (RD) agency of the United 

States Department of Agriculture 

(USDA), is announcing a pilot for the 

Section 502 Direct Home Loan program 

to test alternative eligibility criteria 

related to community representation for 

Community Land Trust (CLT) 

organizations. The Agency intends to 

evaluate the impact of allowing 

eligibility criteria other than 

membership open to all residents of the 

geographic area which could meet the 

intent of the statutory requirements for 

CLTs to have specific community 

representation. This notification 

outlines the pilot parameters and 

provides contact information for 

additional details about the pilot. 

DATES: The effective date of this pilot is 

December 8, 2023. The duration of the 

pilot is anticipated to continue until 

December 8, 2025, at which time the 

RHS may extend the pilot program (with 

or without modifications) or terminate it 

depending on the workload and 

resources needed to administer the 

program, feedback from the public, and 

the effectiveness of the program. If the 

pilot program is extended or terminated 

early, the RHS will notify the public. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jeremy Anderson, Finance and Loan 

Analyst, Direct Loan Origination 

Branch, Single Family Housing Direct 

Loan Division, Rural Development, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Email: 

jeremy.anderson@usda.gov; Phone: 

(202) 302–3092. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Authority 

The RHS Single Family Housing 

Direct Division administers the Sec. 502 

Direct Loan Program under the authority 

of Section 502 of the Housing Act of 

1949, as amended; and operates under 

7 CFR 3550, subpart B. Section 506(b) 

of Title V of the Housing Act of 1949, 

as amended (42 U.S.C. 1476(b)), permits 

the Secretary to conduct demonstrations 

relating to national housing goals. All 

statutory or regulatory program 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with RULES