[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 196 (Tuesday, October 10, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 60167]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25949]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency


Release of Georgia Tobacco Farmers' Social Security Numbers to 
the State of Georgia

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Release Records and Opportunity to Opt Out 
of the Release.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the intention of the Secretary of 
Agriculture to release the social security numbers of those Georgia 
tobacco farmers who receive Tobacco Loss Assistance Program 2000 (TLAP) 
payments; and provides notice of the method in which interested parties 
can opt out of that release. The release will be to the State of 
Georgia which will distribute an identical sum of State funds to each 
TLAP 2000 Georgia farmer.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 6, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Notices should be mailed to Charles Hatcher, Farm Service 
Agency (FSA), Tobacco and Peanuts Division, STOP 0514, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0514.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Misty L. Jones, telephone (202) 720-
0200.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The TLAP 2000 Program is provided for in 
Section 204(b) of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 (ARPA), 
Public Law 106-224, and is a program in which Federal payments are made 
to tobacco farmers and other parties with an interest in certain kinds 
of tobacco which have had reduced quotas. Tobacco farmers who applied 
for TLAP 2000 payments were required to provide to the Farm Service 
Agency their social security numbers. The ARPA of 2000, which provided 
funds for TLAP 2000, contains the following restriction as to the State 
of Georgia:

    The Secretary shall use the amount allocated to the State of 
Georgia under paragraph (3) to make payments to eligible persons in 
Georgia only if the State of Georgia agrees to use an equal amount 
(not to exceed $13,000,000) to make payments at the same time, or 
subsequently, to the same eligible persons in the same manner as 
provided for the Federal payment under paragraphs (4) and (5).

    In order to efficiently and expeditiously make the matching 
payments to Georgia tobacco producers, the State of Georgia has 
requested that the Farm Service Agency provide the names, addresses, 
social security numbers, and the amount of money to be paid to each 
farmer. However, there may be some Georgia tobacco farmers who would 
rather not have their social security numbers released to the State. 
Because these matching State payments can provide much needed help to 
Georgia producers, the Secretary intends to provide the social security 
numbers to the State of Georgia, except in the case of those parties 
who wish to opt out of the release. Those who wish to opt out of the 
release should send notice in writing of their election to Charles 
Hatcher, Farm Service Agency, Tobacco and Peanuts Division, STOP 0514, 
1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-0514. Such notice 
must be received by October 25, 2000.
    Parties should understand that a request for an exemption from the 
disclosure could result in a delay in receiving a distribution from the 
State of Georgia or ineligibility for such a distribution. It is not 
expected that there will be many exemption requests filed. Accordingly, 
it appears that the record collections can be made at one location for 
re-routing to the national record center for processing.

    Signed at Washington, D.C., on October 3, 2000.
Keith Kelly,
Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 00-25949 Filed 10-6-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-U