Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 121 / Thursday, June 24, 2010 / Rules and Regulations 35959 

employee, including the rendering of 

advice or consultation, which requires 

advanced knowledge in a field of 

science or learning customarily acquired 

by a course of specialized instruction 

and study in an institution of higher 

education, hospital or similar facility. 

Professional services means the 

provision of personal service by an 

employee, including the rendering of 

advice or consultation, which involves 

application of the skills of a profession 

as defined in 5 CFR 2636.305(b)(1) or 

involves a fiduciary relationship as 

defined in 5 CFR 2636.305(b)(2). 

Note to § 9201.102(b): There is a special 

approval requirement set out in both 18 

U.S.C. 203(d) and 205(e) respectively, for 

certain representational activities otherwise 

covered by the conflict of interest restrictions 

on compensation and activities of employees 

in claims against and other matters affecting 

the Government. Thus, an employee who 

wishes to act as agent or attorney for, or 

otherwise represent his parents, spouse, 

child, or any person for whom, or any estate 

for which, he is serving as guardian, 

executor, administrator, trustee, or other 

personal fiduciary in such matters must 

obtain the approval required by law of the 

Government official responsible for the 

employee’s appointment in addition to the 

regulatory approval required by this section. 

(c) Procedure for requesting approval. 

(1) The approval required by paragraph 

(a) of this section shall be requested by 

e-mail or other form of written 

correspondence at least 30 calendar 

days in advance of engaging in outside 

employment as defined in paragraph (b) 

of this section. 

(2) The request for approval to engage 

in outside employment or certain other 

activities shall set forth, at a minimum: 

(i) The name of the employer or 

organization; 

(ii) The nature of the legal activity or 

other work to be performed; 

(iii) The title of the position; and 

(iv) The estimated duration of the 

outside employment. 

(3) Upon a significant change in the 

nature or scope of the outside 

employment or in the employee’s 

official position within the SIGIR, the 

employee must, within 7 calendar days 

of the change, submit a revised request 

for approval. 

(d) Standard for approval. Approval 

shall be granted only upon a 

determination that the outside 

employment is not expected to involve 

conduct prohibited by statute or Federal 

regulation, including 5 CFR part 2635. 

(e) DAEO’s and alternate DAEO’s 

responsibilities. The SIGIR DAEO or 

alternate DAEO may issue instructions 

or manual issuances governing the 

submission of requests for approval for 

outside employment. The instructions 

or manual issuances may exempt 

categories of employment from the prior 

approval requirement of this section 

based on a determination that 

employment within those categories of 

employment would generally be 

approved and is not likely to involve 

conduct prohibited by statute or Federal 

regulation, including 5 CFR part 2635. 

The DAEO or alternate DAEO may 

include in these instructions or 

issuances examples of outside 

employment that are permissible or 

impermissible consistent with this part 

and 5 CFR 2635. 

Stuart W. Bowen, Jr., 

Special Inspector General for Iraq 

Reconstruction. 

Approved: June 10, 2010. 

Robert I. Cusick, 

Director, Office of Government Ethics. 

[FR Doc. 2010–15103 Filed 6–23–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3710–8N–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

7 CFR Part 989 

[Doc. No. AMS–FV–09–0075; FV10–989–1 

FIR] 

Raisins Produced From Grapes Grown 

in California; Final Free and Reserve 

Percentages for 2009–10 Crop Natural 

(Sun-Dried) Seedless Raisins 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Affirmation of interim rule as 

final rule. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a 

final rule, without change, an interim 

rule that established final volume 

regulation percentages of 85 percent free 

and 15 percent reserve for the 2009–10 

crop of Natural (sun-dried) Seedless 

(NS) raisins covered under the Federal 

marketing order for California raisins 

(order). The percentages are intended to 

help stabilize raisin supplies and prices, 

and strengthen market conditions. 

DATES: Effective June 25, 2010. The 

volume regulation percentages apply to 

acquisitions of NS raisins from the 

2009–10 crop until the reserve raisins 

from that crop are disposed of under the 

marketing order. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Terry Vawter, Senior Marketing 

Specialist, or Kurt J. Kimmel, Regional 

Manager, California Marketing Field 

Office, Marketing Order Administration 

Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, 

AMS, USDA; Telephone: (559) 487– 

5901; Fax: (559) 487–5906; or E-mail: 

Terry.Vawter@ams.usda.gov or 

Kurt.Kimmel@ams.usda.gov. 

Small businesses may obtain 

information on complying with this and 

other marketing order regulations by 

viewing a guide at the following Web 

site: http://www.ams.usda.gov/

AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplate

Data.do?template=TemplateN&page=

MarketingOrdersSmallBusinessGuide; 

or by contacting Antoinette Carter, 

Marketing Order Administration 

Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, 

AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., STOP 0237, Washington, 

DC 20250–0237; Telephone: (202) 720– 

2491; Fax: (202) 720–8938; or E-mail: 

Antoinette.Carter@ams.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This rule 

is issued under Marketing Agreement 

and Order No. 989, both as amended (7 

CFR part 989), regulating the handling 

of raisins produced from grapes grown 

in California, hereinafter referred to as 

the ‘‘order.’’ The order is effective under 

the Agricultural Marketing Agreement 

Act of 1937, as amended (7 U.S.C. 601– 

674), hereinafter referred to as the ‘‘Act.’’ 

The Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) is issuing this rule in 

conformance with Executive Order 

12866. 

The handling of California raisins is 

regulated by 7 CFR part 989. The order 

authorizes the establishment of volume 

regulations, when warranted, for each 

crop. Volume regulations: (1) Help the 

industry address its marketing problems 

by keeping supplies in balance with 

demand; (2) strengthen market 

conditions; (3) fully supply both the 

domestic and export markets without 

overburdening them; and (4) provide for 

market expansion. 

Volume regulation is warranted for 

the 2009–10 crop of NS raisins because 

the crop estimate (supply) exceeded the 

trade demand (demand). In an interim 

rule published in the Federal Register 

on April 22, 2010, and effective on April 

23, 2010 (75 FR 20897; Doc No. AMS– 

FV–09–0075, FV10–989–1 IFR), 

§ 989.257 was amended by 

incorporating the 2009–10 crop year 

final free and reserve percentages. This 

rule continues in effect the rule that 

established a final free percentage of 85 

percent, and a final reserve percentage 

of 15 percent, of NS raisins acquired by 

handlers during the crop year, which 

began August 1, 2009, and ends July 31, 

2010. 

Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis 

Pursuant to requirements set forth in 

the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) (5 

U.S.C. 601–612), the Agricultural 


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35960 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 121 / Thursday, June 24, 2010 / Rules and Regulations 

Marketing Service (AMS) has 

considered the economic impact of this 

action on small entities. Accordingly, 

AMS has prepared this final regulatory 

flexibility analysis. 

The purpose of the RFA is to fit 

regulatory actions to the scale of 

business subject to such actions in order 

that small businesses will not be unduly 

or disproportionately burdened. 

Marketing orders issued pursuant to the 

Act, and rules issued thereunder, are 

unique in that they are brought about 

through group action of essentially 

small entities acting on their own 

behalf. Thus, both statutes have small 

entity orientation and compatibility. 

There are approximately 26 handlers 

of California raisins who are subject to 

regulation under the order and 

approximately 3,000 raisin producers in 

the regulated area. Small agricultural 

service firms are defined by the Small 

Business Administration (SBA) (13 CFR 

121.201) as those having annual receipts 

of less than $7,000,000, and small 

agricultural producers as those having 

annual receipts of less than $750,000. 

Approximately 18 handlers and a 

majority of producers of California 

raisins may be classified as small 

entities. 

Since 1949, the California raisin 

industry has operated under a Federal 

marketing order. The order contains 

authority to limit the portion of a given 

year’s crop that can be marketed freely 

in any outlet by raisin handlers. This 

volume regulation mechanism is used to 

stabilize supplies and prices, and to 

strengthen market conditions. If the 

primary market (the normal domestic 

market) is over-supplied with raisins, 

grower prices decline substantially. 

Pursuant to § 989.54(d) of the order, 

this rule establishes final volume 

regulation percentages for the 2009–10 

crop year for NS raisins. The volume 

regulation percentages are 85 percent 

free and 15 percent reserve. Free 

tonnage raisins may be sold by handlers 

to any market. Reserve raisins must be 

held in a pool for the account of the 

committee and are disposed of through 

certain programs authorized under the 

order. Volume regulation is warranted 

this season because the crop estimate of 

275,000 tons is significantly higher than 

the 234,769 ton trade demand. 

The volume regulation procedures 

have helped the industry address its 

marketing problems by keeping supplies 

in balance with domestic and export 

market needs, and strengthening market 

conditions. The volume regulation 

procedures fully supply the domestic 

and export markets, provide for market 

expansion, and help reduce the burden 

of oversupplies in the domestic market. 

Raisin grapes are a perennial crop, so 

production in any year is dependent 

upon plantings made in earlier years. 

The sun-drying method of producing 

raisins involves considerable risk 

because of variable weather patterns. 

Even though the product and the 

industry are viewed as mature, the 

industry has experienced considerable 

change over the last several decades. 

Before the 1975–76 crop year, more than 

50 percent of the raisins were packed 

and sold directly to consumers. Now, 

about 63 percent of the raisins are sold 

in bulk. This means that raisins are now 

sold to consumers mostly as an 

ingredient in another product such as 

cereal and baked goods. In addition, for 

a few years in the early 1970s, over 50 

percent of the raisin grapes were sold 

fresh to the wine market for crushing. 

Since then, the percent of raisin-variety 

grapes sold to the wine industry has 

decreased. 

California’s grapes are classified into 

three groups—table grapes, wine grapes, 

and raisin-variety grapes. Raisin-variety 

grapes are the most versatile of the three 

types. They can be marketed as fresh 

grapes, crushed for juice in the 

production of wine or juice concentrate, 

or dried into raisins. Annual 

fluctuations in the fresh grape, wine, 

and concentrate markets, as well as 

weather-related factors, cause 

fluctuations in raisin supply. This type 

of situation introduces a certain amount 

of variability into the raisin market. 

These fluctuations can result in 

producer price instability and 

disorderly market conditions. 

Volume regulation is helpful to the 

raisin industry because it lessens the 

impact of such fluctuations and 

contributes to orderly marketing. For 

example, producer prices for NS raisins 

remained fairly steady between the 

1993–94 and 1997–98 crop years, 

although production varied. As shown 

in the table below, during those years, 

production varied from a low of 272,063 

tons in 1996–97 to a high of 387,007 

tons in 1993–94. 

According to committee data, the total 

producer return per ton during those 

years, which includes proceeds from 

both free tonnage plus reserve pool 

raisins, has varied from a low of $904.60 

in 1993–94 to a high of $1,049.20 in 

1996–97. Producer prices for the 1998– 

99 and 1999–2000 crop years increased 

significantly due to back-to-back short 

crops during those years. Record large 

crops followed, and producer prices 

dropped dramatically for the 2000–01 

through 2003–04 crop years, as 

inventories grew while demand 

stagnated. However, as noted below, 

producer prices were higher for the 

2004–05 through 2008–09 crop years: 

NATURAL SEEDLESS (NATURAL CONDITION) DELIVERIES, FIELD PRICES AND PRODUCER PRICES

Crop year Deliveries (tons) Field prices 

(per ton)1

Producer prices 

(per ton) 

2008–09 ........................................................................................................................... 364,268 $1,310.00 2 $1,139.70 

2007–08 ........................................................................................................................... 329,288 1,210.00 2 1,028.50 

2006–07 ........................................................................................................................... 282,999 1,210.00 1 1,089.00 

2005–06 ........................................................................................................................... 319,126 1,210.00 1 998.25 

2004–05 ........................................................................................................................... 265,262 1,210.00 3 1,210.00 

2003–04 ........................................................................................................................... 296,864 810.00 567.00 

2002–03 ........................................................................................................................... 388,010 745.00 491.20 

2001–02 ........................................................................................................................... 377,328 880.00 650.94 

2000–01 ........................................................................................................................... 432,616 877.50 603.36 

1999–2000 ....................................................................................................................... 299,910 1,425.00 1,211.25 

1998–99 ........................................................................................................................... 240,469 1,290.00 3 1,290.00 

1997–98 ........................................................................................................................... 382,448 1,250.00 946.52 

1996–97 ........................................................................................................................... 272,063 1,220.00 1,049.20 

1995–96 ........................................................................................................................... 325,911 1,160.00 1,007.19 

1994–95 ........................................................................................................................... 378,427 1,160.00 928.27 

1993–94 ........................................................................................................................... 387,007 1,155.00 904.60 

1Field prices for NS raisins are established by the Raisin Bargaining Association, and are also referred to in the industry as the ‘‘free tonnage 

price’’ for raisins. 


cprice-sewell on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 121 / Thursday, June 24, 2010 / Rules and Regulations 35961 

2 Return-to-date, reserve pool still open. 

3 No volume regulation. 

There are essentially two broad 

markets for raisins—domestic and 

export. Domestic shipments generally 

increased over the years. Although 

domestic shipments decreased from a 

high of 204,805 packed tons during the 

1990–91 crop year to a low of 156,325 

packed tons in 1999–2000, they 

increased from 174,117 packed tons 

during the 2000–01 crop year to 193,609 

packed tons during the 2007–08 crop 

year and decreased to 191,929 packed 

tons during the 2008–09 crop year. 

Export shipments ranged from a high of 

107,931 packed tons in the 1991–92 

crop year to a low of 91,599 packed tons 

in the 1999–2000 crop year. Since that 

time, export shipments increased to 

106,755 tons of raisins during the 2004– 

05 crop year, fell to 101,684 tons in the 

2006–07 crop year, and again increased 

to 142,541 tons in the 2007–08 crop 

year. This significant increase was due 

to a short crop in Turkey. Export 

shipments remained relatively high in 

2008–09 at 125,789 tons. 

The per capita consumption of raisins 

has declined from 2.07 pounds in 1988 

to 1.46 pounds in 2007. This decrease 

is consistent with the decrease in the 

per capita consumption of dried fruits 

in general, which may be due to the 

increasing year-round availability of 

most types of fresh fruit. 

While the overall demand for raisins 

has increased in four of the last five 

years (as reflected in increased 

commercial shipments), production has 

been decreasing. Deliveries of NS dried 

raisins from producers to handlers 

reached an all-time high of 432,616 tons 

in the 2000–01 crop year. This large 

crop was preceded by two short crop 

years; deliveries were 240,469 tons in 

the 1998–99 crop year and 299,910 tons 

in the 1999–2000 crop year. Deliveries 

for the 2000–01 crop year soared to a 

record level because of increased 

bearing acreage and yields. Deliveries 

for the 2001–02 crop year were at 

377,328 tons, 388,010 tons for the 2002– 

03 crop year, 296,864 tons for the 2003– 

04 crop year, and 265,262 tons for the 

2004–05 crop year. 

After three crop years of high 

production and a large 2001–02 carry-in 

inventory, the industry diverted raisin 

production to other uses or removed 

bearing vines. Diversions/removals 

totaled 38,000 acres in 2001; 27,000 

acres in 2002; and 8,000 acres of vines 

in 2003. These actions resulted in 

declining deliveries of 296,864 tons for 

the 2003–04 crop year and 265,262 tons 

for the 2004–05 crop year. Although 

deliveries increased in 2005–06 crop 

year to 319,126 tons, this may have been 

because fewer growers opted to contract 

with wineries, as raisin variety grapes 

crushed in 2005–06 crop year decreased 

by 161,000 green tons, the equivalent of 

over 40,000 tons of raisins. In the 2006– 

07 crop year, raisin deliveries were 

again less than 300,000 tons at 282,999 

tons and increased to 329,288 tons in 

2007–08 crop year. The 2008–09 crop 

year was considered to be a good crop 

and the quality of the crop has a direct 

bearing on the overall production with 

364,268 tons of NS raisins delivered. 

The order permits the industry to 

exercise volume regulation provisions, 

which allow for the establishment of 

free and reserve percentages, and 

establishment of a reserve pool. One of 

the primary purposes of establishing 

free and reserve percentages is to 

balance supply and demand. If raisin 

markets are over-supplied with product, 

producer prices will decline. 

Raisins are generally marketed at 

relatively lower price levels in the more 

elastic export market than in the more 

inelastic domestic market. This results 

in a larger volume of raisins being 

marketed and enhances producer 

returns. In addition, this system allows 

the U.S. raisin industry to be more 

competitive in export markets. 

The reserve percentage limits 

provides for raisins that handlers can 

market as free tonnage. Based on the 

2009–10 crop year estimate of 275,000 

tons, the 15 percent reserve would limit 

the total free tonnage to 233,750 natural 

condition tons (0.85 x the 275,000 ton 

crop). Adding the estimated figure of 

41,250 tons of raisins offered to 

handlers through the 10 + 10 program 

to the 233,750 tons of free tonnage, plus 

126,824 tons of carry-in inventory, plus 

12,137 tons of 2008–09 NS reserve pool 

raisins released during the 2009–10 crop 

year, results in a total supply of 413,961 

tons of natural condition raisins. 

With volume regulation, producer 

prices are expected to be higher than 

without volume regulation. This price 

increase is beneficial to all producers 

regardless of size, and enhances 

producers’ total revenues in comparison 

to no volume regulation. Establishing a 

reserve allows the industry to help 

stabilize supplies in both domestic and 

export markets, while improving returns 

to producers. 

Free and reserve percentages are 

established by varietal type; and are 

generally established in years when the 

supply exceeds the trade demand by a 

large enough margin that the committee 

believes volume regulation is necessary 

to maintain market stability. 

Accordingly, in assessing whether to 

apply volume regulation or, as an 

alternative, not to apply such regulation, 

the committee determined that volume 

regulation was warranted for the 2009– 

10 crop for only one of the nine raisin 

varietal types defined under the order. 

The free and reserve percentages 

established in the interim rule release 

the full trade demand and apply 

uniformly to all handlers in the 

industry, regardless of size. For NS 

raisins, with the exception of the 1998– 

99 and 2004–05 crop years, small and 

large raisin producers and handlers 

have been operating under volume 

regulation percentages every year since 

the 1983–84 crop year. There are no 

known additional costs incurred by 

small handlers that are not incurred by 

large handlers. While the level of 

benefits of this rulemaking are difficult 

to quantify, the stabilizing effects of the 

volume regulations impact small and 

large handlers positively by helping 

them maintain and expand markets 

even though raisin supplies fluctuate 

widely from season to season. Likewise, 

price stability positively impacts small 

and large producers by allowing them to 

better anticipate the revenues their 

raisins will generate. 

This rule continues in effect the 

action that established final volume 

regulation percentages for the 2009–10 

crop year for NS raisins at 85 percent 

free and 15 percent reserve. The volume 

regulation percentages are intended to 

help stabilize raisin supplies and prices, 

meet the needs of the domestic and 

export markets, strengthen market 

conditions, and expand marketing 

opportunities. 

This rule will not impose any 

additional reporting or recordkeeping 

requirements on either small or large 

raisin handlers. As with all Federal 

marketing order programs, reports and 

forms are periodically reviewed to 

reduce information requirements and 

duplication by industry and public 

sector agencies. In addition, USDA has 

not identified any relevant Federal rules 

that duplicate, overlap, or conflict with 

this rule. 

Further, the committee meeting on 

October 6, 2009, at which this 

recommendation was made, was widely 

publicized throughout the raisin 

industry, and all interested persons 

were invited to attend the meeting and 

encouraged to participate in the 


cprice-sewell on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with RULES
35962 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 121 / Thursday, June 24, 2010 / Rules and Regulations 

committee’s deliberations. Like all 

committee meetings, the meeting was a 

public meeting; and all entities, both 

large and small, were able to express 

their views on this issue. 

Comments on the interim rule were 

required to be received by May 24, 2010. 

One comment supporting the rule was 

received. Therefore, for the reasons 

given in the interim rule, we are 

adopting the interim rule as a final rule, 

without change. 

To view the interim rule, go to: 

http://www.regulations.gov/search/

Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=

0900006480add0ad. 

This action also affirms information 

contained in the interim rule concerning 

Executive Orders 12866 and 12988, the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 

Chapter 35), and the E–Gov Act (44 

U.S.C. 101). 

After consideration of all relevant 

material presented, it is found that 

finalizing the interim rule without 

change, as published in the Federal 

Register (75 FR 20897, April 22, 2010), 

will tend to effectuate the declared 

policy of the Act. 

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 989 

Grapes, Marketing agreements, 

Raisins, Reporting and recordkeeping 

requirements. 

PART 989—[AMENDED] 

■ Accordingly, the interim rule that 

amended 7 CFR part 989 and that was 

published at 75 FR 20897 on April 22, 

2010, is adopted as a final rule, without 

change. 

Dated: June 18, 2010. 

Robert C. Keeney, 

Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–15298 Filed 6–23–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

7 CFR Part 1774 

RIN 0572–AC14 

Special Evaluation Assistance for 

Rural Communities and Households 

Program 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS) is issuing a regulation to establish 

the Special Evaluation Assistance for 

Rural Communities and Households 

(SEARCH) Program as authorized by 

Section 306(a)(2) of the Consolidated 

Farm and Rural Development Act 

(CONACT) (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(2)). The 

amendment added the new SEARCH 

grant program under which the 

Secretary is authorized to make 

predevelopment planning grants for 

feasibility studies, design assistance, 

and technical assistance to financially 

distressed communities in rural areas 

with populations of 2,500 or fewer 

inhabitants for water and waste disposal 

projects. 

DATES: This rule is effective June 24, 

2010. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Anita O’Brien, Loan Specialist, Water 

and Environmental Programs, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Rural 

Utilities Service, Room 2230 South 

Building, Stop 1570, 1400 

Independence Ave., SW., Washington, 

DC 20250–1570. Telephone: (202) 690– 

3789, FAX: (202) 690–0649, E-mail: 

anita.obrien@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Classification 

Executive Order 12866 

This final rule has been determined to 

be not significant for purposes of 

Executive Order 12866 and, therefore, 

has not been reviewed by the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB). 

Executive Order 12988 

This final rule has been reviewed in 

accordance with Executive Order 12988, 

Civil Justice Reform. RUS has 

determined that this final rule meets the 

applicable standards provided in 

section 3 of the Executive Order. In 

addition, all State and local laws and 

regulations that are in conflict with this 

rule will be pre-empted; no retroactive 

effect will be given to the rule; and in 

accordance with sec. 212(e) of the 

Department of Agriculture 

Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 

sec. 6912(e)), appeal procedures must be 

exhausted before an action against the 

Department or its agencies may be 

initiated. 

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification 

RUS has determined that this final 

rule will not have a significant 

economic impact on a substantial 

number of small entities, as defined in 

the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 

601 et seq.). The RUS Water and 

Environmental Programs provide loans 

to borrowers at interest rates and terms 

that are more favorable than those 

generally available from the private 

sector. RUS borrowers, as a result of 

obtaining Federal financing, receive 

economic benefits that exceed any 

direct economic costs associated with 

complying with RUS regulations and 

requirements. 

Information Collection and 

Recordkeeping Requirements 

The information collection and 

recordkeeping requirements contained 

in this final rule are pending approval 

by OMB pursuant to the Paperwork 

Reduction Act 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 

35) under control number 0572—New. 

The paperwork contained in this rule 

will not be effective until approved by 

OMB. 

E-Government Act Compliance 

The Rural Utilities Service is 

committed to the E-Government Act, 

which requires Government agencies in 

general to provide the public the option 

of submitting information or transacting 

business electronically to the maximum 

extent possible. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

Certification 

The Administrator of RUS has 

determined that this final rule will not 

significantly affect the quality of the 

human environment as defined by the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). Therefore, 

this action does not require an 

environmental impact statement or 

assessment. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

The program described by this final 

rule is listed in the Catalog of Federal 

Domestic Assistance Programs under 

number 10.759—Special Evaluation 

Assistance for Rural Communities and 

Households Program (SEARCH). This 

catalog is available on a subscription 

basis from the Superintendent of 

Documents, the United States 

Government Printing Office, 

Washington, DC, 20402–9325, telephone 

number (202) 512–1800 and at https:// 

www.cfda.gov. 

Executive Order 12372 

This program is not subject to the 

requirements of Executive Order 12372, 

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs,’’ as implemented under 

USDA’s regulations at 7 CFR part 3015. 

Unfunded Mandates 

This final rule contains no Federal 

mandates (under the regulatory 

provision of title II of the Unfunded 

Mandates Reform Act of 1995) for State, 

local, and Tribal governments or the 

private sector. Therefore, this final rule 

is not subject to the requirements of 

section 202 and 205 of the Unfunded 

Mandates Reform Act. 


cprice-sewell on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with RULES