Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 82 / Monday, April 29, 2019 / Notices 17997 

Rural Housing Service 

Title: 7 CFR 1970, Environmental 

Policies and Procedures. 

OMB Control Number: 0575–0197. 

Summary of Collection: The National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq. and other applicable 

environmental and historic preservation 

statutes require all Federal agencies to 

consider the potential environmental 

consequences of their actions on the 

quality of the human environment and 

historic properties before agency 

decisions are made and prior to it taking 

an action. 

Need and Use of the Information: 

Environmental information and data 

needed for NEPA reviews is not 

completed on a periodic basis, but on an 

application-by-application or project-byproject basis. Failure to collect the 

information would result in the 

Agency’s noncompliance with NEPA 

and numerous other Federal 

environmental statutes, regulations, and 

Executive Orders, which are integrated 

and coordinated into the agency’s NEPA 

process. RD would not be legally 

allowed to approve or obligate Federal 

funds without complying with these 

laws, regulations, and Executive Orders. 

The purpose of this information is to 

evaluate and document the 

environmental implications of 

applicant’s proposals. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other for-profit; State, Local & Tribal 

Governments; Individuals. 

Number of Respondents: 2,000. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

Annually; On occasion. 

Total Burden Hours: 192,700. 

Kimble Brown, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2019–08584 Filed 4–26–19; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Commodity Credit Corporation 

Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) for 

the Organic Certification Cost Share 

Program 

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation 

and Farm Service Agency, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Farm Service Agency 

(FSA), on behalf of the Commodity 

Credit Corporation (CCC), is announcing 

the availability of funding under the 

Organic Certification Cost Share 

Program (OCCSP) for eligible certified 

organic producers and handlers. FSA is 

also announcing the opportunity for 

State Agencies to apply for grant 

agreements to administer the OCCSP 

program in fiscal year (FY) 2019. State 

Agencies that establish agreements for 

FY 2019 may be given the opportunity 

to extend their agreements and receive 

additional funds to administer the 

program in future years. Through this 

notice, FSA is providing the 

requirements for producers and 

handlers to apply for OCCSP payments, 

and for State Agencies to establish 

agreements to receive funds in order to 

provide cost share assistance to eligible 

producers and handlers. 

DATES: 

Applications for State Agency 

Agreements: FSA will accept 

applications from State Agencies for 

funds for FY 2019 cost-share assistance 

between the period of April 29, 2019, 

and May 29, 2019. 

Producer and Handler Applications: 

FSA county offices will accept 

applications for OCCSP payments from 

producers and handlers for FY 2019 

until October 31, 2019. For FY 2020 

through 2023, FSA will accept 

applications from October 1 of the 

applicable FY through October 31 of the 

following FY. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Tona Huggins, Program Policy Branch 

Chief, (202) 720–7641, Tona.Huggins@

wdc.usda.gov. 

Background 

OCCSP provides cost share assistance 

to producers and handlers of 

agricultural products for the costs of 

obtaining or maintaining organic 

certification under the National Organic 

Program (NOP). USDA’s Agricultural 

Marketing Service (AMS) administers 

NOP, which was established under the 

Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 

(7 U.S.C. 6501–6524) and the 

regulations in 7 CFR part 205. FSA has 

administered OCCSP beginning with FY 

2017. 

The purpose of this NOFA is to 

announce funding availability and 

general eligibility and administrative 

provisions for FY 2019 through 2023. 

FSA is not making substantive changes 

to OCCSP. 

FSA will accept applications from 

State Agencies interested in overseeing 

reimbursements to producers and 

handlers in their States. In order for a 

State agency to receive a new fund 

allocation for FY 2019, it must establish 

a new agreement with FSA. FY 2019 

agreements will include provisions that 

allow FSA to extend the agreements to 

provide additional funds and allow 

State Agencies to continue to administer 

OCCSP for future years. FSA has not yet 

determined whether an additional 

application period will be announced 

for later years for State Agencies that 

choose not to participate in FY 2019; 

State Agencies that would like to 

administer OCCSP for future years are 

encouraged to establish an agreement 

for FY 2019 to ensure that they will be 

able to continue to participate. 

All producers and handlers can apply 

for OCCSP through their local FSA 

offices. In States where State Agencies 

choose to administer OCCSP, a producer 

or handler may apply to either the State 

agency or the local FSA office; they 

cannot receive payment from both. 

Producers and handlers are subject to 

the same eligibility criteria and 

calculation of cost share payments 

regardless of whether they apply for 

OCCSP through an FSA local office or 

a participating State agency. FSA will 

coordinate with participating State 

Agencies to ensure there are no 

duplicate payments. If a duplicate 

payment is inadvertently made, then 

FSA will inform the participant and 

require that funds be returned to CCC. 

Availability of Funds 

Funding for OCCSP is provided 

through two authorizations: (1) National 

Organic Certification Cost Share 

Program (National OCCSP) funds and 

(2) Agricultural Management Assistance 

(AMA) funds. 

Section 10105 of the Agricultural 

Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm 

Bill, Pub. L. 115–334) amended section 

10606(d) of the Farm Security and Rural 

Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 

6523(d)), authorizing $2 million from 

CCC to be used for National OCCSP 

funds for each of FYs 2019 and 2020, $4 

million for FY 2021, and $8 million for 

each of FYs 2022 and 2023, to remain 

available until expended. In addition, 

approximately $16.4 million in National 

funding remains available from previous 

FYs and will be used to fund OCCSP in 

2019 and later years as needed. 

National OCCSP funds will be used 

for cost share payments to certified 

operations in the 50 United States, the 

District of Columbia, the 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, 

American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin 

Islands, and the Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands. 

The USDA organic regulations 

recognize four separate categories, or 

‘‘scopes,’’ that must be individually 

inspected for organic certification: 

Crops, livestock, wild crops, and 

handling (that is, processing). A single 

operation may be certified under 

multiple scopes. For example, a 

certified organic vegetable farm that also 

has certified organic chickens and 


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17998 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 82 / Monday, April 29, 2019 / Notices 

produces certified organic jams would 

be required to be certified for three 

scopes: Crops, livestock, and handling. 

State organic program fees are also 

eligible for cost share reimbursement 

and for OCCSP purposes are considered 

an additional, separate scope. State 

organic program fees may be required by 

States that have established a State 

organic program according to 7 CFR 

205.620 through 205.622, and are in 

addition to the costs of organic 

certification under the four scopes of 

USDA organic certification. National 

OCCSP funds can be used to provide 

cost share for all four scopes of USDA 

organic certification (that is, crops, wild 

crops, livestock, and handling) and the 

additional scope of State organic 

program fees. 

In addition to the National OCCSP 

funds, an additional $1 million in AMA 

funding is authorized in 7 U.S.C. 1524 

for each FY. AMA funds may be used 

only for cost share payments for organic 

certification for the three scopes of 

crops, wild crops, and livestock, and are 

specifically targeted to the following 16 

States: 

• Connecticut, 

• Delaware, 

• Hawaii, 

• Maryland, 

• Massachusetts, 

• Maine, 

• Nevada, 

• New Hampshire, 

• New Jersey, 

• New York, 

• Pennsylvania, 

• Rhode Island, 

• Utah, 

• Vermont, 

• West Virginia, and 

• Wyoming. 

Sequestration will apply to the total 

amount of funding available for OCCSP 

for FYs 2019 through 2023, if required 

by law. 

Cost Share Payments 

As required by law (7 U.S.C. 6523(b)), 

the cost share payments cannot exceed 

75 percent of eligible costs incurred, up 

to a maximum of $750 per scope for 

each certified organic operation. FSA 

will calculate 75 percent of the 

allowable costs incurred, not to exceed 

a maximum of $750 per scope. 

Cost share assistance will be provided 

for allowable costs paid during the same 

FY for which the OCCSP payment is 

being requested. Cost share assistance 

will be provided on a first come, first 

served basis, until all available funds 

are obligated for each FY. Applications 

received after all funds are obligated 

will not be paid. Allowable costs for 

producers and handlers include: 

• Application fees; 

• Inspection fees, including travel 

costs and per diem for organic 

inspectors; 

• USDA organic certification costs, 

including fees necessary to access 

international markets with which AMS 

has equivalency agreements or 

arrangements; 

• State Organic Program fees; 

• User fees or sale assessments; and 

• Postage. 

Unallowable costs include: 

• Inspections due to violations of 

USDA organic regulations or violations 

of State Organic Program requirements; 

• Costs related to non-USDA organic 

certifications; 

• Costs related to transitional 

certification; 

• Costs related to any other labeling 

program; 

• Materials, supplies, and equipment; 

• Late fees; 

• Membership fees; and 

• Consultant fees. 

Allowable costs for participating State 

Agencies include: 

• Allowable cost share payments to 

eligible producers and handlers; and 

• Indirect costs based a current 

negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, 

a de minimis indirect cost rate (as 

applicable), or other rate in accordance 

with 2 CFR 200, Appendix VII. 

Eligible Producers and Handlers 

To be eligible for OCCSP payments, a 

producer or handler must both: 

• Possess USDA organic certification 

at the time of application; and 

• Have paid fees or expenses related 

to its initial certification or renewal of 

its certification from a certifying agent. 

Operations with suspended, revoked, 

or withdrawn certifications at the time 

of application are ineligible for cost 

share reimbursement. OCCSP is open to 

producers and handlers in the 50 United 

States, the District of Columbia, the 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, 

American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin 

Islands, and the Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands. 

How To Submit an Application 

State Agencies 

State Agencies must have an 

agreement in place to participate in 

OCCSP. To provide cost share assistance 

for FY 2019, State Agencies must 

complete an Application for Federal 

Assistance (Standard Form 424 and 

424B) and enter into a grant agreement 

with FSA. State Agencies must submit 

the Application for Federal Assistance 

(Standard Form 424 and 424B) 

electronically via Grants.gov, the 

Federal grants website, at http://

www.grants.gov. For information on 

how to use Grants.Gov, please consult 

http://www.grants.gov/GetRegistered. 

State Agencies intending to utilize 

subgrantees must refer to the Fiscal Year 

2019 Full Notice of Funding 

Opportunity Announcement on 

Grants.Gov for additional application 

requirements. FSA will accept 

applications from States for funds for 

FY 2019 cost-share assistance between 

the period of April 29, 2019, and May 

29, 2019. Upon receipt of complete 

applications, FSA may begin reviewing 

the applications and may make awards 

prior to the deadline. Pending fund 

availability, applications received after 

the deadline may be considered. The 

grant agreement must be signed by an 

official who has authority to apply for 

Federal assistance. 

Producers and Handlers 

Certified operations may apply for 

OCCSP payments through FSA local 

offices or through a State agency (or 

authorized subgrantee) if their State has 

established an agreement to administer 

OCCSP. 

To apply for OCCSP through FSA, an 

applicant must submit a complete 

application, either in person or by mail, 

to any FSA county office. A complete 

application includes the following 

documentation: 

• Form CCC–884—Organic 

Certification Cost Share Program, 

available online at https://

www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-andservices/occsp or at any FSA county 

office; 

• Proof of USDA organic certification; 

• Itemized invoices showing 

expenses paid to a third-party certifying 

agency for certification services during 

the FY in which the application is 

submitted; and 

• An AD–2047, if not previously 

provided. 

Applicants may be required to 

provide additional documentation to 

FSA if necessary to verify eligibility or 

issue payment. 

FSA is currently accepting 

applications for eligible costs incurred 

in FY 2019. For costs incurred in FYs 

2020 through 2023, the application 

period will begin on October 1 of the 

respective FY. The application periods 

end on October 31 of the following FY, 

or when there is no more available 

funding, whichever comes first. For 

example, for costs incurred during FY 

2019 (October 1, 2018, through 

September 30, 2019), the application 

period ends the earlier of October 31, 

2019, or when funding is no longer 

available. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 82 / Monday, April 29, 2019 / Notices 17999 

Participating State Agencies will 

establish their own application process 

and deadlines for producers and 

handlers, as specified in their grant 

agreements, and eligible operations 

must submit an application package 

according to the instructions provided 

by the State agency. State Agencies 

should refer to the Full Notice of 

Funding Opportunity Announcement 

on Grants.gov for additional details on 

process and deadline requirements. A 

list of participating State Agencies will 

be available at https://

www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-andservices/occsp after their agreements 

with FSA to administer OCCSP are 

finalized. 

Definitions 

For this NOFA, the following 

definitions apply. 

‘‘State agency’’ means the agency, 

commission, or department responsible 

for agriculture under its jurisdiction in 

each of the 50 States, the District of 

Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 

Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, 

Guam, American Samoa, and the 

Commonwealth of the Northern Marina 

Islands. 

‘‘USDA organic certification’’ means a 

determination made by a certifying 

agent that a production or handling 

operation is in compliance with Organic 

Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 

6501–6522) and the regulations in 7 

CFR part 205, which is documented by 

a certificate of organic operation. 

The following definitions from the 

regulations of 7 CFR 205.2 also apply to 

this NOFA: ‘‘certified operation,’’ 

‘‘certifying agent,’’ ‘‘crop,’’ ‘‘handler,’’ 

‘‘inspection,’’ ‘‘inspector,’’ ‘‘labeling,’’ 

‘‘livestock,’’ ‘‘organic,’’ ‘‘organic 

production,’’ ‘‘processing,’’ ‘‘producer,’’ 

‘‘State certifying agent,’’ ‘‘State organic 

program,’’ and ‘‘wild crop.’’ 

Other Provisions 

Producers and handlers who file an 

application with FSA have the right to 

an administrative review of any FSA 

adverse decision with respect to the 

application under the appeals 

procedures in 7 CFR parts 780 and 11. 

FSA program requirements and 

determinations that are not in response 

to, or result from, an individual 

disputable set of facts in an individual 

participant’s application for assistance 

are not matters that can be appealed. 

A producer or handler may file an 

application with an FSA county office 

after the OCCSP application deadline, 

and in such case the application will be 

considered a request to waive the 

deadline. The Deputy Administrator has 

the discretion and authority to consider 

the case and waive or modify 

application deadlines and other 

requirements or program provisions not 

specified in law, in cases where the 

Deputy Administrator determines it is 

equitable to do so and where the Deputy 

Administrator finds that the lateness or 

failure to meet such other requirements 

or program provisions do not adversely 

affect the operation of OCCSP. Although 

applicants have a right to a decision on 

whether they filed applications by the 

deadline or not, applicants have no right 

to a decision in response to a request to 

waive or modify deadlines or program 

provisions. The Deputy Administrator’s 

refusal to exercise discretion to consider 

the request will not be considered an 

adverse decision and is, by itself, not 

appealable. 

Any producer or handler who applies 

to a State agency is subject to review 

rights afforded by the State agency. 

Participating State Agencies that are 

dissatisfied with any FSA decision 

relative to a State agency agreement may 

seek redress in accordance with 2 CFR 

200.341. 

The regulations governing offsets and 

withholdings in 7 CFR part 1403 apply 

to OCCSP payments. Any participant 

entitled to an OCCSP payment may 

assign such payment(s) in accordance 

with the regulations in 7 CFR part 1404. 

Awards to State Agencies will be 

subject to 2 CFR part 200, Uniform 

Administrative Requirements, Cost 

Principles, and Audit Requirements for 

Federal Awards. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

Requirements 

The information collection request for 

OCCSP is approved by the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) under 

the Paperwork Reduction Act. The OMB 

control number for the approval is 

0560–0289. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

The title and number of the Federal 

assistance program in the Catalog of 

Federal Domestic Assistance to which 

this NOFA applies is 10.171, Organic 

Certification Cost Share Program 

(OCCSP). 

Environmental Review 

The environmental impacts of this 

NOFA have been considered in a 

manner consistent with the provisions 

of the National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321–4347), the 

regulations of the Council on 

Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 

1500–1508), and the FSA regulations for 

compliance with NEPA (7 CFR part 

799). The purpose of OCCSP is to 

provide cost share assistance to 

producers and handlers of agricultural 

products in obtaining organic 

certification. This NOFA merely 

announces funding availability and 

general eligibility and administrative 

provisions for FY 2019 through 2023. 

FSA is not making substantive changes 

to OCCSP. As such, the Categorical 

Exclusions found at 7 CFR part 799.31 

apply, specifically 7 CFR 

799.31(b)(6)(iii) (that is, financial 

assistance to supplement income). No 

Extraordinary Circumstances (7 CFR 

799.33) exist. As such, FSA has 

determined that this NOFA does not 

constitute a major Federal action that 

would significantly affect the quality of 

the human environment, individually or 

cumulatively. Therefore, FSA will not 

prepare an environmental assessment or 

environmental impact statement for this 

administrative action and this NOFA 

serves as documentation of the 

programmatic environmental 

compliance decision. 

Richard Fordyce, 

Administrator, Farm Service Agency. 

Robert Stephenson, 

Executive Vice President, Commodity Credit 

Corporation. 

[FR Doc. 2019–08624 Filed 4–26–19; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

[Docket No. FSIS–2018–0039] 

The Public Health Information System 

(PHIS) Export Component Fee 

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Food Safety and 

Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing 

that starting June 1, 2019, it will assess 

a fee to exporters that choose to apply 

for export certificates electronically 

through the export component of the 

Agency’s Public Health Information 

System (PHIS). FSIS is only using the 

PHIS export component for a limited 

number of countries at this time. 

DATES: FSIS will charge the fee 

announced in this notice beginning June 

1, 2019. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Roberta Wagner, Assistant 

Administrator, Office of Policy and 

Program Development; Telephone: 

(202) 205–0495. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 


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