FLAG serves as a watchdog for family farmers, keeping an eye on the Federal Register and proposed rules and regulations that affect the daily lives of family farmers.

 

Federal Register

The Federal Register is the official publication for federal regulations (rules), notices, and other federal agency documents as well as Presidential proclamations and Executive Orders. It is published daily, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, by the Office of the Federal Register in Washington, DC. It is available on paper, on microfiche, and as an online database through GPO Access, a service of the U.S. Government Printing Office.

Federal law generally requires that any substantive rule or any significant change in a substantive rule must be published in the Federal Register before it becomes effective. The law governing the promulgation of rules by federal agencies is in the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 553.

According to the Administrative Procedure Act, a rule (or a change in an existing rule) usually must first be published in a proposed form. The public is invited to submit comments on the proposal. Everyone has a right to comment, and the law requires that the agency review each comment that it receives. After the comment period has ended, the agency can then publish a final form of the regulation, taking into consideration the comments that it received. Once a rule has been published in final form, it has the force and effect of law, and a violation of the rule will be a violation of law.

Sometimes, however, an agency is entitled to publish an “interim final rule” without first publishing a proposed rule. Although comments may still be made, in the meantime this rule will have the force and effect of a final rule.

Once a rule has been published in the Federal Register in final form, it will usually be published again in a volume of federal rules called the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The CFR comes out once a year and includes all of the regulations published up to that point. There are numerous volumes of the CFR, with the rules divided generally according to the agency that has promulgated them. For example, the rules governing most of the federal farm programs are published in volume 7 of the CFR. Copies of the CFRs are available at many public libraries, county law libraries, and online through GPO Access on the Internet. They can also be purchased from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC, 20402-9328. The GPO Order Desk can be reached by phone at 202-512-1800. When using the CFR, keep in mind that there may be changes to the rules or new rules that have been published in the Federal Register since the time that the CFR was published.

Comments to Rules

FLAG provides administrative technical assistance to and advocacy for its clients by submitting formal comments on proposed federal agency regulations and notices. Posted below are comments FLAG has submitted on behalf of its clients. Throughout its history, the direction of FLAG’s work has been guided by the legal needs and policy objectives of its client organizations.

Appeals

Comments on Interim Final Rule for Farm Service Agency Appeal Procedures, 70 Fed. Reg. 43,262 (July 27, 2005) (submitted September 26, 2005)

Comments on Notice of Modified Privacy Act System of Records, 69 Fed. Reg. 57,254 (September 24, 2004) (posting of NAD determinations on the Internet) (submitted October 25, 2004)

Comments on Proposed Uniform Guidelines for Conducting Farm Service Agency County Committee Elections, 69 Fed. Reg. 51052 (August 17, 2004) (submitted September 16, 2004)

Competition

Comments on Proposed Rule to Amend Packers and Stockyards Act Regulations Concerning Initiation, Performance, and Termination of Poultry Contracts, 72 Fed. Reg. 41,952 (Aug. 1, 2007) (submitted October 30, 2007)

Comments on Notice of Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration Livestock and Meat Marketing Study, 68 Fed. Reg. 32,455 (May 30, 2003) (submitted June 30, 2003)

Comments on the Proposed Rule for Pork Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Program: Submission of Information, published at 59 Federal Register 11,998 (Mar. 13, 2003) (submitted May 12, 2003)

Conservation

Comments on Interim Final Rule for Environmental Quality Incentives Program, 74 Fed. Reg. 2,293 (January 15, 2009) and amended at 74 Fed. Reg. 10,674 (March 12, 2009) (submitted April 17, 2009)

Comments on Interim Final Rule for Natural Resources Conservation Service Appeal Procedures, 71 Fed. Reg. 28,239 (May 16, 2006) (submitted June 15, 2006)

Notice of Animal Feeding Operations Consent Agreement and Final Order (“Consent Agreement”), and request for public comment published at 70 Fed. Reg. 4958 (January 31, 2005) (submitted March 2, 2005)

Comments on Interim Final Rule for Conservation Security Program, 69 Fed. Reg. 34,501 (June 21, 2004) (submitted October 5, 2004)

Comments on Proposed Rule for Conservation Security Program, 69 Fed. Reg. 194 (January 2, 2004) (submitted March 2, 2004)

Comments on Proposed Rule to on Environmental Quality Incentives Program, 68 Fed. Reg. 7,755 (Feb. 10, 2003) (submitted March 12, 2003)

Credit

Comments on Microloan Operating Loans Proposed Rule, 77 Fed. Reg. 31,220 (submitted to the Loan Making Division of the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (submitted May 25, 2012)

Comments on Proposed Rule for Farm Service Agency Guaranteed Loan Fees, 71 Fed. Reg. 27,978 (May 15, 2006) (submitted July 14, 2006)

Comments on Proposed Rule for Farm Service Agency Guaranteed Loans, 70 Fed. Reg. 47,730 (August 15, 2005) (submitted October 14, 2005)

Comments on the Proposed Amendments to Rules Governing Farmer-Lender Mediation (submitted February 25, 2004)

Comments on Proposed Rule of Regulatory Streamlining of the Farm Service Agency’s Direct Farm Loan Programs, 69 Fed. Reg. 6055 (February 9, 2004) (comment period reopened and extended on April 19, 2004 (69 Fed. Reg. 20,834)) (submitted May 4, 2004)

Comments on Proposed Rule of Regulatory Streamlining of the Farm Service Agency’s Direct Farm Loan Programs, 69 Fed. Reg. 6055 (February 9, 2004) (submitted April 9, 2004)

Comments on Proposed Rule for Guaranteed Loans-Rescheduling Terms and Loan Subordinations, 68 Fed. Reg. 49,723 (August 19, 2003) (submitted October 20, 2003)

Comments on Proposed Rule Changes for Farm Service Agency Appraisal Requirements for Direct Farm Loans, 68 Fed. Reg. 50,479 (Aug. 21, 2003) (submitted October 20, 2003)

Debt Management Proposed Rule, 68 Fed. Reg. 32,418 (May 30, 2003) (submitted July 29, 2003)

Comments on Proposed Rule to Eliminate 30-Day Past Due Period for Purposes of Farm Loan Programs Account Servicing Policies, 68 Fed. Reg. 1,170 (January 9, 2003) (submitted March 10, 2003)

Disaster Assistance

Comments on Disaster Assistance (General); Information Collection Notice 74 Fed. Reg. 47,186 (Sept. 15, 2009) (submitted November 16, 2009)

Interim Rule for Small Business Administration Disaster Relief to Small Business Concerns Damaged by Drought, 71 Fed. Reg. 75,407 (Dec. 15, 2006) (submitted January 16, 2007)

Comments on Interim Final Rule for 2005 Hurricane Disaster Provisions of Emergency Conservation Program, 7 CFR Part 701, 71 Fed. Reg. 30,263 (May 26, 2006) (submitted June 26, 2006)

Comments on Interim Final Rule for 2005 Section 32 Hurricane Disaster Programs, 71 Fed. Reg. 27,188 (May 10, 2006) (submitted June 9, 2006)

Comments on Proposed Rule for Guaranteed Loans—Revision of Interest Assistance Program, 70 Fed. Reg. 36,055 (June 22, 2005) (comment period extended by 70 Fed. Reg. 46,779) (submitted September 6, 2005)

Farm Bill

“Farm Bill Comment,” Federal Register, June 22, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 119, page 35338, submitted to the  Grain Inspection and Packers and Stockyards Administration of the United States Department of Agriculture on behalf of WORC and CFFE (submitted November 22, 2010)

“Farm Bill Comment,” Federal Register, June 22, 2010, Vol. 75, No. 119, page 35338, submitted to the Grain Inspection and Packers and Stockyards Administration of the United States Department of Agriculture on behalf of RAFI and CCAR (submitted November 22, 2010)

Comments on 2002 Farm Bill Regulations, 68 Fed. Reg. 17,316 (Apr. 9, 2003) (submitted June 9, 2003)

Food Safety

Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis in Shell Eggs During Production, FDA Docket Nos. 1996P-0418, 1997P-0197, 1998P-0203, and 2000N-0504, 69 Fed. Reg. 56,824 (Sept. 22, 2004) (submitted December 21, 2004)

Comments on Request for Emergency Approval of an Information Collection, dated October 8, 2004, Docket No. 04-048-1 (national animal identification plan) (submitted October 28, 2004)

Comments on Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Federal Measures To Mitigate BSE Risks: Consideration for Further Action, dated July 14, 2004, 69 Fed. Reg. 42,288 (Advance Notice) (submitted September 13, 2004)

Comments on Proposed Rule for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Minimal-Risk Regions and Importation of Commodities, 68 Fed. Reg. 62,386 (November 4, 2003) (submitted January 5, 2004)

Comments on Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling of Beef, Lamb, Pork, Fish, Perishable Agricultural Commodities, and Peanuts, Docket No. LS-03-04 (submitted February 26, 2004)

Comments on Establishment of Guidelines for the Interim Voluntary Country of Origin Labeling of Beef, Lamb, Pork, Fish, Perishable Agricultural Commodities, and Peanuts Under the Authority of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (submitted April 9, 2003)

Organic/Sustainable

Comments to National Organic Standards Board re: NOSB Livestock Committee Animal Welfare Recommendations (Docket ID AMS-NOP-11-0081) (submitted November 11, 2011)

Comments on Proposed Rule to Amend National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances Under OFPA, 68 Fed. Reg. 27, 941 (May 22, 2003) (submitted June 2, 2003)

Other

Comments on Proposed Rule, 7 C.F.R. Part 15d – Nondiscrimination in Programs or Activities Conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture, Docket No. 0503-AA52 (submitted January 27, 2014)

Comments on Interim Final Rule for Technical Service Provider Assistance, 74 Fed. Reg. 2,800 (January 16, 2009) (submitted March 17, 2009)

Comments on Interim Final Rule for Regional Equity, 74 Fed. Reg. 1,587 (January 13, 2009) (submitted March 16, 2009)

Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act 610 Review Comments, 73 Fed. Reg. 15,122 (March 17, 2008) (submitted May 20, 2008)

Comments on Proposed Rule — Amendments to Rules of Practice Regulations Under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) to Increase Reparation Complaint Filing and Handling Fees, 2 Fed. Reg. 61,820 (November 1, 2007) (submitted December 21, 2007)

Comments on Proposed Rule for Services to Young, Beginning, and Small Farmers, 68 Fed. Reg. 53,915 (September 15, 2003) (submitted January 20, 2004)