[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 76 (Friday, April 19, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19376-19381]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-9616]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Federal Crop Insurance Corporation


Request for Applications (RFA): Crop Insurance Education and 
Information Programs for Farmers and Ranchers in Targeted States

AGENCY: Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, USDA.

ACTION: Announcement of availability of funds and request for 
applications under the Federal Crop Insurance Education and Information 
Programs for Farmers and Ranchers in Targeted States.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 524 of the Federal Crop Insurance 
Act (Act), the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) announces the 
availability of approximately $2 million for cooperative agreements 
that will be used to establish crop insurance education and information 
programs in fifteen States that have been determined to have low 
participation or are underserved by the crop insurance program. Funding 
will be limited to a maximum of one project in each of the fifteen 
States. Awards, on a competitive basis, will be for a period of up to 
one year. This announcement lists the information needed to submit an 
application for these funds.

CLOSING DATES:  The closing date and time for receipt of applications 
is 5 p.m. EST on June 3, 2002. The agency will not consider 
applications received after the deadline.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Applicants and other interested 
parties are encouraged to contact: Lydia Astorga, USDA-RMA-RME, 1400 
Independence Ave. SW., Stop 0808, (Portals Bldg., Suite 508), 
Washington, DC 20250-0808, phone: 202-260-4728, fax: 202-690-3605, e-
mail: [email protected]. You may also obtain information 
regarding this announcement from the RMA Web site at: www.rma.usda.gov.
    Applicants may download an applications package from the Risk 
Management Agency (RMA) Web site at: www.rma.usda.gov. Applicants may 
also request an application package from: Lydia Astorga, USDA-RMA-RME, 
1400 Independence Ave. SW., Stop 0808, (Portals Bldg., Suite 508),

[[Page 19377]]

Washington, DC 20250-0808, phone: 202-260-4728, fax: 202-690-3605, e-
mail: [email protected].
    Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit completed and signed 
application packages using overnight mail or delivery service to ensure 
timely receipt by the USDA. The applicable address for such submissions 
is: RME Cooperative Agreement Program, c/o Lydia Astorga, USDA-RMA-RME, 
1250 Maryland Ave. SW., Suite. 508, Washington, DC 20024.
    Completed and signed application packages sent via the U.S. Postal 
Service must be sent to the following address: RME Cooperative 
Agreement Program, c/o Lydia Astorga, USDA-RMA-RME, 1400 Independence 
Ave. SW., Stop 0808, (Portals Bldg. Suite 508), Washington, DC 20250-
0808.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, as 
amended (44 U.S.C. chapter 25), the collection of information 
requirements contained in this announcement have been approved under 
OMB Document Nos. 0348-0043, 0348-0044, and 0348-0046. The Catalog of 
Federal Domestic Assistance Number for this program is 10.450.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This program announcement consists of six 
parts:

Part I--General Information
    A. Authority
    B. Background
    C. Project Goals
    D. Purpose
Part II--Program Objectives and Requirements
    A. Eligible Applicants
    B. Project Period
    C. Availability of Funds and Amounts
Part III--Program Description
    A. Recipient Activities
    B. RMA Activities
Part IV--Preparation of an Application
    A. Program Application Materials
    B. Content of Applications
    C. Submission of Applications
    D. Acknowledgement of Applications
Part V--Review Process
    A. General
    B. Evaluation Criteria and Weights
    C. Confidentiality
Part VI--Additional Information
    A. Access to Panel Review Information
    B. Notification of Cooperative Agreement Awards
    C. Confidential Aspects of Proposals and Awards
    D. Reporting Requirements
    E. Audit Requirements
    F. Prohibitions and Requirements with Regard to Lobbying

Part I--General Information

A. Authority

    This program is authorized under section 524(a)(2) of the Federal 
Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1524(a)(2)).

B. Background

    FCIC is committed to meeting the crop insurance needs of the 
nation's farmers and ranchers. It does this by offering Federal crop 
insurance products through a network of private-sector partners, 
overseeing the creation of new crop insurance products, seeking 
enhancements in existing products, ensuring the integrity of crop 
insurance programs, offering outreach programs aimed at equal access 
and participation in underserved communities, and providing crop 
insurance education and information.
    FCIC's educational mission was strengthened significantly with the 
enactment of section 524 of the Act. This section increases the funding 
for educational and outreach efforts in States that have historically 
been underserved by Federal crop insurance program. In accordance with 
section 524 of the Act, the Secretary of Agriculture determined that 
the fifteen States that met the criteria for ``underserved'' were 
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, 
Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, 
West Virginia, Utah, Nevada, and Wyoming. These states are collectively 
referred to as the ``Targeted States.''

C. Project Goals

    The goals of these educational projects if to provide farmers and 
ranchers with urgently needed training and information to be able to 
understand:
     The kinds of risks addressed by Federal crop insurance and 
other risk management tools;
     The types of existing and emerging crop insurance products 
available;
     How the use of crop insurance can help them manage risk; 
and
     How the use of crop insurance can affect other risk 
management decisions, such as the use of marketing and financial tools.

D. Purpose

    The purpose of this program is to ensure that farmers and ranchers 
in the Targeted States take full advantage of existing and emerging 
Federal crop insurance products and other risk management tools. Each 
cooperative agreement awarded through this program will provide the 
recipient with funds, guidance, and the substantial involvement of the 
Risk Management Agency (RMA) to carry out a crop insurance education 
and information program in a Targeted State.
    For some farms in Targeted States, existing Federal crop insurance 
products are either not available or need significant enhancements to 
provide effective protection. The 2000 Act envisions new and enhanced 
insurance products that will meet the needs of an increased number of 
farmers and ranchers. Until these new products are available, producers 
would still benefit from crop insurance education to provide a solid 
foundation of knowledge for when such products envisioned in the 2000 
Act will be offered.
    The ideal time to reach producers with education programs in most 
Targeted States is after harvesting has ended and before spring 
plantings begin--roughly a period of November through March. Therefore, 
this announcement anticipates that educational activities directed 
towards producers will be planned mostly for the November, 2002 through 
March, 2003 period. However, it does not limit educational activities 
to this time period. To reach producers during the peak educational 
period, it is anticipated that project leaders will need sufficient 
lead-time to organize and schedule events, commit funds to reserve 
event facilities, gather materials, raise awareness, and otherwise make 
the preparations needed to ensure producer participation. Most of all, 
project leaders need time to foster the cooperation and active support 
of organizations with close ties to local producers. The cooperation of 
such organizations is essential in influencing local producers to 
participate in the type of activities envisioned in this educational 
program.

Part II--Program Objectives and Requirements

A. Eligible Applicants

    Eligible applicants include State departments of agriculture, State 
land-grant universities, non-profit agricultural organizations, and 
other public or private organizations with the local experience needed 
to lead an educational program for farmers and ranchers within the 
Targeted States. Applicants may apply to deliver education in more than 
one State, but a separate application must be submitted for each State. 
Applications for projects directed to producers outside of the Targeted 
States will not be considered for funding.

[[Page 19378]]

B. Project Period

    Funding will be limited to a maximum of one project for each 
Targeted State. Each project will be funded for a period of up to one 
year for the activities described in this announcement.

C. Availability of Funds and Amounts

    Approximately $2,000,000 is available in fiscal year 2002 to fund 
up to 15 projects, a maximum of one project for each of the Targeted 
States. It is expected that the awards will be made [30 days after 
application deadline] The maximum funding amount available for each 
Targeted State's project is as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maine.....................................................      $102,000
New Hampshire.............................................        77,000
Vermont...................................................       103,000
Connecticut...............................................        99,000
Rhode Island..............................................        70,000
Massachusetts.............................................        94,000
New York..................................................       276,000
New Jersey................................................       117,000
Pennsylvania..............................................       342,000
Maryland..................................................       167,000
Delaware..................................................       115,000
West Virginia.............................................        93,000
Nevada....................................................        89,000
Utah......................................................       132,000
Wyoming...................................................       124,000
                                                           -------------
    Total.................................................     2,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    These project funding maximums were determined by first allocating 
approximately half the funds by providing an equal amount of $67,667 to 
each Targeted State. The remaining funds were allocated on a pro rata 
basis according to each Targeted State's share of 1999 agricultural 
cash receipts relative to the total for all Targeted States. The totals 
of both allocations for each Targeted State were then rounded to the 
nearest $1,000.

Part III--Program Description

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose and goals of this 
program, the applicant will be responsible for the activities listed 
under paragraph A of this part. RMA will provide substantial technical 
assistance on the presentation and dissemination of Federal crop 
insurance information and will be specifically responsible for the 
activities listed under paragraph B.

A. Recipient Activities

    The applicant will be required to perform the following activities:
    1. Assemble a crop insurance curriculum for the producers in the 
Targeted State. This will include: (a) Gathering existing instructional 
materials that meet the local crop insurance needs of agricultural 
producers; (b) identifying instructional gaps in existing materials; 
and (c) developing new materials or modifying existing materials to 
fill existing gaps.
    2. Develop and conduct a promotional program. This program will 
include activities using media, newsletters, publications, or other 
informational dissemination techniques that are designed to: (a) Raise 
awareness for crop insurance; (b) inform producers of the availability 
of crop insurance and (c) inform producers of the educational 
curriculum being offered.
    3. Deliver education and information to agribusiness professionals. 
This will include organizing and delivering training to those 
agribusiness professionals in the Targeted States that have frequent 
opportunities to advise farmers and to those individuals that will 
directly train producers under this program.
    4. Organize and deliver the education curriculum developed in 
subparagraph (1) to agricultural producers in the Targeted States. This 
will include organizing and delivering the curriculum through trained 
instructors to local farmers and ranchers in the Targeted States.
    5. Use a program logo and design provided by RMA for all 
instructional and promotional material.
    6. Document all education and preparatory activities done and the 
results of such activities under the cooperative agreement, state the 
evaluation criteria to be used to determine whether the educational 
program was a success, and work with an RMA-selected contractor to 
evaluate all educational activities and advise RMA as to the 
effectiveness of activities.
    7. Create and implement a program delivery plan that contains each 
of the tasks to be performed to accomplish all the goals and 
responsibilities under this announcement, the manner in which task and 
goal will be accomplished, including RMA's role and responsibilities, 
and the dates by which such tasks will be completed.

B. RMA Activities

    RMA will be responsible for the following activities:
    1. Collaborate on organization of the crop insurance education 
curriculum developed by the applicant for producers in the Targeted 
State. This will include: (a) Serving on curriculum development 
workgroups; (b) providing curriculum developers with fact sheets and 
other crop insurance publications from RMA; (c) advising the applicant 
on the materials available over the internet through the AgRisk 
Education Library; (d) advising the applicant on technical issues 
related to crop insurance instructional materials; (e) advising the 
applicant on the use of the standardized design and layout formats to 
be used on program materials; and (f) reviewing and approving in 
advance all educational materials for technical accuracy.
    2. Collaborate on a promotional program for raising awareness on 
crop insurance and for informing producers of educational opportunities 
in the Targeted States. This will: (a) Serving on workgroups that plan 
promotional programs; (b) advising the applicant on technical issues 
relating to the presentation of crop insurance products in promotional 
materials; (c) participating, as appropriate, in media programs 
designed to raise general awareness or provide farmers with crop 
insurance education; and (d) reviewing and approving in advance all 
promotional plans, materials, and programs.
    3. Collaborate on the organization and delivery of training to 
agribusiness leaders and producer trainers. This would include: (a) 
Advising the applicant on technical issues related to the delivery of 
crop insurance education and information to agribusiness professionals; 
(b) assisting the applicant in informing crop insurance professionals 
about agribusiness training plans and scheduled meetings; (c) 
participating, in the presentation of training to agribusiness 
professionals; and (d) reviewing and approving in advance all 
agribusiness training plans.
    4. Collaborate on the organization and delivery of crop insurance 
education to agricultural producers. This will include: (a) Advising 
the applicant on technical issues relating to the delivery of crop 
insurance education and information to farmers and ranchers; (b) 
assisting the applicant in informing crop insurance professionals about 
farmer and rancher training activities; and (c) reviewing and approving 
in advance all producer training plans.
    In addition to the specific activities listed above, the applicant 
may suggest other activities that would contribute directly to the 
purpose of this program. For any additional activity suggested, the 
applicant should identify specific ways in which RMA could have 
substantial involvement in that activity.

Part IV--Preparation of an Application

A. Program Application Materials

    Program application materials under this announcement may be 
downloaded from the RMA Web site at: www.rma.usda.gov. Applicants may 
also request application materials from:

[[Page 19379]]

Lydia Astorga, USDA-RMA-RME, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Stop 0808, 
(Portals Bldg., Suite 508), Washington, DC 20250-0808, phone: (202) 
260-4728, fax: (202) 690-3605, e-mail: [email protected].

B. Content of Applications

    A complete and valid application package must include the 
following:
    1. A completed and signed OMB Standard Form 424, ``Application for 
Federal Assistance''.
    2. A completed and signed OMB Standard Form 424-A, ``Budget 
Information--Non-construction Programs''.
    3. A written narrative (limited to 10 single-sided pages) that 
describes the educational project, the program delivery plan, the 
evaluation criteria to determine whether the program was successful, 
and provides reviewers with sufficient information to effectively 
evaluate the application under the criteria contained in Part V.
    4. An Appendix containing any attachments that may support 
information in the narrative (Optional)
    5. A completed and signed OMB Standard Form LLL, ``Disclosure of 
Lobbying Activities.''

C. Submission of Applications

    An original and two copies of the completed and signed application 
must be submitted in one package at the time of initial submission.
    All applications must be submitted by the deadline. Applications 
that do not meet all the requirements in this announcement are 
considered as late applications. Late applications will not be 
considered in the current competition and will be returned to the 
applicant.
    Applications submitted through express, overnight mail or another 
delivery service will be considered as meeting the announced deadline 
if they are received in the mailroom at the address stated above for 
express, overnight mail or another delivery service on or before the 
deadline. Applicants are cautioned that express, overnight mail or 
other delivery services do not always deliver as agreed. Applicants 
should take this into account because failure of such delivery services 
will not extend the deadline. The address must appear on the envelope 
or package containing the application with the note ``Attention: Crop 
Insurance Education and Information Program.''
    Mailed applications will be considered meeting the announced 
deadline if they are received on or before the deadline in the mailroom 
at the address stated above for mailed applications. Applicants are 
responsible for mailing applications well in advance, to ensure that 
applications are received on or before the deadline time and date. 
Applicants using the U.S. Postal Service should allow for the extra 
time for delivery due to the additional security measures that mail 
delivered to government offices in the Washington DC area now requires. 
RMA cannot accommodate transmissions of applications by facsimile or 
through other electronic media. Therefore, applications transmitted 
electronically will not be accepted regardless of the date or time of 
submission or the time of receipt.

D. Acknowledgement of Applications

    Receipt of applications will be acknowledged by e-mail, whenever 
possible. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to provide e-mail 
addresses. If an e-mail address is not indicated on an application, 
receipt will be acknowledged by letter.
    When received by RMA, applications will be assigned an 
identification number. This number will be communicated to applicants 
in the acknowledgement of receipt of applications. An applications 
identification number should be referenced in all correspondence 
regarding the application. If the applicant does not receive an 
acknowledgement within 60 days of the submission deadline, the 
applicant should contact Lydia Astorga at (202) 260-4728.

Part V--Review Process

A. General

    Each application will be evaluated using a two-part process. First, 
each application will be screened by RMA personnel to ensure that it 
meets the requirements in this announcement sorted by the Targeted 
State in which the applicant proposes to deliver crop insurance 
education and information. Each application that meet the deadlines and 
are in conformance with all requirements in this announcement will be 
reviewed competitively.
    Second, a review panel will consider the merits of applications 
that pass the initial screen. The panel for each application will be 
comprised of not less than three independent reviewers from USDA, other 
federal agencies, and others representing public and private 
organizations, as needed. The narrative, and any appendixes, provided 
by each applicant will be used by the review panel to evaluate the 
merits of the project that is being proposed for funding. The panel 
will examine, rank, and score applications in each Targeted State based 
on the ``Evaluation Criteria and Weights'' contained in this paragraph 
B of this part. Each Targeted State's applications will be evaluated, 
ranked, and scored independently.
    Applications will be evaluated in each of the five criteria listed 
below and the top five applications for each Targeted State will be 
ranked one through five, with one being the highest, for each category. 
Each criteria has specific elements that the panel will look at when 
evaluating the applications and ranking them. A specific number of 
points are assigned to each of the top five rankings. The numerical 
scored will be supported by explanatory statements on the formal rating 
form describing the major strengths and weaknesses under each 
applicable criteria contained in paragraph B of this part.
    After evaluating each of the applications, the scores for each 
reviewer on the panel will be averaged for each criterion. After the 
scores for each criterion have been averaged, they will be totaled 
together to determine the final score. This ranking scheme assumes that 
at least five applications are available for evaluation in each 
Targeted State. If less than five applications are available for a 
Targeted State, then for each criterion, reviewers will assign the 
available applications to one of the five available ranking slots with 
its associated score, according to the application's merits with 
respect to that criterion. If the final score of the highest rated 
application for a Targeted State is less that 50, the panel may, at its 
discretion, recommend not funding the application.
    After all applications have been rated, ranked, and scored, a 
lottery will be used to resolve any instances of a tie total score for 
the winning application for a given State. If such a lottery is 
required for a given Targeted State, the names of all tied applicants 
will be entered into a drawing. The first applicant drawn will be 
recommended to receive a cooperative agreement for that Targeted State.
    The review panel will report to the Manager of FCIC on the results 
from each Targeted State. The panel's report will include the 
recommended applicant to receive a cooperative agreement. If the final 
score of the highest rated application for a Targeted State is less 
that 50, the panel may, at its discretion, recommend not funding the 
application. The Manager of FCIC will make the final determination on 
those applications that will be awarded funding.

[[Page 19380]]

B. Evaluation Criteria and Weights

    Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
1. Management--maximum 15 points
    The applicant must demonstrate their ability to implement sound and 
effective management practices and have the organizational skills, 
leadership, and experience in delivering services or programs that 
assist agricultural producers in the Targeted State. If they have been 
recipients of other Federal or other government grants, cooperative 
agreements, or contracts, the applicant must also detail that they have 
consistently complied with financial and program reporting and auditing 
requirements. Applicants that will employ, or have access to, personnel 
who have experience in directing agricultural programs or providing 
educations programs that benefit producers in the Targeted State will 
receive higher rankings.
    The application ranking and scoring for each Targeted State for the 
Management criteria are:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Ranking                              Scoring
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Highest...................................  15 points.
2nd Highest...............................  12 points.
3rd Highest...............................  9 points.
4th Highest...............................  6 points.
5th Highest...............................  3 points.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Partnering--maximum 25 points
    The applicant must demonstrate experience and capacity to partner 
with and gain the support of grower organizations, agribusiness 
professionals, and agricultural leaders to carry out a local program of 
crop insurance education and information in the Targeted State. 
Applicants that can demonstrate and document that partnership 
commitments are in place for the express purpose of delivering the 
program in this announcement will receive higher rankings than 
applicants that cannot demonstrate existing partnerships. Moreover, 
applicants with existing partnerships reaching a broader group of 
farmers and ranchers will be ranked higher than those with more limited 
partnerships.
    The application ranking and scoring for each Targeted State for the 
Partnering criteria are:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Ranking                              Scoring
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Highest...................................  25 points.
2nd Highest...............................  20 points.
3rd Highest...............................  15 points.
4th Highest...............................  10 points.
5th Highest...............................  5 points.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Goals and Objectives--maximum 25 points
    For each of the applicant's responsibilities contained in part III, 
the applicant must demonstrate that it can establish specific goals, 
tasks, and time lines that further the purpose of this program. 
Applicants will obtain a higher ranking to the extent that the goals 
envisioned for each task of the project are specific, measurable, 
realistic, have specific time frames for completion, and relate 
directly to the required activities and program objectives described in 
this announcement.
    The application ranking and scoring for each State for the Goals 
and Objectives criteria are:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Ranking                              Scoring
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Highest...................................  25 points.
2nd Highest...............................  20 points.
3rd Highest...............................  15 points.
4th Highest...............................  10 points.
5th Highest...............................  5 points.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Cost Effectiveness--maximum 20 points
    The applicant must demonstrate that the direct and indirect crop 
insurance education benefits to farmers and ranchers in the Targeted 
State warrant the funding requested. Applicants will be ranked 
according to the extent to which they can effectively demonstrate that 
the quantity and quality of the crop insurance education and 
information received by producers during the project is maximized 
relative to the requested funding. Expected educational benefits can be 
estimated both directly (through the hours of educational activities 
planned specifically for agricultural producers and the expected number 
of producers to be reached) and indirectly (through educational 
activities planned for agribusiness professionals who will relay 
information to producers). Higher rankings in each Targeted State will 
be awarded to those applicants with greater expected benefits for 
producers relative to the funds that are requested by the applicant.
    The application ranking and scoring for each State for the Cost 
Effectiveness criteria are:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Ranking                              Scoring
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Highest...................................  20 points.
2nd Highest...............................  16 points.
3rd Highest...............................  12 points.
4th Highest...............................  8 points.
 5th Highest..............................  4 points.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. Program Delivery Plan--maximum 15 points
    The applicant must demonstrate that its program delivery plan will 
be effective. Higher rankings will be given to those applicants that 
can demonstrate that it has an effective plan for each of the required 
responsibilities contained in part III. Also, those applicants that can 
demonstrate that its plan can be expected to lead to increased risk 
awareness of crop insurance by agribusiness professionals and producers 
in the Targeted State will receive higher rankings.
    The application ranking and scoring for each State for the Program 
Delivery Plan criteria are:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Ranking                              Scoring
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Highest...................................  15 points.
2nd Highest...............................  12 points.
3rd Highest...............................  9 points.
4th Highest...............................  6 points.
5th Highest...............................  3 points.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The names of applicants, the content of applications, and the panel 
evaluations of applications will all be kept confidential, except to 
those involved in the review process, to the extent permitted by law. 
In addition, the identities of review panel members will remain 
confidential throughout the entire review process and will not be 
released to applicants. At the end of the fiscal year, names of panel 
members will be made available. However, panelists will not be 
identified with the review of any particular application.

Part VI--Additional Information

A. Access to Panel Review Information

    Copies of rating forms, not including the identity of reviewers, 
will be sent to the applicant after the review and awards process has 
been completed.

B. Notification of Cooperative Agreement Awards

    Following approval of the applications selected for funding, notice 
of project approval and authority to draw down funds will be made to 
the selected applicants in writing. Within the limit of funds available 
for such purpose, the awarding official of RMA shall enter into 
cooperative agreements with those applicants whose applications are 
judged to be most meritorious under the procedures set forth in this 
announcement, which provides the amount of Federal funds for use in the 
project period, the terms and conditions of the award, and the time 
period for the project. The effective date of the cooperative agreement 
shall be the date the agreement is executed by

[[Page 19381]]

both parties it shall remain in effect for not more that one year. All 
funds provided to the applicant by FCIC must be expended solely for the 
purpose for which the funds are obligated in accordance with the 
approved application and budget, the regulations, the terms and 
conditions of the award, and the applicability of Federal cost 
principles. No commitment of Federal assistance beyond the project 
period is made or implied, as a result of any award made as a result of 
this announcement.

C. Confidential Aspects of Proposals and Awards

    When an application results in a cooperative agreement, it becomes 
a part of the official record of RMA transactions, available to the 
public upon specific request. Information that the Secretary of 
Agriculture determines to be of a confidential, privileged, or 
proprietary nature will be held in confidence to the extent permitted 
by law. Therefore, any information that the applicant wishes to be 
considered confidential, privileged, or proprietary should be clearly 
marked within an application. The original copy of a proposal that does 
not result in an award will be retained by RMA for a period of one 
year. Other copies will be destroyed. Such a proposal will be released 
only with the express written consent of the applicant or to the extent 
required by law. A proposal may be withdrawn at any time prior to 
award.

D. Reporting Requirements

    The applicants awarded the cooperative agreement will be required 
to submit semi-annual progress and financial reports (SF-269) 
throughout the project period, as well as a final program and financial 
report not later than 90 days after the end of the project period.

E. Audit Requirements

    The applicants awarded the cooperative agreement are subject to 
audit.

F. Prohibitions and Requirements with Regard to Lobbying

    Section 1352 of Public Law 101-121, enacted on October 23, 1989, 
imposes prohibitions and requirements for disclosure and certification 
related to lobbying on recipients of Federal contracts, grants, 
cooperative agreements, and loans. It provides exemptions for Indian 
Tribes and tribal organizations. Current and prospective recipients, 
and any subcontractors, are prohibited from using Federal funds, other 
than profits from a Federal contract, for lobbying Congress or any 
Federal agency in connection with the award of a contract, grant, 
cooperative agreement, or loan. In addition, for each award action in 
excess of $100,000 ($150,000 for loans) the law requires recipients and 
any subcontractors (1) To certify that they have neither used nor will 
use any appropriated funds for payment of lobbyists; (2) to disclose 
the name, address, payment details, and purpose of any agreements with 
lobbyists whom recipients of their subcontractors will pay with profits 
or other nonappropriated funds on or after December 22, 1989; ad (3) to 
file quarterly up-dates about the use of lobbyists if material changes 
occur in their use. The law establishes civil penalties for non-
compliance. A copy of the certification and disclosure forms must be 
submitted with the application and are available from Lydia Astorga at 
the above stated address and telephone number.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on April 15, 2002.
Ross J. Davidson, Jr.,
Manager, Federal Crop Insurance Corporation.
[FR Doc. 02-9616 Filed 4-18-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-08-P