[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 53 (Tuesday, March 19, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10021-10023]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-05132]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Research Service

Economic Research Service

National Agricultural Statistics Service

National Institute of Food and Agriculture


2018 Research, Education, and Economics Farm Bill Implementation 
Listening Session

AGENCY: Agricultural Research Service, Economic Research Service, 
National Agricultural Statistics Service, National Institute of Food 
and Agriculture, Office of the Chief Scientist, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In preparing to implement the Agriculture Improvement Act of 
2018 (commonly referred to as the 2018 Farm Bill), USDA's Research, 
Education, and Economics (REE) mission area will host a listening 
session for public input regarding new programs and changes to existing 
programs implemented by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), 
Economic Research Service (ERS), National Agricultural Statistics 
Service (NASS), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), and 
the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS).

DATES: Listening session: The listening session will be held on March 
21, 2019 between the hours of 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern. Exact times to 
be announced upon registering.
    Registration: You must register by 5 p.m. Eastern on March 20, 
2019, to attend the listening session in person. If you are attending 
the listening session there is an expectation that the organization you 
are representing will be presenting oral comments. Attendance is 
limited to three individuals per organization; all individuals must 
register, but all three are not required to speak. In addition to 
presenting orally, you are also encouraged to submit one page of 
written comments by 5 p.m. Eastern on March 29, 2019. While we 
recommend written submissions be no more than one page or 500 words, we 
will accept materials that exceed those lengths.
    Comments: If you are unable to attend the listening session in-
person, written comments are welcome and are due by 5pm Eastern on 
March 29, 2019 to http://www.regulations.gov. Stakeholders attending 
the listening session in-person are welcome to submit comments to the 
Federal Register, but are not required. Stakeholder input received 
orally and in writing will be

[[Page 10022]]

treated equally. All written comments received will be publicly 
available on http://www.regulations.gov. All oral comments will be 
transcribed and posted online within one month of the session.

ADDRESSES: Listening session: The meeting will be held at USDA 
headquarters in Washington, DC starting at 1 p.m. Eastern. Additional 
room details will be available upon registering at [email protected] 
If you have questions, feel free to email [email protected].
    Comments: We invite all who are interested to submit comments on 
this notice. In your comments, include the date, volume, and page 
number of this issue of the Federal Register, and the title of this 
notice. You may submit written comments until 5 p.m. Eastern on March 
29, 2019 through the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tiffany K. Jones, Research, Education, 
and Economics, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 214-W, 
Washington, DC 20250; Telephone: (202) 720-1542, or Email: 
[email protected].
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication should contact the USDA Target Center at (202) 720-2600 
(voice).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 2018 Farm Bill is intended to strengthen 
the agricultural research, education, and extension framework 
supporting the continuous technological advancement that has led to the 
success of the U.S. agricultural system. The listening session and open 
public comment period will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to 
share their thoughts about how USDA can streamline and improve program 
delivery, as well as enhance customer service. ARS conducts 
agricultural research over 690 research programs at laboratories in 
over 90 locations across the country. NASS and ERS collect and report 
data and economic analyses which are critical to producers, markets, 
and policy decision makers. NIFA is the extramural science funding 
agency within USDA that invests in and advances agricultural research, 
education, and extension to help solve national challenges in 
agriculture, food, the environment, and communities. The Office of the 
Chief Scientist provides strategic coordination of the science that 
informs the Department's and the Federal government's decisions, 
policies and regulations that impact all aspects of U.S. food and 
agriculture. We invite you to participate in the listening session in 
person or by submitting written comments to the Federal Register, pre-
registration is required. The listening session will be transcribed and 
posted online within one month of the listening session.
    On December 20, 2018, the 2018 Farm Bill (Pub. L. 115-334) was 
signed into law (see https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2/text). The Secretary of Agriculture and the respective 
USDA agencies, including, but not limited to ARS, ERS, NASS, and NIFA, 
are working to implement the provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill as 
expeditiously as possible to meet the needs of stakeholders. To allow 
for customer input and ensure transparency, it is important to hear 
from stakeholders regarding their priorities, concerns, and requests.
    The purpose of the listening session is for REE to hear from the 
public; this is not a discussion with REE officials or a question and 
answer session. The purpose is to receive public input that each agency 
can factor into discretionary decisions that need to be made to 
implement the provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill.
    The meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Eastern on March 21, 
2019, in the Jefferson Auditorium of the South Building of the USDA 
Headquarters at 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 
20250.
    The listening session will begin with brief opening remarks from 
USDA. Individual speakers providing oral comments will be limited to 3-
5 minutes each. As noted above, speakers providing oral comments are 
encouraged, but not required to provide a written copy of their 
comments to the Federal Register by March 29 2019. All stakeholders 
interested in providing oral and written comments; are welcome to do 
so.
    The purpose of the listening session is for REE to hear from 
stakeholders and other interested members of the public about the 
programs that are being implemented or revised by REE as required by 
the 2018 Farm Bill. Please refer to the name of the ARS, ERS, NASS, 
NIFA, or OCS program in your comment and the relevant section number in 
the 2018 Farm Bill. In your comments, provide your input about program 
changes, and anything else that may be helpful to USDA.
    To identify the section numbers for your comments and to find the 
relevant text for ARS, ERS, NASS, NIFA, or OCS programs in the 2018 
Farm Bill, the following is a list of sections for the ARS, ERS, NASS, 
and NIFA programs. Note, however, these relevant sections are not 
exhaustive, as REE has several provisions in other Farm Bill Titles:

Sec. 7101. Purposes of agricultural research, extension, and 
education.
Sec. 7102. Matters related to certain school designations and 
declarations.
Sec. 7103. National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and 
Economics Advisory Board.
Sec. 7104. Specialty crop committee.
Sec. 7105. Renewable energy committee discontinued.
Sec. 7106. Veterinary services grant program.
Sec. 7107. Grants and fellowships for food and agriculture sciences 
education.
Sec. 7109. Education grants to Alaska Native serving institutions 
and Native Hawaiian serving institutions.
Sec. 7110. Next generation agriculture technology challenge.
Sec. 7111. Land-grant designation.
Sec. 7112. Nutrition education program.
Sec. 7113. Continuing animal health and disease research programs.
Sec. 7114. Carryover of funds for extension at 1890 land-grant 
colleges, including Tuskegee University.
Sec. 7115. Extension and agricultural research at 1890 land-grant 
colleges, including Tuskegee University.
Sec. 7116. Reports on disbursement of funds for agricultural 
research and extension at 1862 and 1890 land-grant colleges, 
including Tuskegee University.
Sec. 7117. Scholarships for students at 1890 institutions.
Sec. 7118. Grants to upgrade agricultural and food sciences 
facilities at 1890 land-grant colleges, including Tuskegee 
University.
Sec. 7119. Grants to upgrade agriculture and food sciences 
facilities and equipment at insular area land-grant institutions.
Sec. 7120. New Beginning for Tribal Students.
Sec. 7121. Hispanic-serving institutions.
Sec. 7122. Binational agricultural research and development.
Sec. 7123. Partnerships to build capacity in international 
agricultural research, extension, and teaching.
Sec. 7124. Competitive grants for international agricultural science 
and education programs.
Sec. 7125. Limitation on indirect costs for agricultural research, 
education, and extension programs.
Sec. 7126. Research equipment grants.
Sec. 7127. University research.
Sec. 7128. Extension service.
Sec. 7129. Supplemental and alternative crops; hemp.
Sec. 7130. New Era Rural Technology program.
Sec. 7131. Capacity building grants for NLGCA Institutions.
Sec. 7132. Agriculture advanced research and development authority 
pilot.
Sec. 7133. Aquaculture assistance programs.
Sec. 7134. Rangeland research programs.
Sec. 7135. Special authorization for biosecurity planning and 
response.
Sec. 7136. Distance education and resident instruction grants 
program for insular area institutions of higher education.
Sec. 7201. Best utilization of biological applications.

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Sec. 7202. Integrated management systems.
Sec. 7203. Sustainable agriculture technology development and 
transfer program.
Sec. 7204. National training program.
Sec. 7205. National strategic germplasm and cultivar collection 
assessment and utilization plan.
Sec. 7206. National Genetics Resources Program.
Sec. 7207. National Agricultural Weather Information System.
Sec. 7208. Agricultural genome to phenome initiative.
Sec. 7209. High-priority research and extension initiatives.
Sec. 7210. Organic agriculture research and extension initiative.
Sec. 7211. Farm business management.
Sec. 7212. Urban, indoor, and other emerging agricultural production 
research, education, and extension initiative.
Sec. 7213. Centers of excellence at 1890 Institutions.
Sec. 7214. Clarification of veteran eligibility for assistive 
technology program for farmers with disabilities.
Sec. 7215. National Rural Information Center Clearinghouse.
Sec. 7301. National food safety training, education, extension, 
outreach, and technical assistance program.
Sec. 7302. Integrated research, education, and extension competitive 
grants program.
Sec. 7303. Support for research regarding diseases of wheat, 
triticale, and barley caused by Fusarium graminearum or by Tilletia 
indica.
Sec. 7304. Grants for youth organizations.
Sec. 7305. Specialty crop research initiative.
Sec. 7306. Food Animal Residue Avoidance Database program.
Sec. 7308. Forestry products advanced utilization research.
Sec. 7401. Agricultural biosecurity communication center.
Sec. 7402. Assistance to build local capacity in agricultural 
biosecurity planning, preparation, and response.
Sec. 7403. Research and development of agricultural countermeasures.
Sec. 7404. Agricultural biosecurity grant program.
Sec. 7411. Grazing lands research laboratory.
Sec. 7412. Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network.
Sec. 7413. Natural products research program.
Sec. 7414. Sun grant program.
Sec. 7501. Critical Agricultural Materials Act.
Sec. 7502. Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994.
Sec. 7503. Research Facilities Act.
Sec. 7504. Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.
Sec. 7505. Extension design and demonstration initiative.
Sec. 7506. Repeal of review of agricultural research service.
Sec. 7507. Biomass research and development.
Sec. 7508. Reinstatement of matching requirement for Federal funds 
used in extension work at the University of the District of 
Columbia.
Sec. 7509. Renewable Resources Extension Act of 1978.
Sec. 7510. National Aquaculture Act of 1980.
Sec. 7511. Federal agriculture research facilities.
Sec. 7601. Enhanced use lease authority program.
Sec. 7602. Transfer of administrative jurisdiction over portion of 
Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, 
Beltsville, Maryland.
Sec. 7603. Foundation for food and agriculture research.
Sec. 7604. Assistance for forestry research under the McIntire-
Stennis Cooperative Forestry Act.
Sec. 7606. Collection of data relating to barley area planted and 
harvested.
Sec. 7607. Collection of data relating to the size and location of 
dairy farms.
Sec. 7609. Smith-Lever community extension program.
Sec. 7610. Mechanization and automation for specialty crops.
Sec. 7611. Experienced services program.
Sec. 7612. Simplified plan of work.
Sec. 7613. Review of land-grant time and effort reporting 
requirements.
Sec. 7614. Matching funds requirement.
Sec. 12301. Farming opportunities training and outreach.
Sec. 12302. Urban agriculture.
Sec. 12411. Office of the Chief Scientist.
Sec. 12607. Reports on Land Access and Farmland Ownership Data 
Collection.

Instructions for Attending the Meeting

    Space for attendance at the listening session is limited. All 
organizations wishing to speak at the listening session must register 
by emailing [email protected] by 5 p.m. Eastern on March 20, 2019. To 
register, the following information will be required:
     Attendee contact information;
     Company or organization representation information;
     Farm Bill topic interests; and
     The number of speakers.
     Optional: Written comments submitted to the Federal 
Register by 5 p.m. Eastern on March 29, 2019.
    Upon arrival at the USDA, only registered persons providing valid 
photo identification will be permitted to enter. Extra time should be 
allotted to get through airport style security.
    All written comments received will be publicly available on 
www.regulations .gov.
    If you require special accommodations, such as a sign language 
interpreter, use the contact information above. The listening session 
location is accessible to persons with disabilities.
    REE is interested in all comments. Additionally, feedback and 
comments received on REE-related sections may inform future webinars/
listening sessions.

Stephen Censky,
Deputy Secretary, USDA.
[FR Doc. 2019-05132 Filed 3-14-19; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P