[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 91 (Thursday, May 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39579-39580]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-10172]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 91 / Thursday, May 9, 2024 / 
Notices  

[[Page 39579]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation

[Docket ID FSA-2024-0003]


Notice of Funds Availability; Organic Certification Cost Share 
Program (OCCSP)

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation and Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notification of funding availability.

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SUMMARY: The Farm Service Agency (FSA), on behalf of the Commodity 
Credit Corporation, is issuing this notice to announce the availability 
of cost share assistance through OCCSP for fiscal year (FY) 2024. FSA 
is giving the opportunity for State Agencies to apply for grant 
agreements to administrator the OCCSP program to establish agreements 
to provide cost share assistance to eligible producers and handlers and 
for producers and handlers to apply for OCCSP payment at FSA county 
office.

DATES: Applications for State Agency Agreements: FSA will accept 
applications from State Agencies to administer OCCSP for FY 2024 
between the period of May 13, 2024, and October 31, 2024.
    Producer and Handler Applications: FSA county offices will accept 
applications for OCCSP from producers and handlers for FY 2024 until 
October 31, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Vazquez; telephone: (202) 923-
1585; email: [email protected]. Individuals who require 
alternative means for communication should contact the USDA Target 
Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and text telephone (TTY)) or dial 711 
for Telecommunications Relay service (both voice and text telephone 
users can initiate this call from any telephone).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

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).\1\ The purpose 
of this NOFA is to announce the funding availability and application 
periods for FY 2024.
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    \1\ USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) administers the 
NOP, which was established under the Organic Foods Production Act of 
1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501-6524). Information about organic standards, the 
certification process, and additional resources for organic 
producers is available at https://www.farmers.gov/your-business/organic. More information about OCCSP is available at https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/occsp/index.
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    OCCSP is funded through two authorizations: (1) National Organic 
Certification Cost Share Program (National OCCSP) funds, and (2) 
Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) funds. Section 102 of the 
Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024 (Pub. 
L. 118-22) amended the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 
(7 U.S.C. 6523(d)(1)(C)) to provide $8 million \2\ in National OCCSP 
funding for FY 2024. In addition, approximately $1.5 million in 
National OCCSP funding remains available from prior years. An 
additional $1 million \3\ in AMA funding is authorized for each FY. (7 
U.S.C. 1524).
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    \2\ After sequestration of 5.7 percent, $7,544,000 in National 
OCCSP funding is available for FY 2024.
    \3\ After sequestration of 5.7 percent, $943,000 in AMA funding 
is available for FY 2024.
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    On April 29, 2019, FSA published a notice in the Federal Register 
announcing general eligibility and administrative provisions for OCCSP 
for FY 2019 through 2023 (84 FR 17997-17999). For FY 2024, FSA will 
administer OCCSP according to the provisions that were applicable for 
FY 2019 through 2023, providing cost share assistance for 75 percent of 
an applicant's eligible expenses, up to $750 per scope, which is the 
maximum amount allowed by law.\4\ Cost share assistance is provided on 
a first come, first served basis, until all available funds are 
obligated.
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    \4\ On August 10, 2020, FSA announced in the Federal Register 
that the maximum amount of cost share for FY 2020 through 2023 would 
be 50 percent of an applicant's eligible expenses, up to $500 per 
scope, due to the limited amount of funding available and expected 
participation rates. (85 FR 48149-48150). For FY 2020 through 2022, 
FSA also provided cost share for eligible organic and transitional 
certification and education expenses through the Organic and 
Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP) in response 
to economic challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic that made 
obtaining and renewing USDA organic certification financially 
challenging for many operations. On May 10, 2023, FSA announced that 
OCCSP funding was available for FY 2023 to increase the amount of 
cost share to 75 percent of eligible costs, up to $750 per scope. 
(See https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2023/05/10/usda-announces-new-steps-enhance-organic-markets-and-support.)
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    As in previous years, FSA will accept applications through FSA 
county offices and also partner with participating State agencies to 
administer the program through grant agreements.

Application Period for State Agencies and How To Submit an Application

    FSA will accept applications from State Agencies from May 13, 2024, 
through October 31. 2024. To administer OCCSP for FY 2024, State 
Agencies must submit an Application for Federal Assistance (Standard 
Form 424 and 424A) electronically via Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov) and enter into a grant agreement with FSA. State 
Agencies will refer to the Fiscal Year 2024 Full Notice of Funding 
Opportunity Announcement on Grants.gov for additional application 
requirements. For information on how to use Grants.gov, please access 
https://www.grants.gov/applicants.

Application Period for Producers and Handlers and How To Submit an 
Application

    Producers and handlers may submit applications for eligible costs 
incurred in FY 2024 (the period of October 1, 2023, through September 
30, 2024) to their FSA county office until October 31, 2024. The FSA 
county office locator is available in the ``Find Your Local Service 
Center'' section on https://www.farmers.gov.
    Participating State Agencies will establish their own application 
process and deadlines, as specified in their grant agreements, and 
producers and handlers must submit an application package according to 
the instructions provided by the State Agency. A list of participating 
State Agencies will be available at https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/occsp after their agreements with FSA are finalized.

[[Page 39580]]

Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements

    There are no changes to the information collection request for 
OCCSP that has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The OMB control number for the 
approval is 0560-0289.

Environmental Review

    The environmental impacts 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 regulation 
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 program deadlines for the 2024 program year. 
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.

Federal Assistance Programs

    The title and number of the Federal assistance program, as found in 
the Assistance Listings, to which this document applies are 10.171, 
Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP).

USDA Non-Discrimination Policy

    In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, USDA, its 
Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or 
administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on 
race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including 
gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital 
status, family or parental status, income derived from a public 
assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for 
prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or 
funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and 
complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
    Individuals who require alternative means of communication for 
program information (for example, braille, large print, audiotape, 
American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or 
the USDA TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and text telephone 
(TTY)) or dial 711 for Telecommunications Relay Service (both voice and 
text telephone users can initiate this call from any telephone). 
Additionally, program information may be made available in languages 
other than English.
    To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA 
Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint and 
at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in 
the letter all the information requested in the form. To request a copy 
of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form 
or letter to USDA by: (1) mail to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence 
Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) 
email: [email protected].
    USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Zach Ducheneaux,
Administrator, Farm Service Agency and Executive Vice President, 
Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 2024-10172 Filed 5-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-E2-P