Dairy Indemnity Payment Program

AGENCY:

Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

This final rule amends the authority citation for the Dairy Indemnity Payment Program (DIPP) regulations to cover the expenditure of additional funds appropriated under the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001. The DIPP indemnifies dairy farmers and manufacturers for losses suffered with respect to milk and milk products, through no fault of their own.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

January 12, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Elizabeth Hill, Agricultural Program Specialist, Price Support Division, FSA, USDA, STOP 0512, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0512; telephone (202) 720-9888; e-mail address is Elizabeth_Hill@wdc.fsa.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Executive Order 12866

This rule has been determined to be not significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866 and therefore has not been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Federal Assistance Program

The title and number of the Federal Assistance Program, as found in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, to which this rule applies are Dairy Indemnity Payments, Number 10.053.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

It has been determined that the Regulatory Flexibility Act is not applicable to this final rule because the Farm Service Agency is not required by 5 U.S.C. 533 or any other provision of law to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking with respect to the subject matter of these determinations.

Environmental Evaluation

It has been determined by an environmental evaluation that this action will have no significant impact on the quality of the human environment. Therefore, neither an environmental assessment nor an Environmental Impact Statement is needed.

Executive Order 12372

This program is not subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, which require intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials. See the Notice related to 7 CFR part 3015, subpart V, published at 48 FR 29115 (June 24, 1983).

Executive Order 12988

This rule has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 12988. To the extent State and local laws are in conflict with these regulatory provisions, it is the intent of Commodity Credit Corporation that the terms of the regulations prevail. The provisions of this rule are not retroactive. Prior to any judicial action in a court of competent jurisdiction, administrative review under 7 CFR part 780 must be exhausted.

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995

This rule contains no Federal mandates under the regulatory provision of Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) for State, local, and tribal governments or the private sector. Thus, this rule is not subject to the requirements of sections 202 and 205 of UMRA.

Paperwork Reduction Act

The amendment to 7 CFR part 760 set forth in this final rule does not contain additional information collections that require clearance by the Office of Management and Budget under the provisions of 44 U.S.C. chapter 35. Existing information collections were approved by OMB and assigned OMB Control Number 0560-0116.

Background

The DIPP was originally authorized by section 331 of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. The statutory authority for the program was extended several times. Funds were appropriated for DIPP by the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Act, 1999, (the 1999 Act), Pub. L. 105-277, 112 Stat. 2681, and, more recently, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000 (the 2000 Act), Pub. L. 106-78, 113 Stat. 1135, both of which authorized the program to be carried out until the funds appropriated were expended. Most recently, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 (the 2001 Act), Pub. L. 106-387, 114 Stat 1549 also appropriated funds and authorized the program to be carried out until the funds are expended. Not all the funds appropriated under the previous Acts have been expended and the remaining funds are still available in addition to the funds appropriated under the 2001 Act.

The objective of DIPP is to indemnify dairy farmers and manufacturers of dairy products who, through no fault of their own, suffer income losses with respect to milk or milk products removed from commercial markets because such milk or milk products contain certain harmful residues. In addition, dairy farmers can also be indemnified for income losses with respect to milk required to be removed from commercial markets due to residues of chemicals or toxic substances or contamination by nuclear radiation or fallout.

The regulations governing the program are set forth at 7 CFR Part 760. This rule makes no changes in the provisions of the regulations. Since the only purpose of this final rule is to revise the authority citation pursuant to the 2001 Act, it has been determined that no further public rulemaking is required. Therefore, this final rule shall become effective upon the date of publication in the Federal Register.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 760

• Dairy products
• Indemnity payments
• Pesticides and pests

Accordingly, 7 CFR part 760 is amended as follows:

PART 760—INDEMNITY PAYMENT PROGRAMS

Subpart—Dairy Indemnity Payment Program

The authority citation for Subpart—Dairy Indemnity Payment Program is revised to read as follows:

Authority: Pub. L. 105-277, 112 Stat. 2681, and Pub. L. 106-78, 113 Stat. 1135, and Pub. L. 106-387, 114 Stat. 1549.