Rule2024-22571
Delegations of Authority
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 2, 2024
Effective
October 2, 2024
Issuing agencies
Agriculture Department
Abstract
This document revises the delegations of authority from the Secretary of Agriculture and general officers of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reflect changes and additions to the delegations as summarized below.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 191 (Wednesday, October 2, 2024)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 191 (Wednesday, October 2, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 80073-80075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-22571]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Office of the Secretary
7 CFR Part 2
RIN 0503-AA81
Delegations of Authority
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA.
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This document revises the delegations of authority from the
Secretary of Agriculture and general officers of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) to reflect changes and additions to the delegations
as summarized below.
DATES: Effective October 2, 2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa McClellan, Office of the
General Counsel, (202) 720-5565, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fb969e979288889ad5969898979e97979a95bb8e889f9ad59c948d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="97faf2fbfee4e4f6b9faf4f4fbf2fbfbf6f9d7e2e4f3f6b9f0f8e1">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview of Changes
This rule amends 7 CFR part 2 to reflect updates to the delegations
of authority by the Secretary to the Under Secretary for Farm
Production and Conservation (FPAC) and the FPAC mission area agencies,
the General Counsel, and the Director of the Office of Tribal Relations
(OTR) for the purposes described below. The rule also corrects an error
in a delegation by the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the
Environment (NRE) to the Chief of the Forest Service.
First, this rule amends the delegation of authority by the
Secretary to the Under Secretary for FPAC at Sec. 2.16 under section
607(b)(4) of the Rural
[[Page 80074]]
Development Act of 1972 (7 U.S.C. 2204b(b)(4)). This statute authorizes
the Secretary to ``enter into cooperative agreements with other Federal
agencies, State and local governments, and any other organization or
individual to improve the coordination and effectiveness of Federal
programs, services, and actions affecting rural areas'' if the
objectives of the agreement ``will serve the mutual interest of the
parties in rural development activities.'' Under the existing
delegation for this cooperative agreement authority to the Under
Secretary for FPAC at Sec. 2.16(a)(1)(xxviii), further delegated to
the Administrator, Farm Service Agency (FSA) at Sec. 2.42(a)(50), the
delegation covers only the following actions: (i) administration of
cooperative agreements with respect to conservation programs and (ii)
administration of cooperative agreements with Federal agencies, State,
local, and tribal governments, nongovernmental organizations, and
educational institutions related to outreach and technical assistance
for programs carried out by FSA. This rule expands the delegation so
that it is no longer limited to agreements related to conservation
programs and the outreach and technical assistance activities of FSA.
The expanded delegation permits the Under Secretary for FPAC to enter
into cooperative agreements to improve the efficiency and effectiveness
of Federal programs that affect rural areas under the entire FPAC
Mission Area, subject to the terms of 7 U.S.C. 2204b(b)(4). See
Secretary's Memorandum 1077-011 (March 13, 2024), available at <a href="https://www.usda.gov/directives/sm-1077-011">https://www.usda.gov/directives/sm-1077-011</a>. This rule implements the expanded
delegation of authority by removing the existing delegation at Sec.
2.16(a)(1)(xxviii) and adding a new delegation at Sec. 2.16(a)(13).
This change does not impact the scope of the existing delegation of
authority by the Under Secretary for FPAC to the Administrator of FSA
at Sec. 2.42(a)(50) to administer cooperative agreements under 7
U.S.C. 2204b(b)(4).
Next, this rule revises the delegations to the General Counsel at
Sec. 2.31 to reflect a new delegation of the Secretary's authority to
enter into cooperative agreements under 7 U.S.C. 2204b(b)(4). This
delegation allows the Office of the General Counsel to enter into
cooperative agreements with nongovernmental organizations and
educational institutions related to public interest and agricultural
law for the purpose of carrying out agricultural and public service
programs, sponsorships, convenings, and trainings. See Secretary's
Memorandum 1077-009 (Sept. 26, 2023), available at <a href="https://www.usda.gov/directives/sm-1077-009">https://www.usda.gov/directives/sm-1077-009</a>.
The rule also revises the delegations by the Secretary to the
Director, OTR at Sec. 2.39 to reflect a new delegation of the
Secretary's authority under section 922 of the Federal Agriculture
Improvement and Reform Act, as amended (7 U.S.C. 2279c), to enter into
cooperative agreements with associations of institutions of higher
education for the purpose of participation in internship programs for
graduate and undergraduate students in support of the 1994 Tribal
College Program, and to carry out the related authorities and
responsibilities outlined in the statute. See Secretary's Memorandum
1077-008 (Sept. 22, 2023), available at <a href="https://www.usda.gov/directives/sm-1077-008">https://www.usda.gov/directives/sm-1077-008</a>.
In addition, this rule makes permanent the Under Secretary for
FPAC's delegations within the FPAC mission area under the ``Service
First'' initiative authority, initially delegated in an Under
Secretary's Memorandum issued March 21, 2024. Through the Under
Secretary for FPAC, the Secretary delegates to the Chief Operating
Officer, FPAC Business Center (Sec. 2.41), the Administrator, FSA
(Sec. 2.42), the Chief, Natural Resources and Conservation Service
(Sec. 2.43), and the Administrator, Risk Management Agency (Sec.
2.44) the authority under 43 U.S.C. 1703 to establish programs with the
U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) or with other agencies within USDA
for the purpose of promoting customer service and efficiency, including
delegating to employees of DOI and other USDA agencies their respective
authorities to carry out projects on behalf of USDA.
Finally, this rule corrects an error in a statutory citation in the
delegations by the Under Secretary for NRE to the Chief of the Forest
Service at Sec. 2.60(a)(58).
Classification
This rule relates to internal agency management. Accordingly,
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553, notice of proposed rulemaking and opportunity
for comment are not required, and this rule may be made effective less
than 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. This rule also
is exempt from the provisions of Executive Orders 12866 and 13771. This
action is not a rule as defined by the Regulatory Flexibility Act, as
amended by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of
1996, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., or the Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C.
801 et seq., and thus is exempt from the provisions of those acts. This
rule contains no information collection or recordkeeping requirements
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 2
Authority delegations (Government agencies).
Accordingly, as discussed in the preamble, 7 CFR part 2 is amended
as follows:
PART 2--DELEGATIONS OF AUTHORITY BY THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
AND GENERAL OFFICERS OF THE DEPARTMENT
0
1. The authority citation for part 2 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 6912(a)(1); 5 U.S.C. 301; Reorganization
Plan No. 2 of 1953, 3 CFR 1949-1953 Comp., p. 1024.
Subpart C--Delegations of Authority to the Deputy Secretary, Under
Secretaries, and Assistant Secretaries
0
2. Amend Sec. 2.16 by removing and reserving paragraph (a)(1)(xxviii)
and adding paragraph (a)(13) to read as follows:
Sec. 2.16 Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation.
(a) * * *
(13) Enter into cooperative agreements with Federal agencies, State
and local governments, and any other organization or individual to
improve the coordination and effectiveness of Federal programs,
services, and actions affecting rural areas (7 U.S.C. 2204b(b)(4)).
* * * * *
Subpart D--Delegations of Authority to Other General Officers and
Agency Heads
0
3. Amend Sec. 2.31 by adding paragraph (a)(21) to read as follows:
Sec. 2.31 General Counsel.
(a) * * *
(21) Enter into cooperative agreements with nongovernmental
organizations and educational institutions related to public interest
and agricultural law for the purpose of agricultural and public service
programs, sponsorships, convenings, and trainings (7 U.S.C.
2204b(b)(4)).
* * * * *
0
4. Amend Sec. 2.39 by adding paragraph (a)(10) to read as follows:
Sec. 2.39 Director, Office of Tribal Relations.
(a) * * *
(10) Enter into cooperative agreements with associations of
institutions of
[[Page 80075]]
higher education for the purpose of participation in internship
programs for graduate and undergraduate students in support of the 1994
Tribal College Program and carry out the related authorities and
responsibilities outlined in 7 U.S.C. 2279c.
* * * * *
Subpart F--Delegations of Authority by the Under Secretary for Farm
Production and Conservation
0
5. Amend Sec. 2.41 by adding paragraph (a)(7) to read as follows:
Sec. 2.41 Chief Operating Officer, Farm Production and Conservation
Business Center.
(a) * * *
(7) Establish programs with any bureau of the U.S. Department of
the Interior (DOI), or with other agencies within USDA, in support of
the Service First initiative for the purpose of promoting customer
service and efficiency, including delegating to employees of DOI and
other USDA agencies the authorities of the Farm Production and
Conservation Business Center necessary to carry out projects on behalf
of USDA (43 U.S.C. 1703).
* * * * *
0
6. Amend Sec. 2.42 by adding paragraph (a)(31) to read as follows:
Sec. 2.42 Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
(a) * * *
(31) Establish programs with any bureau of the U.S. Department of
the Interior (DOI), or with other agencies within USDA, in support of
the Service First initiative for the purpose of promoting customer
service and efficiency, including delegating to employees of DOI and
other USDA agencies the authorities of the Farm Service Agency
necessary to carry out projects on behalf of USDA (43 U.S.C. 1703).
* * * * *
0
7. Amend Sec. 2.43 by adding paragraph (a)(5) to read as follows:
Sec. 2.43 Chief, Natural Resources and Conservation Service.
(a) * * *
(5) Establish programs with any bureau of the U.S. Department of
the Interior (DOI), or with other agencies within USDA, in support of
the Service First initiative for the purpose of promoting customer
service and efficiency, including delegating to employees of DOI and
other USDA agencies the authorities of the Natural Resources and
Conservation Service necessary to carry out projects on behalf of USDA
(43 U.S.C. 1703).
* * * * *
0
8. Amend Sec. 2.44 by adding paragraph (a)(10) to read as follows:
Sec. 2.44 Administrator, Risk Management Agency and Manager, Federal
Crop Insurance Corporation.
(a) * * *
(10) Establish programs with any bureau of the U.S. Department of
the Interior (DOI), or with other agencies within USDA, in support of
the Service First initiative for the purpose of promoting customer
service and efficiency, including delegating to employees of DOI and
other USDA agencies the authorities of the Risk Management Agency to
carry out projects on behalf of USDA (43 U.S.C. 1703).
* * * * *
Subpart J--Delegations of Authority by the Under Secretary for
Natural Resources and Environment
0
9. Amend Sec. 2.60 by revising paragraph (a)(58) to read as follows:
Sec. 2.60 Chief, Forest Service.
(a) * * *
(58) Enter into reciprocal fire agreements or contracts with
domestic entities. Administer reimbursements received for fire
suppression (42 U.S.C. 1856-1856e).
* * * * *
Signing Authority
The Secretary of Agriculture, Thomas J. Vilsack, having reviewed
and approved this document, is delegating the authority to
electronically sign this document to Mary Beth Schultz, Principal
Deputy General Counsel, for purposes of publication in the Federal
Register.
Mary Beth Schultz,
Principal Deputy General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2024-22571 Filed 10-1-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-90-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on October 2, 2024.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.