Modernizing Grant Program Regulation

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Agriculture Rural Business-Cooperative Service 7 CFR Part 4284 [Docket No. RBS-24-BUSINESS-0004] RIN 0570-AB03 AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA. ACTION: Final rule; request for comment. SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS or the Agency), an agency of the Rural Development (RD) mission area within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is issuing a final rule with comment to implement the provisions of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 related to the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) Program and the Agriculture Innovation Center (AIC) Program and to modernize the Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program (RCDG). In addition, this action will support ways to simplify and streamline RD program delivery by removing outdated and ineffective definitions, requirements, and scoring criteria for the grant programs above. DATES: Effective date: This final rule is effective November 15, 2024. Comment date: Comments must be submitted on or before October 16, 2024. ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by going to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov/​ and in the “Search Documents” box, enter the Docket Number or the Regulatory Information Number (RIN) provided above in the headings to this final rule, and click the “Search” button. Locate this document in the displayed list and select the “Comment” button associated with this document. You will be redirected to a comment …