This rule revises the regulations of the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP), the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), the Tree Assistance Program (TAP), the Marketing Assistance Loan (MAL) and Loan Deficiency Payments (LDP) Programs, and the Sugar Program to conform with provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Changes to the supplemental disaster assistance programs include ELAP assistance for losses due to bird depredation and a change to honeybee colony loss normal mortality; a lower drought threshold for LFP eligibility; LIP assistance for unborn death losses and changes to compensation for predation losses and the market values used in the LIP payment calculations; and changes to the TAP eligibility threshold and reimbursement percentage for certain costs. This rule increases the MAL and LDP loan rates for all eligible commodities for the 2026 through 2031 crop years as specified by OBBBA. Additional MAL and LDP changes for upland and extra-long staple (ELS) cotton required by OBBBA include revised formulas to calculate the prevailing world market price for upland cotton, the introduction of a prevailing world market price and adjusted world price for ELS cotton, and changes to the payment of cotton storage costs by area. Additionally, FSA is amending regulations to add provisions for a 30- day post-repayment loan review in which a refund for upland cotton repayment or an additional LDP disbursement could occur. Sugar Program changes are related to effective loan rates, storage rates, and sugar marketing allocation provisions. This rule also makes minor administrative changes to the Sugar Program regulations. Technical amendments are included for grains and similarly handled commodities, and honey. This rule also makes additional changes to the regulations for those programs to update eligibility and payment provisions, clarify program requirements, and improve program integrity. This rule also updates the Feedstock Flexibility Program (FFP) provisions to indicate that 2026 is the final crop year covered by the program, and makes corrections to the regulations for the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) Programs and Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) provides funding for the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) for fiscal years 2025 through 2031, and, as a result, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is issuing this rule to establish OCCSP for 2025 and future program years. The rule specifies the eligibility criteria and payment calculation for OCCSP, which are consistent with how CCC has administered OCCSP in previous years by Notices of Funding Availability (NOFAs). Prior NOFAs also established the opportunity for State agencies to enter into agreements to administer OCCSP; these provisions are also included in this rule. The rule also establishes the application process and deadlines for eligible producers and handlers who apply through FSA county offices.
The final rule entitled Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) Program was published on June 1, 2026. The Office of Management and Budget cleared the associated information collection requirements (ICR) on June 1, 2026. This document announces approval of the ICR.
This rule revises the payment limitation and payment eligibility regulations to conform with provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). This rule also makes additional changes to those regulations to improve program administration and clarify and update existing provisions.
The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is issuing this rule to provide assistance to producers of eligible specialty crops through the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) Program. These one-time bridge payments will help address elevated input costs incurred by producers and market disruptions stemming from foreign competitors engaging in unfair trade practices that impede specialty crop exports.
The Commodity Credit Corporation and Farm Service Agency (FSA) are making technical corrections to the regulations for the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) and the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program. The changes for SDRP correct the Stage 2 eligibility provisions for producers of sugar beets and some producers who had Federal crop insurance coverage under a Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage policy; the provisions related to calculation of the quality loss percentage for Stage 1 and Stage 2; and paragraph references and the order of steps for some Stage 2 payment calculations. The correction for DMC addresses eligibility of dairy operations that have stopped producing and marketing milk before or during the annual coverage election period.
The final rule entitled Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program was published on February 23, 2026. The Office of Management and Budget cleared the associated information collection requirements (ICR) on February 26, 2026. This document announces approval of the ICR.
The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is issuing this rule to provide $11 billion in one-time bridge payments to American farmers in response to temporary trade market disruptions and increased production costs. Payments under the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program are intended in part to aid producers until assistance from provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), notably increases in reference prices to major covered commodities, reach eligible famers after October 1, 2026.
This rule revises the provisions of the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), Price Loss Coverage (PLC), and Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) programs to conform with provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). OBBBA authorized modifications to the 2025 crop year ARC and PLC programs and the continuation of the ARC and PLC programs for the 2026 through 2031 crop years. The modified provisions are related to the reference prices, the effective reference prices, base acres, program elections, and payment provisions. OBBBA also authorized DMC for calendar years 2026 through 2031, providing participating dairy operations with the ability to establish a new production history. In addition, the Tier 1 coverage level was increased by 1 million pounds of milk to a 6-million-pound limit and eligibility for multi-year (lock-in) contracts was maintained until December 30, 2031. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is also making minor administrative changes and updates to the ARC, PLC, and DMC regulations and the regulations that apply to multiple FSA programs.
CCC is in the process of reviewing all regulations within its purview to reduce regulatory burdens and costs. Pursuant to this review, CCC has identified the following obsolete, unnecessary, and outdated provisions in title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulation (CFR). CCC is removing these provisions to streamline and clarify the dictates of title 7.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has independently determined that it will no longer employ the race- and sex-based "socially disadvantaged" designation to provide increased benefits based on race and sex in the programs at issue in this regulation. The USDA has faced a long history of litigation stemming from allegations of discrimination in the administration of its farm loan and benefit programs. However, over the past several decades, USDA has undertaken substantial efforts to redress past injustices, culminating in comprehensive settlements, institutional reforms, and compensatory frameworks. These actions collectively support the conclusion that past discrimination has been sufficiently addressed and that further race- and sex-based remedies are no longer necessary or legally justified under current circumstances.
This rule makes discretionary changes to simplify and streamline deadlines for the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP), the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), and the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). It also makes changes to clarify ELAP provisions for assistance for transportation of livestock feed.
