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/register/2026/04/09/2026-06891·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
--- schema: federal-register doc_type: fedreg source_file: FR-2026-04-09.xml --- 91 68 Thursday, April 9, 2026 Contents Agricultural Marketing Agricultural Marketing Service RULES Decreased Assessment Rate: Grapes Grown in a Designated Area of Southeastern California, 17845-17847 2026-06891 Agriculture Agriculture Department See Agricultural Marketing Service See Food and Nutrition Service See Foreign Agricultural Service NOTICES Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals, 17932 2026-06790 Centers Medicare Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services NOTICES Medicare and Medicaid Programs:
Application from DNV Healthcare USA Inc. for Continued CMS-Approval of its Hospital Accreditation Program, 17970-17971 2026-06861 Children Children and Families Administration NOTICES Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Annual Report on Households Assisted by the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, 17972-17973 2026-06804 Office of Refugee Resettlement Annual Survey of Refugees, 17971-17972 2026-06809 Office of Refugee Resettlement Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program Application and Withdrawal of Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program Application, etc., 17973-17974 2026-06805 Procedures for Requests from Tribal Lead Agencies to use Child Care and Development Fund Funds for Construction or Major Renovation of Child Care Facilities, 17974-17975 2026-06795 Civil Rights Civil Rights Commission NOTICES Hearings, Meetings, Proceedings, etc.:
Wisconsin Advisory Committee, 17937-17938 2026-06893 Commerce Commerce Department See Foreign-Trade Zones Board See Industry and Security Bureau See International Trade Administration See National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration See Patent and Trademark Office Commission Fine Commission of Fine Arts NOTICES Hearings, Meetings, Proceedings, etc., 17952 2026-06855 Committee for Purchase Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled NOTICES Procurement List;
Additions and Deletions, 17952-17954 2026-06868 2026-06881 Education Department Education Department NOTICES Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Application, 17955 2026-06888 Native American Language Application Package (1894-0001), 17956-17957 2026-06889 William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program Promissory Notes and Related Forms, 17956 2026-06890 Energy Department Energy Department See Federal Energy Regulatory Commission NOTICES Hearings, Meetings, Proceedings, etc.:
Voluntary Agreements and Related Plans of Action under the Defense Production Act, 17958 2026-06833 Importation or Exportation of Liquified Natural Gas or Electric Energy; Applications, Authorizations, etc.: Cove Point LNG, LP, 17957-17958 2026-06836 Environmental Protection Environmental Protection Agency RULES Air Quality State Implementation Plans; Approvals and Promulgations: Colorado; Serious Attainment Plan Contingency Measures and RACT Requirements for the 2008 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards for the Denver Metro/North Front Range Nonattainment Area, 17857-17863 2026-06837 Missouri;
Revisions to Existing Rule 10 CSR 10-5.570; Control of Sulfur Emissions from Stationary Boilers, 17855-17857 2026-06832 Rhode Island; Regional Haze State Implementation Plan for the Second Implementation Period; Prong 4 (Visibility) for the 2015 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard, 17852-17855 2026-06838 Reconsideration of Standards of Performance for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources and Emissions Guidelines for Existing Sources: Oil and Natural Gas Sector Climate Review, 18056-18132 2026-06808 PROPOSED RULES Air Quality State Implementation Plans;
Approvals and Promulgations: Missouri; Revisions to Existing Rule 10 CSR 10-5.570; Control of Sulfur Emissions from Stationary Boilers, 17913-17914 2026-06831 NOTICES Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Community Right-to-Know Reporting Requirements under Sections 311 and 312 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, 17966-17967 2026-06898 Proposed Settlement Agreement, Stipulation, Order, and Judgment, etc.: CERCLA Cost Recovery for the Safety Light Corp.
Site, Bloomsburg, Columbia County, PA, 17967-17968 2026-06908 Federal Aviation Federal Aviation Administration RULES Airspace Designations and Reporting Points: Cincinnati, OH, 17849-17850 2026-06847 Covington, KY, 17847-17849 2026-06846 Denver International Airport, Denver, CO; Correction, 17850 2026-06879 PROPOSED RULES Airspace Designations and Reporting Points: Canton, OH, 17906-17908 2026-06894 Crown Point, IN, 17909-17910 2026-06907 Mullin, TX, 17908-17909 2026-06927 Omak Airport, Omak, WA, 17910-17912 2026-06848 Federal Bureau Federal Bureau of Investigation NOTICES Hearings, Meetings, Proceedings, etc.:
Compact Council for the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact, 18005-18006 2026-06844 Federal Communications Federal Communications Commission RULES Modernizing Suspension and Debarment Rules, 18134-18180 2026-06864 Review of Foreign Ownership Policies for Broadcast, Common Carrier and Aeronautical Radio Licensees, 17863-17887 2026-06866 PROPOSED RULES Modernizing Suspension and Debarment Rules, 17888-17893 2026-06863 Spectrum Abundance for Weird Space Stuff, 17914-17931 2026-06865 NOTICES Agency Information Collection Activities;
Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals, 17968-17969 2026-06867 Federal Deposit Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation NOTICES Meetings; Sunshine Act, 17969 2026-06897 Federal Energy Federal Energy Regulatory Commission NOTICES Application: Powerhouse Systems, LLC, 17962-17963 2026-06883 Texas Eastern Transmission, LP, 17960-17962 2026-06886 Combined Filings, 17959-17960 2026-06859 Environmental Assessments; Availability, etc.: Pacific Gas and Electric Co., 17966 2026-06884 Texas Eastern Transmission, LP, Line 31 Expansion Project, 17963-17964 2026-06887 Institution of Section 206 Proceeding and Refund Effective Date:
Tucson Electric Power Co., UNS Electric, Inc., UniSource Energy Development Co., Tucson Electric Power Co., 17965-17966 2026-06860 Request under Blanket Authorization: El Paso Natural Gas Co., LLC, 17964-17965 2026-06885 Federal Motor Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration NOTICES Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Transportation of Hazardous Materials; Highway Routing, 18021-18022 2026-06803 Fish Fish and Wildlife Service NOTICES Permits;
Applications, Issuances, etc.: Endangered Species, 17981-17983 2026-06798 Food and Nutrition Food and Nutrition Service NOTICES Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Request for the Study Food Price Data Collection in the Non-Contiguous States and U.S. Territories, 17935-17937 2026-06845 Child Nutrition Programs: Income Eligibility Guidelines, 17932-17935 2026-06842 Foreign Agricultural Foreign Agricultural Service PROPOSED RULES Dairy Tariff-Rate Quota Import Licensing Program, 17893 2026-06873 Foreign Trade Foreign-Trade Zones Board NOTICES Application for Reorganization under Alternative Site Framework:
Expansion of Service Area, Foreign-Trade Zone 136, Brevard County, FL, 17938 2026-06874 Expansion of Service Area, Foreign-Trade Zone 39, Dallas/Fort Worth, TX, 17938 2026-06841 Application for Subzone: Phillips 66 Co., Foreign-Trade Zone 274, Billings, MT, 17938-17939 2026-06839 Health and Human Health and Human Services Department See Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services See Children and Families Administration See Health Resources and Services Administration See National Institutes of Health Health Resources Health Resources and Services Administration NOTICES Funded Extension for the Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement and Delta States Network Development Programs, 17975-17976 2026-06802 Homeland Homeland Security Department See Transportation Security Administration Housing Housing and Urban Development Department NOTICES Agency Information Collection Activities;
Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Housing Discrimination Complaint Form, 17979-17981 2026-06834 Public Housing Capital Fund Amendments to the Annual Contributions Contract, 17978-17979 2026-06835 Industry Industry and Security Bureau RULES Extension of Authorized Integrated Circuit Designer Status and Application Deadline to become an Approved IC Designer, 17851-17852 2026-06851 NOTICES Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Report of Requests for Restrictive Trade Practice or Boycott, 17939 2026-06900 Voluntary Self-Disclosure of Antiboycott Violations, 17939-17940 2026-06901 Institute of Museum and Library Services Institute of Museum and Library Services NOTICES Agency Information Collection Activities;
Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: 2027-2029 Grant Application Forms, 18007-18008 2026-06862 Interior Interior Department See Fish and Wildlife Service See National Park Service See Office of Natural Resources Revenue See Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement Office NOTICES Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Improving Customer Experience, 17984-17986 2026-06899 Private Rental Survey, 17983-17984 2026-06895 International Trade Adm International Trade Administration NOTICES Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews:
Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet from the Republic of Turkiye, 17941-17943 2026-06878 Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews; Rescission, 17940-17941 2026-06857 International Trade Com International Trade Commission NOTICES Investigations; Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Oil Country Tubular Goods from China, 18004-18005 2026-06843 Silicon Metal from Angola, Laos, and Thailand, 18004 2026-06792 Justice Department Justice Department See Federal Bureau of Investigation Merit Merit Systems Protection Board NOTICES Agency Information Collection Activities;
Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery, 18006-18007 2026-06858 NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NOTICES Hearings, Meetings, Proceedings, etc.: International Space Station Advisory Committee, 18007 2026-06896 National Foundation National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities See Institute of Museum and Library Services National Institute National Institutes of Health NOTICES Hearings, Meetings, Proceedings, etc.:
Center for Scientific Review, 17976-17977 2026-06801 National Eye Institute, 17977 2026-06800 National Oceanic National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOTICES Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: West Coast Fisheries Participation Survey, 17948 2026-06902 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska: Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska; Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program Cost Recovery Fee, 17946-17947 2026-06870 Hearings, Meetings, Proceedings, etc.:
Fisheries of the Caribbean; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review, 17948-17949 2026-06876 Fisheries of the Gulf of America; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review, 17944-17945 2026-06875 North Pacific Albacore United States Stakeholders, 17949 2026-06853 Permits; Applications, Issuances, etc.: Endangered and Threatened Species; File No. 29414, 17946 2026-06830 General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries, 17945-17946 2026-06793 Marine Mammals; File No. 29107, 17943-17944 2026-06840 Marine Mammals;
File No. 29467, 17944 2026-06871 Taking or Importing of Marine Mammals: Marine Geophysical Survey in the Western Central Atlantic Ocean, 18024-18053 2026-06854 National Park National Park Service NOTICES Intended Disposition: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, St. Louis, MO, 17998-17999 2026-06819 Intended Repatriation: University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 17997 2026-06812 Inventory Completion: Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH, 17989-17990, 17999-18000 2026-06823 2026-06824 Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, KS, 17993-17994, 17997-17998 2026-06813 2026-06814 Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, 17994-17995 2026-06826 The University of Texas at Austin, Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, Austin, TX, 17993 2026-06818 U.S.
Department of Defense, Department of the Navy, Washington, DC, 17986-17990 2026-06820 2026-06821 2026-06822 University of Missouri, Museum of Anthropology, Columbia, MO, 17999 2026-06817 University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 17990-17991 2026-06816 Repatriation of Cultural Items: Bruce Museum Inc., Greenwich, CT, 17987-17988 2026-06829 Field Museum, Chicago, IL, 18000-18001 2026-06810 North Carolina State University, Gregg Museum of Art and Design, Raleigh, NC, 17991-17992 2026-06828 Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, 17995-17996, 18001-18002 2026-06825 2026-06827 The Field Museum, Chicago, IL, 17986 2026-06811 U.S.
Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Channel Islands National Park, Ventura, CA, 17992 2026-06815 Nuclear Regulatory Nuclear Regulatory Commission PROPOSED RULES Modernizing Requirements Relating to Physical Protection of Category 1 and Category 2 Quantities of Radioactive Material, 17893-17906 2026-06877 NOTICES Hearings, Meetings, Proceedings, etc.: Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes, 18008-18009 2026-06807 Natural Resources Office of Natural Resources Revenue NOTICES Agency Information Collection Activities;
Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: OCS Net Profit Share Payment, 18002-18004 2026-06794 Patent Patent and Trademark Office NOTICES Patent Cooperation Treaty Informed Examination Request Pilot Program, 17949-17952 2026-06903 Peace Peace Corps NOTICES Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals, 18009-18010 2026-06882 Postal Regulatory Postal Regulatory Commission NOTICES New Postal Products, 18010 2026-06856 Presidential Documents Presidential Documents PROCLAMATIONS Aluminum, Steel, and Copper;
Adjustment to Imports Into U.S. (Proc. 11021), 18201-18266 2026-06960 Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaceutical Ingredients; Adjustment to Imports Into U.S. (Proc. 11020), 18181-18200 2026-06956 EXECUTIVE ORDERS College Sports; Efforts To Preserve Through National Action (EO 14400), 18267-18271 2026-06961 Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Countries; Continued Suspension (EO 14388), 17839-17844 2026-03829 ADMINISTRATIVE ORDERS Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as Amended;
Sequestration Order for Fiscal Year 2027 Pursuant to Section 251A (Order of April 3, 2026), 18273 2026-06962 Securities Securities and Exchange Commission NOTICES Self-Regulatory Organizations; Proposed Rule Changes: Cboe Exchange, Inc., 18010-18020 2026-06799 State Department State Department NOTICES Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition: Fragments of Memory, 18020 2026-06852 Giacometti in the Temple of Dendur, 18020 2026-06850 Surface Mining Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement Office PROPOSED RULES Wyoming Regulatory Program, 17912-17913 2026-06892 Surface Transportation Surface Transportation Board NOTICES Exemption:
Abandonment; Belvidere and Delaware River Railway Co., Inc., Hunterdon County, NJ, 18020-18021 2026-06791 Transportation Department Transportation Department See Federal Aviation Administration See Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Security Transportation Security Administration NOTICES Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: TSA Canine Training Center Adoption Application, 17977-17978 2026-06880 DFC U.S. International Development Finance Corporation NOTICES Agency Information Collection Activities;
Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals, 17954-17955 2026-06806 Separate Parts In This Issue Part II Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 18024-18053 2026-06854 Part III Environmental Protection Agency, 18056-18132 2026-06808 Part IV Federal Communications Commission, 18134-18180 2026-06864 Part V Presidential Documents, 18181-18271, 18273 2026-06960 2026-06956 2026-06961 2026-06962 Reader Aids Consult the Reader Aids section at the end of this issue for phone numbers, online resources, finding aids, and notice of recently enacted public laws.
To subscribe to the Federal Register Table of Contents electronic mailing list, go to https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USGPOOFR/subscriber/new, enter your e-mail address, then follow the instructions to join, leave, or manage your subscription. 91 68 Thursday, April 9, 2026 Rules and Regulations DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Agricultural Marketing Service 7 CFR Part 925 [Doc. No. AMS-SC-24-0075] Grapes Grown in a Designated Area of Southeastern California; Decreased Assessment Rate AGENCY:
Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This final rule implements a recommendation from the California Desert Grape Administrative Committee (Committee) to decrease the assessment rate established for the 2025 fiscal period and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.040 to $0.030 per 18-pound lug for grapes grown in a designated area of southeastern California. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.
DATES: Effective May 11, 2026. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bianca Bertrand, Marketing Specialist, or Abigail Maharaj, Chief, West Region Branch, Market Development Division, Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA; telephone:
(559)487-5901, or email: *BiancaM.Bertrand@usda.gov* or *Abigail.Maharaj@usda.gov.* SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553, amends regulations issued to carry out a marketing order as defined in 7 CFR 900.2(j). This final rule is issued under the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, as amended (7 U.S.C. 601-674) (the Act), amending Marketing Agreement and Order No. 925 (7 CFR part 925; the Order), regulating the handling of grapes grown in a designated area of southeastern California. The Committee locally administers the Order and is comprised of producers and handlers of grapes operating within the area of production, as well as a public member. This action is exempt from the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB)review process required by Executive Order 12866. This rule amends existing Marketing Order No. 925, as amended (7 CFR part 925), Grapes Grown in a Designated Area of Southeastern California, and is necessary for the continued operation of Marketing Order No. 925. Additionally, this action is exempt from the requirements of Executive Order 14192, “Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation,” pursuant to section 5(c). This final rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 13175, “Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments,” which requires Federal agencies to consider whether their rulemaking actions would have Tribal implications. The Agricultural Marketing Service
(AMS)has determined that this final rule is unlikely to have substantial direct effects on one or more Indian Tribes, on the relationship between the Federal Government and Indian Tribes, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities between the Federal Government and Indian Tribes. This final rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, “Civil Justice Reform.” Under the Order now in effect, California grape handlers are subject to assessments. Funds to administer the Order are derived from such assessments. It is intended that the assessment rate will be applicable to all assessable grapes for the 2025 fiscal period, and continue until amended, suspended, or terminated. The Act provides that administrative remedies must be exhausted before parties may file suit in court challenging the final agency action. Under section 8c(15)(A) of the Act (7 U.S.C. 608(c)(15)(A)), any handler subject to an order may file with the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA)a petition stating that the order, any provision of the Order, or any obligation imposed in connection with the order, is not in accordance with law and request a modification of the order or to be exempted therefrom. Such handler is afforded the opportunity for a hearing on the petition. After the hearing, USDA would rule on the petition. The Act provides that the district court of the United States in any district in which the handler is an inhabitant, or has his or her principal place of business, has jurisdiction to review USDA's ruling on the petition, provided an action is filed not later than 20 days after the date of the entry of the ruling. This final rule decreases the assessment rate for California grapes handled under the Order from $0.040 to $0.030 per 18-pound lug for the 2025 fiscal period and subsequent fiscal periods. Sections 925.40 and 925.41 of the Order authorize the Committee, with the approval of AMS, to formulate an annual budget of expenses and collect assessments from handlers to administer the program. The members of the Committee are familiar with the Committee's needs and with the costs of goods and services in their local area and can formulate an appropriate budget and assessment rate. The assessment rate is formulated and discussed in a public meeting, and all directly affected persons have an opportunity to participate and provide input. For the 2021 fiscal period and subsequent fiscal periods, the Committee recommended, and AMS approved, an assessment rate of $0.040 per 18-pound lug of California grapes. That rate continues in effect from fiscal period to fiscal period until modified, suspended, or terminated by AMS upon recommendation and information submitted by the Committee or other information available to AMS. The Committee met on November 12, 2024, and unanimously recommended with a vote of eight in favor and none opposed, 2025 fiscal period expenditures of $88,600 and an assessment rate of $0.030 per 18-pound lug of California grapes handled for the 2025 fiscal period and subsequent fiscal periods. In comparison, the 2024 fiscal period budgeted expenditures were $77,000. The assessment rate of $0.030 per 18-pound lug is $0.010 lower than the rate currently in effect. The Committee recommended decreasing the assessment rate to draw down its reserve funds to within a level authorized by the Order. The Committee projects 2,000,000 18-pound lugs of assessable California grapes for the 2025 fiscal period, the same amount that the Committee initially projected for the 2024 fiscal period. The Committee derived the recommended assessment rate by reviewing anticipated expenses, the estimated 2,000,000 18-pound lugs of assessable California grapes, and the amount of funds available in the authorized reserve. The estimated 2,000,000 18-pound lugs of assessable California grapes would generate $60,000 in assessment revenue at the assessment rate (2,000,000 18-pound lugs multiplied by the $0.030 assessment rate). The income generated from handler assessments, along with approximately $28,600 from the financial reserve fund, should be sufficient to meet the Committee's estimated program expenditures of $88,600 for the 2025 fiscal period. Funds available in the financial reserve (which currently total about $110,000) would be kept within the maximum permitted by the Order (not to exceed approximately one fiscal period's expenses, as authorized in § 925.42). The assessment rate will continue in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated by AMS upon recommendation and information submitted by the Committee or other available information. Although this assessment rate will be in effect for an indefinite period, the Committee will continue to meet prior to or during each fiscal period to recommend a budget of expenses and consider recommendations for modification of the assessment rate. The dates and times of Committee meetings are available from the Committee or AMS. Committee meetings are open to the public and interested persons may express their views at these meetings. AMS will evaluate Committee recommendations and other available information to determine whether modification of the assessment rate is needed. Further rulemaking would be undertaken as necessary. The Committee's 2025 fiscal period budget, and those for subsequent fiscal periods, will be reviewed and as appropriate, approved by AMS. Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Pursuant to requirements set forth in the Regulatory Flexibility Act
(RFA)(5 U.S.C. 601-612), AMS has considered the economic impact of this final rule on small entities. Accordingly, AMS has prepared this final regulatory flexibility analysis. The purpose of the RFA is to fit regulatory actions to the scale of businesses subject to such actions in order that small businesses will not be unduly or disproportionately burdened. Marketing orders issued pursuant to the Act are unique regulations in that they are brought about through group action of typically small entities. There are approximately six producers of California grapes in the production area and six handlers subject to regulation under the Order. At the time this analysis was prepared, the Small Business Administration
(SBA)defined small agricultural producers of grapes as those having annual receipts equal to or less than $4,000,000 (North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 111332, Grape Vineyards) and small agricultural service firms as those having annual receipts equal to or less than $34,000,000 (NAICS code 115114, Postharvest Crop Activities) (13 CFR 121.201). The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
(NASS)reported a 2023 season average California grape producer price of $1,850 per ton, equivalent to $16.65 per 18-pound container ([$1,850 per ton divided by 2,000 pounds] multiplied by 18 equals $16.65). The Committee reported a 2023 grape shipment quantity of 2,549,484 18-pound lugs. Multiplying 2,549,484 by the $16.65 average producer price yields $42,448,910, divided by 6 producers equals an estimated annual crop value per producer of $7.07 million. Assuming a normal distribution, the majority of California grape producers subject to the order have estimated annual receipts of well over $4,000,000 and may be classified as large entities according to the SBA definition (NAICS code 111332, Grape Vineyards). In addition, AMS Market News reported an average terminal market price of $38.53 per 18-pound container for the 2024 calendar year (annual average of the weekly low-high price range midpoint, 18-pound container bagged, California origin, various varieties, non-organic, all U.S. terminal markets, all grades and sizes). With approximately 2,549,484 18-pound lugs handled, the total value would be $98,231,619 (2,549,484 multiplied by $38.53). With six grape handlers within the production area, the 2024 average revenue per handler is estimated to be $16,371,937 ($98,231,619 divided by 6), which is below the $34,000,000 SBA size threshold (NAICS code 115114, Postharvest Crop Activities) for handlers. Thus, the majority of California grape handlers subject to the order would be classified as small entities. This final rule decreases the assessment rate collected from handlers for the 2025 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.040 to $0.030 per 18-pound lug of assessable California grapes ($0.010 lower, or 25% decrease). The Committee unanimously recommended 2025 fiscal period expenditures of $88,600 and an assessment rate of $0.030 per 18-pound lug of California grapes. The Committee expects the industry to handle 2,000,000 18-pound lugs of assessable California grapes during the 2025 fiscal period. Thus, the $0.030 per 18-pound lug rate should provide roughly $60,000 in assessment income (2,000,000 18-pound lugs multiplied by $0.030 per 18-pound lug). Income derived from handler assessments along with reserve funds should be sufficient to meet budgeted expenditures for the 2025 fiscal period. The Committee recommended decreasing the assessment rate to utilize funds from its reserve to meet necessary expenses for the 2025 fiscal period, and ensure the reserve is maintained at a level in compliance with order requirements. Prior to arriving at this budget and assessment rate recommendation, the Committee discussed various alternatives, including reducing the assessment rate more and/or less than the rate herein. However, the Committee determined that the recommended assessment rate would achieve its goals of both adequately funding Committee operations and reducing the reserve to an appropriate level. Consequently, those alternatives were rejected. A review of historical and preliminary information pertaining to the 2025 fiscal period indicates the average producer price for the 2025 fiscal period should be approximately $13.11 per 18-pound lug of California grapes. Therefore, the estimated assessment revenue for the 2025 fiscal period as a percentage of total producer revenue would be about 0.23 percent ($0.030 per 18-pound lug assessment rate divided by $13.11 and multiplied by 100). This final rule decreases the assessment rate imposed on handlers. Assessments are applied uniformly on all handlers, and some of the costs may be passed on to producers. However, these costs are expected to be offset by the benefits derived by the operation of the Order. Committee meetings are widely publicized throughout the production area. The California grape industry and all interested persons are invited to attend the meetings and participate in Committee deliberations on all issues. Like all Committee meetings, the November 12, 2024, meeting was a public meeting and all entities, both large and small, were able to express views on this issue. Finally, interested persons were invited to submit comments on this rule, including the regulatory and information collection impacts of this action on small businesses. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), the Order's information collection requirements have been previously approved by OMB and assigned OMB No. 0581-0189, Fruit and Specialty Crops. No changes in those requirements are necessary as a result of this action. Should any changes become necessary, they would be submitted to OMB for approval. This final rule does not impose any additional reporting or recordkeeping requirements on either small or large California grape handlers. As with all Federal marketing order programs, reports and forms are periodically reviewed to reduce information requirements and duplication by industry and public sector agencies. AMS is committed to complying with the E-Government Act, to promote the use of the internet and other information technologies to provide increased opportunities for citizen access to Government information and services, and for other purposes. AMS has not identified any relevant Federal rules that duplicate, overlap, or conflict with this final rule. A proposed rule concerning this action was published in the **Federal Register** on October 1, 2025 (90 FR 47243). Copies of the proposed rule were provided to California grape handlers. In addition, the proposal was made available through the internet by AMS and the Office of the Federal Register via *https://www.regulations.gov.* A 30-day comment period ending October 31, 2025, was provided to all interested persons to respond to the proposal. AMS received five comments regarding this proposal. Three comments supported the proposal and one comment did not pertain to the merits of the rule. One comment challenged the procedural sufficiency of the rulemaking, asserting that AMS did not adhere to the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act, the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and Executive Order 12866. Specifically, the commenter claimed that AMS procedurally bypassed notice and comment by issuing a direct final rule without relying on a good cause exception, deprived interested parties a meaningful opportunity to comment, and failed to present a complete analysis of the impacts on small businesses. After reviewing the comment, AMS determined that all of the statutory and procedural requirements for rulemaking have been met regarding this action. Contrary to the comment's assertions, AMS did not bypass notice and comment or invoke good cause. Interested persons had numerous opportunities to review pertinent information, present their views, and participate in the rulemaking process. As noted above, AMS published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the **Federal Register** on October 1, 2025, that included a 30-day comment period for interested persons, ending October 31, 2025. The proposed rulemaking also included an Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, pursuant to requirements set forth in the Regulatory Flexibility Act, that considered and detailed for the public's review the economic impact of this rule on small entities. Additionally, to address the comment's statements concerning Executive Order 12866, AMS reiterates that, as stated in the proposed rule, this rule falls within a category of regulatory actions that OMB exempted from the review process required by Executive Order 12866. Accordingly, AMS made no changes to the rule as proposed. After consideration of all relevant material presented, including the information and recommendations submitted by the Committee and other available information, AMS has determined that this final rule is consistent with and will effectuate the purposes of the Act. List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 925 Grapes, Marketing agreements, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements. For the reasons set forth in the preamble, the Agricultural Marketing Service amends 7 CFR part 925 as follows: PART 925—GRAPES GROWN IN A DESIGNATED AREA OF SOUTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA 1. The authority citation for part 925 continues to read as follows: Authority: 7 U.S.C. 601-674. 2. Revise § 925.215 to read as follows: § 925.215 Assessment rate. On and after January 1, 2025, an assessment rate of $0.030 per 18-pound lug is established for grapes grown in a designated area of southeastern California. Erin Morris, Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service. [FR Doc. 2026-06891 Filed 4-8-26; 8:45 am]
Connectionstraces to 7
4 references not yet in our index
- 7 CFR 925
- 7 CFR 900.2(j)
- 7 USC 601-674
- 5 USC 601-612
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Cite7 CFR 900.2(j)
Cite7 USC 601-674
Cite5 USC 601-612
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