In 2004, USDA plans to issue a variety of regulations that address a wide range of agricultural issues. Our principle focus will be the continued implementation of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Farm Bill) as farmers, ranchers, and other USDA customers participate in new and existing Federal farm programs. While the Farm Bill and other future legislative initiatives are implemented, the Department is working to reduce the regulatory burden on program participants by focusing as much as possible on outcome-based regulation through implementing more efficient and simplified information collections and continuing to migrate to efficient electronic services and capabilities. Important areas of activity include the following:
¤ USDA will develop new regulations and review existing ones that address the potential threats posed by domestic outbreaks of exotic animal diseases such as Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE).
¤ In the area of food safety, the Department will continue to refine existing regulations to assist industry in implementing a consistent, science-based process control system that yields the best outcomes. Further, USDA is developing new regulations that address emerging and exotic threats to the safety of the Nation's meat, poultry, and egg products supply.
¤ The Department is also improving regulations that serve rural communities. Regulations are being streamlined and simplified so that they will be more customer friendly, while providing for more efficient and effective program management.
¤ Nutrition programs are being improved to strengthen dietary quality for children and low-income participants, while also improving the efficiency and integrity of program operations.
¤ The Department will continue to develop regulations that support alternative markets for agricultural products and activities, such as biobased products and bioenergy processes.
Reducing Paperwork Burden on Customers
The Department has made substantial progress in implementing the goal of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 to reduce the burden of information collection on the public. To meet the requirements of the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA), agencies across the Department are providing electronic alternatives to their traditionally paper-based customer transactions. The Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rural Development, and Risk Management Agency continue supporting the objectives of the Freedom to E-File Act through their efforts to comply with GPEA. [Freedom to E-File directed the agencies, to the maximum extent practicable, to modify forms into user-friendly formats with user instructions and to permit those forms to be downloaded and submitted via facsimile, mail, or similar means.] As a result, producers should have the option to electronically file forms and all other documentation. Complimentary to the activities to comply with GPEA, the Department is implementing an electronic authentication capability that allows customers to "sign-on" once and conduct business with all USDA agencies. Underlying these efforts will be analyses to identify and eliminate redundant data collections and streamline collection instructions. The end result of implementing these initiatives will be better service to our customers so that they can choose when and where to conduct business with USDA.
The Role of Regulations
The programs of the Department are diverse and far reaching, as are the regulations that attend their delivery. Regulations codify how the Department will conduct its business, including the specifics of access to, and eligibility for, USDA programs. Regulations also specify the responsibilities of State and local governments, private industry, businesses, and individuals that are necessary to comply with their provisions.
The diversity in purpose and outreach of our programs contributes significantly to the USDA being near the top of the list of departments that produce the largest number of regulations annually. These regulations range from nutrition standards for the school lunch program, to natural resource and environmental measures governing national forest usage and soil conservation, to regulations protecting American agribusiness (the largest dollar value contributor to exports) from the ravages of domestic or foreign plant or animal pestilence, and they extend from farm to supermarket to ensure the safety, quality, and availability of the Nation's food supply.
Many regulations function in a dynamic environment, which requires their periodic modification. The factors determining various entitlement, eligibility, and administrative criteria often change from year to year. Therefore, many significant regulations must be revised annually to reflect changes in economic and market benchmarks.
Almost all legislation that affects departmental programs has accompanying regulatory needs, often with a significant impact. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, Public Law 107-171, has had considerable regulatory consequences. This key legislation affects most agencies of USDA and resulted in the addition of new programs, the deletion of others, and modification to still others. In addition, the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000, Public Law 106-224, provides further assurances that agricultural programs will continue to achieve long-term improvements, particularly in reforms to the crop insurance programs. The 2002 legislation also provides for improvements in market loss and conservation assistance, crop and livestock disease pest protection, marketing program enhancements, child nutrition program measures, pollution control, and research and development for biomass.
Major Regulatory Priorities
Nine agencies are represented in this regulatory plan. They include the Farm Service Agency, the Food and Nutrition Service, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Agricultural Marketing Service, the Forest Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Rural Housing Service, and the Rural Business-Cooperative Service. This document represents summary information on prospective significant regulations as called for in Executive Order 12866. A brief comment on each of the eight agencies appears below, which summarizes the Agency mission and its key regulatory priorities. The Agency summaries are followed by the regulatory plan entries.
Farm Service Agency
Mission: The Farm Service Agency's (FSA) mission is to stabilize farm income, assist owners and operators of farms and ranches to conserve and enhance soil, water, and related natural resources, provide credit to new or disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and help farm operations recover from the effects of disaster, as prescribed by various statutes.
Priorities: FSA's priority for 2004 will be to continue implementing the 2002 Farm Bill, the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. The 2002 Farm Bill governs Federal farm programs for 2003 through 2007. Among its major provisions, it provides income support for wheat, feed grains, upland cotton, rice, and oilseeds through three programs: Direct payments, counter-cyclical payments, and marketing loans. Support for peanuts changed from a price support program with marketing quotas to a program with marketing loans, counter-cyclical payments, direct payments, and a quota buyout. These new programs required complete revision of the existing program regulations. The Agency's focus will be to implement the changes in such a way as to provide benefits while minimizing program complexity and regulatory burden for program participants. Opportunities will be taken to clarify, simplify, and reduce confusion whenever possible. However, the Agency's ability to promote new policy initiatives when implementing these regulations is limited, due to the need to adhere to legislative intent. Therefore, due to their economic magnitude, they are noted here to acknowledge their significance in the overall USDA regulatory plan but are not further listed in the body of the plan that appears below.
The 2002 Farm Bill exempts most of the new programs from the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. However, FSA is still committed to the Act's goal of reducing the information collection burden on the public. New information collections are being designed to minimize our customers' time and cost to participate in the programs, while maintaining program integrity. In addition, FSA is streamlining its existing farm loan making and servicing regulations and reducing the information collection burden associated with the programs. FSA plans to reduce the number of CFR parts containing its farm loan program regulations by approximately 70 percent. FSA also hopes to achieve a significant reduction in the total number of CFR pages by removing administrative provisions and internal policy and eliminating duplicative material. Furthermore, FSA intends to improve the clarity of the farm loan program regulations by following the guidelines established in the Plain Language in Government Writing Initiative.
As part of this project, all farm loan program regulations and internal Agency directives will be completely rewritten.
FSA has completed the streamlining of the Guaranteed Loan Program, the Indian Tribal Land Acquisition Loan Program, the Emergency Loan Program, and portions of the Direct Loan Program. The balance of the Direct Loan Program will be published in two separate rulemaking packages, one streamlining the loan-making process for farm ownership and operating loans and servicing of direct loans, and another streamlining special loan programs, including boll weevil eradication, drainage and irrigation, and grazing associations.
Finally, FSA continues to be a full participant in the USDA Electronic Access Initiative and continues to work with other USDA County-Based Agencies to implement the Government Paperwork Elimination Act as we migrate to an environment where a greater proportion of information exchange and transaction processing occurs through off-site alternatives. Key components include: Providing farm program information, availability, and eligibility requirements electronically; providing on-line information collection and transaction processing capability; and developing information collection and management partnerships to integrate information collection and sharing mechanisms among service providers. In a continuing effort to accomplish these goals, all FSA information collections, forms, and procedures are reviewed for their applicability to electronic submission and collection. FSA has identified and made accessible on-line approximately the majority of the forms used by farm program and farm loan program customer groups. Most of these forms are available for electronic submission. The Agency intends to provide full electronic access and submission capabilities to the commodity operations customer group in 2003.
Food and Nutrition Service
Mission: FNS increases food security and reduces hunger in partnership with cooperating organizations by providing children and low-income people access to food, a healthful diet, and nutrition education in a manner that supports American agriculture and inspires public confidence.
Priorities: In addition to responding to provisions of legislation authorizing and modifying Federal nutrition assistance programs, FNS' 2004 regulatory plan supports the broad goals and objectives in the Agency's strategic plan that include:
Improved nutrition of children and low-income people. This goal represents FNS' efforts to improve nutrition by providing access to program benefits (Food Stamps, WIC food packages, commodities, and State administrative funds), nutrition education, and quality meals and other benefits. It includes three major objectives: 1) improved food security, which reflects nutrition assistance benefits issued to program participants; 2) healthy food choices among FNS program participants, which represents our efforts to improve nutrition knowledge and behavior through nutrition education and breastfeeding promotion, and to support healthy eating and physical activity to address the epidemic of overweight and obesity; and 3) improved nutritional quality of meals, food packages, commodities, and other program benefits, which represents our efforts to ensure that program benefits meet the appropriate nutrition standards to effectively improve nutrition for program participants.
In support of this goal, FNS plans to publish proposed rules and develop final rules implementing provisions of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-171), as well as under other authorities, that will give States additional new flexibility to streamline complex rules, simplify program administration, support work, and improve access to benefits. This includes provisions to restore food stamp eligibility to legal immigrants who have lived in this country for at least 5 years, as well as immigrant children and disabled, without a waiting period, and other changes that will reduce reporting burden on working families. The Agency also plans to issue an advance notice of proposed rulemaking addressing possible changes to the food packages provided in WIC.
Improved Stewardship of Federal Funds. This goal represents FNS' ongoing commitment to maximize the accuracy of benefits issued, maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of program operations, and minimize participant and vendor fraud. It includes two major objectives: 1) improved benefit accuracy and reduced fraud, which represents the Agency's effort to reduce participant and Agency errors, and to control Food Stamp trafficking and Food Stamp and WIC participant, vendor, and administrative fraud; and 2) improved efficiency of program administration, which represents our efforts to streamline program operations and improve program structures as necessary to maximize their effectiveness.
In support of this goal, FNS plans to publish proposed rules and develop final rules implementing provisions of Public Law 107-171 that give States substantial new flexibility to streamline some of the Food Stamp Program's complex rules, making it easier to administer, less error-prone, and more accessible to those eligible for its benefits. Another pair of rules implementing this law will offer most States relief from costly sanctions related to Food Stamp payment errors, allowing them to focus on program improvements, and will introduce new incentives to reward States for high performance on a variety of important program outcomes. FNS also plans to publish an implementing rule, making changes in Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) rules designed to improve management and financial integrity in this important program.
Food Safety and Inspection Service
Mission: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is responsible for ensuring that meat, poultry, and egg products in commerce are wholesome, not adulterated, and properly marked, labeled, and packaged.
Priorities: FSIS is committed to developing and issuing science-based regulations intended to ensure that meat, poultry, and egg products are wholesome and not adulterated or misbranded. FSIS continues to review its existing authorities and regulations to ensure that emerging food safety challenges are adequately addressed, to streamline excessively prescriptive regulations, and to revise or remove regulations that are inconsistent with the Agency's hazard analysis and critical control point regulations.
In addition to undertaking regulatory amendments based on the results of its review activities, FSIS has been developing regulations for emergency use. Such regulations are an outcome of the Agency's proactive, risk-based policy toward emerging and exotic threats to the safety of the Nation's meat, poultry, and egg product supply.
Following are some of the Agency's recent and planned initiatives:
In February 2001, FSIS proposed a rule to establish food safety performance standards for all processed ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products and for partially heat-treated meat and poultry products that are not ready-to-eat. The proposal contained provisions addressing post-lethality contamination of RTE products with Listeria monocytogenes. In June 2003, FSIS published an interim final rule requiring establishments that produce RTE products to apply verified control measures to prevent such product contamination. The Agency is planning further action with respect to other elements of the 2001 proposal.
FSIS intends to propose regulations to prohibit for use as human food certain materials from cattle. Scientific studies have demonstrated that such materials from cattle presenting clinical signs of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) contain the agent that causes the disease. To date, no cases of BSE have been found in the United States cattle herd. However, the USDA response to BSE has been proactive and preventive. In this proposed rule, FSIS seeks to mitigate a foreseeable risk.
FSIS has proposed a rule clarifying requirements for meat produced using advanced recovery systems by replacing the compliance program parameters in the current regulations with non-compliance criteria for bone solids, bone marrow, and neural tissue. Establishments would have to have process control procedures in place before labeling or using the product derived by use of such systems.
FSIS will propose removing from the poultry products inspection regulations the requirement for ready-to-cook poultry products to be chilled to 40 °F or below within certain time periods according to the weight of the dressed carcasses.
In addition, FSIS is planning to propose requirements for federally inspected egg product plants to develop and implement HACCP systems and sanitation standard operating procedures. The Agency will be proposing pathogen reduction performance standards for egg products. Further, the Agency will be proposing to remove requirements for approval by FSIS of egg-product plant drawings, specifications, and equipment prior to use, and to end the system for pre-marketing approval of labeling for egg products.
FSIS will also propose to remove provisions that prescribe the substances and amounts of such substances that must be used to produce pumped bacon. FSIS will propose to replace these prescriptive provisions with an upper limit for nitrite and a performance standard that establishments producing pumped bacon would be required to meet.
Besides the foregoing initiatives, FSIS has proposed requirements for the nutrition labeling of ground or chopped meat and poultry products and single-ingredient products. This proposed rule would require nutrition labeling, on the label or at the point-of-purchase, for the major cuts of single-ingredient, raw products and would require nutrition information on the label of ground or chopped products.
Post-September 11, 2001, initiatives: FSIS has not proposed new regulations in response to the September 11, 2001, events. In 2001, however, FSIS issued non-regulatory security guidelines for food plants within the Agency's jurisdiction, and in August this year, the Agency issued similar guidelines for the transportation and distribution of meat, poultry, and egg products.
Small business concerns: Nearly all FSIS regulations affect small businesses in some way because the majority of FSIS-inspected establishments and other FSIS-regulated entities are small businesses. FSIS makes available to small and very small establishments technical materials and guidance on how to comply with FSIS regulations. The Agency's post-September 11, 2001, security guidance materials were prepared especially for the benefit of small firms involved in the production, transportation, and distribution of meat, poultry, and egg products.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Mission: The major part of the mission of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is to protect U.S. animal and plant resources from destructive pests and diseases. APHIS conducts programs to prevent the introduction of exotic pests and diseases into the United States and monitors and manages pests and diseases existing in this country. These activities enhance agricultural productivity and competitiveness and contribute to the national economy and the public health.
Priorities: APHIS is reviewing its existing regulations and developing new regulatory initiatives to strengthen the protection provided to plant resources. Planned initiatives include revisions to the regulations for the introduction of organisms and products altered or produced through genetic engineering to reflect new consolidated authorities under the Plant Protection Act and revisions to the regulations for the importation of nursery stock (plants, roots, seeds, bulbs, and other propagative materials) to reduce the pest risk posed by imported propagative material.
The Agency is proceeding with plans to amend the regulations for the importation of unmanufactured wood by adopting an international standard for treatment of solid wood packing material.
In recognizing the need to minimize impediments to trade while providing necessary protection to plant resources, APHIS is developing a proposal to streamline the process for approving new fruits and vegetables for importation.
APHIS has regulatory initiatives to ensure that a comprehensive framework is in place to address the threats posed to animal resources. These include initiatives to ensure the adequate valuation of animals and materials, as well as the payment of indemnity, should an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease occur in the United States, as well as several initiatives related to the group of neurological diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, including scrapie (a disease of sheep and goats), bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, which affects cattle), and chronic wasting disease (a disease of deer and elk). BSE-related projects include rulemaking to address the relatively low risks posed by certain imports from countries such as Canada, where BSE has been detected but where effective measures have been in place to prevent its spread through the animal and human food chain. Also, following receipt of comments on an advance notice of proposed rulemaking published earlier this year, APHIS, in coordination with the Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service, is considering various options for addressing the disease risks that may be presented by the disposal of nonambulatory animals and dead stock should BSE be introduced into the United States.
APHIS is also continuing to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement and amend, as necessary, regulations for the possession, use, and transfer of biological agents and toxins that could pose a severe disease or pest risk to animals and plants or their products.
APHIS documents published in the Federal Register and related information, including the names of organizations and individuals who have commented on APHIS dockets, are available on the Internet at www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.
Agricultural Marketing Service
Mission: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) facilitates the marketing of agricultural products in domestic and international markets, while ensuring fair trading practices and promoting a competitive and efficient marketplace to the benefit of producers, traders, and consumers of U.S. food and fiber products.
Priorities: (1) On October 27, 2003, AMS published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to amend the Livestock Mandatory Reporting regulations to modify the requirements for the submission of information on domestic and imported boxed lamb cuts sales. This action would amend the definition of "carlot-based" by adding language to limit carlot-based sales of boxed lamb cuts to transactions between a buyer and a seller consisting of 1,000 pounds or more of one or more individually boxed lamb items and amend the definition of "importer" by reducing the volume level of annual lamb imports establishing a person as an importer from 5,000 metric tons of lamb meat products per year to 2,500 metric tons. These amendments would improve AMS' ability to publish meaningful market information on sales of imported and domestic lamb cuts.
(2) As mandated by the 2002 Farm Bill, AMS is establishing a mandatory country of origin program for beef, lamb, pork, fish, perishable agricultural commodities, and peanuts. Under current Federal laws and regulations, country of origin labeling is not universally required for these commodities. In particular, labeling of U.S. origin is not mandatory, and labeling of imported products at the consumer level is required only in certain circumstances. Thus, consumers desiring to purchase products based on country of origin are not fully able to do so. A proposed rule was developed based on interim voluntary guidelines also required by the 2002 Farm Bill that were issued on October 8, 2002, and related input from listening sessions held throughout the country during 2003. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on October 30, 2003.
(3) On April 12, 2003, Congress amended the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) to authorize certification of wild seafood. In response to this, AMS plans to amend the National Organic Program (NOP) regulations to add practice standards for organic certification of wild-caught and aquatic farm raised species. Under the OFPA, an organic certification program must be established for producers and handlers of agricultural products that have been produced using organic methods. The NOP has been reviewing organic certification of fish including wild-caught and aquaculture operations in response to a FY 2000 congressional mandate to develop regulations for the certification of seafood. The NOP has engaged in public meetings and workshops and conducted public comment proceedings on this subject.
(4) Under the 2002 Farm Bill, the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act (1996 Farm Bill) was amended to exempt any person that produces and markets solely 100 percent organic products from paying assessments under a commodity promotion law. The 1996 Farm Bill governs all research and promotion programs and certain marketing order programs. AMS plans to issue two proposed rules to implement this requirement. Currently, there are 16 existing national research and promotion programs and 28 marketing order programs that contain market promotion provisions.
AMS Program Rulemaking Pages: All of AMS' rules, as published in the Federal Register, are available on the Internet at www.ams.usda.gov/rulemaking. This site also includes commenting instructions and addresses, links to news releases and background material, and comments received on various rules.
Forest Service
Mission: The mission of the Forest Service is to sustain the health, productivity, and diversity of the Nation's forests and rangelands to meet the needs of present and future generations. This includes protecting and managing National Forest System lands; providing technical and financial assistance to States, communities, and private forest landowners; and developing and providing scientific and technical assistance.
Priorities:The Forest Service's priority for fall 2003 is to publish final regulations at 36 CFR part 219, subpart A, to establish a framework for National Forest System land management planning. The final rule reaffirms an emphasis on sustainability to provide for multiple uses over time and reaffirms an adaptive cycle of land management planning, including detailed project planning, plan implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and plan amendment or revision. The final rule is based on the principle that plans provide a framework for subsequent detailed project analysis and that analysis and disclosure are continuous throughout the adaptive planning cycle. A proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on December 6, 2002 (67 FR 72770).
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Mission: As a part of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) works to improve natural resources conditions on working lands. NRCS helps farmers, ranchers, and operators by providing technical and financial assistance for adopting conservation practices on their lands.
Priorities: A key priority for NRCS is to implement the Conservation Security Program (CSP), authorized by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-171, May 13, 2002) (the Act) amended the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801 et seq.). The CSP is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to producers who advance the conservation and improvement of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life, and other conservation purposes on Tribal and private working lands. Such lands include cropland, grassland, prairie land, improved pasture, and range land, as well as forested land and other non-cropped areas that are an incidental part of the agriculture operation.
Rural Housing Service
Mission: As a part of USDA Rural Development, Rural Housing Service (RHS) works to improve the quality of life in rural areas. RHS helps rural communities and individuals by providing loans and grants for housing and community facilities. The Agency provides funding for single-family homes, apartments for low-income persons or the elderly, housing for farm laborers, childcare centers, fire and police stations, hospitals, libraries, nursing homes, and schools.
Priorities: A key priority for RHS is to identify ways to improve customer service, ensure borrower accountability and performance, and streamline the administration of its Multi-Family Housing (MFH) programs. These programs include the section 515 Rural Rental Housing (RRH) loan program, the section 514/516 Farm Labor Housing loan and grant programs, and the section 521 Rental Assistance (RA) program.
The new regulation substantially updates the current regulations and programs to current industry practices. Many of the current regulations had not been substantially updated for over 15 years. The new regulation consolidates the 13 current regulations that govern the programs. The new regulation and three handbooks substantially reduce the number of pages published in the Code of Federal Regulations.
Significant automation initiatives have been implemented since the current regulations were written. The regulation addresses the permanent implementation of several pilot automation projects along with other innovative e-government improvements.
The regulation focuses on the challenge of the Agency's aging portfolio. Areas such as conducting comprehensive needs analyses, reserve account administration, financial statement standards, and tenant quality of life issues are addressed.
As part of the regulatory process, RHS has solicited input from MFH program stakeholders, including borrowers (who are also owners of the projects), management agents, tenant representatives, State housing finance agencies, accounting firms and the USDA, Office of Inspector General (OIG). The Agency has held several stakeholders meetings on issues that needed to be considered before proposing to revise the regulations. Stakeholders concurred with RHS that the MFH regulations were in need of a substantial revision, particularly with regard to asset management, housing preservation, and financial reporting.
The new regulation was published in the Federal Register as a proposed rule on June 2, 2003. We received 2,965 comments from 136 respondents. The Agency is now reviewing those comments and preparing the Final Rule Document for an estimated publication date of June 30, 2004.
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Mission: The mission of the Rural Business-Cooperative Service is to enhance the quality of life for rural Americans by providing leadership in building competitive businesses including sustainable cooperatives that can prosper in the global marketplace.
We meet these goals by:
Investing financial resources and providing technical assistance to businesses and cooperatives located in rural communities; and
Establishing strategic alliances and partnerships that leverage public, private, and cooperative resources to create jobs and stimulate rural economic activity.
Priorities: The key regulatory priority for the fall 2003 regulatory plan is the RBS Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Proposed Rule.
Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements.
This proposed rule resulted from section 9006 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Act), which requires that the Secretary establish a program to "make loans, loan guarantees, and grants to farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses to purchase renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements." The Act directs that, in funding such projects, USDA direct and guaranteed loans and grant financing is not to exceed 50 percent of the cost of the activity and grant-only funding is not to exceed 25 percent of the cost of the activity.
Since this is a new program, guidelines need to be established concerning the nature of the program and the delivery model to be used, so that a full set of implementation policies can be developed. The Office of General Counsel has mandated that regulations must be in place to operate the program. The proposed rule will establish regulations to implement the direct and guaranteed loan and grant program. These regulations will allow for the integration of all program authorities and permit full attention to all of the potential contingencies and issues.