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The Rural Housing Service (RHS), part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, proposes changes to the Single-Family Housing Self-Help Technical Assistance Grant Program to improve flexibility, reduce regulatory burdens, and better serve rural communities by providing more decent, safe, and sanitary housing options. The proposed rule includes updates to outdated references, revises program objectives, and suggests changes to processes like grant application and approval, aiming to streamline various aspects for applicants and grant recipients. The RHS seeks public comments on these changes to ensure they align with the program’s mission and do not impose unnecessary burdens.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the USDA has issued a final rule establishing procedures for a referendum among natural grass sod producers. This rule aims to determine support for a proposed order that would implement a research and promotion program for natural grass sod, funded by a mandatory assessment. The order requires a simple majority vote in favor among producers for it to proceed. The rule also outlines voting methods, including electronic voting, to ensure broad participation and includes provisions for ensuring the confidentiality of ballots.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) of the USDA has announced a notice of funding opportunity for grants aimed at providing technical assistance to improve rural transportation systems. These grants, available for fiscal year 2025, especially target transportation systems on Tribal lands of Federally Recognized Native American Tribes. Approximately $750,000 is expected to be available, with applications due by April 7, 2025. The program seeks proposals that align with key priorities like economic recovery, climate change, and ensuring equitable access to resources.

The United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Development (RD) division is changing its funding opportunities to remove references to the previous Administration's key priorities and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) criteria. This update follows an Executive Order titled "Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing," issued in January 2025. Programs affected by this change will no longer consider these previous criteria for application scoring. Additionally, the Rural Energy for America Program's funding notice is corrected to include $50 million from the 2018 Farm Bill that was previously omitted.

The Agricultural Marketing Service of the USDA has issued a final rule suspending the reporting and assessment requirements for the marketing order regulating Irish potatoes grown in Washington. This suspension is in place as the USDA processes the State of Washington Potato Committee's request to terminate the marketing order. The Committee found that the suspension of these requirements has not negatively impacted the industry and determined that continuing the order is unnecessary. This action is expected to reduce the regulatory burden on handlers and producers of Washington potatoes.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service of the USDA released a correction to a previous notice about the Rural Energy for America Program. The original notice contained mistakes regarding the points given for the size of the funding request and for applicants who hadn’t received grants or loan commitments in the past two years. The corrections specify that applicants who haven’t recently received funding can earn 5 extra points. Additionally, smaller grant requests can qualify for 10 extra points, with a total maximum score possible of 100 points for those applications.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to seek approval to extend a currently approved information collection known as the Agritourism Directory. This directory helps small and medium-sized farmers enhance market access by listing working farms, ranches, and related operations that provide recreational and educational opportunities. The information gathered will be used to update the USDA's National Local Food Directories, which connect consumers and wholesale buyers with local food sources. Comments on the notice are invited and must be received by March 24, 2025.

The Rural Housing Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has introduced a final rule updating how credit reports are obtained for the eligibility and feasibility assessments in the Multifamily Housing Programs. Starting January 30, 2025, applicants will need to provide their own credit reports instead of paying a fee for the agency to do it, simplifying the process and aligning with industry practices. This update also includes adding definitions and specific requirements for credit reports, aiming to streamline and modernize the applications for housing loans and grants in rural areas.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a notice about the updated dollar limits for retail stores selling meat and poultry products to hotels, restaurants, and similar institutions without requiring federal inspection. For 2025, the limits have been raised to $103,600 for meat and meat products and $74,800 for poultry products. These adjustments are based on changes in consumer prices reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The limits ensure that such retail operations remain exempt from federal inspection while selling to non-household consumers.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) of the USDA has issued a final rule for the Rural eConnectivity Program, which aims to improve broadband access in rural areas through loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations. The program outlines eligibility criteria, application processes, and funding requirements. RUS is also seeking comments on aspects of this rule to refine future implementations. The program is designed to support rural infrastructure development and economic opportunities by providing reliable high-speed internet to underserved areas.