USDA Information Collection Review - Emergency Relief Program

Regs.gov: Department of Agriculture

Published March 17th, 2026

Detected March 19th, 2026

Summary

The USDA's Farm Service Agency has submitted the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phase 1 and Phase 2 information collection for OMB review and clearance. This submission seeks to reinstate a previously approved collection with changes, focusing on verifying producer compliance with crop insurance or NAP coverage requirements.

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What changed

The Department of Agriculture, through its Farm Service Agency (FSA), has submitted an information collection requirement for the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phases 1 and 2 to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act. This submission is a reinstatement with change, specifically addressing the statutory requirement for ERP payment recipients to purchase crop insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage for subsequent years. FSA is proposing to verify compliance using existing data from the Risk Management Agency (RMA) and FSA's own NAP data to minimize producer burden.

Regulated entities, identified as farms, are subject to this review. Comments are solicited on the necessity, utility, accuracy, and clarity of the proposed collection, as well as methods to minimize burden. The public comment period is open until April 17, 2026, with comments to be submitted via www.reginfo.gov. Producers who are found non-compliant based on available data will be notified and required to submit supporting documentation to retain their ERP payments. The total estimated burden hours for this collection are 24,975 for approximately 218,930 respondents.

What to do next

Submit comments on the proposed information collection by April 17, 2026, via www.reginfo.gov.
Review the specific requirements for producers regarding crop insurance or NAP coverage to ensure compliance.
Prepare to submit supporting documentation if notified by FSA of potential non-compliance.

Penalties

Producers determined to be non-compliant may be required to forfeit their ERP payment.

Source document (simplified)

Content

The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments are required regarding; whether the collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical
utility; the accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; ways
to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the collection
of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or
other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Comments regarding this information collection received by April 17, 2026 will be considered. Written comments and recommendations
for the proposed information collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of this notice on the following
website www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using
the search function.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless the collection of information displays a currently
valid OMB control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information that
such persons are not required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control
number.

Farm Service Agency

Title: Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phase 1 and Phase 2.

OMB Control Number: 0560-0309.

Summary of Collection: The agency is requesting a reinstatement with change of a previously approved collection. The Extending Government Funding
and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act, (Division B, Title I, Pub. L. 117-43) requires all producers who received an ERP
Phase 1 or Phase 2 payment to purchase crop insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage for the
next available year(s). To ensure that ERP participants meet this statutory requirement, FSA is verifying compliance using
crop insurance participation data on file with the Risk Management Agency (RMA) and NAP participation data on file with FSA,
when possible, to minimize the burden on producers.

Producers who are determined to be compliant based on FSA or RMA data will be notified of the determination by mail, and no
other action will be required. If FSA is not able determine a producer's compliance based on available data, FSA will notify
the producer by mail that they must submit supporting documentation to verify their compliance to retain their ERP payment.
These producers will also be notified of FSA's final determination of compliance or noncompliance.

Need and Use of the Information: The information submitted by respondents will be used by FSA to determine eligibility and issue payments to eligible applicants
under ERP.

Description of Respondents: Farms.

Number of Respondents: 218,930.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting; On Occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 24,975.

Rachelle Ragland-Greene, Departmental Collection Clearance Officer. [FR Doc. 2026-05248 Filed 3-17-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-05-P