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    <RIN_INFO>
        <RIN>0503-AA85</RIN>
        <PUBLICATION>
            <PUBLICATION_ID>202504</PUBLICATION_ID>
            <PUBLICATION_TITLE>Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions</PUBLICATION_TITLE>
        </PUBLICATION>
        <AGENCY>
            <CODE>0503</CODE>
            <NAME>Office of the Secretary</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>AgSEC</ACRONYM>
        </AGENCY>
        <PARENT_AGENCY>
            <CODE>0500</CODE>
            <NAME>Department of Agriculture</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>USDA</ACRONYM>
        </PARENT_AGENCY>
        <RULE_TITLE>Equal Opportunity for Religious Organizations</RULE_TITLE>
        <ABSTRACT><![CDATA[<!DOCTYPE html>
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<p>The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (OASCR) is correcting&nbsp;its&rsquo; portion of the Final Rule, Partnerships With Faith-Based and Neighborhood Organizations also known as the Nine Agency Rule&nbsp;published in the <strong>Federal Register </strong> on March 4, 2024. The summary section of the final rule stated that it clarifies protections for beneficiaries and prospective beneficiaries of federally funded social services, as well as the rights and obligations of organizations providing such services. However, the rule text &nbsp;for USDA at 7 CFR 16 specifies that the policy applies to all recipients and subrecipients of USDA assistance, without specifically referencing social service&nbsp;programs.&nbsp;This omission created an inconsistency between the summary and the rule text.&nbsp; Therefore, USDA is &nbsp;correcting 7 CFR 16.1(b) to include the reference to domestic social service programs.&nbsp; This correction ensures the regulation accurately reflects the scope and intent of the final rule and clarifies that the protections and obligations apply specifically to the provision of federally funded domestic social service programs.</p>
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        <PRIORITY_CATEGORY>Substantive, Nonsignificant</PRIORITY_CATEGORY>
        <RIN_STATUS>First Time Published in The Unified Agenda</RIN_STATUS>
        <RULE_STAGE>Final Rule Stage</RULE_STAGE>
        <MAJOR>No</MAJOR>
        <UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
            <UNFUNDED_MANDATE>No</UNFUNDED_MANDATE>
        </UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
        <EO_13771_DESIGNATION>Not subject to, not significant</EO_13771_DESIGNATION>
        <CFR_LIST>
            <CFR>7 CFR 16</CFR>
        </CFR_LIST>
        <LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>5 U.S.C. 301</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
        </LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
        <LEGAL_DLINE_LIST/>
        <RPLAN_ENTRY>No</RPLAN_ENTRY>
        <TIMETABLE_LIST>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Final Action</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>07/00/2025</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
        </TIMETABLE_LIST>
        <RFA_REQUIRED>No</RFA_REQUIRED>
        <GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>None</GOVT_LEVEL>
        </GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
        <FEDERALISM>No</FEDERALISM>
        <PRINT_PAPER>No</PRINT_PAPER>
        <INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>No</INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>
        <RELATED_RIN_LIST>
            <RELATED_RIN>
                <RIN>0503-AA73</RIN>
                <RIN_RELATION>Related to</RIN_RELATION>
            </RELATED_RIN>
        </RELATED_RIN_LIST>
        <AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
            <CONTACT>
                <FIRST_NAME>Ramonda</FIRST_NAME>
                <LAST_NAME>Reed</LAST_NAME>
                <AGENCY>
                    <CODE>0500</CODE>
                    <NAME>Department of Agriculture</NAME>
                    <ACRONYM>USDA</ACRONYM>
                </AGENCY>
                <PHONE>202 205-0469</PHONE>
                <EMAIL>ramonda.reed@usda.gov</EMAIL>
                <MAILING_ADDRESS>
                    <STREET_ADDRESS></STREET_ADDRESS>
                    <STATE>DC</STATE>
                    <ZIP>20250</ZIP>
                </MAILING_ADDRESS>
            </CONTACT>
        </AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
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