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Policy Watchtower/Consultation

USDA seeks comment on disaster designation request forms; comments due Dec. 14

USDA Farm Service AgencyConsultationOct 14, 2026

Check: USDA's Farm Service Agency is taking public comment until 2026-12-14 on a revised collection of disaster-designation request data, which tribal governments are listed as respondents to.

Read in the Federal Register

What it does

A Secretarial disaster designation (a USDA declaration that makes emergency loans available to eligible farmers and ranchers) can be requested in writing by an Indian Tribal Council, among others. The notice revises the Disaster Assistance--General information collection (a government form and data request) and lists Tribal Governments as respondents, but it does not change who is eligible to request a designation. The current approval expires January 31, 2027.

Why it matters for tribal funding

Tribes eligible. Tribes or Native organizations are among those who can apply or are covered, alongside others.

Who it covers: Tribal governments.

What to do next

  1. Submit any comments by 2026-12-14 through regulations.gov using ID FSA-2026-0496.
  2. Request a copy of the Disaster Assistance--General collection from Rena Russell-Spruell at (202) 720-3265 or the email listed in the notice.

Sources

Every signal is built from public records. The highlighted words appear in the source exactly as shown.

  • Federal Register: tribal termsNoticeOct 14, 2026

    Information Collection Requests; Disaster Assistance-General; Critical Customer Data

    • Quoted from the source: “Secretarial disaster designations must be requested in writing from a State governor (or authorized representative), Indian Tribal Council, or the FSA State Executive Director (SED)”
    • Quoted from the source: “Type of Respondents: Farms, Tribal Governments, and State Governments.”
    • Quoted from the source: “We will consider comments that we receive by December 14, 2026.”
    Read in the Federal RegisterU.S. government record, public domain.

Terms with a dotted underline open a plain-language definition. This is guidance, not legal advice: the official text always controls. A free public service from GrantsPath, a Native-owned business.