Emergency Request Memo

United States
Department of
Agriculture

Farm
Production
and
Conservation

Farm
Service
Agency

1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Stop 0540
Washington, DC
20250-0540

DATE:

March 6, 2025

TO:

Dominic Mancini
Deputy Administrator
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Office of Management and Budget

THROUGH:

Levi S. Harrell
Departmental Clearance Officer
Information Management Division
Office of the Chief Information Officer

FROM:

Jamie White
Acting Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs

SUBJECT:

Request for Emergency Approval for a New Information Collection
Package—Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP)

JAMIE WHITE

Digitally signed by JAMIE
WHITE
Date: 2025.03.06
17:44:27 -06'00'

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting OMB approval on the emergency approval
of a collection of information necessary to implement ECAP. ECAP will use $10 billion in
funds authorized by Section 2102 of Division B of Title I of the American Relief Act, 2025
(Pub. L. 118-158) to issue 1-time economic assistance payments to eligible producers of
eligible commodities for the 2024 crop year. These payments will help farmers of eligible
commodities cope with increased costs and falling commodity prices, allowing them to pay
down debt relative to the 2024 crop and obtain financing for the 2025 crop year. FSA
intends to announce ECAP in a notice of funding availability in the Federal Register.
FSA is requesting approval by March 12, 2025, to facilitate printing and mailing of the prefilled applications to comply with the statutory deadline of March 21, 2025, to begin
issuing payments.
ECAP is essential to the FSA mission as a part of safety net to help producers continue
farming despite suffering losses that are outside of their control. FSA also cannot
reasonably comply with the normal PRA clearance procedures under 5 CFR part 1320
because public harm is reasonably likely to result if normal PRA clearance procedures are
followed – that public harm would be to the producers of eligible commodities who have
suffered losses, many of whom may not be able to absorb those losses, and any additional
delay in assistance could cause them to have to consider making business decisions that
they would not otherwise choose to make, which could result in changes that could extend
the harm to consumers and others in the line of business (5 CFR 1320.13(a)(2)(i)). In
addition, the American Relief Act, 2025, directs the Secretary to issue payments 90 days
after the date of enactment (March 21, 2025), and a delay would result in this statutory
deadline to be missed (§ 1320.13(a)(2)(iii)).
ECAP applications will be pre-filled using eligible acres of planted and prevented planted
eligible commodities submitted by producers on FSA-578, Report of Acreage, for the 2024

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crop year. Producer also must have filed a notice of loss for prevented planted acreage
using FSA-576, Part B. Producers of eligible commodities who did not previously submit
an acreage report or notice of loss may submit late-filed forms for ECAP eligibility
purposes without paying a late-filing fee. If requested by FSA, producers must also
provide supporting documentation to substantiate late-filed reports of acreage and notices
of loss.
FSA will print and mail pre-filled applications to producers who have reported acreage of
eligible crops by mid-March 2025. Producers who have established a level 2
eAuthentication account will also be able to apply online though an electronic portal.
Producers may also contact their local FSA office to obtain an application or request
assistance. The anticipated deadline to apply is August 15, 2025.
Applicants must also submit the following forms if applicable and if not previously filed
with FSA: AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet; AD-1026, Highly Erodible Land
Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation Certification; CCC-901, Member
Information for Legal Entities; and CCC-902, Farm Operating Plan. Producers who are
requesting an increase to the payment limitation must also file CCC-943, 75% of Average
Gross Income from Farming, Ranching, or Forestry Certification. many expected
applicants are currently participating in other programs and will have most of these forms
on file prior to applying for ECAP.
If there are any questions or concerns, please email me at maryann.ball@usda.gov.

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