Reading Room Document

Amendment of the Farmers Home Administration Disaster Loan Program

Under applicable provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, amendments to regulations governing the disaster loan program administered by the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) can be made effective immediately, without giving the public a prior opportunity to comment, if the FmHA finds for "good cause" that notice and public procedure thereon would be "impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest." It is for the rulemaking agency to determine whether there is "good cause" for dispensing with notice and comment; however, if the facts are such that the authorized administrative purpose would be frustrated by delay, the argument for proceeding expeditiously is reasonable on its face. The OLC does not provide release dates for its opinions, so the release date listed is the date on which the opinion was authored. The original opinion is available at www.justice.gov/file/22621/download.

April 24, 1981