96-26349. Commuted Traveltime Periods: Overtime Services Relating to Imports and Exports  

  • [Federal Register Volume 61, Number 200 (Tuesday, October 15, 1996)]
    [Rules and Regulations]
    [Pages 53603-53606]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 96-26349]
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
    7 CFR Part 354
    
    [Docket No. 95-049-1]
    
    
    Commuted Traveltime Periods: Overtime Services Relating to 
    Imports and Exports
    
    AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
    
    ACTION: Final rule.
    
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    SUMMARY: We are amending the regulations concerning overtime services 
    provided by employees of Plant Protection and Quarantine by removing 
    and adding commuted traveltime allowances for travel between various 
    locations in Canada, Louisiana, Michigan, and Washington. Commuted 
    traveltime allowances are the periods of time required for Plant 
    Protection and Quarantine employees to travel from their dispatch 
    points and return there from the places where they perform Sunday, 
    holiday, or other overtime duty. The Government charges a fee for 
    certain overtime services provided by Plant Protection and Quarantine 
    employees and, under certain circumstances, the fee may include the 
    cost of commuted traveltime. This action is necessary to inform the 
    public of commuted traveltime for these locations.
    
    EFFECTIVE DATE: October 15, 1996.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. James Smith, Operations Officer, 
    Port Operations, PPQ, APHIS, Suite 4A34, 4700 River Road Unit 60, 
    Riverdale, MD 20737-1236, (301) 734-8415.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    
    Background
    
        The regulations in 7 CFR, chapter III, and 9 CFR, chapter I, 
    subchapter D, require inspection, laboratory testing, certification, or 
    quarantine of certain plants, plant products, animals, animal 
    byproducts, or other commodities intended for importation into, or 
    exportation from, the United States. When these services must be 
    provided by an employee of Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) on a 
    Sunday or holiday, or at any other time outside the PPQ employee's 
    regular duty hours, the Government charges a fee for the services in 
    accordance with 7 CFR part 354. Under circumstances described in 
    Sec. 354.1(a)(2), this fee may include the cost of commuted traveltime. 
    Section 354.2 contains administrative instructions prescribing commuted 
    traveltime allowances, which reflect, as nearly as practicable, the 
    periods of time required for PPQ employees to travel from their 
    dispatch points and return there from the places where they perform 
    Sunday, holiday, or other overtime duty.
        We are amending Sec. 354.2 of the regulations by removing and 
    adding commuted traveltime allowances for travel between various 
    locations in Canada, Louisiana, Michigan, and Washington. The 
    amendments are set forth in the rule portion of this document. This 
    action is necessary to inform the public of the commuted traveltime 
    between the dispatch and service locations.
    
    [[Page 53604]]
    
    Effective Date
    
        The commuted traveltime allowances appropriate for employees 
    performing services at ports of entry, and the features of the 
    reimbursement plan for recovering the cost of furnishing port of entry 
    services, depend upon facts within the knowledge of the Department of 
    Agriculture. It does not appear that public participation in this 
    rulemaking proceeding would make additional relevant information 
    available to the Department.
        Accordingly, pursuant to the administrative procedure provisions in 
    5 U.S.C. 553, we find upon good cause that prior notice and other 
    public procedure with respect to this rule are impracticable and 
    unnecessary; we also find good cause for making this rule effective 
    less than 30 days after publication of this document in the Federal 
    Register.
    
    Executive Order 12866 and Regulatory Flexibility Act
    
        This final rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12866. For 
    this action, the Office of Management and Budget has waived its review 
    process required by Executive Order 12866.
        The number of requests for overtime services of a PPQ employee at 
    the locations affected by our rule represents an insignificant portion 
    of the total number of requests for these services in the United 
    States.
        Under these circumstances, the Administrator of the Animal and 
    Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that this action will 
    not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
    entities.
    
    Executive Order 12372
    
        This program/activity is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic 
    Assistance under No. 10.025 and is subject to Executive Order 12372, 
    which requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local 
    officials. (See 7 CFR part 3015, subpart V.)
    
    Executive Order 12988
    
        This final rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, 
    Civil Justice Reform. This rule is intended to have preemptive effect 
    with respect to any State or local laws, regulations, or policies that 
    conflict with its provisions or that would otherwise impede its full 
    implementation. This rule is not intended to have retroactive effect. 
    There are no administrative procedures that must be exhausted prior to 
    any judicial challenge to the provisions of this rule or the 
    application of its provisions.
    
    Paperwork Reduction Act
    
        This rule contains no new information collection or recordkeeping 
    requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 
    et seq.).
    
    List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 354
    
        Exports, Government employees, Imports, Plant diseases and pests, 
    Quarantine, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Travel and 
    transportation expenses.
    
        Accordingly, 7 CFR part 354 is amended as follows:
    
    PART 354--OVERTIME SERVICES RELATING TO IMPORTS AND EXPORTS; AND 
    USER FEES
    
        1. The authority citation for part 354 continues to read as 
    follows:
    
        Authority: 7 U.S.C. 2260; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 49 U.S.C. 
    1741; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.2(c).
    
        2. Section 354.2 is amended by removing or adding in the table, in 
    alphabetical order, the following entries to read as follows:
    
    
    Sec. 354.2   Administrative instructions prescribing commuted 
    traveltime.
    
    * * * * *
    
                         Commuted Traveltime Allowances                     
                                   [In hours]                               
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Metropolitan  
                                                                  area      
           Location covered               Served from      -----------------
                                                             Within  Outside
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    [Remove]                                                                
                                                                            
    *                  *                  *                  *              
                      *                  *                  *               
    Louisiana:                                                              
        Barksdale AFB, Shreveport.  ......................  .......   3\1/2\
                                                                            
    *                  *                  *                  *              
                      *                  *                  *               
        England AFB...............  Alexandria............        1         
        England AFB, Alexandria...  Baton Rouge...........  .......        5
        England AFB, Alexandria...  Monroe................  .......        4
                                                                            
    *                  *                  *                  *              
                      *                  *                  *               
        Lake Charles..............  Alexandria............  .......        4
                                                                            
    *                  *                  *                  *              
                      *                  *                  *               
    Michigan:                                                               
        Bay City..................  Detroit...............  .......        5
        Battle Creek..............  Kalamazoo.............  .......        2
        Detroit (including Detroit  ......................        3         
         Metropolitan Airport,                                              
         Inkster).                                                          
                                                                            
    *                  *                  *                  *              
                       *                *                  *                
        Monroe....................  Detroit...............  .......        3
        Mt. Clemens...............  Romulus...............  .......        4
        Muskegon..................  Detroit...............  .......        6
                                                                            
    *                  *                  *                  *              
                      *                  *                  *               
        Muskegon..................  Kalamazoo.............  .......        4
                                                                            
    
    [[Page 53605]]
    
                                                                            
    *                  *                  *                  *              
                      *                  *                  *               
        Port Huron................  Detroit...............  .......        4
        Saginaw...................  Detroit...............  .......        5
        Selfridge AFB.............  Romulus...............  .......        4
        South Haven...............  Detroit...............  .......        6
                                                                            
    *                  *                  *                  *              
                      *                  *                  *               
    Washington:                                                             
                                                                            
    *                  *                  *                  *              
                      *                  *                  *               
        Undesignated Ports........  Portland, OR, Tacoma,         3         
                                     Seattle.                               
                                                                            
    *                  *                  *                  *              
                      *                  *                  *               
    [Add]                                                                   
                                                                            
    *                  *                  *                  *              
                      *                  *                  *               
    Canada: Vancouver, BC           Blaine................  .......        4
     (Including Richmond).                                                  
                                                                            
    *                  *                    *                    *          
                      *                    *                      *         
    Louisiana:                                                              
                                                                            
    *                    *                    *                    *        
                         *                  *                  *            
        England Air Park..........  Baton Rouge...........  .......        5
        England Air Park..........  Shreveport............  .......        5
        England Air Park..........  Monroe................  .......        4
                                                                            
    *                  *                  *                  *              
                      *                  *                  *               
    Michigan:                                                               
        Battle Creek..............  Grand Rapids..........  .......        3
        Bay City..................  Mt. Pleasant..........  .......        3
        Detroit (including Detroit  Romulus/Detroit.......        3         
         Metropolitan Airport, and                                          
         Willow Run Airport).                                               
                                                                            
    *                  *                  *                  *              
                      *                  *                  *               
        Saginaw...................  Mt. Pleasant..........  .......        3
        Selfridge AFB.............  Port Huron............  .......        3
                                                                            
    *                  *                  *                  *              
                      *                  *                  *               
    Washington:                                                             
                                                                            
    *                  *                  *                  *              
                       *                  *                  *              
        Fairchild AFB.............  Ellensburg............  .......        6
        Fairchild AFB.............  Spokane...............        2         
                                                                            
    *                  *                  *                  *              
                      *                  *                  *               
        Spokane International       Ellensburg............  .......        6
         Airport.                                                           
        Spokane International       Spokane...............        2         
         Airport.                                                           
                                                                            
    *                  *                  *                *                
                      *                  *                *                 
        Undesignated Ports........  Astoria or Portland,    .......        3
                                     OR; Blaine,                            
                                     Ellensburg, Seattle,                   
                                     Spokane, Tacoma.                       
                                                                            
    *                  *                  *                  *              
                      *                  *                  *               
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    
    [[Page 53606]]
    
        Done in Washington, DC, this 8th day of October 1996.
    A. Strating,
    Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
    [FR Doc. 96-26349 Filed 10-11-96; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
    
    
    

Document Information

Effective Date:
10/15/1996
Published:
10/15/1996
Department:
Agriculture Department
Entry Type:
Rule
Action:
Final rule.
Document Number:
96-26349
Dates:
October 15, 1996.
Pages:
53603-53606 (4 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Docket No. 95-049-1
PDF File:
96-26349.pdf
CFR: (2)
7 CFR 354.1(a)(2)
7 CFR 354.2