98-9052. Commuted Traveltime Periods: Overtime Services Relating to Imports and Exports  

  • [Federal Register Volume 63, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 7, 1998)]
    [Rules and Regulations]
    [Pages 16881-16882]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 98-9052]
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
    
    Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
    
    9 CFR Part 97
    
    [Docket No. 98-022-1]
    
    
    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 Veterinary Services by adding commuted 
    traveltime allowances for travel between various locations in Mexico 
    and Texas. Commuted traveltime allowances are the periods of time 
    required for Veterinary Services 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 Veterinary Services 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: April 7, 1998.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Louise Rakestraw Lothery, 
    Director, Resource Management Support, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 
    44, Riverdale, MD 20737, (301) 734-7517.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    
    Background
    
        The regulations in 9 CFR, chapter I, subchapter D, and 7 CFR, 
    chapter III, require inspection, laboratory testing, certification, or 
    quarantine of certain animals, animal products, plants, plant products, 
    or other commodities intended for importation into, or exportation 
    from, the United States. When these services must be provided by an 
    employee of Veterinary Services (VS) on a Sunday or holiday, or at any 
    other time outside the VS employee's regular duty hours, the Government 
    charges a fee for the services in accordance with 9 CFR part 97. Under 
    circumstances described in Sec. 97.1(a), this fee may include the cost 
    of commuted traveltime. Section 97.2 contains administrative 
    instructions prescribing commuted traveltime allowances, which reflect, 
    as nearly as practicable, the periods of time required for VS 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. 97.2 of the regulations by adding commuted 
    traveltime allowances for travel between various locations in Mexico 
    and Texas. 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.
    
    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
    
    [[Page 16882]]
    
    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 VS 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 9 CFR Part 97
    
        Exports, Government employees, Imports, Livestock, Poultry and 
    poultry products, Travel and transportation expenses.
    
        Accordingly, 9 CFR part 97 is amended as follows:
    
    PART 97--OVERTIME SERVICES RELATING TO IMPORTS AND EXPORTS
    
        1. The authority citation for part 97 continues to read as follows:
    
        Authority: 7 U.S.C. 2260; 49 U.S.C. 1741; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 
    371.2(d).
    
        2. Section 97.2 is amended by adding in the table, in alphabetical 
    order, the following entries to read as follows:
    
    
    Sec. 97.2  Administrative instructions prescribing commuted traveltime.
    
    * * * * *
    
                                             Commuted Traveltime Allowances                                         
                                                       [In hours]                                                   
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                Metropolitan Area   
                   Location covered                               Served from              -------------------------
                                                                                               Within      Outside  
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                    
    *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                            *                                                       
    [Add]                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                    
    *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                            *                                                       
    Mexico:                                                                                                         
      Ciudad Acuna................................  Del Rio, TX...........................  ...........       1\1/2\
      Juarez......................................  El Paso, TX...........................  ...........            1
      Nuevo Laredo................................  Laredo, TX............................  ...........       1\1/2\
      Ojinaga.....................................  Presidio, TX..........................  ...........            1
      Piedras Negras..............................  Eagle Pass, TX........................  ...........            1
      Reynosa (Pharr International Bridge)........  Hidalgo, TX...........................  ...........            1
      San Jeronimo................................  El Paso, TX...........................  ...........            2
                                                                                                                    
    *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                            *                                                       
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        Done in Washington, DC, this 2nd day of April 1998.
    Terry L. Medley,
    Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
    [FR Doc. 98-9052 Filed 4-6-98; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
    
    
    

Document Information

Effective Date:
4/7/1998
Published:
04/07/1998
Department:
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Entry Type:
Rule
Action:
Final rule.
Document Number:
98-9052
Dates:
April 7, 1998.
Pages:
16881-16882 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Docket No. 98-022-1
PDF File:
98-9052.pdf
CFR: (1)
9 CFR 97.2