[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 92 (Thursday, May 13, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 25799-25800]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-12147]
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Rules and Regulations
Federal Register
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Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 92 / Thursday, May 13, 1999 / Rules
and Regulations
[[Page 25799]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
7 CFR Part 354
[Docket No. 99-022-1]
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 Plant Protection and Quarantine by adding
commuted traveltime allowances for travel between various locations in
Iowa. 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: May 13, 1999.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Jim Smith, Senior Operations Officer, Port Operations, PPQ, APHIS,
4700 River Road Unit 60, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 734-8415; or
e-mail: jim.f.smith@usda.gov.
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 products,
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 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 require 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 adding commuted
traveltime allowances for travel between various locations in Iowa. 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 entry
services, depend upon facts within the knowledge of the Department of
Agriculture. It does not appear that public participation in this
rulemaking procedure would make additional relevant information
available to the Department.
Accordingly, pursuant to the administrative procedure provision of
5 U.S.C. 553, we find upon good cause that prior notice and other
public procedures 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 provision 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 provision of this rule or the application
of its provisions.
Paperwork Reduction Act
The 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 disease and pests,
Quarantine, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Travel and
transportation expenses.
Accordingly, we are amending 7 CFR part 354 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:
[[Page 25800]]
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 adding in the table, in alphabetical
order, under Iowa, 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
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[Add]
* * * * *
Iowa:
Davenport.................... Des Moines....... ......... 6
* * * * *
Sioux City................... Des Moines....... ......... 6
Undesignated ports........... Des Moines....... ......... 6
* * * * *
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Done in Washington, DC, this 6th day of May 1999.
Joan M. Arnold,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 99-12147 Filed 5-12-99; 8:45 am]
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