This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

65337 

Vol. 83, No. 244 

Thursday, December 20, 2018 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2018–0006] 

General Conference Committee of the 

National Poultry Improvement Plan 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of renewal. 

SUMMARY: We are giving notice that the 

Secretary of Agriculture has renewed 

the charter of the General Conference 

Committee of the National Poultry 

Improvement Plan (Committee) for a 2- 

year period. The Secretary of 

Agriculture has determined that the 

Committee is necessary and in the 

public interest. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Denise L. Heard, Senior Coordinator, 

National Poultry Improvement Plan, VS, 

APHIS, USDA, 1506 Klondike Road, 

Suite 101, Conyers, GA 30094; (770) 

922–3496. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

purpose of the General Conference 

Committee of the National Poultry 

Improvement Plan (Committee) is to 

maintain and ensure industry 

involvement in Federal administration 

of matters pertaining to poultry health. 

The Committee Chairperson and the 

Vice Chairperson shall be elected by the 

Committee from among its members. 

There are seven members on the 

Committee. The poultry industry elects 

the members of the Committee. The 

members represent six geographic areas 

with one member-at-large. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 14th day of 

December 2018. 

Kevin Shea, 

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2018–27480 Filed 12–19–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

[Docket Number FSIS–2018–0051] 

2019 Rate Changes for the Basetime, 

Overtime, Holiday, and Laboratory 

Services Rates 

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Food Safety and 

Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing 

the 2019 rates it will charge meat and 

poultry establishments, egg products 

plants, and importers and exporters for 

providing voluntary, overtime, and 

holiday inspection and identification, 

certification, and laboratory services. 

The 2019 basetime, overtime, holiday, 

and laboratory services rates will be 

applied on the first FSIS pay period 

approximately 30 days after the 

publication of this notice, which begins 

on January 20, 2019. 

DATES: FSIS will charge the rates 

announced in this notice beginning 

January 20, 2019. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information contact Michael 

Toner, Director, Budget Division, Office 

of the Chief Financial Officer, FSIS, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Room 2159, 

South Building, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250– 

3700; Telephone: (202) 690–8398, Fax: 

(202) 690–4155. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On April 12, 2011, FSIS published a 

final rule amending its regulations to 

establish formulas for calculating the 

rates it charges meat and poultry 

establishments, egg products plants, and 

importers and exporters for providing 

voluntary, overtime, and holiday 

inspection and identification, 

certification, and laboratory services (76 

FR 20220). 

In the final rule, FSIS stated that it 

would use the formulas to calculate the 

annual rates, publish the rates in 

Federal Register notices prior to the 

start of each calendar year, and apply 

the rates on the first FSIS pay period at 

the beginning of the calendar year. 

This notice provides the 2019 rates, 

which will be applied starting on 

January 20, 2019. 

2019 Rates and Calculations 

The following table lists the 2019 

Rates per hour, per employee, by type 

of service: 

Service 

2019 Rate 

(estimates 

rounded to 

reflect 

billable 

quarters) 

Basetime ............................... $59.96 

Overtime ............................... 74.76 

Holiday .................................. 89.56 

Laboratory ............................. 75.56 

The regulations state that FSIS will 

calculate the rates using formulas that 

include the Office of Field Operations 

(OFO) inspection program personnel’s 

previous fiscal year’s regular direct pay 

and regular hours (9 CFR 391.2, 391.3, 

391.4, 590.126, 590.128, 592.510, 

592.520, and 592.530). In 2013, an 

Agency reorganization eliminated the 

OIA program office and transferred all 

of its inspection program personnel to 

OFO. Therefore, inspection program 

personnel’s pay and hours are identified 

in the calculations as ‘‘OFO inspection 

program personnel’s’’ pay and hours. 

FSIS determined the 2019 rates using 

the following calculations: 

Basetime Rate = The quotient of 

dividing the Office of Field Operations 

(OFO) inspection program personnel’s 

previous fiscal year’s regular direct pay 

by the previous fiscal year’s regular 

hours, plus the quotient multiplied by 

the calendar year’s percentage of cost of 

living increase, plus the benefits rate, 

plus the travel and operating rate, plus 

the overhead rate, plus the allowance 

for bad debt rate. 

The calculation for the 2019 basetime 

rate per hour per program employee is: 

[FY 2018 OFO Regular Direct Pay 

divided by the previous fiscal year’s 

Regular Hours ($461,873,361/ 

15,909,552)] = $29.03 + ($29.03 * 1.9% 

(calendar year 2019 Cost of Living 

Increase)) = $29.58 + $10.36 (benefits 

rate) + $2.10 (travel and operating rate) 

+ $17.92 (overhead rate) + $0.00 (bad 

debt allowance rate) = $59.96, which is 

already divisible by 4. 

Overtime Rate = The quotient of 

dividing the Office of Field Operations 

(OFO) inspection program personnel’s 

previous fiscal year’s regular direct pay 

by the previous fiscal year’s regular 

hours, plus that quotient multiplied by 

the calendar year’s percentage of cost of 


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65338 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 244 / Thursday, December 20, 2018 / Notices 

living increase, multiplied by 1.5 (for 

overtime), plus the benefits rate, plus 

the travel and operating rate, plus the 

overhead rate, plus the allowance for 

bad debt rate. 

The calculation for the 2019 overtime 

rate per hour per program employee is: 

[FY 2018 OFO Regular Direct Pay 

divided by previous fiscal year’s Regular 

Hours ($461,873,361/15,909,552)] = 

$29.03 + ($29.03 * 1.9% (calendar year 

2019 Cost of Living Increase)) = $29.58 

* 1.5 = $44.37 + $10.36 (benefits rate) 

+ $2.10 (travel and operating rate) + 

$17.92 (overhead rate) + $0.00 (bad debt 

allowance rate) = $74.75 rounded up to 

$74.76, so that it is divisible by 4. 

Holiday Rate = The quotient of 

dividing the Office of Field Operations 

(OFO) inspection program personnel’s 

previous fiscal year’s regular direct pay 

by the previous fiscal year’s regular 

hours, plus that quotient multiplied by 

the calendar year’s percentage of cost of 

living increase, multiplied by 2 (for 

holiday pay), plus the benefits rate, plus 

the travel and operating rate, plus the 

overhead rate, plus the allowance for 

bad debt rate. 

The calculation for the 2019 holiday 

rate per hour per program employee 

calculation is: 

[FY 2018 OFO Regular Direct Pay 

divided by Regular Hours 

($461,873,361/15,909,552)] = $29.03 + 

($29.03 * 1.9% (calendar year 2019 Cost 

of Living Increase)) = $29.58 * 2 = 

$59.17 + $10.36 (benefits rate) + $2.10 

(travel and operating rate) + $17.92 

(overhead rate) + $0.00 (bad debt 

allowance rate) = $89.54, rounded up to 

$89.56, so that it is divisible by 4. 

Laboratory Services Rate = The 

quotient of dividing the Office of Public 

Health Science (OPHS) previous fiscal 

year’s regular direct pay by the OPHS 

previous fiscal year’s regular hours, plus 

the quotient multiplied by the calendar 

year’s percentage cost of living increase, 

plus the benefits rate, plus the travel 

and operating rate, plus the overhead 

rate, plus the allowance for bad debt 

rate. 

The calculation for the 2019 

laboratory services rate per hour per 

program employee is: 

[FY 2018 OPHS Regular Direct Pay/ 

OPHS Regular hours ($24,480,845/ 

552,168)] = $44.34 + ($44.34 * 1.9% 

(calendar year 2019 Cost of Living 

Increase)) = $45.18 + $10.36 (benefits 

rate) + $2.10 (travel and operating rate) 

+ $17.92 (overhead rate) + $0.00 (bad 

debt allowance rate) = $75.56, which is 

already divisible by 4. 

Calculations for the Benefits, Travel and 

Operating, Overhead, and Allowance for 

Bad Debt Rates 

These rates are components of the 

basetime, overtime, holiday, and 

laboratory services rates formulas. 

Benefits Rate: The quotient of 

dividing the previous fiscal year’s direct 

benefits costs by the previous fiscal 

year’s total hours (regular, overtime, and 

holiday), plus that quotient multiplied 

by the calendar year’s percentage cost of 

living increase. Some examples of direct 

benefits are health insurance, 

retirement, life insurance, and Thrift 

Savings Plan basic and matching 

contributions. 

The calculation for the 2019 benefits 

rate per hour per program employee is: 

[FY 2018 Direct Benefits/(Total 

Regular hours + Total Overtime hours + 

Total Holiday hours) ($195,953,150/ 

19,267,813)] = $10.17 + ($10.17* 1.9% 

(calendar year 2019 Cost of Living 

Increase)) = $10.36. 

Travel and Operating Rate: The 

quotient of dividing the previous fiscal 

year’s total direct travel and operating 

costs by the previous fiscal year’s total 

hours (regular, overtime, and holiday), 

plus that quotient multiplied by the 

calendar year’s percentage of inflation. 

The calculation for the 2019 travel 

and operating rate per hour per program 

employee is: 

[FY 2018 Total Direct Travel and 

Operating Costs/(Total Regular hours + 

Total Overtime hours + Total Holiday 

hours) ($39,709,179/19,267,813)] = 

$2.06 + ($2.06 * 1.9% (2019 Inflation) 

= $2.10. 

Overhead Rate: The quotient of 

dividing the previous fiscal year’s 

indirect costs plus the previous fiscal 

year’s information technology (IT) costs 

in the Public Health Data 

Communication Infrastructure System 

Fund plus the provision for the 

operating balance less any Greenbook 

costs (i.e., costs of USDA support 

services prorated to the service 

component for which fees are charged) 

that are not related to food inspection by 

the previous fiscal year’s total hours 

(regular, overtime, and holiday) worked 

across all funds, plus the quotient 

multiplied by the calendar year’s 

percentage of inflation. 

The calculation for the 2019 overhead 

rate per hour per program employee is: 

[FY 2018 Total Overhead/(Total 

Regular hours + Total Overtime hours + 

Total Holiday hours) ($ 338,760,688/ 

19,267,813)] = $17.58 + ($17.58 * 1.9% 

(2019 Inflation) = $17.92. 

Allowance for Bad Debt Rate = 

Previous fiscal year’s total allowance for 

bad debt (for example, debt owed that 

is not paid in full by plants and 

establishments that declare bankruptcy) 

divided by previous fiscal year’s total 

hours (regular, overtime, and holiday) 

worked. 

The 2019 calculation for bad debt rate 

per hour per program employee is: 

[FY 2018 Total Bad Debt/(Total 

Regular hours + Total Overtime hours + 

Total Holiday hours) = ($73,050/ 

19,267,813)] = $0.00. 

Additional Public Notification 

Public awareness of all segments of 

rulemaking and policy development is 

important. Consequently, FSIS will 

announce this Federal Register 

publication on-line through the FSIS 

web page located at: http://

www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register. 

FSIS also will make copies of this 

publication available through the FSIS 

Constituent Update, which is used to 

provide information regarding FSIS 

policies, procedures, regulations, 

Federal Register notices, FSIS public 

meetings, and other types of information 

that could affect or would be of interest 

to our constituents and stakeholders. 

The Update is available on the FSIS web 

page. Through the web page, FSIS is 

able to provide information to a much 

broader, more diverse audience. In 

addition, FSIS offers an email 

subscription service which provides 

automatic and customized access to 

selected food safety news and 

information. This service is available at: 

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe. 

Options range from recalls to export 

information, regulations, directives, and 

notices. Customers can add or delete 

subscriptions themselves, and have the 

option to password protect their 

accounts. 

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement 

No agency, officer, or employee of the 

USDA shall, on the grounds of race, 

color, national origin, religion, sex, 

gender identity, sexual orientation, 

disability, age, marital status, family/ 

parental status, income derived from a 

public assistance program, or political 

beliefs, exclude from participation in, 

deny the benefits of, or subject to 

discrimination any person in the United 

States under any program or activity 

conducted by the USDA. 

How to File a Complaint of 

Discrimination 

To file a complaint of discrimination, 

complete the USDA Program 

Discrimination Complaint Form, which 

may be accessed online at http://

www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/ 

docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_

8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you 


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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 244 / Thursday, December 20, 2018 / Notices 65339 

or your authorized representative. 

Send your completed complaint form 

or letter to USDA by mail, fax, or email: 

Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture 

Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20250–9410, Fax: (202) 690–7442, 

Email: program.intake@usda.gov 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means for communication 

(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), 

should contact USDA’s TARGET Center 

at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD). 

Done at Washington, DC. 

Paul Kiecker, 

Acting Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2018–27521 Filed 12–19–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Food and Nutrition Service 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Proposed Collection; 

Comment Request—Generic Clearance 

To Conduct Formative Research or 

Development of Nutrition Education 

and Promotion Materials and Related 

Tools and Grants for FNS Population 

Groups 

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service 

(FNS), USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice invites the general public and 

other interested parties to comment on 

a proposed information collection. This 

collection is an extension of a currently 

approved collection. This information 

collection will conduct research in 

support of FNS’ goal of delivering 

science-based nutrition education to 

targeted audiences. This information 

collection will also conduct research 

that will assist FNS in identifying 

effective design and implementation 

approaches to use to develop and assess 

grants. From development through 

testing of materials and tools with the 

target audience, FNS plans to conduct 

data collections that involve formative 

research including focus groups, 

interviews (dyad, triad, telephone, etc.), 

surveys and Web-based collection tools. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before February 19, 2019. 

ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: 

(a) Whether the proposed collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information has practical utility; (b) the 

accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the 

burden of the proposed collection of 

information, including the validity of 

the methodology and assumptions used; 

(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 

and clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Comments may be sent to Rachelle 

Ragland-Greene, Food and Nutrition 

Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, 

Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments will 

also be accepted through the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal. Go to http://

www.regulations.gov and follow the 

online instructions for submitting 

comments electronically. All written 

comments will be open for public 

inspection at the Office of the Food and 

Nutrition Service during regular 

business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., 

Monday through Friday) at 3101 Park 

Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 

22302, Room 1014. 

All responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) approval. All comments will be 

a matter of public record. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information 

should be directed to Rachelle RaglandGreene at 703–305–2586. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Generic Clearance to Conduct 

Formative Research for Development of 

Nutrition Education, Promotion 

Materials and Related Tools, and Grants 

for FNS Population Groups. 

OMB Number: 0584–0524. 

Expiration Date: September 30, 2019. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

Abstract: This information collection 

is based on Section 19 of the Child 

Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1787), 

Section 5 of the Richard B. Russell 

National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 

1754) and Section 11(f) of the Food and 

Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020). 

This request for approval of information 

collection is necessary to obtain input 

into the development of nutrition 

education interventions for population 

groups served by the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service 

(USDA–FNS). FNS also uses this 

collection to obtain input that can be 

used to develop and assess grants. 

Interventions need to be designed so 

that they can be delivered through 

different types of media and in a variety 

of formats for diverse audiences. 

FNS develops a variety of resources to 

support nutrition education and 

promotion activities. These resources 

are designed to convey science-based, 

behavior-focused nutrition messages 

about healthy eating and physical 

activity to children and adults eligible 

to participate in FNS nutrition 

assistance programs and to motivate 

them to consume more healthful foods 

as defined by the Dietary Guidelines for 

Americans (DGA). This includes 

education materials, messages, 

promotion tools and interventions for 

the diverse population served by the 

Federal nutrition programs as well as 

WIC, Team Nutrition, Food Distribution 

and other programs. 

Obtaining formative input and 

feedback is fundamental to FNS’ success 

in delivering science-based nutrition 

messages and reaching diverse segments 

of the population in ways that are 

meaningful and relevant. This includes 

conferring with the target audience, 

individuals who serve the target 

audience, and key stakeholders on the 

communication strategies and 

interventions that will be developed and 

on the delivery approaches that will be 

used to reach consumers. The formative 

research and testing activities described 

will help in the development of 

effective education and promotion tools 

and communication strategies. 

Collection of this information will 

increase FNS’ ability to formulate 

nutrition education interventions that 

resonate with the intended target 

population, particularly low-income 

families. 

FNS also uses formative input and 

feedback to determine how best to 

develop and assess grants so that grant 

recipients can successfully meet their 

goals under these grants. To do this, 

FNS confers with grant recipients to 

obtain input regarding their 

experiences, expectations, challenges, 

and lessons learned while implementing 

the grant. 

Formative research methods and 

information collection will include 

focus groups, interviews (dyad, triad, 

telephone, etc.), surveys and Web-based 

data collection. The data obtained will 

provide input regarding the potential 

use of materials and products during 

both the developmental and testing 

stages, in addition to the development 

of grants. Key informant interviews will 

be conducted in order to determine 

future nutrition education and grant 

needs, tools and dissemination 

strategies. This task involves collecting 

a diverse array of information from a 

variety of groups including: People 

familiar with the target audiences; 

individuals delivering nutrition 


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