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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 206 (Thursday, October 24, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 63448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-24820]

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Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

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.

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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 206 / Thursday, October 24, 2013 / 
Notices

[[Page 63448]]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Document No. AMS-ST-13-0059]

Plant Variety Protection Board; Open Meeting

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: This notice is intended to notify the public of their 
opportunity to attend an open meeting of the Plant Variety Protection 
Board.

DATES: December 9, 2013, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and December 10, 2013, 
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., open to the public.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Water Tower Room of the 
Hyatt Regency Chicago Hotel, 151 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Maria Pratt, Plant Variety 
Protection Office, Science and Technology Programs, Agricultural 
Marketing Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250. Telephone number (202) 
260-8983, fax (202) 260-8976, or email: maria.pratt@ams.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the provisions of section 10(a) 
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C., Appendix 2), this 
notice is given regarding an upcoming Plant Variety Protection (PVP) 
Board meeting. The Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA) (7 U.S.C. 2321 
et seq.) provides legal protection in the form of intellectual property 
rights to developers of new varieties of plants, which are reproduced 
sexually by seed or are tuber-propagated. A Certificate of Plant 
Variety Protection is awarded to an owner of a crop variety after an 
examination shows that it is new, distinct from other varieties, 
genetically uniform and stable through successive generations. The term 
of protection is 20 years for most crops and 25 years for trees, 
shrubs, and vines. The PVPA also provides for a statutory Board (7 
U.S.C. 2327). The duties of the Board are to: (1) Advise the Secretary 
concerning the adoption of rules and regulations to facilitate the 
proper administration of the Act; (2) provide advisory counsel to the 
Secretary on appeals concerning decisions on applications by the PVP 
Office and on requests for emergency public-interest compulsory 
licenses; and (3) advise the Secretary on any other matters under the 
Regulations and Rules of Practice and on all questions under Section 44 
of the Act, ``Public Interest in Wide Usage'' (7 U.S.C. 2404).
    The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the PVP Office's 2013 
achievements, 2014 work plan and outreach plan, ongoing process 
improvements, updates on electronic applications/database conversion, 
plans for PVP recognition by other countries, the activity of the 
subcommittee to evaluate molecular techniques for PVP distinctness 
characterization and proposals for procedure changes. The proposed 
agenda for the PVP Board meeting will include a welcome by Department 
officials followed by a discussion focusing on program activities that 
encourage the development of new plant varieties and address appeals to 
the Secretary. The agenda will also include presentations on PVP plans 
for the future, electronic PVP application/computer database 
development, and the use of molecular markers for PVP applications.
    The meeting will be open to the public. Those wishing to attend or 
phone into the meeting are encouraged to pre-register by December 2, 
2013 with the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 
Meeting Accommodations: The meeting hotel is ADA Compliant, and the 
USDA provides reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities 
where appropriate. If you require accommodations, such as sign language 
interpreter, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT. Determinations for reasonable accommodation will 
be made on a case-by-case basis. Minutes of the meeting will be 
available for public review 30 days following the meeting at the 
Internet Web site http://www.ams.usda.gov/PVPO.

    Dated: October 17, 2013.
Rex A. Barnes,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-24820 Filed 10-23-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE M
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