[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 88 (Friday, May 5, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 26148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-11298]


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Proposed Rules
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.

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Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 88 / Friday, May 5, 2000 / Proposed 
Rules

[[Page 26148]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

9 CFR Part 590

[Docket No. 99-012E]
RIN 0583-AC71


Fee Increase for Egg Products Inspection--Year 2000; Extension of 
comment period.

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is extending the 
comment period for the proposed rule, ``Fee Increase for Egg Products 
Inspection--Year 2000'' for an additional 30 days. This action is in 
response to a request to allow additional time for comment in order to 
compile more complete data regarding the impact of the proposed fee.

DATES: Comments must be received by June 1, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Submit one original and two copies of written comments to 
FSIS Docket Clerk, Docket No. 99-012P, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 102, Cotton Annex, 300 12th 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20250-3700. All comments submitted in 
response to the proposal will be available for public inspection in the 
Docket Clerk's Office between 8:30 and 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information concerning policy 
issues, contact Daniel Engeljohn, Ph.D., Director, Regulations 
Development and Analysis Division, Office of Policy, Program 
Development, and Evaluation, FSIS, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 
112, Cotton Annex, 300 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20250, (202) 
720-5627, fax number (202) 690-0486.
    For information concerning fee development, contact Michael B. 
Zimmerer, Director, Financial Management Division, Office of 
Management, FSIS, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 2130-S, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250, (202) 720-3552, fax 
number (202) 720-3552.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    FSIS is responsible for the inspection of egg products to protect 
the health and welfare of consumers by assuring that egg products are 
wholesome, not adulterated, and properly labeled and packaged.
    While the cost of mandatory inspection is borne by FSIS, plants pay 
for inspection services performed on holidays or on an overtime basis. 
There has not been a change in overtime and holiday fees for egg 
products inspection services since the transfer of program functions 
from AMS to FSIS in May 1995. AMS established and implemented the 
current fees in November 1994. These fees reflect only the costs of 
inspection at that time and are insufficient to recover FSIS's current 
costs for the delivery of overtime and holiday inspection service.
    On March 3, 2000, FSIS published a proposed rule (65 FR 11486) to 
increase the fees it charges egg products plants for providing overtime 
and holiday inspection services. FSIS is also proposing to amend 9 CFR 
590.130 by deleting the reference to regulations governing the 
collection of fees associated with the voluntary grading of eggs. 
Interested parties were given 60 days to submit comments on the 
proposal.
    Now in response to a request to extend the comment period for the 
proposed rule, FSIS has decided to extend the comment period an 
additional 30 days. The request included preliminary impact data to 
support the statement that additional time was needed to complete the 
data collection effort.

Additional Public Notification

    Public involvement in all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to better ensure 
that minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are aware of this 
notice, FSIS will announce and provide copies of this Federal Register 
publication in its constituent update.
    The Agency provides a weekly FSIS Constituent Update via fax to 
over 300 organizations and individuals. In addition, the update is 
available on line through the FSIS web page located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov. The update is used to provide information regarding 
FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register notices, FSIS 
public meetings, recalls, and any other types of information that could 
affect or would be of interest to our constituents/stakeholders. The 
constituent fax list consists of industry, trade, and farm groups, 
consumer interest groups, allied health professionals, scientific 
professionals, and other individuals that have requested to be 
included. Through these various channels, FSIS is able to provide 
information to a much broader, more diverse audience than would be 
otherwise possible.
    For more information or to be added to the constituent fax list, 
fax your request to the Congressional and Public Affairs Office, at 
(202) 720-5704.

    Done in Washington, DC on: May 2, 2000.
Thomas J. Billy,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-11298 Filed 5-4-00; 8:45 am]
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