Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 124 / Tuesday, June 27, 2000 / Notices 39589

supporting comments further expressed

concern over the potential impact on the

Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME)

Feeder Cattle cash settlement price.

They requested AMS analyze the

potential impact on the current market

situation using the 1979 Feeder Cattle

standards and the proposed standards.

Market News evaluated a limited

number of markets during September/

October 1999 and November/December

1999. The evaluation determined the

number of cattle identified as No. 1

muscle score will decline, however the

average cost per hundred weight will

increase. This information will allow

the CME to make any appropriate

adjustments in feeder cattle future

contracts.

One comment focused on muscling

and its lack of importance to lean yield.

However, current research indicates that

truly heavy muscled cattle are not

sufficiently recognized by the current

standards to have an impact in the price

discovery process. One comment

interpreted the proposed standard as

being initiated by USDA, AMS and not

as an industry driven, research

supported modification to the current

standards. As discussed previously, the

update of the standards is supported by

the CSU study and the request for the

update was initiated by industry and

other groups, including State

Departments of Agriculture, that

officially grade feeder cattle for

marketing programs. The updated

standards more accurately represent

today’s population of feeder cattle and

thus should provide the industry with

more meaningful market evaluations.

In consideration of the submitted

public comments, and all other

available information, USDA is revising

the official U.S. Standards for Grades of

Feeder Cattle by modifying the frame

size parameters as shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1.—WEIGHT/FRAME SIZE

Frame size Steers

weight, lbs.

Heifers

weight, lbs.

Small ..................... <1100 <1000

TABLE 1.—WEIGHT/FRAME SIZE—

Continued

Frame size Steers

weight, lbs.

Heifers

weight, lbs.

Medium ................. 1100–1250 1000–1150

Large ..................... >1250 >1150

Also, the changes adjust the minimum

requirements for the muscle thickness

grades and increase the number of

grades from three (3) to four (4) to

accommodate thicker muscled cattle. In

order to allow the industry sufficient

time to update its current system, the

updated standards will be implemented

October 1, 2000.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621–1627.

Dated: June 21, 2000.

Barry L. Carpenter,

Deputy Administrator, Livestock and Seed

Program.

[FR Doc. 00–16150 Filed 6–26–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service

Child and Adult Care Food Program:

National Average Payment Rates, Day

Care Home Food Service Payment

Rates, and Administrative

Reimbursement Rates for Sponsoring

Organizations of Day Care Homes for

the Period July 1, 2000–June 30, 2001

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the

annual adjustments to: the national

average payment rates for meals and

supplements served in child care

centers, outside-school-hours care

centers, at-risk afterschool care centers,

and adult day care centers; the food

service payment rates for meals and

supplements served in day care homes;

and the administrative reimbursement

rates for sponsoring organizations of day

care homes, to reflect changes in the

Consumer Price Index. Further

adjustments are made to these rates to

reflect the higher costs of providing

meals in the States of Alaska and

Hawaii. The adjustments contained in

this notice are made on an annual basis

each July, as required by the statutes

and regulations governing the Child and

Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Melissa Rothstein, Section Chief, Child

and Adult Care and Summer Programs

Section, Policy and Program

Development Branch, Child Nutrition

Division, Food and Nutrition Service,

USDA, Alexandria, Virginia, 22302,

(703) 305–2620.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Definitions

The terms used in this notice shall

have the meanings ascribed to them in

the regulations governing the CACFP (7

CFR part 226).

Background

Pursuant to sections 4, 11 and 17 of

the Richard B. Russell National School

Lunch Act (NSLA) (42 U.S.C. 1753,

1759a and 1766), section 4 of the Child

Nutrition Act of 1966 (CNA) (42 U.S.C.

1773) and sections 226.4, 226.12 and

226.13 of the regulations governing the

CACFP (7 CFR part 226), notice is

hereby given of the new payment rates

for institutions participating in CACFP.

These rates shall be in effect during the

period July 1, 2000 through June 30,

2001.

As provided for under the NSLA and

the CNA, all rates in the CACFP must

be revised annually on July 1 to reflect

changes in the Consumer Price Index

(CPI) for the most recent 12-month

period. In accordance with this

mandate, the Department last published

the adjusted national average payment

rates for centers, the food service

payment rates for day care homes, and

the administrative reimbursement rates

for sponsors of day care homes on July

9, 1999 at 64 FR 37087 (for the period

July 1, 1999—June 30, 2000).

39590 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 124 / Tuesday, June 27, 2000 / Notices

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 124 / Tuesday, June 27, 2000 / Notices 39591

The changes in the national average

payment rates for centers reflect a 2.25

percent increase during the 12-month

period, May 1999 to May 2000, (from

164.6 in May 1999 to 168.3 in May

2000) in the food away from home series

of the CPI for All Urban Consumers.

The changes in the food service

payment rates for day care homes reflect

a 2.19 percent increase during the 12-

month period, May 1999 to May 2000,

(from 163.9 in May 1999 to 167.5 in

May 2000) in the food at home series of

the CPI for All Urban Consumers.

The changes in the administrative

reimbursement rates for sponsoring

organizations of day care homes reflect

a 3.07 percent increase during the 12-

month period, May 1999 to May 2000,

(from 166.2 in May 1999 to 171.3 in

May 2000) in the series for all items of

the CPI for All Urban Consumers,

published by the Bureau of Labor

Statistics of the Department of Labor.

The total amount of payments

available to each State agency for

distribution to institutions participating

in the program is based on the rates

contained in this notice.

This action is not a rule as defined by

the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C.

601–612) and thus is exempt from the

provisions of that Act. This notice has

been determined to be exempt under

Executive Order 12866.

This program is listed in the Catalog

of Federal Domestic Assistance under

No. 10.558 and is subject to the

provisions of Executive Order 12372,

which requires intergovernmental

consultation with State and local

officials. (See 7 CFR part 3015, subpart

V, and final rule related notice

published at 48 FR 29114, June 24,

1983.)

This notice imposes no new reporting

or recordkeeping provisions that are

subject to Office of Management and

Budget review in accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

U.S.C. 3501–3518).

Authority: Sections 4(b)(2), 11a, 17(c) and

17(f)(3)(B) of the Richard B. Russell National

School Lunch Act, as amended (42 U.S.C.

1753(b)(2), 1759a, 1766(f)(3)(B)) and section

4(b)(1)(B) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966,

as amended 42 U.S.C. 1773(b)(1)(B).

Dated: June 21, 2000.

Samuel Chambers, Jr.,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 00–16169 Filed 6–26–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–30–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service

National School Lunch, Special Milk,

and School Breakfast Programs;

National Average Payments/Maximum

Reimbursement Rates

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This Notice announces the

annual adjustments to: (1) The ‘‘national

average payments,’’ the amount of

money the Federal Government

provides States for lunches, afterschool

snacks and breakfasts served to children

participating in the National School

Lunch and School Breakfast Programs;

(2) the ‘‘maximum reimbursement

rates,’’ the maximum per lunch rate

from Federal funds that a State can

provide a school food authority for

lunches served to children participating

in the National School Lunch Program;

and (3) the rate of reimbursement for a

half-pint of milk served to nonneedy

children in a school or institution which

participates in the Special Milk Program

for Children. The payments and rates

are prescribed on an annual basis each

July. The annual payments and rates

adjustments for the National School

Lunch and School Breakfast Programs

reflect changes in the Food Away From

Home series of the Consumer Price

Index for All Urban Consumers. The

annual rate adjustment for the Special

Milk Program reflects changes in the

Producer Price Index for Fluid Milk

Products. These payments and rates are

in effect from July 1, 2000 through June

30, 2001.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Mary Jane Whitney, Section Chief,

School Programs Section, Policy and

Program Development Branch, Child

Nutrition Division, Food and Nutrition

Service, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive,

Room 1007, Alexandria, VA 22302 or

phone (703) 305–2620.