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.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

8633 

Vol. 72, No. 38 

Tuesday, February 27, 2007 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agriculture Marketing Service 

7 CFR Part 1215 

[Docket No. AMS–FV–07–0022; FV–06–706] 

Popcorn Promotion, Research, and 

Consumer Information Order; Section 

610 Review 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of regulatory review and 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: This document announces the 

Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) 

review of the Popcorn Promotion, 

Research, and Consumer Information 

Order [Order] (conducted under the 

Popcorn Promotion, Research, and 

Consumer Information Act [Act]), under 

the criteria contained in Section 610 of 

the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA). 

DATES: Written comments on this 

document must be received by April 30, 

2007. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments on 

the internet at: http:// 

www.regulations.gov or to the Research 

and Promotion Branch, Fruit and 

Vegetable Programs, Agricultural 

Marketing Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Room 0635–S, Stop 0244, 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–0244; FAX: 

(202) 205–2800. All comments should 

reference the docket number and the 

date and page number of this issue of 

the Federal Register and will be made 

available for public inspection in the 

above office during regular business 

hours. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Deborah Simmons, Marketing 

Specialist, Research and Promotion 

Branch, FVP, AMS, USDA, Stop 0244, 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 

0635–S, Washington, DC 20250–0244; 

telephone: (888) 720–9917; fax: (202) 

205–2800. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Popcorn Promotion, Research, and 

Consumer Information Act of 1996, (7 

U.S.C. 7481 et seq.) authorized the 

Popcorn Promotion, Research, and 

Consumer Information Order which is 

industry operated and funded, with 

oversight by USDA. The Popcorn 

Promotion, Research, and Consumer 

Information Order objective is to carry 

out an effective and continuous 

coordinated program of research, 

development, advertising, and 

promotion designed to strengthen 

popcorns’ competitive position, and to 

maintain and expand domestic and 

foreign markets for popcorn and 

popcorn products. 

The Popcorn Promotion, Research, 

and Consumer Information Order (7 

CFR Part 1215) became effective on 

September 1, 1997, and was 

implemented in January 1998 when 

assessments began. The Popcorn Board 

(Board) collects assessments from 

processors of over four million pounds 

of popcorn per year, regardless of the 

country of origin of the popcorn. The 

assessment rate is 6 cents per 

hundredweight. 

Assessments under this program are 

used to fund promotional campaigns 

and to conduct research in the areas of 

U.S. marketing, and international 

marketing and to enable it to exercise its 

duties in accordance with the Order. 

The Popcorn Promotion, Research, 

and Consumer Information Order is 

administered by the Popcorn Board, 

which is composed of nine at-large 

processors who were appointed by the 

Secretary of Agriculture from 

nominations submitted by eligible 

processors. All processors of over four 

million pounds of popcorn annually are 

eligible to participate in the nomination 

process. All Board members serve terms 

of three years. 

The Agricultural Marketing Service 

published in the Federal Register (71 

FR 14828; March 24, 2006) its plan to 

review certain regulations, including the 

Popcorn Promotion, Research, and 

Consumer Information Order, 

(conducted under the Popcorn 

Promotion, Research, and Consumer 

Information Act), under criteria 

contained in Section 610 of the 

Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA; 5 

U.S.C. 601–612). Because many AMS 

regulations impact small entities, AMS 

decided, as a matter of policy, to review 

certain regulations which, although they 

may not meet the threshold requirement 

under section 610 of the RFA, warrant 

review. Accordingly, this notice and 

request for comments is made for the 

Popcorn Promotion, Research, and 

Consumer Information Order. 

The purpose of the review is to 

determine whether the Popcorn 

Promotion, Research, and Consumer 

Information Order should be continued 

without change, amended, or rescinded 

(consistent with the objectives of the 

Popcorn Promotion, Research, and 

Consumer Information Act of 1996) to 

minimize the impacts on small entities. 

AMS will consider the continued need 

for the Popcorn Promotion, Research, 

and Consumer Information Order; the 

nature of complaints or comments 

received from the public concerning the 

Popcorn Promotion, Research, and 

Consumer Information Order; the 

complexity of the Popcorn Promotion, 

Research, and Consumer Information 

Order; the extent to which the Popcorn 

Promotion, Research, and Consumer 

Information Order overlaps, duplicates, 

or conflicts with other Federal rules, 

and, to the extent feasible, with State 

and local regulations; and the length of 

time since the Popcorn Promotion, 

Research, and Consumer Information 

Order has been evaluated or the degree 

to which technology, economic 

conditions, or other factors have 

changed in the area affected by the 

Popcorn Promotion, Research, and 

Consumer Information Order. 

Written comments, views, opinions, 

and other information regarding the 

Popcorn Promotion, Research, and 

Consumer Information Order’s impact 

on small businesses are invited. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7481–7491. 

Dated: February 20, 2007. 

Lloyd C. Day, 

Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–3262 Filed 2–26–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 


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