46552 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 170 / Wednesday, September 3, 1997 / Notices

to authorize this movement. Then, upon

arrival in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, the

driver must stop again so that Canadian

Customs can process the manifest by

stamping and removing the top (white)

copy. The driver then proceeds through

Ontario to the port of exit at Queenston,

Ontario. At Queenston, the driver must

stop again so that Canadian Customs

can further process the manifest by

retaining the second (blue) copy. The

driver then proceeds to Lewiston, New

York, and stops again so that U.S.

Customs can finalize the process by

retaining the third (green) copy. The

fourth (pink) copy of the manifest is

returned to the driver. This process

works the same way when commercial

carriers in Canada transit the U.S. for

return to Canada.

The Proposed In-Transit Procedure

Old stop #1 no longer required—

Commercial carriers transiting either

Canada or the U.S. will no longer be

required to stop at the domestic port of

departure to initiate the in-transit

movement. Drivers will proceed directly

to the other country.

New stop #1 (arriving in the other

country)—Arriving in the other country,

the driver stops so that foreign Customs

will review the manifest for accuracy

and verify that the merchandise does

qualify for this movement. The foreign

Customs will confirm the residency of

the driver and, if all is in order, stamp

the manifest, noting seal numbers where

applicable.

Old stop #3 no longer required—

Drivers will now proceed to the port of

entry for the first country for re-entry.

New stop #2 (re-entering the first

country)—Upon re-entry into the first

country, the driver will stop so that

domestic Customs can complete the

processing of the manifest; the second

(blue) copy of the manifest will be

returned to the other country’s Customs.

The Customs Service of the first country

retains the third (green) copy of the

manifest, and the driver is given the

fourth (pink) copy of the manifest.

Thus, in the example above, the

driver departs the U.S. at Port Huron,

Michigan. Arriving at Sarnia, Ontario,

Canada, the driver stops and Canadian

Customs initiates the process, noting

seal numbers where applicable,

stamping and retaining the top (white)

copy of the manifest. The driver then

proceeds through Ontario to the U.S.

port at Lewiston, New York. There, the

driver stops and U.S. Customs finalizes

the process, stamps the manifest and

retains the second (blue) and third

(green) copies; the fourth (pink) copy of

the manifest is returned to the driver.

U.S. Customs will return the second

(blue) copy of the manifest to Customs

in Canada, following local agreement on

transmittal procedures. This process

will work the same way when

commercial carriers in Canada transit

the U.S. for return to Canada. During the

test, U.S. Customs may continue to use

the Customs Form 7512(C) (CF

7512(C)—Destination) as a source for

the ‘‘Transit Manifest No.’’ for carriers

transitting the United States.

Regulatory Provisions Affected

During the In-Transit truck shipment

test, the normal departure reporting

requirements of subpart E of part 123 of

the Customs Regulations (19 CFR part

123, subpart E) will be suspended.

These reporting requirements are

contained at § 123.41 (b) and (c)(2) of

the Customs Regulations, which

concerns truck shipments transiting

Canada, and § 123.42 (b) and (d) of the

Customs Regulations, which concerns

truck shipments transiting the U.S.

Enforcement Provisions

The transportation of restricted or

prohibited merchandise is not permitted

during the pilot test, and participants

will be subject to civil and criminal

penalties and sanctions for any

violations of U.S. Customs laws.

Both Customs agencies will be

conducting statistically valid

compliance examinations on in-transit

carriers, and both Customs agencies will

be formulating risk assessments using

the Compliance Measurement results.

Comments and Evaluation of Test

Customs will review all public

comments received concerning any

aspect of the test program or procedures,

and finalize procedures in light of those

comments. Approximately 120 days

after conclusion of the test, evaluations

of the test will be conducted and final

results will be made available to the

public upon request.

Dated: August 22, 1997.

Robert S. Trotter,

Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field

Operations.

[FR Doc. 97–23255 Filed 9–2–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4820–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS

Veterans’ Advisory Committee on

Education, Meeting

The Department of Veterans Affairs

gives notice that a meeting of the

Veterans’ Advisory Committee on

Education, authorized by 38 U.S.C.

3692, will be held on September 18 and

September 19, 1997. The meeting will

take place at the Department of Veterans

Affairs (VA) Central Office, Room 630,

810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington,

DC, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on

Thursday, September 18, 1997, and

from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday,

September 19. The purpose of the

Committee is to assist in the evaluation

of existing programs and services and

recommend needed new programs and

services. Thursday morning the

Committee will be briefed on the

Government Improvement and Results

Act and will meet with a representative

of the Education Business Process

Reengineering team. In the afternoon,

the Committee will meet Executive

Director of the Commission on

Servicemembers and Veterans

Transition Assistance. Friday morning

the Committee will discuss pertinent

issues and make recommendations to

the Secretary-Designate.

The meeting will be open to the

public. Those wishing to attend should

contact Ms. June Schaeffer, Assistant

Director, Education Policy and Program

Administration (phone 202–273–7187),

prior to September 10, 1997.

Interested persons may attend, appear

before, or file statements with the

Committee. Statements, if in written

form, may be filed before or within 10

days after the meeting. Oral statements

will be heard at 9 a.m., Friday,

September 19, 1997.

Dated: August 25, 1997.

By direction of the Secretary-Designate.

Heyward Bannister,

Committee Management Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–23264 Filed 9–2–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8320–01–M