FGIS Financial Update

Grain Inspection Advisory Committee

September 5-6, 2018

Denise Ruggles

FGIS Executive Program Analyst
Overview

 User Fees Revenue and Obligations by Account

 Financial Data on Website

 User Fee Funding Obligations (percentage)

 Operating Reserve

 Fee Reviews

 Appropriated Obligations

 Estimated FY19 Funding
FGIS User Fee Accounts

U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA)

 Inspection and Weighing Account 

 Supervision of Official Agencies Account

Agricultural Marketing Act (AMA)

 Rice Inspection Account 

 Commodity Inspection Account 

Funds available until expended; balances carry forward.

FGIS has a User Fee obligation/spending CAP.

FGIS User Fee accounts are subject to sequestration laws. 
Inspection and Weighing Account
Inspection and Weighing Account 

(Cont.)
Supervision of Official Agencies Account
Supervision of Official Agencies Account 

(Cont.)
Rice Inspection Account
Rice Inspection Account 

(Cont.)
Commodities Inspection Account
Commodities Inspection Account 

(Cont.)
Financial Data on Website

FGIS publishes on the public website FGIS Financial Data at 

https://www.gipsa.usda.gov/fgis/public_financialdata.aspx

FGIS User Fee Accounts data contains revenue, obligations, 

earnings/loss, and operating reserve balance for fiscal years 

2013 – 2017 & Quarter 3 2018. 

User Fee Obligations by Program and Category (i.e. salaries, travel, 

etc.) for fiscal years 2015 - 2017.

Inspection and weighing program data for revenue and expense by 

national tonnage fee, local tonnage fee, and the hourly/inspection 

fees for fiscal years 2013 – 2017 & Quarter 3 2018.
FY17 User Fee Funding Obligations
Purpose of Operating Reserves

FGIS Directive 9290.17 Fee-Supported Programs – User-Fee 

Analysis and Funding for Slow Periods and Terminated Programs 

“fee-supported program should maintain an unobligated balance of at 

least 3 months of operating expenses.* This unobligated balance is 

needed to cover accrued liabilities should the program terminate.”

*NOTE: Depending on circumstances, more than 3 months may be 

necessary.

In section 800.71(b)(2) of the regulations, FGIS must adjust all 

inspection and weighing fees in Schedule A when the target of 4.5 

months of operating reserve isn’t maintained.
Operating Reserves

Est FY18 EOY 

Operating 

Reserve

* FY17 calculated 

4 1/2 Months 

program need

Inspection and Weighing $ 19,861,180 $ 15,080,702 

Supervision of Official Agencies $ 5,051,125 $ 667,485 

Rice Inspection $ 8,956,351 $ 2,039,930 

Commodities Inspection ($ 565,886) $ 1,282,118 

Total $ 33,302,770 $ 19,070,235

*§79(j)(4) & §79a(l)(3) maintain an operating reserve of not less 

than 3 and not more than 6 months
Fee Reviews

FGIS is required to review fees annually for the fees in Schedule A of 

section 800.71 of the regulations.

FGIS tracks each user fee program monthly and posts quarterly data 

to the website.

FGIS conducts annual reviews of each user fee program annually and 

provides a proposal to the Deputy Administrator. 

AMS budget staff in coordination with the AMS Financial Systems and 

Reporting Branch (AFSRB) conduct a biennial review of fees.
National and Local Tonnage Fees

Tonnage Fee CY18 Fee Revenue

Obligating 

Expense Earnings/Loss Metric Tons

Headquarters (HQ) $ 0.057 $5,809,514 $5,077,197 $732,318 97,380,300

Portland 1/ $ 0.138 $283,823 $313,997 ($30,173) 3,503,991

Toledo 1 / $ 0.225 $258,102 $215,262 $42,840 1,263,896

New Orleans 1 / $ 0.084 $1,496,682 $1,472,325 $24,357 49,089,069

League City 1 / $ 0.119 $598,531 $827,798 ($229,267) 7,383,308

1/ Includes Headquarter portion of the tonnage fee

Fiscal Year 2018 Third Quarter

Fee Published:

83FR6451 dated 02/14/2018, Correction 83FR11633 dated 03/16/2018
Proposal to Remove Fee Tables

To ensure FGIS meets section 800.71(b) of the regulations (annual review of 

fees) deadline, AMS plans to propose removing the fee tables from the Code of 

Federal Regulations. This proposed action lessens the obstacles of regulatory 

burdens and streamlines the annual fee adjustment process, supports the 

Departments strategic goal of ensuring USDA programs are delivered efficiently 

and effectively.

Why is this a challenge? FGIS tonnage data is finalized on 15th of October, and 

fiscal year financials aren’t finalized until the 15th of November each year. This 

leaves less than 45 days with holidays to clear the regulatory review process for 

posting in the Federal Register.

The proposed rule would describe the process for publishing a notice of any 

change in the fees going forward as follows: AMS would publish a notice in the 

Federal Register stating that the new fees based on the formula, and note the 

effective date of the new fee schedule. AMS would also make its fee schedule 

available on the Agency’s public website. 
Supervision of Official Agencies 

Fee Suspension

Fee Suspension Published:

83FR24081 dated 05/24/2018, continuing a 

suspension of collecting the supervision fee that 

started on 07/01/2016 through 06/30/2019. 

FGIS has determined that suspending the supervision 

fee collected by Official Agencies (OAs) is the best 

path to take to ensure that the operating reserve is 

between a 3 to 6 months of expenses.
Fee Adjustments Published

Rice Inspection – 72FR1913 dated 01/17/2007 

Processed and graded commodities – 66FR17775 dated 04/04/2001

Commodity Laboratory testing – 69FR1893 dated 01/13/2004
Limitation on Obligations (Expenses)

For the second year in a row, FGIS user fee accounts were limited to $55 

million in obligations as we entered our 4th year of high grain exports. 

CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS, FISCAL YEAR 2018

PUBLIC LAW 115-141 (SIGNED MARCH 23, 2018)

LIMITATION ON INSPECTION AND WEIGHING SERVICES EXPENSES

Not to exceed $55,000,000 (from fees collected) shall be obligated during 

the current fiscal year for inspection and weighing services: Provided, That 

if grain export activities require additional supervision and oversight, or 

other uncontrollable factors occur, this limitation may be exceeded by up to 

10 percent with notification to the Committees on Appropriations of both 

Houses of Congress.
Why is the limitation a challenge?

As the Government starts each fiscal year we often are funded under a 

Continuing Resolution (CR) which limits spending to prior year levels. This 

limitation on funding causes FGIS to only fund immediate needs, such as 

payroll (including retirement lump sums), travel, rent, communications, 

maintenance contracts, supplies, etc. until a final budget is signed. 

Also while under a CR, staff year limitations for the programs continue.

To insure FGIS has the necessary funding for the first quarter (grain 

harvest), we must closely review needs and often hold off on hiring 

replacement staff, hold off on necessary equipment replacements and 

repairs, and delay initiatives that require funding (i.e. lab automation, 

physical security updates, building repairs and updates) until a full budget is 

signed. 
FGIS Grain Regulatory Account

Annual Appropriated Funding for:

• Standardization Activities

• Compliance Activities 

• Monitoring in foreign ports grain

• Other provisions of the USGSA, except sections 

79, 79a, 79b, 87e, and 87f-l which are financed by 

fees

Funds available one year; “use or lose” balances.
Grain Appropriated Account 

(Dollars in Millions)

Estimated FY19 Funding

For FY19 planning purposes, FGIS is assuming a 

continuation for the 3rd year a User Fee CAP of $55M on 

spending and Appropriated funding at $20M, less AMS 

Overhead (OH).

As FGIS continues to work with AMS on processes to 

determine AMS OH obligations for the program, FGIS has 

placed a temporary line item for AMS OH at $12.4M (User 

Fee $7.3 & Appropriated $5.1M).
Questions?