[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 1, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 79733-79734]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21619]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

7 CFR Parts 305 and 319

[Docket No. APHIS-2024-0034]


Web Links for Plant Commodity Import Requirements

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are revising the phytosanitary treatment and quarantine 
import regulations to reflect our relocation of import and treatment 
requirements for agricultural commodities to the Agricultural Commodity 
Import Requirements online database. This change will ensure that the 
regulations provide the latest web links for accessing current import 
and treatment requirements for all agricultural commodities.

DATES: Effective October 1, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Jenna Edwards, Assistant Director, 
Information Services and Manuals Unit, PPQ-PEIP-IRM, APHIS, 4700 River 
Road, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (970) 305-2501; 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f69c9398989f909384d89bd893928197849285b683859297d8919980"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="58323d3636313e3d2a7635763d3c2f392a3c2b182d2b3c39763f372e">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The regulations in 7 CFR part 305, ``Phytosanitary Treatments,'' 
set out phytosanitary treatment requirements for certain plants, 
fruits, vegetables, and other articles before they may be imported or 
moved interstate to prevent the spread of agricultural pests into or 
within the United States. In 7 CFR part 319, subpart H, Sec. Sec.  
319.37-1 through 319.37-23, sets out requirements for importation of 
live plants intended to be planted or replanted. Subpart L, Sec. Sec.  
319.56-1 through 319.56-12, provides requirements for importation of 
fruits and vegetables into the United States.
    The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) maintains a 
publicly searchable database, ``Agricultural Commodity Import 
Requirements,'' or ACIR,\1\ that allows users to find import and 
treatment requirements for all agricultural commodities. APHIS intends 
ACIR eventually to be the official location for import and treatment 
requirements for all agricultural commodities.
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    \1\ https://acir.aphis.usda.gov/s/.
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    Prior to development of the ACIR database, APHIS' Plant Protection 
and Quarantine (PPQ) import and treatment requirements were maintained 
across several manuals and the Fruits and Vegetables Import 
Requirements (FAVIR) database. In September 2022, FAVIR was retired and 
all information about specific fruit and vegetable import requirements 
were relocated to ACIR. PPQ import requirements for cut flowers and 
greenery, seeds not for planting, miscellaneous and processed products, 
and later in 2022, plants for planting, were also relocated from their 
respective manuals to ACIR. In early 2023, treatment schedules and 
other information from the PPQ Treatment Manual were relocated to ACIR.
    Parts 305 and 319 of the current regulations contain web links to 
FAVIR, PPQ's Plants for Planting Manual, and the PPQ Treatment Manual. 
These links either redirect persons to the ACIR database or to manuals 
that are no longer to be updated, as the information in these sources 
has been moved to ACIR. In order to provide updated web links to direct 
readers to the ACIR database, it is necessary to amend the regulations 
through rulemaking.
    In Sec.  305.1, the definition of PPQ Treatment Manual contains a 
link that currently directs readers to the manual. We are removing that 
web link and replacing it with one that links directly to the 
treatments section within ACIR. We are also amending the definition by 
removing the current mailing address for requesting a hard copy of the 
PPQ Treatment Manual and adding an updated mailing address.\2\ In 
accordance with our legal obligations, we maintain this service for 
persons who may not have access to the internet.
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    \2\ Information Services and Manuals Unit, 4700 River Road, 
Riverdale, MD 20737.
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    We are also amending Sec.  319.5(c) by removing ``Commodity Import 
Analysis and Operations'' from the address to which information about 
export commodities is to be sent. This amendment reflects an internal 
administrative change.
    In Sec.  319.37-2, we are revising the definition of Plants for 
Planting Manual by replacing the web link currently in the definition 
with one that links directly to the plants for planting section of the 
ACIR database. We are also updating the mailing address in the 
definition for persons requesting a hard copy of the manual.
    As noted above, the import requirements for fruits and vegetables 
have been moved from FAVIR to ACIR. Accordingly, we are updating Sec.  
319.56-4(c)(1) by replacing the current web link with a link directly 
to the ACIR database.

Effective Date

    This rule updates APHIS' regulations in order to ensure that 
references to manuals, web addresses, postal addresses, and 
nomenclature are accurate. Therefore, APHIS considers there to be good 
cause pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 to find that an opportunity for public 
comment is unnecessary and contrary to the public interest, and this 
rule may be made effective less than 30 days after publication in the 
Federal Register. Further, since this rule ensures that regulations 
will refer to the correct web addresses and postal addresses used by 
the Agency, APHIS considers the rule to relate to internal agency 
management within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and it is, 
accordingly, exempt from the provisions of Executive Orders 12866 and 
12988. Finally, this action is not a rule as defined by the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 501), and as such is exempt from the 
provisions of that Act.

Executive Order 12372

    This program/activity is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance under No. 10.025 and is subject to Executive Order 12372, 
which requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local 
officials. (See 2 CFR chapter IV.)

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This rule contains no reporting or recordkeeping requirements under 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Lists of Subjects

7 CFR Part 305

    Agricultural commodities, Imports, Plant diseases and pests, 
Quarantine, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Transportation.

7 CFR Part 319

    Coffee, Cotton, Fruits, Honey, Imports, Nursery stock, Plant 
diseases and pests, Plants, Quarantine, Reporting

[[Page 79734]]

and recordkeeping requirements, Rice, Sugar, Vegetables.

    Accordingly, we are amending 7 CFR parts 305 and 319 as follows:

PART 305--PHYTOSANITARY TREATMENTS

0
1. The authority citation for part 305 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  7 U.S.C. 7701-7772 and 7781-7786; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 
136a; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.


0
2. In Sec.  305.1, revise the definition of ``PPQ Treatment Manual'' to 
read as follows:


Sec.  305.1   Definitions.

* * * * *
    PPQ Treatment Manual. A document that contains treatment schedules 
that are approved by the Administrator for use under this part. The 
Treatment Manual is available on the internet at https://acir.aphis.usda.gov/s/treatment-hub, or by contacting the Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, 
Information Services and Manuals Unit, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD 
20737.
* * * * *

PART 319--FOREIGN QUARANTINE NOTICES

0
3. The authority citation for part 319 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  7 U.S.C. 1633, 7701-7772, and 7781-7786; 21 U.S.C. 
136 and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.


Sec.  319.5   [Amended]

0
4. In Sec.  319.5(c), remove the text ``Commodity Import Analysis and 
Operations,''.

0
5. In Sec.  319.37-2, revise the definition of ``Plants for Planting 
Manual'' to read as follows:


Sec.  319.37-2   Definitions.

* * * * *
    Plants for Planting Manual. The document that contains restrictions 
on the importation of specific types of plants for planting, as 
provided in Sec.  319.37-20, and other information about the 
importation of plants for planting as provided in this subpart. The 
Plants for Planting Manual is available on the internet at https://acir.aphis.usda.gov/s/plants-for-planting-hub, or by contacting the 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and 
Quarantine, Information Services and Manuals Unit, 4700 River Road, 
Riverdale, MD 20737.
* * * * *


Sec.  319.56-4   [Amended]

0
6. In Sec.  319.56-4(c)(1), remove the web address ``https://
epermits.aphis.usda.gov/manual'' and add the web address ``https://acir.aphis.usda.gov/s/'' in its place.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 16th day of September 2024.
Michael Watson,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-21619 Filed 9-30-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P


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