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

18055

Vol. 62, No. 71

Monday, April 14, 1997

1 In addition, pork and pork products, as a

condition of entry into the United States, must meet

all requirements of the Federal Meat Inspection Act

(21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) and regulations promulgated

thereunder by the Food Safety Inspection Service

(FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. FSIS

regulations require that meat and meat products be

prepared only in FSIS-approved establishments (see

7 CFR part 327).

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

9 CFR Part 94

[Docket No. 96–066–1]

Importation of Sliced and PrePackaged Dry-Cured Pork Products

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

SUMMARY: We are proposing to allow

dry-cured pork products that have been

sliced and packaged prior to shipment

to the United States to be imported into

the United States under specified

conditions. This action would relieve

some restrictions on the importation of

pork into the United States without

presenting a significant risk of

introducing any serious communicable

diseases of animals.

DATES: Consideration will be given only

to comments received on or before June

13, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Please send an original and

three copies of your comments to

Docket No. 96–066–1, Regulatory

Analysis and Development, PPD,

APHIS, Suite 4C03, 4700 River Road

Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737–1238.

Comments received may be inspected at

USDA, room 1141, South Building, 14th

Street and Independence Avenue SW.,

Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and

4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday,

except holidays. Persons wishing to

inspect comments are requested to call

ahead on (202) 690–2817 to facilitate

entry into the comment reading room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Julia Sturm, Supervisory Staff Officer,

Products Program, National Center for

Import and Export, VS, APHIS, Suite

3B66, 4700 River Road Unit 40,

Riverdale, MD 20737–1231, (301) 734–

3277; or E-mail: jsturm@.aphis.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The regulations in 9 CFR part 94

(referred to below as the regulations)

govern the importation into the United

States of specified animals and animal

products to prevent the introduction of

various animal diseases, including

rinderpest, foot-and-mouth disease,

bovine spongiform encephalopathy, hog

cholera, African swine fever, and swine

vesicular disease, into the United States.

These are dangerous and destructive

communicable diseases of ruminants

and swine.

Under the regulations, certain animal

products—whole hams, pork shoulders,

and pork loins—from countries where

foot-and-mouth disease, rinderpest,

African swine fever, hog cholera, or

swine vesicular disease exists may be

imported into the United States only

under certain conditions. To be eligible

for importation, these products must

have been dry-cured and otherwise

handled in accordance with procedures

specified in § 94.17 of the regulations.

However, under our current regulations,

these same products are not eligible for

importation if they have been sliced and

packaged prior to shipment. We have

prohibited importation of sliced and

packaged dry-cured hams, pork

shoulders, and pork loins because it is

difficult to verify the origin of the meat

and how it has been processed. Without

this information, we cannot easily

determine whether the meat has been

treated and otherwise handled in a

manner that ensures it is free of disease

agents. The Italian Ministry of Health has

petitioned us to allow presliced and

prepackaged dry-cured pork to be

imported into the United States from

countries where foot-and-mouth

disease, rinderpest, swine vesicular

disease, African swine fever, and hog

cholera exist, if the meat would, except

for its having been sliced and packaged,

meet all current requirements for

importation. The Italian Ministry

proposed various inspection,

recordkeeping, and labeling

requirements that would allow

verification of the meat’s origin,

treatment, and handling. We have carefully considered this

petition, and concluded that presliced

and prepackaged dry-cured pork can be

imported into the United States without

undue risk, under conditions explained

in this document. We are therefore

proposing to amend our regulations to

allow such importations. Under our proposed rule, to be

eligible for importation, presliced and

prepackaged dry-cured ham, pork

shoulder, and pork loin must come from

whole dry-cured hams, pork shoulders,

and pork loins that meet the

requirements of current § 94.17. After

the whole hams, pork shoulders, and

pork loins have been dry-cured in

accordance with § 94.17(i), they must be

transferred to an approved slicing/

packaging facility. The slicing/

packaging facility must be located

within the same region of the same

country as the establishment where the

whole hams, pork shoulders, and pork

loins were dry-cured (see proposed

§ 94.17(p)). In the future, under the

regulations in 9 CFR part 94, some

countries may be divided into different

regions, based on whether an animal

disease is present in a region and the

level of disease risk presented by

animals and products exported from

that region. If a country is divided into

two or more regions for disease risk

classification with respect to foot-andmouth disease, rinderpest, African

swine fever, hog cholera, or swine

vesicular disease, having the dry-curing

establishment and the slicing/packaging

facility in the same region of the same

country would ensure that meat in

transit from the processing facility to the

slicing/packaging facility would not be

exposed and possibly contaminated

with disease agents of concern.

The slicing/packaging facility must,

under our proposed rule, be approved

by the Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S.

Department of Agriculture (see

proposed § 94.17(p)(1)(i)). 1 APHIS

inspections are designed to ensure that

meat and meat products imported into

the United States present negligible pest

or disease risk to livestock in this

country.

Under our proposed rule, the

operators of slicing/packaging facilities

would be required to sign cooperative

service agreements with APHIS, and be

current in paying all costs for an APHIS

representative to inspect their
18056 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 71 / Monday, April 14, 1997 / Proposed Rules

2FSIS must also approve all labels for meat and

meat food products (see 9 CFR part 317).

establishments (see proposed

§§ 94.17(p)(1)(vi) and 94.17(p)(1)(vii)).

Slicing/packaging facilities would also

be required to allow APHIS personnel,

or persons authorized by APHIS, to

inspect the facility and facility records

without notice (see proposed

§ 94.17(p)(1)(viii)). These proposed

requirements are virtually identical to

the requirements in our regulations that

now apply to facilities that process

whole hams, pork shoulders, and pork

loins. The proposed cooperative service

agreement requirements are designed to

ensure that slicing/packaging facilities

are not only in compliance with the

regulations, but that the costs of

compliance are born by the facilities or

their representatives, not by APHIS.

At slicing/packaging facilities, a fulltime salaried veterinarian employed by

the national veterinary service of the

government of the country of origin,

would be required, under our proposed

rule, to inspect each lot of dry-cured

hams, pork shoulders, and pork loins

arriving at the facility and intended for

export to the United States (see

proposed § 94.17(p)(2)(i). The

veterinarian would have to inspect the

pork products prior to slicing and

packaging, and would have to certify, in

writing, that the products meet all the

requirements of § 94.17 of the

regulations. Such certification would be

part of the records maintained by the

slicing/packaging facility.

Under our proposed rule, we would

also require the entire slicing and

packaging process to be personally and

continuously supervised by either a fulltime veterinarian employed by the

national government of the country of

origin, or, if the government of the

country of origin recognizes a local

consortium as responsible for product

quality, by an authorized representative

of the recognized consortium (see

proposed § 94.17(p)(2)(ii)). In most

countries where dry-cured pork

products are produced in accordance

with § 94.17, local consortia are

responsible for ensuring product

quality.

The individual supervising the slicing

and packaging process would be

required to certify, in records

maintained by the slicing/packaging

facility, that the sliced and packaged

dry-cured hams, pork shoulders, and

pork loins are the products from the

same whole hams, shoulders, and loins

inspected by the veterinarian at the time

they entered the facility (see proposed

§ 94.17(p)(2)(ii)). The individual

supervising slicing and packaging

would also be required to certify, in

records maintained by the slicing/

packaging facility, that the meat was

sliced and packaged in accordance with

our regulations. Under our proposed

regulations, any document or form of

certification would be acceptable as

long as it is in English. These

certifications are necessary to help

ensure that sliced and packaged drycured pork products shipped to the

United States are eligible for

importation.

We are also proposing to prohibit

pork products intended for importation

into the United States from being in the

slicing/packaging facility at the same

time as pork products not intended for

importation into the United States (see

proposed § 94.17(p)(1)(x)). Local

consumers and other importing

countries may not require these types of

pork products to be dry-cured for as

long as products destined for the United

States. After meat has been sliced and

packaged, it is no longer possible to

determine how long it was dry-cured.

Our requirements are therefore intended

to prevent products intended for

importation into the United States from

being commingled with other products.

Under our proposal, however, slicing/

packaging facilities could handle other

products at times when they were not

handling pork products intended for

importation into the United States.

We are proposing to require that

slicing/packaging facilities be in a

separate building, physically detached

from facilities where whole hams, pork

shoulders, or pork loins are dry-cured

(see proposed § 94.17(p)(1)(ii). This is

intended to ensure that dry-cured pork

products intended for importation into

the United States are not contaminated.

We are also proposing to require that all

areas in slicing/packaging facilities

where pork and pork products are

handled, such as holding areas and

slicing and packaging areas, be cleaned

and disinfected. All equipment used to

handle pork and pork products, such as

containers, work surfaces, slicing

machines, and packaging equipment,

would also have to be cleaned and

disinfected. Cleaning and disinfecting of

these areas and this equipment would

be required after sliced and packaged

pork products not eligible for export to

the United States have left the facility,

and before whole pork products

intended for importation into the United

States enter the facility for slicing and

packaging (see § 94.17(p)(1)(iii)).

Cleaning and disinfecting must be

adequate to ensure that disease agents of

concern are killed or inactivated, and

that pork products intended for

importation into the United States are

not contaminated.

In addition, we are proposing to

require that workers in slicing/

packaging facilities take precautions to

ensure that they do not contaminate

dry-cured pork in the facility with any

diseases of concern (see proposed

§ 94.17(p)(1)(ix)). We are proposing to

require that workers who handle drycured hams, pork shoulders, and pork

loins in a slicing/packaging facility

either shower and put on a full set of

clean clothes, or wait 24 hours after

handling other pork or pork products

before handling dry-cured pork hams,

pork shoulders, or pork loins in the

facility that are intended for importation

into the United States. This is the same

requirement that now applies to workers

in establishments where fresh hams,

pork shoulders, and pork loins are drycured in accordance with our

regulations (see current § 94.17(h)).

Under our proposed regulations,

slicing/packaging facilities would have

to maintain original records on each lot

of dry-cured hams, pork shoulders, and

pork loins entering the facility intended

for importation into the United States

(see proposed §§ 94.17(p)(1)(iv) and

94.17(p)(1)(v)). Records, which would

have to be kept for a minimum of 2

years, would have to include the

establishment numbers of all three

facilities where the meat was handled—

the slaughtering establishment, the drycuring establishment, and the slicing/

packaging facility. Records would also

have to include the date dry-curing of

the pork started, the date dry-curing was

completed, and the date the dry-cured

meat was sliced and packaged. We

propose to require that the records

maintained at slicing/packaging

facilities include the certificate issued

by the veterinarian at the facility and

the certification by either the

veterinarian or the consortium

representative. Records would, in

addition, have to be kept under lock and

key, with access restricted to officials of

the national government of the country

of origin, officials of the United States

Government, and persons maintaining

the records. Product labels 2 would be

required to show the date processing

began under § 94.17(i) and the date of

slicing and packaging (see proposed

§ 94.17(p)(2)(iii)). These proposed

recordkeeping and labeling

requirements are intended to ensure that

the presliced and prepackaged pork

products fully comply with our

regulations. These proposed

requirements would also allow us to

trace nonconforming products back to

their source and help us better enforce

our regulations. We also considered

requiring the lot number of the meat to
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 71 / Monday, April 14, 1997 / Proposed Rules 18057

appear on the label, or requiring that

meat from only 1 lot be in a package.

However, current industry practice is to

label packages with the lot number and

to package only meat from one lot in a

package. Under these circumstances, it

appears unnecessary to include either

requirement in our proposed

regulations.

We believe this proposed system of

inspections, recordkeeping and labeling

would provide us with the information

we need to ensure that sliced and

packaged dry-cured hams, pork

shoulders, and pork loins from

countries where various animal diseases

exist would not pose a significant

disease or pest risk to livestock in the

United States.

Miscellaneous

We are proposing to amend § 94.17(n)

to update the term ‘‘trust fund

agreement’’ by replacing it with the term

‘‘cooperative service agreement.’’

Cooperative service agreement is the

new name for the type of agreement

formerly known as a trust fund

agreement.

We are also proposing to amend

§ 94.17(g). This section currently

requires that facilities that dry-cure

whole pork hams, pork shoulders, and

pork loins must have signed an

agreement with APHIS ‘‘within 12

months’’ prior to receiving pork hams,

pork shoulders, or pork loins for

processing. We have found this

requirement to be unnecessary.

Facilities must maintain a current

cooperative service agreement with

APHIS under § 94.17(n), and facilities

are subject to unannounced inspections

under § 94.17(l). We have found these

requirements sufficient to ensure that

dry-curing facilities comply with the

requirements of § 94.17.

Executive Order 12866 and Regulatory

Flexibility Act

This proposed rule has been reviewed

under Executive Order 12866. The rule

has been determined to be not

significant for the purposes of Executive

Order 12866 and, therefore, has not

been reviewed by the Office of

Management and Budget.

In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 603, we

have performed an Initial Regulatory

Flexibility Analysis, which is set out

below, regarding the impact of this

proposed rule on small entities.

However, we do not currently have all

the data necessary for a comprehensive

analysis of the effects of this proposed

rule on small entities. Therefore, we are

inviting comments. In particular, we are

interested in determining: (1) The

quantity of specialty dry-cured hams

produced domestically; (2) the quantity

of potential imports; and (3) the degree

to which imported presliced and

prepackaged dry-cured pork products

would displace existing imported or

domestic products.

This proposed rule would amend the

regulations regarding importation of

dry-cured pork products from countries

where certain diseases of concern exist,

by providing that certain sliced and

packaged products may be imported

into the United States under specified

conditions. We have prohibited the

importation of sliced and packaged drycured hams, pork shoulders, and pork

loins because of the difficulty in

verifying the origin of sliced and

packaged meat and in determining how

the meat has been processed. This

proposal would establish inspections,

recordkeeping, and labeling

requirements that would allow

verification of the meat’s origin,

treatment, and handling. We believe this

action would relieve some restrictions

on the importation of dry-cured pork

into the United States without

presenting a significant risk of

introducing any serious communicable

diseases of animals.

The dry-cured pork products covered

by the proposed rule are specialty

products, such as Parma hams from

Italy. These products are similar to other

dry-cured pork products consumed in

the United States, some imported from

other countries and some produced

domestically. Currently, only whole

dry-cured pork hams, pork shoulders,

and pork loins are being imported into

the United States. Slightly less than 3

million pounds of such whole products

were imported in 1995, the most recent

year for which figures are available.

Presliced and prepackaged dry-cured

pork products are not being imported

into the United States at this time.

We estimate that fewer than 15

domestic companies produce dry-cured

pork products similar to those covered

by this proposed rule as a primary or

major product line. At least two of these

companies are very large, and these

types of products constitute only a small

fraction of their overall business. Of the

others, four are subsidiaries of Italian or

Swiss companies.

There are also a number of other

producers of cured and smoked hams

who may produce similar products. If

they do, adopting the proposed rule

could affect them. In addition, there are

approximately 10 domestic

establishments that buy cured hams and

trim and dress them for resale. Some of

the resulting products might be similar

to the presliced and prepackaged

products covered by this proposed rule.

If so, these businesses could also be

affected if the proposed rule is adopted.

This proposed rule contains various

recordkeeping and reporting

requirements. These requirements are

described in this document under the

heading ‘‘PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT.’’

Executive Order 12988

This proposed rule has been reviewed

under Executive Order 12988, Civil

Justice Reform. If this proposed rule is

adopted: (1) All State and local laws and

regulations that are inconsistent with

this rule will be preempted; (2) no

retroactive effect will be given to this

rule; and (3) administrative proceedings

will not be required before parties may

file suit in court challenging this rule.

Paperwork Reduction Act

In accordance with section 3507(d) of

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the information

collection or recordkeeping

requirements included in this proposed

rule have been submitted for approval to

the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB). Please send written comments

to the Office of Information and

Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention:

Desk Officer for APHIS, Washington, DC

20503. Please state that your comments

refer to Docket No. 96–066–1. Please

send a copy of your comments to: (1)

Docket No. 96–066–1, Regulatory

Analysis and Development, PPD,

APHIS, suite 3C03, 4700 River Road

Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737–1238,

and (2) Clearance Officer, OIRM, USDA,

room 404–W, 14th Street and

Independence Avenue SW.,

Washington, DC 20250. A comment to

OMB is best assured of having its full

effect if OMB receives it within 30 days

of publication of this proposed rule.

This rule would require that, to be

eligible for importation into the United

States, presliced and prepackaged drycured pork hams, pork shoulders, and

pork loins from countries where

rinderpest, foot-and-mouth disease,

African swine fever, hog cholera, or

swine vesicular disease exists, must be

processed and sliced and packaged in

the country of origin under specific

conditions. This rule would also

introduce various information collection

requirements to enable us to accurately

assess whether products presented for

importation comply with all applicable

regulations. We are soliciting comments

from the public concerning our

proposed information collection and

recordkeeping requirements. We need

this outside input to help us:

(1) Evaluate whether the proposed

information collection is necessary for

the proper performance of our agency’s
18058 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 71 / Monday, April 14, 1997 / Proposed Rules

2See footnote 1 in § 94.17(e).

functions, including whether the

information will have practical utility;

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of our

estimate of the burden of the proposed

information collection, including the

validity of the methodology and

assumptions used;

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected;

(4) Minimize the burden of the

information collection on those who are

to respond (such as through the use of

appropriate automated, electronic,

mechanical, or other technological

collection techniques or other forms of

information technology, e.g., permitting

electronic submission responses).

Estimate of burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average 0.083 hours per

response.

Respondents: Government

veterinarians, consortium

representatives, slicing/packaging

facility personnel.

Estimated number of respondents: 6.

Estimated number of responses per

respondent: 76.

Estimated total annual burden on

respondents: 38 hours.

Copies of this information collection

can be obtained from: Clearance Officer,

OIRM, USDA, room 404–W, 14th Street

and Independence Avenue SW.,

Washington, DC 20250.

Regulatory Reform

This action is part of the President’s

Regulatory Reform Initiative, which

directs agencies to remove obsolete and

unnecessary regulations and to find less

burdensome ways to achieve regulatory

goals.

List of Subjects in 9 CFR part 94

Animal diseases, Imports, Livestock,

Meat and meat products, Milk, Poultry

and poultry products, Reporting and

recordkeeping requirements.

Accordingly, 9 CFR part 94 would be

amended as follows:

PART 94—RINDERPEST, FOOT-ANDMOUTH DISEASE, FOWL PEST (FOWL

PLAGUE), EXOTIC NEWCASTLE

DISEASE, AFRICAN SWINE FEVER,

HOG CHOLERA, AND BOVINE

SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY:

PROHIBITED AND RESTRICTED

IMPORTATIONS.

1. The authority citation for part 94

would continue to read as follows:

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 147a, 150ee, 161, 162,

and 450; 19 U.S.C. 1306; 21 U.S.C. 111, 114a,

134a, 134b, 134c, 134f, 136, and 136a; 31

U.S.C. 9701; 42 U.S.C. 4331 and 4332; 7 CFR

2.22, 2.80, and 371.2(d).

2. Section 94.17 would be amended as

follows:

a. The introductory text would be

revised to read as set forth below.

b. In paragraph (d), by adding the

word ‘‘whole’’ immediately before the

word ‘‘ham,’’.

c. In paragraph (e), by adding the

word ‘‘whole’’ immediately after the

words ‘‘was processed’’; and in footnote

1, by removing the words ‘‘9 CFR part

301, et seq.’’ and adding the words ‘‘9

CFR, Chapter III’’ in their place.

d. In paragraph (f), by adding the

word ‘‘whole’’ immediately after the

words ‘‘was processed’’.

e. In paragraph (g), by adding the

word ‘‘whole’’ immediately after the

words ‘‘was processed’’, and by

removing the words ‘‘within 12

months’’.

f. In paragraph (h), and in the

introductory text of paragraph (i), by

adding the word ‘‘whole’’ immediately

after the words ‘‘was processed’’.

g. In paragraphs (j)(1), (j)(2), (j)(3), (k),

(l), and (n), by adding the word ‘‘whole’’

immediately after the first word ‘‘The’’

in each paragraph.

h. In paragraph (j)(2), by adding the

word ‘‘whole’’ immediately before the

words ‘‘dry-cured pork shoulder’’.

i. In paragraph (n), by removing the

words ‘‘trust fund agreement’’ and

adding the words ‘‘cooperative service

agreement’’ in its place each time it

appears.

j. A new paragraph (p) would be

added to read as set forth below.

§ 94.17 Dry-cured pork products from

countries where foot-and-mouth disease,

rinderpest, African swine fever, hog

cholera, or swine vesicular disease exists.

Notwithstanding any other provisions

in this part, dry-cured ham, pork

shoulder, or pork loin, whether whole

or sliced and packaged, shall not be

prohibited from being imported into the

United States if it meets the following

conditions:

* * * * *

(p) Whole hams, pork shoulders, and

pork loins that have been dry-cured in

accordance with paragraph (i) of this

section may be transported to a facility

in the same country for slicing and

packaging in accordance with this

paragraph; provided that, if the country

is divided into two or more regions for

disease classification with respect to

foot-and-mouth disease, rinderpest,

African swine fever, hog cholera, or

swine vesicular disease, the slicing/

packaging facility must be in the same

region of the country as the dry-curing

facility.

(1) The slicing/packaging facility. (i)

The slicing/packaging facility 2 must be

inspected, prior to slicing and packaging

any hams, pork shoulders, or pork loins

in accordance with this paragraph, by

an APHIS representative and

determined by the Administrator to be

capable of meeting the provisions of this

paragraph.

(ii) The slicing/packaging facility

must be in a separate building,

physically detached from the facility

where the whole ham, pork shoulder, or

pork loin was dry-cured in accordance

with paragraph (i) of this section.

(iii) The slicing/packaging facility,

including all equipment used to handle

pork and pork products, such as

containers, work surfaces, slicing

machines, and packaging equipment,

must be cleaned and disinfected after

sliced and packaged pork products that

are not eligible for export to the United

States leave the facility, and before

whole dry-cured hams, pork shoulders,

or pork intended for importation into

the United States enter the facility for

slicing and packaging. Cleaning and

disinfecting must be adequate to ensure

that disease agents of concern are killed

or inactivated, and that pork products

intended for importation into the United

States are not contaminated.

(iv) The slicing/packaging facility

must maintain under lock and key for a

minimum of 2 years, original records on

each lot of whole dry-cured hams, pork

shoulders, and pork loins entering the

facility for slicing and packaging under

this section, including:

(A) The approval number of the

facility where the whole ham, shoulder,

or loin was dry-cured in accordance

with paragraph (i) of this section;

(B) The date the whole ham, shoulder,

or loin started dry-curing;

(C) The date the whole ham, shoulder,

or loin completed dry-curing;

(D) The date the whole ham, shoulder,

or loin was sliced and packaged; and

(E) A copy of all certifications

required under paragraph (p) of this

section.

(v) Access to records required to be

maintained under paragraph (p) of this

section must be restricted to officials of

the national government of the country

of origin, representatives of the United

States Government, and persons

maintaining the records.

(vi) The operator of the slicing/

packaging facility must have signed a

cooperative service agreement with

APHIS prior to receipt of the whole drycured hams, pork shoulders, or pork

loins for slicing and packaging, stating

that all hams, pork shoulders, or pork
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 71 / Monday, April 14, 1997 / Proposed Rules 18059

loins sliced and packaged at the facility

for importation into the United States

will be sliced and packaged only in

accordance with this section.

(vii) The operator of the slicing/

packaging facility must be current, in

accordance with the terms of the

cooperative service agreement signed

with APHIS, in paying all costs for an

APHIS representative to inspect the

establishment, including travel, salary,

subsistence, administrative overhead,

and other incidental expenses. (viii) The slicing/packaging facility

must allow the unannounced entry into

the establishment of APHIS

representatives, or other persons

authorized by the Administrator, for the

purpose of inspecting the establishment

and records of the establishment.

(ix) Workers at the slicing/packaging

facility who handle pork or pork

products in the facility must shower and

put on a full set of clean clothes, or wait

24 hours after handling pork or pork

products that are not eligible for

importation into the United States,

before handling dry-cured hams, pork

shoulders, or pork loins in the slicing/

packaging facility that are intended for

importation into the United States. (x) Pork products intended for

importation into the United States may

not be in the slicing/packaging facility

at the same time as pork products not

intended for exportation to the United

States.

(2) Slicing and packaging and

labeling procedures. (i) A full-time salaried veterinarian

employed by the national government of

the country of origin must inspect each

lot of whole dry-cured hams, pork

shoulders, and pork loins at the slicing/

packaging facility, before slicing is

begun, and must certify in English that

it is eligible for importation into the

United States in accordance with this

section; and

(ii) Either a full-time salaried

veterinarian employed by the national

government of the country of origin, or,

if the national government of the

country of origin recognizes a local

consortium as responsible for product

quality, a representative of that local

consortium, must certify in English that

he or she personally supervised the

entire process of slicing and packaging

each lot of dry-cured hams, pork

shoulders, and pork loins at the slicing/

packaging facility; that each lot of drycured hams, pork shoulders, and pork

loins was sliced and packaged in

accordance with the requirements of

this paragraph; and that the sliced and

packaged pork ham, shoulder, or loin is

the same dry-cured ham, pork shoulder,

or pork loin certified under paragraph

(p)(2)(i).

(iii) The sliced and packaged drycured pork ham, pork shoulder, or pork

loin must be labeled with the date that

processing of the meat under paragraph

(i) of this section began, and with the

date the meat was sliced and packaged.

(Approved by the Office of Management and

Budget under control number 0579–0015)

Done in Washington, DC, this 8th day of

April 1997.

Donald W. Luchsinger,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 97–9573 Filed 4–11–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE

CORPORATION

12 CFR Part 361

RIN 3064–AB95

Minority and Women Outreach

Program—Contracting; and Individuals

With Disabilities Outreach Program

AGENCY: Federal Deposit Insurance

Corporation.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

SUMMARY: The FDIC proposes for public

comment amendments to its regulations

to provide that the FDIC certify the

eligibility of businesses and law firms

for the minority and women’s

contracting program. The formal

certification procedure, similar to what

the former Resolution Trust Corporation

had in place, would replace the current

self-certification of minority and women

owned businesses and law firms. This

amendment will also establish an

outreach program for individuals with

disabilities.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before June 13, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to

Jerry L. Langley, Executive Secretary,

FDIC, 550 17th Street, NW.,

Washington, DC 20429. Comments may

be hand-delivered to Room 400, 1776 F

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20429 on

business days between 8:30 a.m. and

5:00 p.m. [FAX number: (202)898–3838;

Internet: comments@fdic.gov].

Comments will be available for

inspection and photocopying at the

FDIC’s Reading Room, room 7118, 550

17th Street, NW., Washington, DC

20429, between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

on business days.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary A. Terrell, Associate Director,

Office of Diversity and Economic

Opportunity, (202) 416–4322; Pamela H.

Peters, Senior Attorney, Office of

Diversity and Economic Opportunity,

(202) 416–4325; or Gladys Gallagher,

Counsel, Legal Division, (202) 898–

3833.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Paperwork Reduction Act

Consistent with this proposed rule,

the FDIC proposes to modify a

collection of information already

approved by the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB), ‘‘Forms Relating to

FDIC Outside Counsel Services

Contracting,’’ OMB Clearance No. 3064–

0122, by adding a new form, ‘‘Minority

and Women-Owned Law Firm

Certification Form’’ and a supporting

documentation requirement. This

collection of information revision has

been submitted to OMB for review and

approval pursuant to the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C.

3501 et seq.). Comments are invited on:

(a) Whether the collection of

information is necessary for the proper

performance of the FDIC’s functions,

including whether the information has

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

estimates of the burden of the

information collection, including the

validity of the methodology and

assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance

the quality, utility, and clarity of the

information to be collected; and (d)

ways to minimize the burden of the

information collection on respondents,

including through the use of automated

collection techniques or other forms of

information technology.

Comments should be addressed to the

Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer

Alexander Hunt, New Executive Office

Building, Room 3208, Washington, DC

20503, with copies of such documents

sent to Steven F. Hanft, Assistant

Executive Secretary (Regulatory

Analysis), FDIC, Room F–400, 550 17th

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20429.

OMB is required to make a decision

concerning the collection of information

contained in these proposed regulations

between 30 and 60 days after

publication of this document in the

Federal Register. Therefore, a comment

to OMB is best assured of having its full

effect if OMB receives it within 30 days

of publication. This does not affect the

deadline for the public to comment to

the FDIC on the proposed regulation. A

copy of a draft Minority and WomenOwned Law Firm Certification Form

may be obtained, free of charge, by

contacting Mary A. Terrell, at the

address identified above.

The regulatory basis for the Minority

and Women-Owned Law Firm