This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains regulatory documents having general

applicability and legal effect, most of which

are keyed to and codified in the Code of

Federal Regulations, which is published under

50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.

The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by

the Superintendent of Documents. Prices of

new books are listed in the first FEDERAL

REGISTER issue of each week.

Rules and Regulations Federal Register

20899

Vol. 66, No. 81

Thursday, April 26, 2001

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

9 CFR Part 78

[Docket No. 01–016–1]

Brucellosis in Cattle; State and Area

Classifications; Oklahoma

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Interim rule and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: We are amending the

brucellosis regulations concerning the

interstate movement of cattle by

changing the classification of Oklahoma

from Class A to Class Free. We have

determined that Oklahoma meets the

standards for Class Free status. This

action relieves certain restrictions on

the interstate movement of cattle from

Oklahoma.

DATES: This interim rule was effective

April 20, 2001. We invite you to

comment on this docket. We will

consider all comments that we receive

by June 25, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Please send four copies of

your comment (an original and three

copies) to: Docket No. 01–016–1,

Regulatory Analysis and Development,

PPD, APHIS, Suite 3C03, 4700 River

Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737–

1238.

Please state that your comment refers

to Docket No. 01–016–1.

You may read any comments that we

receive on this docket in our reading

room. The reading room is located in

room 1141 of the USDA South Building,

14th Street and Independence Avenue

SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading

room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,

Monday through Friday, except

holidays. To be sure someone is there to

help you, please call (202) 690–2817

before coming.

APHIS documents published in the

Federal Register, and related

information, including the names of

organizations and individuals who have

commented on APHIS dockets, are

available on the Internet at http://

www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/

webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Valerie Ragan, Senior Staff Veterinarian,

National Animal Health Programs, VS,

APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 43,

Riverdale, MD 20737–1231; (301) 734–

7708.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Brucellosis is a contagious disease

affecting animals and humans, caused

by bacteria of the genus Brucella.

The brucellosis regulations, contained

in 9 CFR part 78 (referred to below as

the regulations), provide a system for

classifying States or portions of States

according to the rate of Brucella

infection present and the general

effectiveness of a brucellosis control and

eradication program. The classifications

are Class Free, Class A, Class B, and

Class C. States or areas that do not meet

the minimum standards for Class C are

required to be placed under Federal

quarantine.

The brucellosis Class Free

classification is based on a finding of no

known brucellosis in cattle for the 12

months preceding classification as Class

Free. The Class C classification is for

States or areas with the highest rate of

brucellosis. Class A and Class B fall

between these two extremes.

Restrictions on moving cattle interstate

become less stringent as a State

approaches or achieves Class Free

status.

The standards for the different

classifications of States or areas entail

(1) maintaining a cattle herd infection

rate not to exceed a stated level during

12 consecutive months; (2) tracing back

to the farm of origin and successfully

closing a stated percentage of all

brucellosis reactor cases found in the

course of Market Cattle Identification

(MCI) testing; (3) maintaining a

surveillance system that includes testing

of dairy herds, participation of all

recognized slaughtering establishments

in the MCI program, identification and

monitoring of herds at high risk of

infection (including herds adjacent to

infected herds and herds from which

infected animals have been sold or

received), and having an individual

herd plan in effect within a stated

number of days after the herd owner is

notified of the finding of brucellosis in

a herd he or she owns; and (4)

maintaining minimum procedural

standards for administering the

program.

Before the effective date of this

interim rule, Oklahoma was classified as

a Class A State.

To attain and maintain Class Free

status, a State or area must (1) remain

free from field strain Brucella abortus

infection for 12 consecutive months or

longer; (2) trace back at least 90 percent

of all brucellosis reactors found in the

course of MCI testing to the farm of

origin; (3) successfully close at least 95

percent of the MCI reactor cases traced

to the farm of origin during the

consecutive 12-month period

immediately prior to the most recent

anniversary of the date the State or area

was classified Class Free; and (4) have

a specified surveillance system, as

described above, including an approved

individual herd plan in effect within 15

days of locating the source herd or

recipient herd.

The last brucellosis-infected cattle

herd in Oklahoma was released from

quarantine in November 1999. Since

then, no brucellosis-affected herds have

been detected.

After reviewing the brucellosis

program records for Oklahoma, we have

concluded that this State meets the

standards for Class Free status.

Therefore, we are removing Oklahoma

from the list of Class A States in

§ 78.41(b) and adding it to the list of

Class Free States in § 78.41(a). This

action relieves certain restrictions on

moving cattle interstate from Oklahoma.

Immediate Action

Immediate action is warranted to

remove unnecessary restrictions on the

interstate movement of cattle from

Oklahoma. Under these circumstances,

the Administrator has determined that

prior notice and opportunity for public

comment are contrary to the public

interest and that there is good cause

under 5 U.S.C. 553 for making this rule

effective less than 30 days after

publication in the Federal Register.

We will consider comments that are

received within 60 days of publication

of this rule in the Federal Register.

After the comment period closes, we

20900 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 81 / Thursday, April 26, 2001 / Rules and Regulations

will publish another document in the

Federal Register. The document will

include a discussion of any comments

we receive and any amendments we are

making to the rule as a result of the

comments.

Executive Order 12866 and Regulatory

Flexibility Act

This rule has been reviewed under

Executive Order 12866. For this action,

the Office of Management and Budget

has waived its review process required

by Executive Order 12866.

Cattle moved interstate are moved for

slaughter, for use as breeding stock, or

for feeding. Changing the brucellosis

status of Oklahoma from Class A to

Class Free will promote economic

growth by reducing certain testing and

other requirements governing the

interstate movement of cattle from this

State. Testing requirements for cattle

moved interstate for immediate

slaughter or to quarantined feedlots are

not affected by this change. Cattle from

certified brucellosis-free herds moving

interstate are not affected by this

change.

The groups affected by this action will

be herd owners in Oklahoma, as well as

buyers and importers of cattle from this

State.

There are an estimated 64,000 cattle

operations in Oklahoma that may be

affected by this rule. About 99 percent

of these are owned by small entities.

Test-eligible cattle offered for sale

interstate from other than certified-free

herds must have a negative test under

present Class A status regulations, but

not under regulations concerning Class

Free status. If such testing were

distributed equally among all animals

affected by this rule, Class Free status

would save approximately $3 to $4 per

head.

Therefore, we believe that changing

the brucellosis status of Oklahoma will

not have a significant economic effect

on the small entities affected by this

interim rule.

Under these circumstances, the

Administrator of the Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service has

determined that this action will not

have a significant economic impact on

a substantial number of small entities.

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 7 CFR part

3015, subpart V.)

Executive Order 12988

This interim rule has been reviewed

under Executive Order 12988, Civil

Justice Reform. This rule: (1) Preempts

all State and local laws and regulations

that are in conflict with this rule; (2) has

no retroactive effect; and (3) does not

require administrative proceedings

before parties may file suit in court

challenging this rule.

Paperwork Reduction Act

This interim rule contains no

information collection or recordkeeping

requirements under the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501

et seq.).

List of Subjects in 9 CFR Part 78

Animal diseases, Bison, Cattle, Hogs,

Quarantine, Reporting and

recordkeeping requirements,

Transportation.

Accordingly, we are amending 9 CFR

part 78 as follows:

PART 78—BRUCELLOSIS

1. The authority citation for part 78

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 21 U.S.C. 111–114a–1, 114g,

115, 117, 120, 121, 123–126, 134b, and 134f;

7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.

§ 78.41 [Amended]

2. Section 78.41 is amended as

follows:

a. In paragraph (a), by adding

‘‘Oklahoma,’’ in alphabetical order.

b. In paragraph (b), by removing

‘‘Oklahoma,’’.

Done in Washington, DC, this 20th day of

April 2001.

Bobby R. Acord,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 01–10385 Filed 4–25–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

12 CFR Part 201

[Regulation A]

Extensions of Credit by Federal

Reserve Banks; Change in Discount

Rate

AGENCY: Board of Governors of the

Federal Reserve System.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: The Board of Governors has

amended its Regulation A on Extensions

of Credit by Federal Reserve Banks to

reflect its approval of a decrease in the

basic discount rate at each Federal

Reserve Bank. The Board acted on

requested submitted by the Boards of

Directors of the twelve Federal Reserve

Banks.

DATES: The amendments to part 201

(Regulation A) were effective April 18,

2001. The rate changes for adjustment

credit were effective on the dates

specified in 12 CFR 201.51.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jennifer J. Johnson, Secretary of the

Board, at (202) 452–3259, Board of

Governors of the Federal Reserve

System, 20th and C Streets NW.,

Washington, DC 20551.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant

to the authority of sections 10(b), 13, 14,

19, et al., of the Federal Reserve Act, the

Board has amended its Regulation A (12

CFR part 201) to incorporate changes in

discount rates on Federal Reserve Bank

extensions of credit. The discount rates

are the interest rates charged to

depository institutions when they

borrow from their district Reserve

Banks.

The ‘‘basic discount rate’’ is a fixed

rate charged by Reserve Banks for

adjustment credit and, at the Reserve

Banks’ discretion, for extended credit

for up to 30 days. In decreasing the

basic discount rate from 4.5 percent to

4.0 percent, the Board acted on requests

submitted by the Boards of Directors of

the twelve Federal Reserve Banks. The

new rates were effective on the dates

specified below. The 50-basic-point

decrease in the discount rate was

associated with a similar decrease in the

federal funds rate approved by the

Federal Open Market Committee

(FOMC) and announced at the same

time.

In a joint press release announcing

these actions, the FOMC and the Board

of Governors noted that, since the

FOMC’s March meeting, a significant

reduction in excess inventories seems

well advanced. Consumption and

housing expenditures have held up

reasonably well, though activity in these

areas has flattened recently. Although

measured productivity probably

weakened in the first quarter, the

impressive underlying rate of increase

that developed in recent years appears

to be largely intact.

Nonetheless, capital investment has

continued to soften and the persistent

erosion in current and expected

profitability, in combination with rising

uncertainty about the business outlook,

seems poised to dampen capital

spending going forward. This potential

restraint, together with the possible

effects of earlier reductions in equity

wealth on consumption and the risk of

slower growth abroad, threatens to keep