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

32328 

Vol. 87, No. 104 

Tuesday, May 31, 2022 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

7 CFR Part 1212 

[Doc. No. AMS–SC–21–0094] 

Honey Packers and Importers 

Research, Promotion, Consumer 

Education, and Industry Information 

Order; Continuance Referendum 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notification of referendum. 

SUMMARY: This document directs that a 

referendum be conducted among 

eligible first handlers and importers of 

honey or honey products to determine 

whether they favor continuance of the 

Agriculture Marketing Service’s 

regulations regarding a national honey 

packers and importers research and 

promotion program. 

DATES: This referendum will be 

conducted by express mail and 

electronic ballot from August 8, 2022 

through August 26, 2022. To be eligible 

to vote, first handlers and importers 

must have handled or imported 250,000 

or more pounds of honey or honey 

products during the representative 

period from January 1 through 

December 31, 2021, are subject to 

assessments under the Honey Packers 

and Importers Research, Promotion, 

Consumer Education and Industry 

Information Order (Order), and 

excluding those exempt from 

assessment under the Order. Ballots 

delivered via express mail or electronic 

ballot must show proof of delivery by no 

later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) 

on August 26, 2022 to be counted. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Honey Packers 

and Importers Research, Promotion, 

Consumer Education and Industry 

Information Order may be obtained 

from: Referendum Agent, Market 

Development Division, Specialty Crops 

Program, Agricultural Marketing 

Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 

1406–S, Stop 0244, Washington, DC 

20250–0244, telephone: (202) 720–9915; 

or contact Katie Cook at (202) 617–4760 

or via electronic mail: Katie.Cook@

usda.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Katie Cook, Marketing Specialist, MDD, 

SCP, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW, Room 1406–S, Stop 0244, 

Washington, DC 20250–0244; telephone: 

(202) 617–4760; or electronic mail: 

Katie.Cook@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to the Commodity Promotion, Research 

and Information Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 

7411–7425) (Act), it is hereby directed 

that a referendum be conducted to 

ascertain whether continuance of the 

Order (7 CFR part 1212) is favored by 

eligible first handlers and importers of 

honey or honey products covered under 

the program. The Order is authorized 

under the Act. 

The representative period for 

establishing voter eligibility for the 

referendum shall be the period from 

January 1 through December 31, 2021. 

Persons who handled or imported 

250,000 or more pounds of honey or 

honey products during the 

representative period and are subject to 

assessments under the Order are eligible 

to vote. Persons who received an 

exemption from assessments for the 

entire representative period are 

ineligible to vote. The U.S. Department 

of Agriculture (USDA) will provide the 

option for electronic balloting. The 

referendum will be conducted by 

express mail and electronic ballot from 

August 8, 2022 through August 26, 

2022. Further details will be provided in 

the ballot instructions. 

Section 518 of the Act authorizes 

continuance referenda. Under § 1212.81 

of the Order, USDA must conduct a 

referendum every 7 years to determine 

whether persons subject to assessment 

favor continuance of the Order. The last 

referendum was held in 2015. USDA 

would continue the Order if 

continuance is favored by a majority of 

the first handlers and importers voting 

in the referendum, and a majority of 

volume voting in the referendum who, 

during the period from January 1 

through December 31, 2021, have been 

engaged in the handling or importation 

of honey or honey products. 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

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

chapter 35), the referendum ballot has 

been approved by the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) and 

assigned OMB No. 0581–0093. It has 

been estimated that there are 

approximately 40 first handlers and 55 

importers who will be eligible to vote in 

the referendum. It will take an average 

of 15 minutes for each voter to read the 

voting instructions and complete the 

referendum ballot. 

Referendum Order 

Katie Cook, Marketing Specialist, and 

Heather Pichelman, Acting Director, 

Market Development Division, SCP, 

AMS, USDA, Stop 0244, Room 1406–S, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW, 

Washington, DC 20250–0244, are 

designated as the referendum agents to 

conduct this referendum. The 

referendum procedures at 7 CFR 

1212.100 through 1212.108, which were 

issued pursuant to the Act, shall be used 

to conduct the referendum. 

The referendum agent will express 

mail or provide access electronically to 

the ballots to be cast in the referendum 

and voting instructions to all known, 

eligible honey first handlers and 

importers prior to the first day of the 

voting period. Persons who handled or 

imported 250,000 or more pounds of 

honey or honey products during the 

representative period and are subject to 

assessments under the Order are eligible 

to vote. Persons who received an 

exemption from assessments during the 

entire representative period, from 

January 1 through December 31, 2021, 

are ineligible to vote. Any eligible first 

handler or importer who does not 

receive a ballot should contact the 

referendum agent no later than three 

days before the end of the voting period. 

Ballots delivered via express mail or 

electronic ballot must show proof of 

delivery by no later than 11:59 p.m. ET 

on August 26, 2022, to be counted. 

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 1212 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Advertising, Agricultural 

research, Honey, Labeling, Marketing 

agreements, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7411–7425; 7 U.S.C. 

7401. 

Erin Morris, 

Associate Administrator, Agricultural 

Marketing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–11294 Filed 5–27–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 


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