[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 7, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12533-12534]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-5541]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service
[Docket No. FV-94-704]


Debt Collection

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) hereby gives notice 
that, in an effort to collect delinquent assessments (debts) from 
persons and commercial entities under research and promotion programs 
and fruit and vegetable marketing orders, AMS will implement the debt 
collection procedures set forth in 7 CFR 3.1 through 3.36. Under these 
debt collection procedures, AMS will report delinquent debts to credit 
reporting agencies or will institute administrative offset against 
debtors, or both. These actions apply to both current and future 
delinquent debts and are necessary for effective enforcement of the 
various programs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For research and promotion programs--
Martha B. Ransom, Research and Promotion Branch, Fruit and Vegetable 
[[Page 12534]] Division, AMS, USDA, Room 2535-S, P.O. Box 96456, 
Washington, DC 20090-6456, (202) 720-9915; for marketing orders--
Barbara Schulke, Marketing Order Administration Branch, Fruit and 
Vegetable Division, AMS, USDA, Room 2523-S, P.O. Box 96456, Washington, 
DC 20090-6456, (202) 720-4607.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: AMS administers certain marketing programs 
that require industry members, such as producers, handlers, and 
importers, to pay assessments to fund the programs. Persons or 
commercial entities under these programs are required by law to report 
their production, handling, or importing of the regulated commodity and 
to remit the applicable assessment to an industry board or committee 
under AMS supervision.
    Whenever and wherever feasible, all agencies of the U.S. Department 
of Agriculture (USDA) must use, or request another Federal agency to 
use, administrative offset in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 37616 and 4 CFR 
102.3 to collect debts due to the United States through the USDA or its 
instrumentalities. The debt need not be reduced to a judgment or be 
undisputed. The offset will be effective 31 days after the debtor 
receives a Notice of Intent to Collect by Administrative Offsets, or 
when a stay of offset expires, unless AMS determines that immediate 
action is necessary under 7 CFR 3.26.
    Furthermore, consistent with the requirements of 31 U.S.C. 3711(f), 
4 CFR 102.3(c), and 5 U.S.C. 522a, AMS may report to credit reporting 
agencies all commercial debts and all delinquent consumer debts owed to 
the USDA or its instrumentalities.
    This debt collection procedure affects marketing agreements and 
orders covering fruits, vegetables, and specialty crops under the 
Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, as amended; and under 
research and promotion programs authorized under a variety of statutes, 
as amended. These statutes are the Beef Promotion and Research Act of 
1985; the Cotton Research and Promotion Act; the Dairy Production 
Stabilization Act of 1983; the Egg Research and Consumer Information 
Act; the Fluid Milk Promotion Act of 1990; the Fresh Cut Flowers and 
Fresh Cut Greens Promotion and Consumer Information Act of 1993; the 
Honey Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information Act; the Lime 
Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information Act of 1990; the Mushroom 
Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act of 1990; the Pork 
Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act of 1985; the Potato 
Research and Promotion Act; the Soybean Promotion, Research, and 
Consumer Information Act; and the Watermelon Research and Promotion 
Act.

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5514; 7 U.S.C. 601-674, 2101-2118, 2611-
2627, 2701-2718, 2901-2911, 4501-4513, 4601-4612, 4801-4819, 4901-
4916, 6101-6112, 6201-6212, 6301-6311, 6401-6417, 6801-6814; 12 
U.S.C. 1150; 31 U.S.C. 3701, 3711, 3716-3719, 3720A, 3728; 26 U.S.C. 
61; 4 CFR 102, 105.2, 105.4; and 5 CFR 550, subpart K.

    Dated: March 1, 1995.
Lon Hatamiya,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 95-5541 Filed 3-6-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P