[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 167 (Wednesday, August 27, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50588-50592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-19864]



[[Page 50588]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2008-0079]


Fiscal Year 2009 Veterinary Diagnostics Services User Fees and 
Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection User Fees

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice pertains to user fees charged for certain 
veterinary diagnostics services and to fees charged for agricultural 
quarantine and inspection services that are provided in connection with 
certain commercial vessels, commercial trucks, loaded commercial 
railroad cars, commercial aircraft, and international airline 
passengers arriving at ports in the Customs territory of the United 
States. The purpose of this notice is to remind the public of the user 
fees for fiscal year 2009 (October 1, 2008, through September 30, 
2009).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information concerning veterinary 
diagnostic program operations, contact Dr. Elizabeth Lautner, Director, 
National Veterinary Services Laboratories, VS, APHIS, 1800 Dayton 
Avenue, Ames, IA 50010; (515) 663-7301.
    For information on Agricultural Quarantine program operations, 
contact Mr. William E. Thomas, Director for Quarantine Policy, 
Analysis, and Support, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 60, Riverdale, 
MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-5214.
    For information concerning user fee rate development, contact Mrs. 
Kris Caraher, Section Head, User Fees Section, Financial Management 
Division, MRPBS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 55, Riverdale, MD20737-
1232; (301) 734-0882.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Veterinary Diagnostic Services User Fees

    User fees to reimburse APHIS for the costs of providing veterinary 
diagnostic services are contained in 9 CFR part 130 (referred to below 
as the regulations). These user fees are authorized by section 2509(c) 
of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, as 
amended (21 U.S.C. 136a), which provides that the Secretary of 
Agriculture may, among other things, prescribe regulations and collect 
fees to recover the costs of veterinary diagnostics relating to the 
control and eradication of communicable diseases of livestock and 
poultry within the United States.
    In a final rule published in the Federal Register on December 19, 
2007 (72 FR 71744-71750, Docket No. APHIS-2006-0161), and effective 
January 18, 2008, we established, for fiscal years 2008 through 2012 
and beyond, user fees for certain veterinary diagnostic services, 
including certain diagnostic tests, reagents, and other veterinary 
diagnostic materials and services. Veterinary diagnostics is the work 
performed in a laboratory to determine whether a disease-causing 
organism or chemical agent is present in body tissues or cells and, if 
so, to identify those organisms or agents. Services in this category 
include: (1) Performing identification, serology, and pathobiology 
tests and providing diagnostic reagents and other veterinary diagnostic 
materials and services for the National Veterinary Services Laboratory 
(NVSL) in Ames, IA; and (2) performing laboratory tests and providing 
reagents and other veterinary diagnostic materials and services at the 
NVSL Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (NVSL FADDL) in 
Greenport, NY.
    APHIS veterinary diagnostic user fees fall into six categories:
    (1) Laboratory tests, reagents, and other veterinary diagnostic 
services performed at NVSL FADDL;
    (2) Laboratory tests performed as part of isolation and 
identification testing at NVSL in Ames or other authorized sites;
    (3) Laboratory tests performed as part of serology testing at NVSL 
in Ames or other authorized sites;
    (4) Laboratory tests performed at the pathobiology laboratory at 
NVSL in Ames or other authorized sites;
    (5) Diagnostic reagents produced at NVSL in Ames or other 
authorized sites; and
    (6) Other veterinary diagnostic services or materials provided at 
NVSL in Ames.
    As specified in Sec.  130.15(a), the user fees for bacteriology 
isolation and identification tests performed at NVSL (excluding FADDL) 
or other authorized sites for fiscal year 2009 are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Test                         Unit                User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bacterial identification,     Isolate...................          $54.00
 automated.
Bacterial identification,     Isolate...................           92.00
 non-automated.
Bacterial isolation.........  Sample....................           37.00
Bacterial serotyping, all     Isolate...................           56.00
 other.
Bacterial serotyping,         Isolate...................           19.00
 Pasteurella multocida.
Bacterial serotyping,         Isolate...................           37.00
 Salmonella.
Bacterial toxin typing......  Isolate...................          123.00
Bacteriology requiring        Test......................           94.00
 special characterization.
DNA fingerprinting..........  Test......................           61.00
DNA probe...................  Test......................           85.00
Fluorescent antibody........  Test......................           19.00
Mycobacterium identification  Isolate...................          117.00
 (biochemical).
Mycobacterium identification  Procedure.................           99.00
 (gas chromatography).
Mycobacterium isolation,      Submission................          852.00
 animal inoculations.
Mycobacterium isolation, all  Submission................          154.00
 other.
Mycobacterium                 Submission................           74.00
 paratuberculosis isolation.
Phage typing, all other.....  Isolate...................           43.00
Phage typing, Salmonella      Isolate...................           24.00
 enteritidis.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As specified in Sec.  130.15(b), the user fees for virology 
identification tests performed at NVSL (excluding FADDL) or other 
authorized sites for fiscal year 2009 are as follows:

[[Page 50589]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Test                         Unit                User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fluorescent antibody tissue   Test......................          $30.00
 section.
Virus isolation.............  Test......................           49.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As specified in Sec.  130.16(a), the user fees for bacteriology 
serology tests performed at NVSL (excluding FADDL) or other authorized 
sites for fiscal year 2009 are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Test                         Unit                User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brucella ring (BRT).........  Test......................          $37.00
Brucella ring, heat           Test......................           37.00
 inactivated (HIRT).
Brucella ring, serial         Test......................           56.00
 (Serial BRT).
Buffered acidified plate      Test......................            7.25
 antigen presumptive.
Card........................  Test......................            4.00
Complement fixation.........  Test......................           17.00
Enzyme linked immunosorbent   Test......................           17.00
 assay.
Indirect fluorescent          Test......................           15.00
 antibody.
Microscopic agglutination--   Sample....................           24.00
 includes up to 5 serovars.
Microscopic agglutination--   Sample....................            4.50
 each serovar in excess of 5
 serovars.
Particle concentration        Test......................           37.00
 fluorescent immunoassay
 (PCFIA).
Plate.......................  Test......................            7.25
Rapid automated presumptive.  Test......................            7.00
Rivanol.....................  Test......................            7.25
Tube agglutination..........  Test......................            7.25
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As specified in Sec.  130.16(b), the user fees for virology 
serology tests performed at NVSL (excluding FADDL) or other authorized 
sites for fiscal year 2009 are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Test                         Unit                User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agar gel immunodiffusion....  Test......................          $17.00
Complement fixation.........  Test......................           17.00
Enzyme linked immunosorbent   Test......................           17.00
 assay.
Hemagglutination inhibition.  Test......................           15.00
Indirect fluorescent          Test......................           15.00
 antibody.
Latex agglutination.........  Test......................           17.00
Peroxidase linked antibody..  Test......................           16.00
Plaque reduction              Test......................           18.00
 neutralization.
Rabies fluorescent antibody   Test......................           46.00
 neutralization.
Virus neutralization........  Test......................           13.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As specified in Sec.  130.17(a), the user fees for veterinary 
diagnostic tests performed at the Pathobiology Laboratory at NVSL 
(excluding FADDL) or other authorized sites for fiscal year 2009 are as 
follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Test                         Unit                User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aflatoxin quantitation......  Test......................          $31.00
Aflatoxin screen............  Test......................           29.00
Agar gel immunodiffusion      Test......................           13.00
 spp. identification.
Antibiotic (bioautography)    Test......................           67.00
 quantitation.
Antibiotic (bioautography)    Test......................          122.00
 screen.
Antibiotic inhibition.......  Test......................           67.00
Arsenic.....................  Test......................           18.00
Ergot alkaloid screen.......  Test......................           67.00
Ergot alkaloid confirmation.  Test......................           88.00
Feed microscopy.............  Test......................           67.00
Fumonisin only..............  Test......................           38.00
Gossypol....................  Test......................          100.00
Mercury.....................  Test......................          148.00
Metals screen...............  Test......................           45.00
Metals single element         Test......................           13.00
 confirmation.
Mycotoxin: aflatoxin-liver..  Test......................          122.00
Mycotoxin screen............  Test......................           49.00
Nitrate/nitrite.............  Test......................           67.00
Organic compound              Test......................           90.00
 confirmation.
Organic compound screen.....  Test......................          155.00
Parasitology................  Test......................           29.00

[[Page 50590]]

 
Pesticide quantitation......  Test......................          135.00
Pesticide screen............  Test......................           62.00
pH..........................  Test......................           27.00
Plate cylinder..............  Test......................          100.00
Selenium....................  Test......................           45.00
Silicate/carbonate            Test......................           67.00
 disinfectant.
Temperature disks...........  Test......................          133.00
Toxicant quantitation, other  Test......................          112.00
Toxicant screen, other......  Test......................           33.00
Vomitoxin only..............  Test......................           54.00
Water activity..............  Test......................           33.00
Zearaleone quantitation.....  Test......................           54.00
Zearaleone screen...........  Test......................           29.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As specified in Sec.  130.18(a), the user fees for bacteriology 
reagents produced by the Diagnostic Bacteriology Laboratory at NVSL 
(excluding FADDL) or other authorized sites for fiscal year 2009 are as 
follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Reagent                       Unit                User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anaplasma card test antigen.  2 mL......................          $97.00
Anaplasma card test kit       Kit.......................          130.00
 without antigen.
Anaplasma CF antigen........  2 mL......................           46.00
Anaplasma stabilate.........  4.5 mL....................          178.00
Avian origin bacterial        1 mL......................           49.00
 antiserums.
Bacterial agglutinating       5 mL......................           55.00
 antigens other than
 brucella and salmonella
 pullorum.
Bacterial conjugates........  1 mL......................           99.00
Bacterial disease CF          1 mL......................           30.00
 antigens, all other.
Bacterial ELISA antigens....  1 mL......................           30.00
Bacterial or protozoal        1 mL......................           61.00
 antiserums, all other.
Bacterial reagent culture     Culture...................           74.00
 \1\.
Bacterial reference culture   Culture...................          233.00
 \2\.
Bacteriophage reference       Culture...................          176.00
 culture.
Bovine serum factor.........  1 mL......................           18.00
Brucella abortus CF antigen.  60 mL.....................          154.00
Brucella agglutination        60 mL.....................          154.00
 antigens, all other.
Brucella buffered plate       60 mL.....................          176.00
 antigen.
Brucella canis tube antigen.  25 mL.....................          116.00
Brucella card test antigen    Package...................           92.00
 (packaged).
Brucella card test kit        Kit.......................          114.00
 without antigen.
Brucella cells..............  Gram......................           19.00
Brucella cells, dried.......  Pellet....................            6.00
Brucella ring test antigen..  60 mL.....................          246.00
Brucella rivanol solution...  60 mL.....................           30.00
Dourine CF antigen..........  1 mL......................           91.00
Dourine stabilate...........  4.5 mL....................          111.00
Equine and bovine origin      1 mL......................          130.00
 babesia species antiserums.
Equine negative control CF    1 mL......................          283.00
 antigen.
Flazo-orange................  3 mL......................           13.00
Glanders CF antigen.........  1 mL......................           79.00
Hemoparasitic disease CF      1 mL......................          553.00
 antigens, all other.
Leptospira transport medium.  10 mL.....................            4.50
Monoclonal antibody.........  1 mL......................           97.00
Mycobacterium spp. old        1 mL......................           24.00
 tuberculin.
Mycobacterium spp. PPD......  1 mL......................           19.00
Mycoplasma hemagglutination   5 mL......................          184.00
 antigens.
Negative control serums.....  1 mL......................           19.00
Rabbit origin bacterial       1 mL......................           53.00
 antiserum.
Salmonella pullorum           5 mL......................           16.00
 microagglutination antigen.
Stabilates, all other.......  4.5 mL....................          690.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ A reagent culture is a bacterial culture that has been subcultured
  one or more times after being tested for purity and identity. It is
  intended for use as a reagent with a diagnostic test such as the
  leptospiral agglutination test.
\2\ A reference culture is a bacterial culture that has been thoroughly
  tested for purity and identity. It should be suitable as a master seed
  for future cultures.

    As specified in Sec.  130.18(b), the user fees for virology 
reagents produced by the Diagnostic Virology Laboratory at NVSL 
(excluding FADDL) or other authorized sites for fiscal year 2009 are as 
follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Reagent                       Unit                User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Antigen, except avian         2 mL......................          $62.00
 influenza and chlamydia
 psittaci antigens, any.

[[Page 50591]]

 
Avian antiserum except avian  2 mL......................           49.00
 influenza antiserum, any.
Avian influenza antigen, any  2 mL......................           34.00
Avian influenza antiserum,    6 mL......................          105.00
 any.
Bovine or ovine serum, any..  2 mL......................          130.00
Cell culture................  Flask.....................          154.00
Chlamydia psittaci spp. of    Panel.....................           96.00
 origin monoclonal antibody
 panel.
Conjugate, any..............  1 mL......................           75.00
Diluted positive control      2 mL......................           25.00
 serum, any.
Equine antiserum, any.......  2 mL......................           46.00
Monoclonal antibody.........  1 mL......................          104.00
Other spp. antiserum, any...  1 mL......................           52.00
Porcine antiserum, any......  2 mL......................          108.00
Porcine tissue sets.........  Tissue set................          157.00
Positive control tissues,     2 cm \2\ section..........           62.00
 all.
Rabbit origin antiserum.....  1 mL......................           53.00
Reference virus, any........  0.6 mL....................          184.00
Viruses (except reference     0.6 mL....................           31.00
 viruses), chlamydia
 psittaci agent or chlamydia
 psittaci antigen, any.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As specified in Sec.  130.19(a), the user fees for other veterinary 
diagnostic services or materials available from NVSL (excluding FADDL) 
for fiscal year 2009 are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Service                       Unit                User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Antimicrobial susceptibility  Isolate...................         $107.00
 test.
Avian safety test...........  Test......................        4,090.00
Check tests, culture........  Kit \1\...................          179.00
Check tests, serology.......  Kit \1\...................          369.00
Fetal bovine serum safety     Verification..............        1,122.00
 test.
Hourly user fees \2\........  Hour......................          104.00
Quarter hour................  Quarter hour..............           26.00
Minimum.....................  ..........................           31.00
Manual, brucellosis culture.  1 copy....................          117.00
Manual, tuberculosis culture  1 copy....................          176.00
 (English or Spanish).
Manual, Veterinary mycology.  1 copy....................          176.00
Manuals or standard           1 copy....................           35.00
 operating procedure (SOP),
 all other.
Manuals or SOP, per page....  1 page....................            2.50
Training (school or           Per person per day........          339.00
 technical assistance).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Any reagents required for the check test will be charged separately.
\2\ For veterinary diagnostic services for which there is no flat user
  fee the hourly rate user fee will be calculated for the actual time
  required to provide the service.

Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection Services User Fees

    User fees to reimburse APHIS for the costs of providing inspection 
of certain commercial conveyances are found in 7 CFR part 354 (referred 
to below as the regulations). These user fees are authorized by Section 
2509(a) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 
(21 U.S.C. 136a), which authorizes APHIS to collect user fees for 
agricultural quarantine and inspection (AQI) services.
    In a final rule published in the Federal Register on December 9, 
2004 (69 FR 71660-71683, Docket No. 04-042-1), and effective January 1, 
2005, we established, for fiscal years 2005 through 2010, user fees for 
each of the types of conveyances or persons to whom AQI services are 
provided, i.e., commercial vessels (watercraft), commercial trucks, 
loaded commercial railroad cars, commercial aircraft, and international 
airline passengers. The regulations provide specific information 
regarding the applicability of, and exceptions to, AQI user fees. As 
specified in 7 CFR 354.3, the user fees for these AQI services for 
fiscal year 2009 are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Service                       Unit                 Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inspection of commercial      Per entry \1\.............         $494.00
 vessels of 100 net tons or
 more (see 7 CFR 354.3(b)).
Inspection of commercial      Per entry \2\.............            5.25
 trucks (see 7 CFR 354.3(c)).
Inspection of commercial      Per entry \3\.............            7.75
 railroad cars (see 7 CFR
 354.3(d)).
Inspection of commercial      Per entry.................           70.75
 aircraft (see 7 CFR
 354.3(e)).
Inspection of international   Per entry.................            5.00
 aircraft passengers (see 7
 CFR 354.3(f)).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Not to exceed 15 payments in a calendar year (i.e., no additional
  fee will be charged for a 16th or subsequent arrival in a calendar
  year).
\2\ A prepaid AQI permit valid for 1 calendar year may be obtained for
  an amount 20 times the AQI use fee for each arrival ($105 from October
  1, 2008, through September 30, 2009).
\3\ The AQI user fee may be prepaid for all arrival of a commercial
  railroad car during a calendar year for an amount 20 times the AQI use
  fee for each arrival ($155 from October 1, 2008, through September 30,
  2009).



[[Page 50592]]

    Done in Washington, DC, this 21st day of August, 2008.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E8-19864 Filed 8-26-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P