Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2004/01/05/04-175/agency-organization
Timestamp: 2018-07-22 05:44:54
Document Index: 131328725

Matched Legal Cases: ['ART 300', 'ART 306', '§\u2009300', 'art 300', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009301', '§\u2009381', '§\u2009306', '§\u2009301', '§\u2009381', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009306', '§\u2009381', '§\u2009320', '§\u2009381', '§\u2009318', '§\u2009381', '§\u2009320', '§\u2009381', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009300', 'art 300', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009320', '§\u2009381', 'art 301', 'art 301', '§\u2009301', 'art 306', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009306', '§\u2009306', 'art 318', 'art 320', '§\u2009320', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009320', '§\u2009381', '§\u2009381', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009381', '§\u2009381', '§\u2009381', '§\u2009381', '§\u2009300', '§\u2009381']

A Rule by the Food Safety and Inspection Service on 01/05/2004
250-255 (6 pages)
Docket No. 00-033F
0583-AC78
List of Subjects in 9 CFR Chapter III
PART 300—AGENCY MISSION AND ORGANIZATION
PART 306—ASSIGNMENT AND AUTHORITIES OF PROGRAM EMPLOYEES
Subpart B—Administration; Application of Inspection and Other Authorities
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/04-175 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/04-175
The Food Safety and Inspection Service is amending regulations adopted under the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act by updating Start Printed Page 251and consolidating organizational provisions.
Lynn E. Dickey, Director, Regulations and Petitions Policy Staff, Office of Policy and Program Development, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Washington, DC 20250-3700; (202) 720-5627.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is responsible for carrying out various functions of the Department of Agriculture. Chief among these are the administration of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) (21 U.S.C. 451 et seq.), and the Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA) (21 U.S.C. 1031 et seq.). Each of these statutes includes provisions that provide for government inspection as part of a regulatory program designed to protect the health and welfare of consumers by preventing the distribution of meat, poultry, and egg products that are unwholesome, otherwise adulterated, or misbranded (21 U.S.C. 451, 455, 602-606, 1031, and 1034).
In § 300.1 (Purpose), FSIS is adding a sentence to reflect the fact that part 300 includes rules on the access of government employees to regulated places of business. In paragraph (a) of § 300.2 (FSIS responsibilities), FSIS is adding a sentence that references the Department's delegation of authority regulations (7 CFR 2.7, 2.18, and 2.53). These regulations reference the statutory provisions that the Administrator of FSIS is responsible for administering on behalf of the Secretary of Agriculture.
In § 300.3 (FSIS organization), FSIS is amending paragraph (a) by adding a sentence that states that FSIS implements the inspection provisions of the FMIA, the PPIA, and the EPIA through its field structure. FSIS is also amending paragraphs (b)(1) and (2), and (c)(1) of § 300.3 to reflect the changes that the Agency has made in its headquarters and field organization since publication of the 1998 rule.
FSIS has renamed one of the program offices listed in paragraph (b)(1) of § 300.3. The Office of Policy, Program Development, and Evaluation is now the Office of Policy and Program Development. The functions for this office have also changed. The Office of Policy and Program Development is charged with developing and articulating the Agency's policies regarding food safety and other consumer protections.
The OPAEO is responsible for communicating with three main audiences: Congress, constituents, and the media. The OPAEO communications with Congress include everything from preparing testimony for hearings on Capitol Hill to briefing congressional staff on regulatory proposals affecting FSIS. The OPAEO also shares information with, and gathers feedback from, constituents of the Agency and provides newspaper, television and radio reporters accurate and timely information about FSIS's crucial role in protecting public health. The Staff Offices that are currently listed in paragraph (b)(2) of § 300.3 have been reorganized and incorporated into the new Office of Public Affairs, Education, and Outreach.
In May 2002, FSIS realigned its district office structure. The realignment resulted in a reduction from 17 districts to 15 districts with 2 satellite offices. The Pickerington, Ohio district office will now be a satellite office and will be serviced by the Chicago, Illinois district office. The State of Kentucky will now be serviced by the Raleigh, North Start Printed Page 252Carolina district office and the State of West Virginia will be serviced by the Beltsville, Maryland district office.
The Salem, Oregon district office will become a satellite office and will be serviced by the Boulder, Colorado district office. The States and areas affected are Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The State of New Jersey, which was serviced by the Albany, New York district office will now be serviced by the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania district office. FSIS is amending paragraph (c)(1) of § 300.3 to reflect this fact and to correct the address listed for the district office in Maryland which is located in Beltsville, not Greenbelt.
FSIS is including, in paragraph (a) of § 300.4 (Organizational terminology; personnel), updated terminology that combines and replaces the current definitions in § 301.2 of Administrator, Circuit Supervisor, Inspector, Inspector in charge, Program, Program employee, and Secretary; and the current definitions in § 381.1(b) of Administrator, Circuit Supervisor, Inspection Service, Inspection Service employee, Inspection Service supervisor, Inspector, Inspector in Charge, and Secretary.
FSIS also is removing obsolete and unnecessary organizational information and terminology. Provisions that the Agency is deleting include: § 306.1 (Designation of circuit supervisors and assistants); the definitions in § 301.2 of Area, Area Supervisor, Circuit, the Department, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Import Field Office, Import Supervisor, and Regional Director; and the definitions in § 381.1(b) of Department, Import Field Office, and Import Supervisor.
FSIS is addressing several changes in the Agency's organization and the administration of its regulatory functions in paragraph (b) of § 300.4. Section 300.4(b) indicates that the Agency has replaced its regional office and import field office structure with a district office structure, that the authority previously delegated to Regional Directors now is delegated to district managers, and that the authority previously delegated to area supervisors and import supervisors now is delegated to inspection program supervisors in the successor district offices.
In paragraph (b) of § 300.6, FSIS is addressing access to places of business regulated under the FMIA or the PPIA. Paragraph (b)(1) addresses access to establishments that slaughter livestock or otherwise prepare meat products or slaughter poultry or otherwise process poultry products. It replaces the first sentence of § 306.2 and all of § 381.32. Paragraph (b)(2) addresses access to and examinations of facilities, inventories, and records authorized by section 202 of the FMIA and section 11(b) of the PPIA (21 U.S.C. 460(b) and 642). It replaces the first sentences of § 320.4 and § 381.178 (Access to and inspection of records, facilities and inventory; copying and sampling).
FSIS is updating its regulations on the accreditation of chemistry laboratories (§ 318.21 and § 381.53), a function performed by FSIS's Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS). An erroneous street address for the Accredited Laboratory Program is being removed and the OPHS Assistant Administrator is referred to instead of a former OPHS organizational unit.
In § 320.5 (Registration) and § 381.179 (Registration), FSIS is amending paragraph (a) in both sections by changing the office name from where registration forms are obtained and also providing another option for obtaining registration forms. The office name will be changed from Compliance Programs, Regulatory Programs, to Evaluation and Enforcement Division, Office of Program Evaluation, Enforcement and Review. The other option added for obtaining an application is to call the District Office.
For the same reasons, FSIS certifies that this rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Accordingly, as provided in section 605 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), sections 603 and 604 do not apply.
For the reasons set forth above, the Food Safety and Inspection Service is amending 9 CFR Chapter III as follows:
Authority: 21 U.S.C. 451-470, 601-695, 1031-1056; 7 U.S.C. 138-138i, 450, 1621-1627, 1901-1906; 7 CFR 2.7, 2.18, 2.53.
2. Section 300.1 is amended by adding, at the end, “It also includes rules on the access of government employees to regulated places of business.”
3. Paragraph (a) of § 300.2 is revised to read as follows:
(a) Delegations of authority. The Secretary of Agriculture and Under Secretary for Food Safety have delegated to the Administrator of the Food Safety and Inspection Service the responsibility for exercising the functions of the Secretary of Agriculture under various statutes (see 7 CFR 2.7, 2.18, and 2.53).
4. Section 300.3 is amended as follows:
a. Paragraph (a) of § 300.3 is amended by adding, at the end, “FSIS implements the inspection provisions of the FMIA, the PPIA, and the EPIA through its field structure.”
b. The introductory text of paragraph (b) of § 300.3 is amended by removing “four” in the first sentence of the introductory text and adding, in its place, “eight”.
c. Paragraph (b)(1) of § 300.3 is amended and the table of district office locations and geographic boundaries in paragraph (c)(1) is revised to read as follows:
(b) Headquarters. * * *
(1) Program Offices. FSIS's headquarters offices are the Office of Public Health and Science, which provides scientific analysis, advice, data, and recommendations on matters involving public health and science; the Office of Management, which provides centralized administrative and support services; the Office of Policy and Program Development, which develops and articulates the Agency's policies regarding food safety and other consumer protections; the Office of Field Operations, which manages regulatory oversight and inspection (see paragraph (c) of this section); the Office of Food Security and Emergency Preparedness, which works to prevent or, if necessary, coordinate a response to an intentional attack on the food supply; the Office of Program Evaluation, Enforcement, and Review, which acts to ensure that Agency programs are functioning in an efficient and effective manner; the Office of Public Affairs, Education, and Outreach, which is responsible for facilitating communications between FSIS and Congress, the Agency's constituents, and the media; and the Office of International Affairs, which is responsible for recommending and developing international policy activities.
(c) Field. * * *
(1) District offices. * * *
Alameda, CA California.
Boulder, CO Salem, OR (satellite office) Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, and Washington.
Minneapolis, MN Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
Des Moines, IA Iowa and Nebraska.
Lawrence, KS Kansas and Missouri.
Springdale, AR Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.
Dallas, TX Texas.
Madison, WI Michigan and Wisconsin.
Chicago, IL Pickering, OH, (satellite office) Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana.
Philadelphia, PA Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Albany, NY Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Beltsville, MD Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Raleigh, NC North Carolina, South Carolina, and Kentucky.
Atlanta, GA Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Jackson, MS Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
d. Paragraph (b)(2) of § 300.3 is removed and reserved.
5. Part 300 is further amended by adding § 300.4 to read as follows:
Inspection service supervisor or Inspection program supervisor means an inspection program or service employee Start Printed Page 254or program employee who is delegated authority to exercise supervision over one or more phases of the inspection program.
(b) Meat and poultry establishments and related industries.
(2) At all ordinary business hours, upon presentation of credentials by a representative of the Secretary, any person (including any firm or corporation or other business unit) subject to recordkeeping requirements under section 202 of the FMIA or section 11(b) of the PPIA must permit such representative to enter his or her place of business to examine the facilities and inventory and to examine and copy the records specified in § 320.1 and § 381.175, respectively, of this chapter and, upon payment of the fair market value therefor, take reasonable samples of the inventory.
7. The name for part 301 is revised as forth above.
7a. The authority citation for part 301 is revised to read as follows:
9. In § 301.2, the undesignated paragraphs that define the terms Administrator, Area, Area Supervisor, Circuit, Circuit supervisor, The Department, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Import Field Office (IFO), Import Supervisor, Inspector, Inspector in charge, Program, Program employee, Regional Director, and Secretary are removed.
10. The authority citation for part 306 is revised to read as follows:
Designation of circuit supervisor and assistants. [See §§ 300.3 and 300.4 of this chapter regarding FSIS' organization and inspection program supervisors.]
Program employees to have access to establishments. [See § 300.6 of this chapter regarding access to establishments and other places of business.]
§ 306.3
13. The last sentence of § 306.3 is removed.
14. The authority citation for part 318 is revised to read as follows:
Authority: 21 U.S.C. 601-695; 7 U.S.C. 138f, 450, 1901-1906; 7 CFR 2.7, 2.18, 2.53.
15. Section 318.21 is amended to read as follows:
a. Paragraphs (b)(1), (b)(3)(vi), (c)(1), and (c)(3)(vi) are amended by removing “room 516-A, Annex Building,” and “300 12th Street SW.,”.
b. Paragraphs (b)(3)(i), (b)(3)(xi), and (c)(3)(xi) are amended by removing “Quality Systems Branch, FSIS Chemistry Division” and adding, in its place, “Assistant Administrator, Office of Public Health and Science”.
16. The authority citation for part 320 is revised to read as follows:
Representatives of the Secretary afforded access to a business specified in § 320.1 of this part (see § 300.6(b)(2) of this chapter) also must be afforded any necessary facilities (other than reproduction equipment) for the examination and copying of records and for the examination and sampling of inventory.
18. Paragraph (a) of § 320.5 is amended by removing the phrase “the Compliance Programs, Regulatory Programs,” in the last sentence and adding in its place “Evaluation and Enforcement Division, Office of Program Evaluation, Enforcement, and Review” and adding to the end of the sentence “or by calling the District Office.”
Start Printed Page 255 Authority: 7 U.S.C. 138f, 450; 21 U.S.C. 451-470; 7 CFR 2.7, 2.18, 2.53.
20. In § 381.1(b), the undesignated subordinate paragraphs that define the terms Administrator, Circuit supervisor, Department, Import Field Office (IFO), Import Supervisor, Inspection Service, Inspection Service employee, Inspection Service supervisor, Inspector, Inspector in Charge, and Secretary are removed.
21. Section 381.3 is amended by removing and reserving paragraph (a).
22. Section 381.32 is revised to read as follows:
§ 381.32
Access to establishments. [See § 300.6 of this chapter regarding access to establishments and other places of business.]
§ 381.33
23. The last sentence of § 381.33 is removed.
24. Section 381.153 is amended to read as follows:
25. Section 381.178 is revised to read as follows:
§ 381.178
Representatives of the Secretary afforded access to a business specified in § 381.175 of this part (see § 300.6(b)(2) of this chapter) also must be afforded any necessary facilities (other than reproduction equipment) for the examination and copying of records and the examination and sampling of inventory.
§ 381.179
Paragraph (a) is amended by removing the phrase “the Compliance Programs, Regulatory Programs,” in the last sentence and adding in its place “District Enforcement Operations, Field Operations” and adding to the end of the sentence “or by calling the District Office.”
Done at Washington, DC, on December 24, 2003.
[FR Doc. 04-175 Filed 1-2-04; 8:45 am]