Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2015/04/09/2015-08162/2015-rates-charged-for-ams-services
Timestamp: 2017-08-17 04:13:22
Document Index: 347938429

Matched Legal Cases: ['§\u200958', '§\u200951', '§\u200951', '§\u200962', '§\u200991', 'art 56', '§\u200956', 'art 56', '§\u200956', 'art 70', '§\u200970', 'art 70', '§\u200970', 'art 70', '§\u200970']

Federal Register :: 2015 Rates Charged for AMS Services
19059-19064 (6 pages)
Document No. AMS-LPS-15-0001
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2015-08162 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2015-08162
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing the 2015 Start Printed Page 19060rates it will charge voluntary grading, inspection, certification, auditing and laboratory services for a variety of agricultural commodities including meat and poultry, fruits and vegetables, eggs, dairy products, and cotton and tobacco. The 2015 regular, overtime, holiday, and laboratory services rates will be applied at the beginning of the crop year, fiscal year or as required by law (June 1 for cotton programs) depending on the commodity. This action established the rates for user-funded programs based on costs incurred by AMS.
Sonia Jimenez, AMS, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 3069-S, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20250; telephone (202) 720-5115, fax (202) 720-8477; email sonia.jimenez@ams.usda.gov.
The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended, (AMA)(7 U.S.C. 1621-1627), provides for the collection of fees to cover costs of various inspection, grading, certification or auditing services covering many agricultural commodities and products. The AMA also provides for the recovery of costs incurred in providing laboratory services. The Cotton Statistics and Estimates Act (7 U.S.C. 471-476) and the U.S. Cotton Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 51-65) provide for classification of cotton and development of cotton standards materials necessary for cotton classification. The Cotton Futures Act (7 U.S.C. 15b) provides for futures certification services and the Tobacco Inspection Act (7 U.S.C. 511-511s) provides for tobacco inspection and grading. These Acts also provide for the recovery of costs associated with these services.
On November 13, 2014, The Department of Agriculture (Department) published in the Federal Register a final rule that established standardized formulas for calculating the fees charged by AMS user-funded programs (79 FR 67313).
This notice announces the fee rates for voluntary grading, inspection, certification, auditing and laboratory services for a variety of agricultural commodities including meat and poultry, fruits and vegetables, eggs, dairy products, and cotton and tobacco on a per-hour rate and, in some instances, the equivalent per-unit cost. The per-unit cost is provided to facilitate understanding of the costs associated with the service to the industries that historically used unit-cost basis for payment. The fee rates will be effective at the beginning of the fiscal year, crop year, or as required by specific laws (June 1 for cotton programs).
The rates reflect direct and indirect costs of providing services. Direct costs include the cost of salaries, employee benefits, and if applicable, travel and some operating costs. Indirect or overhead costs include the cost of Program and Agency activities supporting the services provided to the industry.
These services include the grading, inspection or certification of quality factors in accordance with established U.S. Grade Standards; audits or accreditation according to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards and/or Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles; and other marketing claims. The quality grades serve as a basis for market prices and reflect the value of agricultural commodities to both producers and consumers. AMS' grading and quality verification and certification, audit and accreditation, plant process and equipment verification, and laboratory approval services are voluntary tools paid by the users on a fee-for-service basis. The agriculture industry can use these tools to promote and communicate the quality of agricultural commodities to consumers. Laboratory services are provided for analytic testing, including but not limited to chemical, microbiological, biomolecular, and physical analyses. AMS is required by statute to recover the costs associated with these services.
As required by the Cotton Statistics and Estimates Act (7 U.S.C. 471-476), consultations regarding the establishment of the fee for cotton classification with U.S. cotton industry representatives were held between January 2014 and the present. Representatives of all segments of the cotton industry, including producers, ginners, bale storage facility operators, merchants, cooperatives, and textile manufacturers were informed of the fees during various industry-sponsored forums.
AMS calculated the rate for services, per hour per program employee using the following formulas (a per-unit base is included for programs that charge services based on a per-unit base):
(3) Holiday rate. The total AMS grading, inspection, certification, classification, audit, or laboratory service program personnel direct pay divided by direct hours, which is then multiplied by the next year's percentage of cost of living increase and then multiplied by 2, plus benefits rate, plus the operating rate, plus an allowance for bad debt. If applicable, travel expenses may also be added to the cost of providing the service.
Regular Overtime Holiday Includes travel costs in rate Start date
Certification for Futures Contract (Grading services for samples submitted by CCC-licensed samplers) $3.50/bale X June 1, 2015.
Transfer of Certification Data to New Owner or Certified Warehouse (Electronic transfer performed) $0.20/bale or $5.00 per page minimum X June 1, 2015.
Form 1: Grading Services for Producers (submitted by licensed sampler) $2.20/bale X June 1, 2015.
Form 1 Review (new sample submitted by licensed sampler) $2.20/bale X June 1, 2015.
Form A Determinations (sample submitted by licensed warehouse) $2.00/bale X June 1, 2015.
Form C Determinations (sample submitted by non-licensed entity; bale sampled under USDA supervision) $2.00/bale June 1, 2015.
Form D Determination (sample submitted by owner or agent; classification represents sample only) Instrument and Manual Grade: $2.00/bale; Instrument Grade Only: $1.75/bale X June 1, 2015.
Foreign Growth Classification (sample of foreign growth cotton submitted by owner or agent; classification represents sample only) Instrument and Manual Grade: $2.00/bale; Instrument Grade Only: $1.75/bale X June 1, 2015.
Arbitration (comparison of a sample to the official standards or a sample type) Instrument and Manual Grade: $4.00/bale; Instrument Grade Only: $2.70/bale; Manual Grade Only: $2.20/bale X June 1, 2015.
Practical Cotton Classing Exam (for non-USDA employees) Exam: $105/applicant; Reexamination: $85/applicant X June 1, 2015.
Special Sample Handling (return of samples per request) $0.50/sample X June 1, 2015.
Electronic Copy of Classification Record $0.05/bale ($5.00/month minimum with any records received) X June 1, 2015.
Form A Rewrite (reissuance of Form 1, Form A, or Futures Certification data or combination) $0.15/bale or $5.00/page X June 1, 2015.
Form R (reissuance of Form 1 classification only) $0.15/bale or $5.00/page minimum X June 1, 2015.
International Instrument Level Assessment $4.00/sample X June 1, 2015.
Subpart A—Regulations Governing the Inspection and Grading Services of Manufactured or Processed Dairy Products; §§ 58.38-58.46 Fees and Charges
Continuous Resident Grading Service $76.00 $114.00 $152.00 X Oct 1, 2015.
Non-resident and Intermittent Grading Service 82.00 123.00 164.00 X Oct 1, 2015.
Non-resident Services 6 p.m.-6 a.m. (10 percent night differential) 90.20 135.30 180.40 X Oct 1, 2015.
State Graders 82.00 123.00 164.00 X Oct 1, 2015.
Equipment Review 82.00 123.00 164.00 X Oct 1, 2015.
Export Certificate Services 82.00 N/A N/A X Oct 1, 2015.
Special Handling 41.00 N/A N/A Oct 1, 2015.
Fax Charge 4.00 N/A N/A Oct 1, 2015.
Derogation Application 123.00 N/A N/A Oct 1, 2015.
Subpart A—Regulations; §§ 51.37-51.44 Schedule of Fees and Charges at Destination Markets § 51.45 Schedule of Fees and Charges at Shipping Point Areas
Quality and Condition Inspections for Whole Lots $151.00 per lot Oct 1, 2015.
Condition—Only Inspections for Whole Lots $125.00 per lot Oct 1, 2015.
Quality and Condition or Condition—Only Inspections for Additional Lots of the Same Product $69.00 per lot Oct 1, 2015.
Dockside Inspections—Each package weighing <30 lbs $0.038 per pkg. Oct 1, 2015.
Dockside Inspections—Each package weighing >30 lbs $0.059 per pkg. Oct 1, 2015.
Charge per Individual Product for Dockside Inspection $151.00 per lot Oct 1, 2015.
Charge per Each Additional Lot of the Same Product $69.00 per lot Oct 1, 2015.
Inspections for All Hourly Work $74.00 $112.00 $148.00 Oct 1, 2015.
Audit Services $92.00 1 X Oct 1, 2015.
Lot Inspections $62.00 $93.00 $124.00 X Oct 1, 2015.
In-plant Inspections Under Annual Contract (year-round) 49.00 73.50 98.00 X Oct 1, 2015.
Additional Graders (in-plant) or Less Than Year-Round 65.00 97.50 130.00 X Oct 1, 2015.
Audit Services 92.00 1 X Oct 1, 2015.
Commitment Grading $61.00 $78.00 $122.00 X Oct 1, 2015.
Non-commitment Grading 71.00 78.00 122.00 Oct 1, 2015.
Night Differential (6 p.m.-6 a.m.) 78.00 N/A 122.00 Oct 1, 2015.
Subpart A—Quality Systems Verification Definitions § 62.300 Fees and Other Costs for Service
Auditing Activities $108.00 Oct 1, 2015.
Laboratory Testing $52.00 $78.00 $104.00 X Oct 1, 2015.
Administrative Fee $13.00 per certificate Oct 1, 2015.
Resident Service (in-plant) 2 $42.68 2 $47.16 2 $67.28 X Oct 1, 2015.
Resident, Night Differential (6 p.m.-6 a.m.) 2 45.16 2 49.60 2 69.76 X Oct 1, 2015.
Resident, Sunday Differential 2 48.80 2 53.28 N/A X Oct 1, 2015.
Resident, Sunday and Night Differential 2 51.28 2 55.76 N/A X Oct 1, 2015.
Fee Service (non-scheduled) 77.28 93.24 115.89 Oct 1, 2015.
Audit Service 89.20 116.08 139.89 Oct 1, 2015.
Subpart I—Fees and Charges; §§ 91.37—91.45
Laboratory Testing Services $88.00 $103.00 $118.00 Oct 1, 2015.
Laboratory Approval Services 3 136.00 163.00 191.00 X Jan 1, 2016.
Domestic Permissive Inspection and Certification (re-grading of domestic tobacco for processing plants, retesting of imported tobacco, and grading tobacco for research stations.) $47.40 $53.70 $64.45 June 1, 2015.
Export Permissive Inspection and Certification (grading of domestic tobacco for manufacturers and dealers for duty drawback consideration) $0.0025/pound X June 1, 2015.
Grading for Risk Management Agency (for Tobacco Crop Insurance Quality Adjustment determinations) $0.01/pound X June 1, 2015.
Pesticide Test Sampling (collection of certified tobacco sample and shipment to AMS National Science Laboratory for testing) $0.0054/kg or $0.0025/pound X June 1, 2015.
Pesticide Retest Sampling (collection of certified tobacco sample from a previously sampled lot for re-testing at the AMS National Science Laboratory; fee includes shipping) $115.00/sample and $47.40/hour X June 1, 2015.
Standards Course (training by USDA-certified instructor on tobacco grading procedures) $1,200.00/person June 1, 2015.
Import Inspection and Certification (grading of imported tobacco for manufacturers and dealers) $0.0154/kg or $0.0070/pound X June 1, 2015.
1 Travel costs outside the United States will be added to the fee, if applicable.
2 Administrative charges are applied in addition to hourly rates for resident service as specified in Part 56, Subpart A, § 56.52(a)(4); Part 56, Subpart A, § 56.54(a)(2); Part 70, Subpart A, § 70.76(a)(2); Part 70, Subpart A, § 70.77(a)(4) and Part 70, Subpart A, § 70.77(a)(5).
[FR Doc. 2015-08162 Filed 4-8-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-PStart Printed Page 19064