Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2002/04/19/02-9784/revision-of-user-fees-for-2002-crop-cotton-classification-services-to-growers
Timestamp: 2017-11-24 20:35:27
Document Index: 719422587

Matched Legal Cases: ['§\u200928', '§\u200928', '§\u200928', '§\u200928', '§\u200928', '§\u200928', '§\u200928']

A Proposed Rule by the Agricultural Marketing Service on 04/19/2002
67 FR 19357
02-9784
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/02-9784 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/02-9784
Start Preamble Start Printed Page 19357
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is proposing to raise user fees for cotton producers for 2002 crop cotton classification services under the Cotton Statistics and Estimates Act in accordance with the formula provided in the Uniform Cotton Classing Fees Act of 1987. The 2001 user fee for this classification service was $1.35 per bale. This proposal would raise the fee for the 2002 crop to $1.45 per bale. The proposed fee and the existing reserve are sufficient to cover the costs of providing classification services, including costs for administration and supervision. Also because of insufficient demand, computer punch cards would be eliminated as an optional method of disseminating classing data to producers.
Interested persons are invited to submit written comments concerning this proposed rule to Norma McDill, Deputy Administrator, Cotton Program, AMS, USDA, STOP 0224, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0224. Comments should be submitted in triplicate. Comments may also be submitted electronically to: cottoncomments@usda.gov. All comments should reference the docket number and the date and page of this issue of the Federal Register. All comments received will be available for public inspection at Cotton Program, AMS, USDA, Room 2641-South, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC during regular business hours. A copy of this notice may be found at: www.ams.usda.gov/​cotton/​rulemaking.htm.
(1) The fee increase represents a very small portion of the cost-per-unit currently borne by those entities utilizing the services. (The 2001 user fee for classification services was $1.35 per bale; the fee for the 2002 crop would be increased to $1.45 per bale; the 2002 crop is estimated at 16,504,065 bales).
(4) Based on the average price paid to growers for cotton from the 2000 crop of 49.8 cents per pound, 500 pound bales of cotton are worth an average of $249 each. The proposed user fee for classification services, $1.45 per bale, is less than one percent of the value of an average bale of cotton.
The user fee charged to cotton producers for High Volume Instrument (HVI) classification services under the Cotton Statistics and Estimates Act (7 U.S.C. 473a) was $1.35 per bale during the 2001 harvest season as determined by using the formula provided in the Uniform Cotton Classing Fees Act of 1987, as amended by Public Law 102-237. The fees cover salaries, costs of equipment and supplies, and other overhead costs, including costs for administration, and supervision. It is anticipated that the proposed changes, if adopted, would be made effective July Start Printed Page 193581, 2002, as provided by the Cotton Statistics and Estimates Act.
This proposed rule establishes the user fee charged to producers for HVI classification at $1.45 per bale during the 2002 harvest season.
Public Law 102-237 amended the formula in the Uniform Cotton Classing Fees Act of 1987 for establishing the producer's classification fee so that the producer's fee is based on the prevailing method of classification requested by producers during the previous year. HVI classing was the prevailing method of cotton classification requested by producers in 2001. Therefore, the 2002 producer's user fee for classification service is based on the 2001 base fee for HVI classification.
Growers or their designated agents receiving classification data would continue to incur no additional fees if only one method of receiving classification data was requested. The fee for each additional method of receiving classification data in § 28.910 would remain at 5 cents per bale. Computer punched cards would be eliminated as an optional method of disseminating classing data to producers for the 2002 and subsequent crops because there is an insufficient demand for the use of this method. Accordingly, this change would be reflected in § 28.910(a). The fee in § 28.910(b) for an owner receiving classification data from the central database would remain at 5 cents per bale, and the minimum charge of $5.00 for services provided per monthly billing period would remain the same. The provisions of § 28.910(c) concerning the fee for new classification memoranda issued from the central database for the business convenience of an owner without reclassification of the cotton will remain the same.
The fee for review classification in § 28.911 would be increased from $1.35 to $1.45 per bale. The fee for returning samples after classification in § 28.911 would remain at 40 cents per sample.
A fifteen-day comment period is provided for public comments. This period is appropriate because it is anticipated that the proposed changes, if adopted, would be made effective July 1, 2002, as provided by the Cotton Statistics and Estimates Act.
3. In § 28.910, paragraph (a)(3) is removed:
[FR Doc. 02-9784 Filed 4-17-02; 1:29 pm]