[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 42 (Friday, March 3, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11952-11953]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-5281]



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


DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration


Request for Comments on the Need for Official Services in the 
South Texas Region, and Request for Applications for Designation to 
Provide Official Services in the South Texas (TX) Region Under a Pilot 
Program

AGENCY: Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration 
(GIPSA).

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: GIPSA has received several inquiries regarding designation of 
an organization to provide official services in South Texas. GIPSA is 
requesting comments on the need for official inspection services in 
South Texas. GIPSA is proposing to designate more than one official 
agency under a pilot program to provide official services in the South 
Texas region. GIPSA also is requesting persons interested in providing 
official services in South Texas under a pilot program to submit an 
application for designation.

DATES: Applications and comments must be postmarked on or sent by 
telecopier (FAX) by March 21, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Applications and comments must be submitted to Janet M. 
Hart, Chief, Review Branch, Compliance Division, GIPSA, USDA, Room 1647 
South Building, P.O. Box 96454, Washington, DC 20090-6454. Telecopier 
(FAX) users may send applications and comments to the automatic 
telecopier machine at 202-720-1015, attention: Janet M. Hart. If an 
application is submitted by telecopier, GIPSA reserves the right to 
request an original application. All applications and comments will be 
made available for public inspection at this address at 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., during regular business hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet M. Hart, telephone 202-720-8525.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    This action has been reviewed and determined not to be a rule or 
regulation as defined in Executive Order 12866 and Departmental 
Regulation 1512-1; therefore, the Executive Order and Departmental 
Regulation do not apply to this action.
    Section 7(f)(1) of the United States Grain Standards Act, as 
amended (Act), authorizes GIPSA'S Administrator, after determining that 
there is sufficient need for official services, to designate a 
qualified applicant to provide official services in a specified area 
after determining that the applicant is qualified and is better able 
than any other applicant to provide such official services.
    Sections 7(f) and 7A of the Act were amended by the U.S. Grain 
Standards Act Amendments of 1993 (Public Law 103-156) on November 24, 
1993, to authorize FGIS' Administrator to conduct pilot programs 
allowing more than one official agency to provide official services 
within a single geographic area without undermining the declared policy 
of the Act. The purpose of the pilot programs is to evaluate the 
feasibility and impact of allowing more than one official agency to 
provide official services within a single geographic 
area. [[Page 11953]] 
    GIPSA announced five possible pilot programs and requested comments 
on them in the March 14, 1994, Federal Register (59 FR 11759). Comments 
were due by April 22, 1994. GIPSA has analyzed the comments received 
based on this notice and plans to announce potential nationwide pilot 
programs based on the results of these comments.
    The opening of a pilot program in the South Texas area is one of a 
limited geographic area. The nationwide pilot programs discussed above 
will be announced at a later date.
    GIPSA has received several inquiries regarding designation of an 
organization to provide official services in South Texas. GIPSA is 
requesting comments on the need for official inspection services in 
South Texas (including estimates of the number of official inspections 
by carrier, type of service, and kind of grain). The South Texas 
region, being considered for assignment to the applicant or applicants 
selected for designation, pursuant to Section (7)(2) of the Act, is as 
follows:
    The Texas Counties of: Atascosa, Bexar, Brooks, Cameron, Dimmit, 
Duval, Frio, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kinney, Kleberg, La 
Salle, Live Oak, Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Nueces, San Patricio, 
Starr, Uvalde, Val Verda, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, and Zavala, excluding 
those export port locations served by GIPSA.
    GIPSA also is requesting persons interested in providing official 
services in these South Texas Counties under a pilot program allowing 
more than one official agency to provide service in a single geographic 
area to submit an application for designation. GIPSA plans to allow all 
designated official agencies to provide official services to any grain 
firm located within the geographic area specified above.
    GIPSA will not designate any applicants unless it determines that 
there is sufficient need for official services in the South Texas 
region.
    Interested persons are hereby given an opportunity to submit 
comments on the need for official inspection services in the region 
specified above, and to apply for designation under the provisions of 
Section 7(f) of the Act and section 800.196(d) of the regulations 
issued thereunder.
    Designation in the South Texas area is for a 1 year period 
beginning about June 1, 1995. Persons wishing to apply for designation 
should contact the Compliance Division at the address listed above for 
forms and information.
    Applications and other available information will be considered in 
determining which applicant or applicants will be designated after 
GIPSA determines that there is a need for official services in the 
South Texas region.

    Authority: Pub. L. 94-582, 90 Stat. 2867, as amended (7 U.S.C. 
71 et seq.)

    Dated: February 15, 1995
Neil E. Porter,
Director, Compliance Division.
[FR Doc. 95-5281 Filed 3-2-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-EN-F