[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 200 (Tuesday, October 15, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 53603-53606]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-26349]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
7 CFR Part 354

[Docket No. 95-049-1]


Commuted Traveltime Periods: Overtime Services Relating to 
Imports and Exports

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are amending the regulations concerning overtime services 
provided by employees of Plant Protection and Quarantine by removing 
and adding commuted traveltime allowances for travel between various 
locations in Canada, Louisiana, Michigan, and Washington. Commuted 
traveltime allowances are the periods of time required for Plant 
Protection and Quarantine employees to travel from their dispatch 
points and return there from the places where they perform Sunday, 
holiday, or other overtime duty. The Government charges a fee for 
certain overtime services provided by Plant Protection and Quarantine 
employees and, under certain circumstances, the fee may include the 
cost of commuted traveltime. This action is necessary to inform the 
public of commuted traveltime for these locations.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 15, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. James Smith, Operations Officer, 
Port Operations, PPQ, APHIS, Suite 4A34, 4700 River Road Unit 60, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1236, (301) 734-8415.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The regulations in 7 CFR, chapter III, and 9 CFR, chapter I, 
subchapter D, require inspection, laboratory testing, certification, or 
quarantine of certain plants, plant products, animals, animal 
byproducts, or other commodities intended for importation into, or 
exportation from, the United States. When these services must be 
provided by an employee of Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) on a 
Sunday or holiday, or at any other time outside the PPQ employee's 
regular duty hours, the Government charges a fee for the services in 
accordance with 7 CFR part 354. Under circumstances described in 
Sec. 354.1(a)(2), this fee may include the cost of commuted traveltime. 
Section 354.2 contains administrative instructions prescribing commuted 
traveltime allowances, which reflect, as nearly as practicable, the 
periods of time required for PPQ employees to travel from their 
dispatch points and return there from the places where they perform 
Sunday, holiday, or other overtime duty.
    We are amending Sec. 354.2 of the regulations by removing and 
adding commuted traveltime allowances for travel between various 
locations in Canada, Louisiana, Michigan, and Washington. The 
amendments are set forth in the rule portion of this document. This 
action is necessary to inform the public of the commuted traveltime 
between the dispatch and service locations.

[[Page 53604]]

Effective Date

    The commuted traveltime allowances appropriate for employees 
performing services at ports of entry, and the features of the 
reimbursement plan for recovering the cost of furnishing port of entry 
services, depend upon facts within the knowledge of the Department of 
Agriculture. It does not appear that public participation in this 
rulemaking proceeding would make additional relevant information 
available to the Department.
    Accordingly, pursuant to the administrative procedure provisions in 
5 U.S.C. 553, we find upon good cause that prior notice and other 
public procedure with respect to this rule are impracticable and 
unnecessary; we also find good cause for making this rule effective 
less than 30 days after publication of this document in the Federal 
Register.

Executive Order 12866 and Regulatory Flexibility Act

    This final rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12866. For 
this action, the Office of Management and Budget has waived its review 
process required by Executive Order 12866.
    The number of requests for overtime services of a PPQ employee at 
the locations affected by our rule represents an insignificant portion 
of the total number of requests for these services in the United 
States.
    Under these circumstances, the Administrator of the Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that this action will 
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities.

Executive Order 12372

    This program/activity is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance under No. 10.025 and is subject to Executive Order 12372, 
which requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local 
officials. (See 7 CFR part 3015, subpart V.)

Executive Order 12988

    This final rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, 
Civil Justice Reform. This rule is intended to have preemptive effect 
with respect to any State or local laws, regulations, or policies that 
conflict with its provisions or that would otherwise impede its full 
implementation. This rule is not intended to have retroactive effect. 
There are no administrative procedures that must be exhausted prior to 
any judicial challenge to the provisions of this rule or the 
application of its provisions.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This rule contains no new information collection or recordkeeping 
requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.).

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 354

    Exports, Government employees, Imports, Plant diseases and pests, 
Quarantine, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Travel and 
transportation expenses.

    Accordingly, 7 CFR part 354 is amended as follows:

PART 354--OVERTIME SERVICES RELATING TO IMPORTS AND EXPORTS; AND 
USER FEES

    1. The authority citation for part 354 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 2260; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 49 U.S.C. 
1741; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.2(c).

    2. Section 354.2 is amended by removing or adding in the table, in 
alphabetical order, the following entries to read as follows:


Sec. 354.2   Administrative instructions prescribing commuted 
traveltime.

* * * * *

                     Commuted Traveltime Allowances                     
                               [In hours]                               
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Metropolitan  
                                                              area      
       Location covered               Served from      -----------------
                                                         Within  Outside
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Remove]                                                                
                                                                        
*                  *                  *                  *              
                  *                  *                  *               
Louisiana:                                                              
    Barksdale AFB, Shreveport.  ......................  .......   3\1/2\
                                                                        
*                  *                  *                  *              
                  *                  *                  *               
    England AFB...............  Alexandria............        1         
    England AFB, Alexandria...  Baton Rouge...........  .......        5
    England AFB, Alexandria...  Monroe................  .......        4
                                                                        
*                  *                  *                  *              
                  *                  *                  *               
    Lake Charles..............  Alexandria............  .......        4
                                                                        
*                  *                  *                  *              
                  *                  *                  *               
Michigan:                                                               
    Bay City..................  Detroit...............  .......        5
    Battle Creek..............  Kalamazoo.............  .......        2
    Detroit (including Detroit  ......................        3         
     Metropolitan Airport,                                              
     Inkster).                                                          
                                                                        
*                  *                  *                  *              
                   *                *                  *                
    Monroe....................  Detroit...............  .......        3
    Mt. Clemens...............  Romulus...............  .......        4
    Muskegon..................  Detroit...............  .......        6
                                                                        
*                  *                  *                  *              
                  *                  *                  *               
    Muskegon..................  Kalamazoo.............  .......        4
                                                                        

[[Page 53605]]

                                                                        
*                  *                  *                  *              
                  *                  *                  *               
    Port Huron................  Detroit...............  .......        4
    Saginaw...................  Detroit...............  .......        5
    Selfridge AFB.............  Romulus...............  .......        4
    South Haven...............  Detroit...............  .......        6
                                                                        
*                  *                  *                  *              
                  *                  *                  *               
Washington:                                                             
                                                                        
*                  *                  *                  *              
                  *                  *                  *               
    Undesignated Ports........  Portland, OR, Tacoma,         3         
                                 Seattle.                               
                                                                        
*                  *                  *                  *              
                  *                  *                  *               
[Add]                                                                   
                                                                        
*                  *                  *                  *              
                  *                  *                  *               
Canada: Vancouver, BC           Blaine................  .......        4
 (Including Richmond).                                                  
                                                                        
*                  *                    *                    *          
                  *                    *                      *         
Louisiana:                                                              
                                                                        
*                    *                    *                    *        
                     *                  *                  *            
    England Air Park..........  Baton Rouge...........  .......        5
    England Air Park..........  Shreveport............  .......        5
    England Air Park..........  Monroe................  .......        4
                                                                        
*                  *                  *                  *              
                  *                  *                  *               
Michigan:                                                               
    Battle Creek..............  Grand Rapids..........  .......        3
    Bay City..................  Mt. Pleasant..........  .......        3
    Detroit (including Detroit  Romulus/Detroit.......        3         
     Metropolitan Airport, and                                          
     Willow Run Airport).                                               
                                                                        
*                  *                  *                  *              
                  *                  *                  *               
    Saginaw...................  Mt. Pleasant..........  .......        3
    Selfridge AFB.............  Port Huron............  .......        3
                                                                        
*                  *                  *                  *              
                  *                  *                  *               
Washington:                                                             
                                                                        
*                  *                  *                  *              
                   *                  *                  *              
    Fairchild AFB.............  Ellensburg............  .......        6
    Fairchild AFB.............  Spokane...............        2         
                                                                        
*                  *                  *                  *              
                  *                  *                  *               
    Spokane International       Ellensburg............  .......        6
     Airport.                                                           
    Spokane International       Spokane...............        2         
     Airport.                                                           
                                                                        
*                  *                  *                *                
                  *                  *                *                 
    Undesignated Ports........  Astoria or Portland,    .......        3
                                 OR; Blaine,                            
                                 Ellensburg, Seattle,                   
                                 Spokane, Tacoma.                       
                                                                        
*                  *                  *                  *              
                  *                  *                  *               
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[[Page 53606]]

    Done in Washington, DC, this 8th day of October 1996.
A. Strating,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 96-26349 Filed 10-11-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P