[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 44 (Friday, March 6, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 11101]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-5789]



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 Rules and Regulations
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  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 44 / Friday, March 6, 1998 / Rules 
and Regulations  

[[Page 11101]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of the Secretary

7 CFR Part 2


Revision of Delegations of Authority

AGENCY: Department of Agriculture.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This document revises the delegations of authority from the 
Secretary of Agriculture in order to reflect the Secretary's 
designation of the Chief Financial Officer as the Department official 
responsible for establishing nonprocurement debarment and suspension 
policy on a Department-wide basis.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Effective March 6, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary W. Butler, Deputy Assistant 
General Counsel, General Law Division, Office of the General Counsel, 
Department of Agriculture, Room 2321-S, Washington, DC 20250, telephone 
202-720-2577.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 23, 1997, the Secretary of 
Agriculture decided to designate the Chief Financial Officer as the 
official within the Department responsible for the development, 
promulgation, and coordination of Department-wide policy concerning 
nonprocurement debarment and suspension, as contained in 7 CFR part 
3017. This decision was based on the fact that the Department has 
adopted a decentralized arrangement for the imposition of 
nonprocurement debarment and suspension actions. As a consequence, the 
Department lacks a helmsman to guide Department policy in this 
important area and to coordinate the Department's interaction with 
other agencies with respect to government-wide policy. This delegation 
of authority will implement that decision. This delegation, however, 
does not affect which officials may serve as the ``debarring 
official,'' as that term is defined at 7 CFR 3017.105.
    This rule relates to internal agency management. Therefore, 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553, notice of proposed rule making and 
opportunity for comment are not required and good cause is found that 
this rule may be made effective upon publication in the Federal 
Register.
    Further, since this rule relates to internal agency management, it 
is exempt from the provisions of Executive Orders Nos. 12866 and 12988. 
In addition, this action is not a rule as defined by the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 605), and thus is exempt from the provisions 
of that Act. Finally, this action is not a rule as defined in 5 U.S.C. 
804, and thus does not require review by Congress.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 2

    Authority delegations (Government agencies).

PART 2--DELEGATIONS OF AUTHORITY BY THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE 
AND GENERAL OFFICERS OF THE DEPARTMENT

    Accordingly, 7 CFR part 2 is amended as follows:
    1. The authority citation for part 2 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: Sec. 212(a), Pub. L. 103-354, 108 Stat. 3210, 7 
U.S.C. 6912(a)(1); 5 U.S.C. 301; Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1953, 
3 CFR 1949-1953 Comp., p. 1024.

Subpart D--Delegations of Authority to Other General Officers and 
Agency Heads

    2. Section 2.28 is amended by adding a new paragraph (b)(17) that 
reads as follows:


Sec. 2.28  Chief Financial Officer.

    (b) * * *
    (17) Develop, promulgate, and coordinate Department-wide policy 
concerning nonprocurement debarment and suspension, as contained in 7 
CFR part 3017.
* * * * *
    Dated: February 27, 1998.
Dan Glickman,
Secretary of Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 98-5789 Filed 3-5-98; 8:45 am]
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