[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 7, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 16878-16881]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-9051]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

7 CFR Part 354

[Docket No. 98-017-1]


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 IN, NJ, PA, and TX. 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

[[Page 16879]]

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: April 7, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Mona A. Grupp, Director, Resource 
Management Support, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 130, Riverdale, MD 
20737-1236, (301) 734-8392.

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 products, 
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 IN, NJ, PA, and TX. 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.

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]                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
New Jersey:                                                                                                     
    Atlantic City.............................  Bridgeton.............................  ...........            3
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Bridgeport (Monsato)......................  Wilmington, DE........................  ...........            1
    Burlington................................  Philadelphia, PA......................  ...........            3

[[Page 16880]]

                                                                                                                
    Coast Guard Sta., Cape May................  Bridgeton.............................  ...........            4
    Deepwater (Penns Grove)...................  Wilmington, DE........................  ...........            1
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    McGuire AFB...............................  Bridgeton.............................  ...........            4
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Morristown International Airport..........  Elizabeth.............................  ...........            3
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Salem.....................................  Bridgeton (Monsato)...................  ...........            2
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Trenton...................................  McGuire AFB...........................  ...........            3
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
Texas:                                                                                                          
    Alamo.....................................  Hidalgo...............................  ...........            1
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Falcon Heights............................  Roma..................................  ...........            1
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Hidalgo...................................  ......................................            1  ...........
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    McAllen...................................  Hidalgo...............................  ...........            1
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Mission...................................  Hidalgo...............................  ...........            1
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Pharr.....................................  Hidalgo...............................  ...........            1
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Rio Grande City...........................  Roma..................................       1\1/2\  ...........
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Roma......................................  ......................................            1  ...........
    Roma......................................  Hidalgo...............................  ...........            3
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    San Juan..................................  Hidalgo...............................  ...........            1
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
[Add]                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
Indiana:                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Indianapolis..............................  ......................................            1  ...........
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
New Jersey:                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Atlantic City.............................  Mullica Hill..........................  ...........       2\1/2\
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Burlington................................  Trenton...............................  ...........            1
    Coast Guard Station, Cape May.............  Mullica Hill..........................  ...........            4
    Deepwater.................................  Mullica Hill..........................  ...........            2
    Hammonton.................................  Mullica Hill..........................  ...........            2
    Hammonton.................................  Trenton...............................  ...........            3
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    McGuire AFB...............................  Mullica Hill..........................  ...........            3
                                                                                                                

[[Page 16881]]

                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Paulsboro.................................  Mullica Hill..........................  ...........       1\1/2\
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
Pennsylvania:                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Lehigh Valley International Airport,        Gap...................................  ...........            4
     Allentown.                                                                                                 
    Lehigh Valley International Airport,        Sweet Valley..........................  ...........            4
     Allentown.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
Texas:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Brownsville...............................  Pharr.................................  ...........            3
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Falcon Heights............................  Roma..................................  ...........       1\1/2\
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Pharr (Includes Hidalgo and McAllen         ......................................       1\1/2\  ...........
     International Airport.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Roma (Includes Rio Grande City)...........  ......................................            1  ...........
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
    Roma......................................  Pharr.................................  ...........            3
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Done in Washington, DC, this 1st day of April 1998.
Terry L. Medley,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 98-9051 Filed 4-6-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P