[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 3 (Wednesday, January 5, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 352-353]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-34070]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Broadcasting Board of Governers

22 CFR Parts 22 and 514

[Public Notice 3190]


Exchange Visitor Program: Redesignation of Regulations and Delay 
of Effective Date

AGENCY: Broadcasting Board of Governors and Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.

ACTION: Interim final rule.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the consolidation of the United States Information 
Agency (``USIA'') and the Department of State as mandated by the 
Foreign Affairs Agencies Consolidation Act of 1998, public regulations 
of the former USIA were either repealed, revised and amended to apply 
only to the Department of State, or amended to apply only to the 
Broadcasting Board of Governors (``BBG''). Through administrative 
error, one provision of the former USIA regulations, 22 CFR 514.90(a) 
was inadvertently retained by the BBG instead of being removed, as 
intended. This rule cures this error by removing 22 CFR 514.90(a).
    The Department of State is also delaying indefinitely the effective 
date of the interim final rule that was published in the Federal 
Register by the United States Information Agency on September 27, 1999, 
at 64 FR 51894-51896. The rule would institute user fees for the 
services of the Program

[[Page 353]]

Designation Branch of the Exchange Visitor Program Services. Exchange 
Visitor Program Services has been part of the Department since October 
1, 1999, pursuant to the consolidation of the United States Information 
Agency and the Department of State as mandated by the Foreign Affairs 
Consolidation Act of 1998.

DATES: This rule is effective December 30, 1999. As of December 30, 
1999, the effective date for the regulations published September 27, 
1999, at 64 FR 51894-51896, revising 22 CFR 514.90, is delayed 
indefinitely.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sally Lawrence, Branch Chief, Program 
Designation Branch, Exchange Visitor Program Services, Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs, United States Department of State 301 
4th Street, SW, Room 734, Washington, DC 20547; telephone (202) 401-
9810; facsimile (202) 401-9809.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This rule removes the text of a former 
regulation of the United States Information Agency, which appeared at 
22 CFR 514.90(a), in order to correct a prior administrative error.
    Further, on September 27, 1999, the United States Information 
Agency published in the Federal Register, at 64 FR 51894-51896, an 
interim rule concerning user fees. This rule, initially scheduled to 
become effective on January 1, 2000, established new fees at 22 CFR 
514.90(b). Such fees would enable the State Department to recover the 
full cost associated with its administrative processing of requests by 
Program participants for an extension, change of category, or 
reinstatement of their program status. Also, it would recoup costs 
associated with processing requests for designation of exchange visitor 
programs as well as non-routine requests for the Form IAP-66 submitted 
by designated sponsors on an urgent or expedited basis.
    The Department of State received five sets of Comments on the 
September 27, 1999 interim final rule on user fees. These comments were 
from non-government organizations involved in international exchanges. 
They expressed a desire that the fees be delayed for a number of 
reasons, including allowing time for the Department to further consult 
with the exchange community on the matter, and for integration of the 
Program Designation Branch within the Department as the result of the 
consolidation of United States Information Agency and the Department of 
State. Based on a review of the comments, the Department believes that 
the interim final rule, as published, is programmatically sound. The 
Department has, however, also determined that additional time is needed 
to institute an appropriate collection, recording and accounting system 
within the new State Department environment. The Department, therefore, 
has decided to postpone indefinitely the effective date of the user 
fees for Program Designation services until the administrative process 
for fees is established. This rule has no effect on the user fee that 
is currently being charged for applications for waiver of the two-year 
home-country residence requirement of section 212(e) of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act, as formerly set forth in 22 CFR 514.90(b), and as 
now set forth in 22 CFR 22.1 item 72. The Department of State will make 
the interim final rule effective at a later date by amending 22 CFR 
22.1 to include the fees formerly listed in the interim final rule 22 
CFR 514.90(b) published at 64 FR 51894-51896.

List of Subjects

22 CFR Part 22

    Fees and funds, Foreign Service, Passports and visas.

22 CFR Part 514

    Cultural Exchange Programs.

    For the reasons set forth above, pursuant to the Foreign Affairs 
Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998, Public Law 105-277, 112 Stat. 
2681-761, Title 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as 
follows:

CHAPTER V--BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS

PART 514--[REMOVED]

    1. Part 514, consisting of Sec. 514.90, is removed.

    Dated: December 29, 1999.

William B. Bader,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, United States 
Department of State.

    Dated: December 29, 1999.
Susan Andross,
Congressional and External Affairs Coordinator.

    Dated: December 28, 1999.
Patrick F. Kennedy,
Assistant Secretary for Administration, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 99-34070 Filed 12-30-99; 11:30 am]
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