[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 190 (Friday, September 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 58504]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-24925]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA).

[00-B]


Pilot Programs for Official Agencies

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: GIPSA is extending the current three pilot programs (timely 
service, open season, and barge) pending changes to the current 
statutory authority for such programs. These pilot programs were 
established in 1995 and 1998 to allow more than one official agency to 
provide official services within a single geographic area. These 
programs are scheduled to end on September 30, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Neil E. Porter, telephone 202-720-
8262.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Sections 7(f) and 7A of the United States 
Grain Standards Act (Act) (7 U.S.C. 79(f)) and (7 U.S.C. 79a) were 
amended by the United States Grain Standards Act Amendments of 1993 
(Public Law 103-156) on November 24, 1993, to authorize GIPSA's 
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 impact of allowing more than one 
official agency to provide official services within a single geographic 
area. These pilot programs are scheduled to end on September 30, 2000.
    On September 27, 1995, GIPSA published a Federal Register Notice 
(60 FR 49828), announcing two new pilot programs (timely service and 
open season) to begin on November 1, 1995. The timely service pilot 
program allowed official agencies to provide official services to 
facilities outside their assigned geographic area on a case-by-case 
basis when these services could not be provided in a timely manner by 
the official agency designated to serve the area. The open season pilot 
program allowed official agencies to offer their services to facilities 
outside their assigned geographic area where no official sample-lot or 
official weighing services had been provided in the previous 6 months. 
On October 3, 1996, GIPSA published a Federal Register Notice (61 FR 
51674), which reduced the qualification period to 3 months.
    On January 15, 1998, GIPSA published a Federal Register Notice (63 
FR 2360), announcing a pilot program allowing barges on all rivers to 
be sampled by probe by any official agency. This barge pilot option was 
initiated on March 1, 1998.
    On October 1, 1998, GIPSA published a Federal Register Notice (63 
FR 52682) extending the three pilot programs to September 30, 2000.
    The pilot programs are extended pending changes to the current 
statutory authority for the pilot programs. GIPSA will continue to 
monitor and evaluate the pilot programs. If, at any time, GIPSA 
determines that any pilot program is having a negative impact on the 
offical system or is not working as intended, the program may be 
modified or discontinued.

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

    Dated: September 22, 2000.
Neil E. Porter,
Director, Compliance Division.
[FR Doc. 00-24925 Filed 9-28-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-EN-U