[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 16, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3537-3538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-1020]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency


Meeting on the Implementation of the United States Warehouse Act

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, Agriculture.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: To solicit comments and options for consideration in 
implementing the United States Warehouse Act of 2000 that was enacted 
on November 9, 2000 (USWA 2000), the Department of Agriculture (USDA) 
will conduct a public meeting.
    The meeting is open to the public with attendance limited to space 
that will be available on a first come basis. All attendees are asked 
to be prepared to share information concerning their current and future 
e-commerce activities. Individuals who plan to attend and need special 
assistance, such as sign language interpretation or other reasonable 
accommodations should notify the contact person listed below in advance 
of the meeting. No registration is required and there is no fee to 
attend the public meeting.

DATES: The public meeting to present implementation options and to 
solicit oral comments will be held on January 23, 2001, from 9 a.m. to 
4 p.m. E.S.T., in the Jefferson Auditorium of the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, 
DC, near the Smithsonian Metro Station.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roger Hinkle, Chief, Licensing 
Authority Branch, Warehouse and Inventory Division, Farm Service 
Agency, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., STOP 0553, Washington DC 20250, 
telephone (202) 720-7433; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The USWA 2000 was enacted on November 9, 
2000, to replace the original United States Warehouse Act (USWA) that 
was enacted in 1916. USWA 2000 can be found online at: 
www.fsa.usda.gov/daco/uswamain/public-law-106-472.pdf. This statute was 
enacted to make Federal warehouse licensing and operations more 
relevant to today's agricultural marketing and financial systems. USWA 
2000 authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate regulations 
governing (1) The issuance and transfer of electronic warehouse 
receipts across State and international boundaries; (2) the manner in 
which electronic documents relating to the shipment, payment, and 
financing of the sale of agricultural products may be

[[Page 3538]]

issued or transferred, including transfers across State and 
international boundaries; and (3) the standardization of such 
electronic documents. This new paperless flow of agricultural 
commodities from the farm to the end-user will provide significant 
savings and efficiencies for producers, bankers, warehouse operators, 
and other affected parties across the nation and throughout the world, 
and will make U.S. agricultural more competitive in world markets.
    Included in USWA 2000 were statutory deadlines for the issuance of 
proposed and final regulations, and the new statute provides that the 
current USWA that was enacted in 1916 expires no later than August 1, 
2001.
    Items that will be discussed in the subject meeting include, but 
are not limited to the following:
    (1) What documents and transactions should USDA make available for 
e-commerce?
    (2) Should USDA standardize criteria and formats for e-commerce 
concerning commodity warehousing? Financial and business records? 
Electronic data interchanges? Recordkeeping? Commodity merchandising?
    (3) The regulations at 7 CFR 735.100 through 735.105 currently 
provide specifically for cotton Electronic Warehouse Receipts (EWR) and 
EWR provider requirements and standards. Should similar regulations and 
processes be adopted or expanded when including additional commodities? 
If not, what criteria and requirements should USDA establish for 
electronic warehouse commerce providers?
    (4) What industry and business-based processes should USWA offer?
    The agenda includes: (1) Presentation on options currently under 
consideration for implementing USWA 2000; (2) discussions on the 
implementation of electronic commerce authorized under USWA 2000, with 
opportunity for comment; and (3) discussions on warehouse issues, with 
opportunity for comment.
    From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., the discussion will concentrate on 
electronic commerce initiatives that are authorized by USWA 2000, and 
from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. the discussion will concentrate on the statutory 
changes that will affect warehousing issues. Each session will (1) 
outline options that are under consideration for implementing USWA 
2000, and (2) provide attendees with an opportunity to present oral 
comments and submit written and oral questions. An official transcript 
will be prepared and will be available online at www.fsa.usda.gov/daco/uswamain/uswa2000-transcript.pdf. This official transcript will also be 
available for public inspection in Room 5968, South Agriculture 
Building, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except holidays. Persons with disabilities who require 
alternative means for communication of regulatory information (braille, 
large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 
(202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
    Comments: Written comments can be submitted in hard copy by mail to 
Roger Hinkle at the address shown above, or by fax at (202) 690-3123, 
or by e-mail to [email protected]. In order to ensure 
comments will be received before the meeting, submit written comments 
no later than January 15, 2001.

    Signed at Washington, DC on January 8, 2001.
Carolyn B. Cooksie,
Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 01-1020 Filed 1-12-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P