[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 189 (Tuesday, September 30, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 56301]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-24845]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Bureau of Customs and Border Protection


Public Meeting of the Airport and Seaport User Fee Advisory 
Committee

AGENCY: Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: This document announces the date, time, and location for a 
public meeting of the Airport and Seaport User Fee Advisory Committee 
and the agenda for consideration by the Committee. It also invites 
submission of written statements. In order to be considered for 
discussion at the meeting, a statement must be received by the 
Committee at least five days prior to the date of the meeting.

DATES: The 26th meeting of the Airport and Seaport User Fee Advisory 
Committee will be held on Wednesday, October 22, 2003, at 1 p.m., at 
the Office of Field Operations, Bureau of Customs and Border 
Protection, 5th Floor Bridge Conference Room, International Trade 
Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20229.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Sargent, Office of Finance, 
(202) 927-0609; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Airport and Seaport User Fee Advisory Committee was created 
under the authority of 8 U.S.C. 1356(k) (section 286(k) of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended; see also the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C.A. App. Sec.  2)) to meet periodically 
and advise the Attorney General on issues related to the performance of 
certain inspectional services performed by the Immigration and 
Naturalization Service (INS). Since the legacy INS inspection component 
has been merged with the U.S. Customs Service (along with other 
agencies) to form the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 
effective on March 1, 2003, the function of the Committee is now under 
CBP and the Committee now advises the Secretary of Homeland Security.
    The Committee consists of representatives of the airline and other 
transportation industries that are subject to fees and charges 
authorized by law or proposed by the governing agency (either INS prior 
to March 1, 2003, or CBP afterward). Matters of consideration by the 
Committee include time periods during which inspectional services 
should be performed, number and deployment of inspectional officers, 
the level of fees, and the appropriateness of any proposed fee. The 
fees addressed by the Committee are immigration fees and should not to 
be confused with COBRA fees authorized under 19 U.S.C. 58c.
    Generally, the Committee focuses its attention on those subjects 
that most concern and benefit the travel industry, the traveling 
public, and CBP. One such subject is the fee charged for immigration 
inspectional services under 8 U.S.C. 1356(d) (section 286(d) of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended). This fee applies to each 
passenger arriving at a port of entry in the United States, or to the 
preinspection of a passenger in a place outside the United States prior 
to arrival in the United States, aboard a commercial aircraft or 
vessel.

Public Meeting

    In accordance with 8 U.S.C. 1356(k), CBP announces that the twenty-
sixth meeting of the Airport and Seaport User Fee Advisory Committee 
will take place at 1 p.m. on October 22, 2003, at CBP Headquarters, 
Office of Field Operations, 5th Floor Bridge Conference Room, 1300 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20229. The meeting is open to 
the public, and advance notice of attendance is requested to ensure 
adequate seating. Persons planning to attend should notify the contact 
person identified previously in this notice at least five days prior to 
the meeting. Any interested party may submit a written statement at any 
time before or after the meeting to the contact person for 
consideration by the Committee. Written statements received by the 
contact person at least five days prior to the meeting will be 
considered for discussion at the meeting.

Meeting Agenda

    At this meeting, the Committee is expected to pursue the following 
agenda (which may be modified prior to the meeting):
    1. Introduction of the Committee members;
    2. Discussion of administrative issues;
    3. Discussion of activities since last meeting;
    4. Discussion of specific concerns and questions of Committee 
members;
    5. Discussion of future traffic trends;
    6. Discussion of relevant written statements timely submitted by 
the public in advance of the meeting (as above); and
    7. Scheduling of next meeting.

    Dated: September 26, 2003.
John E. Eichelberger,
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Finance.
[FR Doc. 03-24845 Filed 9-29-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4820-02-P