[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 198 (Friday, October 14, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60060-60061]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-5651]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 198 / Friday, October 14, 2005 / 
Notices  

[[Page 60060]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 05-061-1]


Agricultural Inspector Uniform Allowance

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA, is 
changing the colors of its employees' basic uniform to ensure our 
inspectors are easy to distinguish from personnel of other Federal 
agencies who are stationed at ports of entry. To offset the one-time 
cost to uniformed employees who must replace their existing uniforms, 
we are increasing, for one year only, our maximum uniform allowance 
rate for fiscal year 2006. We are publishing this notice in accordance 
with the civil service regulations regarding uniform allowances, which 
provide, among other things, that annual uniform allowances greater 
than $400 require public notice and comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
December 13, 2005.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and, in the ``Search for Open Regulations'' box, 
select ``Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service'' from the agency 
drop-down menu, then click on ``Submit.'' In the Docket ID column, 
select APHIS-2005-0082 to submit or view public comments and to view 
supporting and related materials available electronically. After the 
close of the comment period, the docket can be viewed using the 
``Advanced Search'' function in Regulations.gov.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies 
of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. 05-061-1, 
Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 
River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your 
comment refers to Docket No. 05-061-1.
    Reading Room: You may read any comments that we receive on this 
docket in our reading room. The reading room is located in room 1141 of 
the USDA South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to 
help you, please call (202) 690-2817 before coming.
    Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its 
programs is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Martin Torrez, Resource Management 
Staff, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 130, Riverdale, MD 20737-1232; 
(301) 734-7764.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture protects 
the health and value of American agriculture and natural resources by, 
among other things, conducting programs to prevent the introduction of 
exotic pests and diseases into the United States and conducting 
surveillance, monitoring, control, and eradication programs for pests 
and diseases in this country. These activities enhance agricultural 
productivity and competitiveness and contribute to the national economy 
and the public health.
    To carry out the APHIS mission, our inspectors are stationed at 
ports of entry into the United States as well as at other locations 
where interstate trade in agricultural products and other Federal 
regulatory programs and initiatives are conducted. In 2003, many of our 
employees who historically had conducted inspections of imported 
articles at ports of entry were transferred to the Department of 
Homeland Security (DHS) under the Homeland Security Act of 2002. 
Despite the transfer of the majority of APHIS inspectors to DHS, there 
are still approximately 1,700 uniformed APHIS personnel stationed at 
ports of entry and other locations throughout the United States.
    Uniformed APHIS personnel currently wear black pants, a white 
shirt, and a black tie. Most APHIS inspectors work in close proximity 
to inspectors from DHS's Transportation Security Administration (TSA), 
which has adopted a uniform with the same color scheme as APHIS'; the 
only distinguishing facet of the uniforms are the agency badges. Given 
the importance and uniqueness of the APHIS mission, we believe it is 
important to have a uniform that is clearly distinguishable from those 
of DHS-TSA. As such, we intend to change the basic inspector's uniform 
to one that has green pants and a tan shirt.
    In accordance with 5 CFR 591.103, APHIS may pay its uniformed 
employees an allowance for a uniform not to exceed $400 a year, or 
furnish a uniform at a cost not to exceed $400 a year; APHIS does the 
former. The cost for the purchase of the new APHIS basic uniform, in 
addition to other annual uniform needs, exceeds the $400 allowance. In 
order to offset the one-time cost of changing the APHIS inspector 
uniform, we need to increase that allowance for fiscal year 2006 (which 
runs from October 1, 2005, through September 30, 2006) to $800. We 
believe $800 is a suitable amount to allow employees to purchase 
uniform components in sufficient minimum quantities to maintain a 
professional appearance. This action would result in additional costs 
to APHIS of approximately $680,000, which APHIS has accounted for in 
its budget for fiscal year 2006.
    The specific items required for a basic uniform vary according to 
employee job function, and cost of certain items may vary according to 
gender. APHIS allows for variety in uniform components according to 
duty station (e.g., an inspector in North Dakota will have a different 
uniform wardrobe than an inspector in Florida). Following is a partial 
list of basic uniform components:

[[Page 60061]]



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Type                  Activities for which required        Minimum components        Cost each
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A..............................  Formal functions, including    Green dress pants............       $52.57
                                        passenger inspections.
                                                                      Long sleeve khaki service            41.02
                                                                       shirt.
                                                                      Short sleeve khaki service           38.18
                                                                       shirt.
                                                                      Green Tie....................         3.75
Class B..............................  Cargo inspections, domestic    Green cargo pants............        57.46
                                        field activities.
                                                                      Polo shirt...................        34.82
Utility..............................  May be used in combination     Green coveralls..............        56.16
                                        with other parts of Class A
                                        and B uniforms for functions
                                        that do not involve direct
                                        contact with the public.
                                                                      Cargo shorts.................        51.83
                                                                      Walking shoes................     94.00 to
                                                                                                          140.00
                                                                      Boots........................    199.00 to
                                                                                                          209.00
Accessories..........................  May be used in combination     Wide-brimmed straw hat.......        61.04
                                        with other parts of Class A
                                        and B uniforms.
                                                                      Rain jacket..................        36.89
                                                                      All weather overcoat.........       204.85
                                                                      Commando sweater.............        40.11
                                                                      Work belt....................        17.88
                                                                      Pair socks...................         6.10
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The usual $400 annual uniform allowance is intended to assist 
employees in maintaining a neat professional appearance, and may be 
used to purchase whatever uniform components listed above that the 
employee may require. We are providing an additional $400 for fiscal 
year 2006 to cover the cost of building a new basic uniform, which 
could include a combination of items such as:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A shirts (2)...........................................    $ 82.04
Class A dress pants (2)......................................     104.14
Class B cargo pants (1)......................................      57.46
Class B cargo shorts (1).....................................      51.83
Class B polo shirts (2)......................................      69.64
Pair socks (5)...............................................      30.50
                                                              ----------
    Total:...................................................     395.61
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This change in uniform allowance would be effective for fiscal year 
2006 only. Beginning fiscal year 2007, the uniform allowance would 
revert to $400.
    This notice is intended to satisfy the requirements of 5 CFR 
591.104(d), which requires that prior to adopting a uniform allowance 
that is greater than $400, a Federal agency must provide a 
justification for the allowance and make it available for public notice 
and comment.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 7th day of October 2005.
Jennifer Cervantes-Eggers,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Administration, USDA.
[FR Doc. E5-5651 Filed 10-13-05; 8:45 am]
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