[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 90 (Wednesday, May 10, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 27211-27212]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-4394]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
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 

  Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 90 / Wednesday, May 10, 2006 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 27211]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

9 CFR Part 390

[Docket No. FSIS-2005-0028]


Availability of Lists of Retail Consignees During Meat or Poultry 
Product Recalls

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening and extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is reopening and 
extending the comment period for the proposed rulemaking ``Availability 
of Lists of Retail Consignees During Meat or Poultry Product Recalls,'' 
which closed on May 8, 2006. This action is based upon requests made by 
individuals who attended the Agency's April 24, 2006, public meeting to 
solicit comments on the proposal.

DATES: Comments are due by June 11, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons may submit comments on this proposed 
rule. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the 
ability to type short comments directly into the comment field on this 
Web page or attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to http://www.regulations.gov and, in the ``Search for Open Regu1ations'' box, 
select ``Food Safety and Inspection Service'' from the agency drop-down 
menu, and then click on ``Submit.'' In the Docket ID column, select 
FDMS Docket Number FSIS-2005-0028 to submit or view public comments and 
to view supporting and related material available electronically. This 
docket can be viewed using the ``Advanced Search'' function in 
Regulations.gov.
     Mail, including floppy disks or CD-ROM's, and hand'' or 
courier-delivered items: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 300 12th Street, SW, 
Room 102 Cotton Annex, Washington, DC 20250.
     Electronic mail: FSIS.regulationscomments@fsis. usda.gov.
    All submissions received by mail and electronic mail must include 
the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2005-0028. All comments 
submitted in response to this notice will be available for public 
inspection in the FSIS Docket Room at the address listed above between 
8:30 am. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The comments also will 
be posted to the regulations.gov Web site and on the Agency's Web site 
at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/2006_Notices_Index/index.asp.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Victoria A. Levine, Program Analyst, 
Regulations and Petitions Policy Staff, Office of Policy, Program, and 
Employee Development, Room 112, Cotton Annex, 300 12th Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20250-3700; Telephone (202) 720-5627.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 7, 2006, FSIS published in the 
Federal Register a proposed rule titled Availability of Lists of Retail 
Consignees During Meat or Poultry Product Recalls (71 FR 11326). FSIS 
proposed to amend the Federal meat and poultry products inspection 
regulations to provide that the Agency will make available to the 
public lists of the retail consignees of meat and poultry products that 
have been voluntarily recalled by a Federally inspected meat or poultry 
products establishment if product has been distributed to the retail 
level. In the preamble to the proposed rule, FSIS indicated that it 
would hold a public meeting to solicit comments on the issues raised in 
the proposal. The public meeting was held on April 24, 2006.
    At the public meeting and in oral comments before the meeting and 
written requests after it, numerous interested persons requested that 
the comment period on the proposal be extended until 30 days after the 
transcript of the public meeting is publicly available. The requests 
stressed the usefulness of having the transcript available in 
formulating these written comments.
    FSIS is reopening the comment period for an additional 30 days as 
the transcript of the April 24th public meeting is now posted on the 
FSIS Web site. These additional 30 days will provide time for 
interested persons to fully assess the information presented at the 
public meeting and to make written comments based upon their 
assessments. Informed comments should enhance the quality of the 
comments and the results of this rulemaking.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to ensure that the 
public and in particular minorities, women, and persons with 
disabilities, are aware of this proposal, FSIS will announce it on-line 
through the FSIS Web page located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/2006_Notices_Index/index.asp.
    The Regulations.gov Web site is the central online rulemaking 
portal of the United States government. It is being offered as a public 
service to increase participation in the Federal government's 
regulatory activities. FSIS participates in Regulations.gov and will 
accept comments on documents published on the site. The site allows 
visitors to search by keyword or Department or Agency for rulemakings 
that allow for public comment. Each entry provides a quick link to a 
comment form so that visitors can type in their comments and submit 
them to FSIS. The Web site is located at http://www.regulations.gov.
    FSIS also will make copies of this Federal Register publication 
available through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide 
information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal 
Register notices, FSIS public meetings, recalls, and other types of 
information that could affect or would be of interest to our 
constituents and stakeholders. The update is communicated via Listserv, 
a free e-mail subscription service consisting of industry, trade, and 
farm groups, consumer interest groups, allied health professionals, 
scientific professionals, and other individuals who have requested to 
be included. The update also is available on the FSIS Web page. Through 
Listserv and the Web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a 
much broader, more diverse audience.
    In addition, FSIS offers an email subscription service which 
provides

[[Page 27212]]

automatic and customized access to selected food safety news and 
information. This service is available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news_and_events/email_subscription/. Options range from recalls to 
export information to regulations, directives and notices. Customers 
can add or delete subscriptions themselves and have the option to 
password protect their account.

    Done in Washington, DC, May 8, 2006.
Barbara J. Masters,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 06-4394 Filed 5-8-06; 12 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P