[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 203 (Monday, October 20, 2008)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 62215-62218]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-24918]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

7 CFR Part 946

[Docket No. AMS-FV-08-0037; FV08-946-2 PR]


Irish Potatoes Grown in Washington; Modification of Late Payment 
and Interest Charge Regulation

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: This rule invites comments on a modification of the late 
payment and interest charge regulation prescribed under the Washington 
potato marketing order. The marketing order regulates the handling of 
Irish potatoes grown in Washington, and is administered locally by the 
State of Washington Potato Committee (Committee). This rule would 
revise the date interest is charged on late assessment payments from 30 
to 60 days from the billing date shown on the handler's assessment 
statement received from the Committee. This rule would contribute to 
the efficient operation of the marketing order by reducing billing for 
nominal late payment interest charges on handlers who pay within 60 
days of the billing date, while continuing those interest charges 
necessary to encourage payment, thereby ensuring that adequate funds 
are available to cover the Committee's authorized expenses.

DATES: Comments must be received by November 4, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments 
concerning this proposal. Comments must be sent to the Docket Clerk, 
Marketing Order Administration Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, 
AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., STOP 0237, Washington, DC 
20250-0237; Fax: (202) 720-8938; or Internet: http://www.regulations.gov. All comments should reference the docket number 
and the date and page number of this issue of the Federal Register and 
will be made available for public inspection in the Office of the 
Docket Clerk during regular business hours, or can be viewed at: http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Teresa Hutchinson or Gary Olson, 
Northwest Marketing Field Office, Marketing Order Administration 
Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, Telephone: (503) 326-
2724, Fax: (503) 326-7440, or E-mail: [email protected] or 
[email protected].
    Small businesses may request information on complying with this 
regulation by contacting Jay Guerber, Marketing Order Administration 
Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence 
Avenue, SW., STOP 0237, Washington, DC 20250-0237; Telephone: (202) 
720-2491, Fax: (202) 720-8938, or E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This proposal is issued under Marketing 
Order No. 946, as amended (7 CFR part 946), regulating the handling of 
Irish potatoes grown in Washington, hereinafter referred to as the 
``order.'' The order is effective under the Agricultural Marketing 
Agreement Act of 1937, as amended (7 U.S.C. 601-674), hereinafter 
referred to as the ``Act.''
    The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing this rule in 
conformance with Executive Order 12866.
    This proposal has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, Civil 
Justice Reform. This rule is not intended to have retroactive effect. 
This proposal will not preempt any State or local laws, regulations, or 
policies, unless they present an irreconcilable conflict with this 
rule.
    The Act provides that administrative proceedings must be exhausted 
before parties may file suit in court. Under section 608c(15)(A) of the 
Act, any handler subject to an order may file with USDA a petition 
stating that the order, any provision of the order, or any obligation 
imposed in connection with the order is not in accordance with law and 
request a modification of the order or to be exempted therefrom. A 
handler is afforded the opportunity for a hearing on the petition. 
After the hearing, USDA would rule on the petition. The Act provides 
that the district court of the United States in any district in which 
the handler is an inhabitant, or has his or her principal place of 
business, has jurisdiction to review USDA's ruling on the petition, 
provided an action is filed not later than 20 days after the date of 
the entry of the ruling.
    This proposal invites comments on a modification of the late 
payment and interest charge regulation currently prescribed under the 
order. This rule would revise the date interest is charged on late 
assessment payments from 30 to 60 days from the billing date shown on 
the handler's assessment statement received from the Committee. This 
rule would contribute to the efficient operation of the order by 
reducing the number of nominal billings for late payment interest 
charges on handlers who pay within 60 days of the billing date, while 
continuing those interest charges necessary to encourage payment, 
thereby ensuring that adequate funds are available to cover the 
Committee's authorized expenses.
    The Washington potato marketing order provides authority for the 
Committee, with the approval of USDA, to formulate an annual budget of 
expenses and collect assessments from handlers to administer the 
program. The members of the Committee are producers and handlers of 
Washington potatoes. They are familiar with the Committee's needs and 
the costs for goods and services in their local area and are thus in a 
position to formulate an appropriate budget and assessment rate. The 
assessment rate and the authority to recommend late payment charges or 
interest charges on late payment, are formulated and discussed at a 
public meeting. Thus, all directly affected persons have an opportunity 
to participate and provide input.
    Section 946.41 of the order specifies that if handlers do not pay 
their assessments within the time prescribed by the Committee, the 
assessments may be increased by a late payment charge or an interest 
charge, or both, at rates prescribed by the Committee with approval of 
USDA.
    Section 946.141 of the order's administrative rules and regulations 
prescribes that the Committee shall impose a monthly interest charge of 
one percent of the unpaid balance on any handler who fails to pay his 
or her assessment within 30 days of the billing date. The interest 
charge regulation has been effective since May 25, 1995 (60 FR 27683). 
At that time, the Committee expressed difficulty with handlers that 
were continually late with their assessment payments and recommended 
the interest charge to be incurred 30 days after the billing date. It 
was believed that the charges were high enough to encourage timely 
payment and that this would be an effective means to ensure the 
Committee had adequate funds to administer the program.
    The Committee unanimously recommended this rule during a video 
conference meeting held on April 16, 2008, followed by unanimous mail 
vote. The Committee has determined that most handlers pay their 
assessments within 60 days but there are a few that pay later than 60 
days. The interest billing that occurs 30 days after the billing date 
has proven to be administratively cumbersome as the amounts billed are 
nominal amounts and many times the handler's payment is received 
shortly after the bill including interest is mailed.
    As an example, the Committee's budget for the current fiscal year 
(2008-2009) is $38,600 and estimated assessment income is $35,000. 
Since there are approximately 43 handlers, the average each handler 
will pay in assessments is approximately $814. Committee records 
indicate that for the most recent fiscal year, there were 316 invoices 
billed to handlers. The average amount on an invoice was $110.44, with 
a high of $626.54 and a low of $0.18. Therefore, the interest amount 
owed on a payment that is 30 days late, but not

[[Page 62217]]

more than 60, would often be less than a dollar, rarely more than five 
dollars. Most handlers pay their assessments with 60 days. Only a few 
pay later than 60 days. The Committee believes that handlers that pay 
later than 60 days would be considered a greater risk for nonpayment 
than handlers who pay within 60 days.
    The Committee recommended retaining Sec.  946.141, but recommended 
modifying the regulation by providing an additional 30 days for 
handlers to pay. Committee records show that the great majority of 
handlers pay assessments within 60 days of the billing date. By waiting 
until 60 days past the billing date to charge interest on late 
assessment payments, the Committee would only have to charge interest 
to the few handlers who do not pay within 60 days. The Committee 
believes the interest charge applied after 60 days will continue to 
encourage handlers to pay promptly.

Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

    Pursuant to requirements set forth in the Regulatory Flexibility 
Act (RFA), the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has considered the 
economic impact of this action on small entities. Accordingly, AMS has 
prepared this initial regulatory flexibility analysis.
    The purpose of the RFA is to fit regulatory actions to the scale of 
business subject to such actions in order that small businesses will 
not be unduly or disproportionately burdened. Marketing orders issued 
pursuant to the Act, and rules issued thereunder, are unique in that 
they are brought about through group action of essentially small 
entities acting on their own behalf.
    Currently, there are approximately 43 handlers of Washington 
potatoes who are subject to regulation under the marketing order and 
approximately 267 potato producers in the regulated area. Small 
agricultural service firms are defined by the Small Business 
Administration (SBA) (13 CFR 121.201) as those having annual receipts 
of less than $6,500,000, and small agricultural producers are defined 
as those having annual receipts of less than $750,000.
    During the 2006-2007 marketing year, 9,932,874 hundredweight of 
Washington potatoes were inspected under the order and sold into the 
fresh market by 43 handlers, according to Committee data. The Committee 
reports that an industry consensus estimate of an average fresh potato 
f.o.b. price is $8.45 per hundredweight. Multiplying the 2006-2007 
fresh shipments of 9,932,874 hundredweight by the average f.o.b. price 
of $8.45 yields a handler-level fresh market crop value of $83,932,785. 
Dividing $83,933,785 by 43 handlers gives an average annual sales value 
per handler estimate of about $1,951,949. The Committee estimates that 
41, or about 95 percent of these 43 handlers, had annual receipts of 
less than $6,500,000.
    A comparable computation can be made to estimate annual average 
revenue per producer. Based on information provided by the National 
Agricultural Statistics Service, the 2006 season average producer price 
for Washington potatoes was $6.25 per hundredweight. Multiplying the 
2006-2007 fresh shipments of 9,932,874 hundredweight by the average 
producer price of $6.25 provides a producer-level fresh market crop 
value of $62,080,463. Dividing $62,080,463 by 267 Washington potato 
producers yields an average annual fresh market sales value per 
producer of approximately $232,511.
    In view of the foregoing, it can be concluded that the majority of 
the Washington potato producers and handlers may be classified as small 
entities.
    This proposal would change the date interest is charged on late 
assessment payments from 30 to 60 days past the billing date. This rule 
would contribute to the efficient operation of the marketing order by 
reducing billing for nominal late payment interest charges on handlers 
who pay within 60 days of the billing date, while continuing those 
interest charges necessary to encourage payment, thereby ensuring that 
adequate funds are available to cover the Committee's authorized 
expenses.
    The authority for late payment and interest charges is provided in 
Sec.  946.41 of the order. Section 946.141 of the order's 
administrative rules and regulations prescribes the amount of interest 
charged and when interest charges are imposed.
    This proposed change is expected to reduce the cost to administer 
the order.
    Regarding the impact of this rule on affected entities, 
modification of the late payment and interest charge regulation is 
expected to benefit handlers. Most handlers pay their assessments 
within 60 days of the billing date. Only a few handlers pay later than 
60 days. Imposing the interest charge on late assessment payments at 60 
days instead of 30 days past due will allow the committee to operate 
more efficiently by only billing after 60 days to handlers whose late 
payments are considered more serious and a greater risk. The benefits 
of this proposal are not expected to be disproportionately greater or 
lesser for small entities than large entities.
    The Committee discussed several alternatives to this 
recommendation, including not changing the date interest charges would 
be imposed and suspending the entire section. However, the Committee 
believes that it is important that interest charges be continued to 
encourage handlers to pay assessments in a timely manner. Further, the 
additional 30 days should allow adequate time to receive assessment 
payments by mail and allow the Committee to reduce administrative 
costs.
    This proposed rule would not impose any additional reporting or 
recordkeeping requirements on either small or large potato handlers. As 
with all Federal marketing order programs, reports and forms are 
periodically reviewed to reduce information requirements and 
duplication by industry and public sector agencies. In addition, USDA 
has not identified any relevant Federal rules that duplicate, overlap 
or conflict with this rule.
    AMS is committed to complying with the E-Government Act, to promote 
the use of the Internet and other information technologies to provide 
increased opportunities for citizen access to Government information 
and services, and for other purposes.
    Further, the Committee's meeting was widely publicized throughout 
the Washington potato industry and all interested persons were invited 
to participate in Committee deliberations. Like all Committee meetings, 
the April 16, 2008, meeting was a public meeting and all entities, both 
large and small, were able to express views on this issue. Finally, 
interested persons are invited to submit comments on this proposed 
rule, including the regulatory and informational impacts of this action 
on small businesses.
    A small business guide on complying with fruit, vegetable, and 
specialty crop marketing agreements and orders may be viewed at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateN&page=MarketingOrdersSmallBusinessGuide. Any questions about the compliance guide should be sent to 
Jay Guerber at the previously mentioned address in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section.
    A 15-day comment period is provided to allow interested persons to 
respond to this proposal. Fifteen days is deemed appropriate because 
this rule relaxes requirements and would improve the operation of the 
marketing order. All written comments timely received will

[[Page 62218]]

be considered before a final determination is made on this matter.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 946

    Marketing agreements, Potatoes, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, 7 CFR part 946 is 
proposed to be amended as follows:

PART 946--IRISH POTATOES GROWN IN WASHINGTON

    1. The authority citation for 7 CFR part 946 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 601-674.

    2. Section 946.141 is revised to read as follows:


Sec.  946.141  Late payment and interest charge.

    The Committee shall impose an interest charge on any handler who 
fails to pay his or her assessment within sixty (60) days of the 
billing date shown on the handler's assessment statement received from 
the Committee. The interest charge shall, after 60 days, be one percent 
of the unpaid assessment balance. In the event the handler fails to pay 
the delinquent assessment, the one percent interest charge shall be 
applied monthly thereafter to the unpaid balance, including any 
accumulated unpaid interest. Any amount paid by a handler as an 
assessment, including any charges imposed pursuant to this paragraph, 
shall be credited when the payment is received in the Committee office.

    Dated: October 15, 2008.
Lloyd C. Day,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
 [FR Doc. E8-24918 Filed 10-17-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P