[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 169 (Wednesday, August 31, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54193-54194]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-22242]



[[Page 54193]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2011-0076]


Fiscal Year 2012 Veterinary Import/Export, Diagnostic Services, 
and Export Certification for Plants and Plant Products User Fees

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice pertains to user fees charged for Veterinary 
Services animal quarantine and other import- and export-related 
services that we provide for animals, animal products, birds, germ 
plasm, organisms, and vectors; for certain veterinary diagnostic 
services; and for export certification of plants and plant products. 
The purpose of this notice is to remind the public of the user fees for 
fiscal year 2012 (October 1, 2011, through September 30, 2012).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on user fee rate 
development, contact Mrs. Kris Caraher, Accountant, Financial Services 
Branch, FMD, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 55, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; 
(301) 734-0882.
    For information on Veterinary Services animal quarantine and other 
import and export program operations, contact Ms. Carol A. Tuszynski, 
Director, Planning, Finance, and Strategy, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road 
Unit 58, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-0832.
    For information on plant and plant product export certification 
program operations, contact Mr. Marcus McElvaine, Senior Export 
Specialist, Phytosanitary Issues Management, Plant Health Programs, 
PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 50, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 
734-8414.
    For information concerning veterinary diagnostic program 
operations, contact Dr. Elizabeth Lautner, Director, National 
Veterinary Services Laboratories, VS, APHIS, 1800 Dayton Ave., Ames, IA 
50010; (501) 663-7301.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Veterinary Import/Export User Fees

    The regulations in 9 CFR part 130 (referred to below as the 
regulations) list user fees for import- and export-related services 
provided by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for 
animals, animal products, birds, germ plasm, organisms, and vectors.
    These user fees are authorized by section 2509(c)(1) of the Food, 
Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, as amended (21 U.S.C. 
136a), which provides that the Secretary of Agriculture may establish 
and collect fees that will cover the cost of providing import- and 
export-related services for animals, animal products, birds, germ 
plasm, organisms, and vectors.
    The veterinary import/export user fees are found in Sec. Sec.  
130.2 through 130.11 and Sec. Sec.  130.20 through 130.30 of the 
regulations and cover the following:
     Any service rendered by an APHIS representative for each 
animal or bird receiving standard housing, care, feed, and handling 
while quarantined in an APHIS-owned or -operated animal import center 
or quarantine facility;
     Birds or poultry, including zoo birds or poultry, 
receiving nonstandard housing, care, or handling to meet special 
requirements while quarantined in an APHIS-owned or -operated animal 
import center or quarantine facility;
     Exclusive use of space at APHIS Animal Import Centers;
     Processing import permit applications;
     Any service rendered by an APHIS representative for live 
animals presented for importation or entry into the United States 
through a land border port along the United States-Mexico border;
     Any service rendered for live animals at land border ports 
along the United States-Canada border;
     Miscellaneous services;
     Pet birds quarantined in an animal import center or other 
APHIS-owned or -supervised quarantine facility;
     The inspection of various import and export facilities and 
establishments;
     The endorsement of export health certificates that do not 
require the verification of tests or vaccinations;
     The endorsement of export health certificates that require 
the verification of tests and vaccinations; and
     Hourly rate and minimum user fees.
    On October 1, 2011, the veterinary import/export user fees for 
fiscal year 2012 will take effect. You may view the regulations in 9 
CFR part 130, which includes charts showing all of the fiscal year 2012 
veterinary import/export user fees, on the Internet at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_11/9cfr130_11.html.

Veterinary Diagnostic Services User Fees

    User fees to reimburse APHIS for the costs of providing veterinary 
diagnostic services are also contained in 9 CFR part 130. These user 
fees are authorized in section 2509(c) of the Food, Agriculture, 
Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, as amended (21 U.S.C. 136a), which 
provides that the Secretary of Agriculture may, among other things, 
prescribe regulations and collect fees to recover the costs of 
veterinary diagnostics relating to the control and eradication of 
communicable diseases of livestock and poultry within the United 
States.
    Veterinary diagnostics is the work performed in a laboratory to 
determine whether a disease-causing organism or chemical agent is 
present in body tissues or cells and, if so, to identify those 
organisms or agents. Services in this category include: (1) Performing 
identification, serology, and pathobiology tests and providing 
diagnostic reagents and other veterinary diagnostic materials and 
services for the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in 
Ames, IA; and (2) performing laboratory tests and providing reagents 
and other veterinary diagnostic materials and services at the NVSL 
Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (NVSL FADDL) in Greenport, 
NY.
    The veterinary diagnostic services user fees are found in 
Sec. Sec.  130.14 through 130.19 and cover the following:
     Bacteriology isolation and identification tests performed 
at NVSL (excluding FADDL) or other authorized sites;
     Virology identification tests performed at NVSL (excluding 
FADDL) or other authorized sites;
     Bacteriology serology tests performed at NVSL (excluding 
FADDL) or other authorized sites;
     Virology serology tests performed at NVSL (excluding 
FADDL) or other authorized sites;
     Veterinary diagnostic tests performed at the Pathobiology 
Laboratory at NVSL (excluding FADDL) or other authorized sites;
     Bacteriology reagents produced by the Diagnostic 
Bacteriology Laboratory at NVSL (excluding FADDL) or other authorized 
sites;
     Virology reagents produced by the Diagnostic Virology 
Laboratory at NVSL (excluding FADDL) or other authorized sites; and
     Other veterinary diagnostic services or materials 
available from NVSL (excluding FADDL).
    On October 1, 2011, the veterinary diagnostic services user fees 
for fiscal year 2012 will take effect. You may view the regulations in 
9 CFR part 130, which includes charts showing all of the fiscal year 
2012 veterinary import/export user fees, on the Internet at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_11/9cfr130_11.html.

[[Page 54194]]

User Fees for Export Certification of Plants and Plant Products

    User fees for the issuance of export certificates for plants and 
plant products are contained in 7 CFR part 354. Export certificates 
issued in accordance with the regulations certify agricultural products 
as being considered free from plant pests, according to the 
phytosanitary requirements of the foreign countries to which the plants 
and plant products may be exported. Export certificates are also issued 
to certify that reexported plants or plant products conform to the most 
current phytosanitary requirements of the importing country and that, 
during storage in the United States, the consignment has not been 
subjected to risk of infestation or infection. These export 
certificates must be issued in accordance with 7 CFR part 353 to be 
accepted in international commerce.
    In a final rule published in the Federal Register on July 8, 2009 
(74 FR 32391-32400, Docket No. APHIS-2006-0137), and effective October 
1, 2009, we established, for fiscal years 2007 through 2012 and beyond, 
user fees charged for export certification of plants and plant 
products. Services for this category include: (1) Certification for 
export or reexport of a commercial shipment; (2) certification for 
export or reexport of a low-value commercial or noncommercial shipment; 
and (3) replacement of any certificate for export or reexport.
    The user fees charged for export certification of plants and plant 
products are found in Sec.  354.3(g) and cover the following:
     Administrative fee for exporters who receive a certificate 
issued on behalf of APHIS by a designated State or county inspector;
     Fee for export or reexport certification of a commercial 
shipment;
     Fee for export or reexport certification of a low-value 
commercial shipment;
     Fee for export or reexport certification of a 
noncommercial shipment; and
     Fee for replacing any certificate.
    On October 1, 2011, the user fees charged for export certificates 
for plants and plant products for fiscal year 2012 will take effect. 
You may view the regulations in 7 CFR part 354, which includes charts 
showing all of the fiscal year 2012 user fees charged for export 
certificates for plants and plant products, on the Internet at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_11/7cfr354_11.html.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 25th day of August 2011.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-22242 Filed 8-30-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P