[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 200 (Friday, October 16, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 62513]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-26377]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Document No. AMS-ST-15-0060]


Plant Variety Protection Board; Open Meeting

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the 
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing a meeting of the 
Plant Variety Protection Board (Board). The meeting is being held to 
discuss a variety of topics including, but not limited to, work and 
outreach plans, subcommittee activities, and proposals for procedure 
changes. The meeting is open to the public. This notice sets forth the 
schedule and location for the meeting.

DATES: Monday, December 7, 2015, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 
Tuesday, December 8, 2015, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago Hotel 
at the Ogden Room, at 151 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Pratt, Program Analyst, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture (USDA), AMS, Science and Technology Programs, 
1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250. Telephone number 
(202) 720-1104, fax (202) 260-8976, or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the provisions of section 10(a) 
of the FACA (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), this notice informs the public that 
the Plant Variety Protection Office (PVPO) is having a Board meeting 
within the 15 day requirement of the FACA. The Plant Variety Protection 
Act (PVPA) (7 U.S.C. 2321 et seq.) provides legal protection in the 
form of intellectual property rights to developers of new varieties of 
plants, which are reproduced sexually by seed or are tuber-propagated. 
A certificate of Plant Variety Protection (PVP) is awarded to an owner 
of a crop variety after an examination shows that it is new, distinct 
from other varieties, genetically uniform and stable through successive 
generations. The term of protection is 20 years for most crops and 25 
years for trees, shrubs, and vines. The PVPA also provides for a 
statutory Board (7 U.S.C. 2327). The PVPA Board is composed of 14 
individuals who are experts in various areas of development and 
represent the private or seed industry sector, academia and government. 
The duties of the Board are to: (1) Advise the Secretary concerning the 
adoption of rules and regulations to facilitate the proper 
administration of the FACA; (2) provide advisory counsel to the 
Secretary on appeals concerning decisions on applications by the PVP 
office and on requests for emergency public-interest compulsory 
licenses; and (3) advise the Secretary on any other matters under the 
Regulations and Rules of Practice and on all questions under Section 44 
of the FACA, ``Public Interest in Wide Usage'' (7 U.S.C. 2404).
    The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the PVPO 2015 
achievements, the electronic application system, reports of the 
outreach and molecular techniques subcommittees, PVP cooperation with 
other countries, and PVPO 2016 business plan.
    Agenda Items: The agenda will include, welcome and introductions, 
discussions on program activities that encourage the development of new 
plant varieties and also address appeals to the Secretary. There will 
be presentations on 2015 accomplishments, the electronic PVP 
application system, PVP outreach activities, the use of molecular 
markers for PVP applications, PVP cooperation with other countries, and 
the 2016 business plan. The meeting will be open to the public. Those 
wishing to participate are encouraged to pre-register by November 30, 
2015 by contacting Maria Pratt, Program Analyst; Telephone: (202) 720-
1104; Email: [email protected].
    Meeting Accommodation: The meeting hotel is ADA compliant, and the 
USDA provides reasonable accommodations to individuals with 
disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation 
to participate in this public meeting, please notify Maria Pratt at: 
Email: [email protected] or (202) 720-1104. Determinations for 
reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Minutes 
of the meeting will be available for public review at the Internet Web 
site http://www.ams.usda.gov/PVPO.

    Dated: October 13, 2015.
Rex A. Barnes,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-26377 Filed 10-15-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P