[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 169 (Friday, September 1, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60441-60442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-18886]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XD272]


Adjustment of Fees for Seafood Inspection Services

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of fee schedule for seafood inspection services.

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SUMMARY: The NMFS Seafood Inspection Program is notifying program 
participants that its fee schedule for fiscal year 2024 will remain as 
established on November 1, 2022.

DATES: The fee schedule applies to services rendered as of October 1, 
2023, until notified otherwise.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Wilson, Office of International 
Affairs, Trade, and Commerce, 301-427-8350 or at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) 
operates a fee-for-service Seafood Inspection Program (Program) under 
the authorities of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended, 
the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, and the Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 
1970. The regulations implementing the Program are contained in 50 CFR 
parts 260 and 261. The Program offers inspection, grading, and 
certification services, including the use of official quality grade 
marks which indicate that specific products have been federally 
inspected. Those wishing to participate in the program must request the 
services and submit specific compliance information. Since 1992, NMFS 
implemented inspection services based on guidelines recommended by the 
National Academy of Sciences, known as Hazard Analysis Critical Control 
Point (HACCP).
    Under the implementing regulations for the Program, fees are 
reviewed at least annually to ascertain that the hourly fees charged 
are adequate to recover the costs of the services rendered. Any 
necessary adjustments to fees are made in accordance with the 
requirements of 50 CFR 260.81 and are notified to program participants 
as stipulated at 50 CFR 260.70. This Federal Register notice serves to 
inform program participants of the fee schedule, which remains 
unchanged.
    Seafood Inspection Program (SIP) costs used for the calculation of 
user fees include all relevant direct and indirect costs to the 
program, and applicable administrative overhead and surcharges. SIP 
fees must be set to promote full cost recovery of the program absent 
other appropriations.
    Program costs include all field operations, program administrative 
overhead, and management, and include expenses for labor for 
inspectors, facilities, information technology infrastructure, and 
other operational costs. SIP fees are set to recover those costs based 
on revenue projections from expected billable service hours and the 
number of certificates requests. Forecasts of demand for services use 
historical data on actual billed services that are adjusted annually 
for inflation, known events that might affect the predicted output of 
billable services, and seasonality of when forecasted services will 
take place throughout the year.
    NMFS will assess its fees as outlined in this notice, which will 
apply until notified otherwise. Fees will be charged to contract and 
non-contract customers requesting services as listed below. The cost of 
other applicable services rendered will be recovered through fee 
collection using the base rate of $238 per hour.

Fees and Charges for the U.S. Department of Commerce (USDC) Seafood 
Inspection Program

    The per hour fees and charges for fishery products inspection 
services are not being revised and will remain as established on 
November 1, 2022 for Fiscal Year 2024 and will be assessed as follows. 
Any travel associated with a billable service will be an additional 
charge.

[[Page 60442]]

Contract Rates

    Regular Time: Services provided during any 8-hour shift.
    Overtime: Services provided outside the inspector's normal work 
schedule.
    In addition to any hourly service charge, a night differential fee 
equal to 10 percent of the employee's hourly salary will be charged for 
each hour of service provided after 6:00 p.m. and before 6:00 a.m. A 
guarantee of payment is required for all contracts equal to three 
months of service or $10,000, whichever is greater.

Non-Contract Rates

    Regular time: Services provided within the inspector's normal work 
schedule, Monday through Friday.
    Overtime: Services provided outside the inspector's normal work 
schedule.
    Any services under contract in excess of the contracted hours will 
be charged at the non-contract rate.

Contract Rates

Non-HACCP Contracts

REGULAR TIME $238
OVERTIME $357
SUNDAY & HOLIDAYS $476

HACCP/QMP Contracts

HACCP REGULAR $238
HACCP OVERTIME $357
HACCP SUNDAY & HOLIDAYS $476

All Non-Contract Work Rates

REGULAR TIME $357
OVERTIME $536
SUNDAY & HOLIDAYS $714

Certificates

    All certificate requests, whether or not a product inspection was 
conducted, will be billed at a set flat rate of $97 per request.
    Additional information about, and applications for, Program 
services and fees may be obtained from NMFS (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT).

    Dated: August 28, 2023.
Alexa Cole,
Director, Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-18886 Filed 8-31-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P