[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 238 (Monday, December 15, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57948-57949]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-22774]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS-ST-25-0650]
Plant Variety Protection Board 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, program
activities and measures to improve program efficiency and
effectiveness. The meeting is open to the public. This notice sets
forth the schedule and location for the meeting.
DATES: The meeting will be held on Monday, February 16, 2026, 8:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Registration: Those wishing to participate are encouraged to pre-
register by January 23, 2026, by contacting Timothy Williams, Plant
Variety Examiner, at telephone: (202) 720-1124 or email:
[email protected].
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, 1
Park Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101; telephone: (619) 564-3333.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy Williams, Plant Variety
Examiner, Plant Variety Protection Office, USDA, AMS, Science and
Technology Program, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250;
telephone: (202) 720-1124 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 (PVP Office) is sponsoring a
meeting of the Board on February 16-17, 2026. The Plant Variety
Protection Act (PVP Act) (7 U.S.C. 2321 et seq.) provides legal
protection in the form of intellectual property rights to developers of
new varieties of plants. A certificate of Plant Variety Protection 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 PVP
Act also provides for a statutory Board (7 U.S.C. 2327). The Board is
composed of 14 individuals who are experts in various areas of
development and represent the seed industry sector, academia, farmers,
and government. The duties of the Board are to: (1) advise the
Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) concerning the adoption of rules
and regulations to facilitate the proper administration of the PVP Act;
(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 PVP Act, ``Public
interest in wide usage'' (7 U.S.C. 2404).
Meeting Agenda: The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss PVP
Office program activities and initiatives; improvements to make the
program more efficient and effective; and strategies to continue to
promote plant breeding, enhance innovation, and increase the
competitiveness of U.S. agriculture. The meeting will be open to the
public. Those wishing to participate
[[Page 57949]]
are encouraged to pre-register by January 23, 2026, by contacting
Timothy Williams, Plant Variety Examiner, at telephone: (202) 720-1124
or email: [email protected].
Equal opportunity practices, in accordance with USDA policies, will
be followed in all membership appointments to the Committee.
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights
regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and
employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA
programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color,
national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status,
family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance
program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil
rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA
(not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing
deadlines vary by program or incident.
Meeting Accommodation: The meeting at USDA will provide reasonable
accommodation to individuals with disabilities where appropriate. If
you need reasonable accommodation to participate in this public
meeting, please notify Timothy Williams at telephone: (202) 720-1124 or
email: [email protected]. Determinations for reasonable
accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Minutes of the meeting will be available for public review for 30
days following the meeting on the internet at http://www.ams.usda.gov/PVPO.
Dated: December 10, 2025.
Cikena Reid,
USDA Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2025-22774 Filed 12-12-25; 8:45 am]
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