[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 42 (Friday, March 3, 1995)] [Notices] [Pages 11952-11953] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 95-5281] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration Request for Comments on the Need for Official Services in the South Texas Region, and Request for Applications for Designation to Provide Official Services in the South Texas (TX) Region Under a Pilot Program AGENCY: Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA). ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: GIPSA has received several inquiries regarding designation of an organization to provide official services in South Texas. GIPSA is requesting comments on the need for official inspection services in South Texas. GIPSA is proposing to designate more than one official agency under a pilot program to provide official services in the South Texas region. GIPSA also is requesting persons interested in providing official services in South Texas under a pilot program to submit an application for designation. DATES: Applications and comments must be postmarked on or sent by telecopier (FAX) by March 21, 1995. ADDRESSES: Applications and comments must be submitted to Janet M. Hart, Chief, Review Branch, Compliance Division, GIPSA, USDA, Room 1647 South Building, P.O. Box 96454, Washington, DC 20090-6454. Telecopier (FAX) users may send applications and comments to the automatic telecopier machine at 202-720-1015, attention: Janet M. Hart. If an application is submitted by telecopier, GIPSA reserves the right to request an original application. All applications and comments will be made available for public inspection at this address at 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., during regular business hours. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet M. Hart, telephone 202-720-8525. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action has been reviewed and determined not to be a rule or regulation as defined in Executive Order 12866 and Departmental Regulation 1512-1; therefore, the Executive Order and Departmental Regulation do not apply to this action. Section 7(f)(1) of the United States Grain Standards Act, as amended (Act), authorizes GIPSA'S Administrator, after determining that there is sufficient need for official services, to designate a qualified applicant to provide official services in a specified area after determining that the applicant is qualified and is better able than any other applicant to provide such official services. Sections 7(f) and 7A of the Act were amended by the U.S. Grain Standards Act Amendments of 1993 (Public Law 103-156) on November 24, 1993, to authorize FGIS' Administrator to conduct pilot programs allowing more than one official agency to provide official services within a single geographic area without undermining the declared policy of the Act. The purpose of the pilot programs is to evaluate the feasibility and impact of allowing more than one official agency to provide official services within a single geographic area. [[Page 11953]] GIPSA announced five possible pilot programs and requested comments on them in the March 14, 1994, Federal Register (59 FR 11759). Comments were due by April 22, 1994. GIPSA has analyzed the comments received based on this notice and plans to announce potential nationwide pilot programs based on the results of these comments. The opening of a pilot program in the South Texas area is one of a limited geographic area. The nationwide pilot programs discussed above will be announced at a later date. GIPSA has received several inquiries regarding designation of an organization to provide official services in South Texas. GIPSA is requesting comments on the need for official inspection services in South Texas (including estimates of the number of official inspections by carrier, type of service, and kind of grain). The South Texas region, being considered for assignment to the applicant or applicants selected for designation, pursuant to Section (7)(2) of the Act, is as follows: The Texas Counties of: Atascosa, Bexar, Brooks, Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kinney, Kleberg, La Salle, Live Oak, Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Nueces, San Patricio, Starr, Uvalde, Val Verda, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, and Zavala, excluding those export port locations served by GIPSA. GIPSA also is requesting persons interested in providing official services in these South Texas Counties under a pilot program allowing more than one official agency to provide service in a single geographic area to submit an application for designation. GIPSA plans to allow all designated official agencies to provide official services to any grain firm located within the geographic area specified above. GIPSA will not designate any applicants unless it determines that there is sufficient need for official services in the South Texas region. Interested persons are hereby given an opportunity to submit comments on the need for official inspection services in the region specified above, and to apply for designation under the provisions of Section 7(f) of the Act and section 800.196(d) of the regulations issued thereunder. Designation in the South Texas area is for a 1 year period beginning about June 1, 1995. Persons wishing to apply for designation should contact the Compliance Division at the address listed above for forms and information. Applications and other available information will be considered in determining which applicant or applicants will be designated after GIPSA determines that there is a need for official services in the South Texas region. Authority: Pub. L. 94-582, 90 Stat. 2867, as amended (7 U.S.C. 71 et seq.) Dated: February 15, 1995 Neil E. Porter, Director, Compliance Division. [FR Doc. 95-5281 Filed 3-2-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-EN-F