[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 1 (Friday, January 2, 1998)] [Rules and Regulations] [Pages 1-2] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 97-34178] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 9 CFR Part 3 [Docket No. 97-126-1] Specifications for the Humane Handling, Care, Treatment, and Transportation of Marine Mammals; Nonsubstantive Corrections AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Final rule. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: We are amending the regulations regarding humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of marine mammals to correct the designations of three footnotes. This action will result in all the footnotes in 9 CFR part 3, ``Standards,'' being numbered consecutively. We are also removing the authority citations that appear unnecessarily in three places in the regulations. EFFECTIVE DATE: December 23, 1997. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. Kathy Holmes, Regulatory Coordination Specialist, Regulatory Analysis and Development, Program Planning and Development, APHIS, USDA, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238; (301) 734-8682. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background The regulations in 9 CFR part 3, subpart E (Secs. 3.100 through 3.118, [[Page 2]] referred to below as the regulations) contain specifications for the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of marine mammals. The three footnotes in subpart E are currently designated as footnotes 1, 5, and 2. We are amending the regulations by redesignating those three footnotes as footnotes 6, 7, and 8, respectively. This action will result in all the footnotes in 9 CFR part 3, ``Standards,'' being numbered consecutively. We are also removing the authority citation that appears at the beginning of subpart E, as well as the authority citation that appears at the beginning of ``Subpart F--Specifications for the Humane Handling, Care, Treatment, and Transportation of Warmblooded Animals Other Than Dogs, Cats, Rabbits, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs, Nonhuman Primates, and Marine Mammals'' and the authority citation that appears in subpart F just above Sec. 3.136, ``Consignments to carriers and intermediate handlers.'' The authority that applies to all of part 3, including subparts E and F, is cited at the beginning of the part. Because the changes contained in this rule are nonsubstantive in nature, we have found that notice and public procedure on this rule are unnecessary. Therefore, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553, notice of proposed rulemaking and opportunity to comment are not required, and this rule may be made effective less than 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. Further, since this rule relates to internal agency management, it is exempt from the provisions of Executive Order 12866 and Executive Order 12988. Finally, this action is not a rule as defined by Pub. L. 96-354, the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and thus, is exempt from the provisions of the Act. Paperwork Reduction Act This rule contains no new information collection or recordkeeping requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). List of Subjects in 9 CFR Part 3 Animal welfare, Marine mammals, Pets, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Research, Transportation. Accordingly, 9 CFR part 3 is amended as follows: PART 3--STANDARDS 1. The authority citation for part 3 continues to read as follows: Authority: 7 U.S.C. 2131-2156; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.2(d). 2. The authority citation for ``Subpart E--Specifications for the Humane Handling, Care, Treatment, and Transportation of Marine Mammals'' is removed. Sec. 3.100 [Amended] 3. In Sec. 3.100, paragraph (a), footnote 1 and its reference in the text are redesignated as footnote 6. Sec. 3.102 [Amended] 4. In Sec. 3.102, paragraph (c), footnote 5 and its reference in the text are redesignated as footnote 7. Sec. 3.104 [Amended] 5. In Sec. 3.104, paragraph (b)(1)(i), footnote 2 and its reference in the text are redesignated as footnote 8. 6. The authority citation for ``Subpart F--Specifications for the Humane Handling, Care, Treatment, and Transportation of Warmblooded Animals Other Than Dogs, Cats, Rabbits, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs, Nonhuman Primates, and Marine Mammals'' is removed. 7. In subpart F, under the undesignated center heading ``Transportation Standards'', the authority citation is removed. Done in Washington, DC, this 23rd day of December 1997 . Craig A. Reed, Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. [FR Doc. 97-34178 Filed 12-31-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-34-P