[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 89 (Wednesday, May 10, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 21677]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-09409]
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Rules and Regulations
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents
having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed
to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published
under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.
The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 89 / Wednesday, May 10, 2017 / Rules
and Regulations
[[Page 21677]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
7 CFR Part 205
[Doc. No. AMS-NOP-15-0012; NOP-15-06]
RIN 0581-AD44
National Organic Program (NOP); Organic Livestock and Poultry
Practices
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Final rule; delay of effective date.
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SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural
Marketing Service (AMS) is delaying the effective date of the rule
published on January 19, 2017, for an additional six months to November
14, 2017, to allow time for further consideration by USDA. The
effective date for this rule was initially March 20, 2017, and was
subsequently delayed to May 19, 2017, by a document published in the
Federal Register on February 9, 2017. The final rule amends the organic
livestock and poultry production requirements by adding new provisions
for livestock handling and transport for slaughter and avian living
conditions; and expands and clarifies existing requirements covering
livestock care and production practices and mammalian living
conditions.
DATES: The effective date of the final rule published on January 19,
2017 (82 FR 7042), delayed until May 19, 2017, on February 9, 2017 (82
FR 9967), is further delayed until November 14, 2017.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Lewis, Ph.D., Director, Standards
Division. Telephone: (202) 720-3252; Fax: (202) 260-9151.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Consistent with the memorandum of January
20, 2017, to the heads of executive departments and agencies from the
Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, entitled, ``Regulatory
Freeze Pending Review,'' on February 9, 2017, AMS delayed the effective
date of the final rule, Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices, that
was published in the Federal Register on January 19, 2017 (82 FR 7042)
to May 19, 2017.
Because there are significant policy and legal issues addressed
within the final rule that warrant further review by USDA, AMS is
further delaying the effective date of this rule by 180 days to
November 14, 2017. In addition, AMS will publish a proposed rule that
solicits public comments on the direction that USDA should take with
respect to the rule. The public will have a 30-day comment period to
specify whether USDA should: (1) Let the rule become effective, (2)
suspend the rule indefinitely, (3) delay the effective date of the rule
further, or (4) withdraw the rule.
The rule amends the organic livestock and poultry production
requirements of the USDA organic regulations by adding new provisions
for livestock handling and transport for slaughter and avian living
conditions; and expands and clarifies existing requirements covering
livestock care and production practices and mammalian living
conditions. The rule finalizes a proposed rule that AMS published in
the Federal Register on April 13, 2016, 81 FR 21955.
To the extent that 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A) applies to this action, it is
exempt from notice and comment for good cause and the reasons cited
above. AMS finds that notice and solicitation of comment regarding the
brief extension of the effective date for the final regulation are
impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest pursuant
to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B). The delay of the effective date until November
14, 2017, should give AMS sufficient time to receive and consider
public comments and take action on the disposition of the rule. AMS
also believes that affected entities need to be informed as soon as
possible of the extension and its length in order to plan and adjust
their implementation process accordingly.
Dated: May 4, 2017.
Bruce Summers,
Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-09409 Filed 5-9-17; 8:45 am]
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