Department of Agriculture July 18, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), is advising the public that a pilot plan to test and assess the International Trade Data System for the electronic submission of data required by APHIS Animal Care, Biotechnology Regulatory Services, Plant Protection and Quarantine, and Veterinary Services for processing in the Automated Commercial Environment has proven successful and will end on August 15, 2016. After this date, all submissions of APHIS-required data must be submitted in accordance with the procedures on the CBP Web site.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is amending its regulations on ante-mortem inspection to remove a provision that permits establishments to set apart and hold for treatment veal calves that are unable to rise from a recumbent position and walk because they are tired or cold. FSIS is also amending its regulations to require all non-ambulatory disabled cattle to be promptly disposed of after they have been condemned. In addition, after review and consideration of comments to the proposed rule, FSIS is amending the regulations by removing a provision that requires ante-mortem inspection to be conducted in pens. This final rule makes clear that FSIS inspectors have the authority to conduct ante-mortem inspection and condemn non- ambulatory disabled veal calves the moment they arrive on the premises of the establishment. These amendments will improve compliance with the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1978 (HMSA) and the humane slaughter implementing regulations. The amendments will also improve the Agency's inspection efficiency by eliminating the time that FSIS inspectors spend re-inspecting non-ambulatory disabled veal calves.

This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the Almond Board of California (Board) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2016-17 through the 2018-19 crop years from $0.03 to $0.04 per pound of almonds handled under the marketing order (order). Of the $0.04 per pound assessment, 60 percent (or $0.024 per pound) would be available as credit-back for handlers who conduct their own promotional activities. The assessment rate would return to $0.03 for the 2019-20 and subsequent crop years, and the amount available for handler credit-back would return to $0.018 per pound (60 percent). The Board locally administers the order and is comprised of growers and handlers of almonds grown in California. Assessments upon almond handlers are used by the Board to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The crop year begins August 1 and ends July 31. The $0.04 assessment rate would remain in effect until July 31, 2019. Beginning August 1, 2019, the assessment rate would return to $0.03 and would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

This rule implements a recommendation from the California Olive Committee (Committee) to suspend the incoming size-grade authority under the California olive marketing order (order), which regulates the handling of olives in California. The rule also makes conforming changes to the corresponding size-grade requirements in the order's rules and regulations to adapt them to the suspension. The Committee locally administers the order and is comprised of California olive producers and handlers operating within the production area. The suspension and revisions are intended to allow the Committee time to develop new incoming size-grade authority that will reflect currently- available technology and meet the industry's future needs.