National Organic Program; Correction of the Effective Date Under Congressional Review Act (CRA)

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is correcting the effective date of the final rule (65 FR 80548), promulgated under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, that establishes the National Organic Program (NOP). The NOP establishes national standards for the production and handling of organically produced products, including a national list of substances approved for or prohibited from use in organic production and handling. This change in the effective date meets the requirements of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) enacted as part of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (5 U.S.C. 801-808), which requires that, before this rule can take effect, AMS must submit a copy of the rule to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General, together with a concise general statement of the rule and its proposed effective date. This information was provided to Congress and the Comptroller General on February 20, 2001.