Increases in Fees for Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products Inspection Services-Fiscal Year (FY) 2002

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is increasing the fees that it charges meat and poultry establishments, egg products plants, importers, and exporters for providing voluntary inspection services, overtime and holiday inspection services, identification services, certification services, and laboratory services. These increases in fees reflect the national and locality pay raise for Federal employees (the increase of 3.6 percent anticipated at the time of the proposal to be effective January 2002) and inflation. At this time, FSIS is not changing the fee for the Accredited Laboratory Program. To raise the fees for voluntary egg products inspection (base time) and overtime and holiday voluntary inspection activities, done on other than a continuous resident basis, the Agency is adding Part 592 to the CFR. At this time, FSIS is only including the voluntary egg products inspection fees in this new part. The Agency is also amending the heading of Subchapter I of Chapter III of the CFR by deleting the word "Act" so the heading reads "Egg Products Inspection" because voluntary inspection of egg products is performed under the Agricultural Marketing Act (AMA).