Reduction of Accreditation Fees for FSIS Accredited Laboratories

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is confirming the interim regulations amending provisions of the Federal meat and poultry products inspection regulations to reduce the fees charged participants in the Agency's voluntary Accredited Laboratory Program (ALP). Non-Federal analytical laboratories are qualified under the ALP to conduct analyses of official meat and poultry samples. The payment by laboratories of annual accreditation fees that cover the costs of the ALP is mandated by the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (the 1990 Farm Bill), as amended. FSIS determined late last year that reduced ALP administrative expenditures for fiscal year 1995 would enable the Agency to charge a smaller accreditation fee than it did last year. Since the amount of the laboratory accreditation fee is set forth in the regulations, the regulations had to be changed before the Agency could charge a different fee. To meet fee billing deadlines, FSIS found it necessary to publish the fee reduction rule on an interim basis. The Agency also took the opportunity to make some editorial corrections to the regulations.