Designation of the State of Alaska Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing that representatives of the State of Alaska have advised the Department of Agriculture that, because of a lack of funding, the State of Alaska will stop administering its State meat and poultry inspection programs after July 30, 1999. FSIS is mandated by law to assume responsibility for administering the meat and poultry inspection programs with respect to operations and transactions within Alaska. Therefore, in accordance with the law, the Secretary of Agriculture is designating the State of Alaska to receive Federal inspection with respect to operations and transactions within the State, and FSIS is amending the Federal meat and poultry inspection regulations by adding Alaska to the list of ``designated'' States.