[Federal Register: November 17, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 221)]
[Notices]
[Page 67298-67299]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17no04-19]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
Farm Service Agency
The Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of 2004
AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation and Farm Service Agency, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct a public
meeting to solicit comments regarding the implementation of the
assessment provisions of the Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of
2004 (the Act). The meeting will be open to the public, with attendance
limited to available space on a first-come basis. No fee will be
required.
DATES: The meeting is scheduled for November 22, 2004, from 9 a.m. to 4
p.m. Requests to address the meeting and written comments on the
subject of assessments must be submitted by November 18, 2004. To the
extent possible, we will consider late-filed submissions.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in USDA's Jefferson Auditorium,
South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250.
Requests to address the meeting and written comments may be
submitted by any of the following methods:
E-Mail: Send to
tob_comments@wdc.usda.gov.
Fax: Send to (202) 720-6426.
Mail: Send to Director, Tobacco Division, Farm Service
Agency, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), STOP 0514, Room
4080-S,
[[Page 67299]]
1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-0514.
Hand Delivery or Courier: Deliver to the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Tjeerdsma by phone at: (202) 690-
2524; by fax at (202) 720-6426 or by e-mail at mary.tjeerdsma@usda.gov.
Persons with disabilities who require special accommodation to
attend or participate in the meeting should contact Mary Tjeerdsma by
November 18, 2004.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 108-357)
(the Act) was enacted on October 22, 2004. The Act terminated the
Federal Tobacco Marketing Quota and Price Support Loan Programs
beginning with the 2005 crop year and provided that USDA will offer to
enter into contracts with tobacco quota holders and producers for
transitional payments.
In order to enter into a contract to receive these payments, a
person must submit an application containing sufficient information to
determine eligibility. For each of the 10 fiscal years beginning with
2005, a payment will be made to each eligible quota holder or producer.
Total payments of up to $7.00 per pound to quota holders and up to
$3.00 per pound to quota producers will be paid over the 10-year
period, not to exceed $10,140,000,000.
In order to fund the contract payments to quota holders and
producers, the Secretary is required to impose quarterly assessments on
each manufacturer and importer of tobacco products sold in the United
States. Assessments will be deposited in a revolving trust fund within
the Commodity Credit Corporation, to be known as the Tobacco Trust
Fund. Beginning with the calendar quarter ending on December 31 of each
of the fiscal years 2005 through 2014, the assessment payments for each
of the four calendar-quarter periods must be sufficient to cover
contract payments to quota holders and producers and other expenditures
from the Tobacco Trust Fund that correspond to that period.
The Act provided the percentages of the total amount to be paid in
fiscal year 2005 by manufacturers and importers of each class of
tobacco product as follows:
Cigarette--96.331%.
Cigar--2.783%.
Snuff--0.539%.
Roll-your-own--0.171%.
Pipe--0.066%.
The percentages for subsequent fiscal years will be adjusted to
reflect any change in the share of gross domestic sales volume held by
each class of product.
The quarterly assessment to be paid by each manufacturer or
importer of a class of tobacco product will be determined by the
manufacturer's or importer's market share of that class of tobacco
product for the quarter.
The full text of the Act is available at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/buyout/
.
II. Registration
Registration may be by e-mail at tob_comments@wdc.usda.gov or you
may contact the Public Meeting Coordinator, Mary Tjeerdsma, to register
by phone at (202) 690-2524 or by fax at (202) 720-6426. The following
information must be provided when registering to attend the meeting:
Name, company name and address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail
addresses and special needs information. A staff member will confirm
your registration by e-mail, fax, or phone. You may also register in
person at the meeting.
III. Presentations and Comment Format
A. Primary Speaker Presentations
Persons who wish to be primary speakers must register to attend the
meeting before the day of the meeting using the registration procedures
described above. At the time of registration, primary speakers must
provide a brief, written statement regarding the nature of the
information they intend to provide. In addition, on the day of the
meeting, primary speakers must provide a written summary of their
comments to the Public Meeting Coordinator.
B. ``5-Minute'' Speaker Presentations
Other attendees will be permitted to sign up at the meeting, on a
first-come, first-served basis, to make 5-minute presentations on
individual agenda items. Based on the number of items on the agenda and
the progress of the meeting, a determination will be made at the
meeting by the Public Meeting Coordinator and the meeting moderator
regarding how many 5-minute speakers can be accommodated. In order to
offer the same opportunity to all attendees, there is no pre-
registration for 5-minute speakers. Attendees may sign up only on the
day of the meeting to make a 5-minute presentation. They must provide
their name, company name and address, contact information as specified
on the sign up sheet, and identify the specific agenda item that will
be addressed.
C. Written Comments
We welcome written comments from anyone, whether or not they have
had the opportunity to make an oral presentation. Written comments may
be submitted at the meeting or, by December 10, 2004 by the following
methods:
E-Mail: Send comments to tob_comments@wdc.usda.gov.
Mail: Send comments to Director, Tobacco Division, Farm
Service Agency, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), STOP
0514, Room 4080-S, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-
0514.
IV. General Information
The meeting will be held in a Federal government building.
Therefore, Federal security measures will be in force. In planning your
arrival, we recommend allowing extra time to clear security. Entry to
the building will be at the 4th Wing entrance on Independence Avenue.
In order to enter the building, participants must bring a government-
issued photo identification. Entry may be denied to persons without
proper identification.
In addition, all persons entering the building must pass through a
metal detector. All items brought to the meeting, whether personal or
for the purposes of demonstration or support of a presentation, are
subject to inspection. We cannot assume responsibility for coordinating
the receipt, transfer, transport, storage, set-up, safety, or timely
arrival of any personal belongings or items used for demonstration or
support of a presentation.
Signed at Washington, DC, November 11, 2004.
James R. Little,
Administrator, Farm Service Agency, and Executive Vice-President,
Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 04-25526 Filed 11-12-04; 3:50 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P