[Federal Register: October 14, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 198)]
[Notices]
[Page 60060-60061]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14oc05-26]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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[[Page 60060]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 05-061-1]
Agricultural Inspector Uniform Allowance
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA, is
changing the colors of its employees' basic uniform to ensure our
inspectors are easy to distinguish from personnel of other Federal
agencies who are stationed at ports of entry. To offset the one-time
cost to uniformed employees who must replace their existing uniforms,
we are increasing, for one year only, our maximum uniform allowance
rate for fiscal year 2006. We are publishing this notice in accordance
with the civil service regulations regarding uniform allowances, which
provide, among other things, that annual uniform allowances greater
than $400 require public notice and comment.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before
December 13, 2005.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov
and, in the ``Search for Open Regulations'' box,
select ``Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service'' from the agency
drop-down menu, then click on ``Submit.'' In the Docket ID column,
select APHIS-2005-0082 to submit or view public comments and to view
supporting and related materials available electronically. After the
close of the comment period, the docket can be viewed using the
``Advanced Search'' function in Regulations.gov.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies
of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. 05-061-1,
Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700
River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your
comment refers to Docket No. 05-061-1.
Reading Room: You may read any comments that we receive on this
docket in our reading room. The reading room is located in room 1141 of
the USDA South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to
help you, please call (202) 690-2817 before coming.
Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its
programs is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Martin Torrez, Resource Management
Staff, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 130, Riverdale, MD 20737-1232;
(301) 734-7764.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture protects
the health and value of American agriculture and natural resources by,
among other things, conducting programs to prevent the introduction of
exotic pests and diseases into the United States and conducting
surveillance, monitoring, control, and eradication programs for pests
and diseases in this country. These activities enhance agricultural
productivity and competitiveness and contribute to the national economy
and the public health.
To carry out the APHIS mission, our inspectors are stationed at
ports of entry into the United States as well as at other locations
where interstate trade in agricultural products and other Federal
regulatory programs and initiatives are conducted. In 2003, many of our
employees who historically had conducted inspections of imported
articles at ports of entry were transferred to the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) under the Homeland Security Act of 2002.
Despite the transfer of the majority of APHIS inspectors to DHS, there
are still approximately 1,700 uniformed APHIS personnel stationed at
ports of entry and other locations throughout the United States.
Uniformed APHIS personnel currently wear black pants, a white
shirt, and a black tie. Most APHIS inspectors work in close proximity
to inspectors from DHS's Transportation Security Administration (TSA),
which has adopted a uniform with the same color scheme as APHIS'; the
only distinguishing facet of the uniforms are the agency badges. Given
the importance and uniqueness of the APHIS mission, we believe it is
important to have a uniform that is clearly distinguishable from those
of DHS-TSA. As such, we intend to change the basic inspector's uniform
to one that has green pants and a tan shirt.
In accordance with 5 CFR 591.103, APHIS may pay its uniformed
employees an allowance for a uniform not to exceed $400 a year, or
furnish a uniform at a cost not to exceed $400 a year; APHIS does the
former. The cost for the purchase of the new APHIS basic uniform, in
addition to other annual uniform needs, exceeds the $400 allowance. In
order to offset the one-time cost of changing the APHIS inspector
uniform, we need to increase that allowance for fiscal year 2006 (which
runs from October 1, 2005, through September 30, 2006) to $800. We
believe $800 is a suitable amount to allow employees to purchase
uniform components in sufficient minimum quantities to maintain a
professional appearance. This action would result in additional costs
to APHIS of approximately $680,000, which APHIS has accounted for in
its budget for fiscal year 2006.
The specific items required for a basic uniform vary according to
employee job function, and cost of certain items may vary according to
gender. APHIS allows for variety in uniform components according to
duty station (e.g., an inspector in North Dakota will have a different
uniform wardrobe than an inspector in Florida). Following is a partial
list of basic uniform components:
[[Page 60061]]
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Type Activities for which required Minimum components Cost each
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Class A.............................. Formal functions, including Green dress pants............ $52.57
passenger inspections.
Long sleeve khaki service 41.02
shirt.
Short sleeve khaki service 38.18
shirt.
Green Tie.................... 3.75
Class B.............................. Cargo inspections, domestic Green cargo pants............ 57.46
field activities.
Polo shirt................... 34.82
Utility.............................. May be used in combination Green coveralls.............. 56.16
with other parts of Class A
and B uniforms for functions
that do not involve direct
contact with the public.
Cargo shorts................. 51.83
Walking shoes................ 94.00 to
140.00
Boots........................ 199.00 to
209.00
Accessories.......................... May be used in combination Wide-brimmed straw hat....... 61.04
with other parts of Class A
and B uniforms.
Rain jacket.................. 36.89
All weather overcoat......... 204.85
Commando sweater............. 40.11
Work belt.................... 17.88
Pair socks................... 6.10
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The usual $400 annual uniform allowance is intended to assist
employees in maintaining a neat professional appearance, and may be
used to purchase whatever uniform components listed above that the
employee may require. We are providing an additional $400 for fiscal
year 2006 to cover the cost of building a new basic uniform, which
could include a combination of items such as:
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Class A shirts (2)........................................... $ 82.04
Class A dress pants (2)...................................... 104.14
Class B cargo pants (1)...................................... 57.46
Class B cargo shorts (1)..................................... 51.83
Class B polo shirts (2)...................................... 69.64
Pair socks (5)............................................... 30.50
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Total:................................................... 395.61
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This change in uniform allowance would be effective for fiscal year
2006 only. Beginning fiscal year 2007, the uniform allowance would
revert to $400.
This notice is intended to satisfy the requirements of 5 CFR
591.104(d), which requires that prior to adopting a uniform allowance
that is greater than $400, a Federal agency must provide a
justification for the allowance and make it available for public notice
and comment.
Done in Washington, DC, this 7th day of October 2005.
Jennifer Cervantes-Eggers,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Administration, USDA.
[FR Doc. E5-5651 Filed 10-13-05; 8:45 am]
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