[Federal Register: September 1, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 170)]
[Notices]               
[Page 52052-52057]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01se06-20]                         

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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 52052]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2006-0119]

 
Fiscal Year 2007 Veterinary Diagnostic Services User Fees and 
Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection User Fees

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice pertains to user fees for certain veterinary 
diagnostic services and to fees charged for agricultural quarantine and 
inspection services that are provided in connection with certain 
commercial vessels, commercial trucks, loaded commercial railroad cars, 
commercial aircraft, and international airline passengers arriving at 
ports in the Customs territory of the United States. The purpose of 
this notice is to remind the public of the user fees for fiscal year 
2007 (October 1, 2006, through September 30, 2007).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information concerning veterinary 
diagnostic program operations, contact Dr. Lee Ann Thomas, Director, 
National Center for Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 
39, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-3277.
    For information concerning Agricultural Quarantine program 
operations, contact Mr. William E. Thomas, Director for Quarantine 
Policy, Analysis and Support, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 60, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-5214.
    For information concerning user fee rate development, contact Mrs. 
Kris Caraher, Section Head, User Fees Section, Financial Systems and 
Services Branch, MRPBS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 55, Riverdale, MD 
20737-1232; (301) 734-5901.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Veterinary Diagnostic Services User Fees

    User fees to reimburse APHIS for the costs of providing veterinary 
diagnostic services are contained in 9 CFR part 130 (referred to below 
as the regulations). These user fees are authorized by section 2509(c) 
of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990, as 
amended (21 U.S.C. 136a), which provides that the Secretary of 
Agriculture may, among other things, prescribe regulations and collect 
fees to recover the costs of veterinary diagnostics relating to the 
control and eradication of communicable disease of livestock or poultry 
within the United States.
    In a final rule published in the Federal Register on May 6, 2004 
(69 FR 25305-25312, Docket No. 00-024-2), and effective June 7, 2004, 
we established, for fiscal years 2004 through 2007 and beyond, user 
fees for certain veterinary diagnostic services, including certain 
diagnostic tests, reagents, and other veterinary diagnostic materials 
and services. Veterinary diagnostics is the work performed in a 
laboratory to determine if a disease-causing organism or chemical agent 
is present in body tissues or cells and, if so, to identify those 
organisms or agents. Services in this category include: (1) Performing 
identification, serology, and pathobiology tests and providing 
diagnostic reagents and other veterinary diagnostic materials and 
services at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in 
Ames, IA; and (2) performing laboratory tests and providing diagnostic 
reagents and other veterinary diagnostic materials and services at the 
NVSL Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (NVSL FADDL) in 
Greenport, NY.
    APHIS veterinary diagnostic user fees fall into six categories:
    (1) Laboratory tests, reagents, and other veterinary diagnostic 
services performed at NVSL FADDL;
    (2) Laboratory tests performed as part of isolation and 
identification testing at NVSL in Ames;
    (3) Laboratory tests performed as part of serology testing at NVSL 
in Ames;
    (4) Laboratory tests performed at the pathobiology laboratory at 
NVSL in Ames;
    (5) Diagnostic reagents produced at NVSL in Ames or other 
authorized sites; and
    (6) Other veterinary diagnostic services or materials provided at 
NVSL in Ames.
    As specified in Sec.  130.14(a), the user fees for diagnostic 
reagents provided by NVSL FADDL for fiscal year 2007 are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Reagent                         Unit          User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bovine antiserum, any agent..............  1 mL............      $165.00
Caprine antiserum, any agent.............  1 mL............       202.00
Cell culture antigen/microorganism.......  1 mL............       111.00
Equine antiserum, any agent..............  1 mL............       204.00
Fluorescent antibody conjugate...........  1 mL............       179.00
Guinea pig antiserum, any agent..........  1 mL............       200.00
Monoclonal antibody......................  1 mL............       243.00
Ovine antiserum, any agent...............  1 mL............       193.00
Porcine antiserum, any agent.............  1 mL............       167.00
Rabbit antiserum, any agent..............  1 mL............       196.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As specified in Sec.  130.14(b), the user fees for veterinary 
diagnostic tests performed at NVSL FADDL for fiscal year 2007 are as 
follows:

[[Page 52053]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Test                           Unit         User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agar gel immunodiffusion..................  Test............      $33.00
Card......................................  Test............       18.00
Complement fixation.......................  Test............       40.00
Direct immunofluorescent antibody.........  Test............       25.00
Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.........  Test............       29.00
Fluorescent antibody neutralization         Test............      215.00
 (classical swine fever).
Hemagglutination inhibition...............  Test............       63.00
Immunoperoxidase..........................  Test............       32.00
Indirect fluorescent antibody.............  Test............       39.00
In-vitro safety...........................  Test............      630.00
In-vivo safety............................  Test............    5,509.00
Latex agglutination.......................  Test............       26.00
Tube agglutination........................  Test............       30.00
Virus isolation (oesophageal/pharyngeal)..  Test............      199.00
Virus isolation in embryonated eggs.......  Test............      383.00
Virus isolation, other....................  Test............      171.00
Virus neutralization......................  Test............       58.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As specified in Sec.  130.14(c), the user fees for other veterinary 
diagnostic services performed at NVSL FADDL for fiscal year 2007 are as 
follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Veterinary diagnostic service              Unit          User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bacterial isolation......................  Test............      $123.00
Hourly user fee services \1\.............  Hour............       492.00
Hourly user fee services--Quarter hour...  Quarter hour....       123.00
Infected cells on chamber slides or        Slide...........        53.00
 plates.
Reference animal tissues for               Set.............       187.00
 immunohistochemistry.
Sterilization by gamma radiation.........  Can.............     1,923.00
Training (school or technical assistance)  Per person per       1,006.00
                                            day.
Virus titration..........................  Test............      123.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ For all veterinary diagnostic services for which there is no flat
  rate user fee, the hourly rate user fee will be calculated for the
  actual time required to provide the service.

    As specified in Sec.  130.15(a), the user fees for bacteriology 
isolation and identification tests performed at NVSL (excluding FADDL) 
or other authorized sites for fiscal year 2007 are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Test                          Unit          User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bacterial identification, automated......  Isolate.........       $53.00
Bacterial identification, non-automated..  Isolate.........        90.00
Bacterial isolation......................  Sample..........        36.00
Bacterial serotyping, all other..........  Isolate.........        55.00
Bacterial serotyping, Pasteurella          Isolate.........        18.00
 multocida.
Bacterial serotyping, Salmonella.........  Isolate.........        36.00
Bacterial toxin typing...................  Isolate.........       120.00
Bacteriology requiring special             Test............        92.00
 characterization.
DNA fingerprinting.......................  Test............        59.00
DNA/RNA probe............................  Test............        83.00
Fluorescent antibody.....................  Test............        19.00
Mycobacterium identification               Isolate.........       114.00
 (biochemical).
Mycobacterium identification (gas          Procedure.......        96.00
 chromatography).
Mycobacterium isolation, animal            Submission......       837.00
 inoculations.
Mycobacterium isolation, all other.......  Submission......       151.00
Mycobacterium paratuberculosis isolation.  Submission......        72.00
Phage typing, all other..................  Isolate.........        42.00
Phage typing, Salmonella enteritidis.....  Isolate.........        24.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As specified in Sec.  130.15(b), the user fees for virology 
identification tests performed at NVSL (excluding FADDL) or other 
authorized sites for fiscal year 2007 are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Test                          Unit          User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fluorescent antibody tissue section......  Test............       $29.00
Virus isolation..........................  Test............        48.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 52054]]

    As specified in Sec.  130.16(a), the user fees for bacteriology 
serology tests performed at NVSL (excluding FADDL) or other authorized 
sites for fiscal year 2007 are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Test                          Unit          User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brucella ring (BRT)......................  Test............       $36.00
Brucella ring, heat inactivated (HIRT)...  Test............        36.00
Brucella ring, serial (Serial BRT).......  Test............        54.00
Buffered acidified plate antigen           Test............         7.00
 presumptive.
Card.....................................  Test............         4.00
Complement fixation......................  Test............        16.00
Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay........  Test............        16.00
Indirect fluorescent antibody............  Test............        14.00
Microscopic agglutination--includes up to  Sample..........        24.00
 5 serovars.
Microscopic agglutination--each serovar    Sample..........         4.00
 in excess of 5 serovars.
Particle concentration fluorescent         Test............        36.00
 immunoassay (PCFIA).
Plate....................................  Test............         7.00
Rapid automated presumptive..............  Test............         7.00
Rivanol..................................  Test............         7.00
Tube agglutination.......................  Test............         7.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As specified in Sec.  130.16(b), the user fees for virology 
serology tests performed at NVSL (excluding FADDL) or at authorized 
sites for fiscal year 2007 are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Test                          Unit          User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agar gel immunodiffusion.................  Test............       $16.00
Complement fixation......................  Test............        16.00
Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay........  Test............        16.00
Hemagglutination inhibition..............  Test............        14.00
Indirect fluorescent antibody............  Test............        14.00
Latex agglutination......................  Test............        16.00
Peroxidase linked antibody...............  Test............        15.00
Plaque reduction neutralization..........  Test............        18.00
Rabies fluorescent antibody                Test............        45.00
 neutralization.
Virus neutralization.....................  Test............        13.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As specified in Sec.  130.17(a), the user fees for veterinary 
diagnostic tests performed at the Pathobiology Laboratory at NVSL 
(excluding FADDL) or at authorized sites for fiscal year 2007 are as 
follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Test                          Unit          User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aflatoxin quantitation...................  Test............       $30.00
Aflatoxin screen.........................  Test............        29.00
Agar gel immunodiffusion spp.              Test............        13.00
 identification.
Antibiotic (bioautography) quantitation..  Test............        65.00
Antibiotic (bioautography) screen........  Test............       119.00
Antibiotic inhibition....................  Test............        65.00
Arsenic..................................  Test............        17.00
Ergot alkaloid screen....................  Test............        65.00
Ergot alkaloid confirmation..............  Test............        86.00
Feed microscopy..........................  Test............        65.00
Fumonisin only...........................  Test............        37.00
Gossypol.................................  Test............        98.00
Mercury..................................  Test............       145.00
Metals screen............................  Test............        44.00
Metals single element confirmation.......  Test............        13.00
Mycotoxin aflatoxin-liver................  Test............       119.00
Mycotoxin screen.........................  Test............        48.00
Nitrate/nitrite..........................  Test............        65.00
Organic compound confirmation............  Test............        88.00
Organic compound screen..................  Test............       151.00
Parasitology.............................  Test............        29.00
Pesticide quantitation...................  Test............       132.00
Pesticide screen.........................  Test............        60.00
pH.......................................  Test............        26.00
Plate cylinder...........................  Test............        98.00
Selenium.................................  Test............        44.00
Silicate/carbonate disinfectant..........  Test............        65.00
Temperature disks........................  Test............       130.00

[[Page 52055]]


Toxicant quantitation, other.............  Test............       110.00
Toxicant screen, other...................  Test............        33.00
Vomitoxin only...........................  Test............        53.00
Water activity...........................  Test............        33.00
Zearaleone quantitation..................  Test............        53.00
Zearaleone screen........................  Test............        29.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As specified in Sec.  130.18(a), the user fees for bacteriology 
reagents produced by the Diagnostic Bacteriology Laboratory at NVSL 
(excluding FADDL) or other authorized sites for fiscal year 2007 are as 
follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Reagent                         Unit          User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anaplasma card test antigen..............  2 mL............       $95.00
Anaplasma card test kit without antigen..  Kit.............       127.00
Anaplasma CF antigen.....................  2 mL............        46.00
Anaplasma stabilate......................  4.5 mL..........       175.00
Avian origin bacterial antiserums........  1 mL............        47.00
Bacterial agglutinating antigens other     5 mL............        54.00
 than brucella and salmonella pullorum.
Bacterial conjugates.....................  1 mL............        96.00
Bacterial disease CF antigens, all other.  1 mL............        29.00
Bacterial ELISA antigens.................  1 mL............        29.00
Bacterial or protozoal, antiserums, all    1 mL............        60.00
 other.
Bacterial reagent culture \1\............  Culture.........        73.00
Bacterial reference culture \2\..........  Culture.........       228.00
Bacteriophage reference culture..........  Culture.........       172.00
Bovine serum factor......................  1 mL............        18.00
Brucella abortus CF antigen..............  60 mL...........       151.00
Brucella agglutination antigens, all       60 mL...........       151.00
 other.
Brucella buffered plate antigen..........  60 mL...........       172.00
Brucella canis tube antigen..............  25 mL...........       109.00
Brucella card test antigen (packaged)....  Package.........        90.00
Brucella card test kit without antigen...  Kit.............       113.00
Brucella cells...........................  Gram............        18.00
Brucella cells, dried....................  Pellet..........         6.00
Brucella ring test antigen...............  60 mL...........       241.00
Brucella rivanol solution................  60 mL...........        29.00
Dourine CF antigen.......................  1 mL............        89.00
Dourine stabilate........................  4.5 mL..........       109.00
Equine and bovine origin babesia species   1 mL............       127.00
 antiserums.
Equine negative control CF antigen.......  1 mL............       281.00
Flazo-orange.............................  3 mL............        13.00
Glanders CF antigen......................  1 mL............        77.00
Hemoparasitic disease CF antigens, all     1 mL............       540.00
 other.
Leptospira transport medium..............  10 mL...........         4.00
Monoclonal antibody......................  1 mL............        95.00
Mycobacterium spp. old tuberculin........  1 mL............        24.00
Mycobacterium spp. PPD...................  1 mL............        18.00
Mycoplasma hemagglutination antigens.....  5 mL............       180.00
Negative control serums..................  1 mL............        18.00
Rabbit origin bacterial antiserum........  1 mL............        52.00
Salmonella pullorum microagglutination     5 mL............        15.00
 antigen.
Stabilates, all other....................  4.5 mL..........      678.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ A reagent culture is a bacterial culture that has been subcultured
  one or more times after being tested for purity and identity. It is
  intended for use as a reagent with a diagnostic test such as the
  leptospiral microagglutination test.
\2\ A reference culture is a bacterial culture that has been thoroughly
  tested for purity and identity. It should be suitable as a master seed
  for future cultures.

    As specified in Sec.  130.18(b), the user fees for virology 
reagents produced by the Diagnostic Virology Laboratory at NVSL 
(excluding FADDL) or at authorized sites for fiscal year 2007 are as 
follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Reagent                         Unit          User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Antigen, except avian influenza and        2 mL............       $61.00
 chlamydia psittaci antigens, any.
Avian antiserum except avian influenza     2 mL............        48.00
 antiserum, any.
Avian influenza antigen, any.............  2 mL............        33.00
Avian influenza antiserum, any...........  6 mL............       103.00
Bovine or ovine serum, any...............  2 mL............       127.00
Cell culture.............................  Flask...........       151.00
Chlamydia psittaci spp. of origin          Panel...........        95.00
 monoclonal antibody panel.
Conjugate, any...........................  1 mL............        73.00

[[Page 52056]]


Diluted positive control serum, any......  2 mL............        24.00
Equine antiserum, any....................  2 mL............        45.00
Monoclonal antibody......................  1 mL............       102.00
Other spp. antiserum, any................  1 mL............        52.00
Porcine antiserum, any...................  2 mL............       105.00
Porcine tissue sets......................  Tissue set......       157.00
Positive control tissues, all............  2 cm\2\ section.        60.00
Rabbit origin antiserum..................  1 mL............        52.00
Reference virus, any.....................  0.6 mL..........       180.00
Viruses (except reference viruses),        0.6 mL..........        30.00
 chlamydia psittaci agent or chlamydia
 psittaci antigen, any.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As specified in Sec.  130.19(a), the user fees for other veterinary 
diagnostic services or materials available from NVSL (excluding FADDL) 
for fiscal year 2007 are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Service                         Unit          User fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Antimicrobial susceptibility test........  Isolate.........      $105.00
Avian safety test........................  Test............     4,075.00
Check tests, culture.....................  Kit \1\.........       176.00
Check tests, serology, all other.........  Kit \1\.........       361.00
Fetal bovine serum safety test...........  Verification....     1,114.00
Hourly user fee services: \2\
    Hour.................................  Hour............        84.00
    Quarter hour.........................  Quarter hour....        21.00
    Minimum..............................  ................        25.00
Manual, brucellosis culture..............  1 copy..........       114.00
Manual, tuberculosis culture (English or   1 copy..........       172.00
 Spanish).
Manual, Veterinary mycology..............  1 copy..........       172.00
Manuals or standard operating procedure    1 copy..........        34.00
 (SOP), all other.
Manuals or SOP, per page.................  1 page..........         2.00
Training (school or technical assistance)  Per person per        331.00
                                            day.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Any reagents required for the check test will be charged separately.

\2\ For veterinary diagnostic services for which there is no flat rate
  user fee the hourly rate user fee will be calculated for the actual
  time required to provide the service.

Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection Services User Fees

    User fees to reimburse APHIS for the costs of providing inspections 
of certain commercial conveyances are found in 7 CFR part 354 (referred 
to below as the regulations). These user fees are authorized by Section 
2509(a) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 
(21 U.S.C. 136a), which authorizes APHIS to collect user fees for 
agricultural quarantine and inspection (AQI) services.
    In a final rule published in the Federal Register on December 9, 
2004 (69 FR 71660-71683, Docket No. 04-042-1), and effective January 1, 
2005, we established, for fiscal years 2005 through 2010 and beyond, 
user fees for each of the types of conveyances or persons to whom AQI 
services are provided, i.e., commercial vessels (watercraft), 
commercial trucks, loaded commercial railroad cars, commercial 
aircraft, and international airline passengers. The regulations provide 
specific information regarding the applicability of, and exceptions to, 
AQI user fees. As specified in 7 CFR 354.3, the user fees for these AQI 
services for fiscal year 2007 are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Service                         Unit           Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inspection of commercial vessels of 100    Per entry \1\...      $490.00
 net tons or more (see 7 CFR 354.3(b)).
Inspection of commercial trucks (see 7     Per entry \2\...         5.25
 CFR 354.3(c)).
Inspection of commercial railroad cars     Per entry \3\...         7.75
 (see 7 CFR 354.3(d)).
Inspection of commercial aircraft (see 7   Per entry.......        70.50
 CFR 354.3(e)).
Inspection of international aircraft       Per entry.......        5.00
 passengers (see 7 CFR 354.3(f)).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Not to exceed 15 payments in a calendar year (i.e., no additional
  fee will be charged for a 16th or subsequent arrival in a calendar
  year).
\2\ A prepaid AQI permit valid for 1 calendar year may be obtained for
  an amount 20 times the AQI user fee for each arrival ($105.00 from
  October 1, 2006, through September 30, 2007).
\3\ The AQI user fee may be prepaid for all arrivals of a commercial
  railroad car during a calendar year for an amount 20 times the AQI
  user fee for each arrival ($155.00 from October 1, 2006, through
  September 30, 2007).



[[Page 52057]]

    Done in Washington, DC, this 28th day of August 2006.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E6-14562 Filed 8-31-06; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-34-P