APHIS Implementation of Revised Lacey Act Provisions Phase VI – Teleconference – June 24

APHIS Implementation of Revised Lacey Act Provisions Phase VI

Teleconference

Wednesday June 24, 2020 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. (EST)

The Office of Advocacy will be hosting a teleconference to discuss the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Notice of Enforcement Schedule for Lacey Act Declaration requirements under Phase VI on Wednesday June 24, 2020 from 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.  Teleconference participation details will be provided upon receipt of RSVP. RSVPs should be sent to Prianka.Sharma@sba.gov. The purpose of the teleconference will be to gather specific small business input and comments on the notice of enforcement schedule. Agency Staff from APHIS have been invited to attend this roundtable; however their participation has not yet been confirmed.  Parties interested in presenting oral comments during the teleconference should indicate this in their RSVP.

Agenda

2:00 p.m. – 2:05 p.m.     Introduction and Background

Prianka Sharma, Assistant Chief Counsel, Office of Advocacy
Elisabeth Newcomb, Regulatory Economist, Office of Advocacy

2:05 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.      Input from Interested Small Entity Stakeholders

*Please note that comments presented during this teleconference will not substitute for written comments directly from interested parties to the agency. Advocacy encourages those entities specifically interested in this notice to provide both oral and written comments.*

Roundtable meetings are open to all interested persons, with the exception of the press, in order to facilitate open and frank discussion about the impacts of Federal regulatory activities on small entities.   Agendas and presentations are available to all, including the press. Anyone who wants to receive roundtable agendas or presentations, or to be included in the distribution list, should forward such requests to prianka.sharma@sba.gov.  The purpose of these Roundtable meetings is to exchange opinions, facts and information and to obtain the attendees’ individual views and opinions regarding small business concerns.  The meetings are not intended to achieve or communicate any consensus positions of the attendees.

Small Business Agriculture Roundtable

Issue for Discussion

Request for Comments on APHIS’ Notice of Enforcement Schedule for Lacey Act Declaration Requirements, Phase VI

On March 31, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service published a Notice of Enforcement Schedule under Lacey Act declaration requirements for certain plant and plant products. Pursuant to the Food, Conversation and Energy Act of 2008 which amended the Lacey Act, importers of plant products must provide a declaration import containing among other things the scientific name of the plant, value of the importation, quantity of the plant, and name of the country from which the plant was harvested. APHIS stated that it will provide a phased-in approach to products that must comply with this declaration requirement. Phase VI of the enforcement schedule is outlined in this notice. APHIS is accepting comments from the public on how the declaration requirements should be enforced as to these products. Written comments are due by July 1, 2020.

Read the Federal Register notice and submit comments here.