The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) in response to recent changes to the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA). The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Bill) amended the USGSA to allow customers to obtain official grain inspection services from providers other than their designated official inspection agency (OA) if the customer had not been receiving services from their designated OA. AMS is seeking public comment on criteria to evaluate requests submitted under this provision, known as the “nonuse of service” exception. AMS is also seeking input on criteria to evaluate requests submitted under another USGSA exception provision, “timely service.”
The ANPR was published today in the Federal Register. To view this ANPR and find instructions on how to submit comments, please see Doc. No. AMS-FGIS-19-0062. For more information contact Sophie Parker, Deputy Director, Quality Assurance and Compliance Division, at (202) 720-9170 or FGISQACD@usda.gov.