Federal Register #AMSSC240071

Final Rule: Increased Assessment Rate for Florida Citrus and Immigration Fee Codification

This summary covers a final rule issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service regarding Florida citrus assessments, as well as an interim final rule from the Department of Homeland Security on immigration fees and procedures. - Government Buyers: - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service, Market Development Division, Specialty Crops Program - Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Office of Policy and Strategy - OEMs and Vendors: - No specific Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) or commercial vendors are mentioned, as this is a regulatory action affecting all Florida citrus growers and handlers. - Products/Services Requested: - Assessment on Florida citrus (oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, pummelos) at $0.025 per 4/5-bushel carton or equivalent, supporting a $119,624 budget for Marketing Order No. 905 - Estimated 4,500,000 cartons assessed - Immigration fee services: codification of asylum and annual asylum fees, Form I-94 fee requirement, employment authorization validity periods, and retention of Form I-589 filing fee (per the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) - Unique or Notable Requirements: - The assessment rate applies uniformly to all Florida citrus handlers and remains in effect indefinitely until further modification - The rule is intended to address financial reserve concerns due to decreased shipment volumes - The DHS rule implements statutory immigration fee changes and procedures - Locations: - Florida Citrus Production Area (place of performance for assessment) - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Office, 5900 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD (government facility)

Description

This final rule implements a recommendation from the Citrus Administrative Committee to increase the assessment rate for oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and pummelos grown in Florida. The assessment rate is increased from $0.02 to $0.025 per 4/5-bushel carton or equivalent for the 2024-2025 fiscal period and subsequent fiscal periods. The increased rate is intended to reduce the burden on the financial reserve after decreased shipment volumes in previous seasons. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely until modified, suspended, or terminated.

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