Pursuant to section 7711 of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.), the Administrator has determined that certain plant pests may be moved interstate within the continental United States without restriction. The list of all such plant pests is on the PPQ Permits and Certifications website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/permits. Plant pests listed as being excepted from permitting requirements, unless otherwise indicated, may be moved interstate within the continental United States without further restriction under this subpart.

(a) Categories. In order to be included on the list, a plant pest must:

(1) Be from field populations or lab cultures derived from field populations of a taxon that is established throughout its entire geographical or ecological range within the continental United States; or

(2) Be commercially available and raised under the regulatory purview of other Federal agencies.

(b) Petition process to add plant pests to the list—(1) Petition. Any person may petition APHIS to have an additional plant pest added to the list of plant pests that may be imported into or moved in interstate commerce within the continental United States without restriction. To submit a petition, the person must provide, in writing, information supporting the placement of a particular pest in one of the categories listed in paragraph (a) of this section.

(i) Information that the plant pest belongs to a taxon that is established throughout its entire geographical or ecological range within the United States must include scientific literature, unpublished studies, or data regarding:

(A) The biology of the plant pest, including characteristics that allow it to be identified, known hosts, and virulence;

(B) The geographical or ecological range of the plant pest within the continental United States; and

(C) The areas of the continental United States within which the plant pest is established.

(ii) Information that the plant pest is commercially available and raised under the regulatory purview of another Federal agency must include a citation to the relevant law, regulation, or order under which the agency exercises such oversight.

(2) APHIS review. APHIS will review the information contained in the petition to determine whether it is complete. In order to consider the petition complete, APHIS may require additional information to determine whether the plant pest belongs to one of the categories listed in paragraph (a) of this section. When it is determined that the information is complete, APHIS will commence review of the petition.

(3) Action on petitions to add pests.

(i) If, after review of the petition, APHIS determines there is insufficient evidence that the plant pest belongs to one of the categories listed in paragraph (a) of this section, APHIS will deny the petition, and notify the petitioner in writing regarding this denial.

(ii) If, after review of the petition, APHIS determines that the plant pest belongs to one of the categories in paragraph (a) of this section, APHIS will publish a notice in the Federal Register that announces the availability of the petition and any supporting documentation to the public, that states that APHIS intends to add the plant pest to the list of plant pests that may be imported into or moved in interstate commerce within the continental United States without restriction, and that requests public comment. If no comments are received on the notice, or if, based on the comments received, APHIS determines that its conclusions regarding the petition have not been affected, APHIS will publish in the Federal Register a subsequent notice stating that the plant pest has been added to the list.

(c) Petition process to have plant pests removed from the list—(1) Petition. Any person may petition to have a plant pest removed from the list of plant pests that may be imported into or moved interstate within the continental United States without restriction by writing to APHIS. The petition must contain independently verifiable information demonstrating that APHIS' initial determination that the plant pest belongs to one of the categories in paragraph (a) of the section should be changed, or that additional information is now available that would have caused us to change the initial decision.

(2) APHIS review. APHIS will review the information contained in the petition to determine whether it is complete. In order to consider the petition complete, APHIS may require additional information supporting the petitioner's claim. When it is determined that the information is complete, APHIS will commence review of the petition.

(3) APHIS action on petitions to remove pests.

(i) If, after review of the petition, APHIS determines that there is insufficient evidence to suggest that its initial determination should be changed, APHIS will deny the petition, and notify the petitioner in writing regarding this denial.

(ii) If, after review of the petition, APHIS determines that there is a sufficient basis to suggest that its initial determination should be changed, APHIS will publish a notice in the Federal Register that announces the availability of the petition, and that requests public comment regarding removing the plant pest from the list of plant pests that may be imported into or move in interstate commerce within the continental United States without restriction. If no comments are received on the notice, or if the comments received do not affect APHIS' conclusions regarding the petition, APHIS will publish a subsequent notice in the Federal Register stating that the plant pest has been removed from the list.

(d) APHIS-initiated changes to the list.

(1) APHIS may propose to add a plant pest to or remove a pest from the list of plant pests that may be imported into or move in interstate commerce within the continental United States without restriction, if it determines that there is sufficient evidence that the plant pest belongs to one of the categories listed in paragraph (a) of the section, or if evidence emerges that leads APHIS to reconsider its initial determination that the plant pest was or was not in one of the categories listed in paragraph (a) of this section. APHIS will publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing this proposed addition or removal, making available any supporting documentation that it prepares, and requesting public comment.

(2) If no comments are received on the notice or if the comments received do not affect the conclusions of the notice, APHIS will publish a subsequent notice in the Federal Register stating that the plant pest has been added to or removed from the list.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget Under Control Number 0579-0187)