[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 99 (Friday, May 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28345-28347]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13694]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 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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  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 99 / Friday, May 22, 1998 / Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

May 18, 1998.
    The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13. Comments 
regarding (a) whether the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy 
of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology should be addressed to: Desk 
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Washington, DC 20503 and to 
Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, 
DC 20250-7602. Comments regarding these information collections are 
best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of 
this notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by 
calling (202) 720-6746.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Respondent Information Evaluation.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-New.
    Summary of Collection: The National Agricultural Statistics 
Service's (NASS) primary function is to prepare and issue state and 
national estimates of crop and livestock production. Preparation of 
these estimates requires voluntary cooperation from thousands of crop 
and livestock producers regarding their operations each year. A serious 
threat to NASS data quality is nonresponse to surveys. NASS is 
initiating a coordinated effort to increase voluntary survey 
cooperation. This effort requires the collection of information on how 
NASS data is used and what data and services would be helpful in the 
future.
    Need and Use of The Information: Information about the many uses of 
NASS reports will be used to enlist the cooperation of producers whose 
information the reports are based on. Public forums with producers will 
be used to develop potential educational material for use in 
conjunction with ongoing NASS survey programs. These materials will be 
tested in a variety of formats suited to different channels of 
communications with respondents including interviewers, State 
Statistical Office personnel, survey questionnaires, releases and 
publications, print and broadcast media, and educational settings.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 11,717.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Quarterly; annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 572.

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration

    Title: ``Clear Title'' Regulations to Implement Section 1324 of the 
Food Security Act of 1985.
    OMB Control Number: 0580-0016.
    Summary of Collection: In conjunction with Section 1324 of the Food 
Security Act of 1985, the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards 
Administration (GIPSA), on behalf of the Secretary of Agriculture, is 
authorized to certify State central filing systems. The central filing 
systems are necessary in certain states to notify buyers of farm 
products of any mortgages or liens on the products. Information is 
collected from State agencies describing their proposed central filing 
systems.
    Need and Use of the Information: GIPSA uses the information 
supplied by State agencies to carry out the Secretary's responsibility 
for determining whether a State's central filing system for 
notification of buyers of farm products of any mortgages or liens on 
the products meets certification requirements under Section 1324 of the 
Food Security Act of 1985.
    Description of Respondents: State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 1.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden hours: 12.

Food and Nutrition Service

    Title: Issuance Reconciliation Report: FNS-46.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-0080.
    Summary of Collection: The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), on 
behalf of the Secretary of Agriculture, administers the Food Stamp 
Program through State agencies. These State agencies are accountable 
for issuance and control of food stamp coupons. Accordingly, States are 
liable to USDA for any financial losses involved in the acceptance, 
storage, and issuance of food stamp coupons. Information is required 
from State agencies on wrongfully issued benefits including 
undocumented issuances, and returned benefits, stolen and transacted 
accountable issuance documents, replacement benefits, and obligations 
from the exchange of food stamp coupons for any reason.
    Need and Use of the Information: FNS provides the FNS-46 form, 
Issuance Reconciliation Report, for State agencies to use in reporting 
reconciliation results from analyzes of the benefit issuances for all 
issuance systems with the record-for-issuance file. FNS uses this 
information to assess liability and to determine billing amounts.
    Description of Respondents: State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 388.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Monthly.
    Total Burden hours: 37,248.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Beef Cattle Pesticide Use.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-NEW.

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    Summary of Collection: The National Agricultural Statistics Service 
(NASS) has been asked by Colorado State University (CSU) to conduct a 
Beef Cattle Pesticide Use Survey in 12 Western States. The survey is 
designed to provide information on insecticides applied to beef cattle, 
insecticides used for cattle facilities, and non-pesticide insect 
management practices. Data collected will help provide quality 
information to fulfill certain requirements of the food Quality 
Protection Act of 1996. In order to do an effective risk assessment, 
accurate pesticide use information is essential. CSU will use the 
results from this survey to produce a Pesticide Benefit Assessments 
report for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Information from 
this report will aid the EPA in evaluating the risks and the benefits 
of pesticide use.
    Need and Use of the Information: NASS will collect data to develop 
a uniform survey system to determine the amount of active ingredients 
from insecticides applied to beef cattle and beef cattle facilities and 
to measure pest management practices on beef cattle. Data from the 
survey will provide the necessary insecticide use data needed by EPA. 
The data will provide factual information on the level of insecticide 
use and types of pest prevention measures being implemented.
    Description of Respondents: Farm.
    Number of Respondents: 2,000.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (One-time).
    Total Burden hours: 467

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Agricultural Prices.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0003.
    Summary of Collection: Estimates of prices received by farmers and 
prices paid for production goods and services are needed by the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
(NASS), to compute Parity Prices in accordance with requirements of the 
Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 as amended (Title III, Subtitle A, 
Section 301a) and estimate value of production, inventory values, and 
cash receipts from farming.
    In addition, NASS provides commodity product prices used in the 
calculation of the Basic Formula Prices for Milk, determines the level 
for farmer owned reserves and provides guidelines for Risk Management 
Agency price selection options and determines Federal disaster prices 
to be paid and the grazing fee on Federal lands. General authority for 
these data collection activities is granted under U.S. Code Title 7, 
Section 2204. This status specifies that ``The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall procure and preserve all information concerning agriculture which 
he can obtain by the collection of statistics * * * and shall 
distribute them among agriculturalists''.
    Need and Use of the Information: The NASS price program has 
undergone significant modifications including the updating of weights 
and changing the construction of prices and paid by farmers indexes. 
The indexes are used in computing the parity prices that NASS is 
required by statute to publish monthly. Parity prices are used to 
establish and maintain Federal Market Orders. Currently, there are 41 
market orders that use these prices.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; farm.
    Number of Respondents: 19,387.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; monthly; annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 14,484.

Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service

    Title: Exotic Newcastle Disease in Birds and Poultry; Chlamydiosis 
in Poultry.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0016.
    Summary of Collection: Title 21, U.S.C. authorizes the United 
States Department of Agriculture and the Animal Plant and Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS) to take necessary actions to prevent, 
control and eliminate domestic diseases, as well as to prevent and to 
manage non-domestic diseases such as exotic Newcastle disease (END) and 
Chlamydiosis. Disease prevention is the most effective method for 
maintaining a healthy animal population and for enhancing our ability 
to compete in the world market of animals and animal product trade.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information 
through the use of documents attesting to the health status of the 
birds or poultry being moved, the number and types of birds or poultry 
being moved in a particular shipment, the shipment's point of origin, 
the shipment's destination, and the reason for the interstate movement. 
These documents also provide useful ``traceback'' information in the 
event an infected bird or chicken is discovered and an investigation 
must be launched to determine where the bird or chicken originated. The 
information provided by these documents is critical to APHIS' ability 
to prevent the interstate spread of Exotic Newcastle Disease, which is 
highly contagious and capable of causing significant economic harm to 
the U.S. poultry industry.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; 
Individuals or households; farms; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 45.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 21.

Food and Nutrition Service

    Title: Study of WIC Participants and Program Characteristics: 1998 
and 2000.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-New.
    Summary of Collection: Section 17(g)(5) of the Child Nutrition Act 
of 1996 as amended through Public Law 105-24, July 3, 1997, authorizes 
the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to manage the Special Supplement 
Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) which was 
created by the Congress in 1972 as an adjunct to health care for low-
income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women as well as for 
low-income infants and children (up to age five) who are at nutritional 
risk. The WIC Program provides nutritious food, nutritional needs of 
these individuals and to prevent health problems associated with poor 
nutrition during pregnancy and early childhood. The purpose of the 1998 
and 2000 studies of WIC participant and program characteristics (PC98 
and PC2000) are to collect data, to prepare a report, and to develop a 
set of analysis files on the characteristics of WIC participants and 
programs. The data collected for the study will be used by FNS to 
manage the WIC Program, prepare WIC budgets, answer specific analytic 
questions, and guide future research.
    Need and Use of the Information: FNS will collect information 
through the use of questionnaires, surveys, and applications on the 
income and nutritional risk characteristics of WIC participants; data 
on WIC program participation for migrant farm worker families; and 
other information on WIC participation that is deemed appropriate by 
the Secretary of Agriculture. The information collected in the study 
will be used by FNS for general program monitoring such as reviewing 
State budget submissions and fiscal reports. Access to current data is 
crucial to meeting other management information needs such as preparing 
federal budget estimates, responding to congressional inquiries, and 
developing appropriate research initiatives for the WIC Program.
    Description of Respondents: State, Local, or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 447.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Biennially.

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    Total Burden Hours: 105.
Nancy Sternberg,
Departmental Information Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 98-13694 Filed 5-21-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-01-M