[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 52 (Thursday, March 16, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14237-14238]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-6539]


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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 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 52 / Thursday, March 16, 2000 / 
Notices  

[[Page 14237]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

March 10, 2000.
    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, Public Law 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, D.C. 20503 and to 
Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, 
D.C. 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.

Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Animal Welfare.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0036.
    Summary of Collection: The Laboratory Animal Welfare Act (AWA) 
(Public Law 890544) enacted August 24, 1966, required the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, (USDA), to regulate the humane care and 
handling of dog, cats, guinea pigs, hamster, rabbits, and nonhuman 
primates. The legislation was the result of extensive demand by 
organized animal welfare groups and private citizens requesting a 
Federal law covering the transportation, care, and handling of 
laboratory animals. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(APHIS), Regulatory Enforcement and Animal Care (AC) has the 
responsibility to enforce the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131-2156) 
and the provisions of 9 CFR, Subchapter A, which implements the Animal 
Welfare Act. The purpose of the AWA is to insure that animal use in 
research facilities or exhibition purposes are provided humane care and 
treatment. To assure humane treatment of the animal during 
transportation in commerce and to protect the owners of animals from 
the theft of their animals by preventing the sale or use of animals 
which have been stolen. APHIS will collect information using several 
forms.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect health 
certificates, program of veterinary care, application for license and 
record of acquisition, disposition and transportation of animals. The 
information is used to ensure those dealers, exhibitors, research 
facilities, carriers, etc., are in compliance with the Animal Welfare 
Act and regulations and standards promulgated under this authority of 
the Act.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 8,231.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; reporting: On occasion; 
weekly; semi-annually; annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 95,720.

Food and Nutrition Service

    Title: Supplemental Form for Collecting Taxpayer Identifying 
Numbers.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: Section 3100(y) of the Debt Collection 
Improvement Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-134) requires all Federal 
agencies to obtain taxpayer identifying numbers (TINs) from all 
individuals and entities they do business with, and to furnish the TIN 
whenever a request for payment is submitted to Federal payment 
officials. A taxpayer identifying number can be either a Social 
Security Number or an Employer Identification Number. The Food and 
Nutrition Service will collect information using form FNS-711.
    Need and Use of the Information: FNS will collect taxpayer identify 
numbers from individuals and entities receiving payments directly from 
the agency under any of the various nutrition and nutrition education 
programs. The information will be collected at the time of program 
application, and will only be collected once unless an entity renews 
its application or reapplies for program participation. If the 
information is not collected, FNS would be unable to include taxpayer 
identifying numbers with each certified request for payment.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; 
individuals or households; not-for-profit institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 800.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; other (at time of 
app.).
    Total Burden Hours: 66.

Food and Nutrition Service

    Title: WIC Financial Management and Participation Report with 
Addendum.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-0045.
    Summary of Collection: The Women, Infants and Children Program 
(WIC) is authorized by Section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act (CNA) of 
1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786), as amended. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) 
of USDA administers the WIC Program by awarding cash grants to State 
agencies. The State agencies award subgrants to local agencies to 
deliver program benefits and services to eligible participants. To 
streamline and reduce the reporting burden, the FNS-498 is revised and 
named FNS-798 with Addendum (FNS-798A) to allow a State agency's final 
monthly report for the report year (expanded to include closeout data) 
to serve as its closeout report in place of the FNS-227 with addendum 
(the FNS-227A). The addendum (FNS-798A) is needed by FNS in order to 
determine if each state

[[Page 14238]]

agency has met its statutory nutrition education and breastfeeding 
promotion and support minimum expenditure requirements found in 42 
U.S.C. 1786(h)(3).
    Need and Use of the Information: FNS will use the information 
reported each month for program monitoring, funds allocation and 
management, budget projections, monitoring caseload, policy 
development, and responding to requests from Congress and the 
interested public. FNS also uses the data to determine if the State has 
met the 97 percent performance standard for food and 10 percent 
performance standard for NSA.
    Description of Respondents: State, Local, or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 88.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Monthly.
    Total Burden Hours: 4,638.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Importation of Animal & Poultry, Animal/Poultry Products, 
Certain Animal Embryos, Semen, and Zoological Animals.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0040.
    Summary of Collection: Title 21 U.S.C. authorizes sections 111, 
114, 114a, 114-1, 115, 120, 121, 125, 126, 134a, 134f, and 134g of 21 
U.S.C. These authorities permit the Secretary to prevent, control and 
eliminate domestic diseases such as brucellosis and tuberculosis, as 
well as to take actions to prevent and to manage exotic diseases such 
as foot-and-mouth disease and rinderpest. Disease prevention is the 
most effective method for maintaining a healthy animal population and 
enhancing the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 
ability to compete in exporting animals and animal products. To fulfill 
this mission APHIS must collect pertinent information from those 
individuals who import animals and poultry, animal and poultry 
products, zoological animals, or animal germplasm into the United 
States. APHIS will collect information using several forms.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information on 
the origin of the animal or product to be imported, the health status 
of the animal to be imported and whether the animal or product was 
temporarily offloaded in another country during its journey to the 
United States. This vital information helps APHIS to ensure that these 
imports pose a negligible risk of introducing exotic animal diseases 
into the United States. If the information was not collected it would 
cripple or destroy APHIS ability to protect the United States from 
exotic animal disease incursions.
    Description of Respondents: Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 107,849.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; reporting: On occasion.
    Total burden hours: 64,200.

Natural Resource Conservation Service

    Title: Agriculture and Urban Flood Damage Surveys.
    OMB Control Number: 0578-0007.
    Summary of Collection: The Watershed Protection and Flood 
Prevention Act (P.L. 83-566) authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to 
provide technical and financial help to local organizations in planning 
and carrying out watershed improvements. Section 3 of the law directs 
the Secretary to determine whether benefits anticipated from the 
improvements will exceed cost. The Natural Resources Conservation 
Service (NRCS) has been delegated the responsibility to carry out the 
intent of the law. NRCS primary objective is to work in partnership 
with the American people to conserve and sustain our natural resources. 
NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to flood damaged 
communities to control flooding. NRCS personnel collect specific data 
about flood damages in order to assess the cost of floods to 
individuals, farms, communities, governments, and others who own or 
control property affected by floods. NRCS will collect information 
using surveys forms.
    Needs and Use of The Information: NRCS will collect information on 
the types of damage, ownership patterns, tenure, number of properties 
affected, and the shape and slope of the flood plain. The information 
collected is used to determine damages incurred as a result of the 
flooding. Information is collected directly from the landowners on a 
voluntary basis. If the landowner is unavailable or unwilling to 
provide the information, NRCS will make visual estimates and use 
secondary data.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; business or 
other for-profit; not-for-profit institutions; farms; Federal 
Government; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 768.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 936.

Food and Nutrition Service

    Title: WIC Federal and State Agreement.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-0332.
    Summary of Collection: Section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act (CNA) 
of 1966, as amended, Form FNS-399 is the agreement between USDA and the 
State agency. The agreement empowers USDA to release funds to the State 
agency to operate the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program or the 
Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP). The Food and Nutrition 
Service (FNS) will collect information using form FNS-339.
    Needs and Use of the Information: FNS will collect information to 
authorize payment of cash grants to State agencies, which operate the 
program locally through nonprofit organizations and must ensure 
coordination of the Program among the appropriate agencies and 
organizations. Each FMNP or WIC State agency desiring to administer the 
program shall annually enter into a written agreement with USDA for 
administration of the program in the jurisdiction of the State agency. 
If the information is not collected Federal funds cannot be provided to 
the State agency without a signed agreement.
    Description of Respondents: State, Local, or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 100.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 25.

William McAndrew,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-6539 Filed 3-15-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-01-M