[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 6, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 30399]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-14154]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 109 / Wednesday, June 6, 2001 / 
Notices  

[[Page 30399]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation


Extension of the Comments Deadline on a Previously Published 
Notice

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is seeking approval 
from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the information 
collection activities necessary to provide customers with an 
interactive web site they can use to track United States Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) domestic commodity shipments. The new procedure will 
be more reliable and more efficient than the current procedure. A 
notice was published on September 21, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 1841), 
requesting comments on this new web site. Inadvertently, the prototype 
was not ready for vendors to try at that time; therefore, we are 
requesting approval for an extension of the deadline for comments.

DATE: Comments on this notice must be received on or before August 6, 
2001 to be assured consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Borchert, Chief, Planning and 
Analysis Division, Kansas City Commodity Office (KCCO), 6501 Beacon 
Drive, Kansas City, Missouri 64131-4676, telephone (816) 926-6509 or 
fax (816) 926-6767.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Domestic Commodities Tracking Service (DCTS).
    OMB Control Number: 0560-New.
    Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection.
    Abstract: The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) purchases 
agricultural commodities to meet program needs and other objectives. 
CCC issues invitations to purchase agricultural commodities at various 
times during the year. Vendors respond by making offers on the 
contracts. After contracts are awarded, the current process of tracking 
shipments requires manual documentation with data gathering provided by 
telephone and facsimile. The Farm Service Agency (FSA), Kansas City 
Commodity Office (KCCO) has developed information technology to assist 
in tracking of shipments of transported agricultural commodities. The 
DCTS is a customer service endeavor which has emphasis on improved 
service to all customers and increased efficiency in the shipping/
delivery operations. An interactive web site is designed to provide our 
customers with an efficient, user friendly method for inquiring on the 
status of shipments. Recipients and other agencies may utilize this 
service to determine if commodities have been purchased, the target 
delivery date, and date shipment was made. Accurate tracking will 
provide timely shipment information allowing recipients to effectively 
schedule their workforce. DCTS will reduce or eliminate: paperwork, 
document handling, mail and telephone time, postage, facsimile, and 
telephone expenses. The users will include: commodity vendors; 
transportation carriers; State Distributing Agencies; FSA; Traffic 
Management Branch, Agricultural Marketing Service; and the Food and 
Nutrition Service. The equipment required to access DCTS is a personal 
computer, an internet service provider, and an internet browser version 
4.0 or higher. Vendors will submit shipment and late delivery data 
electronically versus the current process of sending hard copies.
    Regulations governing paperwork burdens on the public require that 
before an agency collects information from the public, the agency must 
receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). In 
accordance with those regulations, CCC is seeking approval for DCTS to 
provide for the tracking of shipments through the Internet. A prototype 
of this system is available on the internet for review at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/dcts. Once the user obtains access to the internet, 
enter the following to access the DCTS prototype: LOGIN ID: testvendor, 
and PASSWORD: abcd12345. The user will then click on Vendor Entry, 
highlighted in red. The user can enter his comments by clicking on the 
link, Federal Register Comments, highlighted in red, of the DCTS 
prototype.
    Estimate of Burden: 3 minutes per response.
    Respondents: Businesses and other for profit.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 67.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses per Respondent: 220.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 737 hours.
    Proposed topics for comments include: (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 collected; 
or (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of the 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.
    Comments regarding this information collection requirement should 
be directed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office 
of Management and Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for Agriculture, 
Washington, DC 20503, and to Gregory Borchert, Chief, Planning and 
Analysis Division, Kansas City Commodity Office, 6501 Beacon Drive, 
Kansas City, Missouri 64133-4676, telephone (816) 926-6509 or fax (816) 
926-1648. The user can enter his comments by clicking on the link, 
Federal Register Comments, highlighted in red, of the DCTS prototype.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public 
record.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on May 23, 2001.
James R. Little,
Executive Vice President, Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 01-14154 Filed 6-5-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-U