[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 124 (Thursday, June 27, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43272-43273]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-16194]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 01-039N]


Notice of Request for New Information Collection Regarding 
Industry Practices

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, this notice 
announces the intention of Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to 
request information collection regarding industry practices specific to 
meat, poultry, and egg products. Also, in this same issue of the 
Federal Register FSIS is publishing a notice of request for new

[[Page 43273]]

information collection regarding consumer practices, concerns, and 
awareness, specific to meat, poultry, and egg products.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before August 26, 
2002.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS:  Contact Lee Puricelli, Paperwork 
Specialist, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, 300 12th Street, 
SW, Room 109, Washington, DC 20250-3700, (202) 720-0346.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Industry Stakeholder Survey.
    Expiration Date of Approval: 3 years.
    Type of Request: Regular.
    Abstract: FSIS has been delegated the authority to exercise the 
functions of the Secretary as provided in the Federal Meat Inspection 
Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the Poultry Products Inspection Act 
(PPIA) (21 U.S.C. 451, et seq.), and the Egg Products Inspection Act 
(EPIA) (21 U.S.C. 1031-1056). These statutes provide that FSIS is to 
protect the public by ensuring that meat, poultry, and egg products are 
safe, wholesome, unadulterated, and properly labeled and packaged.
    Executive Order 12866, the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), and 
the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (SBREFA) 
direct Federal agencies to conduct regulatory impact analysis, and to 
consider flexible regulatory approaches. In order to perform these 
mandatory analyses it is often necessary to survey regulated industry 
to determine existing practices, and the changes in those practices, 
likely under various policy options.
    FSIS is seeking OMB clearance to conduct surveys to implement 
Executive Order 12866, RFA, and SBREFA. Participation in the surveys 
will be voluntary. FSIS will use the information gathered from these 
surveys to identify current business practices. FSIS projects 1 survey 
per year, with a sample of about 200 to 1,000 respondents for each mail 
survey. FSIS will target the questions to the appropriate sample 
population to reduce response burden.
    Estimate of Burden: The public reporting burden for this collection 
of information is estimated to average \1/2\ hour per response.
    Respondents: regulated industry, health and science professionals, 
consumers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 3000.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1500 hours.
    Copies of this information collection assessment can be obtained 
from Lee Puricelli. See ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of FSIS' functions, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the 
accuracy of FSIS' estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on those who are to respond, including 
thorough use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other 
technological collection techniques, or other forms of information 
technology. Comments may be sent to both Lee Puricelli at the address 
provided above, and the Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 
Washington, DC 20253.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to better ensure 
that minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are aware of this 
notice, FSIS will announce it and make copies of this Federal Register 
publication available through the FSIS Constituent Update. FSIS 
provides a weekly Constituent Update, which is communicated via 
Listserv, a free e-mail subscription service. In addition, the update 
is available on-line through the FSIS web page located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov. The update is used to provide information regarding 
FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register notices, FSIS 
public meetings, recalls, and any other types of information that could 
effect or would be of interest to our constituents/stakeholders. The 
constituent Listserv consists of industry, trade, and farm groups, 
consumer interest groups, allied health professionals, scientific 
professionals, and other individuals that have requested to be 
included. Through the Listerv and web page, FSIS is able to provide 
information to a much broader, more diverse audience.
    For more information contact the Congressional and Public Affairs 
Office, at (202) 720-9113. To be added to the free e-mail subscription 
service (Listserv) go to the ``Constituent Update'' page on the FSIS 
web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/update/update.htm. Click on the 
``Subscribe to the Constituent Update Listserv'' link, then fill out 
and submit the form.

    Done at Washington DC, on May 31, 2002.
William J. Hudnall,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 02-16194 Filed 6-26-02; 8:45 am]
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