[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 250 (Monday, December 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79556-79557]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-32804]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation

Farm Service Agency


Information Collection

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation; Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) 
are seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations 
on the reinstatement and revision of previously approved information 
collections with respect to the acreage report for the Non-Insured Crop 
Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) and the Tobacco Program, payers' 
requests for identifying numbers, the tobacco marketing quota referenda 
and receiving station information reporting, assignments of payments 
and joint payment authorizations, the Lamb Meat Adjustment Assistant 
Program and designation of burley tobacco sales and program payment 
applications. Comments are also requested on extension and revision of 
a currently approved information collection with respect to tobacco 
farm reconstitutions. These information collections are needed to 
administer FSA's programs.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before February 
28, 2003, to be assured consideration. Comments received after that 
date will be considered to the extent practicable. Comments should 
reference the OMB number and title of the information collection to 
which they pertain.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Tom Witzig, Director, Regulatory 
Review and Foreign Investment Disclosure Group, Economic and Policy 
Analysis Staff, Farm Service Agency, STOP 0540, 1400 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0540, (202) 205-5851; e-mail [email protected] and to the Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office 
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 
Washington, DC 20503. All comments will become a matter of public 
record. For further information, contact Tom Witzig at the address 
listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Report of Acreage for the Non-Insured Crop Disaster 
Assistance Program and the Tobacco Program.
    OMB Number: 0560-0004.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement with revision of a previously 
approved information collection.
    Abstract: Crop and acreage information is collected from producers 
to determine eligibility for the Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance 
Program (NAP) and the Tobacco Program. NAP provides financial 
assistance to eligible producers affected by natural disasters. NAP 
assistance is available for crops for which federal crop insurance is 
not available. NAP operates under the regulations at 7 CFR part 1437. 
The tobacco programs establish marketing quotas for individual farms 
that directly control the amount of tobacco that a producer may sell 
and operate under the regulations at 7 CFR part 1464.
    Respondents: Farmers who produce eligible crops under NAP and 
tobacco farmers.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 772,000.
    Estimated Annual Number of Forms per person: 1.5.
    Estimated Average Time to Respond: .95 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,094,513.
    Title: Payers' Request for Identifying Number.
    OMB Number: 0560-0121.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of a previously approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: This collection of information is needed to obtain a 
Social Security, employer identification or IRS-assigned number from 
persons who receive CCC or FSA program payments who do not already have 
an identifying number on file with FSA. Such persons are required by 
the Internal Revenue to furnish identifying numbers to payers required 
to report such payments to the Internal Revenue Service. The form used 
for collecting the information is prepared by FSA and sent to the payee 
for completion with a self-addressed, postage-paid return envelope.
    Respondents: Persons receiving payments from FSA.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 250.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses Per Person: 1.
    Estimated Average Time to Respond: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 20.83 hours.

[[Page 79557]]

    Title: Tobacco Marketing Quota Referenda and Receiving Station 
Information Reporting.
    OMB Number: 0560-0182.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement with revision of a previously 
approved information collection.
    Abstract: Referenda are required by statute to be held every three 
years for each type of tobacco subject to marketing quotas to determine 
if quotas are to be in effect for the succeeding three years. The 
collection of information for the referenda consists of the ballots, 
which may also include other, tobacco-related questions required by 
Congress to solicit producers' opinions about other aspects of the 
tobacco program or to allow them to vote on some program provisions in 
some States. The referenda are operated under the regulations at 7 part 
717. The information collected from receiving stations consists of 
receiving station registration and purchase information needed to 
ensure that tobacco marking quotas are effective. The regulations 
governing the receiving stations are at 7 CFR parts 723 and 1464.
    Respondents: Tobacco producers and receiving stations.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 325,000.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses Per Person: 1.
    Estimated Average Time to Respond: 53 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 290,000.
    Title: Assignments of Payments and Joint Payment Authorizations.
    OMB Number: 0560-0183.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement with revisions of a previously 
approved information collection.
    Abstract: When the recipient of a CCC or FSA payment chooses to 
assign a payment to another party or have the payment made jointly with 
another party, the other party must be identified. This is a free 
service that is available upon request by the program payee. The 
regulations for assignment of payments are at 7 CFR part 1404.
    Respondents: Persons receiving payments from CCC or FSA.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 70,900.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses Per Person: 1.
    Estimated Average Time to Respond: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 11,816.
    Title: Lamb Meat Adjustment Assistance Program.
    OMB Number: 0560-0205.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of a previously approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: This information collection is needed to obtain 
information from program participants on their sheep and lamb 
operations. The information is used to establish eligibility and 
determine payment amounts. The program is operated under the 
regulations at 7 CFR part 784.
    Respondents: Sheep and lamb producers.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 60,000.
    Estimated Number of Responses Per Person: 5.05.
    Estimated Average Time to Respond: 1.16 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 351,257.
    Title: Designation of Burley Tobacco Sales and Program Payment 
Applications.
    OMB Number: 0560-0217.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of a previously approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: This collection of information is needed to allow USDA to 
assign tobacco graders as needed to auction warehouses in order to 
grade tobacco that is delivered for sale. Information is collected on 
where burley tobacco producers intend to sell their tobacco and program 
applicant information for all kinds of tobacco, which is used to 
determine eligibility for benefits. The program is operated under the 
regulations at 7 CFR part 1464.
    Respondents: Burley tobacco producers.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 150,800.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses Per Person: 1.
    Estimated Average Time to Respond: 1.25 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 188,500 hours.
    Title: Tobacco Farm Reconstitutions.
    OMB Number: 0560-0025.
    Expiration Date: March 31, 2003.
    Type of Request: Extension with revision of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Abstract: The reconstitution process is required when a producer 
wishes to increase acreage attributed to the farm from leases, change 
farm acreage records as a result of a sale of any part of a farm, 
combine a farm with another farm or divide a farm into multiple farming 
operations. The FSA country committee must approve or disapprove all 
proposed farm reconstitutions. The information is necessary to 
determine farmland, cropland, and changes to quotas or allotments 
resulting from combinations or divisions of farming operations.
    Respondents: Tobacco farm owners and operators.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 7,154.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses Per Person: 1.
    Estimated Average Time to Respond: 45 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 5,365 hours.
    Comments are invited on each of the information collections in this 
notice regarding (1) 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; (2) the accuracy 
of the agency's estimate of burden, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumption used: (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) 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.
    All comments received in response to this notice, including names 
and addresses when provided, will be a matter of public record. 
Comments will be summarized and included in the submission for OMB 
approval.

    Signed in Washington, DC on December 20, 2002.
James R. Little,
Administrator, Farm Service Agency, and Executive Vice-President, 
Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 02-32804 Filed 12-27-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-M