[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 250 (Monday, December 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 79552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-32807]


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 Notices
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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 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 250 / Monday, December 30, 2002 / 
Notices  

[[Page 79552]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Docket No. ST-0206]


Notice of Request for Extension and Revision of a Currently 
Approved Information Collection

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing 
Service's (AMS) intention to request approval from Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for an extension of and revision to the currently 
approved information collection ``Application for Plant Variety 
Protection Certification and Objective Description of Variety.''

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by February 28, 2003.
    Additional Information or Comments: Contact Paul Zankowski, 
Commissioner, Plant Variety Protection Office (PVPO), Science and 
Technology, AMS, Room 401, National Agricultural Library (NAL), 10301 
Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD 20705; Telephone (301) 504-5518 and 
Fax (301) 504-5291.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Regulations Governing the Application for Plant Variety 
Protection Certificate and Reporting Requirements under the Plant 
Variety Protection Act.
    OMB Number: 0581-0055.
    Expiration Date of Approval: April 30, 2003.
    Type of Request: Extension and revision of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Abstract: The Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA) (7 U.S.C. 2321 et 
seq.) was established ``To encourage the development of novel varieties 
of sexually reproduced plants and make them available to the public, 
providing protection available to those who breed, develop, or discover 
them, and thereby promote progress in agriculture in the public 
interest.''
    The PVPA is a voluntary user funded program which grants 
intellectual property rights protection to breeders of new, distinct, 
uniform, and stable seed reproduced and tuber propagated plant 
varieties. To obtain these rights the applicant must provide 
information which shows the variety is eligible for protection and that 
it is indeed new, distinct, uniform, and stable as the law requires. 
Application forms, descriptive forms, and ownership forms are furnished 
to applicants to identify the information which is required to be 
furnished by the applicant in order to legally issue a certificate of 
protection (ownership). The certificate is based on claims of the 
breeder and cannot be issued on the basis of reports in publications 
not submitted by the applicant. Regulations implementing the PVPA 
appear at 7 CFR part 92.
    Form ST-470, Application for Plant Variety Protection Certificate, 
Form ST-470 series, Objective Description of Variety (Exhibit C to Form 
ST-470P), and Form ST-470-E, Statement of Basis of Applicant's 
Ownership, are the basis by which the determination, by experts at 
PVPO, is made as to whether a new, distinct, uniform, and stable seed 
reproduced or tuber-propagated variety in fact exists and is entitled 
to protection.
    The information received on applications, with certain exceptions, 
is required by law to remain confidential until the certificate is 
issued (7 U.S.C. 2426).
    The information collection requirements in this request are 
essential to carry out the intent of the PVPA, to provide applicants 
with certificates of protection, to provide the respondents the type of 
service they request, and to administer the program.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average .87 hours per response.
    Respondents: Businesses or other for-profit, not-for-profit 
institutions, and Federal Government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 129.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 11.45.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,282.97.
    Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed 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 the burden of the 
proposed collection of information including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions 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 the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology. Comments may be sent to Paul Zankowski, 
Commissioner, Plant Variety Protection Office, Room 401, NAL Building, 
10301 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD 20705. All comments received 
will be available for public inspection during regular business hours 
at the same address.
    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.

    Dated: December 20, 2002.
A.J. Yates,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 02-32807 Filed 12-27-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P