[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 46 (Monday, March 10, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11352-11353]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-5596]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 03-024-1]


Notice of Request for Reinstatement of an Information Collection

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Reinstatement of approval of an information collection; comment 
request.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's 
intention to request a reinstatement of approval of an information 
collection in support of the Horse Protection Program.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before May 
9, 2003.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by postal mail/commercial delivery 
or by e-mail. If you use postal mail/commercial delivery, please send 
four copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to: Docket 
No. 03-024-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 
3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state 
that your comment refers to Docket No. 03-024-1. If you use e-mail, 
address your comment to [email protected]. Your comment must 
be contained in the body of your message; do not send attached files. 
Please include your name and

[[Page 11353]]

address in your message and ``Docket No. 03-024-1'' on the subject 
line.
    You may read any comments that we receive on this docket in our 
reading room. The reading room is located in room 1141 of the USDA 
South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, 
DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, 
please call (202) 690-2817 before coming.
    APHIS documents published in the Federal Register, and related 
information, including the names of organizations and individuals who 
have commented on APHIS dockets, are available on the Internet at 
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information regarding the Horse 
Protection Act regulations, contact Dr. Jodie Kulpa-Eddy, Horse 
Protection Coordinator, Animal Care, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 84, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1234; (301) 734-7833. For copies of more detailed 
information on the information collection, contact Mrs. Celeste 
Sickles, APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 734-7477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Horse Protection.
    OMB Number: 0579-0056.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of approval of an information 
collection.
    Abstract: In 1970, Congress passed the Horse Protection Act (15 
U.S.C. 1821 et seq.), referred to below as the Act, that prohibits the 
showing, sale, auction, exhibition, or transport of horses subjected to 
a cruel and inhumane practice referred to as ``soring.'' This practice 
causes a horse to suffer pain in any of its limbs for the purpose of 
affecting the horse's performance in competition. All horses are 
covered by the Act and the regulations in title 9, part 11, of the Code 
of Federal Regulations, although enforcement emphasis has historically 
been placed on Tennessee Walking horses and other gaited breeds due to 
the prevalence of soring documented in that industry. The regulations 
are administered and enforced by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
    In 1979, APHIS issued regulations in response to an amendment to 
the Act under which horse show managers may hire private individuals to 
conduct inspections, in order to limit their liability under the Act if 
sored horses are entered in their event. These individuals are referred 
to as designated qualified persons (DQPs). DQPs must be trained and 
licensed by USDA-certified and monitored programs that are run by horse 
industry organizations or associations (HIOs).
    Enforcement of the Act and its regulations relies on horse 
inspections conducted by APHIS veterinarians and by DQPs. To ensure 
that enforcement by DQPs and USDA-certified DQP programs is effective, 
APHIS requires DQPs, HIOs, and horse show management to maintain or 
submit records related to these inspections, their DQP programs, and 
the horse events to APHIS.
    No official government form is necessary for the reporting and 
recordkeeping required.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collection activities.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public 
(as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection. 
These comments will help us:
    (1) Evaluate 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) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the 
information collection, including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the information collection on those who 
are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated, electronic, 
mechanical, and other collection technologies, e.g., permitting 
electronic submission of responses.
    Estimate of burden: The public reporting burden for this collection 
of information is estimated to average 0.8454 hours per response.
    Respondents: Designated qualified persons, horse industry 
organizations, and horse show management.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 1,514.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.84148.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 2,788.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 2,357 hours. (Due to 
averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product of 
the annual number of responses multiplied by the reporting burden per 
response.)
    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.

    Done in Washington, DC this 5th day of March 2003.
Peter Fernandez,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 03-5596 Filed 3-7-03; 8:45 am]
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