[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 68 (Wednesday, April 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17337-17338]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-8722]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency


Commodity Credit Corporation Information Collection; Payment 
Eligibility and Payment Limitation Determinations Under the Noninsured 
Crop Disaster Assistance Program

AGENCIES: Farm Service Agency and the Commodity Credit Corporation, 
USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), 
is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations 
on a currently approved information collection with revision. This 
information collection is used to support payment eligibility and 
payment limitation determinations for a multiple programs including the 
Conservation Reserve Program, the Price Support Programs, and the 
Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program authorized by the Farm Security and 
Rural Investment Act of 2002, and the Noninsured Crop Disaster 
Assistance Program.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before June 9, 
2003, to be assured consideration. Comments received after that date 
will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this notice should be addressed to Farm 
Service Agency, Attn: James Baxa, Agricultural Program Specialist, 
Production, Emergencies, and Compliance Division, Farms Service Agency, 
United States Department of Agriculture, STOP 0517, Room 4752, South 
Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0517. 
Comments also may be submitted via facsimile to (202) 720-4941 or by e-
mail to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Baxa, Agricultural Program 
Specialist at (202) 720-4189, or Diane Sharp, Director of Production, 
Emergencies, and Compliance Division at (202) 720-7641.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description of Information Collection

    Title: Payment Eligibility and Payment Limitation Determinations 
under the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-0096.
    Expiration Date of Approval: March 31, 2003.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection with revision.
    Abstract: The collection of the information is necessary to 
determine the eligibility of individuals and entities as defined at 7 
CFR part 1400 for payment eligibility and payment limitation in a 
multiple programs including, but not limited to, the Conservation 
Reserve Program, the Price Support Programs, the Direct and Counter-
Cyclical Program and the Noninsured Corp Disaster Assistance Program. 
The regulations at 7 CFR part 1400, as amended, provide for an 
``actively engaged in farming'' and ``person'' determinations to be 
made for

[[Page 17338]]

individuals or entities, with respect to a particular farming 
operation, in order to determine their payment eligibility and payment 
limitations under the multiple programs. Forms CCC-502A, CCC-502B, CCC-
502C, CCC-502D, CCC-502EZ, CCC-501A and CCC-501B are still used by the 
respondents. The common elements to collect information from 
individuals or entities in the forms are names, as well as farming 
interest members, addresses, social security/employee identification 
numbers, location of the lands, percentage of leased or owned 
equipments, citizenship types, estimated farming labor hours, estimated 
percentage of farming management, and designated names in receiving 
payments. The respondents are allowed to complete and submit the forms 
electronically to the appropriate FSA County-based office that receives 
and makes the payment eligibility determinations. Information 
collection under Titles I and II of the Farm Security and Rural 
Investment Act of 2002 are exempted from the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, including the Conservation Reserve Program, the Price Support 
Programs, and the Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program. Only the 
Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program is not exempt from the 
requirement of Paperwork Reduction Act, so it is necessary to describe 
the information collection in this Notice. If the information is not 
collected from the respondents, the FSA would not able to administer 
the payment programs properly to comply with the regulations.
    Estimate of Burden: Average 56 minutes per response.
    Type of Respondents: Producers who, as owner, landlord, tenant, or 
sharecropper, are involved in the farming operations and who would seek 
benefits under the Noninsured Corp Disaster Assistance Program.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 123,000.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: One per respondent.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 114,870.
    Comment is invited on: (1) Whether this 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 assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (4) ways to 
minimize the burden of collection 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.
    All comments received in responses 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 Office 
of Management and Budget approval.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on April 3, 2003.
James R. Little,
Administrator, Farms Service Agency, and Executive Vice President, 
Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 03-8722 Filed 4-8-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P