[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 98 (Wednesday, May 21, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27778-27780]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-12728]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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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 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 98 / Wednesday, May 21, 2003 / 
Notices  

[[Page 27778]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

May 16, 2003.
    The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments 
regarding (a) 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; (b) the accuracy 
of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) 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 should be addressed to: Desk 
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Washington, DC 20503 and to 
Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, 
DC 20250-7602. Comments regarding these information collections are 
best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of 
this notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by 
calling (202) 720-8681.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

    Title: Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0570-0012.
    Summary of Collection: Section 313 of the Rural Electrification Act 
of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 940(c)) established a loan and grant program. The 
program provides zero interest loans and grants to Rural Utilities 
Service (RUS) borrowers for the purpose of promoting rural economic 
development and job creation projects. The loans and grants under this 
program may be provided to approximately 1,700 electric and telephone 
utilities across the country that borrowed funds from RUS. Under this 
program, the RUS borrowers may receive the loan funds and pass them on 
to businesses or other organizations.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information collected is used 
to evaluate applications for funding consideration, conduct an 
environmental review, prepare legal documents, receive loan payments, 
oversee the operation of a revolving loan fund, monitor the use of 
funds, enforce other government requirements such as compliance with 
civil rights regulations. If the information were not collected, the 
agency would be unable to select the projects that will receive loan or 
grant funds.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 120.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; reporting: on occasion; 
annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 4,273.

Rural Utilities Service

    Title: 7 CFR Part 1778, Emergency and Imminent Community Water 
Assistance Grants.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0110.
    Summary of Collection: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is 
authorized under section 306A of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act, (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)) to provide grants to rural areas 
and small communities to secure adequate quantities of safe water. 
Grants made under this program shall be made for 100 percent of the 
project cost and may be made to public bodies and private nonprofit 
corporations serving rural areas. Grants can serve rural areas with 
population not in excess of 5000, and household income should not 
exceed 100 percent of a State's non-metropolitan median household 
income.
    Need and Use of the Information: RUS will collect the information 
from applicants applying for grants under 7 CFR part 1778. Applicants 
must demonstrate that there is an imminent emergency or that a decline 
occurred within 2 years of the date the application was filed with 
Rural Development. The information is unique to each borrower and 
emergency situation.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; State, 
local or tribal government.
    Number of Respondents: 100.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: on occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 400.

Rural Utility Service

    Title: 7 CFR Part 1755, Telecommunications Field Trials.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: Title 7 CFR 1755.3 prescribes the conditions 
and provision of a field trial. Field trials are contractual 
obligations that a manufacturer and Rural Utility Service (RUS) 
telecommunications borrower enter into. They consist of limited field 
installation of a qualifying product in closely monitored situations 
designed to determine to RUS' satisfaction the products effectiveness 
under actual field conditions. RUS will use field trials as a means for 
determining the operational effectiveness of a new or revised product 
where such experience does not already exist. Field trial process 
allows manufacturers a means of immediate access to the RUS borrower 
market; provides borrowers an opportunity to immediately utilize 
advance products and a means to safely obtain the necessary information 
on technically advanced products which will address the products 
suitability for use in the harsh environment of rural America.
    Need and Use of the Information: RUS will use various forms to 
enter into contractual obligations, to establish agreements by the 
manufacturer and a borrower, or identify the product(s) that are under 
field trial. Telecommunication borrowers participate in field trials do 
so on a voluntary basis. The information is closely reviewed to 
determine that the products comply with the established

[[Page 27779]]

RUS standards and specifications and that the products are otherwise 
acceptable for use on rural telecommunications systems. Without this 
information, RUS has no means of determining the acceptability of 
advanced technology in a manner that is timely enough for RUS borrowers 
to take advantage of the improved benefits and promise that such 
products may provide for rural America.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; not-for-
profit institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 4.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: on occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 72.

Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service

    Title: Johne's Disease in Domestic Animals; Interstate Movement, 9 
CFR Part 80.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0148.
    Summary of Collection: Title 21 U.S.C. authorizes sections 111, 
114, 114a, 114-1, 115, 120, 121, 125, 126 134a, 134c, 134f, and 134g. 
These authorities permit the Secretary to prevent, control and 
eliminate domestic diseases such as Johne's disease, as well as to take 
actions to prevent and to manage exotic diseases such as foot-and-
mouth, classical swine fever, and other foreign diseases. Johne's 
disease affects cattle, sheep, goats, other ruminants and is incurable 
and contagious eventually resulting in death. The disease is nearly 
always introduced into a healthy herd by an infected animal that is not 
showing symptoms of the disease. Moving livestock affected with Johne's 
disease requires the use of an owner-shipper statement, official 
eartags, and State participation in the program. Disease prevention is 
the most effective method for maintaining a healthy animal population 
and for enhancing the Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service 
(APHIS) ability to compete in the world market of animal and animal 
product trade.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information 
that includes: (1) The number of animals to be moved, (2) the species 
of the animals, (3) the point of origin and destination, and (4) the 
consignor and consignee. Without the information APHIS would be unable 
to ensure that Johne's disease is not spread to healthy animal 
populations throughout the United States.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for profit.
    Number of Respondents: 250.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting on occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 50.

Rural Housing Service

    Title: 7 CFR Part 1944-E, Rural Rental and Cooperative Housing Loan 
Policies, Procedures, and Authorizations.
    OMB Control Number: 0575-0047.
    Summary of Collection: The Rural Housing Agency (RHS), an agency of 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture is authorized to make loans to 
finance rural rental and cooperative housing projects and related 
facilities under section 515 and 521 of title V of the Housing Act of 
1949, as amended. The intent of the program is to provide affordable 
rental housing for elderly or handicapped persons or families, or other 
persons and families of low or moderate income in rural areas.
    Need and Use of the Information: RHS will collect information using 
various forms to evaluate the cost, benefits, feasibility and financial 
performance of the proposed project, as well as the eligibility of the 
applicant. Failure to collect this information would result in 
unauthorized Federal assistance being granted.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; 
individuals or households; not-for-profit institutions; State, local, 
or tribal government.
    Number of Respondents: 623.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On Occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 35,088.

Rural Housing Service

    Title: 7 CFR Part 1951-A, Account Servicing Policies.
    OMB Control Number: 0575-0075.
    Summary of Collection: The Rural Housing Service (RHS) provides 
supervised credit in the form of Single Family Housing, Multi-Family 
Housing, and Community Facility loans and grants. Regulation 7 CFR part 
1951-A sets forth the policies and procedures, including the collection 
and use of information, regarding the application of payments on loans 
made under the programs administered by the agencies and the return of 
paid-in-full and satisfied promissory notes.
    Need and Use of the Information: Borrowers submit information to 
the local agency office servicing the county in which their operation 
is located. The agency-servicing official reviews and verifies the 
information. The information is collected when needed and on an 
individual case basis.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; business or 
other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 110.
    Frequency of Responses : Reporting: on occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 28.

Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Mexican Fruit Fly; Treatments.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0215.
    Summary of Collection: The Department of Agriculture is responsible 
for preventing plant disease or insect pests from entering the United 
States, preventing the spread of pests and noxious weeds not widely 
distributed in the United States, and eradicating those imported pests 
when eradication is feasible. The Mexican fruit fly regulations, 
contained in 7 CFR 301.64 through 301.64-10 were established to prevent 
the spread of the Mexican fruit fly to noninfested areas of the United 
States. The Mexican fruit fly is a destructive pest of citrus and many 
other types of fruit. The short life cycle of the Mexican fruit fly 
allows rapid development of serious outbreaks that can cause severe 
economic losses in commercial citrus-producing areas. The Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will collect information using 
form PPQ 519, Compliance Agreement.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information to 
ensure that permit conditions are met, and that proper labeling, 
marking, and other handling procedures are done before movement of the 
regulated article. Failure to collect this information would cripple 
APHIS ability to ensure that citrus and many other types of fruit do 
not carry Mexican fruit flies.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; State; 
local or tribal government.
    Number of Respondents: 722.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 462.

Food and Nutrition Service

    Title: Report of The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) 
Administrative.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-0385.
    Summary of Collection: The Common Rule entitled Uniform 
Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to 
State and Local Governments (published by the Department as 7 CFR part 
3106) sets financial reporting requirements for State agencies 
administering non-entitlement programs, such as The Emergency Food 
Assistance Program (TEFAP). The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) 
requires state agencies to use the FNS-667, Report of the

[[Page 27780]]

Emergency Food Assistance Program. This form is completed quarterly 
with a close-out report by State agencies administering TEFAP.
    Need and Use of the Information: FNS will collect information to 
ensure that States meet the requirements, that States match all Federal 
administrative funds that are not passed down to local agencies. Form 
FNS-667 is used to report how Federal administrative funds are utilized 
in three separate categories. States may use funds to pay costs 
incurred by the State agency itself, or to pay costs incurred by local 
recipient agencies-emergency feeding organizations (EFOs) that 
distribute USDA commodities to households.
    Description of Respondents: State, local, or tribal government; 
Federal government; farms; not-for-profit institutions; business or 
other for-profit; individuals or households.
    Number of Respondents: 55.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Quarterly.
    Total Burden Hours: 963.

Sondra A. Blakey,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-12728 Filed 5-20-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-01-M