[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 120 (Wednesday, June 23, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34990-34991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-14193]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 23, 2004 / 
Notices  

[[Page 34990]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of Civil Rights


Notice of Intent To Seek Approval To Collect Information

AGENCY: Office of Civil Rights, USDA:

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. 
L. 104-13) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 
5 CFR part 1320, this notice announces the Office of Civil Rights' (CR) 
intention to request approval for a new information collection aimed at 
standardizing race, ethnicity, sex, national origin, disability status, 
and age data across the Department. The establishment of such a 
collection will assist the United States Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) agencies in improving program services and benefits. USDA 
continues to seek ways to improve delivery of program services and 
benefits, fulfill various civil rights responsibilities, and increase 
participation for those who are eligible to receive benefits and 
assistance.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by August 23, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
comments regarding this notice should be directed to Mr. Joe McNeil, 
Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 
Independence Ave., SW., Room 331-W, Washington, DC 20250; e-mail; 
[email protected], telephone: (202) 720-0438.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Customer Information.
    OMB Number: 0503-NEW.
    Expiration Date: Three years from date of issuance.
    Type of Request: New Collection.
    Abstract: The purpose of the collection is to standardize the 
collection of race, ethnicity, sex, national origin, disability status, 
and age data for all USDA agencies, and to further ensure that this 
information is collected only once for each customer. When established, 
this information will assist the Office of Civil Rights and USDA 
agencies in monitoring programs and will be the basis for several 
different reports required by statute.
    Background: The civil rights policy of the USDA requires each 
agency to analyze the civil rights impact(s) of policies, actions, or 
decisions that will affect federally conducted the federally assisted 
programs and activities and the USDA workforce. In order to assesses 
the civil rights impact, data on programs, activities, and employment 
must be analyzed in a consistent manner with respect to the race, 
ethnicity, sex, national origin, disability status, and age of 
customers, applicants, and participants. Currently, no uniform method 
of reporting and tabulating race and ethnicity data exits in USDA. 
There are 17 program agencies each with a potential array of program 
applicants and participants. The collection of data is necessary to 
provide each agency, and the USDA as a whole, with the composition of 
its customers, particularly from a race and ethnicity standpoint. 
Further, data is necessary to give USDA a baseline on its applicants 
and participants and assist it in planning and assisting its customers. 
The goal of a comprehensive USDA collection of race, ethnicity, sex, 
national origin, disability status, and age data is to reduce the 
burden on citizens to provide this type of information by creating a 
single voluntary survey transaction where the data is collected, one 
time in a standard format. For subsequent transactions where this 
information is needed to provide services or improve program 
participation, the Department will reuse the data previously collected.
    This Information Collection Request is intended, over a three-year 
period, to consolidate a number of agency collections of race, 
ethnicity, sex, national origin, disability status, and age data and to 
minimize the number of separate forms and transactions required to 
obtain USDA services, thereby reducing the burden in collecting this 
information from the public. When collected manually, a paper form will 
be used in conjunction with the appropriate program application form as 
a tear-off where the application for services will be transmitted to 
the appropriate agency for action, and the paper form will be 
transmitted to a Departmental repository to be used in subsequent 
customer transactions and for applicable Civil Rights analysis and 
reporting. Data from the paper form will be entered electronically into 
the Departmental repository. When collected electronically, the data 
will reside in an enterprise customer repository that will collect and 
track customer information. While the demographic data would be 
available for management reporting purposes and a flag would 
graphically indicate to USDA employees that the information had been 
previously collected, no direct employee access to the data would be 
provided. As required by the Privacy Act, existing customer data 
Systems of Record will be modified or created if applicable.
    Estimate of Burden: For the initial collection of race, ethnicity, 
sex, national origin, disability status, and age information, the 
estimated burden is 3 minutes per response. The burden is the same 
whether collected manually through a Departmental form or collected 
electronically as a customer enters the USDA.gov web portal. Estimated 
Total Annual Burden on Respondents: The Department estimates there are 
36,655,000 customers subject to the collection of race, ethnicity, sex, 
national origin, disability status, and age data. Based on an estimated 
3 minutes response time, the estimated annual burden is 1,832,750 
hours. The breakdown by customer group is provided below.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Estimated
                       Customer type                          number \1\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Producers..................................................    2,200,000
Agribusiness and Cooperatives..............................      100,000
Low-Income Families and Individuals........................   20,000,000
Children and Caregivers....................................       55,000
Rural Communities and Businesses...........................    2,000,000
Researchers and Academic Community.........................    1,300,000
Landowners and Conservationists............................   10,000,000
                                                            ------------
    Total..................................................  36,655,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Data obtained from the Audience Analysis document prepared in
  support of the eGovernment Web Presence initiative.


[[Page 34991]]

    Comments: Comments are invited on (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Department, including whether the information will 
have practical utility as described; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's 
estimate of burden of the proposed collection of information, including 
the validity of methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; 
and (d) 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 technology. Comments should be 
addressed to the address in the preamble. All responses to this notice 
will be summarized and included in the request for Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

Vernon B. Parker,
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.
[FR Doc. 04-14193 Filed 6-22-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-98-M