[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 240 (Thursday, December 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74164-74165]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-30110]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

December 10, 2012.
    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), [email protected] or 
fax (202) 395-5806 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 January 14, 2013. 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.

Office of the Chief Information Officer

    Title: Information Collection Request; Representations Regarding 
Felony Conviction and Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants 
and Awardees.
    OMB Control Number: 0505-0025.

[[Page 74165]]

    Summary of Collection: Abstract: The Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) agencies and staff offices (except Forest Service) must comply 
with the restrictions set forth in sections 738 and 739 of the 
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Act (Pub. L. 112-55, as amended and/or 
subsequently enacted), which prevents agencies from doing business with 
corporations that (1) have been convicted, or had an officer or agent 
of such corporation acting on behalf of the corporation convicted, of a 
felony criminal violation under any Federal or State law within the 
preceding 24 months, and/or (2) have any unpaid Federal tax liability 
that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative 
remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid 
in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority 
responsible for collecting the tax liability; unless the agency has 
considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a 
determination that suspension or debarment are not necessary to protect 
the interests of the Government.
    The Forest Service must comply with similar restrictions in 
sections 433 and 434 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 (Pub. 
L. 112-74, as amended and/or subsequently enacted). The Forest Service 
restrictions on doing business are almost identical to the restrictions 
for other USDA offices and agencies; the one difference is that the 
Forest Service restrictions are concerned only with felony convictions 
under Federal law, rather than both Federal and State law.
    Need and Use of the Information: To comply with the appropriations 
restrictions, the proposed information collection will require 
corporate applicants and awardees for USDA and Forest Service programs 
to represent accurately whether they do or do not have any qualifying 
convictions or tax delinquencies which would prevent USDA or the Forest 
Service from entering into a proposed business transaction with the 
corporate applicant. For non-procurement programs and transactions, 
these representations will be submitted on the proposed information 
collection forms AD-3030, AD 3031, AD-3030-FS and AD-3031-FS. The 
categories of non-procurement transactions covered by the information 
collection are: Non-procurement contracts, grants, loans, loan 
guarantees, cooperative agreements, and some memoranda of agreement. 
For procurement transactions, compliance with the appropriations 
restrictions has been effected through the issuance of Agricultural 
Acquisition Regulation Advisory Number 104, issued March 29, 2012 and 
available here: http://www.dm.usda.gov/procurement/policy/advisories.htm. Accordingly, the information collection is not intended 
for use with USDA or Forest Service procurement transactions. This 
information collection, deals only with USDA and Forest Service non-
procurement transactions. For more specific information about whether a 
particular non-procurement program or transaction is included in this 
list please contact the USDA agency or staff office or Forest Service 
office responsible for the program or transaction in question.
    The AD-3030 and AD-3030-FS forms will effectuate compliance with 
the appropriations restrictions by requiring all corporate applicants 
to represent at the time of application for a non-procurement program 
whether they have any felony convictions or tax delinquencies that 
would prevent USDA or the Forest Service from doing business with them. 
Corporations include, but are not limited to, any entity that has filed 
articles of incorporation in one of the 50 States, the District of 
Columbia, or the various territories of the United States. Corporations 
include both for profit and non-profit entities. The AD-3031 and AD-
3031-FS require an affirmative representation that corporate awardees 
for non-procurement transactions do not have any felony convictions or 
tax delinquencies. The AD 3030/3030-FS are required at the time of 
application and the AD 3031/3031-FS are required at the time of award. 
If the application and award process are a single step, the agency or 
staff office may require both forms to be filed at the same time. 
Collection of this information is necessary to ensure USDA agencies and 
staff offices and Forest Service comply with the appropriations 
restrictions prohibiting the Government from doing business with 
corporations with felony convictions and/or tax delinquencies.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this information 
collection is estimated to average 15 minutes per response.
    Frequency of Collection: Other: Corporations--AD-3030/3030-FS--each 
time they apply to participate in a multitude of USDA non-procurement 
programs; Awardees--AD-3031/3031-FS--each time they receive an award in 
USDA non-procurement programs.
    Respondents: Corporate applicants and awardees for USDA non-
procurement programs, including grants, cooperative agreements, loans, 
loan guarantees, some memoranda of understanding, and non-procurement 
contracts.
    Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 741,644.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.75.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 2,255,922.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours on Respondents: 563,980.

Charlene Parker,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-30110 Filed 12-12-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-KR-P