[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 12 (Friday, January 17, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3173-3174]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00828]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of Procurement and Property Management


Notice of Request for Comments on Extension of a Currently 
Approved Information Collection

AGENCY: Departmental Management, Agriculture.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces that the Department of 
Agriculture, Departmental Management, Office of Procurement and 
Property Management, is hereby requesting an extension for and a 
revision to a currently approved information collection, Voluntary 
Labeling Program for Biobased Products for Federal Biobased Products 
Preferred Procurement Program.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by March 18, 2014 to be 
assured of consideration.

Additional Information or Comments

    Ron Buckhalt, USDA, Office of Procurement and Property Management, 
Room 361, Reporters Building, 300 7th St. SW., Washington, DC 20024; 
email: [email protected]; phone (202) 205-4008. You may submit 
comments by any of the methods listed below. All submissions received 
must include the agency name. Also, please identify submittals as 
pertaining to the ``Notice on Request for Comments on Extension of a 
Currently Approved Information Collection.''
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected]. Include ``Notice on Request 
for Comments on Extension of a Currently Approved Information 
Collection'' on the subject line. Please include your name and address 
in your message.
     Mail/commercial/hand delivery: Mail or deliver your 
comments to: Ron Buckhalt, USDA, Office of Procurement and Property 
Management, Room 361, Reporters Building, 300 7th St. SW., Washington, 
DC 20024.
     Persons with disabilities who require alternative means 
for communication for regulatory information (Braille, large print, 
audiotape, etc.) should contact the

[[Page 3174]]

USDA TARGET Center at (202)720-2600 (voice) and (202)690-0942 (TTY).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Voluntary Labeling Program for Biobased Products for Federal 
Biobased Products Preferred Procurement Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0503-0020.
    Expiration Date of Approval: April 30, 2014.
    Type of Request: Extension and revision of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Abstract: Section 9002(h) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 
Act (FSRIA) of 2002, as amended by the Food, Conservation, and Energy 
Act (FCEA) of 2008, requires the Secretary of Agriculture to implement 
a voluntary labeling program that would enable qualifying biobased 
products to be labeled with a ``USDA Certified Biobased Product'' 
label. USDA subsequently published the terms and conditions for 
voluntary use of the label. These terms and conditions can be found in 
the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 7 CFR part 3202. To implement 
the statutory requirements of FSRIA, USDA will gather relevant product 
information on biobased products for which manufacturers and vendors 
seek certification to use the label. The information collected will 
enable USDA to evaluate the qualifications of biobased products to 
carry the USDA label and to ensure that the label is used properly and 
in accordance with the requirements specified in 7 CFR part 3202. To 
the extent feasible, the information sought by USDA can be transmitted 
electronically using the Web site http://www.biopreferred.gov. If 
electronic transmission of information is not practical for some 
applicants, USDA will provide technical assistance to support the 
transmission of information to USDA.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 3 hours per response.
    Respondents: Manufacturers and vendors who wish to apply the ``USDA 
Certified Biobased Product'' label to their biobased products.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 300.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 4. One response is 
required for each product for which certification is sought and the 
average number of products each respondent is expected to apply for 
certification for is four.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 3,600 hours, one time 
only. Manufacturers and vendors are only required to respond once for 
each product they wish to label. Therefore, there is no ongoing annual 
paperwork burden on respondents unless they wish to apply to label 
additional products.
    Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed 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 the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) 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 technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology. Comments may be sent to Ron Buckhalt, USDA, 
Office of Procurement and Property Management, Room 361, Reporters 
Building, 300 7th St. SW., Washington, DC 20024. All comments received 
will be available for public inspection during regular business hours 
at the same address.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public 
record.

    Dated: November 26, 2013.
Gregory L. Parham,
Assistant Secretary for Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2014-00828 Filed 1-16-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P