[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 51 (Monday, March 17, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14658-14660]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-05809]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Doc. No. AMS-NOP-14-0023; NOP-14-04]


National Organic Program Notice of Request for New Information 
Collection

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

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 the Agricultural Marketing 
Service's (AMS) intention to request approval from the Office of 
Management and Budget for a new information collection: National 
Organic Program (NOP); Organic Certification Cost-Share Programs.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by May 16, 2014 to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties are invited to submit written comments 
concerning this notice. Comments should be submitted online at 
www.regulations.gov or sent to Melissa Bailey, Ph.D., Director, 
Standards Division, National Organic Program, AMS/USDA, 1400 
Independence Ave. SW., Room 2646-So., Ag Stop 0268, Washington, DC 
20250-0268. Written comments responding to this notice should be 
identified with the document number AMS-NOP-14-0023; NOP-14-04. It is 
USDA's intention to have all comments concerning this notice, including 
names and addresses when provided, regardless of submission procedure 
used, available for viewing on the Regulations.gov Internet site 
(http://www.regulations.gov). Comments submitted in response to this 
notice will also be available for viewing in person at USDA/AMS/
National Organic Program, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Room 2646-So. Ag 
Stop 0268, Washington, DC 20250 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and from 1:00 
p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday (except official Federal 
holidays). Persons wanting to visit the USDA South Building to view 
comments received in response to this notice are requested to make an 
appointment in advance by calling (202) 720-3252.

[[Page 14659]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa Bailey, Ph.D., Director, 
Standards Division, Telephone: (202) 720-3252; Fax: (202) 205-7808.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: National Organic Program (NOP); Organic Certification Cost-
Share Programs.
    OMB Number: 0581--NEW.
    Expiration Date of Approval: Three years from OMB approval date.
    Type of Request: New information collection.
    Abstract: The information collection requirements in this request 
are applied only to those State Departments of Agriculture and organic 
producers and handlers who voluntarily participate in one of two 
organic certification cost-share programs: The National Organic 
Certification Cost-Share Program (NOCCSP) or the Agricultural 
Management Assistance (AMA) Organic Certification Cost-Share Program. 
The NOCCSP is authorized under section 10606(d)(1) of the Farm Security 
and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 7901 note), as amended by 
section 10004(c) of the Agriculture Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill; Pub. 
L. 113-79). Under this authority, USDA is authorized to provide organic 
certification cost-share assistance through 50 States, the District of 
Columbia, and five U.S. Territories (herein called ``state agencies''). 
The AMA is authorized under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (FCIA), as 
amended, (7 U.S.C. 1524). Under the applicable FCIA provisions, USDA is 
authorized to provide organic certification cost-share assistance 
through sixteen states: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, 
Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, 
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. 
To prevent duplicate assistance payments, producers participating in 
the AMA program are not eligible to participate in the producer portion 
of the NOCCSP.
    Each program provides cost-share assistance, through participating 
state agencies, to organic producers and, in the case of NOCCSP, to 
organic handlers. Recipients must receive initial certification or 
continuation of certification to the USDA organic regulations (7 CFR 
part 205) from a USDA-accredited certifying agent. Reimbursement is 
currently available at 75 percent of an operation's certification 
costs, up to a maximum of $750 per year. The information collected from 
these respondents is needed to ensure that program recipients are 
eligible for funding and comply with applicable program regulations. 
Data collected is the minimum information necessary to effectively 
carry out the requirements of each program.
    In accordance with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
regulations (5 CFR part 1320) that implement the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520) (PRA), the information collection 
requirements associated with the NOP have been previously approved by 
OMB and assigned OMB control number 0581-0191. A new information 
collection package is being submitted to OMB for approval of 13,120 
hours in total burden hours to cover this new collection for the two 
organic certification cost-share programs. Upon OMB's approval of this 
new information collection, the NOP intends to merge this collection 
into currently approved OMB Control Number 0581-0191. In accordance 
with 5 CFR part 1320, we have included below a description of the 
collection and recordkeeping requirements and an estimate of the annual 
burden on entities who would be required to provide information through 
these cost-share programs. Upon OMB's approval of this new information 
collection, the NOP intends to merge this collection into currently 
approved OMB Control Number 0581-0191.
    State agencies who wish to participate in one or, if applicable, 
both of these organic certification cost-share programs must submit the 
following:
    (a) SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance,'' (approved under 
OMB collection number 4040-0004) is required to apply for federal 
assistance.
    (b) USDA/AMS-33 Face Page (Agreement Face Sheet). The Agreement 
Face Sheet sets forth the agreed upon responsibilities of AMS project 
work. It also indicates the agreed upon grant funding dollar amounts 
and the beginning date and ending date of the project work and the 
grant agreement. One copy of this Agreement Face Sheet is required to 
be returned to AMS with the date and grantee's signature(s).
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information under (a) and (b) is estimated to average 2 hours per 
response.
    Respondents: State agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 56 (All 50 States, plus the 
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American 
Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands).
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 56 responses.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1 response per 
respondent.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 112 hours.
    (c) SF-270, ``Request for Advance or Reimbursement,'' (approved 
under OMB collection number 0348-0004) is required whenever the 
grantees request an advance or reimbursement of Federal grant funds. 
AMS expects that at least 112 SF-270 forms (two per state agency) will 
be submitted per year.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 2 hours per response.
    Respondents: State agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 56.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 56 responses.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 2 responses per 
respondent.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 224 hours.
    (d) SF-425, ``Federal Financial Report,'' (approved under OMB 
collection number 0348-0061) is required semi-annually to report 
grantee expenditures.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 4 hours per response.
    Respondents: State agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 56.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 56 responses.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 2 responses per 
respondent.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 448 hours.
    (e) Narrative Report is required annually and describes program 
activities undertaken by the State agency and/or any sub-recipients 
throughout the funding period.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 2 hours per response.
    Respondents: State agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 56.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 56 responses.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1 response per 
respondent.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 112 hours.
    (f) Spreadsheet of Operations Reimbursed is required semi-annually 
and lists the producers receiving cost-share payments within the 
reporting time period.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 2 hours per response.
    Respondents: State agencies.

[[Page 14660]]

    Estimated Number of Respondents: 56.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 56 responses.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 2 responses per 
respondent..
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 224 hours.
    Finally, in accordance with 7 CFR 3016.42, state departments of 
agriculture must retain all records relating to these organic cost-
share programs for a period of three years after the final Federal 
Financial Report has been submitted to the Federal Agency, or until 
final resolution of any audit finding or litigation, whichever is 
later. Electronic records retention is acceptable. This is a part of 
normal business practice.
    (g) Producers and/or handlers who wish to participate in these 
organic certification cost-share programs must submit the following to 
a given state agency once per year: An application, proof of USDA 
organic certification, an itemized invoice showing expenses paid to a 
third-party certifying agent for certification services, and a W-9 tax 
form. Based on past program participation (7,245 participants in NOCCSP 
and 2,348 participants in AMA last fiscal year), we believe between 
10,000 and 12,000 producers or handlers will participate in these 
programs.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 1 hour per response.
    Respondents: Organic producers or handlers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 12,000.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 12,000 responses.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1 response per 
respondent.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 12,000 hours.
    These programs will not be maintained by any other agency, 
therefore, the requested information will not be available from any 
other existing records.
    AMS is committed to compliance with the Government Paperwork 
Elimination Act (GPEA) (44 U.S.C. 3540 note), which requires Government 
agencies in general to provide the public the option of submitting 
information or transacting business electronically to the maximum 
extent possible. The SF-424 can be completed electronically and is 
required to be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov.
    The SF-425 and SF-270 forms can be filled out electronically and 
submitted electronically. The USDA/AMS-33 Face Page requires an 
original signature and must be submitted by mail. Producers typically 
will mail their application and associated documentation to the state 
agencies, though some agencies have streamlined paperwork submission 
through databases of producers and handlers in a given state.
    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 Melissa Bailey, 
Ph.D., Director, Standards Division, National Organic Program, 
Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 
Independence Ave SW., Room 2648-S Ag Stop 0268, Washington, DC 20250; 
(202) 720-3252 and FAX (202) 205-7808. 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.

    Authority:  7 U.S.C. 6501-6522

    Dated: February 28, 2014.
Rex A. Barnes,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-05809 Filed 3-14-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P