[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 55 (Friday, March 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 15721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-06196]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 55 / Friday, March 21, 2014 / 
Notices  

[[Page 15721]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of the Secretary


Notice of Request for Extension or Renewal of a Currently 
Approved Information Collection

AGENCY: U.S. Department of 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 the intention of the Office 
of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights to request a renewal to a 
currently approved information collection for race, ethnicity, and 
gender along with comments.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by May 20, 2014 to be 
assured of consideration.
    Additional Information or Comments: Contact Anna G. Stroman, Chief, 
Policy Division, by mail at Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil 
Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Race, Ethnicity and Gender Data Collection.
    OMB Number: OMB No. 0505-0019 Expiration.
    Date of Approval: March 31, 2014.
    Type of Request: Extension and renewal of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Abstract: This data collection is necessary to implement Sections 
14006 and 14007 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, 7 
U.S.C. 8701 (hereafter, referred to as the 2008 Farm Bill). Section 
14006 of the 2008 Farm Bill establishes a requirement for the 
Department of Agriculture (USDA) to annually compile application and 
participation rate data regarding socially disadvantaged farmers or 
ranchers by computing for each program of the USDA that serves 
agriculture producers and landowners (a) raw numbers of applicants and 
participants by race, ethnicity, and gender subject to appropriate 
privacy protections, as determined by the Secretary; and (b) the 
application and participation rate, by race, ethnicity and gender, as a 
percentage of the total participation rate of all agricultural 
producers and landowners for each county and State in the United 
States. Pursuant to the authority in Section 14006, the agencies of 
USDA are to collect the data and transmit it to the Secretary of 
Agriculture. Section 14007 requires USDA to use the data collected in 
the conduct of oversight and evaluation of civil rights compliance.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 2 minutes per response.
    Respondents: Producers, applicants.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,520,000.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 105,600.
    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 by any of the following 
methods:
    Email: Send comments to Anna.Stroman(a),ascr.usda.gov.
    Mail: Anna G. Stroman, Chief, Policy Division, Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
1400 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20250.
    There were no comments received from the previous notice requesting 
comments.
    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 Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will 
become a matter of public record.

Joe Leonard, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.
[FR Doc. 2014-06196 Filed 3-20-14; 8:45 am]
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