[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 77 (Tuesday, April 22, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22470-22471]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-09088]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

 April 16, 2014.
    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 30 days of this notification. Copies of the 
submission(s) may be obtained by calling (202) 720-8958.
    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 Procurement and Property Management

    Title: Voluntary Labeling Program for Biobased Products.
    OMB Control Number: 0503-0020.
    Summary of Collection: Section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural 
Investment Act (FSRIA) of 2002, as amended by the Food, Conservation, 
and Energy Act (FCEA) of 2008 and the Agricultural Act of 2014, 
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. The labeling program 
is required to be consistent, where possible, with the guidelines 
implementing the preferred procurement of biobased products by Federal 
agencies (referred to hereafter as the preferred procurement program), 
which is also authorized under section 9002 of FSRIA. Under the 
preferred procurement program, Federal agencies are required to 
purchase with certain exceptions, biobased products that are 
identified, by rulemaking, for preferred procurement. The BioPreferred 
Program is implemented by USDA's Office of Procurement and Property 
Management (OPPM).
    Need and Use of the Information: Under the voluntary labeling 
program, manufacturers and vendors must complete an application for 
each biobased product for which they wish to use the label. The 
application process is electronic and is accessible through the 
voluntary labeling program Web site. In

[[Page 22471]]

addition manufacturers and vendors whose applications have been 
conditionally approved must provide to OPPM certain information for 
posting by OPPM on the voluntary labeling program Web site. For each 
product approved by the Agency for use of the label, the manufacturer 
or vendor must keep that information for each certified product up-to-
date. Failure to require manufacturers and vendors to provide up-to-
date information on each certified product to OPPM for posting on the 
voluntary labeling program Web site could result in purchasers making 
poor purchase decisions and in inefficiencies in making purchasing 
decisions.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 300.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (once).
    Total Burden Hours: 3,600.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-09088 Filed 4-21-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-TX-P