[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 37 (Thursday, February 25, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 9422]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03981]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Agricultural Statistics Service


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

February 19, 2016.
    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 
are requested regarding (1) 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; (2) the 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (4) 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.
    Comments regarding this information collection received by March 
28, 2016 will be considered. Written comments should be addressed to: 
Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office 
Building, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503. Commenters are 
encouraged to submit their comments to OMB via email to: 
[email protected] or fax (202) 395-5806 and to Departmental 
Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250-
7602. 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.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Generic Clearance of Survey Improvement Projects
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0248
    Summary of Collection: The primary objectives of the National 
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) are to prepare and issue State 
and national estimates of crop and livestock production, economic and 
environmental statistics related to agriculture and to conduct the 
Census of Agriculture under the general authority of Title 7 U.S.C. 
Sec. 2204. The purpose of this generic clearance is to allow NASS to 
respond quickly to emerging issues and data collection needs. NASS will 
continue to develop, test, evaluate, adopt, and use state-of-the-art 
techniques to cover a broad range of topics designed to improve NASS' 
data collection on agriculture.
    Need and Use of the Information: NASS will use a number of survey 
improvement techniques, as appropriate to the individual project under 
investigation. These include focus groups, cognitive and usability 
laboratory and field techniques, exploratory interviews, behavior 
coding, respondent debriefing, pilot surveys and split-panel tests. The 
information gathered will be used mainly for questionnaire development 
and other research and evaluation. Additionally, NASS anticipates the 
benefit of increased response rates through improved survey design, a 
goal tied directly to addressing OMB requirements for higher response 
rates and measurement of non-response bias.
    Description of Respondents: Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 25,000.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 15,000.

Charlene Parker,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-03981 Filed 2-24-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-20-P