[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 166 (Friday, August 26, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58903-58905]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-20225]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2016-0028]


Notice of Request To Renew an Approved Information Collection 
(Interstate Shipment of Meat and Poultry Products)

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and 
Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to renew the 
approved information collection regarding the voluntary cooperative 
interstate shipment program. The approval for this information 
collection will expire on January 31, 2017.

DATES: Submit comments on or before October 25, 2016.

ADDRESSES: FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this 
information collection. Comments may be submitted by one of the 
following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the 
ability to type short comments directly into the comment field on this 
Web page or attach a file for lengthier comments.
    Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions 
at that site for submitting comments.
     Mail, including CD-ROMs, etc.: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Docket 
Clerk, Patriots Plaza 3, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Mailstop 3782, 
Room 8-163A, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
     Hand- or courier-delivered submittals: Deliver to Patriots 
Plaza 3, 355 E Street SW., Room 8-163A, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
    Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must 
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2016-0028. Comments 
received in response to this docket will be made available for public 
inspection and posted without change, including any personal 
information, to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Docket: For access to background documents or comments received, go 
to the FSIS Docket Room at Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E Street SW., Room 8-
164, Washington, DC 20250-3700 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gina Kouba, Office of Policy and 
Program Development, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., Room 6065, South Building, Washington, DC 
20250; (202)720-5627.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Interstate Shipment of Meat and Poultry.
    OMB Control Number: 0583-0143.
    Type of Request: Renewal of an approved information collection.
    Abstract: FSIS has been delegated the authority to exercise the 
functions of the Secretary (7 CFR 2.18, 2.53) as specified in the 
Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 601, et seq.) and the 
Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) (21 U.S.C. 451, et seq.). FSIS 
protects the public by verifying that meat and poultry products are 
safe, wholesome, not adulterated, and correctly labeled.
    FSIS administers a voluntary cooperative inspection program under 
which State-inspected establishments with 25 or fewer employees are 
eligible to ship meat and poultry products in interstate commerce (21 
U.S.C. 683 and U.S.C. 472) (9 CFR 321.3, Part 332, 381.187, and Part 
381 Subpart Z). In participating States, State-inspected establishments 
selected to take part in this program are required to comply with all 
Federal standards under the FMIA and the PPIA, as well as with all 
State standards. These establishments receive inspection services from 
State inspection personnel that have been trained in the enforcement of 
the FMIA and PPIA.
    Meat and poultry products produced under the program that have been 
inspected and passed by designated State personnel bear an official 
Federal mark of inspection and are permitted to be distributed in 
interstate commerce. FSIS provides oversight and enforcement of the 
program.
    States that are interested in participating in the cooperative 
interstate shipment program need to submit a request for an agreement 
to establish such a program through the appropriate FSIS District 
Office (9 CFR 332.4 and 381.514). In its request, a State must agree to 
comply with certain conditions in order to qualify for the interstate 
shipment program. The State must also: (1) Identify establishments in 
the State that the State recommends for

[[Page 58904]]

initial selection into the program, if any, and (2) include 
documentation to demonstrate that the State is able to provide 
necessary inspection services to selected establishments in the State 
and conduct any related activities that would be required under a 
cooperative interstate shipment program.
    If a State determines that an establishment qualifies to 
participate in the cooperative interstate shipment program, and the 
State is able, and willing, to provide the necessary inspection 
services at the establishment, the State is to submit its evaluation of 
the establishment to the FSIS District Office that covers the State (74 
FR 24729).
    FSIS, in coordination with the State, will then decide whether to 
select the establishments for the program.
    Establishments that qualify for this program have to meet all 
requirements under the FMIA or PPIA, and implementing regulations, 
including FSIS requirements for recordkeeping (9 CFR 332.5 and 
381.515). Most State-inspected establishments will already have met 
these recordkeeping requirements, but some establishments will need to 
make minor adjustments to their recordkeeping in order to meet FSIS 
requirements.
    The FSIS selected establishment coordinator (SEC) is responsible 
for overseeing a State's cooperative inspection program. The SEC will 
visit each selected establishment in the State on a regular basis to 
verify that the establishment is operating in a manner that is 
consistent with the FMIA or PPIA and the implementing regulations (9 
CFR 332.7 and 381.517).
    The approval for this information collection will expire on January 
31, 2017. There are no changes to the existing information collection. 
FSIS has made the following estimates on the basis of an information 
collection assessment.
    Estimate of Burden: FSIS estimates that it will take each new State 
an average of 40 hours to prepare and submit a request to establish a 
cooperative interstate shipment program.
    FSIS estimates that it will take each State 24 hours to prepare and 
submit an evaluation for each new establishment entering the program. 
FSIS estimates that States will submit approximately 3 evaluations per 
year.
    FSIS estimates that 15 establishments per year will spend 16 hours 
to modify their recordkeeping procedures to comply with Federal 
standards and 5 minutes per establishment to file these records.
    FSIS estimates that it will take each new establishment 15 minutes 
to assist the SEC in locating locate the necessary records for review 
on the initial visit. Every selected establishment will spend 10 
minutes assisting the SEC review of its records approximately once a 
month.
    Respondents: States and establishments.
    Estimated No. of Respondents: 20 states and 60 establishments.
    Estimated No. of Annual Responses per Respondent: FSIS estimates 
there will be one request per each new State to establish a cooperative 
interstate shipment program and approximately 3 evaluations of State-
inspected establishments per State. There will be a one-time 
modification of records for each newly selected establishment whose 
recordkeeping does not comply with all Federal standards.
    There will be one initial SEC visit in which each newly selected 
establishment will need to provide the SEC with access to all required 
records. Each establishment selected for the program will need to 
provide the FSIS access to its records on an ongoing basis. The total 
number of estimated annual responses is 830.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,005 hours.
    Copies of this information collection assessment can be obtained 
from Gina Kouba, Office of Policy and Program Development, Food Safety 
and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., 6065, South 
Building, Washington, DC 20250; (202)720-5627.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of FSIS's 
functions, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of FSIS's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information, including 
through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or 
other technological collection techniques, or other forms of 
information technology.
    Comments may be sent to both FSIS, at the addresses provided above, 
and the Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 
20253.
    Responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal 
Register publication on-line through the FSIS Web page located at: 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.
    FSIS also will make copies of this publication available through 
the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide information 
regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register 
notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of information that 
could affect or would be of interest to our constituents and 
stakeholders. The Update is available on the FSIS Web page. Through the 
Web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader, more 
diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an email subscription 
service which provides automatic and customized access to selected food 
safety news and information. This service is available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe.
    Options range from recalls to export information, regulations, 
directives, and notices. Customers can add or delete subscriptions 
themselves, and have the option to password protect their accounts.

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

    No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds 
of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual 
orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, 
income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs, 
exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to 
discrimination any person in the United States under any program or 
activity conducted by the USDA.

How to File a Complaint of Discrimination

    To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program 
Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your 
authorized representative.
    Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax, 
or email:

Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 
1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410.
Fax: (202) 690-7442.
Email: [email protected].

[[Page 58905]]

    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should contact 
USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

    Done at Washington, DC, on August 19, 2016.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2016-20225 Filed 8-25-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P