[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 28, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 95555-95556]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-31416]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 249 / Wednesday, December 28, 2016 / 
Notices  

[[Page 95555]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2016-0096]


Notice of Request for Renewal and Revision of an Information 
Collection; Commercial Transportation of Equines for Slaughter

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Renewal and revision of an information collection; comment 
request.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's 
intention to request a renewal and revision of an information 
collection associated with the regulations for the commercial 
transportation of equines for slaughter.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
February 27, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2016-0096.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2016-0096, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
    Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may 
be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2016-
0096 or in our reading room, which is located in room 1141 of the USDA 
South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, 
DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, 
please call (202) 799-7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the regulations for 
the commercial transportation of equines for slaughter, contact Dr. 
Rory Carolan, National Equine Programs, Surveillance, Preparedness and 
Response Services, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 46, Riverdale, MD 
20737; (301) 851-3558. For copies of more detailed information on the 
information collection, contact Ms. Kimberly Hardy, APHIS' Information 
Collection Coordinator, at (301) 851-2483.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Commercial Transportation of Equines for Slaughter.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0160.
    Type of Request: Renewal and revision of an information collection.
    Abstract: Under the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act 
of 1996 (``the Farm Bill''), Congress gave responsibility to the 
Secretary of Agriculture to regulate the commercial transportation 
within the United States of equines for slaughter. Sections 901-905 of 
the Farm Bill (7 U.S.C. 1901 note) authorized the Secretary to issue 
guidelines for the regulation of commercial transportation of equines 
for slaughter by persons regularly engaged in that activity within the 
United States. As a result of that authority, the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 
established regulations in 9 CFR part 88, ``Commercial Transportation 
of Equines for Slaughter.''
    The minimum standards for transportation cover, among other things, 
the food, water, and rest provided to such equines. The regulations 
also require the owner/shipper of the equines to take certain actions 
in loading and transporting the equines and to certify that the 
commercial transportation meets certain requirements. In addition, the 
regulations prohibit the commercial transportation for slaughter of 
equines considered to be unfit for travel, the use of electric prods on 
such animals in commercial transportation to slaughter, and the use of 
double-deck trailers for commercial transportation of equines for 
slaughter.
    These regulations require several information collection 
activities, including a USDA-APHIS Owner/Shipper Certificate Fitness to 
Travel for Slaughter Form/Continuation Sheet, application of backtags, 
the collection of business information from any individual or other 
entity found to be transporting horses for slaughter, and 
recordkeeping.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collection activities, as described, for 3 
years.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public 
(as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection. 
These comments will help us:
    (1) Evaluate 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) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated, 
electronic, mechanical, and other collection technologies; e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of responses.
    Estimate of burden: The public reporting burden for this collection 
of information is estimated to average 0.29 hours per response.
    Respondents: Owners and shippers of equines for slaughter, drivers 
of the transport vehicles, and foreign officials.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 302.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 40.7.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 12,300.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 3,508 hours. (Due to 
averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product of 
the annual number of responses multiplied by the reporting burden per 
response.)
    All 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.


[[Page 95556]]


    Done in Washington, DC, this 20th day of December 2016.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-31416 Filed 12-27-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P