[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 126 (Monday, July 3, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30816-30817]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-13976]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 126 / Monday, July 3, 2017 / 
Notices  

[[Page 30816]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

June 28, 2017.
    The Department of Agriculture will submit the following information 
collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 on or after the date 
of publication of this notice. 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; and (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 should be addressed to: Desk 
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office Building, 
Washington, DC; 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.
    Comments regarding these information collections are best assured 
of having their full effect if received by August 2, 2017. 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.

Agricultural Marketing Service

    Title: Regulations for Voluntary Grading, Certification, and 
Standards--7 CFR part 54, 56, 62 and 70.
    OMB Control Number: 0581-0128.
    Summary of Collection: The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (60 
Stat. 1087-1091, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627) (AMA) directs and 
authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to provide consumers with 
voluntary Federal grading and certification services that facilitate 
the marketing of agricultural commodities. The Quality Assessment 
Division (QAD) provides these services under the authority of 7 CFR 
parts 54, 56, and 70. The regulations provide a voluntary program for 
grading and certification services based on U.S. standards, grades, and 
weight classes to enable orderly marketing of the corresponding 
agricultural products. The regulation in 7 CFR part 62, Quality Systems 
Verification Programs (QSVP) is a collection of voluntary, audit-based, 
user-fee fund programs that allow applicants to have program 
documentation and program processes assessed by AMS auditor(s) and 
other USDA officials. This program is made available to respondents who 
would need to request or apply for the specific service they wish on a 
user fee-for-service basis.
    AMS merged the Poultry Programs with the Livestock and Seed Program 
and it is now the Livestock, Poultry, and Seed (LPS) Program. With this 
renewal all PY forms will be changed to LPS.
    Need and Use of the Information: Using forms LPS-109 (formerly PY-
32), LPS-110 (formerly PY-100), LPS-157, LPS-240P, LPS-240S, LPS-210P, 
LPS-210S, LPS-234 and LPS-518-1, information is collected only from 
respondents who elect to utilize this voluntary user fee-for-service. 
Only authorized representatives of the USDA use the information 
collected. The information is used to administer, conduct and carry out 
the grading services requested by the respondents. If the information 
were not collected, the agency would not be able to provide the 
voluntary grading services authorized and requested by Congress, 
provide the types of services requested by industry, administer the 
program, ensure properly grade-labeled products, calculate the cost of 
the service or collect for the cost furnishing service.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for profit, Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 1,564.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Semi-annually; 
Monthly; Annually; Other (daily).
    Total Burden Hours: 10,785.

Agricultural Marketing Service

    Title: Generic Information Collection and Clearance of Qualitative 
Feedback on Agency Service Delivery.
    OMB Control Number: 0581-0269.
    Summary of Collection: Executive Order 12862 directs Federal 
agencies to provide service to the public that matches or exceeds the 
best service available in the private sector. Improving Agricultural 
Marketing Service (AMS) programs requires ongoing assessment of service 
delivery, by which we mean systematic review of the operation of a 
program compared to a set of explicit or implicit standards, as a means 
of contributing to the continuous improvement of the program.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information collection 
activity will garner qualitative customer and stakeholder feedback in 
an efficient, timely manner, in accordance with the Administration's 
commitment to improving service delivery. By qualitative feedback we 
mean information that provides useful insights on perceptions and 
opinions, but are not statistical surveys that yield quantitative 
results that can be generalized to the population of study. This 
feedback will provide insights into customer or stakeholder 
perceptions, experiences and expectations, provide an early warning of 
issues with service, or focus attention on areas where communication, 
training or changes in operations might improve delivery of products or 
services. These collections will allow for ongoing, collaborative and 
actionable communications between AMS and its customers and 
stakeholders. It will also allow feedback

[[Page 30817]]

to contribute directly to the improvement of program management.
    Feedback collected under this generic clearance will provide useful 
information, but it will not yield data that can be generalized to the 
overall population. This type of generic clearance for qualitative 
information will not be used for quantitative information collections 
that are designed to yield reliably actionable results, such as 
monitoring trends over time or documenting program performance. Such 
data uses require more rigorous designs that address: The target 
population to which generalizations will be made, the sampling frame, 
the sample design (including stratification and clustering), the 
precision requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed 
sample size, the expected response rate, methods for assessing 
potential non-response bias, the protocols for data collection, and any 
testing procedures that were or will be undertaken prior fielding the 
study. Depending on the degree of influence the results are likely to 
have, such collections may still be eligible for submission for other 
generic mechanisms that are designed to yield quantitative results.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit; 
Not-for-profit Institutions and State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 100,000.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 50,000.

Charlene Parker,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-13976 Filed 6-30-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P