[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 9, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50631-50632]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-21828]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

October 3, 2018.
    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 November 8, 2018. 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.

[[Page 50632]]

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Agricultural Labor Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0109.
    Summary of Collection: The 1938 Agricultural Adjustment Act, as 
amended, requires USDA to compute parity prices of farm products. This 
computation uses an index of Prices Paid by Farmers which in turn is 
composed of five indexes, one of which is an index of wage rates. These 
estimates measure actual agricultural wage rates and the year-to-year 
changes. General authority for these data collection activities is 
granted under U.S. Code Title 7, Section 2204. Agricultural labor 
statistics are an integral part of National Agricultural Statistics 
Service (NASS) primary function of collecting, processing, and 
disseminating current state, regional, and national agricultural 
statistics. Comprehensive and reliable agricultural labor data are also 
needed by the Department of Labor in the administration of the ``H-2A'' 
program (non-immigrants who enter the United States for temporary or 
seasonal agricultural labor) and for setting ``Adverse Effect Wage 
Rates.'' The Agricultural Labor Survey is the only timely and reliable 
source of information on the size of the farm worker population. NASS 
will collect information using a survey.
    In this substantive change renewal, NASS has been directed by the 
USDA to expand the survey to add greater detail to the summarized data. 
This will involve an increase in the currently approved sample size to 
collect more data on agricultural labor that is performed under each of 
the standard occupational classification (SOC) codes. In addition NASS 
will resume collecting data on a quarterly basis rather than biannual 
basis which collected the quarterly data. This should help to reduce 
the potential for any memory bias that may have occurred previously. 
This change is expected to take place in January 2019, contingent on 
the passage of the 2019 FY Federal Budget. If there is a delay in the 
passage of the Federal Budget the changes will take place in July 2019. 
In addition the biannual survey will be conducted in April 2019 and the 
data for the January and April quarters will be collected as they are 
currently approved. After that the data collections will collect data 
on a quarterly basis. Response to these data collections by the sampled 
farm and ranch operators is on a voluntary basis.
    Need and Use of the Information: NASS will collect information on 
wage rate estimates and the year-to-year changes in these rates and how 
changes in wage rates help measure the changes in costs of production 
of major farm commodities. NASS will also collect Standard Occupational 
Classifications data information for field workers, livestock workers, 
supervisors and other workers to measure the availability of national 
farm workers. The information is used by farm worker organizations to 
help set wage rates and negotiate labor contracts as well as determine 
the need for additional workers and to help ensure federal assistance 
for farm worker assistance programs supported with government funding.
    Description of Respondents: Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 40,050.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Quarterly; Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 44,901.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-21828 Filed 10-5-18; 8:45 am]
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