[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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