[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 235 (Friday, December 7, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63148-63149]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-26504]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency


Information Collection Request; Agricultural Foreign Investment 
Disclosure Act Report

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested 
individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved 
information collection request associated with the Agricultural Foreign 
Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) of 1978.

DATES:  We will consider comments that we receive by February 5, 2019.

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on the notice. In your 
comments, include date, volume, and page number of this issue of the 
Federal Register. You may submit comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Mail: Philip Sronce, Branch Chief, Agricultural Foreign 
Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA), Data Analysis Branch, Economic and 
Policy Analysis Division, USDA, FSA, STOP 0508, 1400 Independence 
Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-0531.
    You may also send comments to the Desk Officer for Agriculture, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget, Washington, DC 20503. Copies of the information collection may 
be requested by contacting Philip Sronce at the above addresses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Philip Sronce, (202) 720-2711.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act Report.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-0097.
    Expiration Date of Approval: April 30, 2019.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: AFIDA requires foreign persons who hold, acquire, or 
dispose of any interest in U.S. agricultural land to report the 
transactions and holdings to FSA on an AFIDA report (FSA-153). The 
information collected is made available to States. Also, although not 
required by law, the information collected from the AFIDA reports is 
used to prepare an annual report to Congress and the President 
concerning the effect of foreign investment upon family farms and rural 
communities so that Congress may review the annual report and decide if 
further regulatory action is required. There is no change to the 
numbers in the collection.
    For the following estimated total annual burden on respondents, the 
formula used to calculate the total burden hour is the estimated 
average time per responses hours multiplied by the estimated total 
annual responses.
    Estimate of Respondent Burden: Public reporting burden for the 
information collection is estimated to average 0.476 hours per 
response.
    Respondents: Individuals or households, businesses or other for 
profit farms.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 5,525.
    Estimated Number of Reponses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 5,525.
    Estimated Average Time per Response: 0.476 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,631.25 hours.
    We are requesting comments on all aspects of this information 
collection to help us to:
    (1) Evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the FSA, including whether 
the information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the FSA's estimate of burden including 
the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

[[Page 63149]]

    (3) Enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to 
be collected;
    (4) 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.
    All comments received in response to this notice, including names 
and addresses when provided, will be a matter of public record. 
Comments will be summarized and included in the submission for Office 
of Management and Budget approval.

Steve Peterson,
Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 2018-26504 Filed 12-6-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-05-P