[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 21 (Thursday, January 31, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 646-647]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-00548]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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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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 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 21 / Thursday, January 31, 2019 / 
Notices  

[[Page 646]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Doc. No. AMS-LP-18-0068]


Notice of Request for Extension of a Currently Approved 
Information Collection for Commodities Covered by the Livestock 
Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention 
to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
an extension of the currently approved information collection used to 
compile and generate cattle, swine, lamb, boxed beef, and wholesale 
pork Market News reports under the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 
1999 (1999 Act) (OMB 0581-0186).

DATES: Comments received by April 1, 2019 will be considered.
    Additional Information or Comments: Interested persons are invited 
to submit comments concerning this information collection document. 
Comments should be submitted online at www.regulations.gov or sent to 
Sam Jones-Ellard, Assistant to the Director; Livestock, Poultry, and 
Grain Market News Division; Livestock and Poultry Program; Agricultural 
Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence 
Ave. SW, Room 2619-S, STOP 0252; Washington, DC 20250-0252; Telephone 
(812) 240-0694; or email [email protected]. All comments should 
reference the docket number (AMS-LP-18-0068), the date, and page number 
of this issue of the Federal Register. All comments received will be 
posted without change, including any personal information provided, 
online at www.regulations.gov and will be made available for public 
inspection at the above physical address during regular business hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sam Jones-Ellard at the above physical 
address, by telephone (812) 240-0694, or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999.
    OMB Number: 0581-0186.
    Expiration Date of Approval: 07-31-2019.
    Type of Request: Request for extension of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Abstract: The 1999 Act was enacted into law on October 22, 1999, 
[Pub. L. 106-78; 113 Stat. 1188; 7 U.S.C. 1635-1636(i)] as an amendment 
to the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1621 et 
seq.). On April 2, 2001, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS); 
Livestock and Poultry Program (LP); Livestock, Poultry, and Grain 
Market News Division (LPGMN) implemented the Livestock Mandatory 
Reporting (LMR) program as required by the 1999 Act. The purpose was to 
establish a program of easily understood information regarding the 
marketing of cattle, swine, lambs, and livestock products; improve the 
price and supply reporting services of the United States Department of 
Agriculture (USDA); and encourage competition in the marketplace for 
livestock and livestock products. The LMR regulations (7 CFR part 59) 
set the requirements for certain packers and importers to submit 
purchase and sales information of livestock and livestock products to 
meet this purpose.
    The statutory authority for the program lapsed on September 30, 
2005. In October 2006, Congress passed the Livestock Mandatory 
Reporting Reauthorization Act (2006 Reauthorization Act) [Pub. L. 109-
296]. The 2006 Reauthorization Act re-established the regulatory 
authority for the continued operation of LMR through September 30, 
2010, and separated the reporting requirements for sows and boars from 
barrows and gilts, among other changes. On July 15, 2008, the LMR final 
rule became effective (73 FR 28606, May 16, 2008).
    On September 28, 2010, Congress passed the Mandatory Price 
Reporting Act of 2010 (2010 Reauthorization Act) [Pub. L. 111-239]. The 
2010 Reauthorization Act reauthorized LMR for an additional 5 years 
through September 30, 2015, and required the addition of wholesale pork 
through negotiated rulemaking. On January 7, 2013, the LMR final rule 
became effective (77 FR 50561, August 22, 2012).
    The Agriculture Reauthorizations Act of 2015 (2015 Reauthorization 
Act) [Pub. L. 114-54], enacted on September 30, 2015, reauthorized the 
LMR program for an additional 5 years through September 30, 2020, and 
amended certain lamb and swine reporting requirements. For lamb, the 
definitions of a packer and importer were modified to lower the 
reporting thresholds of each, from a processing average of 75,000 lambs 
to 35,000 lambs, and from an import average of at least 2,500 metric 
tons of lamb meat products to an average of 1,000 metric tons of lamb 
meat. On May 31, 2016, a direct final rule to implement these reporting 
changes became effective (81 FR 10057, February 29, 2016). For swine, 
the 2015 Reauthorization Act added a definition and reporting 
requirements for negotiated formula and late day purchases. On October 
11, 2016, a final rule became effective (81 FR 52969, August 11, 2016) 
to implement these changes as well as a lamb reporting change requested 
by industry stakeholders amending the term ``packer-owned lambs'' and 
requiring packers to report lambs owned by a packer for at least 28 
days immediately before slaughter.
    The reports generated by the 1999 Act are used by other Government 
agencies to evaluate market conditions and calculate price levels, 
including USDA's Economic Research Service and World Agricultural 
Outlook Board. Economists at most major agricultural colleges and 
universities use the reports to make short and long-term market 
projections. Also, the Government is a large purchaser of livestock 
related products. A system to monitor the collection and reporting of 
data therefore is needed.
    In order to comply with the 1999 Act's goal of encouraging 
competition in the marketplace for livestock and livestock products, 
Section 251 of the Act directs USDA to make available to the public 
information and statistics obtained from, or submitted by, respondents 
covered by the Act in a

[[Page 647]]

manner that ensures that the confidentiality of the reporting entities 
is preserved. AMS is in the best position to provide this service.
    Since the last information collection renewal, the AMS Livestock, 
Poultry, and Seed Program reorganized to form the AMS Livestock and 
Poultry Program. The forms associated with this information collection 
reflect this organizational change.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated to average 0.16 hours per response.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, individuals or 
households, farms, and the Federal Government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 116 respondents.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 135,356 responses.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1,167 responses 
(rounded).
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 21,712 hours 
(rounded).
    Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed 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 the burden of the 
proposed collection of information 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 the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology. All responses to this document will be 
summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments 
will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: January 26, 2019.
Bruce Summers,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-00548 Filed 1-30-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-02-P