[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 120 (Friday, June 21, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29157-29158]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-13149]


 ========================================================================
 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
 appearing in this section.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 120 / Friday, June 21, 2019 / 
Notices  

[[Page 29157]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2019-0029]


Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an 
Information Collection; Horse Protection Regulations

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revision to and extension of approval of an information 
collection; comment request.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's 
intention to request a revision to and extension of approval of an 
information collection associated with the Horse Protection Program and 
enforcement of the Horse Protection Act.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
August 20, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2019-0029.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2019-0029, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
    Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may 
be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2019-
0029 or in our reading room, which is located in Room 1141 of the USDA 
South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC. 
Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, 
please call (202) 799-7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the Horse 
Protection Act regulations, contact Dr. Kay Carter-Corker, Director, 
National Policy Staff, Animal Care, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 84, 
Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-3748. For more detailed information on 
the information collection, contact Ms. Kimberly Hardy, APHIS' 
Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 851-2483.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Horse Protection Regulations.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0056.
    Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an 
information collection.
    Abstract: In 1970, Congress passed the Horse Protection Act (HPA, 
15 U.S.C. 1821 et seq.), which was enacted to prevent showing, 
exhibiting, selling, or auctioning of ``sore'' horses, and certain 
transportation of sore horses in connection therewith, at horse shows, 
horse exhibitions, horse sales, and horse auctions. Soring is a process 
whereby chemical or mechanical agents, or a combination thereof, are 
applied to the limbs of a horse in order to exaggerate its gait. A 
``sore'' horse is one that has been subjected to prohibited practices 
and, as a result, suffers, or can reasonably be expected to suffer, 
physical pain or distress, inflammation, or lameness when walking, 
trotting or otherwise moving. A horse that is ``sore'' is prohibited 
from entering or participating in HPA-regulated events because 
exhibitors, owners, and trainers of such horse may obtain unfair 
advantage over individuals exhibiting horses that are not ``sore.''
    To carry out the Act, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 
administers and enforces the regulations in 9 CFR part 11. Part 11 
delineates the responsibilities of horse industry organizations (HIOs), 
designated qualified persons (DQPs), management of regulated horse 
events, and persons who have control over regulated horses.
    An HIO wishing to certify a program to license DQPs to inspect 
horses for compliance under the HPA must satisfy and abide by the 
requirements of the HPA and regulations. After requesting and receiving 
USDA certification from APHIS, HIOs must maintain an acceptable DQP 
program and recordkeeping systems. Managers and operators of HPA-
regulated events may appoint and retain the services of DQPs to inspect 
and detect a horse that is sore or otherwise noncompliant with the HPA, 
and both managers and DQPs are required to provide and/or maintain 
certain information. Persons who own, train, show, exhibit, sell, 
transport, or otherwise have custody of, or direction or control over 
any horse shown, exhibited, sold, or auctioned or entered for the 
purpose of being shown, exhibited, sold, or auctioned at any horse 
show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction must also satisfy and 
abide by the requirements of the HPA and regulations.
    APHIS works with HIOs on an ongoing basis to oversee their 
performance under the HPA. Throughout the year, APHIS uses training 
sessions, conference calls, and open letters to HIOs, event managers, 
exhibitors, owners, trainers, custodians, and farriers involved in HPA-
covered activities to provide communication and feedback to address 
issues and strengthen enforcement under the Act. Data collected 
throughout the year from within APHIS and from the HIOs and event 
management provide an account of the HIOs' performance and progress 
toward eliminating the soring of horses and promoting fair competition. 
HIOs, through their certified licensing programs for DQPs, provide the 
primary means of detecting sored horses.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collection activities, as described, for 
an additional 3 years.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public 
(as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection. 
These comments will help us:
    (1) Evaluate 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) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and

[[Page 29158]]

    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated, 
electronic, mechanical, and other collection technologies; e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of responses.
    Estimate of burden: The public burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 0.09 hours per response.
    Respondents: Horse custodians, event managers, HIOs, and DQPs.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 2,004.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 19.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 37,136.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 3,374 hours. (Due to 
averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product of 
the annual number of responses multiplied by the reporting burden per 
response.)
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 17th day of June 2019.
Kevin Shea,
 Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-13149 Filed 6-20-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P