[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]
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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
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
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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.
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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]
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