[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 130 (Monday, July 8, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32403-32404]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-14387]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Institute of Food and Agriculture


Notice of Intent To Request Approval To Renew an Information 
Collection and Record Keeping Requirement

AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations that implement the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the National 
Institute of Food and Agriculture's (NIFA) intention to request 
approval to renew an information collection and record keeping 
requirement for the Veterinary Medical Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP).

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by September 6, 
2019, to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date 
will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Veterinary Medicine 
Loan Repayment Program FRN, through the Federal eRulemaking Portal: 
http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting 
comments. Include Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program FRN in the 
subject line of the message. Instructions: All comments received must 
include the agency name and reference Veterinary Medicine Loan 
Repayment Program FRN. All comments received will be posted to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Martin, Records Officer; Email: 
[email protected]. Phone: 202-445-5388.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Veterinary Medical Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP).
    OMB Number: 0524-0050.
    Type of Request: Intent to request approval to renew an information 
collection and record keeping requirement for three years.
    Abstract: In January 2003, the National Veterinary Medical Service 
Act (NVMSA) was passed into law adding section 1415A to the National 
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1997. This 
law established a new Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program 
(VMLRP) (7 U.S.C. 3151a) authorizing the Secretary

[[Page 32404]]

of Agriculture to carry out a program of entering into agreements with 
veterinarians under which they agree to provide veterinary services in 
veterinarian shortage situations. The purpose of the program is to 
assure an adequate supply of trained food animal veterinarians in 
shortage situations and provide USDA with a pool of veterinary 
specialists to assist in the control and eradication of animal disease 
outbreaks.
    In 2016, the VMLRP Program Office proposed and received approval 
for a record keeping requirement for VMLRP participants and to collect 
additional information from current participants, their employers and 
past participants. The records maintained and the information collected 
allow for better oversight and assessment of the program. Additionally, 
to streamline OMB approval processes all previously approved VMLRP 
information collections (OMB Control Number 0524-0046 and 0524-0047) 
were combined into a single package along with the new information 
proposed. Each new requirement is described in detail below.
    In 2019, the VMLRP Program is requesting renewal of this record 
keeping and information collection requirement. All documents will 
remain unchanged.
    Total Estimate of Burden: The estimated annual reporting burden for 
all VMLRP collection is as follows:

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                                                                     Estimated
                                                     Number of       number of    Average burden   Annual burden
               Type of respondents                  respondents    responses per     hours per         hours
                                                                    respondent       response        requested
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Applicants:
Veterinary Medicine Loan........................             602               1            1350            1350
Repayment Program...............................
Application OMB0524-0047........................
    Applicants subtotal.........................  ..............  ..............  ..............            1350
State Animal Health Officials:
Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program                    60               4               2             480
 Shortage Situation Nomination OMB0524-0046.....
    State Animal Health Officials subtotal......  ..............  ..............  ..............             480
    Current Participants:.......................
Service Log.....................................             150             260             .25            9750
Feedback Survey.................................              50               1             .33            16.5
Close-out Report................................              50               1             .33            16.5
    Current Participants subtotal...............  ..............  ..............  ..............            9783
Employers:
Employer Feedback...............................              30               1             .25             7.5
    Employer subtotal...........................  ..............  ..............  ..............             7.5
Past Participants:
Post-Award Termination Survey...................             150               1             .25            37.5
    Past Participants subtotal..................  ..............  ..............  ..............            37.5
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
        Grand Total.............................  ..............  ..............  ..............          11,658
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    Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed record 
keeping requirement and collection of information are necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 
Agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of 
collecting the information on respondents, including through the use of 
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request to OMB for approval. All comments will become a matter of 
public record.
    Obtaining a Copy of the Information Collection: A copy of the 
information collection and related instructions may be obtained free of 
charge by contacting Robert Martin as directed above.

    Done at Washington, DC, this 27th day of June, 2019.
Steve Censky,
Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2019-14387 Filed 7-5-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-22-P