[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 1, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52060-52061]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-21298]


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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. 190 / Tuesday, October 1, 2019 / 
Notices  

[[Page 52060]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2019-0020]


Notice of Request To Renew an Approved Information Collection: 
Interstate Shipment of Meat and Poultry Products

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, 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, the Food Safety and 
Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to renew the 
approved information collection regarding the voluntary cooperative 
interstate shipment program. The approval for this information 
collection will expire on January 31, 2020. FSIS has reduced the 
estimated burden in this information collection by 1,272 hours due to a 
reduction in the number of participating States.

DATES: Submit comments on or before December 2, 2019.

ADDRESSES: FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this 
Federal Register notice. Comments may be submitted by one of the 
following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: This website provides 
commenters the ability to type short comments directly into the comment 
field on the web page or to attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to 
http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions at that 
site for submitting comments.
     Mail, including CD-ROMs, etc.: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Mailstop 3758, Room 6065, Washington, DC 20250-
3700.
     Hand- or courier-delivered submittals: Deliver to 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Room 6065, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
    Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must 
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2019-0020. Comments 
received in response to this docket will be made available for public 
inspection and posted without change, including any personal 
information, to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Docket: For access to background documents or comments received, 
call (202) 720-5627 to schedule a time to visit the FSIS Docket Room at 
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 6065, Washington, DC 20250-3700.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gina Kouba, Office of Policy and 
Program Development, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Room 6065, South Building, Washington, DC 
20250-3700; (202) 720-5627.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Interstate Shipment of Meat and Poultry.
    OMB Control Number: 0583-0143.
    Expiration Date: 1/31/2020.
    Type of Request: Renewal of an approved information collection.
    Abstract: FSIS has been delegated the authority to exercise the 
functions of the Secretary (7 CFR 2.18, 2.53), as specified in the 
Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 601, et seq.) and the 
Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) (21 U.S.C. 451, et seq.). FSIS 
protects the public by verifying that meat and poultry products are 
safe, wholesome, not adulterated, and correctly labeled.
    FSIS administers a voluntary cooperative inspection program under 
which State-inspected establishments in participating states with 25 or 
fewer employees are eligible to ship meat and poultry products in 
interstate commerce (21 U.S.C. 683 and U.S.C. 472) (9 CFR 321.3, Part 
332, 381.187, and Part 381 Subpart Z). In participating States, State-
inspected establishments selected to take part in this program are 
required to comply with all Federal standards under the FMIA and the 
PPIA, as well as with all State standards. These establishments receive 
inspection services from State inspection personnel that have been 
trained in the enforcement of the FMIA and PPIA.
    Meat and poultry products produced under the program that have been 
inspected and passed by designated State personnel bear an official 
Federal mark of inspection and are permitted to be distributed in 
interstate commerce and exported to foreign countries. FSIS provides 
oversight and enforcement of the program.
    States that are interested in participating in the cooperative 
interstate shipment program need to submit a request for an agreement 
to establish such a program through the appropriate FSIS District 
Office (9 CFR 332.4 and 381.514). In its request, a State must agree to 
comply with certain conditions in order to qualify for the interstate 
shipment program. The State must also: (1) Identify establishments in 
the State that the State recommends for initial selection into the 
program, if any, and (2) include documentation to demonstrate that the 
State is able to provide necessary inspection services to selected 
establishments in the State and conduct any related activities that 
would be required under a cooperative interstate shipment program. FSIS 
will review the State's request to determine whether to approve the 
State to participate in the cooperative interstate shipment program.
    If a State determines that an establishment qualifies to 
participate in the cooperative interstate shipment program, and the 
State is able, and willing, to provide the necessary inspection 
services at the establishment, the State is to submit its evaluation of 
the establishment to the FSIS District Office that covers the State (74 
FR 24729).
    FSIS, in coordination with the State, will then decide whether to 
select the establishments for the program. Establishments that qualify 
for this program must meet all requirements under the FMIA or PPIA, and 
implementing regulations, including FSIS requirements for recordkeeping 
(9 CFR 332.5 and 381.515). Most State-inspected establishments will 
already have met these recordkeeping requirements, but some 
establishments will need to make minor adjustments to their 
recordkeeping in order to meet FSIS requirements.
    The FSIS selected establishment coordinator (SEC) is responsible 
for overseeing a State's cooperative inspection program. The SEC will 
visit

[[Page 52061]]

each selected establishment in the State on a regular basis to verify 
that the establishment is operating in a manner that is consistent with 
the FMIA or PPIA and the implementing regulations (9 CFR 332.7 and 
381.517).
    The approval for this information collection will expire on January 
31, 2020. FSIS has reduced the estimated burden in this information 
collection by 1,272 hours due to a reduction in the number of 
participating States. FSIS has made the following estimates based on an 
information collection assessment.
    Estimate of Burden: FSIS estimates that it will take each new State 
an average of 40 hours to prepare and submit a request to establish a 
cooperative interstate shipment program.
    FSIS estimates that it will take each State 24 hours to prepare and 
submit an evaluation for each new establishment entering the program. 
FSIS estimates that States will submit approximately 3 evaluations per 
year.
    FSIS estimates that 15 establishments per year, out of the current 
60 participating establishments, will spend 16 hours to modify their 
recordkeeping procedures to comply with Federal standards and 5 minutes 
per establishment to file these records. The State will need to provide 
these records during the initial verification visit when the FSIS SEC 
verifies the State nomination to select the establishment into the 
program. FSIS estimates 15 minutes per establishment to provide the 
records for the verification assessment.
    Respondents: States and establishments.
    Estimated No. of Respondents: 7 states and 60 establishments.
    Estimated No. of Annual Responses per Respondent: FSIS estimates 
there will be one request per each new State to establish a cooperative 
interstate shipment program per year. There will be a one-time 
modification of records for each newly selected establishment whose 
recordkeeping does not comply with all Federal standards. The total 
number of estimated annual responses is 777.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 733 hours.

Copies of this information collection assessment can be obtained from 
Gina Kouba, Office of Policy and Program Development, Food Safety and 
Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 6065, South 
Building, Washington, DC 20250-3700; (202) 720-5627.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of FSIS's 
functions, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of FSIS's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
method and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information, including through 
the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other 
technological collection techniques, or other forms of information 
technology. Comments may be sent to both FSIS, at the addresses 
provided above, and the Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB), Washington, DC 20253.
    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.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal 
Register publication on-line through the FSIS web page located at: 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.
    FSIS will also announce and provide a link to this Federal Register 
publication through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to 
provide information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, 
Federal Register notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of 
information that could affect or would be of interest to our 
constituents and stakeholders. The Constituent Update is available on 
the FSIS web page. Through the web page, FSIS can provide information 
to a much broader, more diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an 
email subscription service which provides automatic and customized 
access to selected food safety news and information. This service is 
available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe. Options range from 
recalls to export information, regulations, directives, and notices. 
Customers can add or delete subscriptions themselves and have the 
option to password protect their accounts.

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

    No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds 
of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual 
orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, 
income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs, 
exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to 
discrimination any person in the United States under any program or 
activity conducted by the USDA.

How To File a Complaint of Discrimination

    To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program 
Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined 
_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your authorized 
representative.
    Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax, 
or email:
    Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of 
Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, 
Fax: (202) 690-7442, Email: [email protected]
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should contact 
USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

    Done at Washington, DC.
Carmen M. Rottenberg,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2019-21298 Filed 9-30-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P