[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 69 (Thursday, April 9, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19920-19922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-07423]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency

[Docket ID FSA-2020-0003]


Information Collection Requests; Farm Programs: Disaster 
Assistance-General (0560-0170), Transfer of Records Between Counties 
(0560-0253) and Customer Data Worksheet Request for Business Partner 
Record (0560-0265)

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 
the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all 
interested individuals and organizations on the three Farm Programs' 
information collection requests. The 3 collection requests in the Farm 
Programs are: Disaster Assistance-General (0560-0170), Transfer of 
Records between Counties (0560-0253) and Customer Data Worksheet 
Request for Business Partner Record (0560-0265). In the Disaster 
Assistance-General, the information collection is needed to identify 
disaster areas and establish eligibility for both primary disaster 
counties and those counties contiguous to such disaster counties for 
assistance from FSA. This assistance includes FSA emergency loans which 
are available to eligible and qualified farmers and ranchers. In the 
Customer Data Worksheet Request for Business Partner

[[Page 19921]]

Record, FSA is using the collected information in support of 
documenting critical producer data (for example, customer name, current 
mailing address, tax identification number) made at the request of the 
producer to obtain, correct or update their information. In the 
Transfer of Records Between Counties, FSA is using the collected 
information to approve or disapprove the transfer of farm records from 
one FSA county office to another.

DATES: We will consider comments that we receive by June 8, 2020.

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on this notice. In your 
comments, please include date, volume, and page number of this issue of 
the Federal Register. You may submit comments by the following method: 
Federal eRulemaking Portal; Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search 
for Docket ID FSA-2020-0003.
    You may also send comments to the Desk Officer for Agriculture, 
Office of the Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management 
and Budget, Washington, DC 20503. Comments will be available for public 
inspection online at http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to the 
collection activities or to obtain a copy of the information collection 
request: For the Disaster Assistance, please contact Helen Mathew, 
(202) 720-6834; [email protected]; for the Customer Data Worksheet 
Request for Business Partner Record Change, please contact Paul Hanson, 
202-304-7932; [email protected] and for the Transfers of Records 
between Counties, please contact Melonie Sullivan, 202-690-61, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Disaster Assistance-General (7 CFR PART 1945-A).
    OMB Control Number: 0560-0170.
    Expiration Date: September 30, 2020.
    Type of Request: Extension with a revision.
    Abstract: The information collection is necessary for FSA to 
effectively administer the regulations related to identifying those 
disaster areas that are eligible for the purpose of making emergency 
loans. This program is available to qualified and eligible farmers and 
ranchers who have suffered weather-related physical or production 
losses or both in such areas. Before emergency loans can become 
available, the information needs to be collected to determine if the 
disaster areas meet the criteria of having a qualifying loss in order 
to be considered as an eligible county.
    The number of responses increased to 820 which increased the burden 
hours to 412 due to the additional Disaster Designation requests.
    For the following estimated total annual burden on respondents, the 
formula used to calculate the total burden hour is the estimated 
average time per responses hours multiplied by the estimated total 
annual responses.
    Estimate of Average Time to Respond: Public reporting burden for 
the information collection is estimated to average 0.477 hours per 
response.
    Type of Respondents: Individuals or households, businesses or other 
for-profit farms.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 1312.
    Estimated Number of Reponses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 1312.
    Estimated Average Time per Response: 0.477 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 626.
    Title: Customer Data Worksheet for Business Partner Record Change.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-0265.
    Expiration Date: October 31, 2020.
    Type of Request: Extension with a revision.
    Abstract: The information collection is necessary to effectively 
monitor critical producer data (for example, customer name, current 
mailing address and tax identification number) made at the request of 
the producer to provide, correct or update their information. The form 
AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet Request for Business Partner Record, 
is used to collect the information from the producer to input or make 
changes to the information. The critical producer data are also being 
used to update existing producer record data and document when and who 
initiates and changes the record.
    FSA, Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and other USDA 
Agencies use the Business Partner database to maintain and manage their 
respective customer data. The necessity to monitor critical producer 
data in the Business Partner database was a direct result of the OMB 
Circular A-123 Remediation/Corrective Action Plan for County Office 
Operations which requires effective internal controls to be in place 
for Federal programs. FSA team was established and reviewed and 
documented key controls related to all material producer accounts. FSA 
also included the analysis on a review of record.
    The number of respondents increased by 52,848 to account for 
additional customers due to additional USDA agencies. The average time 
per response changed from 10 minutes to 3 minutes for the form of AD-
2047 that decreased the burden hours by 4,189 in the request since the 
last OMB approval.
    For the following estimated total annual burden on respondents, the 
formula used to calculate the total burden hours is the estimated 
average time per responses multiplied by the estimated total annual of 
responses.
    Estimate of Average Time to Respond: Public reporting burden for 
collecting information under this notice is estimated to average 0.05 
hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, 
searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data 
needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.
    Type of Respondents: FSA, NRCS, AMS, and RD customers currently 
residing in the Business Partner database.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 109,774.
    Estimated Average Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 109,774.
    Estimated Average Time per Response: 0.05.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 5,489 hours.
    Title: Transfer of Records Between Counties.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-253.
    Expiration Date: October 31, 2020.
    Type of Request: Extension with a revision.
    Abstract: Farm owners or operators may request to transfer farm 
records between FSA county offices under certain circumstances, which 
may include:
     A change has occurred in the operation of the land; or
     there has been a change that would cause the receiving 
county office to be more accessible, including, but not limited to, the 
construction of a new highway, relocation of the county office building 
site; or
     when an FSA county office closes.
    FSA County Committees from both the transferring and receiving 
counties must approve or disapprove all proposed farm record transfers. 
If the FSA County Committee is not able to approve the request based on 
one of the criteria in 7 CFR 718.8(e), then the State Committee would 
need to submit an exception request to the Deputy Administrator for 
Farm Programs. The burden hours decreased by 21,382 due to the removal 
of travel times from the request.
    For the following estimated total annual burden on respondents, the

[[Page 19922]]

formula used to calculate the total burden hour is the estimated 
average time per responses hours multiplied by the estimated total 
annual responses.
    Estimate of Average Time to Respond: Public reporting burden for 
collecting information under this notice is estimated to average 0.16 
hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, 
searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data 
needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.
    Type of Respondents: Owners and operators.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 21,240.
    Estimated Average Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 21,240.
    Estimated Average Time per Response: 0.16.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 3,398 hours.

Requesting Comments

    FSA is requesting comments on all aspects of this information 
collection to help us to:
    (1) Evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of FSA, including whether the 
information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of FSA's estimate of burden including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to 
be collected;
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    All comments received in response to this notice, including names 
and addresses when provided, will be a matter of public record. 
Comments will be summarized and included in the submission for Office 
of Management and Budget approval.

Richard Fordyce,
Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 2020-07423 Filed 4-8-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-05-P