[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 127 (Wednesday, July 1, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39519-39520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-14101]
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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.
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 127 / Wednesday, July 1, 2020 /
Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS-2020-0020]
Notice of Request for Revision of an Approved Information
Collection (Accreditation of Laboratories, Transactions, and
Exemptions)
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 the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to request a
revision of the approved information collection for the accreditation
of laboratories; transactions with official meat and poultry
establishments, egg products processing plants, and other firms; and
exemptions from requirements of the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the
Poultry Products Inspection Act. FSIS has reduced the burden estimate
for this collection by 13 hours based on updated information. The
approval for this information collection will expire on December 31,
2020.
DATES: Submit comments on or before August 31, 2020.
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-2020-0020. 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: Accreditation of Laboratories, Transactions, and Exemptions.
OMB Number: 0583-0082.
Expiration Date of Approval: 12/31/2020.
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.), the
Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) (21 U.S.C. 451, et seq.) and the
Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA) (21 U.S.C. 1031, et seq.). These
statutes mandate that FSIS protect the public by verifying that meat,
poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, unadulterated, and
properly labeled and packaged.
FSIS is requesting a revision of the approved information
collection for the accreditation of laboratories; transactions with
official meat and poultry establishments, egg products processing
plants, and other firms; and exemptions from requirements of the FMIA
and PPIA. FSIS has reduced the burden estimate for this collection by
13 hours based on updated information. The approval for this
information collection will expire on December 31, 2020.
FSIS requires accredited non-Federal analytical laboratories to
maintain certain records (9 CFR 439.20 & 590.580). The Agency uses this
collected information to ensure that non-Federal laboratories act in
accordance with FSIS regulations.
The FMIA (21 U.S.C. 642), the PPIA (21 U.S.C. 460(b)), and the EPIA
(21 U.S.C. 1040) require establishments, brokers, wholesalers, or
otherwise, to keep records that fully and correctly disclose all
transactions involved in their businesses related to relevant animal
carcasses and parts and egg products.
In addition, FSIS requires establishments to keep records to ensure
that meat and poultry products exempted from Agency inspection are not
commingled with inspected meat and poultry products (9 CFR 303.1(b)(3)
& 381.175).
Finally, FSIS requires retail operations determined to have
violated the requirements associated with the retail exemptions in the
FMIA and PPIA to keep sales purchase and sales records to ensure future
compliance (9 CFR 303.1(d)(3) & 381.10(d)(3)).
FSIS has made the following estimates based upon an information
collection assessment:
Respondents: Accredited laboratories, official meat and poultry
establishments, egg products processing plants and other firms.
Estimated No. of Respondents: 27,743.
Estimated No. of Annual Responses per Respondent: 122.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 114,326 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
[[Page 39520]]
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).
Paul Kiecker,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2020-14101 Filed 6-30-20; 8:45 am]
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