[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 104 (Wednesday, June 2, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29546-29547]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-11597]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 104 / Wednesday, June 2, 2021 / 
Notices  

[[Page 29546]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Notice of an Extension or Revision of a Currently Approved 
Information Collection

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the intention of the Office of the Assistant Secretary 
for Civil Rights (OASCR) to request a renewal of a currently approved 
information collection. OASCR will use the information collected to 
collect the race, ethnicity, and gender (REG) of all program applicants 
and participants by county and State.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by August 2, 2021 to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights/Office of 
Compliance, Policy, and Training invites interested persons to submit 
comments on this notice. Comments may be submitted by one of the 
following methods:
    [ballot] Federal eRulemaking Portal: This website provides the 
ability to type short comments directly into the comment field on this 
web page or attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions at that site for 
submitting comments.
    [ballot] Mail, including CD-ROMs, etc.: Send to Docket Clerk, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700, Mailstop 9401.
    [ballot] Hand- or courier-delivered submittals: Deliver to 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700, Mailstop 9401.
    Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must 
include the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights/Office 
of Compliance, Policy, and Training, Docket No. 0503-0022, 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, go 
to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Center for 
Civil Rights Operations, Docket Room at 1400 Independence Avenue SW, 
Washington, DC 20250-3700, Mailstop 9401, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 
p.m., Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Denise A. Banks, Executive 
Director, Center for Civil Rights Operations, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250, (202) 401-7654 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 7 CFR part 15 Subpart D--Data Collection Requirement.
    OMB Number: 0503-0022.
    Expiration Date of Approval: July 31, 2021.
    Type of Request: Extension and revision of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Abstract: Currently, Section 14006 of the 2008 Farm Bill requires 
the Secretary of Agriculture to annually compile for each county and 
State in the United States program application and participation rate 
data regarding socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers for each 
program of USDA that serves agricultural producers or landowners. This 
requirement only applies to FSA, NRCS, RD, and RMA. These four agencies 
use the voluntary data collection form approved by OMB that is attached 
as a cover page to the application forms for programs that provide 
services to agriculture producers, farmers and ranchers. In addition, 
all remaining USDA agencies with conducted programs (Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service, and Foreign Agricultural Service) were 
required to develop a strategy for collecting voluntary REG data from 
individuals for their respective federally conducted programs by 
utilizing the same OMB approved form. Applicants and program 
participants of these programs and activities provide this data on a 
voluntary basis. These strategies will be reviewed and approved by 
OASCR, who will also provide oversight and monitoring of the collection 
of this data through its compliance activities.
    If the REG data is not collected on applicants and participants in 
USDA federally conducted programs, USDA will not be able to collect and 
report demographic data on its applicants and program participants. In 
addition, USDA would not be able to determine if programs and services 
are reaching and meeting the needs of the public, beneficiaries, 
partners, and other stakeholders based on demographic data.
    Failure to collect this information will also have a negative 
impact on USDA's outreach and compliance activities. This could result 
in an inability to equitably deliver programs and services to 
applicants and producers, and ultimately an inability to hold the 
agencies accountable.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average two minutes per response.
    Respondents: Producers, applicants, and USDA customers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,200.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 40 hours.
    Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who 
are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology. Comments may be sent to Denise A. Banks, 
Executive Director, Center for Civil Rights Operations, Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. All comments received will be 
available for

[[Page 29547]]

public inspection during regular business hours at the same address.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will 
become a matter of public record.

Winona Lake Scott,
Associate Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Civil Rights.
[FR Doc. 2021-11597 Filed 6-1-21; 8:45 am]
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