[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 12 (Thursday, January 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3387-3388]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-00981]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Fisheries Finance Program Requirements

AGENCY: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment 
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before March 20, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0012 in the subject line of your 
comments. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise 
sensitive or protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Brian Summers, Loan Specialist, NOAA/NMFS/FFP/FMB5, 1315 East West 
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, (301) 427-8783, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for an extension of a currently approved 
information collection. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA) operates the Fisheries Finance Program, a direct 
government loan program that provides long term financing for the cost 
of construction or reconstruction of fishing vessels, shoreside fishery 
facilities, aquaculture facilities, and individual fishing quotas in 
the Northwest Halibut/Sablefish and Alaskan Crab Fisheries. To be 
eligible

[[Page 3388]]

for this benefit program, an applicant must be an aquaculture operator 
or fisherman and a U.S. citizen. They must also meet all of the 
following:
     Have good credit and earnings record, net worth, and 
liquidity behind the project, and
     The project must be fully secured with their assets, 
including personal guarantees (non-recourse credit is not available), 
and
     Have at least a three-year history of owning or operating 
the fisheries project that will be the subject of the proposed 
application, or a three-year history owning or operating a comparable 
project.
    Application information is required to determine loan eligibility 
pursuant to 50 CFR part 253 and to determine the type and amount of 
financial assistance available to the applicant. Applicants are 
required to submit NOAA FORM 88-1, and supporting financial documents. 
An annual financial statement is required from the recipients to 
monitor the financial status of the loan. Small stylistic changes have 
been made to the NOAA FORM 88-1 to make the form easier for the 
applicant to understand and to fill electronically, but the information 
collected is not changed.

II. Method of Collection

    Electronic Applications.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0012.
    Form Number(s): 88-1.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; business or other for-
profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 336.
    Estimated Time per Response: Program Application, 10 hours; Annual 
Financial Statement, 2 hours; Guarantor Consent, 5 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,184.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    Legal Authority: 50 CFR part 253.

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2023-00981 Filed 1-18-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P