[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 33 (Friday, February 17, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10281-10282]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03346]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments 
are requested regarding: whether the collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; the 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used; ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to 
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 
and other forms of information technology.
    Comments regarding this information collection received by March 
20, 2023 will be considered. Written comments and recommendations for 
the proposed information collection should be submitted within 30 days 
of the publication of this notice on the following website 
www.reginfo.gov/

[[Page 10282]]

public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by 
selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' 
or by using the search function.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

Forest Service

    Title: Financial Information Security Request Form.
    OMB Control Number: 0596-0204.
    Summary of Collection: The majority of Forest Service's (FS) 
financial records are in databases stored at the National Finance 
Center (NFC). The Federal Information Security Reform Act of 2002 (Pub. 
L. 107-347) and Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 
(Pub. L. 104-106) authorize the Forest Service to obtain information 
necessary for contracted employees to access and maintain these 
records.
    Need and Use of the Information: The Forest Service uses a paper 
and electronic version of its form FS-6500-214 to gather name, work 
email, work telephone number, job title etc. for a specific contracted 
employee to apply to NFC for access. Prior to filling out the firm, 
contractors must first complete specific training before a user may 
request access to certain financial systems. NFC grants access to users 
only at the request of Client Security Officers. The unit's Client 
Security Officer is responsible for management of access to computers 
and coordinates all requests for NFC. The information collected is 
shared with those managing or overseeing the financial systems used by 
the FS, this includes auditors.
    Description of Respondents: Contracted Employees.
    Number of Respondents: 209.
    Frequency of Reponses: Reporting: Yearly.
    Total Burden Hours: 315.

Forest Service

    Title: Federal and Non-Federal Financial Assistance Instruments.
    OMB Control Number: 0596-0217.
    Summary of Collection: To carry out specific Forest Service 
activities, Congress created several authorities to assist the Agency 
in its mission. These authorities allow the Forest Service to utilize 
Federal Financial Assistance (FFA) awards (i.e., grants and cooperative 
agreements) to support agency specific authorities and appropriations. 
Included in this collection are forms related to the Award Letter, 
Certification Letters, FFA related Standard Forms (SF), and information 
related to Pre-Award and Post-Award activities, which include but not 
limited to, the project description, project scope, financial plan, 
statement of work, and cooperator business information.
    Need and Use of the Information: In addition to Federal Financial 
Assistance (FFA), Congress created specific authorizations for acts 
outside the scope of the FGCAA. Appropriations language was developed 
to convey authority for the Forest Service to enter relationships that 
are outside the scope of the FGCAA. The Forest Service implements these 
authorizations using instruments such as collection agreements, FGCAA 
exempted agreements, memorandums of understanding, and other agreements 
which mutually benefit participating parties. These instruments fall 
outside the scope of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and 
often require financial plans and statements of work. Forest Service 
employees collect information from cooperating parties from the pre-
award to the closeout stage via telephone calls, emails, postal mail, 
and person-to-person meetings to create, develop, and administer these 
funded and non-funded agreements. The multiple means for respondents to 
communicate their responses include forms, non-forms, electronic 
documents, face-to-face, telephone, and internet. The scope of 
information collected varies; however, it typically includes the 
project type, project scope, financial plan, statement of work, and 
cooperator's business information.
    The Forest Service would not be able to create, develop, and 
administer these funded and non-funded agreements without the collected 
information. The Agency would also be unable to develop or monitor 
projects, make or receive payments, or identify financial and 
accounting errors.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-
profit Institutions; State, Local or Tribal Government; Individuals.
    Number of Respondents: 16,986.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: Quarterly; On 
occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 32,767.

Forest Service

    Title: Federal Excess Personal and Firefighter Property Program 
Administration.
    OMB Control Number: 0596-0223.
    Summary of Collection: Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) and 
Firefighter Property (FFP) programs provide state (including US 
territories) forestry agencies the opportunity to obtain excess 
Department of Defense and other Federal agencies equipment and supplies 
to be used in firefighting and emergency services. The authority to 
provide excess supplies to state agencies comes from Federal Property 
and Administration Services Act of 1949, as amended, 40 U.S.C., Sec 
202. Authority to loan excess supplies comes from 10 U.S.C., Subtitle 
A, Part IV, Chapter 153, 2576b grants the authority for the FFP.
    Need and Use of the Information: The Forest Service (FS) ``Federal 
Excess Property Management Information System (FEPMIS) database allows 
the FS to collect FEPP and FFP information used to manage property 
inventory electronically. Access to the database is limited to those 
state employees with access authorized by FS Management Officers 
working in the fire and Aviation staff. Each state designates an 
Accountable Officer who is responsible for the integrity of the program 
within their respective state and completing the necessary 
documentation for each program in which the state participates. For 
this reason FEPP and FFP collects the state forestry agency contact 
information and the information of the Accountable Officer. Cooperative 
Agreement forms FS-3100-10 and/or FS-3100-11 are used to collect the 
required information from the participating state agency that outlines 
the requirements and rules for the cooperation. Participating state 
agencies must submit separate agreements if they desire to participate 
in both programs.
    Description of Respondents: State and local government.
    Number of Respondents: 76.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: Annual.
    Total Burden Hours: 600.

Levi S. Harrell,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023-03346 Filed 2-16-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P