[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 24, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33561-33562]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-11063]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2023-0037]


Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information 
Collection; Scrapie in Sheep and Goats; Interstate Movement 
Restrictions and Indemnity Program

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Extension of approval of an information collection; comment 
request.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's 
intention to request an extension of approval of an information 
collection associated with regulations for the interstate movement of 
sheep and goats and an indemnity program for controlling the spread of 
scrapie.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before July 
24, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS-2023-0037 in the Search field. Select 
the Documents tab, then select the Comment button in the list of 
documents.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send one copy of 
your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2023-0037, Regulatory Analysis and 
Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.
    Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may 
be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov or in our reading room, which 
is in Room 1620 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure 
someone is there to help you, please call (202) 799-7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the domestic 
regulations to control the spread of scrapie, contact Dr. Diane Sutton, 
Assistant Director, Ruminant Health Center, Strategy & Policy, VS, 
APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 43, Riverdale, MD 20737; (240) 461-4050. 
For more detailed information on the information collection process, 
contact Mr. Joseph Moxey, APHIS' Paperwork Reduction Act Coordinator, 
at (301) 851-2483; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Scrapie in Sheep and Goats; Interstate Movement Restrictions 
and Indemnity Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0101.
    Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information 
collection.
    Abstract: Under the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et 
seq.), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the 
U.S. Department

[[Page 33562]]

of Agriculture is authorized, among other things, to prohibit or 
restrict the interstate movement of animals and animal products to 
prevent the dissemination within the United States of animal diseases 
and pests of livestock and to conduct programs to detect, control, and 
eradicate pests and diseases of livestock.
    Scrapie is a progressive, degenerative, and eventually fatal 
disease affecting the nervous system of sheep and goats. Its control is 
complicated because the disease has an extremely long incubation period 
without clinical signs of disease and no known treatment. The 
regulations in 9 CFR part 54 describe requirements related to the 
indemnity program, flock cleanup, testing, and a Scrapie Free Flock 
Certification Program (SFCP). Associated information collection 
activities include SFCP flock inspection reports; cooperative agreement 
and grant workplans, financial plans, and reports; memoranda of 
understanding; requests for information and reports on animals moved; 
records of animals acquired; scrapie epidemiology reports; appraisal 
and indemnity claims; written agreements and certifications; 
inventories and claims of animal value; receipts of disposal expenses 
(payment of indemnity); reports for U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency exempted disinfectants used; flock plans; post exposure 
management and monitoring plans; reports of suspect or dead animals; 
scrapie Post Exposure Monitoring and Management Plan inspection 
reports; program approvals of tests for scrapie; cooperative State-
Federal scrapie control program scrapie test records; specimen 
submissions; requests for laboratory approval; and applications for the 
scrapie flock certification program.
    Regulations in 9 CFR part 79 describe requirements related to 
restrictions on the interstate movement of certain sheep and goats to 
control the spread of scrapie. Associated information collection 
activities include interstate certificates of veterinary inspection; 
requests by a breed registry to have its tattoos approved as official 
identification; requests for approval of sheep or goat identification 
device types or methods not currently approved; applications for and 
assignment of identification numbers or official tags including blue 
tags; an optional application for and assignment of identification 
numbers; reports when identification is applied; requests to move 
animals in interstate commerce; requests to replace official 
identification for lost or damaged official identification devices; 
requests for approval to produce or renew approval to produce official 
identification devices; agreements to send official ear tags to 
specified individuals; monthly reports of official identification 
produced; data entry of official identification devices produced and 
assigned; compliance agreements and reports for consignments when 
identification is applied; declinations to participate or provide 
information; herd owner notification of designation of flocks or 
animals; permits for movement of restricted animals; State application 
for scrapie classification, classification renewal, or reclassification 
of a State; epidemiology and identification compliance reports; and 
concurrence with APHIS/State animal designation.
    Information collection activities associated with both parts 54 and 
79 include training and approval of designated scrapie epidemiologists, 
waivers of requirements for scrapie control pilot projects, appeals of 
APHIS decisions, approval of terminal feedlots, and owner/hauler 
statements.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collection activities for an additional 3 
years.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public 
(as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection. 
These comments will help us:
    (1) Evaluate 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;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated, 
electronic, mechanical, and other collection echnologies; e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of responses.
    Estimate of burden: The public burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 0.77 hours per response.
    Respondents: Flock owners; market owners, operators, or managers; 
dealers; slaughter plant owners, operators, or managers; feedlot 
owners, operators, or managers; tag manufacturers; managers of producer 
organizations; accredited veterinarians; and State animal health 
authorities.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 174,851.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 6.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 1,082,777.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 828,878 hours. (Due 
to averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product 
of the annual number of responses multiplied by the reporting burden 
per response.)
    All 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.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 18th day of May 2023.
Michael Watson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-11063 Filed 5-23-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P