[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 3 (Thursday, January 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 454]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28949]


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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. 89, No. 3 / Thursday, January 4, 2024 / 
Notices  

[[Page 454]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Notice of Request for Extension or Renewal of a Currently 
Approved Information Collection

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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 to request a renewal to a currently approved 
information collection for race, ethnicity, and gender along with 
comments.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by March 4, 2024 to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 
invites interested persons to submit comments on this notice. Comments 
may be submitted by one of the following methods:
    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 on the eRulemaking Portal submitting 
comments.
    U.S. Mail, including CD-ROMs, etc.: Send to U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250.
    Hand or courier-delivered submittals: Deliver to 1400 Independence 
Avenue, Washington, DC 20250.
    Instructions: All items submitted by U.S. mail or electronic mail 
must include the Agency name, Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Civil Rights. Comments received in response to this docket will be made 
available for public inspection and posted without changes, including 
any personal information, to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Docket: For access to background documents or comments received, 
please contact the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 
at 1400 Independence Avenue SW, DC 20250 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Winona Scott, Acting 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) 720-3808.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), this notice announces the intention 
of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights to request 
approval for an existing collection in use without an Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) control number.
    Title: Race, Ethnicity and Gender Data Collection.
    OMB Number: OMB No. 0503-0019.
    Expiration Date of Approval: March 31, 2024.
    Type of Request: Extension and renewal of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Abstract: This data collection is necessary to implement sections 
14006 and 14007 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, 7 
U.S.C. 8701 (hereafter referred to as the 2008 Farm Bill). Section 
14006 of the 2008 Farm Bill establishes a requirement for the 
Department of Agriculture (USDA) to annually compile application and 
participation rate data regarding socially disadvantaged farmers or 
ranchers by computing for each program of the USDA that serves 
agriculture producers and landowners (a) raw numbers of applicants and 
participants by race, ethnicity, and gender subject to appropriate 
privacy protections, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture; and 
(b) the application and participation rate, by race, ethnicity and 
gender, as a percentage of the total participation rate of all 
agricultural producers and landowners for each county and state in the 
United States. Pursuant to the authority in section 14006, the agencies 
of USDA are to collect the data and transmit it to the Secretary of 
Agriculture. Section 14007 requires USDA to use the data collected in 
the conduct of oversight and evaluation of civil rights compliance.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 2 minutes per response.
    Respondents: Producers, applicants.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,011,250.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 67,041.
    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 by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: Send comments to [email protected].
     U.S. Mail: Winona Scott, Acting Executive Director, Center 
for Civil Rights Operations, Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave. 
SW, Washington, DC 20250.
    All comments received will be available for 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.

Penny Brown Reynolds,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Civil Rights.
[FR Doc. 2023-28949 Filed 1-3-24; 8:45 am]
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