[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 31, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61363-61364]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-24098]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Farm Service Agency
[Docket ID: FSA-2025-0268]
Information Collection Request; Organic Certification Cost Share
Program
AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested
individuals and organizations on a revision of a currently approved
information collection request associated with the Organic
Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP).
DATES: We will consider comments that we receive by March 2, 2026.
ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on this notice. You may
submit comments by this method: Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to:
www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID FSA-2025-0268. Follow the
online instructions for submitting comments.
You may also send comments to the Desk Officer for Agriculture,
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget, Washington, DC 20503. Copies of the information collection may
be requested by contacting Jenae Orso.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to
collection activity, contact Jenae Orso; (229) 850-0194; email:
[email protected]. Individuals who require alternative means of
communication for program information should contact the USDA Target
Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice) or dial 711 for Telecommunications
Relay Service (both voice and text telephone users can initiate this
call from any telephone).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
OCCSP provides cost share assistance to producers and handlers of
agricultural products for the costs of obtaining or maintaining organic
certification under the National Organic Program (NOP). Section 10606
of H.R. 1 (Pub. L. 119-21, also referred to as the ``One Big Beautiful
Bill Act'') authorized $10,000,000 in National OCCSP funding for fiscal
years 2025 through 2031 (7 U.S.C. 6523(d)). An additional $1,000,000 in
Agricultural Management Assistance funding is available for each fiscal
year (7 U.S.C. 1524(b)). This notice announces that FSA is requesting
comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a
revision of a currently approved information collection request
associated with OCCSP. FSA will announce the OCCSP application periods
for certified organic operations and State Agencies in a future final
rule.
Description of Information Collection Request
Title: Organic Certification Cost Share Program.
OMB Control Number: 0560-0289.
Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved information
collection.
OMB Expiration Date: March 31, 2026.
Abstract: FSA is requesting comments from all interested
individuals and organizations on a revision of a currently approved
information collection request associated with OCCSP. OCCSP provides
cost share assistance to producers and handlers of agricultural
products for the costs of obtaining or maintaining organic
certification under the National Organic Program (NOP).
To receive cost share assistance, producers and handlers submit an
application form and itemized invoices showing expenses paid to a
third-party certifying agency for certification services during the
fiscal year for which the application is submitted. Producers and
handlers who apply through State Agencies must also submit a W-9,
Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification. Producers
and handlers who apply through FSA county office must submit AD-2047,
Customer Data Worksheet, and SF-3881, ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Payment
Enrollment Form, if not already on file with FSA.
FSA also accepts applications from State Agencies to establish
grant agreements to administer OCCSP for producers and handlers in
their States. Participating State Agencies will submit SF-424,
Application for Federal Assistance; a signed Notice of Grant and
Agreement Award; SF-425, Federal Financial Report; an annual narrative
report, and an annual spreadsheet of organic operations that were
reimbursed for eligible expenses. State Agencies will also submit at
least one SF-270, Request for Advance of Reimbursement; for the purpose
of calculating the burden for this collection, FSA has used an estimate
of 2 responses for SF-270, which is the average number submitted by
respondents annually in recent years.
FSA is requesting a revision of the approved information
collection. The revisions are due to adjustments to the estimated
number of respondents based on program participation in recent years,
changes to the estimated hours per response for some responses to
accurately reflect the time necessary to complete them, updates to
reflect the forms currently used for FSA programs to administer grant
agreements and collect respondent information, and changes to
accurately account for exempt burden hours. For the following estimated
total annual burden on respondents, the formula used to calculate the
total burden hours is the estimated average time per response hours
multiplied by the estimated total annual responses.
Estimate of Respondent Burden: Public reporting burden for this
collection of information is estimated to average 0.6482 hours per
response.
Respondents: Individuals, Businesses, Farms, and State Governments.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 12,030.
Estimated Number of Reponses per Respondent: 3.7232.
Estimated Total Annual Responses: 44,790.
Estimated Average Time per Response: 0.6482 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 29,031 hours.
We are requesting comments on all aspects of this information
collection to help us:
(1) Evaluate 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) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of
the collection of information including the
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validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
(3) Evaluate the quality, utility, and clarity of the information
technology; and
(4) Minimize the burden of the information collection on those who
respond through the use of appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms
of information technology.
All comments received in response to this notice, including names
and addresses where provided, will be made a matter of public record.
Comments will be summarized and included in the request for OMB
approval of the information collection.
Kimberly Graham,
Associate Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 2025-24098 Filed 12-30-25; 8:45 am]
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