[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 12 (Tuesday, January 20, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2329-2330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00995]
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Notices
Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 91, No. 12 / Tuesday, January 20, 2026 /
Notices
[[Page 2329]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2025-0703]
Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an
Information Collection; National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP)
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Revision to and extension of approval of an information
collection; comment request.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's
intention to request a revision to and extension of approval of an
information collection associated with the National Poultry Improvement
Plan.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before March
23, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS-2025-0703 in the Search field. Select
the Documents tab, then select the Comment button in the list of
documents.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2025-0703, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD,
APHIS, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., #AP760, Beltsville, MD 20705.
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 National
Poultry Improvement Plan, contact Dr. Savannah Busby, DVM, Acting
Senior Coordinator, National Poultry Improvement Plan, Veterinary
Services, APHIS, 1506 Klondike Road SW, Suite 301, Conyers, GA 30094;
(678) 501-1476. For more information on the information collection
reporting process, contact Ms. Sheniqua Harris, APHIS' Paperwork
Reduction Act Coordinator, at (301) 851-2528 or email
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP).
OMB Control Number: 0579-0007.
Type of Request: Revision to and 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 of Agriculture (USDA), is authorized, among other
things, to administer the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP), the
primary purpose of which is to protect the health of the U.S. poultry
population. NPIP is a Federal-State-industry cooperative program for
the improvement of poultry flocks and products through disease control
techniques. Participation in all NPIP programs is voluntary, but
flocks, hatcheries, and dealers of breeding poultry must first qualify
as ``U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean'' as a condition for participation in
NPIP programs. The NPIP regulations are contained in 9 CFR part 56, and
parts 145 through 147.
To administer the NPIP, APHIS requires a number of activities to
include memoranda of understanding; flock selecting and testing reports
and commercial waterfowl/game bird egg producing flock surveillance;
reports of sales of hatching eggs, chicks and poults (including
printing and mailing computerized printouts for small shipments);
summaries of breeding flock, table-egg layer flock, meat-type chicken
and turkey slaughter plant participation; reports of hatcheries,
dealers, and independent flocks, table-egg producers, meat-type chicken
and turkey slaughter plants participating in the NPIP; investigations
of salmonella isolations in poultry; flock inspection and check testing
reports; and hatchery inspection forms. Activities also include banding
or marking of sentinel birds for identification prior to flock
vaccination; requests for salmonella serotyping; applications for U.S.
Avian influenza and Newcastle Clean Compartment and Clean Component
Registrations and requests for removal; component audits; auditor
applications for NPIP AI Clean Compartment Program; and compliance
statements. Activities further include descriptions of animal
identification and traceability processes; laboratory examination for
Newcastle disease and reporting; diagnostic test evaluations; Newcastle
disease biosecurity plans; indemnity compliance agreements; appraisal
and indemnity claims for animals or materials destroyed; initial state
response and containment plans; and recordkeeping.
We are asking OMB to approve our use of these information
collection activities, as described, for an additional 3 years. APHIS
has amended this information collection by correcting the number of
Respondents reporting showing an increase which were miscounted in the
previous collection; however, the number of Responses and Total Burden
Hours slightly decreases.
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 technologies; e.g.,
permitting electronic submission of responses.
Estimate of burden: The public burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 0.472 hours per response.
[[Page 2330]]
Respondents: State agriculture officials; flock owners; breeders;
hatchery operators; table-egg, meat-type chicken, and meat-type turkey
producers; feedlot and slaughter plant personnel; approved laboratory
personnel; prospective and certified auditors; visitors, and associated
entities.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 4,555.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 51.
Estimated annual number of responses: 234,529.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 110,738 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 15th day of January 2026.
Michael Watson,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-00995 Filed 1-16-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P