[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 75 (Monday, April 20, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20971-20972]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-07661]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2026-0432]
Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information
Collection; Special Need Requests Under the Plant Protection Act
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
[[Page 20972]]
notice announces the intention of the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) to request an extension of approval of an
information collection associated with the regulations to allow States
to impose prohibitions or restrictions on specific articles in addition
to those required by APHIS to help protect against the introduction and
establishment of plant pests.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before June
22, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov.
Enter APHIS-2026-0432 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-2026-0432, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD,
APHIS, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Beltsville, Maryland 20705.
Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may
be viewed at regulations.gov or in our reading room, which is located
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 special need
requests under the Plant Protection Act, contact Mr. Matthew Travis,
Director, Biocontrol, and Forest, Wood and Rangeland Pests and
Emergency Domestic Programs, PPQ, APHIS, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue,
Beltsville, Maryland 20705; (240) 240-5394. 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: Special Need Requests Under the Plant Protection Act.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0291.
Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information
collection.
Abstract: The Plant Protection Act (PPA, 7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.)
authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to restrict the importation,
entry, or interstate movement of plants, plant products, and other
articles to prevent the introduction of plant pests into the United
States or their dissemination within the United States. This authority
has been delegated to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers
regulations to implement the PPA. Regulations governing the interstate
movement of plants, plant products, and other articles are contained in
7 CFR part 301, ``Domestic Quarantine Notices.'' The regulations in
``Subpart A-Preemption and Special Need Requests'' allow States or
political subdivisions of States to request approval from APHIS to
impose prohibitions or restrictions on the movement in interstate
commerce of specific articles that pose a plant health risk that are in
addition to the prohibitions and restrictions imposed by APHIS. This
process requires information collection activities, including a pest
data detection survey with a pest risk analysis showing that a pest is
not present in a State, or if already present, the current distribution
in the State, and that the pest would harm or injure the environment
and/or agricultural resources of the State or political subdivision.
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 technologies; e.g.,
permitting electronic submission of responses.
Estimate of burden: The public burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 160 hours per response.
Respondents: State governments.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 1.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.
Estimated annual number of responses: 1.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 160 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 April 2026.
Kelly Moore,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-07661 Filed 4-17-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P