Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-Food Stamp Program Application, Form FNS-252, Food Stamp Application for Stores, 45643-45644 [05-15624]
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 151 / Monday, August 8, 2005 / Notices
page number of this issue of the Federal
Register and will be made available for
public inspection in the above office
during regular business hours.
The proposed U.S. Standards for
Grades of Muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia)
Grapes are available either from the
above address or the Agricultural
Marketing Service (AMS), Fresh
Products Branch Web site at: https://
www.ams.usda.gov/fv/
fpbdocketlist.htm.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David L. Priester, at the above address
or call (202) 720–2185; e-mail
David.Priester@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section
203(c) of the Agricultural Marketing Act
of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621–1627), as
amended, directs and authorizes the
Secretary of Agriculture ‘‘To develop
and improve standards of quality,
condition, quantity, grade and
packaging and recommend and
demonstrate such standards in order to
encourage uniformity and consistency
in commercial practices.’’ AMS is
committed to carrying out this authority
in a manner that facilitates the
marketing of agricultural commodities
and makes copies of official standards
available upon request. The United
States Standards for Grades of Fruits
and Vegetables not connected with
Federal Marketing Orders or U.S. Import
Requirements no longer appear in the
Code of Federal Regulations, but are
maintained by USDA/AMS/Fruit and
Vegetable Programs.
AMS is proposing to establish
voluntary United States Standards for
Grades of Muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia)
Grapes using procedures that appear in
part 36, title 7 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (7 CFR part 36).
Background
The petitioner, an industry group
representing growers, requested that
AMS develop a grade standard for
muscadine grapes. AMS attended
various industry meetings, visited
several grower facilities, and worked
with University Extension Specialists to
collect information regarding muscadine
grapes for the development of grade
standards. In January 2004, a discussion
draft for the proposed standard was sent
out to the muscadine grape industry for
input. Based on information gathered
and comments rendered by the industry,
AMS has developed a proposed U.S.
Standards for Grades of Muscadine
(Vitis rotundifolia) Grapes. The proposal
would establish the following grades as
well as a tolerance for each grade: U.S.
Extra No. 1 and U.S. No. 1. In addition,
proposed ‘‘Application of Tolerances’’
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20:13 Aug 05, 2005
Jkt 205001
and ‘‘Size Classifications’’ sections
would be established. This proposal
also defines ‘‘Damage,’’ ‘‘Serious
Damage,’’ specific basic requirements
and other defects. AMS is soliciting
comments on the proposed standard to
better serve the industry and the
probable impact on growers, processors,
and distributors.
This proposal will provide a common
language for trade and a means of
measuring value in the marketing of
muscadine grapes. The official grade of
a lot of muscadine grapes covered by
these standards will be determined by
the procedures set forth in the
Regulations Governing Inspection,
Certification, and Standards of Fresh
Fruits, Vegetables, and Other Products
(Sec. 51.1 to 51.61).
This notice provides for a 60-day
comment period for interested parties to
comment on the proposed U.S.
Standards for Grades of Muscadine
(Vitis rotundifolia) Grapes.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621–1627.
Dated: August 2, 2005.
Kenneth C. Clayton,
Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing
Service.
[FR Doc. 05–15555 Filed 8–5–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–02–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request—Food Stamp
Program Application, Form FNS–252,
Food Stamp Application for Stores
Food and Nutrition Service,
USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: USDA’s Food and Nutrition
Service (FNS) has revised its Food
Stamp Program Application for Stores,
Form FNS–252 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2004.
The form was revised to simplify and
streamline information collected from
retailers on the application and make it
easier to read. The Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) granted
a one year approval of the use of this
form. FNS did not begin to use the new
form until the fourth quarter of FY 2004
when the new Store Tracking and
Redemption Subsystem (STARS II)
became operational. We are soliciting
public comments on the content, format
and design of the revised Form FNS–
252.
As conditions of clearance for the
revised retailer application, OMB is
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
45643
requiring that FNS translate the Form
FNS–252 into Spanish and have it in
active use within the year. OMB is also
requiring FNS to track and report on the
completion rates for questions 14c, 15b,
16, and 17b. FNS translated the Form
FNS–252, into Spanish and is in the
process of working with a contractor to
post this information on the FNS
website. We expect to have the Spanish
version of Form FNS–252 in active use
by the end of the fourth quarter of FY
2005. FNS is also in the process of
tracking the completion rate of those
questions identified by OMB, and
referenced above. We will report the
results upon resubmission to OMB for
approval. Finally, a question asking
retailers to provide the number of
check-out registers that are in the store
was omitted from the revised Form
FNS–252 in error. FNS needs this
information for program management
purposes, and it impacts our ability to
accurately provide point-of-sale
information to third party processors
and State contractors. As a result of this
finding, FNS intends to add this
question to the revised Form FNS–252.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before October 7, 2005,
to be assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on:
(a) 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;
(b) 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; (c) ways to enhance
the quality, utility and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d)
ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including through the
use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Comments may be sent to Andrea
Gordon, Chief, Retailer Management
Branch, Benefit Redemption Division,
Food and Nutrition Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park
Center Drive, Room 404, Alexandria, VA
22302; FAX number (703) 305–1863; or
via e-mail to: BRDHQWEB@fns.usda.gov. All submitted
comments should refer to the title of
this notice and/or the OMB approval
number.
All responses to this notice will be
summarized and included in the request
for OMB approval. All comments will
become a matter of public record.
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08AUN1
45644
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 151 / Monday, August 8, 2005 / Notices
The
public can download the English
version of Form FNS–252 from the FNS
public Web site at: https://
www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/retailers/
retailer_app/default.htm. Requests for
additional information should be
directed to Andrea Gordon at (703) 305–
2456 or via e-mail at: BRDHQWEB@fns.usda.gov. Information
requests submitted through email
should refer to the title of this notice
and/or the OMB approval number in the
subject line.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Food Stamp Program: Food
Stamp Program Application for Stores,
Form FNS–252 (Soliciting Comments
from Retailers on the Revised
Application).
OMB Number: 0584–0008.
Form Number: FNS–252.
Expiration Date: November 30, 2005.
Type of Request: Revision of a
currently approved collection.
Abstract: Section 9 of the Food Stamp
Act of 1977, as amended (7 U.S.C.
2018), requires retail food stores to
submit applications to FNS for approval
prior to participating in the Food Stamp
Program (FSP). FNS recently revised
Form FNS–252 to make it easier to
understand and to streamline the
information collected on the
application. The revised Form FNS–252
is a significant improvement over the
previous Form FNS–252, while
adhering to the regulatory requirements
for the authorization process for
retailers. FNS implemented the revised
Form FNS–252 when the new Store
Tracking and Redemption Subsystem
(STARS II) became operational during
the fourth quarter of FY 2004. We know
that in the past, many retailers
submitted an incomplete or erroneous
application to the FNS field office. This
can be attributed, in part, to applicants
who are purchasing a business and do
not have complete inventory or
financial records at the time of
application to the FSP. The revised
Form FNS–252 deleted redundant
questions and questions that solicit
information that can be collected from
other FNS sources such as store visits
and databases. It is our belief that the
revised application is easier to
understand and complete, and has
resulted in fewer mistakes upfront. Use
of the revised Form FNS–252 also has
reduced the time it takes for a field
office to process an incomplete or
incorrect application. Retailers also
benefit from the simplified, revised
Form FNS–252 because they better
understand what information is being
asked of them initially. Additionally,
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
VerDate jul<14>2003
20:13 Aug 05, 2005
Jkt 205001
FNS published a 60-day notice in the
Federal Register, on January 2, 2003 at
68 FR 79 and again on December 24,
2003 at 68 FR 74546, asking for
comments from the public on the
revised Forms FNS–252 and Form FNS–
252–2 and the newly developed
Addendum to Revised Retailer
Application for Chain Stores, Form
FNS–252–C respectively. We are now
seeking comments on the content,
design and format of the revised Form
FNS–252.
Burden Estimates: As noted above, we
will evaluate the revised Form FNS–252
on the appropriateness and clarity of the
form’s content, format and design.
Before making final changes to this
form, we will consider feedback from
the public. The burden associated with
the revised Form FNS–252 is
determined from information available
in the STARS database on initial
authorizations and reauthorizations. For
the burden associated with initial
authorizations, we have used end-ofyear FY 2004 data as the base number
for current estimates for the burden
associated with adding the one
additional question referenced above to
the revised Form FNS–252. We believe
this number will be constant for the
present year. We will use 24,658 as the
base number for FY 2005 for all newly
authorized stores. For burden estimates
associated with applications for
reauthorization, we have used FY 2004
data of 30,097 reauthorizations as the
base number for FY 2005 estimates
because we do not anticipate any radical
variation in the number of stores to be
reauthorized in the current year. We
estimate that 99 percent (24,411) of the
24,658 applications and 3 percent (903)
of the 30,097 reauthorizations will be
submitted using the Form FNS–252. In
our previous submission to OMB, we
estimated that it takes a retailer, on
average, 19.4 minutes to compete the
revised Form FNS–252. For this
submission to OMB, we estimate that it
will take a retailer an additional five
seconds to complete the one additional
question referenced above. We estimate
the annual burden for the revised Form
FNS–252 to be 8,100 hours [25,314
affected retailers (24,411 new
authorizations + 903 reauthorizations) ×
.32 (19.4 minutes)].
The estimated burden computation is
provided below:
New Authorizations—24,411 (24,658
× 99%); Reauthorizations—903 (30,097
× 3%);
Total Responses = 25,314 (24,411 +
903)
Estimated Total Annual Burden:
FNS–252: 8,100 (25,314 × .32) hour.
Total Annual Hours: 8,100.
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Affected Public: Retail food stores.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
25,314.
Estimated Annual Number of
Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Responses:
25,314.
Estimate of Burden: 8,100.
Dated: July 25, 2005.
Roberto Salazar,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 05–15624 Filed 8–5–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–30–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Foreign Agricultural Service
Trade Adjustment Assistance for
Farmers
Foreign Agricultural Service,
USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Administrator, Foreign
Agricultural Service (FAS), will begin
accepting Trade Adjustment Assistance
for Farmers petitions for fiscal year 2006
starting August 15, 2005. Petitioners can
file their form FAS–930 or other
acceptable petitions to FAS from August
15, 2005, through January 31, 2006.
Petitioners should file their petition
in accordance with 7 CFR 1580.201. The
petition must be received by the TAA
office by close of business January 31,
2006. The TAA office address is Foreign
Agricultural Service, ITP/IPPD, MS–
1021, Washington, DC 20250–1021, or
facsimile number is (202) 720–0876, or
by e-mail to
trade.adjustment@fas.usda.gov. Use of
fax or e-mail is recommended.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Trade
Act of 2002 (P.L. 107–210) amended the
Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2551, et
seq.) to add a new chapter 6, which
established a program of trade
adjustment assistance for farmers,
providing both technical assistance and
cash benefits to producers and qualified
fishermen. The statute authorizes an
appropriation of not more than $90
million for each fiscal year 2003 through
2007 to carry out the program.
Under this program, a group of
agricultural commodity producers and
qualified fishermen may petition the
Administrator for trade adjustment
assistance. Petitions will be reviewed
for completeness and timeliness. Once
the petition is completed in accordance
with 7 CFR 1580.201, the acceptance of
the petition will be published in the
Federal Register. Once a petition has
been accepted, a determination will be
made to verify that the most recent
E:\FR\FM\08AUN1.SGM
08AUN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 151 (Monday, August 8, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45643-45644]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-15624]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request--Food Stamp Program Application, Form FNS-252, Food
Stamp Application for Stores
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has revised its Food
Stamp Program Application for Stores, Form FNS-252 in Fiscal Year (FY)
2004. The form was revised to simplify and streamline information
collected from retailers on the application and make it easier to read.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) granted a one year approval
of the use of this form. FNS did not begin to use the new form until
the fourth quarter of FY 2004 when the new Store Tracking and
Redemption Subsystem (STARS II) became operational. We are soliciting
public comments on the content, format and design of the revised Form
FNS-252.
As conditions of clearance for the revised retailer application,
OMB is requiring that FNS translate the Form FNS-252 into Spanish and
have it in active use within the year. OMB is also requiring FNS to
track and report on the completion rates for questions 14c, 15b, 16,
and 17b. FNS translated the Form FNS-252, into Spanish and is in the
process of working with a contractor to post this information on the
FNS website. We expect to have the Spanish version of Form FNS-252 in
active use by the end of the fourth quarter of FY 2005. FNS is also in
the process of tracking the completion rate of those questions
identified by OMB, and referenced above. We will report the results
upon resubmission to OMB for approval. Finally, a question asking
retailers to provide the number of check-out registers that are in the
store was omitted from the revised Form FNS-252 in error. FNS needs
this information for program management purposes, and it impacts our
ability to accurately provide point-of-sale information to third party
processors and State contractors. As a result of this finding, FNS
intends to add this question to the revised Form FNS-252.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before October 7, 2005,
to be assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: (a) 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; (b) 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; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Comments may be sent to Andrea Gordon, Chief, Retailer Management
Branch, Benefit Redemption Division, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 404,
Alexandria, VA 22302; FAX number (703) 305-1863; or via e-mail to:
BRDHQ-WEB@fns.usda.gov. All submitted comments should refer to the
title of this notice and/or the OMB approval number.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public
record.
[[Page 45644]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The public can download the English
version of Form FNS-252 from the FNS public Web site at: https://
www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/retailers/retailer_app/default.htm. Requests for
additional information should be directed to Andrea Gordon at (703)
305-2456 or via e-mail at: BRDHQ-WEB@fns.usda.gov. Information requests
submitted through email should refer to the title of this notice and/or
the OMB approval number in the subject line.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Food Stamp Program: Food Stamp Program Application for
Stores, Form FNS-252 (Soliciting Comments from Retailers on the Revised
Application).
OMB Number: 0584-0008.
Form Number: FNS-252.
Expiration Date: November 30, 2005.
Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Abstract: Section 9 of the Food Stamp Act of 1977, as amended (7
U.S.C. 2018), requires retail food stores to submit applications to FNS
for approval prior to participating in the Food Stamp Program (FSP).
FNS recently revised Form FNS-252 to make it easier to understand and
to streamline the information collected on the application. The revised
Form FNS-252 is a significant improvement over the previous Form FNS-
252, while adhering to the regulatory requirements for the
authorization process for retailers. FNS implemented the revised Form
FNS-252 when the new Store Tracking and Redemption Subsystem (STARS II)
became operational during the fourth quarter of FY 2004. We know that
in the past, many retailers submitted an incomplete or erroneous
application to the FNS field office. This can be attributed, in part,
to applicants who are purchasing a business and do not have complete
inventory or financial records at the time of application to the FSP.
The revised Form FNS-252 deleted redundant questions and questions that
solicit information that can be collected from other FNS sources such
as store visits and databases. It is our belief that the revised
application is easier to understand and complete, and has resulted in
fewer mistakes upfront. Use of the revised Form FNS-252 also has
reduced the time it takes for a field office to process an incomplete
or incorrect application. Retailers also benefit from the simplified,
revised Form FNS-252 because they better understand what information is
being asked of them initially. Additionally, FNS published a 60-day
notice in the Federal Register, on January 2, 2003 at 68 FR 79 and
again on December 24, 2003 at 68 FR 74546, asking for comments from the
public on the revised Forms FNS-252 and Form FNS-252-2 and the newly
developed Addendum to Revised Retailer Application for Chain Stores,
Form FNS-252-C respectively. We are now seeking comments on the
content, design and format of the revised Form FNS-252.
Burden Estimates: As noted above, we will evaluate the revised Form
FNS-252 on the appropriateness and clarity of the form's content,
format and design. Before making final changes to this form, we will
consider feedback from the public. The burden associated with the
revised Form FNS-252 is determined from information available in the
STARS database on initial authorizations and reauthorizations. For the
burden associated with initial authorizations, we have used end-of-year
FY 2004 data as the base number for current estimates for the burden
associated with adding the one additional question referenced above to
the revised Form FNS-252. We believe this number will be constant for
the present year. We will use 24,658 as the base number for FY 2005 for
all newly authorized stores. For burden estimates associated with
applications for reauthorization, we have used FY 2004 data of 30,097
reauthorizations as the base number for FY 2005 estimates because we do
not anticipate any radical variation in the number of stores to be
reauthorized in the current year. We estimate that 99 percent (24,411)
of the 24,658 applications and 3 percent (903) of the 30,097
reauthorizations will be submitted using the Form FNS-252. In our
previous submission to OMB, we estimated that it takes a retailer, on
average, 19.4 minutes to compete the revised Form FNS-252. For this
submission to OMB, we estimate that it will take a retailer an
additional five seconds to complete the one additional question
referenced above. We estimate the annual burden for the revised Form
FNS-252 to be 8,100 hours [25,314 affected retailers (24,411 new
authorizations + 903 reauthorizations) x .32 (19.4 minutes)].
The estimated burden computation is provided below:
New Authorizations--24,411 (24,658 x 99%); Reauthorizations--903
(30,097 x 3%);
Total Responses = 25,314 (24,411 + 903)
Estimated Total Annual Burden: FNS-252: 8,100 (25,314 x .32) hour.
Total Annual Hours: 8,100.
Affected Public: Retail food stores.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 25,314.
Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Responses: 25,314.
Estimate of Burden: 8,100.
Dated: July 25, 2005.
Roberto Salazar,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 05-15624 Filed 8-5-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P
