Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics, 59980-59981 [2016-20899]

Download as PDF mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES 59980 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 169 / Wednesday, August 31, 2016 / Notices NASS also complies with OMB Implementation Guidance, ‘‘Implementation Guidance for Title V of the E-Government Act, Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA),’’ Federal Register, Vol. 72, No. 115, June 15, 2007, p. 33362. Estimate of Burden: Reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 45 minutes per response. This was determined by our Survey Methodologists, who compared the length and difficulty of the questions with similar surveys. They also took into account the projected number of farmers who will skip some sections of the questionnaire due to the presence or absence of damage due to feral swine. Burden is based on an estimated minimum response rate of 80%. On similar types of surveys and through the use of a mail questionnaire and telephone follow-up to nonrespondents NASS has been able to contact and collect some data from approximately 80% of the target sample. After removing the out of business operations and those with no items of interest we hope to have at least a 65 to 70% usable response rate. NASS will be utilizing several pieces of publicity and informational materials to encourage respondents to participate in this important survey. NASS will conduct the survey initially by mail with phone follow-up for non-response. Respondents: Farm Operators. Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 12,000. Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 9,300 hours. Comments: 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, technological or other forms of information technology collection methods. All responses to this notice will become a matter of public record and be summarized in the request for OMB approval. VerDate Sep<11>2014 21:59 Aug 30, 2016 Jkt 238001 Signed at Washington, DC, August 22, 2016. R. Renee Picanso, Associate Administrator. [FR Doc. 2016–20900 Filed 8–30–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–20–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE National Agricultural Statistics Service Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of the Charter renewal for the Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics. AGENCY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking renewal of the 2-year charter for its discretionary committee, the Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics. Effective October 1, 1996, responsibility for the census of agriculture program was transferred to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) at USDA from the Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce. Effective February 2, 1997, NASS also received the transferred program positions and staff from the Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce. Responsibility for the Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics, which is a discretionary committee and was established by agency authority, was transferred, along with its allocated slot, to USDA with the census of agriculture program. SUMMARY: Authority: The Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics was originally established by the Secretary of Commerce on July 16, 1962. The Committee is also established in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5 U.S.C. App.2. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hubert Hamer, Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, (202) 720– 2707, or email HQOA@nass.usda.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose: The purpose of the Committee is to advise the Secretary on the conduct of the periodic censuses and surveys of agriculture, other related surveys, and the types of agricultural information to obtain from respondents. The committee also prepares recommendations regarding the content of agriculture reports, and presents the views and needs for data of major suppliers and users of agriculture statistics. The committee draws on the experience and expertise of its members PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 to form a collective judgment concerning agriculture data collected and the statistics issued by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Description of Duties: The duties of the Committee are solely advisory in nature. The Committee makes recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture with regard to the agricultural statistics program of NASS, and such other matters as it may deem advisable, or which the Secretary of Agriculture, Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, or the Administrator of NASS may request. Agency or Official to Whom the Committee Reports: The Committee reports to the Secretary of Agriculture through the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics. Committee Membership: The Secretary of Agriculture will appoint the membership of the Committee. Furthermore, members will serve for two-year terms, and can serve no more than three consecutive terms. Membership will consist of 20 individuals with diverse capabilities distinguished by their broad range of knowledge and interest in, though not limited to, agricultural economics, rural sociology, farm policy analysis, and agricultural education. Members will also be drawn from representatives of state and local governments; agriculturerelated industry and trade or marketing associations; major national farm organizations; and producer organizations. A representative from the Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, and a representative from the Economic Research Service, USDA, shall serve as ex officio members of the Committee. This Committee will be fairly balanced in its membership in terms of the points of view represented and the functions to be performed. Steps will be taken to encourage fresh points of view, such as establishing staggered membership terms and limiting the number of renewed memberships. Equal opportunity practices in accordance with USDA policies will be followed in all appointments to the Committee. To ensure that the recommendations of the Committee have taken into account the needs of the diverse groups served by USDA, membership will include to the extent possible, individuals with demonstrated ability to represent the needs of all racial and ethnic groups, women and men, and persons with disabilities. The USDA prohibits discrimination in all of its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental E:\FR\FM\31AUN1.SGM 31AUN1 mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 169 / Wednesday, August 31, 2016 / Notices status, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs, genetic information, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. Ethics Statement: To maintain the highest levels of honesty, integrity and ethical conduct, no Committee or subcommittee member shall participate in any ‘‘specific party matters’’ (i.e., matters are narrowly focused and typically involve specific transactions between identified parties) such as a lease, license, permit, contract, claim, grant, agreement, or related litigation with the Department in which the member has a direct or indirect financial interest. This includes the requirement for Committee or Subcommittee members to immediately disclose to the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) any specific party matter in which the member’s immediate family, relatives, business partners or employer would be directly seeking to financially benefit from the Committee’s recommendations. All members will receive ethics training to identify and avoid any actions that would cause the public to question the integrity of the Committee’s advice and recommendations. Members who are appointed as ‘‘Representatives’’ are not subject to Federal ethics laws because such appointment allows them to represent the point(s) of view of a particular group, business sector or segment of the public. Members appointed as ‘‘Special Government Employees’’ (SGEs) are considered intermittent Federal employees and are subject to Federal ethics laws. SGE’s are appointed due to their personal knowledge, academic scholarship, background or expertise. No SGE may participate in any activity in which the member has a prohibited financial interest. Appointees who are SGEs are required to complete and submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE–450 form) and, upon request, USDA will assist SGEs in preparing these financial reports. To ensure the highest level of compliance with applicable ethical standards USDA will provide ethics training to SGEs on an annual basis. The provisions of these paragraphs are not meant to exhaustively cover all Federal ethics laws and do not affect any other statutory or regulatory obligations to which advisory committee members are subject. Recordkeeping: The records of this Committee, formally and informally established subcommittees, or other subgroups of the committee, shall be handled in accordance with General VerDate Sep<11>2014 21:59 Aug 30, 2016 Jkt 238001 Records Schedule 26, Item 2 or other approved agency records disposition schedule. These records shall be available for public inspection and copying, subject to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552. Information about this Committee is available online at:https:// www.nass.usda.gov/About_NASS/ Advisory_Committee_on_Agriculture_ Statistics/index.php. Signed at Washington, DC, August 22, 2016. Renee Picanso, Associate Administrator. [FR Doc. 2016–20899 Filed 8–30–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–20–P COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS Agenda and Notice of Public Meetings of the South Dakota Advisory Committee Commission on Civil Rights. Announcement of meeting; postponement of meeting. AGENCY: ACTION: Notice is hereby given, pursuant to the provisions of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission), and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), that an emergency telephonic meeting of the South Dakota Advisory Committee to the Commission was convened at 2 p.m. on Thursday, August 18, 2016. The purpose of the emergency meeting was to discuss and vote to postpone briefing meeting on the ‘‘Subtle Effects of Racism in South Dakota,’’ scheduled for Thursday, August 25, 2016 in Aberdeen, SD. The reason for postponing the August 25 meeting is due to a police shooting in Aberdeen that is under state investigation. SUMMARY: The meeting scheduled for August 25, 2016 is postponed. A new date has not been set. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Malee Craft at mcraft@usccr.gov, or 303–866–1040. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Records and documents discussed during the meeting will be available for public viewing as they become available at https://database.faca.gov/committee/ meetings.aspx?cid=274 and clicking on the ‘‘Meeting Details’’ and ‘‘Documents’’ links. Records generated from this meeting may also be inspected and reproduced at the Commission’s Rocky Mountain Regional Office, as they become available, both before and after the meeting. DATES: PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 59981 Additional notice is hereby given, pursuant to the provisions of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission), and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), that the briefing meeting of the South Dakota Advisory Committee to the Commission scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 25, 2016, in the Community Room on the 1st Floor of the Aberdeen Public Safety Building, 114 2nd Avenue SE., Aberdeen, SD 57401, HAS BEEN POSTPONED by a vote of the SD State Advisory Committee. The vote to postpone was due to a recent critical incident in the Aberdeen community. A subsequent meeting date has not been scheduled. Exceptional Circumstance: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Management Regulations (41 CFR 102– 3.150), the notice for this meeting is given less than 15 calendar days prior to the meeting due to exceptional circumstances. Given the exceptional urgency of the events, the agency and advisory committee deemed it important for the advisory committee to meet on the date given to discuss postponement of the August 25 briefing. Dated: August 24, 2016. Brian Walch, Director, Communications and Public Engagement. [FR Doc. 2016–20969 Filed 8–30–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6335–01–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35). Agency: U.S. Census Bureau. Title: Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). OMB Control Number: 0607–0977. Form Number(s): SIPP–105(L1)(2016) (Advance Letter— No Incentive) SIPP–105(L3)(2016) (Advance Letter— $40 Incentive) SIPP–PIN–2016 (2016 PIN Letter) SIPP–101 (Factsheet) SIPP–106(L1)(2016) (Thank You Letter—No Incentive) SIPP–106(L2)(2016) (Thank You Letter—$40 Incentive) Type of Request: Renewal of OMB Approval. Number of Respondents: 64,050. E:\FR\FM\31AUN1.SGM 31AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 169 (Wednesday, August 31, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59980-59981]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-20899]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Agricultural Statistics Service


Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics

AGENCY: National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of the Charter renewal for the Advisory Committee on 
Agriculture Statistics.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking renewal 
of the 2-year charter for its discretionary committee, the Advisory 
Committee on Agriculture Statistics. Effective October 1, 1996, 
responsibility for the census of agriculture program was transferred to 
the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) at USDA from the 
Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce. Effective February 
2, 1997, NASS also received the transferred program positions and staff 
from the Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce. 
Responsibility for the Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics, 
which is a discretionary committee and was established by agency 
authority, was transferred, along with its allocated slot, to USDA with 
the census of agriculture program.

    Authority: The Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics was 
originally established by the Secretary of Commerce on July 16, 
1962. The Committee is also established in accordance with the 
provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 
5 U.S.C. App.2.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hubert Hamer, Administrator, National 
Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, (202) 
720-2707, or email HQOA@nass.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Purpose: The purpose of the Committee is to advise the Secretary on 
the conduct of the periodic censuses and surveys of agriculture, other 
related surveys, and the types of agricultural information to obtain 
from respondents. The committee also prepares recommendations regarding 
the content of agriculture reports, and presents the views and needs 
for data of major suppliers and users of agriculture statistics. The 
committee draws on the experience and expertise of its members to form 
a collective judgment concerning agriculture data collected and the 
statistics issued by the National Agricultural Statistics Service 
(NASS).
    Description of Duties: The duties of the Committee are solely 
advisory in nature. The Committee makes recommendations to the 
Secretary of Agriculture with regard to the agricultural statistics 
program of NASS, and such other matters as it may deem advisable, or 
which the Secretary of Agriculture, Under Secretary for Research, 
Education, and Economics, or the Administrator of NASS may request.
    Agency or Official to Whom the Committee Reports: The Committee 
reports to the Secretary of Agriculture through the Under Secretary for 
Research, Education, and Economics.
    Committee Membership: The Secretary of Agriculture will appoint the 
membership of the Committee. Furthermore, members will serve for two-
year terms, and can serve no more than three consecutive terms. 
Membership will consist of 20 individuals with diverse capabilities 
distinguished by their broad range of knowledge and interest in, though 
not limited to, agricultural economics, rural sociology, farm policy 
analysis, and agricultural education. Members will also be drawn from 
representatives of state and local governments; agriculture-related 
industry and trade or marketing associations; major national farm 
organizations; and producer organizations. A representative from the 
Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, and a representative 
from the Economic Research Service, USDA, shall serve as ex officio 
members of the Committee.
    This Committee will be fairly balanced in its membership in terms 
of the points of view represented and the functions to be performed. 
Steps will be taken to encourage fresh points of view, such as 
establishing staggered membership terms and limiting the number of 
renewed memberships.
    Equal opportunity practices in accordance with USDA policies will 
be followed in all appointments to the Committee. To ensure that the 
recommendations of the Committee have taken into account the needs of 
the diverse groups served by USDA, membership will include to the 
extent possible, individuals with demonstrated ability to represent the 
needs of all racial and ethnic groups, women and men, and persons with 
disabilities.
    The USDA prohibits discrimination in all of its programs and 
activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, 
disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, 
parental

[[Page 59981]]

status, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs, genetic 
information, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income 
is derived from any public assistance program.
    Ethics Statement: To maintain the highest levels of honesty, 
integrity and ethical conduct, no Committee or subcommittee member 
shall participate in any ``specific party matters'' (i.e., matters are 
narrowly focused and typically involve specific transactions between 
identified parties) such as a lease, license, permit, contract, claim, 
grant, agreement, or related litigation with the Department in which 
the member has a direct or indirect financial interest. This includes 
the requirement for Committee or Subcommittee members to immediately 
disclose to the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) any specific party 
matter in which the member's immediate family, relatives, business 
partners or employer would be directly seeking to financially benefit 
from the Committee's recommendations.
    All members will receive ethics training to identify and avoid any 
actions that would cause the public to question the integrity of the 
Committee's advice and recommendations. Members who are appointed as 
``Representatives'' are not subject to Federal ethics laws because such 
appointment allows them to represent the point(s) of view of a 
particular group, business sector or segment of the public.
    Members appointed as ``Special Government Employees'' (SGEs) are 
considered intermittent Federal employees and are subject to Federal 
ethics laws. SGE's are appointed due to their personal knowledge, 
academic scholarship, background or expertise. No SGE may participate 
in any activity in which the member has a prohibited financial 
interest. Appointees who are SGEs are required to complete and submit a 
Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-450 form) and, upon 
request, USDA will assist SGEs in preparing these financial reports. To 
ensure the highest level of compliance with applicable ethical 
standards USDA will provide ethics training to SGEs on an annual basis. 
The provisions of these paragraphs are not meant to exhaustively cover 
all Federal ethics laws and do not affect any other statutory or 
regulatory obligations to which advisory committee members are subject.
    Recordkeeping: The records of this Committee, formally and 
informally established subcommittees, or other subgroups of the 
committee, shall be handled in accordance with General Records Schedule 
26, Item 2 or other approved agency records disposition schedule. These 
records shall be available for public inspection and copying, subject 
to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552. Information about this 
Committee is available online at:https://www.nass.usda.gov/About_NASS/Advisory_Committee_on_Agriculture_Statistics/index.php.

    Signed at Washington, DC, August 22, 2016.
Renee Picanso,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2016-20899 Filed 8-30-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-20-P
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