Third-Party Inspection Programs Under the Animal Welfare Act; Public Meetings, 2959-2960 [2018-00966]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 14 / Monday, January 22, 2018 / Notices
OMB Control Number: 0572–0032.
Summary of Collection: The Rural
Utilities Service (RUS) was established
in 1994 by the Federal Crop Insurance
Reform and Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 (Pub. L.
103–354, 108 stat. 3178, 7 U.S.C. 6941
et seq.) as successor to the Rural
Electrification Administration (REA)
with respect to certain programs,
including the electric loan and loan
guarantee program authorized under the
Rural Electrification Act (RE Act) of
1936. The RE Act authorizes and
empowers the Administrator of RUS to
make and guarantee loans to furnish and
improve electric service in rural areas.
These loans are amortized over a period
of up to 35 years and secured by the
borrower’s electric assets and/or
revenue. RUS will collect information
including studies and reports to support
borrower loan applications.
Need and Use of the Information:
RUS will collect information to
determine the eligibility of applicants
for loans and loan guarantees under the
RE Act; monitor the compliance of
borrowers with debt covenants and
regulatory requirements in order to
protect loan security; ensure that
borrowers use loan funds for purposes
consistent with the statutory goals of the
RE Act; and obtain information on the
progress of rural electrification and
evaluate the success of RUS program
activities. Without the information RUS
would be unable to accomplish
statutory goals.
Description of Respondents: Not-forprofit institutions; Business or other forprofit.
Number of Respondents: 625.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting:
On occasion; Annually.
Total Burden Hours: 52,130.
Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018–01004 Filed 1–19–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
[Docket No. APHIS–2017–0102]
Third-Party Inspection Programs
Under the Animal Welfare Act; Public
Meetings
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of public meetings.
AGENCY:
We are advising the public
that the Animal and Plant Health
SUMMARY:
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19:00 Jan 19, 2018
Jkt 244001
Inspection Service (APHIS) will host a
series of public meetings to solicit data
and information from the public to aid
in the development of criteria for
recognizing the use of third-party
inspection and certification programs as
a positive factor when determining
APHIS inspection frequencies at
facilities licensed or registered under
the Animal Welfare Act.
DATES: The meetings will be held in
Santa Clara, CA, on January 18, 2018;
Riverdale, MD, on February 8, 2018;
Kansas City, MO, on February 22, 2018,
and Tampa, FL, on March 8, 2018. The
public meetings will be held from 9 a.m.
to 1 p.m., local time, except for the
meeting in Maryland, which will be
held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., local time.
A virtual listening session will be held
on March 14, 2018, from 1 p.m. to 5
p.m. EST. We will accept written
statements regarding the use of thirdparty inspection and certification
programs until March 21, 2018.
ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be
held at the following locations:
• January 18: Santa Clara Marriott,
2700 Mission College Boulevard, Santa
Clara, CA 95054;
• February 8: USDA Center at
Riverside, 4700 River Road, Riverdale,
MD 20737;
• February 22: USDA, Beacon
Building, 6501 Beacon Road, Kansas
City, MO 64133; and
• March 8: Renaissance Tampa Hotel
International Plaza, 4200 Jim Walter
Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33607.
You may also submit written
statements using one of the following
methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov/#!
docketDetail;D=APHIS-2017-0102.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:
Send your comment to Docket No.
APHIS–2017–0102, Regulatory Analysis
and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station
3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118,
Riverdale, MD 20737–1238.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Mike Tuck, Management Analyst,
Animal Care, APHIS, USDA 4700 River
Road Unit 84, Riverdale, MD 20737;
(301) 851–3747; James.M.Tuck@
aphis.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) is announcing a series
of meetings to solicit data and
information from the public to aid in the
development of criteria for recognizing
the use of third-party inspection and
certification programs as a positive
factor when determining APHIS
inspection frequencies at facilities
licensed or registered under the Animal
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
2959
Welfare Act (AWA). APHIS already
recognizes inspections performed by
other government agencies with animal
welfare oversight and accreditation by
the Association of Zoos & Aquariums as
a positive factor when determining the
frequency of Federal inspections
through the use of a risk-based
inspection system, and APHIS is
seeking public comment on expanding
this consideration to include other types
of third-party inspections and
certifications.
The risk-based inspection system,
initiated in 1998, uses several objective
criteria, including but not limited to
past compliance history, to determine
the minimum inspection frequency at
each licensed and registered facility.
With this system, APHIS has been able
to provide more in-depth inspections
and improve its interactions with
licensees and registrants—an approach
that APHIS firmly believes makes better
use of its inspection resources.
The public may submit their
comments in response to this notice in
writing and/or at in-person and virtual
listening sessions. The meetings will be
held in various locations across the
country and will include an internetbased virtual meeting to facilitate
attendance. Participants will have the
opportunity to offer written and oral
comments.
Specifically, APHIS is seeking data
and information regarding the following
topics and questions:
1. APHIS is considering recognizing
the use of qualified, third-party
programs when determining APHIS
inspection frequencies at regulated
facilities. Would a potential reduction
in the frequency of APHIS inspections
be a sufficient incentive for regulated
facilities to use third-party programs to
support compliance under the AWA?
Are there other incentives that could be
offered to attract participation of
regulated entities in the program? Please
explain.
2. What are the advantages and
disadvantages of voluntary, third-party
programs to support compliance under
the AWA? What potential benefits and
costs might accrue to regulated facilities
that elect to use a third-party program?
What are the risks associated with using
a third-party program?
3. Are third-party programs likely to
be effective in practice? Is there
potential for a well-functioning market
for third-party programs to develop?
Please explain. What existing thirdparty programs are already used by
regulated facilities to help support their
AWA compliance?
4. When assessing whether to
recognize a third-party program, what
E:\FR\FM\22JAN1.SGM
22JAN1
2960
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 14 / Monday, January 22, 2018 / Notices
criteria should APHIS consider to assure
its independence, determine whether
the scope of its services support and
align with the AWA, and mitigate
potential conflicts of interest and other
potential risks? In addition, what
information should a regulated facility
provide so APHIS may verify its use of
a third-party program?
5. Aside from recognizing the use of
qualified, third-party programs, what
are other methods APHIS could use to
encourage facilities to achieve and
sustain compliance with the AWA?
Also, where do you see the greatest
opportunity for APHIS to improve the
consistency and effectiveness of its
AWA program?
Registration instructions for the
listening session are available by
contacting the person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT or by
following the instructions available via
the APHIS website at: https://
www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/
animalwelfare/sa_animal_welfare_
news/third-party-inspectioncertification-programs.
If you require special
accommodations, such as a sign
language interpreter, please contact the
person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
Done in Washington, DC, on January 16,
2018.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2018–00966 Filed 1–19–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Notice of Intent To Seek Approval To
Revise and Extend a Currently
Approved Information Collection
National Agricultural Statistics
Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces the intention of the
National Agricultural Statistics Service
(NASS) to request revision and
extension of a currently approved
information collection, the Agricultural
Resources Management Survey and
Chemical Use Surveys. A revision to
burden hours will be needed due to
changes in the size of the target
population, sampling design, and/or
questionnaire length.
ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:00 Jan 19, 2018
Jkt 244001
Comments on this notice must be
received by March 23, 2018 to be
assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
identified by docket number 0535–0218,
by any of the following methods:
• Email: ombofficer@nass.usda.gov.
Include docket number above in the
subject line of the message.
• eFax: (855) 838–6382.
• Mail: Mail any paper, disk, or CD–
ROM submissions to: David Hancock,
NASS Clearance Officer, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Room 5336
South Building, 1400 Independence
Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250–
2024.
• Hand Delivery/Courier: Hand
deliver to: David Hancock, NASS
Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Room 5336 South Building,
1400 Independence Avenue SW,
Washington, DC 20250–2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kevin L. Barnes, Associate
Administrator, National Agricultural
Statistics Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, (202) 720–4333. Copies of
this information collection and related
instructions can be obtained without
charge from David Hancock, NASS—
OMB Clearance Officer, at (202) 690–
2388 or at ombofficer@nass.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Agricultural Resources
Management Survey and Chemical Use
Surveys.
OMB Control Number: 0535–0218.
Expiration Date of Current Approval:
July 31, 2018.
Type of Request: Intent to revise and
extend a currently approved
information collection.
Abstract: The Agricultural Resource
Management Survey(s) (ARMS) are the
primary source of information for the
U.S. Department of Agriculture on a
broad range of issues related to:
Production practices, costs and returns,
pest management, chemical usage, and
contractor expenses. Data is collected on
both a whole farm level and on selected
commodities.
ARMS is the only source of
information available for objective
evaluation of many critical issues
related to agriculture and the rural
economy, such as: Whole farm finance
data, including data sufficient to
construct estimates of income for farms
by: Type of operation, loan
commodities, income for operator
households, credit, structure, and
organization; marketing information;
and other economic data on input usage,
production practices, and crop
substitution possibilities.
Data from ARMS are used to produce
estimates of net farm income by type of
DATES:
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Frm 00003
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
commercial producer as required in 7
U.S.C. 7998 as amended and estimates
of enterprise production costs as
required in 7 U.S.C. 1441(a) as
amended. Data from ARMS are also
used as weights in the development of
the Prices Paid Index, a component of
the Parity Index referred to in the
Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as
amended. These indexes are used to
calculate the annual federal grazing fee
rates as described in the Public
Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978
and Executive Order 12548 and as
promulgated in regulations found at 36
CFR 222.51, as amended.
In addition, ARMS is used to produce
estimates of sector-wide production
expenditures and other components of
income that are used in constructing the
estimates of income and value-added
which are transmitted to the U.S.
Department of Commerce, Bureau of
Economic Analysis, by the USDA
Economic Research Service (ERS) for
use in constructing economy-wide
estimates of Gross Domestic Product.
This transmittal of data, prepared using
the ARMS, is undertaken to satisfy a
1956 agreement between the Office of
Management and Budget and the
Departments of Agriculture and
Commerce that a single set of estimates
be published on farm income.
Chemical Use Surveys: Congress has
mandated that NASS and ERS build
nationally coordinated databases on
agricultural chemical use and related
farm practices; these databases are the
primary vehicles used to produce
specified environmental and economic
estimates. The surveys will help provide
the knowledge and technical means for
producers and researchers to address
on-farm environmental concerns in a
manner that maintains agricultural
productivity.
In this approval request, there is only
one significant program change. The
annual Microbial Food Safety
Practices—Packer Survey will be
discontinued.
The commodities that are scheduled
to be included in this approval are in
the following table.
Year
Survey
2018 .....
ARMS Phase II
(PPCR).
ARMS Phase II
(PPR).
Chemical Use ..
ARMS Phase III
2019 .....
E:\FR\FM\22JAN1.SGM
ARMS Phase II
(PPCR).
ARMS Phase II
(PPR).
22JAN1
Target
commodity
Soybeans.
Corn and Peanuts.
Vegetables.
Soybeans and
Cow-Calf.
Cotton, Barley
and Sorghum.
Wheat.
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 14 (Monday, January 22, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2959-2960]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00966]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2017-0102]
Third-Party Inspection Programs Under the Animal Welfare Act;
Public Meetings
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of public meetings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) will host a series of public meetings to
solicit data and information from the public to aid in the development
of criteria for recognizing the use of third-party inspection and
certification programs as a positive factor when determining APHIS
inspection frequencies at facilities licensed or registered under the
Animal Welfare Act.
DATES: The meetings will be held in Santa Clara, CA, on January 18,
2018; Riverdale, MD, on February 8, 2018; Kansas City, MO, on February
22, 2018, and Tampa, FL, on March 8, 2018. The public meetings will be
held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., local time, except for the meeting in
Maryland, which will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., local time. A
virtual listening session will be held on March 14, 2018, from 1 p.m.
to 5 p.m. EST. We will accept written statements regarding the use of
third-party inspection and certification programs until March 21, 2018.
ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be held at the following locations:
January 18: Santa Clara Marriott, 2700 Mission College
Boulevard, Santa Clara, CA 95054;
February 8: USDA Center at Riverside, 4700 River Road,
Riverdale, MD 20737;
February 22: USDA, Beacon Building, 6501 Beacon Road,
Kansas City, MO 64133; and
March 8: Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza, 4200
Jim Walter Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33607.
You may also submit written statements using one of the following
methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2017-0102.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2017-0102, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD,
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mike Tuck, Management Analyst,
Animal Care, APHIS, USDA 4700 River Road Unit 84, Riverdale, MD 20737;
(301) 851-3747; [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) is announcing a series of meetings to solicit data and
information from the public to aid in the development of criteria for
recognizing the use of third-party inspection and certification
programs as a positive factor when determining APHIS inspection
frequencies at facilities licensed or registered under the Animal
Welfare Act (AWA). APHIS already recognizes inspections performed by
other government agencies with animal welfare oversight and
accreditation by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums as a positive
factor when determining the frequency of Federal inspections through
the use of a risk-based inspection system, and APHIS is seeking public
comment on expanding this consideration to include other types of
third-party inspections and certifications.
The risk-based inspection system, initiated in 1998, uses several
objective criteria, including but not limited to past compliance
history, to determine the minimum inspection frequency at each licensed
and registered facility. With this system, APHIS has been able to
provide more in-depth inspections and improve its interactions with
licensees and registrants--an approach that APHIS firmly believes makes
better use of its inspection resources.
The public may submit their comments in response to this notice in
writing and/or at in-person and virtual listening sessions. The
meetings will be held in various locations across the country and will
include an internet-based virtual meeting to facilitate attendance.
Participants will have the opportunity to offer written and oral
comments.
Specifically, APHIS is seeking data and information regarding the
following topics and questions:
1. APHIS is considering recognizing the use of qualified, third-
party programs when determining APHIS inspection frequencies at
regulated facilities. Would a potential reduction in the frequency of
APHIS inspections be a sufficient incentive for regulated facilities to
use third-party programs to support compliance under the AWA? Are there
other incentives that could be offered to attract participation of
regulated entities in the program? Please explain.
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of voluntary, third-
party programs to support compliance under the AWA? What potential
benefits and costs might accrue to regulated facilities that elect to
use a third-party program? What are the risks associated with using a
third-party program?
3. Are third-party programs likely to be effective in practice? Is
there potential for a well-functioning market for third-party programs
to develop? Please explain. What existing third-party programs are
already used by regulated facilities to help support their AWA
compliance?
4. When assessing whether to recognize a third-party program, what
[[Page 2960]]
criteria should APHIS consider to assure its independence, determine
whether the scope of its services support and align with the AWA, and
mitigate potential conflicts of interest and other potential risks? In
addition, what information should a regulated facility provide so APHIS
may verify its use of a third-party program?
5. Aside from recognizing the use of qualified, third-party
programs, what are other methods APHIS could use to encourage
facilities to achieve and sustain compliance with the AWA? Also, where
do you see the greatest opportunity for APHIS to improve the
consistency and effectiveness of its AWA program?
Registration instructions for the listening session are available
by contacting the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
or by following the instructions available via the APHIS website at:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalwelfare/sa_animal_welfare_news/third-party-inspection-certification-programs.
If you require special accommodations, such as a sign language
interpreter, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
Done in Washington, DC, on January 16, 2018.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-00966 Filed 1-19-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
