Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, 25231-25233 [2019-11372]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 105 (Friday, May 31, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25231-25233]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-11372]


========================================================================
Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

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.

========================================================================


Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 105 / Friday, May 31, 2019 / 
Notices

[[Page 25231]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

May 28, 2019.
    The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments 
are requested regarding; 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; the 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used; ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and 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 regarding this information collection received by July 1, 
2019 will be considered. Written comments should be addressed to: Desk 
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office Building, 
725--17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20502. Commenters are encouraged to 
submit their comments to OMB via email to: [email protected] 
or fax (202) 395-5806 and to Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, 
Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250-7602. Copies of the submission(s) 
may be obtained by calling (202) 720-8958.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Restricted, Prohibited, and Controlled Importation of Animal 
and Poultry Products and Byproducts, Into the United States.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0015.
    Summary of Collection: The Animal Health Protection Act (AHPA) of 
2002 is the primary Federal law governing the protection of animal 
health. The law gives the Secretary of Agriculture broad authority to 
detect, control, or eradicate pests or diseases of livestock or 
poultry. Disease prevention is the most effective method for 
maintaining a healthy animal population and enhancing the Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) ability to compete in the world 
market of animals and animal products trade. In connection with this 
mission, APHIS enforces regulations regarding both the importation of 
controlled materials and the prevention of foreign animal disease 
incursions into the United States. The regulations under which APHIS 
conducts these disease prevention activities are contained in Title 9, 
Chapter 1, Subchapter D, Parts 94, 95, and 122 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information to 
ensure that imported items do not present a disease risk to the 
livestock and poultry populations of the United States. The information 
collected will provide APHIS with critical information concerning the 
origin and history of the items destined for importation into the 
United States. Without the information, the United States would be at 
increase risk of an exotic disease incursion.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Not for-
profit institutions; Foreign Government.
    Number of Respondents: 3,437.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting; On occasion; 
Quarterly.
    Total Burden Hours: 427,734.

Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service

    Title: Cooperative State-Federal Brucellosis Eradication Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0047.
    Summary of Collection: The Animal Health Protection Act (AHPA) of 
2002 is the primary Federal law governing the protection of animal 
health. The AHPA is contained in Title X, Subtitle E, Sections 10401-18 
of Public Law 107-171, May 13 2002, the Farm Security and Rural 
Investment Act of 2002. Disease prevention and disease surveillance are 
the most effective methods for maintaining a healthy animal population 
and for enhancing the United States' ability to compete in the world 
market of animal and animal product trade. The Veterinary Services (VS) 
unit of the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 
is responsible for administering regulations intended to protect the 
health of the U.S. livestock population. Brucellosis is an infectious 
disease of animals and humans caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella. 
The continued presence of brucellosis in a herd seriously threatens the 
health, welfare, and economic viability of the livestock industry. 
There is no economically feasible treatment for brucellosis in 
livestock. The Cooperative State-Federal Brucellosis Eradication 
Program is a national program to eliminate this serious disease of 
livestock. APHIS will collect information using various forms and 
methods.
    Need and use of the Information: APHIS will use the information 
collected via various forms and methods to demonstrate that program 
requirements are being met for State and herd status and to demonstrate 
that program-allowed activities, such as testing vaccinating, and 
movement, are being conducted in accordance with the regulations and 
program rules. Without the information, APHIS would not be able to 
conduct an effective brucellosis surveillance, control, and eradication 
program.
    Description of Respondents: Business; State, Local or Tribal 
Government.
    Number of Respondents: 99,481.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion; 
Quarterly; Monthly.
    Total Burden Hours: 247,321.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Federal Plant Pest and Noxious Weed Regulations.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0054.

[[Page 25232]]

    Summary of Collection: In accordance with Section 412 of the Plant 
Protection Act (Title IV, Pub L. 106-224, 114 Stat. 438, 7 U.S.C. 
7712), the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to prohibit or 
restrict the importation, entry, exportation, or interstate movement of 
plants, plant products, biological control organisms, noxious weeds, 
soil, regulated garbage, or means of conveyance, if the Secretary 
determines that the prohibition or restriction is necessary to prevent 
the dissemination of plant pests or disease within the United States. 
The associated regulations that were issued by the Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) are located in 7 CFR parts 330 and 
360.
    Need and use of the Information: APHIS will use information 
collection activities in these regulations to evaluate and mitigate the 
risks associated with the import or interstate movement of plant pests, 
noxious weeds, soil, prohibited articles, and regulated garbage. These 
activities include applications for permits and compliance agreements, 
amendments and appeals, consultations, site assessments, inspections, 
certifications, labeling of containers, and recordkeeping.
    Description of Respondent: State, Local or Tribal Government; 
Business or Other For-Profit; Individuals or Households.
    Number of Respondents: 4,833.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting; Recordkeeping; Third-Party 
Disclosure.
    Total Burden Hours: 21,394.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Agriculture Select Agent Services; Import and Transport 
Permits for Non-Select Materials.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0213.
    Summary of Collection: The Animal Health Protection Act of 2002 
(the Act, 7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.) authorizes the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) to provide for the oversight of the importation, 
entry, and movement in the United States of animals, pests or diseases, 
or any material or tangible object that could harbor them. Under the 
Act, USDA regulates certain organisms, biological agents, toxins, 
vectors, and animal products that have the potential to pose a severe 
threat to animal health or to animal products through the risk of 
disease or pest introduction. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) has the primary responsibility for implementing the 
provisions of the Act within USDA. APHIS regulations for these 
activities are contained in 9 CFR part 94 (animals or animal products), 
9 CFR part 95 (animal by-products) and 9 CFR part 122 (organisms and 
vectors). The regulations require an individual or entity, unless 
specifically exempted under the regulations, to apply for and be 
granted, by APHIS, a permit authorizing specific import or transport 
activities for regulated materials prior to engaging in the activities.
    Need and use of the Information: The permit application process 
entails the use of forms designed to obtain critical information 
concerning individuals or entities seeking a permit, as well as the 
specific characteristics of the material to be permitted. This data is 
needed, in part, to allow APHIS to assess the risk of importing or 
transporting the material, as well as the biosecurity and biosafety 
mitigations in place at the receiving location. This, in turn, enables 
APHIS to ensure that appropriate safeguard, containment, and disposal 
requirements commensurate with the risk of the materials are 
implemented during transport, import, and upon receipt to protect 
against the spread or introduction of disease.
    Description of Respondents: Private Sector.
    Number of Respondents: 3,214.
    Frequency of Response: Reporting.
    Total Burden Hours: 6,055.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: National Animal Health Reporting System (NAHRS).
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0299.
    Summary of Collection: The Animal Health Protection Act (AHPA) of 
2002 is the primary Federal law governing the protection of animal 
health. The law gives the Secretary of Agriculture broad authority to 
detect, control, or eradicate pests or diseases of livestock or 
poultry. The Secretary may also prohibit or restrict import or export 
of any animal or related material if necessary to prevent the spread of 
any livestock or poultry pest or disease. The AHPA is contained in 
Title X, Subtitle E, Sections 10401-18 of Public Law 107-171, May 13, 
2002, of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. Disease 
prevention is the most effective method for maintaining a healthy 
animal population and enhancing the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary 
Services' (VS) ability to allow U.S. animal producers to compete in the 
world market of animal and animal product trade. In connection with 
this mission, APHIS operates NAHRS, which collects, on a national 
basis, data on the prevalence of important livestock and poultry 
diseases within the United States.
    Need and use of the Information: The NAHRS collects data monthly 
from State veterinarians on the presence or absence of specific 
diseases of interest to the World Organization for Animal Health 
(Office International des Epizooties) (OIE). As a member country of the 
OIE, the United States is required to submit reports on the status of 
certain diseases notifiable to the OIE. Reportable diseases are 
diseases that have the potential for rapid spread, irrespective of 
national borders, that are of serious socio-economic or public health 
consequence and that are of major importance in the international trade 
of animals and animal products. The potential benefits to trade as a 
result of the NAHRS include accurate reporting on the health status of 
the U.S. livestock industry, improved and expanded animal disease 
reporting infrastructure, expansion of livestock industries into new 
export markets, and preservation of existing markets through increased 
confidence in quality and disease freedom of U.S. livestock. This data 
collection is unique in terms of the type, quantity, and frequency of 
data; no other entity is collecting and reporting this type of data on 
the health status of U.S. livestock to the OIE.
    Description of Respondents: State, Local, or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 52.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting.
    Total Burden Hours: 4,992.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: APHIS Student Outreach Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0362.
    Summary of Collection: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964--
Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted programs, established Special 
emphasis Programs throughout the Federal Government. The Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS') Student Outreach Program is 
designed to help students learn about careers in animal science, 
veterinary medicine, plant pathology, and agribusiness. The program 
allows participants to live on college campuses and learn about 
agricultural science and agribusiness from university professors, 
practicing veterinarians, and professionals working for the U.S. 
Government.
    The Student Outreach Program is designed to enrich students' lives 
while they are still in their formative years. APHIS' investment in the 
Student Outreach Program not only exposes students to careers in APHIS, 
it also

[[Page 25233]]

gives APHIS' employees the opportunity to meet and invest in APHIS' 
future workforce. Students chosen to participate in the Student 
Outreach Program will gain experience through hands-on labs, workshops, 
and field trips. Students will also participate in character and 
teambuilding activities and diversity workshops. Two programs currently 
in the Student Outreach Program are AgDiscovery and Safeguarding 
Natural Heritage Program: Strengthening Navajo Youth Connections to the 
Land.
    Need and Use of the Information: To participate in these programs, 
applicants (students) must submit essays, letters of recommendation, 
and application packages. These applications are reviewed and rated by 
officials to select the program participants. In addition, cooperative 
agreements are used to facilitate the partnerships between APHIS and 
the participating universities to carry out these programs.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or households and public 
and private universities.
    Number of Respondents: 1,126.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting.
    Total Burden Hours: 6,330.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2019-11372 Filed 5-30-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P