Farm and Food Workers Relief Grant Program; Request for Emergency Approval of a New Information Collection, 57633 [2021-22620]

Agencies

• Agricultural Marketing Service
• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 198 (Monday, October 18, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 57633]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-22620]


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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 198 / Monday, October 18, 2021 / 
Notices

[[Page 57633]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Document No. AMS-TM-21-0078]


Farm and Food Workers Relief Grant Program; Request for Emergency 
Approval of a New Information Collection

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of emergency request.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service 
(AMS) has requested emergency approval from the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for a new information collection described in this 
notice to administer the Farm and Food Workers Relief Grant Program, a 
new competitive grant program authorized by the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2021.

DATES: Submit comments on or before December 17, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments concerning 
this notice by using the electronic process available at 
www.regulations.gov. Written comments may also be submitted to Grants 
Division; Transportation and Marketing Program; AMS; USDA; 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Room 2055-South Building, Stop 0201; 
Washington, DC 20250-0264. All comments should reference the docket 
number AMS-TM-21-0078, the date of submission, and the page number of 
this issue of the Federal Register. All comments received will be 
posted without change, including any personal information provided, at 
www.regulations.gov and will be included in the record and made 
available to the public.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Miklozek, Director, Grants 
Division; (202) 720-1403 or email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview of This Information Collection

    Agency: USDA, AMS.
    Title: New Grant Program Information Request.
    OMB Number: 0581-NEW.
    Type of Request: Emergency Approval of a New Information 
Collection.
    Abstract: The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116-
260) directed the Secretary of Agriculture to provide ``grants and 
loans to small or midsized food processors or distributors, seafood 
processing facilities and processing vessels, farmers markets, 
producers, or other organizations to respond to coronavirus, including 
for measures to protect workers against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 
(COVID-19).'' The information collection described in this emergency 
request is necessary for AMS to expeditiously administer the new 
competitive Farm and Food Workers Relief (FFWR) Grant Program under OMB 
No. 0581-NEW in order to provide relief to workers impacted by the 
COVID-19 pandemic.
    FFWR is authorized pursuant to Title VII, subtitle B, section 751 
of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 in response to the ongoing 
COVID-19 pandemic and the need for worker protections. USDA AMS 
requests to collect information for this new grant program from grant 
applicants, including state agencies, tribal entities and non-profit 
organizations working to support farm workers, meatpacking workers, and 
grocery workers.
    The information collected from respondents is for application to 
this voluntary, competitive grant program. The information collected is 
used only by authorized representatives of USDA, AMS, Transportation 
and Marketing Program's Grants Division to determine applicant 
eligibility and the data collected is the minimum information necessary 
to effectively carry out the program requirements.
    This emergency information collection is necessary to enable USDA 
AMS to immediately publish a Request for Applications (RFA) and enable 
eligible entities to prepare their applications for submission.
    Upon OMB approval of the emergency FFWR information collection 
package, AMS will initiate a normal information collection approval.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this information 
collection is estimated to average 32 hours per response.
    Respondents: 40 Grant applicants; or grant recipients.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 40.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses including Recordkeeping: 934.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 38.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents and Recordkeepers: 
1,882 hours.
    Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed information 
collection is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
new information collection including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways to minimize the 
burden of the information collection on those who are to respond, 
including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or 
other technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.

Erin Morris,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-22620 Filed 10-15-21; 8:45 am]
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