Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, 11809 [2024-03178]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 32 (Thursday, February 15, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 11809]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03178]


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 32 / Thursday, February 15, 2024 / 
Notices

[[Page 11809]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    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 March 
18, 2024 will be considered. Written comments and recommendations for 
the proposed information collection should be submitted within 30 days 
of the publication of this notice on the following website 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information 
collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for 
Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
    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.

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

    Title: Voluntary Labeling Program for Biobased Products.
    OMB Control Number: 0570-0071.
    Summary of Collection: Section 9002(h) of the Farm Security and 
Rural Investment Act (FSRIA) of 2002, as amended by the Food, 
Conservation, and Energy Act (FCEA) of 2008 and the Agricultural Act of 
2014, and the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, requires the 
Secretary of Agriculture to implement a voluntary labeling program that 
would enable qualifying biobased products to be certified with a ``USDA 
Certified Biobased Product'' label. The voluntary labeling program is 
one of the two main initiatives of the BioPreferred Program, which is 
currently implemented by USDA's Rural Business-Cooperative Service 
(RBCS). The voluntary labeling program is required to be consistent, 
where possible, with the guidelines implementing the preferred 
procurement of biobased products by Federal agencies, which is the 
second main initiative of the BioPreferred Program. The procurement 
initiative is also authorized under section 9002 of FSRIA and referred 
to hereafter as the Federal preferred procurement program. Under the 
preferred procurement program, Federal agencies are required to 
purchase with certain exceptions, biobased products that are 
identified, by rulemaking, for preferred procurement.
    Need and Use of the Information: Under the voluntary labeling 
program, manufacturers and vendors must complete an application for 
each stand-alone biobased product or biobased product family for which 
they wish to use the label. The application process is electronic and 
is accessible through the BioPreferred Program website. In addition, 
manufacturers and vendors whose applications have been conditionally 
approved must provide certain information for RBCS to post on the 
BioPreferred Program website. For each product approved by the Agency 
for use of the label, the manufacturer or vendor must keep that 
information for each certified product up to date. The information 
requested for inclusion in the application are: (1) contact information 
(of the manufacturer or vendor and preparer of application) and (2) 
product identification information, including brand name(s), the 
applicable designated item category or categories or equivalent, and 
the biobased content of the product.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 300.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 1,988.

Levi S. Harrell,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-03178 Filed 2-14-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P