Department of Agriculture September 20, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on proposed information collections. The proposed collection is a revision of a currently approved collection. The purpose of Section 6(o) of the Food and Nutrition Act is to establish a time limit for the receipt of benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for certain able-bodied adults who are not working. The provision authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, upon a State agency's request, to waive the provision for any group of individuals if the Secretary determines ``that the area in which the individuals reside has an unemployment rate of over 10 percent, or does not have a sufficient number of jobs to provide employment for the individuals.'' As required in the statute, in order to receive a waiver the State agency must submit sufficient supporting information so that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) can make the required determination as to the area's unemployment rate or sufficiency of available jobs. This collection of information is, therefore, necessary in order to obtain waivers of the SNAP time limit.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) intends to carry out verification procedures, including sampling and testing manufacturing trim and other raw ground beef product components, to ensure control of both Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) and six other serogroups of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145). The Agency intends to implement sampling and testing for the additional STEC. FSIS has determined that they, as well as O157:H7, are adulterants of non-intact raw beef products and product components within the meaning of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA). The Agency is publishing guidance for use in validating commercial pathogen detection test kits that may be capable of detecting the STEC of concern. Finally, the Agency is planning a comprehensive survey of its field personnel who are stationed in beef slaughtering and processing establishments, similar to the 2007 ``checklist'' survey, to determine the processing practices that are employed to reduce the likelihood of contamination of intact and non- intact beef products with these STEC.

The designations of the official agencies listed below will end on March 31, 2012. We are asking persons or governmental agencies interested in providing official services in the areas presently served by these agencies to submit an application for designation. In addition, we are asking for comments on the quality of services provided by the following designated agencies: Grain Inspection, Inc. (Jamestown); Lincoln Inspection Service, Inc. (Lincoln); Midsouth Grain Inspection Service (Midsouth); and Sioux City Inspection and Weighing Service Company (Sioux City).

This document will provide supplemental information that supports: The addition of 331 miles of unauthorized routes to the National Forest Transportation System (NFTS) on the Modoc National Forest. The decision to change the vehicle class on 513 miles of Maintenance Level 3 (ML3) roads to allow for mixed use by both highway legal and non-highway legal vehicles. And will include: A Riparian Conservation Objective Analysis (RCOA) and proof of compliance with the Forest Plan Standards and Guidelines as articulated in the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment for proposed additions of motor vehicle routes in Critical Aquatic Refuges (CARs) and Riparian Conservation Areas (RCAs). Confirmation that the Responsible Official has met the requirements of pertinent laws, regulations, or the Modoc LRMP for ungulates with regard to routes added to the NFTS as well as ML3 routes being changed to allow mixed-use.