[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 212 (Wednesday, November 3, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59732-59734]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-28750]
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Notices
Federal Register
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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.
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Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 212 / Wednesday, November 3, 1999 /
Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
October 28, 1999.
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
regarding (a) 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; (b) The accuracy
of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c) Ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) 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 should be addressed to: Desk
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Washington, DC 20503 and to
Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington,
DC 20250-7602. Comments regarding these information collections are
best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of
this notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by
calling (202) 720-6746.
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 Housing Service
Title: 7 CFR Part 3550, Direct Single Family Housing Loan and Grant
Programs, HB-1-3550, and HB-2-3550.
OMB Control Number: 0575-0172.
Summary of Collection: The Rural Housing Service (RHS) is a credit
agency for rural housing and community development within the Rural
Development mission area of the Department of Agriculture. Section 501
of Title V of the Housing Act of 1049, as amended, authorizes the
Secretary of Agriculture to administer such programs and to prescribe
regulations to ensure that these loans and grants provided with Federal
Funds are made to eligible applicants for authorized purposes, and that
subsequent servicing and benefits provided to borrowers are consistent
with the authorizing statute. RHS offers a supervised credit program to
extend financial assistance to construct, improve, alter, repair,
replace or rehabilitate dwellings, which will provide modest, decent,
safe, and sanitary housing to eligible individuals living in rural
areas. To assist individuals in obtaining affordable housing, a
borrower's house payment may be subsidized to an interest rate as low
as 1%. The information requested by RHS is vital to be able to process
applications for RHS assistance and make prudent credit and program
decisions. RHS will collect information using several forms.
Need and Use of the Information: RHS will collect information to
verify program eligibility requirements; verify continued eligibility
requirements for borrower assistance; service loans; to determine
eligibility for special servicing assistance such as: payment
subsidies, moratorium (stop) on payments, delinquency workout
agreements; liquidation of loans; and, debt settlement. The information
is used to ensure that the direct Single Family Housing programs are
administered in a manner consistent with legislative and administrative
requirements. Without this information RHS would be unable to determine
if a borrower would qualify for services or if assistance has been
granted to which the customer would not be eligible under current
regulations and statutes.
Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; business or
other for-profit; not-for-profit institutions; State, Local or Tribal
Government.
Number of Respondents: 500,000.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; annually.
Total Burden Hours: 923,053.
Agricultural Research Service
Title: Continuing Survey of food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII)
1999-2002.
OMB Control Number: 0518-0023.
Summary of Collection: During the past decade the U.S. diet has
been undergoing changes unprecedented in scope and rapidity. Changes
reflect increased interest by consumers in foods (variety and taste),
nutrition and health, convenience, and availability of new or modified
foods or meals from which they may choose. In the next decade, new
information will be received on relationships among foods, nutrients,
and health which will influence food consumption patterns and
nutritional interventions. The objective of the Continuing Survey of
Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII) is to measure current levels and
shifts in the food and nutrients consumed by individuals and the
nutritional adequacy of diets, signal changes taking place, and provide
information for use in evaluating dietary status. The CSFII is a major
component of the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research
Program (NNMRRP). The NNMRRP, which was developed in the early eighties
at the request of Congress, was formally established following the
passage of the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Act of 1990
(Pub. L. 101-445). The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) will collect
information using telephone surveys and questionnaires.
Need and Use of the Information: ARS will collect information to
meet requirements for information on food consumption and dietary
status as well as information on foods eaten at home and away. If the
information is not collected many regulatory, research, and other
programs would be severely limited by the lack of current data on food
intakes by individuals.
Description of Responses: Individuals or households.
Number of Respondents: 5,066.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.
Total Burden Hours: 17,800.
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Farm Service Agency
Title: Farmer Program Account Servicing Policies--7 CFR Part 1951-
S.
OMB Control Number: 0560-0161.
Summary of Collection: The Farm Service Agency's (FSA) Farm Loan
Program (FLP) provides supervised credit in the form of loans to family
farmers and ranchers to purchase land and finance agricultural
production. The regulations covering this information collection
package describe the policies and procedures the agency will use to
service most FLP loans when they become delinquent. These loans include
Operating, Farm Ownership, Soil and Water, Softwood Timber Production,
Emergency, Economic Emergency, Economic Opportunity, Recreation, and
Rural Housing loans for farm service buildings. Servicing of accounts
is administered in accordance with the provisions of the Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act (CONACT) as amended by the Food Security
Act of 1985, the Agriculture Credit Act of 1987, the Food Agriculture
Conservation and Trade Act of 1990, the Agricultural Credit Improvement
Act of 1992, and the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of
1996. The Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 was intended to ensure that
private individuals who have obtained a loan from the U.S. Treasury
through the Department of Agriculture are all treated equally when they
default on that loan. FSA will collect information using form FSA-1951-
39 and other attachments and exhibits.
Need and Use of the Information: FSA will collect information to
determine whether a financially distressed or delinquent borrower's
request for loan servicing is warranted. If information is not
collected, borrowers may not receive the correct servicing options
which could result in the failure of their business and the loss of
security property through either voluntary or forced liquidation.
Description of Respondents: Farms; individuals or households;
business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 12,013.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 16,116.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Title: Animal Welfare--Guinea Pigs, Hamsters, and Rabbits.
OMB Control Number: 0579--0092.
Summary of Collection: The Laboratory Animal Welfare Act (AWA)
enacted in 1966 and amended in 1970 and 1990 requires the U.S.
Department of Agriculture to regulate the humane care and handling of
most warm-blooded animals used for research or exhibition purposes,
sold as pets, or transported in commerce. The Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) has the responsibility for enforcing the
Animal Welfare Act and its provisions. APHIS collects information and
requires certain recordkeeping in order to review and evaluate program
compliance by regulated facilities and ensure a workable enforcement
system to carry out the requirements of the AWA. Specific information
collection requirements relate to certifications of shipping containers
used to transport guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits as well as the
conditions (e.g., temperature) necessary during transport, and
acclimation certificates.
Need and Use of the Information: APHIS collects information from
regulated facilities including dealers, exhibitors, and research
facilities, intermediate handlers and carriers, and from accredited
veterinarians to ensure proper handling and care for guinea pigs,
hamsters, and rabbits. Without this information, APHIS would be unable
to detect violations and take appropriate actions consistent with the
AWA.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 1,470.
Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 260.
Food and Nutrition Service
Title: Report of School Program Operations.
OMB Control Number: 0584-0002.
Summary of Collection: The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)
administers the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast
Program, and the Special Milk Program as mandated by the National
School Lunch Act, as amended, and the Child Nutrition Act of 1996, as
amended. Information on school program operations is collected from
State agencies on a monthly basis to monitor and make adjustments to
State agency funding requirements. FNS uses form FNS-10 to collect
data, although 95 percent of the information is collected through
electronic means.
Need and Use of the Information: FNS collects quantity information
from State agencies on the number of meals served under the various
food programs. Information is categorized in a number of areas and
States are asked to provide their estimates along with actual data. FNS
uses the information collected on school operations to assess the
progress of the various programs and to make monthly adjustments to
State agency funding requirements. If the information was not
collected, FNS would be unable to monitor the proper use of program
funds.
Description of Respondents: State, Local, or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 62.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Monthly; annually.
Total Burden Hours: 95,232.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Title: 9 CFR 160-162, Veterinary Accreditation Program.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0032.
Summary of Collection: Title 21, U.S.C. authorizes sections 111,
114, 114a, 114-1, 115, 120, 121, 125, 126, 134a, 134c, 134f, and 134g,
of 21 U.S.C. These authorities permit the Secretary to prevent, control
and eliminate domestic diseases such as brucellosis and tuberculosis,
as well as to take actions to prevent and to manage exotic diseases
such as foot-and-mouth and rinderpest. Disease prevention is the most
effective method for maintaining a healthy animal population and
enhancing the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS)
ability to compete in exporting animals and animal products. Because
APHIS does not have sufficient numbers of Federal personnel to perform
all of the disease prevention work that must be done, APHIS relies
heavily on assistance from veterinarians in the private sector.
Regulations governing the Veterinary Accreditation Program are found in
Title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations, parts 160, 161, and 162.
Operating this important program requires APHIS to engage in a number
of information collection activities in the form of applications for
veterinary accreditation, veterinary accreditation orientation and
training, paperwork associated with tasks performed by our accredited
veterinarians (such as completing certificates, applying and removing
official seals, and completing test reports); reviewing applications
for veterinary accreditation and re-accreditation, recordkeeping, and
updating information on accredited veterinarians. APHIS will collect
information using several forms.
Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information to
determine that a veterinarian has met the requirements for being
accredited, or for obtaining re-accreditation. APHIS will also collect
information to ensure that accredited veterinarians are knowledgeable
of current Federal and State animal health regulations, objectives and
programs and they are
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competent in their application. If information is not collected it
would significantly destroy APHIS' ability to operate the Veterinary
Accreditation Program.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; State,
Local or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 56,024.
Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion;
annually.
Total Burden Hours: 52,190.
Rural Utilities Service
Title: 7 CFR Part 1789, Use of Consultants Funded.
OMB Control Number: 0572-0115.
Summary of Collection: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is a
credit agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It makes mortgage
loans and loan guarantees to finance electric, telecommunications, and
water and waste water facilities in rural areas. The RUS loan portfolio
totals nearly $42 billion. Loan programs are managed in accordance with
the Rural Electrification Act (RE Act) of 1936, 7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.,
as amended, and as prescribed by Office of Management and Budget
Circular A-129, Policies for Federal Credit Programs and Non-Tax
Receivable. RUS will collect information through the use of
consultants.
Need and Use of the Information: RUS will collect information to
determine whether it is appropriate to use a consultant voluntarily
funded by the borrower to expedite a particular borrower application.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 6.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 12.
Food and Nutrition Service
Title: Report of the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
OMB Control Number: 0584-0078.
Summary of Collection: The Child and Adult Care Food Program is
mandated by Section 17 of the National School Lunch Act, as amended.
Program implementation is contained in 7 CFR Part 226. The Food and
Nutrition Service (FNS) collection information using Form FNS-44 to use
in managing the Child and Adult Care Food Program. This report is vital
since it is the only means by which FNS can obtain current information
necessary to make payments to State agencies and to plan for future
levels of program funding.
Need and Use of the Information: FNS will collect information in
order to analyze progress in the program and to make monthly
adjustments to State agency funding requirements. If data is not
collected FNS would be unable to monitor the proper use of program
funds.
Description of Respondents: State, Local or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 53.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Quarterly; semi-annually;
Monthly.
Total Burden Hours: 5,724.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Title: Importation of Gypsy Moth Host Materials from Canada.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0142.
Summary of Collection: Section 5 of the Plant Quarantine Act (7
U.S.C. 159) authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to determine
whether the unrestricted importation of any plants, fruits, vegetables,
roots, bulbs, seeds, or other plant products not included by the term
``nursery stock'' will result in the introduction of plant diseases or
insect pests into the United States, and to then specify which of these
products will be subject to the provisions of Section 1 of the Plant
Quarantine Act. Section 105 and 106 of the Federal Plant Pest Act (7
U.S.C. 150dd, 150ee) authorizes the Secretary to require inspection and
treatment of any product when the Secretary deems it necessary to
prevent a plant pest from being introduced into the United States.
Until now the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) did
not specifically regulate the importation of gypsy moth host materials
from foreign countries into the United States. APHIS has determined
that the gypsy moth population is growing in certain parts of Canada,
and that steps must be taken to prevent the introduction of gypsy moth
from Canada into non-infested areas of the United States. APHIS will
collect information using phytosanitary certificates, certificates of
origin, and signed statements from individuals both within and outside
the United States.
Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information to
ensure that importing foreign logs, trees, shrubs, and other articles
do not harbor plant or insect pests such as the gypsy moth. If the
information is not collected it would cripple APHIS' ability to ensure
that trees, shrubs, logs, and a variety of other items imported from
Canada do not harbor gypsy moths.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit;
individuals or households; not-for-profit institutions; farms; State,
Local or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 2,120.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 183.
Nancy B. Sternberg,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 99-28750 Filed 11-2-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-01-M
