E7-2786. Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; Animal Welfare; Inspection, Licensing, and Procurement of Animals

AGENCY:

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Extension of approval of an information collection; comment request.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection in support of the Animal Welfare Act regulations for inspection, licensing, and procurement of animals.

DATES:

We will consider all comments that we receive on or before April 17, 2007.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments by either of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://regulations.gov,, select “Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service” from the agency drop-down menu, then click “Submit.” In the Docket ID column, select APHIS-2007-0012 to submit or view public comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically. Information on using Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing documents, submitting comments, and viewing the docket after the close of the comment period, is available through the site's “User Tips” link.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. APHIS-2007-0012, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS-2007-0012.

Reading Room: You may read any comments that we receive on this docket in our reading room. The reading room is located in room 1141 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call [phone] before coming.

Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its programs is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For information on Animal Welfare Act regulations for inspection, licensing, and procurement of animals, contact Dr. Barbara Kohn, Senior Staff Veterinarian, Animal Care, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 84, Riverdale, MD 20737; [phone]. For copies of more detailed information on the information collection, contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles, APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Animal Welfare; Inspection, Licensing, and Procurement of Animals.

OMB Number: 0579-0254.

Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information collection.

Abstract: The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) (7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.) authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate standards and other requirements governing the humane handling, housing, care, treatment, and transportation of certain animals by dealers, research facilities, exhibitors, carriers, and intermediate handlers. The Secretary of Agriculture has delegated the responsibility of enforcing the AWA to the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

The regulations established under the AWA are contained in title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations (9 CFR), chapter I, subchapter A, parts 1, 2, and 3. Part 2 generally provides administrative requirements and sets forth institutional responsibilities of regulated persons under the AWA, including requirements for the licensing and registration of dealers, exhibitors, and research facilities, standards for veterinary care, identification of animals, and recordkeeping.

These requirements include information collection activities for prelicense inspections, license applications and renewals, and recordkeeping requirements for the acquisition of animals from persons not licensed under the AWA. In addition, dealers, exhibitors, and research facilities that acquire a dog or cat from an unlicensed or unregistered person (and not a pound or shelter) must obtain certification from that person that the animals were born and raised on their premises and that they are eligible for an exemption from the licensing requirements.

We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve our use of these information collection activities for an additional 3 years. After approval of the burden associated with this extension notice, OMB will combine it with another collection titled “Animal Welfare (OMB number 0579-0036),” and the Department will retire OMB number 0579-0254.

The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public (as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection. These comments will help us:

(1) Evaluate 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;

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the information collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(4) Minimize the burden of the information collection on those who are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated, electronic, mechanical, and other collection technologies, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

Estimate of burden: The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 3.1538461 hours per response.

Respondents: Dealers, exhibitors, research facilities, and persons exempt from licensing or registration under the AWA.

Estimated annual number of respondents: 89.

Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 0.1460674.

Estimated annual number of responses: 13.

Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 41 hours. (Due to averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product of the annual number of responses multiplied by the reporting burden per response.)

All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of public record.

Done in Washington, DC, this 12th day of February 2007.

Kevin Shea,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.