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[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 129 (Monday, July 7, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38276-38277]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-15751]

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Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

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. 79, No. 129 / Monday, July 7, 2014 / 
Notices

[[Page 38276]]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2014-0039]

Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an 
Information Collection; National Poultry Improvement Plan

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revision to and extension of approval of an information 
collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's 
intention to request a revision to and extension of approval of an 
information collection associated with the National Poultry Improvement 
Plan.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
September 5, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0039.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2014-0039, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
    Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may 
be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-
0039 or in our reading room, which 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 (202) 799-7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the National 
Poultry Improvement Plan, contact Dr. Denise Brinson, Director, 
National Poultry Improvement Plan, Veterinary Services, APHIS, 1506 
Klondike Road, Suite 300, Conyers, GA 30094; (770) 922-3496. For copies 
of more detailed information on the information collection, contact 
Mrs. Celeste Sickles, APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at 
(301) 851-2908.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: National Poultry Improvement Plan.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0007.
    Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an 
information collection.
    Abstract: Under the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et 
seq.), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is authorized to, among other 
things, administer the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP or the 
Plan), the primary purpose of which is to protect the health of the 
U.S. poultry population. NPIP is a voluntary Federal-State-industry 
cooperative program for the improvement of poultry flocks and products 
through disease control techniques. Participation in all Plan programs 
is voluntary, but flocks, hatcheries, and dealers of breeding poultry 
must first qualify as ``U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean'' as a condition 
for participation in the Plan programs. The NPIP regulations are 
contained in 9 CFR parts 56, 145, 146, and 147.
    To administer the Plan, APHIS requires a number of information 
activities and forms, including Veterinary Services (VS) Forms 1-23/1-
23A, Appraisal and Indemnity Claim for Animals Destroyed or Materials 
Destroyed/Continuation Sheet; VS Form 9-2, Flock Selecting and Testing 
Report; VS Form 9-3, Report of Sales of Hatching Eggs, Chicks, and 
Poults; VS Form 9-4, Summary of Breeding Flock Participation; VS Form 
9-5, Report of Hatcheries, Dealers, and Independent Flocks, Table-Egg 
Producers, Meat-Type Chicken and Turkey Slaughter Plants Participating 
in the NPIP; VS Form 9-6, Report of Salmonella Isolations to NPIP 
Official State Agencies; VS Form 9-7, Investigation of Salmonella 
Isolations in Poultry; VS Form 9-8, Flock Inspection and Check-Testing 
Report; VS Form 9-9, Hatchery Inspection Report; VS Form 10-3, Request 
for Salmonella Serotyping; banding of sentinel birds for identification 
prior to flock vaccination; memorandums of understanding; and 
recordkeeping.
    Since the last approval of these collection activities, 
participation in NPIP has risen. In addition to industry participation, 
which is estimated at 99 percent, backyard chicken farmers who are 
raising poultry to satisfy the demand due to the increasing number of 
organic chicken and egg consumers want to join. Many people are also 
raising chickens and producing eggs for their own use. As a result of 
the increase in participation, the estimated annual number of 
respondents has increased from 10,800 to 18,097, and the estimated 
annual total burden has increased from 103,363 hours to 104,311 hours. 
Though the number of respondents increased, there was not a 
commensurate increase in the burden because of NPIP procedural changes. 
For instance, due to the information that can be obtained from NPIP's 
Web site, NPIP no longer sends letters to all NPIP participants and no 
longer prints participant directories.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collection activities, as described, for 3 
years.
    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 
collection of information, 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 collection of information on those 
who are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated, 
electronic, mechanical, and other collection

[[Page 38277]]

technologies; e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.
    Estimate of burden: The public reporting burden for this collection 
of information is estimated to average 0.7 hours per response.
    Respondents: Flock owners, breeders, hatchery operators, table-egg 
producers, meat-type chicken and turkey slaughter plant workers, 
personnel at approved laboratories, and State personnel.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 18,097.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 8.5.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 153,548.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 104,311 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 30th day of June 2014.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-15751 Filed 7-3-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
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