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. 

# Notices Federal Register 

### 37504

Vol. 78, No. 120

Friday, June 21, 2013

**DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE**

**Agricultural Marketing Service**

**[Doc. No. AMS–LPS–13–0029]**

**Notice of Request for Extension and Revision of a Currently Approved**  **Information Collection for Voluntary Grading of Poultry Products and** 
**Rabbit Products**

**AGENCY :**  Agricultural Marketing Service,
USDA.

**ACTION :**  Notice and request for

comments.

**SUMMARY :**  In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) intention to request approval, from the Office of Management and Budget, for an extension of and revision to the currently approved information collection in support of the Regulations for Voluntary Grading of Poultry Products and Rabbit Products—7 CFR

Part 70.

**DATES :**  Comments on this notice must be received by August 20, 2013 to be assured of consideration.

**ADDRESSES :**  Interested persons are invited to submit comments concerning this information collection notice. Comments should be submitted online

at www.regulations.gov or sent to Michelle Degenhart, Assistant to the Director, Poultry Grading Division, Livestock, Poultry and Seed Program, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Room 3842–S, Washington, DC 20250–0256, or by facsimile to (202) 690–2746. All comments should reference the docket number (AMS–LPS–13–0029), the date, and the page number of this issue of the Federal Register . All comments received will be posted without change, including any personal information provided, online at http:// www.regulations.gov and will be made available for public inspection at the above physical address during regular business hours.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Michelle Degenhart at the above physical address, or by email at Michelle.Degenhart@ams.usda.gov.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :** 

Title: Regulations for Voluntary Grading of Poultry Products and Rabbit Products—7 CFR Part 70.

OMB Number: 0581–0127. Expiration Date of Approval: December 31, 2013.

Type of Request: Extension and revision of a currently approved information collection.

Abstract: The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (AMA) (7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.) directs and authorizes the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop standards of quality, grades, grading programs, and services which facilitate trading of agricultural products, assure consumers of quality products that are graded and identified under USDA programs. To provide programs and services, section 203(h) of the AMA (7 U.S.C.1622(h)) directs and authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to inspect, certify, and identify the grade, class, quality, quantity, and condition of agricultural products under such rules and regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, including assessment and collection of fees for the cost of service. The regulations in 7 CFR Part 70 provides a voluntary program for grading poultry and rabbit products on the basis of U.S. standards and grades. AMS also provides other types of voluntary services under the regulations, e.g., contract and specification acceptance services and certification of quantity. All of the voluntary grading services are available on a resident basis or lot-fee basis. Respondents may request resident service on a continuous or temporary basis. The service is paid for by the user (user-fee). Because this is a voluntary program, respondents need to request or apply for the specific service they wish, and in doing so, they provide information. Since the AMA requires that the cost of service be assessed and collected, information is collected to establish the Agency’s cost. The information collection requirements in this request are essential to carry out the intent of the AMA, to provide the respondents the type of service they request, and to administer the program. The information collected is used only by authorized representatives of the USDA (AMS, Livestock, Poultry and Seed Program’s national staff; regional directors and their staffs; Federal-State supervisors and their staffs; and resident Federal-State graders, which includes State agencies). The information is used to administer and conduct grading services requested by respondents. The Agency is the primary user of the information. Information is also used by each authorized State agency that has a cooperative agreement with AMS.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 0.0833 hours per

response.

Respondents: State or local governments, businesses or other for profits, Federal agencies or employees, and small businesses or organizations.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 690 respondents.

Estimated Total Annual Responses: 24,053.50 responses.

Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 34.86 responses per respondent.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,004 hours.

Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

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


### 37505 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 120 / Friday, June 21, 2013 / Notices

Dated: June 14, 2013.

Rex A. Barnes, Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.

[FR Doc. 2013–14722 Filed 6–20–13; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE M**

**DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE**

**Food Safety and Inspection Service**

**[Docket No. FSIS–2013–0002]**

**International Standard-Setting**
**Activities**

**AGENCY :**  Office of Food Safety, USDA.

**ACTION :**  Notice.

**SUMMARY :**  This notice informs the public of the sanitary and phytosanitary standard-setting activities of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), in accordance with section 491 of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979, as amended, and the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, Public Law 103–465, 108 Stat. 4809. This notice also provides a list of other standard-setting activities of Codex, including commodity standards, guidelines, codes of practice, and revised texts. This notice, which covers the time periods from June 1, 2012, to May 31, 2013, and June 1, 2013, to May 31, 2014, seeks comments on standards under consideration and recommendations for new standards.

**ADDRESSES :**  FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this notice. Comments may be submitted by one of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the ability to type short comments directly into the comment field on this Web page or attach a file for lengthier comments. Go

to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions at that site for submitting comments.

• Mail, including CD–ROMs, etc.: Send to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), FSIS, OPPD, RIMS, Docket Clearance Unit, Patriots Plaza 3, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Mailstop 3782, Room 8–163B, Washington, DC

20250–3700.

• Hand- or courier-delivered submittals: Deliver to Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E Street SW., Room 8–163B, Washington, DC 20024–3221.

Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must include the Agency name and docket number FSIS– 2013–0002. Comments received in response to this docket will be made available for public inspection and posted without change, including any personal information, to http:// www.regulations.gov. Docket: For access to background documents or comments received, go to the FSIS Docket Room at Patriots Plaza, 355 E Street SW., Room 8–164, Washington, DC 20024–3221 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Please state that your comments refer to Codex and, if your comments relate to specific Codex committees, please identify those committees in your comments and submit a copy of your comments to the delegate from that particular committee.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Mary Frances Lowe, United States Manager for Codex, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Food Safety, Room 4861, South Agriculture Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250–3700; Telephone: (202) 205–7760; Fax: (202) 720–3157; Email: USCodex@fsis.usda.gov.

For information pertaining to particular committees, the delegate of that committee may be contacted. (A complete list of U.S. delegates and alternate delegates can be found in Attachment 2 of this notice.) Documents pertaining to Codex and specific committee agendas are accessible via the World Wide Web at http://www.codexalimentarius.org/meetingsreports/en/. The U.S. Codex Office also maintains a Web site at http:// www.fsis.usda.gov/ Regulations

_&

_Policies/ Codex

_

Alimentarius/index.asp.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  Background

The World Trade Organization (WTO) was established on January 1, 1995, as the common international institutional framework for the conduct of trade relations among its members in matters related to the Uruguay Round Trade Agreements. The WTO is the successor organization to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). U.S. membership in the WTO was approved and the Uruguay Round Agreements Act was signed into law by the President on December 8, 1994. The Uruguay Round Agreements became effective, with respect to the United States, on January 1, 1995. Pursuant to section 491 of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979, as amended, the President is required to designate an agency to be ‘‘responsible for informing the public of the sanitaryand phytosanitary (SPS) standardsetting activities of each international standard-setting organization.’’ The main organizations are Codex, the World Organisation for Animal Health, and the International Plant Protection Convention. The President, pursuant to Proclamation No. 6780 of March 23, 1995 (60 FR 15845), designated the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the agency responsible for informing the public of the SPS standard-setting activities of each international standard-setting organization. The Secretary of Agriculture has delegated to the Office of Food Safety the responsibility toinform the public of the SPS standardsetting activities of Codex. The Office of Food Safety has, in turn, assigned the responsibility for informing the public of the SPS standard-setting activities of Codex to the U.S. Codex Office.

Codex was created in 1963 by two United Nations organizations, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Codex is the principal international organization for establishing standards for food. Through adoption of food standards, codes of practice, and other guidelines developed by its committees and by promoting their adoption and implementation by governments, Codex seeks to protect the health of consumers, ensure fair practices in the food trade, and promote coordination of food standards work undertaken by international governmental and nongovernmental organizations. In the United States, U.S. Codex activities are managed and carried out by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce (DOC); and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

As the agency responsible for informing the public of the SPS standard-setting activities of Codex, the Office of Food Safety publishes this notice in the Federal Register annually. Attachment 1 (Sanitary and Phytosanitary Activities of Codex) sets forth the following information:

1. The SPS standards under consideration or planned for consideration; and

2. For each SPS standard specified: a. A description of the consideration or planned consideration of the standard;

b. Whether the United States is participating or plans to participate in the consideration of the standard;

c. The agenda for United States participation, if any; and

d. The agency responsible for representing the United States with respect to the standard.

To Obtain Copies of the Standards Listed In Attachment 1, Please Contact