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

12143 

Vol. 79, No. 42 

Tuesday, March 4, 2014 

ADMINISTRATIVE CONFERENCE OF 

THE UNITED STATES 

[OMB Control Number: 3002–0003] 

Information Collection Request 

Submitted to Office of Management 

and Budget (Renewal) 

AGENCY: Administrative Conference of 

the United States. 

ACTION: Sixty-day notice requesting 

comments. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, the 

Administrative Conference of the 

United States will submit an 

Information Collection Request (ICR) to 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) requesting renewal of an existing 

and previously approved ICR (No. 

3002–0003), substitute ‘‘Confidential 

Employment and Financial Disclosure 

Report.’’ This form is a simplified 

substitute for the Office of Government 

Ethics (OGE) Form 450, which nongovernment members of the Conference 

would otherwise be required to file. 

OGE has approved the use of this 

substitute form. This proposed 

information collection was previously 

approved by OMB in 2011, with an 

expiration date of May 31, 2014. The 

changes proposed on the current form 

are minor in nature. Before submitting 

this ICR to OMB, the Administrative 

Conference is inviting comments on the 

information collection. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

May 5, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons may 

submit written comments to either of 

the following: 

(1) Online: http://www.info@acus.gov, 

with ICR Comments in the subject line. 

(2) Mail: ICR Comments, 

Administrative Conference of the 

United States, 1120 20th Street NW., 

Suite 706 South, Washington, DC 20036. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Shawne McGibbon, General Counsel, 

Administrative Conference of the 

United States, Suite 706 South, 1120 

20th Street NW., Washington, DC 20036; 

Telephone 202–480–2080, Email: 

smcgibbon@acus.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

the Administrative Conference of the 

United States (ACUS) will submit an 

Information Collection Request (ICR) to 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) requesting renewal of an existing 

and previously approved ICR (No. 

3002–0003), substitute ‘‘Confidential 

Employment and Financial Disclosure 

Report.’’ The purpose of this notice is to 

allow 60 days for public comment on 

the ICR renewal. 

ACUS is charged with developing 

recommendations for the improvement 

of Federal administrative procedures (5 

U.S.C. 591). Its recommendations are 

the product of a research process 

overseen by a small staff, but ultimately 

adopted by a membership of 101 

experts, including approximately 45 

non-government members—5 Council 

members and up to 40 others (5 U.S.C. 

593(b) and 5 U.S.C. 595(b)). These 

individuals are deemed to be ‘‘special 

government employees’’ within the 

meaning of 18 U.S.C. 202(a) and, 

therefore, are subject to confidential 

financial disclosure requirements of the 

Ethics in Government Act (5 U.S.C. 

App. 107) and regulations of the Office 

of Government Ethics (OGE). The ACUS 

substitute ‘‘Confidential Employment 

and Financial Disclosure Report’’ 

submitted (‘‘Substitute Disclosure 

Form’’) is a shorter substitute for OGE 

Form 450, which ACUS nongovernment members would otherwise 

be required to file. 

In addition to the non-government 

members of the Conference, the 

Chairman, with the approval of the 

Council established under 5 U.S.C. 

595(b), may appoint additional persons 

in various categories, for participation 

in Conference activities, but without 

voting privileges. These categories 

include senior fellows, special counsels, 

and liaison representatives from other 

government entities or professional 

associations. The estimated maximum 

number of such individuals that may 

also be required to submit the Substitute 

Disclosure Form at any particular time 

is 45. 

Prior to the termination of funding for 

ACUS in 1995, the agency was 

authorized to use for this purpose a 

simplified form that was a substitute for 

OGE Form 450. The simplified 

substitute form was approved by OGE 

following a determination by the ACUS 

Chairman, pursuant to 5 CFR 

2634.905(a), that greater disclosure is 

not required because the limited nature 

of the agency’s authority makes very 

remote the possibility that a real or 

apparent conflict of interest will occur. 

ACUS received OMB approval for the 

simplified substitute form in 1994. 

ACUS was re-established in 2010. On 

June 10, 2010, OGE renewed its 

approval for this simplified substitute 

form, which ACUS must provide to its 

non-government members in advance of 

membership meetings. In 2011, ACUS 

received approval from OMB for use of 

this form for a 3-year period through 

May 31, 2011. ACUS is now requesting 

approval by the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) for a renewal period 

of three years. The changes proposed to 

the form are minor in nature. 

Subsequent to OMB’s approval of the 

ICR in 2011, OGE clarified its opinion 

and stated that the forms need only be 

completed by the various types of ACUS 

non-government members prior to each 

plenary session they attend, but not 

prior to committee meetings they attend. 

This will greatly reduce the number of 

times individuals will have to complete 

the form. 

As required by the Ethics in 

Government Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 107(a); 

Executive Order 12674, sec. 201(d); and 

OGE regulations, 5 CFR 2634.901(d), 

copies of the substitute form submitted 

to ACUS by its members are 

confidential and may not be released to 

the public. 

The proposed substitute ‘‘Confidential 

Employment and Financial Disclosure 

Report’’ and the Supporting Statement 

submitted to OMB may be viewed at: 

http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/

PRAMain. Select ‘‘Administrative 

Conference of the United States’’ under 

‘‘Currently Under Review’’; click on the 

ICR Reference Number; then click on 

either ‘‘View Information Collection (IC) 

List’’ or ‘‘View Supporting Statement 

and Other Documents.’’ To see the 

corresponding documents for the 

currently approved version, select 

‘‘Administrative Conference of the 

United States’’ under ‘‘Current 

Inventory.’’ 


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12144 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 42 / Tuesday, March 4, 2014 / Notices 

The total annual burden on 

respondents for the renewal period is 

estimated to be less than the 2011 

estimate because the number of times 

the form has to be completed by each 

respondent has been greatly reduced. 

ACUS estimates a total burden of 45 

hours (down from 135 hours in 2011), 

based on estimates of 90 persons 

submitting the form an average of 2 

times per year, requiring no more than 

15 minutes per response. 

Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments regarding this burden 

estimate or any other aspect of this 

information collection, including its 

necessity, utility and clarity for the 

proper performance of the Conference’s 

functions. 

Dated: February 27, 2014. 

Shawne C. McGibbon, 

General Counsel. 

[FR Doc. 2014–04752 Filed 3–3–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6110–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

DATED: February 20, 2014. 

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. 

Comments regarding this information 

collection received by April 3, 2014 will 

be considered. Written comments 

should be addressed to: Desk Officer for 

Agriculture, Office of Information and 

Regulatory Affairs, Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB), New 

Executive Office Building, 725—17th 

Street NW., Washington, DC 20503. 

Commenters are encouraged to submit 

their comments to OMB via email to: 

OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov or fax 

(202) 395–5806 and to Departmental 

Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail 

Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250– 

7602. Copies of the submission(s) may 

be obtained by calling (202) 720–8681. 

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. 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

Title: Aquaculture Survey. 

OMB Control Number: 0535–0150. 

Summary of Collection: The primary 

function of the National Agricultural 

Statistics Service is to estimate 

production and stocks of agricultural 

food, fiber, and specialty commodities. 

Congress has mandated the collection of 

basic data for aquaculture and provides 

funding for these surveys. Public Law 

96–362 was passed to increase the 

overall effectiveness and productivity of 

federal aquaculture programs by 

improving coordination and 

communication among Federal agencies 

involved in those programs. 

Aquaculture is an alternative method to 

produce a high protein, low fat product 

demanded by the consumer. 

Aquiculture surveys provide 

information on trout and catfish 

inventory, acreage and sales as well as 

catfish processed. 

Need and Use of the Information: The 

survey results are useful in analyzing 

changing trends in the number of 

commercial operations and production 

levels by State. The information 

collected is used to demonstrate the 

growing importance of aquaculture to 

officials of Federal and State 

government agencies who manage and 

direct policy over programs in 

agriculture and natural resources. The 

type of information collected and 

reported provides extension educators 

and research scientists with data that 

indicates important areas that require 

special educational and/or research 

efforts, such as causes for loss of fish 

and pond inventories of fish of various 

sizes. The data gathered from the 

various reports provide information to 

establish contract levels for fishing 

programs and to evaluate prospective 

loans to growers and processors. 

Description of Respondents: Farms; 

Business or other for-profit. 

Number of Respondents: 2,955. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

Monthly; Semi-annually; Annually. 

Total Burden Hours: 961. 

National Agriculture Statistics Service 

Title: Agricultural Surveys Program. 

OMB Control Number: 0535–0213. 

Summary of Collection: National 

Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) 

primary functions are to prepare and 

issue state and national estimates of 

crop and livestock production and 

collect information on related 

environmental and economic factors. 

The Agricultural Surveys Program is a 

series of surveys that contains basic 

agricultural data from farmers and 

ranchers throughout the Nation for 

preparing agricultural estimates and 

forecasts. The surveys results provide 

the foundation for setting livestock and 

poultry inventory numbers. Estimates 

derived from the surveys supply 

information needed by farmers to make 

decisions for both short and long-term 

planning. The General authority for 

these data collection is granted under 

U.S. Code Title 7, Section 2204. 

Need and Use of the Information: The 

surveys provide the basis for estimates 

of the current season’s crop and 

livestock production and supplies of 

grain in storage. Crop and livestock 

statistics help develop a stable 

economic atmosphere and reduce risk 

for production, marketing, and 

distribution operations. These 

commodities affect the well being of the 

nation’s farmers, commodities markets, 

and national and global agricultural 

policy. Users of agricultural statistics 

are farm organizations, agribusiness, 

state and national farm policy makers, 

and foreign buyers of agricultural 

products but the primary user of the 

statistical information is the producer. 

Agricultural statistics are also used to 

plan and administer other related 

federal and state programs in such areas 

as school lunch program, conservation, 

foreign trade, education, and recreation. 

Collecting the information less frequent 

would eliminate needed data to keep 

the government and agricultural 

industry abreast of changes at the state 

and national levels. 

Description of Respondents: Farms. 

Number of Respondents: 532,800. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

Quarterly; Semi-annually; Monthly; 

Annually. 

Total Burden Hours: 200,855. 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

Title: Equine Survey. 

OMB Control Number: 0535–0227. 

Summary of Collection: General 

authority for these data collection 

activities is granted under U.S.C. Title 7, 

Section 2204. The primary objective of 

the National Agricultural Statistics 


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