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Notices Federal Register

47589 

Vol. 77, No. 154 

Thursday, August 9, 2012 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2012–0065] 

Notice of Request for Extension of 

Approval of an Information Collection; 

Horse Protection Regulations 

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 associated with 

the Horse Protection Program. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before October 9, 

2012. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/ 

#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0065- 

0001. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2012–0065, 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-2012-0065 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) 779–7039 

before coming. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information on regulations for the Horse 

Protection Program, contact Dr. Rachel 

Cezar, Senior Staff Veterinarian, Animal 

Care, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 84, 

Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851–3751. 

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: Horse Protection Regulations. 

OMB Number: 0579–0056. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

approval of an information collection. 

Abstract: In 1970, Congress passed the 

Horse Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1821 et 

seq.), referred to below as the Act, that 

prohibits the showing, sale, auction, 

exhibition, or transport of horses 

subjected to a cruel and inhumane 

practice referred to as ‘‘soring.’’ This 

practice causes a horse to suffer pain in 

any of its limbs for the purpose of 

affecting the horse’s performance in 

competition. All breeds of horses are 

covered under the Act, although 

enforcement emphasis has historically 

been placed on Tennessee Walking 

horses and other gaited breeds due to 

the prevalence of soring documented in 

that industry. 

To carry out the Act, the Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

of the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) administers and enforces 

regulations at 9 CFR part 11. The 

regulations prohibit devices and 

methods that might sore horses. They 

also contain provisions under which 

show management may, to avoid 

liability for any sore horses that are 

shown, hire private individuals trained 

to conduct preshow inspections. These 

individuals are referred to as designated 

qualified persons (DQPs). DQPs must be 

trained and licensed under USDAcertified and monitored programs that 

are sponsored by horse industry 

organizations (HIOs). 

Enforcement of the Act and its 

regulations relies on horse inspections 

conducted by APHIS veterinarians and 

by DQPs. To ensure that DQP 

enforcement and USDA-certified DQP 

programs are effective, APHIS requires 

DQPs, HIOs, and horse show 

management to maintain or submit to 

APHIS records related to these 

inspections, their DQP programs, and 

the horse events. No official government 

form is necessary for the reporting and 

recordkeeping required. 

We are asking the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) to 

approve our use of these information 

collection activities for an additional 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 

technologies; e.g., permitting electronic 

submission of responses. 

Estimate of burden: The public 

reporting burden for this collection of 

information is estimated to average 

0.6280 hours per response. 

Respondents: Designated qualified 

persons, horse industry organizations, 

and horse show management. 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents: 1,514. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses per respondent: 2.3831. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses: 3,608. 

Estimated total annual burden on 

respondents: 2,266 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 3rd day of 

July 2012. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–19501 Filed 8–8–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 


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