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

46136 

Vol. 83, No. 177 

Wednesday, September 12, 2018 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Doc. No. AMS SC–18–0056; SC18–981–4] 

Notice of Request for Approval of New 

Information Collection for Almonds 

Grown in California (Marketing Order 

No. 981) 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the Agricultural 

Marketing Service’s (AMS) intention to 

request approval for ballots and a 

petition form used to collect 

nominations of members and alternates 

to serve on the Board. Once approved, 

the forms would be merged with other 

forms the Board and AMS uses to 

collect information under Federal 

Marketing Order No. 981, Almonds 

Grown in California. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by November 13, 2018. 

Additional Information: Contact 

Andrew Hatch, Supervisory Marketing 

Specialist, Marketing Order and 

Agreement Division, Specialty Crops 

Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0237, 

Washington, DC 20250–0237; (202) 720– 

2491, Fax: (202) 720–8938, or Email: 

andrew.hatch@ams.usda.gov. 

Small businesses may request 

information on this notice by contacting 

Richard Lower, Marketing Order and 

Agreement Division, Specialty Crops 

Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, STOP 0237, 

Washington, DC 20250–0237; telephone 

(202) 720–2491, Fax: (202) 720–8938, or 

Email: richard.lower@ams.usda.gov. 

Comments: Comments are welcome 

and should reference OMB No. 0581– 

NEW and the Marketing Order for 

Almonds Grown in California, 

Marketing Order No. 981, and the date 

and page number of this issue of the 

Federal Register. Comments may be 

submitted by mail to the Docket Clerk, 

Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 

0237, Room 1406–S, Washington, DC 

20250–0237; Fax: (202) 720–8938; or 

submitted online at http://

www.regulations.gov. All comments 

received will be available for public 

inspection in the Office of the Docket 

Clerk during regular USDA business 

hours or they can be viewed at 

www.regulations.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Almonds Grown in California, 

Marketing Order No. 981. 

OMB Number: 0581–NEW. 

Expiration Date of Approval: This is 

a NEW collection. 

Type of Request: Approval of New 

Information Collection. 

Abstract: Under the Agricultural 

Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 

(AMAA), as amended (7 U.S.C. 601– 

674), fresh fruits, vegetables and 

specialty crop industries can create 

marketing order programs that provide 

an opportunity for producers, in a 

specified production area, to work 

together to solve marketing problems. 

The Secretary of Agriculture is 

authorized to oversee the marketing 

order operations and to consider the 

issuance of regulations recommended 

by a committee of representatives from 

each commodity industry. 

The Almond Marketing Order, as 

amended, (7 CFR part 981), hereinafter 

referred to as the ‘‘Order’’ regulates the 

handling of almonds grown in 

California. The Order authorizes 

research and promotion activities, as 

well as quality regulations, and provides 

for the establishment of the Almond 

Board of California (Board). 

The Board locally administers the 

Order with USDA oversight. Board 

members and alternates are appointed 

by USDA from nominations submitted 

by industry members to the Board. The 

Board conducts the nomination process 

with a petition form completed by 

individual growers and handlers to 

nominate themselves or others. Industry 

members then complete ballots to vote 

on those individuals whose names 

would be submitted to USDA for 

consideration for appointment to the 

Board. Only authorized employees of 

the Board, and authorized 

representatives of the USDA, including 

AMS, Specialty Crops Program’s 

regional and headquarters staff have 

access to information provided on the 

forms. 

Requesting public comments on the 

ballots and petition form described 

below is part of the process to obtain 

approval of the forms by the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB). These 

forms have been designated OMB No. 

0581–NEW. The forms include 

Independent Grower Ballot (ABC–15), 

Independent Handler Ballot (ABC–16), 

Cooperative Grower Ballot (ABC–17), 

Cooperative Handler Ballot (ABC–18), 

and Grower Petition (ABC–19). Once 

approved by OMB, USDA will request 

permission to merge the ballots and 

petition form into OMB No. 0581–0178 

Vegetable and Specialty Crops 

collection that includes other forms 

related to the Order. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 5.03 minutes per 

response. 

Respondents: Almond producers and 

handlers. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

677. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 677. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 56.83 hours. 

Comments: Comments are invited on: 

(1) Whether the proposed collection of 

the 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; (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 through 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 

also become a matter of public record. 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 177 / Wednesday, September 12, 2018 / Notices 46137 

Dated: September 7, 2018. 

Bruce Summers, 

Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2018–19827 Filed 9–11–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

September 7, 2018. 

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 are 

requested regarding (1) 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) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of burden including 

the validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance 

the quality, utility and clarity of the 

information to be collected; (4) 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 October 12, 2018 

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 20502. 

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) 720–8958. 

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 

person are not required to respond to 

the collection of information unless it 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number. 

Office of the Chief Financial Officer 

Title: Request to Change FEHB 

Enrollment or to Receive Plan Brochures 

for Spouse Equity/Temporary 

Continuation of Coverage Enrollees/ 

Direct Pay Annuitants (DPRS 2809). 

OMB Control Number: 0505–0024. 

Summary of Collection: Title 5, U.S. 

Code, Chapter 89, sections 8905 and 

8905a specifies the opportunities and 

conditions under which a retiree, 

survivor annuitant, separated employee, 

former spouse or former dependent 

child of a retiree, employee, or 

separated employee is eligible to change 

enrollment in the Federal Employees 

Health Benefits (FEHB) Program. DPRS– 

2809 is completed by the enrollee to 

make an open season enrollment 

change. 

Need and Use of the Information: The 

DPRS–2809 is administered by the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture’s National 

Finance Center (NFC) for use by 

separated employees or former spouses 

and former dependent children of active 

or separated employees. NFC 

determines whether all conditions 

permitting change in enrollment are met 

and implements the enrollment change. 

NFC also informs the FEHB carriers of 

the action. If this information were not 

collected, NFC could not comply with 

the provisions of title 5, U.S. Code, 

Chapter 89. 

Description of Respondents: 

Individuals. 

Number of Respondents: 25,000. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

Other (One time). 

Total Burden Hours: 18,750. 

Ruth Brown, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2018–19820 Filed 9–11–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–KS–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Announcement of Disaster Assistance 

Grant Application Deadlines and 

Funding Levels 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of funds availability. 

SUMMARY: As part of the Bipartisan 

Budget Act of 2018, Public Law 115– 

123, dated February 9, 2018, the Rural 

Utilities Service’s Water and 

Environmental Programs (WEP) 

received $165,475,000 in supplemental 

grant funding of which $163,475,000 is 

available for repairs to drinking water 

systems and sewer and solid waste 

disposal systems impacted by 

Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. 

States impacted include: Florida, 

Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, and the 

territories of Puerto Rico and Virgin 

Islands. 

DATES: Unless otherwise specified in 

this Notice, applications will be 

accepted on a continual basis until 

funds are exhausted. 

ADDRESSES: Entities wishing to apply for 

assistance, or that are in need of further 

information, should contact the USDA 

Rural Development State Office in the 

State where the project is located. A list 

of the USDA Rural Development State 

Offices addresses and telephone 

numbers is as follows: 

Note: Telephone numbers are not toll-free. 

Florida/Virgin Islands 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 4440 

NW 25th Place, P.O. Box 147010, 

Gainesville, FL 32614–7010, (352) 338– 

3400/TDD (352) 338–3499. 

Georgia 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

Stephens Federal Building, 355 E Hancock 

Avenue, Athens, GA 30601–2768, (706) 

546–2162/TDD (706) 546–2034. 

South Carolina 

USDA Rural Development State Office, Strom 

Thurmond Federal Building, 1835 

Assembly Street, Room 1007, Columbia, SC 

29201, (803) 765–5163/TDD (803) 765– 

5697. 

Texas 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

Federal Building, Suite 102, 101 South 

Main, Temple, TX 76501, (254) 742–9700/ 

TDD (254) 742–9712. 

Puerto Rico 

USDA Rural Development State Office, IBM 

Building, Suite 601, 654 Munos Rivera 

Avenue, San Juan, PR 00918–6106, (787) 

766–5095/TDD (787) 766–5332. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Main point of contact: Derek Jones, 

Community Programs Specialist, Water 

and Environmental Programs, Rural 

Utilities Service, Rural Development, 

U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Phone: (202) 720–9640. 

Fax: (202) 690–0649. 

Email: derek.jones@wdc.usda.gov 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, the information 

collection requirements associated with 

the Program, as covered in this Notice, 

have been approved by the Office of 

Management Budget (OMB) under OMB 

Control Number 0572–0121. 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES