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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 227 (Monday, November 25, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 92884-92885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-27543]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Agriculture will submit the following information 
collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 on or after the date 
of publication of this notice. 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; 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.
    Comments regarding these information collections are best assured 
of having their full effect if received by December 26, 2024. Written 
comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection 
should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of this notice on 
the following website www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this 
particular information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day 
Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
    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

[[Page 92885]]

displays a currently valid OMB control number.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Generic Clearance of Survey Improvement Projects.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0248.
    Summary of Collection: The primary function of the National 
Agricultural Statistics Service is to prepare and issue State and 
National estimates which include crop and livestock production, 
economic and environmental inputs, whole farm characteristics and 
operator demographics (covered by the Census of Agriculture) under the 
general authority of 7 U.S.C. 2204. NASS is requesting the renewal of a 
generic clearance in order to respond quickly to emerging issues and 
data collection needs. The agricultural industry and economy continue 
to change, and NASS needs to continuously evaluate its surveys in light 
of these changes. Respondents continue to change (e.g., response rates 
decrease over time), technology continues to change (e.g., the Web 
quickly became a data collection option), and data needs continue to 
change. In addition, our understanding of how to improve surveys 
continues to evolve (e.g., the application of cognitive psychology to 
survey methodology has increased our understanding of surveys). The 
generic clearance structure allows NASS to meet these information needs 
using a means that minimizes respondent and administrative burden. 
Thus, NASS requests an ongoing OMB clearance structure in place to 
continue to improve the overall quality of its statistical surveys, to 
lessen the burden it places on respondents, and to shorten the time 
period between changes that affect surveys and NASS' ability to 
formulate and update its surveys to address those changes. Prior to 
each test, NASS will submit to OMB a mini supporting statement that 
will describe the details of each specific test, along with a sample of 
the questions or questionnaire that will be tested.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information obtained from 
these efforts will be used to develop new NASS surveys and improve 
current ones. Specifically, the information will be used to reduce 
respondent burden while simultaneously improving the quality of the 
data collected in these surveys. These objectives are met when 
respondents are presented with plain, coherent and unambiguous 
questionnaires that ask for data compatible with respondents' memory 
and/or current reporting and record keeping practices. The purpose of 
the survey improvement projects will be to ensure that NASS surveys 
continuously attempt to meet these standards of excellence.
    Improved NASS surveys will inform policy decisions on agriculture, 
as well as contributing to increased agency efficiency and reduced 
survey costs. In addition, methodological findings have broader 
implications for survey research and may be presented in technical 
papers at conferences or published in the proceedings of conferences or 
in journals.
    The results of these tests won't be disseminated or used to inform 
policy, program, or budget decisions.
    Description of Respondents: Private Sector; Businesses or other 
for-profits; Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 25,000.
    Frequency of Responses: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 15,000.

Levi S. Harrell,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-27543 Filed 11-22-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-20-P
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