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

26767

Vol. 63, No. 93

Thursday, May 14, 1998

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Appeals Division

Notice of Request for Approval of an

Information Collection

AGENCY: National Appeals Division,

USDA.

ACTION: Proposed collection.

SUMMARY: Notice. In accordance with

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice

announces the intention of the National

Appeals Division (NAD) to request

approval of an information collection

for the purpose of setting customer

service standards.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by July 13, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Robert Day, Jr., USDA/NAD Suite 1020,

3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, VA

22302, (703–305–2538).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title:

National Appeals Division Customer

Service Survey

OMB Number. Not yet designated.

Type of Request: Approval of new

information collection.

Abstract: Executive Order 12862

requires Federal agencies to identify the

customers who are, or should be served

by the Agency and survey those

customers to determine the kind and

quality of services they want and their

level of satisfaction with existing

services. Agencies will then use the

results of the survey to establish

customer service standards.

The National Appeals Division (NAD)

of the U.S. Department of Agriculture

was established by the Secretary of

Agriculture on October 20, 1994, by

Secretary’s Memorandum 1010–1,

pursuant to the Federal Crop Insurance

Reform and Department of Agriculture

Reorganization Act of 1994 (Pub. L.

103–354, section 271 et seq. (October

13, 1994). The Act consolidated the

appellate functions and staffs of several

USDA agencies to provide for

independent hearings and reviews of

adverse agency decisions. NAD is

responsible for all administrative

appeals arising from program activities

of assigned Agencies, as well as such

other administrative appeals arising

from decisions of agencies and offices of

USDA as may be assigned by the

Secretary. NAD appeals involve

program decisions of the Farm Service

Agency, Risk Management Agency,

Natural Resources Conservation Service,

Rural Business-Cooperative Service,

Rural Housing Service, and Rural

Utilities Service.

Need for the Information: The

information collection in this request is

essential for NAD to comply with the

requirement of Executive Order 12862

to set customer service standards. The

information collected is used only by

authorized representatives of the USDA.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average 0.25 hours per

response.

Respondents: The primary

respondents will be individuals and/or

households who are participants in

Farm Service Agency and Rural Housing

Service programs. A small percentage of

respondents may be businesses,

institutions or state and local

governments.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

210.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 1.00.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 52.5.

Copies of this information collection

can be obtained from Robert J. Day, Jr.,

National Appeals Division at (703) 305–

2538.

Send comments regarding, but not

limited to the following: (a) whether the

collection of the information is

necessary for the proper performance of

the functions of NAD, including

whether the information will have a

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of

NAD’s estimate of the 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; and (d)

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. Comments

should be addressed to Robert J. Day, Jr.,

Deputy Director for Planning, Training

and Quality Control, USDA/NAD, Suite

1020, 3101 Park Center Drive,

Alexandria, VA 22302. 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.

Dated: May 7, 1998.

Norman G. Cooper,

Director, National Appeals Division.

[FR Doc. 98–12797 Filed 5–13–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–WY–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 98–041–1]

Secretary’s Advisory Committee on

Foreign Animal and Poultry Diseases;

Notice of Solicitation for Membership

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of solicitation for

membership.

SUMMARY: We are giving notice that we

anticipate renewing the Secretary’s

Advisory Committee on Foreign Animal

and Poultry Diseases for a 2-year period.

The Secretary is soliciting nominations

for membership for this Committee.

DATES: Consideration will be given to

nominations received on or before June

29, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be

addressed to the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Joe Annelli, Chief Staff Veterinarian,

Emergency Programs, VS, APHIS, 4700

River Road Unit 41, Riverdale, MD

20737–1231, (301) 734–8073.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Secretary’s Advisory Committee on

Foreign Animal and Poultry Diseases

(the Committee) advises the Secretary of

Agriculture on actions necessary to keep

foreign diseases of livestock and poultry

from being introduced into the United

States. In addition, the Committee

advises on contingency planning and on

maintaining a state of preparedness to

deal with these diseases, if introduced.