Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 161 / Tuesday, August 20, 2013 / Notices 51135 

the collection of information unless it 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number. 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

Title: Annual Survey of Farmer 

Cooperatives. 

OMB Control Number: 0570–0007. 

Summary of Collection: The Rural 

Business Cooperative Service (RBS) was 

mandated the responsibility to acquire 

and disseminate information pertaining 

to agricultural cooperatives under the 

Cooperative Marketing Act of 1926: 7 

U.S.C. 451–457 and Public Law 450. 

The primary objective of RBS is to 

promote understanding, use and 

development of the cooperative form of 

business as a viable option for 

enhancing the income of agricultural 

producers and other rural residents. The 

annual survey collects basic statistics on 

cooperative business volume, net 

income, members, financial status, 

employees, and other selected 

information to support RBS’ objective 

and role. RBS will use a variety of forms 

to collect information. 

Need and Use of the Information: RBS 

uses the information collected to 

summarize for program planning, 

evaluation service work and cooperative 

analysis and education. The information 

collected and published in the annual 

report on farmer cooperatives supports 

and enhances most of the major 

functions of RBS. By not collecting this 

information, the RBS would have 

difficulties in carrying out its policy on 

farmer cooperatives. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other for-profit. 

Number of Respondents: 1,384. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

Annually. 

Total Burden Hours: 1,367. 

Charlene Parker, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2013–20239 Filed 8–19–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Doc. No. AMS–DA–13–0047] 

Notice of Request for Extension and 

Revision of a Currently Approved 

Information Collection 

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 an extension for and revision to 

a currently approved information 

collection for report forms under the 

Federal milk marketing order program. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by October 21, 2013. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments 

electronically at http://

www.regulations.gov or to the Office of 

the Deputy Administrator, Dairy 

Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW., Room 2968 

South, Stop 0225, Washington, DC 

20250–0225. Comments should make 

reference to the date and page number 

of this issue of the Federal Register. All 

comments will be posted electronically 

without change; including any personal 

information provided at http://

regulations.gov. Comments will also be 

available for public inspection in the 

above office during regular business 

hours. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Contact David R. Jamison, Acting Chief, 

Order Operations Branch, Dairy 

Programs, (202) 720–5752, FAX: 

(202)690–3410. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Report Forms under Federal 

Milk Orders (From Milk Handlers and 

Milk Marketing Cooperatives). 

OMB Number: 0581–0032. 

Expiration Date of Approval: January 

31, 2014. 

Type of Request: Extension and 

revision of a currently approved 

information collection. 

Abstract: Federal milk marketing 

order regulations (7 CFR parts 1000– 

1199) authorized under the Agricultural 

Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, as 

amended (7 U.S.C. 601–674), require 

milk handlers to report in detail the 

receipts and utilization of milk and milk 

products handled at each of their plants 

that are regulated by a Federal order. 

The data are needed to administer the 

classified pricing system and related 

requirements of each Federal order. 

A Federal milk marketing order 

(hereinafter, Order) is a regulation 

issued by the Secretary of Agriculture 

that places certain requirements on the 

handling of milk in the area it covers. 

Each Order is established under the 

authority of the Act. The Order requires 

that handlers of milk for a marketing 

area pay not less than certain minimum 

class prices according to how the milk 

is used. These prices are established 

under each Order after a public hearing 

at which evidence is received on the 

supply and demand conditions for milk 

in the market. An Order requires that 

payments for milk be pooled and paid 

to individual farmers or cooperative 

associations of farmers on the basis of a 

uniform or average price. Thus, all 

eligible farmers (producers) share in the 

market wide use-values of milk by 

regulated handlers. 

Milk Orders help ensure adequate 

supplies of milk and dairy products for 

consumers and adequate returns to 

producers. 

The Orders also provide for the public 

dissemination of market statistics and 

other information for the benefit of 

producers, handlers, and consumers. 

Formal rulemaking amendments to 

the Orders must be approved in 

referenda conducted by the Secretary. 

During 2012, 40,750 dairy farmers 

delivered over 122 billion pounds of 

milk to handlers regulated under the 

milk orders. This volume represents 61 

percent of all milk marketed in the U.S. 

and 62 percent of the milk of bottling 

quality (Grade A) sold in the country. 

The value of this milk delivered to 

Federal milk order handlers at 

minimum order blend prices was nearly 

$22.1 billion. Producer deliveries of 

milk used in Class I products (mainly 

fluid milk products) totaled 43 billion 

pounds—36 percent of total producer 

deliveries. More than 247 million 

Americans reside in Federal milk order 

marketing areas—80 percent of the total 

U.S. population. 

Each Order is administered by a 

USDA market administrator. The market 

administrator is authorized to levy 

assessments on regulated handlers to 

carry out the market administrator’s 

duties and responsibilities under the 

Orders. Additional duties of the market 

administrators are to prescribe reports 

required of each handler, to assure that 

handlers properly account for milk and 

milk products, and to assure that such 

handlers pay producers and associations 

of producers according to the provisions 

of the Order. The market administrator 

employs a staff that verifies handlers’ 

reports by examining records to 

determine that the required payments 

are made to producers. Most reports 

required from handlers are submitted 

monthly to the market administrator. 

The forms used by the market 

administrators are required by the 

respective Orders that are authorized by 

the Act. The forms are used to establish 

the quantity of milk received by 

handlers, the pooling status of the 

handler, the class-use of the milk used 

by the handler, and the butterfat content 

and amounts of other components of the 

milk. 

The forms covered under this 

information collection require the 

minimum information necessary to 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES
51136 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 161 / Tuesday, August 20, 2013 / Notices 

effectively carry out the requirements of 

the Orders, and their use is necessary to 

fulfill the intent of the Act as expressed 

in the Orders and in the rules and 

regulations issued under the Orders. 

The information collected is used 

only by authorized employees of the 

market administrator and authorized 

representatives of the USDA, including 

AMS Dairy Programs’ headquarters staff. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 1.10 hours per 

response. 

Respondents: Milk handlers and milk 

marketing cooperatives. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

690. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 

18,774. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 27. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 20,691 hours. 

Comments are invited on: (1) Whether 

the proposed 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 the burden of the 

proposed collection of information 

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 

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 

become a matter of public record. 

Dated: August 14, 2013. 

Rex A. Barnes, 

Associate Administrator, Agricultural 

Marketing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–20254 Filed 8–19–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Food and Nutrition Service 

Request for Information: Supplemental 

Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 

Enhancing Retail Food Store Eligibility 

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Sections 3(k), (p) and (r), 

Section 7, and Section 9 of the Food and 

Nutrition Act of 2008 (‘‘the Act’’), and 

Title 7 Parts 271, 274, and 278 of the 

Code of Federal Regulations (‘‘the 

regulations’’) provide factors for 

determining the eligibility of retail food 

stores to participate in the 

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 

Program (‘‘SNAP’’). This notice requests 

information from any and all interested 

parties on opportunities to enhance 

retailer definitions and requirements in 

a manner that improves access to 

healthy food choices for SNAP 

participants as well as program 

integrity, and ensures that only those 

retailers that effectuate the purpose of 

SNAP are authorized to accept benefits. 

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) 

considers access to a variety of healthy 

foods at SNAP retailers to be 

fundamental to the effectiveness of this 

critical nutrition assistance program. 

FNS is requesting information to 

understand what policy changes and, as 

needed, statutory changes, should be 

considered for retailer authorizations. 

FNS will use this information in 

determining how to make positive 

progress in the available healthy choices 

for program participants at authorized 

SNAP retail stores. 

DATES: To be assured of consideration, 

written comments must be submitted on 

or before October 21, 2013. 

ADDRESSES: Comments may be 

submitted through the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal at 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 

instructions for submitting comments 

electronically. Comments can also be 

mailed or delivered to: Shanta Swezy, 

Chief, Retailer Management and 

Issuance Branch, Retailer Policy and 

Management Division, Supplemental 

Nutrition Assistance Program, Food and 

Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, 

Room 426, Alexandria, Virginia, 22302. 

All comments submitted in response 

to this notice will be included in the 

record and will be made available to the 

public at www.regulations.gov. Please be 

advised that the substance of the 

comments and the identity of the 

individuals or entities commenting will 

be subject to public disclosure. 

FNS will conduct public listening 

sessions to receive input on this subject. 

These listening sessions will provide an 

opportunity for affected parties, key 

stakeholders, and the general public to 

provide input directly to FNS policy 

officials. 

Timeline: 

Public listening sessions: 45 day 

period following RFI publication. 

Comment period for Request for 

Information closes: 60 days following 

publication. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Shanta Swezy, Chief, Retailer 

Management and Issuance Branch, Food 

and Nutrition Service, (703) 305–2238. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: At the end 

of fiscal year (FY) 2012, over 246,000 

retailers were authorized to redeem 

SNAP benefits. This is an increase of 

almost 100,000 authorized stores since 

2005. According to the most recent data 

available (2012), 82 percent of all 

benefits redeemed were redeemed at 

supermarkets, large grocers and 

superstores. Approximately 18 percent 

of benefits were redeemed at smaller 

stores, including convenience stores, 

small grocers and farmers’ markets. Less 

than one percent were redeemed by 

authorized treatment programs, group 

homes, homeless meal providers, 

communal dining facilities and shelters 

as provided for in statute. A 2009 FNS 

study on benefit use indicates that 96.3 

percent of all SNAP beneficiaries 

shopped at supermarkets or superstores 

at least once each month. 

According to Sections 3(k), (p) and (r), 

and Section 9 of the Act, and Title 7 

Parts 271, and 278 of the regulations, to 

be eligible to participate in SNAP, stores 

must sell food for home preparation and 

consumption and meet one of the 

criteria below: 

(A) Offer for sale, on a continuous 

basis (any given day of operation), at 

least three varieties of qualifying foods 

in each of the following four staple food 

groups, with perishable foods in at least 

two of the categories: 

• Meat, poultry or fish 

• Bread or cereal 

• Vegetables or fruits 

• Dairy products 

OR 

(B) More than one-half (50 percent) of 

the total dollar amount of all things 

(food, nonfood, gas and services) sold in 

the store must be from the sale of 

eligible staple foods. 

The last major changes to the store 

eligibility requirements took place in 

the early 1990’s as a result of 

congressional action. Today, a store that 

consistently stocks as few as 12 total 

food items from the required staple 

foods categories could technically be 

licensed to participate in SNAP. Store 

authorization data collected from 

retailers by USDA indicates that over 

90,000 currently authorized SNAP 

retailers have substantial (over 50 

percent) sales that stem from ineligible 

items. 

In addition to providing minimal 

access to healthy food, retailers that do 


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