[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 125 (Tuesday, June 30, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35562-35563]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-17358]


      
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Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

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.

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Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 125 / Tuesday, June 30, 1998 / 
Notices

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

June 26, 1998.
    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 
regarding (a) 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; (b) the accuracy 
of the agency's estimate of 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; (d) 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 should be addressed to: Desk 
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Washington, DC 20503 and to 
Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, 
D.C. 20250-7602. Comments regarding these information collections are 
best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of 
this notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by 
calling (202) 720-6746.
    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 displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: 7 CFR 319, 321, 352--Foreign Quarantine Notices.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0049
    Summary of Collection: The United States Department of Agriculture 
is responsible for preventing plant diseases or insect pests from 
entering the United States. The Plant Quarantine Act and the Federal 
Plant Pest Act authorize the Department to carry out this mission. 
Section 1 of the Plant Quarantine Act (7 U.S.C. 154) requires the 
Secretary of Agriculture to issue a permit for the importation into the 
United States of any nursery stock, and to prescribe conditions and 
regulations for issuing these permits. Section 5 of the Plant 
Quarantine Act (7 U.S.C. 159) authorizes the Secretary to determine 
whether the unrestricted importation of any plants, fruits, vegetables, 
roots, bulbs, seeds or other plant products not included by the term 
``nursery stock'' will result in the introduction of plant diseases or 
insect pest into the United States, and to then specify which of these 
products will be subject to the provisions of Section 1 of the Plant 
Quarantine Act. Implementing the laws is necessary in order to prevent 
injurious plant and insect pests from entering the United States, a 
situation that could produce serious consequences for Agriculture. 
Accordingly, the Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 
uses a number of forms and documents to collect information on planned 
importations of plants, fruits, vegetables and/or plan products to the 
United States.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS is required to collect 
information from a variety to individuals, both within and outside of 
the United States, who are involved in growing, packing, handling, 
transporting, and importing foreign plants, fruits, vegetables, roots, 
bulbs, seeds, and other plant products. The information that APHIS 
collects is vital to helping ensure that these products do not harbor 
plant or insect pests.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; 
Individual or households; Not-for-profit institutions; Farms; State, 
Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 53,271.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 88,232.

Assistant Secretary for Administration, Office of Civil Rights

    Title: Collection of Information on Women in Agriculture.
    OMB Control Number: 0508-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: USDA's Office of Civil Rights, 
Accountability Division was formed and assigned responsibility for 
collecting data and measuring USDA's program delivery, procurement, 
export, and business development activities to women. The 
Accountability Division is seeking approval of an information 
collection to survey participants at the Second International 
Conference on Women in Agriculture to gather demographic data on women 
in agriculture and, more specifically, information on customer 
satisfaction with USDA programs and services. The conference will be 
held in Washington, D.C. June 28-July 2.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information will be collected 
through an automated survey using computer workstations positioned at 
various sites throughout the conference facility. The information will 
be used by USDA's Office of Civil Rights to:
    <bullet> Identify issues and/or barriers regarding program or 
service delivery,
    <bullet> Establish baseline data/information related to program 
performance and customer service,
    <bullet> Provide potential solutions to barriers in program and/or 
service delivery,
    <bullet> Identify serious issues that would merit a compliance or 
further review by the Office of Civil Rights.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; Business or 
other for-profit; Not-for-profit institutions; Farms; State, Local, or 
Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 1,300.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 221.
    Emergency approval for this information collection has been 
requested by June 26, 1998.

Food and Nutrition Service

    Title: Annual Report of State Revenue Matching.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-0075.
    Summary of Collection: The National School Lunch Program, 
administered by

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the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), is mandated by the National 
School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. 1751 and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 
42 U.S.C. 1771. Under the program, States are required to match 30 
percent (or a lesser percent based on per capita income) of the Federal 
funds made available for the School Lunch Program. Annually, the State 
agencies are required to report to FNS, the total funds used in order 
to receive Federal reimbursement for meals served to eligible 
participants using form FNS-13.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information collected allows 
FNS to monitor State compliance with the revenue matching requirement. 
Without this information, States may receive Federal funds which are 
not warranted. Monitoring the matching of State funds is essential to 
preventing fraud, waste, or abuse in the National School Lunch Program.
    Description of Respondents: State, Local, or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 57.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 4,560.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Cold Storage.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0001.
    Summary of Collection: Providing information on national supplies 
of food in refrigerated storage facilities has been the responsibility 
of the Department of Agriculture since 1914. This service is the 
outcome of an investigation made by the Department in 1911, in response 
to allegations that food warehouses were being used by food speculators 
to ``corner-the-market'' and drive up prices paid by consumers. NASS 
will collect information using a biennial survey of refrigerated 
warehouses to provide a benchmark of the capacity available for 
refrigerated storage of the nation's food supply.
    Need and Use of the Information: NASS collects information from the 
Cold Storage Report that includes inventory statistics for 
approximately 100 food items held in public, private, and semi-private 
refrigerated warehouses. The stock figures in the Cold Storage Report 
are used by food processors, food brokers, and farmers in making 
production, marketing, and pricing decisions.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 3,195.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Monthly; Biannually; Other (8 
times/years).
    Total Burden Hours: 4,505.

Farm Service Agency

    Title: Insured Farm Ownership Loan Policies, Procedures, and 
Authorizations.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-0157.
    Summary of Collection: The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 
Act of 1972, authorizes the Secretary and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) 
to make direct farm ownership (FO) loans to eligible applicants who are 
unable to obtain commercial credit. The collection of information is 
needed to process applicant requests for FSA FO loans in a timely 
manner while maintaining the highest lending standards possible to 
protect the interests of the government. The purpose of FSA's direct FO 
program is to help family farmers become financially successful. FSA 
has various tools to assist family farmers including low interest 
rates, flexible repayment terms, and individualized credit supervision 
and counseling.
    Need and Use of the Information: The collection of information is 
used by FSA employees to ensure that loans involving the purchase of 
real estate are properly documented and secured. This protects the 
interests of both the farm borrower and the Government.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 160.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 53.3.

Food and Nutrition Service

    Title: Repayment Demand and Program Disqualification.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: In conjunction with the Food Stamp Act of 
1977, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) implements regulations that 
provide requirements for food stamp household application, 
certification, and continued eligibility for food stamp benefits. 
Occasionally, FNS must initiate collection action for repayment of 
overissued benefits resulting from inadvertent household and State 
agency overissuances, and overissuances due to intentional program 
violations. Information is collected in these instances through the 
appropriate State agency to document the claim of overissuance and 
initiate repayment.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information will be collected 
by State agency personnel from individuals collecting food stamp 
benefits. The State agencies must maintain all records associated with 
this collection for a period of three years so that FNS can review 
documentation during compliance reviews and other audits. Without 
approval of this information collection, FNS would not be able to 
correct accidental or fraudulent overpayment errors in the Food Stamp 
Program.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; State, 
Local, or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 43,810.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 185,474.

Rural Housing Service

    Title: 7 CFR 1806-A, ``Real Property Insurance''.
    OMB Control Number: 0575-0087.
    Summary of Collection: Rural Housing Service (RHS) Multi-Family 
Housing (MFH) program is administered under the provisions of the 
Housing Act of 1949 and Sections 303(c), and 321(b) of the consolidated 
Farm and Rural Development Act (CONTACT). This regulation is currently 
shared by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the MFH of the RHS. The 
regulation governs the servicing of property insurance on buildings and 
land securing and interest of RHS or FSA in connection with an FSA Farm 
Loan Program or RHS MFH loan. The information collected pertains to the 
verification of insurance on property securing Agency loans. The 
information required is submitted by FSA or RHS borrowers to agency 
offices. It is necessary to protect the government from losses due to 
weather, natural disasters, or fire and ensure that the Act's loan 
making requirements of hazards insurance are met by loan applicants.
    Need and Use of the Information: RHS MFH collects information from 
borrowers documenting that they have sufficient insurance on their 
property that would repair or replace the valuable structures on the 
property should it be damaged. This protects the Government from losses 
due to weather, natural disasters or fire.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; Farms; 
Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 20,386.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 12,562.
Nancy Sternberg,
Departmental Information Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 98-17358 Filed 6-29-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-01-M