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,

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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

15689 

Vol. 74, No. 65 

Tuesday, April 7, 2009 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Economic Research Service 

Notice of Intent To Request Revision 

and Extension of a Currently Approved 

Information Collection 

AGENCY: Economic Research Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) implementing regulations, this 

notice announces the Economic 

Research Service’s (ERS) intention to 

request renewal of approval for an 

annual information collection on 

supplemental food security questions in 

the Current Population Survey (CPS), 

commencing with the December 2009 

survey. These data will be used: to 

monitor household-level food security 

and food insecurity in the United States; 

to assess food security and changes in 

food security for population subgroups; 

to assess the need for, and performance 

of, domestic food assistance programs; 

to improve the measurement of food 

security; and to provide information to 

aid in public policy decisionmaking. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by June 11, 2009. to be assured 

of consideration. 

ADDRESSES: Address all comments 

concerning this notice to Mark Nord, 

Food Assistance Branch, Food 

Economics Division, Economic Research 

Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

1800 M Street, NW., Room N–2180, 

Washington, DC 20036–5831. Submit 

electronic comments to 

marknord@ers.usda.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information, contact Mark Nord 

at the address in the preamble. Tel. 202– 

694–5433. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Application for an Annual Food 

Security Supplement to the Current 

Population Survey, Beginning in 

December 2009. 

Type of Request: Approval to collect 

information on household food 

insecurity. 

OMB Number: 0536–0043. 

Expiration Date: September 30, 2009. 

Duration of Proposed Extension: 36 

months, to September 30, 2012. 

Abstract: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. 

L. 104–13) and OMB regulations at 5 

CFR Part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 

1995), this notice announces the ERS 

intention to request renewal of approval 

for an annual information collection. 

The U.S. Census Bureau will 

supplement the December CPS, 

beginning in 2009, with questions 

regarding household food shopping, use 

of food and nutrition assistance 

programs, food sufficiency, and 

difficulties in meeting household food 

needs. A similar supplement has been 

appended to the CPS annually since 

1995. The last collection was in 

December 2008. 

Copies of this information collection 

can be obtained from Mark Nord at the 

address in the preamble. 

ERS is responsible for conducting 

studies and evaluations of the Nation’s 

food and nutrition assistance programs 

that are administered by the Food and 

Nutrition Service (FNS), U.S. 

Department of Agriculture. The 

Department currently spends about $60 

billion each year to ensure access to 

nutritious, healthful diets for all 

Americans. The Food and Nutrition 

Service administers the 15 food 

assistance programs of the USDA 

including the Supplemental Nutrition 

Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly 

called the Food Stamp Program, the 

National School Lunch Program, and 

the Special Supplemental Nutrition 

Program for Women, Infants, and 

Children (WIC). These programs, which 

serve 1 in 5 Americans, represent our 

Nation’s commitment to the principle 

that no one in our country should lack 

the food needed for an active, healthy 

life. They provide a safety net to people 

in need. The programs’ goals are to 

provide needy persons with access to a 

more nutritious diet, to improve the 

eating habits of the Nation’s children, 

and to help America’s farmers by 

providing an outlet for the distribution 

of food purchased under farmer 

assistance authorities. 

The data collected by the food 

security supplement will be used to 

monitor the prevalence of food security 

and the prevalence and severity of food 

insecurity among the Nation’s 

households. The prevalence of these 

conditions as well as year-to-year trends 

in their prevalence will be estimated at 

the national level and for population 

subgroups. The data will also be used to 

monitor the amounts that households 

spend for food and their use of 

community food pantries and 

emergency kitchens. These statistics 

along with research based on the data 

will be used to identify the causes and 

consequences of food insecurity, and to 

assess the need for, and performance of, 

domestic food assistance programs. The 

data will also be used to improve the 

measurement of food security and to 

develop measures of additional aspects 

and dimensions of food security. This 

consistent measurement of the extent 

and severity of food insecurity will aid 

in policy decision-making. 

The supplemental survey instrument 

was developed in conjunction with food 

security experts nationwide as well as 

survey method experts within the 

Census Bureau and was reviewed in 

2006 by the Committee on National 

Statistics of the National Research 

Council. This supplemental information 

will be collected by both personal visit 

and telephone interviews in conjunction 

with the regular monthly CPS 

interviewing. All interviews, whether by 

personal visit or by telephone, are 

conducted using computers. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this data collection is 

estimated to average 7.6 minutes for 

each household that responds to the 

labor force portion of the CPS. The 

estimate is based on timing of questions 

in a pilot survey conducted during 

development of the questionnaire and 

an analysis of the number of households 

that were asked each series of questions 

in recent survey years. 

Respondents: Individuals or 

households. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

54,400. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 6,915 hours. 

Comments: Comments are invited on: 

(a) Whether the proposed collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

15690 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 65 / Tuesday, April 7, 2009 / Notices 

performance of the functions of the 

Agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) 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; (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. Comments 

should be sent to the address in the 

preamble. 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: March 20, 2009. 

John R. Kort, 

Acting Administrator, Economic Research 

Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–7715 Filed 4–6–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–18–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Information Collection Activity; 

Comment Request 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the 

Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites 

comments on this information 

collection for which approval from the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) will be requested. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by June 8, 2009. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Thomas P. Dickson, Deputy Director, 

Program Development and Regulatory 

Analysis, USDA RUS, 1400 

Independence Ave., SW., Stop 1522, 

Room 5818 South Building, 

Washington, DC 20250–1522. 

Telephone: (202) 690–4492. Fax: (202) 

720–8435. E-mail: 

thomas.dickson@wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office 

of Management and Budget’s (OMB) 

regulation (5 CFR 1320) implementing 

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction 

Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13) requires 

that interested members of the public 

and affected agencies have an 

opportunity to comment on information 

collection and recordkeeping activities 

(see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)). This notice 

identifies an information collection that 

will be submitted to OMB for extension. 

Comments are invited on: (a) 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; (b) 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; (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 

through the use of appropriate 

automated, electronic, mechanical, or 

other technological collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology. Comments may be sent to: 

Michele Brooks, Director, Program 

Development and Regulatory Analysis, 

USDA RUS, Stop 1522, 1400 

Independence Ave., SW., Washington, 

DC 20250–1522. Fax: (202) 720–8435. 

Title: RUS Form 675, Certification of 

Authority. 

OMB Control Number: 0572–0074. 

Type of Request: Revision of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

Abstract: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS) manages loan programs in 

accordance with the Rural 

Electrification Act of 1936, as amended 

(7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) (RE Act). A major 

factor in managing loan programs is 

controlling the advance of funds. One 

reason to control funds is so that the 

actual borrowers get their money. The 

use of RUS Form 675 allows this control 

to be achieved by providing a list of 

authorized signatures against which 

signatures requesting funds are 

compared. RUS Form 675 provides an 

effective control against the 

unauthorized release of funds by 

providing a list of authorized signatures. 

OMB Circular A–123, Management 

Accountability and Control, states that 

information should be maintained on a 

current basis and that cash should be 

protected from unauthorized use. Form 

675 allows borrowers to keep RUS upto-date of any changes in signature 

authority and controls the release of 

funds only to authorized borrower 

representatives. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

for this collection of information is 

estimated to average .10 hours per 

response. 

Respondents: Business or other for 

profit; Not-for-profit institutions; and 

State, Local, or Tribal government. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

250. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 25.0 hours. 

Copies of this information collection 

can be obtained from Thomas P. 

Dickson, Program Development and 

Regulatory Analysis, at (202) 690–4492. 

Fax: (202) 720–8435. E-mail: 

thomas.dickson@wdc.usda.gov. 

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: March 31, 2009. 

James R. Newby, 

Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–7722 Filed 4–6–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Information Collection Activity; 

Comment Request 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the 

Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites 

comments on this information 

collection for which approval from the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) will be requested. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by June 8, 2009. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Thomas P. Dickson, Deputy Director, 

Program Development and Regulatory 

Analysis, USDA RUS, 1400 

Independence Ave., SW., STOP 1522, 

Room 5158 South Building, 

Washington, DC 20250–1522. 

Telephone: (202) 690–4492. FAX: (202) 

720–8435. E-mail: 

thomas.dickson@wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office 

of Management and Budget’s (OMB) 

regulation (5 CFR part 1320) 

implementing provisions of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. 

L. 104–13) requires that interested 

members of the public and affected 

agencies have an opportunity to 

comment on information collection and 

recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR