United States Department of Agriculture

Agency Retrospective Review Plan Report—January 2012—USDA 

 

 

 

Agency/

Sub---agency 

RIN/OMB

Control No. 

Title of

Initiative/Rule/ICR 

Brief Description Actual or Target

Completion 

Date 

Anticipated savings in costs and /or

collection burdens 

information Progress updates

and anticipated 

accomplishments 

Notes

Food Safety

& Inspection 

Service 

(FSIS) 

0583---AD39 Electronic Import 

Inspection and Certificat

ion of Imported Product

s and Foreign Establish

ments 

This rule will amend import

inspection regulations to provi

de for the electronic transmitta

l of foreign establishment certif

icates and foreign inspection ce

rtificates. FSIS will also propose

 to amend its regulations to giv

e importers the option of subm

itting electronic import inspecti

on applications. 

USDA – Food 

Final rule to

publish by 

09/2012. 

Safety

The final rule, in conjunction with the Public Health

Information System, will reduce the information 

collection burden on importers by approximately 

10,000 hours. 

The electronic import system will also facilitate the 

import product foreign inspection and annual for

eign establishment certifications by providing im

mediate and direct electronic government---to-

-- government exchange of information; as well as 

exchange of information with the CBP system. 

The new business practice may be operational as 

early as March or April 2012, and the regulations 

will codify the changes. 

The proposed rule

expected to publish 

in 3/2012. 

is

FSIS 0583---

AD41 

Electronic Export

Application and 

Certification Fee 

The electronic export

application and certification 

system will be a component of th

e Agency's Public Health Informat

ion System (PHIS). The export co

mponent of PHIS will be available

as an alternative to the paper-

--based application and certificatio

n process. 

Final rule to

publish by 

09/2012. 

The final rule is expected to reduce the information

collection burden. Actual amount TBD. 

When an electronic government---to---government 

system interface or data exchange is used, fraudule

nt transactions’, such as false alterations and repro

ductions will be significantly reduced, if not elimina

ted. Moreover, the workload of the inspection personal 

is reduced through the elimination of physical han

dling and processing of applications and certificate

s, reducing a two step process to one step. 

The proposed rule is

expected to publish 

in 2/2012. 
FSIS 0583---AC59 Prior Labeling Approval

System: Generic Label 

Approval 

This rulemaking will continue an

effort initiated several years ago 

by amending FSIS' regulations to 

expand the types of labeling 

that are generically approved. 

Final rule to

publish by 

09/2012. 

The final rule is expected to reduce the information

collection burden hours on industry by 31,091. 

The proposed rule would be beneficial because it 

would streamline the generic labeling process, 

while imposing no additional cost burden on establis

hments. Consumers would benefit because industry wou

ld have the ability to introduce products to the mark

etplace more quickly. 

Moreover, the change would make better use of 

FSIS resources because it would reduce the number 

of labels required to be reviewed by the Agency. 

Proposed rule

published 12/2011; 

electronic system for l

abel submission estab

lished in early 

2012. 

FSIS 0583------AD32 Modernization of

Poultry Slaughter 

Inspection 

This rule will modernize young

chicken and turkey slaughter 

inspection in the United States by

 focusing FSIS inspection resourc

es on the areas of the poultry pro

duction system that pose the gre

atest risk to food safety. The new

inspection system will shift the re

sponsibility for detecting visible c

arcass defects from FSIS inspecto

rs to plant employees. FSIS will c

ontinue to conduct an on-

--line carcass---by-

--carcass inspection, but FSIS insp

ectors will be located further do

wn the production line, where th

ey will be presented with carcass

es 

that have fewer defects to 

inspect. 

Final rule to

publish by 

10/2012 with 

90-

--day implementat

ion period. Plants 

will be allowed to

 opt in earlier. Ru

le to be impleme

nted by 

01/2013. 

The final rule will reduce costs by making better use

of the Agency’s inspection resources and improving 

the effectiveness of inspection systems. It is also 

expected to reduce the risk of foodborne illness in t

he United States and remove unnecessary barriers t

o innovation. The final rule will provide the framewor

k for action to provide public health-

-- based inspection in all establishments that slaughte

r amenable poultry species. 

The proposed rule

was published 

January 27, 2012, 

with a public comm

ent period until April 

26, 2012. 
 

USDA – National Resources & Environment

Forest 0596---AD01 National Environmental The Forest Service is proposing Final rule to Categorical exclusions will reduce cost and time Federal Register

Service (FS) Policy Act Efficiencies to develop and provide notice 

and comment on the addition of 

new categorical exclusions (CEs) t

o its NEPA Regulations. These CEs

, designed to expedite landscape 

restoration activities on National 

publish by 

7/2012. 

commitment burden on the Agency without 

reducing environmental protection. 

notice is currently 

Agency clearance.

in 

Forests, Grasslands, and Prairies, 

will supplement existing Agency c

ategorical exclusions found in 36 

CFR part 

220.6 

USDA – Rural Development

Rural 0570---AA76 Rural Energy America The rule proposes to change the Final rule to The final rule is expected to reduce the information Proposed rule is

Business--- 

Cooperative 

Service 

(RBS) 

0570--

0570--

0570--

-0050 

-0061 

-0059 

Program RES and EEI grant application 

requirements to reduce burden 

and streamline the application p

rocess by requesting documenta

tion for a complete application b

ased on total project costs. 

publish by 

10/2012. 

collection burden. Notably, an estimated 20 

percent reduction in the number of hours it takes t

o complete a technical report for those applications

 for projects with total project costs (TPC) of more t

han $80,000 to $200,000; the elimination of a tech

nical report for those applications for projects with

TPC of $80,000 or less; and a 50 percent reduction i

n the number of hours it takes to complete the narr

ative portion of an application. 

currently in Agency 

clearance. 

RBS 0570–AA85 Business and Industry

Loan Guaranteed 

Program 

The proposed rule will alter the

way RBS services the loan 

guarantees making the program 

operate at a lower cost. 

Final rule

published 

1/2013. 

to be

by 

Estimated reduction in burden up to 2,000 hours. Proposed

expected 

5/2012. 

rule is

to publish 
RHS 0575---AC89 Community Facilities Update program operation in an Final rule to The agency is aligning its application requirements The proposed rule is

Loan and Grants effort to consolidate, publish in with the lending industry. As such, approximately expected to enter 

streamline, and simplify existing 10/2012. 90 applicants each year would not be required to the Department’s 

processes. provide an examination opinion, which averages about $45,000 clearance process in 

each. Hence, this change will save the public approxi 2/2012, and 

mately $4 million a year. expected to publish 

 

in 5/2012.

 

 

USDA – Food, Nutrition & Consumer Services

Food &

Nutrition 

Service 

(FNS) 

0584–AD87 Supplemental Nutrition

Assistance Program 

(SNAP) 

FNS is proposing to allow

additional administrative 

options for States to use telepho

ne interviews and telephonic and 

electronic signature in certifying 

clients for the SNAP programs. Th

e proposed change, which has be

en authorized by USDA in many S

tates under program waivers, will

 be integrated in regulation pursu

ant to the 2008 Farm Bill 

The final rule is

expected to be 

published by 

10/2012. 

Reduction in burden for SNAP applicant households

is about 20.7 million hours. 

Permitting households to fulfill the interview re

quirement without the need to visit the local SN

AP office reduces transportation costs and pote

ntial loss of wages for households, and reducing 

burden for State SNAP agencies that administer

the program. 

Proposed

published 

rule

5/2011. 

FNS 0584---AD54 Child Nutrition

Programs – National 

School Lunch Programs (

NSLP) and School Breakf

ast Program 

Requiring local educational

agencies to conduct direct 

certification in conjunction with t

he SNAP. Under the direct certifi

cation process, a local education

al agency obtains documentation

 of a child's receipt of SNAP bene

fits from the State of local progra

m office. 

Effective in

2011---2012 

school year

the Reduction in burden hours for program

is roughly 113,000 hours per year. 

participants Interim rule

published 6/2011; 

effective in the comi

ng school year (201

1---12). 
USDA – Farm & Foreign Agricultural Services

Farm 0563---New Acreage and Crop To improve and streamline the Implementation The final rule is expected to reduce the information The package was Pending OMB

Service 

Agency 

Reporting Streamlining 

Initiative 

existing information collection 

activities currently approved by 

is to be 

conducted in 

collection burden. Actual amount TBD. submitted to

10/2011. 

OMB in approval; 

unable to 

OMB by eliminating or minimizing

 the duplication of information c

ollected by each of the agencies 

phases with the 

first phase o

ccurring in s

elected coun

conduct the 

first phase. 

ties in Kansa

s. 

USDA – Marketing & Regulatory Programs

Animal & 

Plant Health 

0579–AD23

0579---AC02 

Certification, 

Accreditation, 

APHIS is creating a new 

electronic system to replace its 

The target 

completion date 

APHIS anticipates both savings in cost and 

information collection burdens for APHIS and the 

The assessment of 

business practices 

Once the 

assessment is 

Inspection Plus the Registration, Permits, ePermits system that will integrat is 12/2014; ho public. The affected publics would be State, Local, a will be completed complete, APHIS

Service (AP various OM and other Licenses (CA e programs/processes that are cu wever, this wil nd Tribal Governments; Businesses and Other For- 9/2012, which will will have a muc

HIS) B Control N RPOL) rrently not electronic and/or part l be an ongoin -- Profits (small entities included); Not---for- better identify h better idea of 

umbers rela

ted to the c

ollections th

at will be pa

rt of CARPO

L 

of a consolidated system. The CAR

POL system will streamline all cer

tification, accreditation, registrati

on, permitting, and other license 

processes across APHIS and will c

ommunicate with other systems. 

g initiative. --Profits; Farms; Individuals and Households; and Fore

ign Federal Governments. 

exactly what data will 

enter the system and 

how much time and m

oney can be saved as a 

result. 

the positive imp

act of this new s

ystem. 

APHIS 0579---0007, Animal Disease Testing MIM technology uses devices APHIS plans to APHIS estimates that 136,400 hours (128,412 hours An additional 50

0579---0047, 

0579--- 

and Animal Traceability 

via Mobile Information 

similar to tablets and PDAs to 

allow officials to wave a wand in f

add devices and 

increasing the f

for business –mostly small business) (7,979 hours 

for State, Local, and Tribal Governments) could be 

devices were 

distributed to the East

0070/0137, 

0579---0101, 

0579---0127, 

0579---0137, 

0579---0146, 

0579---0148, 

Management (MIM) Te

chnology 

ront of an animal and read the an

imal’s identification number. The 

MIM device can record test result

s, print labels with all necessary i

nformation for test tubes to be s

ubmitted to a lab, and can file an

unctionality of t

he devices as ne

cessary. 

saved each year. ern Region this year al

one. 805,602 unique AIN

/RFID tags and 522,36

5 unique USDA metal t

ags 

were applied. APHIS 

0579---0185, d store this information. When sam has started to use the

0579---0189, ples are MIM technology 
0579

---0192,submitted to a lab,the lab canfor cattlein

0579---0324, transmit the test results to the Pennsylvania,Maine, 

0579--

-0338, 

appropriate 

official to take 

and Texas

. 

0579--

-0367 

immediate action. This reduces th

e amount of time spent waiti

ng f

or results and the cost of 

mailing 

or transporting the results from 

 

the la

b to the official.