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

20209

Vol. 61, No. 88

Monday, May 6, 1996

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Docket No. FV95–955–3]

Notice of Request for Extension and

Revision of a Currently Approved

Information Collection

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Proposed Collection: Comment

request.

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 Vidalia Onions Grown in

Georgia, Marketing Order No. 955.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by July 5, 1996 to be assured

of consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS:

Tom Tichenor, Marketing Order

Administration Branch, F & V, AMS,

USDA, P.O. Box 96456, room 2523–S,

Washington, D.C., 20090–6456,

Telephone (202) 720–6862 or FAX (202)

720–5698.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Vidalia Onions Grown in

Georgia, Marketing Order No. 955.

OMB Number: 0581–0160.

Expiration Date of Approval: July 29,

1996.

Type of Request: Extension and

revision of currently approved

information collection.

Abstract: Marketing order programs

provide an opportunity for producers of

fresh fruits, vegetables and specialty

crops, in a specified production area, to

work together to solve marketing

problems that cannot be solved

individually. Order regulations help

ensure adequate supplies of high quality

product and adequate returns to

producers. Under the Agricultural

Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 (Act),

as amended (7 U.S.C. 601–674),

industries enter into marketing order

programs. The Secretary of Agriculture

is authorized to oversee the order

operations and issue regulations

recommended by a committee of

representatives from each commodity

industry.

The information collection

requirements in this request are

essential to carry out the intent of the

Act, to provide the respondents the type

of service they request, and to

administer the Vidalia onion marketing

order program, which has been

operating since 1990. The order

authorizes production and marketing

research and development projects,

including paid advertising. The research

and promotion activities are paid for by

assessments levied on handlers of

Vidalia onions.

The order, and rules and regulations

issued thereunder, authorize the Vidalia

Onion Committee (Committee), the

agency responsible for local

administration of the order, to require

handlers and growers to submit certain

information. Much of this information is

compiled in aggregate and provided to

the industry to assist in marketing

decisions.

The Committee has developed forms

as a means for persons to file required

information with the Committee relating

to onion supplies, shipments,

dispositions, and other information

needed to effectively carry out the

purpose of the Act and order. Vidalia

onions may be shipped beginning mid

April and ending in mid July, and these

forms are utilized accordingly. A USDA

form is used to allow growers to vote on

amendments to or continuance of the

marketing order. In addition, Vidalia

onion growers and grower/handlers who

are nominated by their peers to serve as

representatives on the Committee must

file nomination forms with the

Secretary.

The forms covered under this

information collection require the

minimum information necessary to

effectively carry out the requirements of

the order, and their use is necessary to

fulfill the intent of the Act as expressed

in the order.

The size of the Vidalia onion industry

has decreased in recent years. The

Committee estimates that there are 195

producers and 109 handlers of Vidalia

onions currently operating in the

production area. These numbers are

lower than those used in the previous

(1993) information collection burden

and, thus, change the burden for all but

one of the forms subject to this

information collection. All of the

handlers are also producers of Vidalia

onions.

The burden for the Vidalia Onion

Handler Report is changed in this

information collection. Under the order,

handlers are responsible for reporting to

the Committee acquisitions of onions

and for submitting an assessment

payment based on the volume of onions

shipped. The form is used by each

handler to report the volume of onions

acquired, handled and shipped by the

handler, and the assessment due on the

onions shipped. The Committee uses

this information to verify the handler’s

assessment obligation.

The information requested on this

form was increased in 1993 to include

the names of producers and other

handlers who the respondent purchased

onions from, sold onions to, or packed

onions for, during the monthly reporting

period. The revised form also asks for

the location and quantity of any onions

placed into storage during the reporting

period. This additional information is

needed for compliance purposes, and

will enable the Committee to better

determine who is responsible for paying

assessments on any particular lot of

onions. However the time needed to

complete the form was not

correspondingly increased. This

information collection increases the

burden from 5 minutes to 20 minutes to

complete the form. The total

information collection burden has been

adjusted accordingly.

The information collected is used

only by authorized employees of the

Committee and authorized

representatives of the USDA, including

AMS, Fruit and Vegetable Division

regional and headquarter’s staff.

Authorized Committee employees and

the industry are the primary users of the

information and AMS is the secondary

user.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average .30 hours (18

minutes) per response.

Respondents: Vidalia onion growers

and handlers and two public members
20210 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 88 / Monday, May 6, 1996 / Notices

in the designated production area in

Georgia.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

197 (195 growers/ handlers and 1 public

member and 1 alternate public member).

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 2.5.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 496 hours.

Comments are invited on: (1) Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the functioning of the

Vidalia onion marketing order program;

(2) the accuracy of the collection burden

estimate and the validity of

methodology and assumptions used in

estimating the burden of respondents;

(3) ways to enhance the quality, utility,

and clarity of the information requested;

and (4) ways to minimize the burden,

including use of automated electronic

technologies.

Comments should reference OMB No.

0581–0160 and Vidalia Onion

Marketing Order No. 955, and be mailed

to the Docket Clerk, Fruit and Vegetable

Division, AMS, USDA, P.O. Box 96456,

room 2523–S, Washington, D.C., 20090–

6456. Comments should reference the

docket number and the date and page

number of this issue of the Federal

Register. All comments received will be

available for public inspection in the

Office of the Docket Clerk during regular

USDA business hours at 14th and

Independence Ave. S.W., Washington,

D.C., Room 2523 South Building.

All responses to this notice will be

summarized and included in the request

for OMB approval. All comments also

will become a matter of public record.

Dated: April 30, 1996.

Robert C. Keeney,

Director, Fruit and Vegetable Division.

[FR Doc. 96–11155 Filed 5–3–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P

Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service

Committee of Nine Meeting

Cancellation

Section 869 of the Federal Agriculture

Improvement and Reform Act of 1996

(Pub. L. 104–127) amends Section 3(c)3

of the Act of March 2, 1887 (Hatch Act

of 1887), by repealing the Committee of

Nine. This committee represented the

directors of State agricultural

experiment stations in providing

recommendations to the Secretary of

Agriculture on cooperative regional

research projects and related program

policy and procedures. Therefore, as a

result of the aforementioned repeal,

Cooperative State Research, Education,

and Extension Service announces

cancellation of the following meeting:

Name: Committee of Nine.

Date and Time:

May 15, 1996, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

May 16, 1996, 8:30 a.m.–Noon.

Place: USDA, CSREES, 14th & Independence

Avenue, SW, Room 3854 South Building,

Washington, D.C. 20250.

Action: This meeting has been cancelled.

Contact person for more information: Dr.

George E. Cooper, Executive Secretary,

U.S. Department of Agriculture,

Cooperative State Research, Education,

and Extension Service, 14th &

Independence Avenue, SW., Room 3851,

South Building, Washington, D.C. 20250,

Telephone: 202–720–4088.

Done at Washington, D.C. this 30th day of

April 1996.

B. H. Robinson,

Administrator, Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service.

[FR Doc. 96–11148 Filed 5–3–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–22–M

Food and Consumer Service

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed collection;

Comment Request—Food Stamp

Program Application for Stores

AGENCY: Food and Consumer Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the Food and

Consumer Service’s (FCS) intention to

request an extension of a previously

approved information collection in

support of the Food Stamp Program

application from retail food stores who

wish to participate in the program and

for which approval expires on May 31,

1996.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by July 5, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Send comments and

requests for copies of this information

collection to: Suzanne M. Fecteau,

Chief, Redemption Management Branch,

Benefit Redemption Division, Food and

Consumer Service, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive,

Alexandria, VA 22302.

Comments are invited on: (a) whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the 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.

All responses to this notice will be

summarized and included in the request

for OMB approval, and will become a

matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Suzanne M. Fecteau, (703) 305–2419.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Food Stamp Program

Application For Stores, Form FNS–252

(9–93); Food Stamp Program

Application For Stores—

Reauthorization, Form FCS–252R (2–

95); Food Stamp Program Application

For Stores—Supplement, Form FNS–

252A (8–94); Food and Nutrition

Service Meal Services, Form FNS 252–

2 (10–79).

OMB Number: 0584–0008.

Expiration Date of Approval: 3 years

from date of approval.

Type of Request: Reinstatement, with

change of a previously approved

collection for which approval expires on

May 31, 1996.

Abstract: The Food and Consumer

Service (FCS) of the U.S. Department of

Agriculture is the Federal Agency

responsible for the Food Stamp

Program. The Food Stamp Act of 1977,

as amended (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.),

requires that the Agency determine the

eligibility of firms and certain food

service organizations to accept and

redeem food stamp benefits and to

monitor them for compliance and

continued eligibility.

Part of FCS’ responsibility is to accept

applications from retail food stores and

programs that wish to participate in the

Food Stamp Program, review the

applications in order to determine

whether or not applicants meet

eligibility requirements, and make

determinations whether to grant or deny

authorization to accept and redeem food

stamp benefits. FCS is also responsible

for requiring updates to application

information and reviewing that

information to determine whether or not

the firms or services continue to meet

eligibility requirements.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average .29 hours per

response.

Respondents: Retail food stores and

State or local governments.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

112,023.