[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 166 (Tuesday, August 29, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 40985]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-18223]



[[Page 40985]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency


Information Collection Request; County Committee Elections

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested 
individuals and entities on an extension of a currently approved 
information collection associated with the FSA county committee 
elections. The collection of information from FSA farmers and ranchers 
is used to receive nominations from eligible voters for the FSA county 
committee.

DATES: We will consider comments we receive by October 30, 2017.

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on this notice. In your 
comment, include volume, date, and page number of this issue of the 
Federal Register. You may submit comments by any of the following 
methods:
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to: www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
    <bullet> Mail, hand delivery, or courier: Jean Knight, Field 
Operations Specialist for the Deputy Administrator for Field 
Operations, Farm Service Agency, USDA, STOP 0542, 1400 Independence 
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-0542.
    You may also send comments to the Desk Officer for Agriculture, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget, Washington, DC 20503. Copies of the information collection may 
be requested by contacting Jean Knight at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, Jean Knight, (202) 720-0067.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Elections for FSA county committees are held 
each year; therefore, nominations for eligible nominees are requested 
each year. Any individual who meets the qualifications mentioned in 
this paragraph may be nominated by another person or by themselves. A 
brief form (FSA-669A) is used to collect the information for 
nominations; it requires the name and address of the nominee and the 
signatures of both the nominee and the person nominating the individual 
to be a nominee (only one signature is required for self-nominated 
individuals). The nominee must be eligible to vote in the designated 
FSA county committee election, eligible to hold the office of FSA 
county committee member, and willing to serve, if elected. For more 
information about FSA county committees, including elections, 
nominations, eligible voters, eligibility, and other related 
information, see the regulations in 7 CFR part 7.
    In addition, the form also includes a voluntary request for race, 
ethnicity, and gender information from the nominee.
    Title of Collection: County Committee Election.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-0229.
    Expiration Date of Approval: December 31, 2017.
    Type of Request: Extension.
    Abstract: This information collection is necessary to effectively 
allow farmers and ranchers to nominate potential candidates using the 
form FSA-669A for the FSA county committee election in accordance with 
the requirements as authorized by the Soil Conservation and Domestic 
Allotment Act, as amended. Specifically, FSA uses the information 
provided by the nominee annually or, if needed, throughout the year for 
special elections to create ballots for FSA county committee elections. 
There are no changes to the burden hours since the last OMB approval.
    For the following estimated total annual burden on respondents, the 
formula used to calculate the total burden hours is the estimated 
average time per response multiplied by the estimated total annual of 
responses.
    Estimate of Average Time to Respond: Public reporting burden for 
collecting information under this notice is estimated to average 0.67 
hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, 
searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data 
needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information for 
all respondents and travel time for half of the respondents. The 
average travel time, which is included in the total annual burden, is 
estimated to be 1 hour per respondent.
    Type of Respondents: Any individual with farming interest in the 
Local Administrative Area (LAA) (eligible voters).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 10,000.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Reponses: 10,000.
    Estimated Average Time per Response: 0.67 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 6,700 hours.
    We are requesting comments on all aspects of this information to 
help us to:
    (1) Evaluate 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) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (3) Evaluate the quality, ability and clarity of the information 
technology; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the information collection on those who 
respond through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.
    All comments received in response to this notice, including names 
and addresses when provided, will be a matter of public record. 
Comments will be summarized and included in the submission for Office 
of Management and Budget Approval.

Chris P. Beyerhelm,
Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 2017-18223 Filed 8-28-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-05-P