81 FR 54551 - Notice of Request for Approval of an Information Collection

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 158 (August 16, 2016)

Page Range		54551-54552
FR Document		2016-19532

This notice announces the intent, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, of the Office of Advocacy and Outreach (OAO) to request an extension/revision of a currently approved information collection to the Minority Farm Register. The Minority Farm Register is a voluntary register of minority farm and ranch operators, landowners, tenants, and others with an interest in farming or agriculture. The OAO uses the collected information to better inform minority farmers about U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and services.

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 158 (Tuesday, August 16, 2016)

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 158 (Tuesday, August 16, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54551-54552]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-19532]


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 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Notice of Request for Approval of an Information Collection

AGENCY: Office of Advocacy and Outreach, Department of Agriculture.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the intent, in accordance with the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, of the Office of Advocacy and Outreach 
(OAO) to request an extension/revision of a currently approved 
information collection to the Minority Farm Register. The Minority Farm 
Register is a voluntary register of minority farm and ranch operators, 
landowners, tenants, and others with an interest in farming or 
agriculture. The OAO uses the collected information to better inform 
minority farmers about U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs 
and services.

DATES: We will consider comments received by October 17, 2016, at 5:00 
p.m. EST.

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on this notice. In your 
comments, include date, volume, and page number of this issue of the 
Federal Register. You may submit comments by any of the following 
methods: (1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://regulations.gov 
and follow the online instructions for submitting comments; (2) Mail: 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Advocacy and Outreach, Attn: 
Kenya Nicholas, Program Director, Whitten Building Room 520-A, Mail 
Stop 0601, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250; and (3) 
Fax: (202) 720-7704.
    How to File a Complaint of Discrimination: To file a complaint of 
discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint 
Form, which may be accessed online at: http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter 
signed by you or your authorized representative. Send your completed 
complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax, or email:

Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 
1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410.
Fax: (202) 690-7442.
Email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    Agency Contact: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Advocacy 
and Outreach, Attention: Kenya Nicholas, Program Director, Whitten 
Building Room 520-A, Mail Stop 0601, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20250, Phone: (202) 720-6350, Fax: (202) 720-7704, 
Email: [email protected].
    Persons with Disabilities: Persons who require alternative means 
for communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should 
contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: USDA Minority Farm Register.
    Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Number: 0560-0231.
    Expiration Date: October 31, 2016.
    Type of Request: Extension/Revision.
    Abstract: The Minority Farm Register is a voluntary register of 
minority farm and ranch operators, landowners, tenants, and others with 
an interest in farming or agriculture. The registrant's name, address, 
email, phone number, race, ethnicity, gender, farm location, and 
signature will be collected; however, the registrant's name, address, 
and signature are the only items required to register. Providing this 
information is completely voluntary. USDA's OAO will use this 
information to help inform minority farmers and ranchers about programs 
and services provided by USDA agencies. The Minority Farm Register is 
maintained by OAO. Because USDA partners with community-based 
organizations, minority-serving educational institutions, and other 
groups to communicate USDA's programs and services, the OAO may share 
information collected with these organizations for outreach purposes. 
The race, ethnicity, and gender of registrants may be used to provide 
information about programs and services that are designed for these 
particular groups. Information about the Minority Farm Register is 
available on the Internet to ensure that the program is widely 
publicized and accessible to all.
    Respondents: Individuals and households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 5000.
    Estimated Average Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Number of Responses: 5000.
    Estimated average time to respond: 5 minutes (0.083 hours) and 1 
hour traveling time. Estimated Total Annual Burden on all Respondents: 
4667 hours.
    We are requesting comments on all aspects of this information 
collection to help us to: (1) Evaluate whether the collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
OAO, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) 
Evaluate the accuracy of OAO's estimate of burden including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) Enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; (4) 
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, 
including name and addresses when provided, will be summarized and 
included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will also become 
a matter of public record.


[[Page 54552]]


    Signed this 8th day of August, 2016.
Carolyn C. Parker,
Director, Office of Advocacy and Outreach.
[FR Doc. 2016-19532 Filed 8-15-16; 8:45 am]
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54552 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 158 / Tuesday, August 16, 2016 / Notices

Signed this 8th day of August, 2016. used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, respectively. The decrease in the revised
Carolyn C. Parker, utility, and clarity of the information to burden from the currently approved 792
Director, Office of Advocacy and Outreach. be collected; and (d) ways to minimize to 791.1 hours for the arbitration process
[FR Doc. 2016–19532 Filed 8–15–16; 8:45 am] the burden of the collection of is due to a decrease in the estimated
BILLING CODE P
information on those who are to number of responses per State agency.
respond, including use of appropriate These decreases are a result of State
automated, electronic, mechanical, or agencies less frequently disagreeing
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE other technological collection with FNS’ findings. The requested
techniques or other forms of information annual reporting burden for the good
Food and Nutrition Service technology. cause process remains at 320 hours.
Title: Supplemental Nutrition In addition, we are adding two
Agency Information Collection Assistance Program (SNAP)—Title 7, additional forms to the reporting
Activities: Proposed Collection; Part 275. burden: FNS 74A, Template for QC-
Comment Request—Supplemental OMB Number: 0584–0303. related New Investment Plans and FNS
Nutrition Assistance Program—Quality Expiration Date: January 31, 2017. 74B, Template for QC-related New
Control Type of Request: Revision of a Investment Plan Progress Reports. These
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service currently approved collection. two templates are being added to this
(FNS), USDA. Abstract: There are three components collection in an effort to formalize the
of the Quality Control (QC) system that regulatory requirements of these two
ACTION: Notice.
are covered in this required information items for States that are subject to QC-
SUMMARY: In accordance with the collection. They are: (1) The sampling related new investments.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this plan; (2) the arbitration process; and (3)
Based on the number of State agencies
notice invites the general public and the good cause process. Each State is
subject to the QC-related new
other public agencies to comment on required to develop a sampling plan that
investment requirement over the last
this proposed information collection. demonstrates the integrity of its case
three years and feedback from those
selection procedures. The QC system is
DATES: Written comments must be State agencies that responded to our
designed to measure each State agency’s
received on or before October 17, 2016. inquiry, we estimate the amount of time
payment error rate based on a
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: to create a QC-related new investment
statistically valid sample of SNAP cases.
Stephanie Proska, Food and Nutrition plan is approximately 32 hours. This
A State agency’s payment error rate
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, estimate includes determining root
represents the proportion of cases that
3101 Park Center Drive, Room 822, causes of a State agency’s error rate,
were reported through a QC review as
Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may exploring methods to address those
being ineligible, as well as the
also be submitted via fax to the attention causes, and writing up the plan to
proportion of SNAP benefits that were
of Stephanie Proska at 703–305–0928 or address those causes. In addition, we
either overissued or underissued to
via email to SNAPHQ–WEB@ estimate it takes approximately 5 hours
SNAP households.
fns.usda.gov. Comments will also be to complete a progress report updating
The QC system contains procedures
accepted through the Federal FNS on the status of the activities in the
for resolving differences in review
eRulemaking Portal. Go to http:// State agency’s relevant QC-related new
findings between State agencies and
www.regulations.gov, and follow the investment plan. We estimate the total
FNS. This is referred to as the
online instructions for submitting annual reporting burden for 4 State
arbitration process. The QC system also
comments electronically. Agencies to complete a new investment
contains procedures that provide relief
All responses to this notice will be plan to be 128 hours and 40 hours for
for State agencies from all or a part of
summarized and included in the request the progress report.
a QC liability when a State agency can
for Office of Management and Budget demonstrate that a part or all of an The requested annual recordkeeping
approval. All comments will be a matter excessive error rate was due to an burden associated with the QC sampling
of public record. unusual event that had an plan remains at 1.25 hours per year. The
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: uncontrollable impact on the State revised annual recordkeeping burdens
Requests for additional information or agency’s payment error rate. This is associated with arbitration has
copies of this information collection referred to as the good cause process. increased from 0.7788 hour to 1.4868
should be directed to Stephanie Proska The approved burden for the QC hours and the good cause process has
at 703–305–2437. system includes the burden for the QC remained at 0.0472 hour. The estimated
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments sampling plan, the arbitration process recordkeeping burden for the QC-related
are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed and the good cause process. The new investment plan and progress
collection of information is necessary currently approved burden for total reports total 0.0944 hour and 0.1888
for the proper performance of the reporting burden for the QC system is hours respectively.
functions of the agency, including 1,544.91 hours, an increase of 167.91 The burden for recordkeeping has
whether the information shall have hours. (1) The annual reporting burden increased from 2.076 hours to 3.068
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the associated with the QC sampling plan hours. As a result, the overall annual
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

agency’s estimate of the burden of the remains at 265 hours. (2) We estimate burden for the QC system, as proposed
proposed collection of information, the annual reporting burdens associated by this notice, increased from 1,379.076
including the validity of the with arbitration and (3) good cause to 1547.978 hours, totaling an increase
methodology and assumptions that were processes to total 791.1 and 320 hours, of 168.90 hours.

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Document Created: 2016-08-16 03:20:25
Document Modified: 2016-08-16 03:20:25

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notice and request for comments.
Dates		We will consider comments received by October 17, 2016, at 5:00 p.m. EST.
Contact		Agency Contact: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Advocacy and Outreach, Attention: Kenya Nicholas, Program Director, Whitten Building Room 520-A, Mail Stop 0601, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250, Phone: (202) 720-6350, Fax: (202) 720-7704, Email: [email protected]
FR Citation		81 FR 54551