83 FR 5754 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 28 (February 9, 2018)

Page Range		5754-5754
FR Document		2018-02585
Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 28 (Friday, February 9, 2018)
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 28 (Friday, February 9, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 5754]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-02585]


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Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

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.

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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 28 / Friday, February 9, 2018 / 
Notices

[[Page 5754]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

February 6, 2018.
    The Department of Agriculture will submit the following information 
collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 on or after the date 
of publication of this notice. Comments are requested regarding: (1) 
Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the 
information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) 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 should be addressed to: Desk 
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office Building, 
Washington, DC; New Executive Office Building, 725 17th Street NW, 
Washington, DC 20503. Commenters are encouraged to submit their 
comments to OMB via email to: OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov or fax (202) 
395-5806 and to Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 
7602, Washington, DC 20250-7602.
    Comments regarding these information collections are best assured 
of having their full effect if received by March 12, 2018. Copies of 
the submission(s) may be obtained by calling (202) 720-8681.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

30-Day Federal Register Notice

Agricultural Marketing Service

    Title: Beef Research and Promotion: Producer Request for State to 
Retain Checkoff Assessment Form.
    OMB Control Number: 0581-0302.
    Summary of Collection: Congress has delegated to the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture (USDA) the responsibility for implementing 
and overseeing the Beef Research and Promotion Program. The enabling 
legislation for the Beef Research and Promotion Program is the Beef 
Promotion and Research Act of 1985 (Act) (7 U.S.C. 2901-2911).
    On June 21, 2017, a U.S. District Court Judge in Montana issued a 
preliminary injunction enjoining USDA from continuing to allow MBC to 
use the assessments that it is qualified to collect under the Beef 
Checkoff Program to fund advertising campaigns, unless a cattle 
producer provides prior affirmative consent authorizing MBC to retain a 
portion of the cattle producer's assessment. As a result of this 
preliminary injunction, MBC must begin forwarding all Beef Checkoff 
Program funds directly to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research 
Board (Beef Board), the entity that administers the National Beef 
Checkoff Program, absent proof that a producer has provided advance 
affirmative consent authorizing MBC to retain a portion of that 
producer's assessment.
    The Beef Checkoff Program carries out projects relating to 
research, consumer information, advertising, sales promotion, producer 
information, market development, and product research to assist, 
improve, or promote the marketing, distribution, and utilization of 
beef. The Beef Checkoff Program is directed by a national industry 
board whose members are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, who 
also approves the Beef Boards' budgets, plans, and projects. The latter 
responsibility has been delegated to AMS. The funding for the Beef 
Checkoff Program is industry-specific, with assessments generated by 
producers and importers each time cattle are sold.
    Need and Use of the Information: The Beef Promotion and Research 
Order (Order) and regulations governing the Beef Research and Promotion 
Program authorize the Qualified State Beef Councils (QSBCs) to collect 
and submit certain information as required. The information will be 
used by some beef producers in Montana (and any other State subject to 
a similar court order) who seek to have a portion of the Federal 
assessments remain with MBC (and any other State subject to a similar 
court order) instead of the full assessment collected being forwarded 
to the Beef Board. QSBCs administer the State beef program.
    AMS developed the LPS-2 Producer Request to Retain Beef Checkoff 
Assessments form so that producers have an option to allow MBC (and any 
other State subject to a similar court order) to retain a portion of 
the assessment collected instead of forwarding the full assessment 
collected to the Beef Board. The LPS-2 form gives the producer the 
option to (1) submit the form once a year or (2) submit the form each 
time cattle are sold.
    Without the producer's permission for the State to retain a portion 
of the Federal assessment under the Beef Checkoff Program, MBC will 
likely have insufficient funds to pay for ongoing projects, contracts, 
staff salaries, and other administrative functions and, therefore, 
could be forced to cease operations and potentially leave current staff 
unemployed.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 100.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 8.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-02585 Filed 2-8-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-02-P
5754

Notices Federal Register
Vol. 83, No. 28

Friday, February 9, 2018

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER An agency may not conduct or delegated to AMS. The funding for the
contains documents other than rules or sponsor a collection of information Beef Checkoff Program is industry-
proposed rules that are applicable to the unless the collection of information specific, with assessments generated by
public. Notices of hearings and investigations, displays a currently valid OMB control producers and importers each time
committee meetings, agency decisions and number and the agency informs
rulings, delegations of authority, filing of cattle are sold.
potential persons who are to respond to
petitions and applications and agency Need and Use of the Information: The
statements of organization and functions are the collection of information that such
Beef Promotion and Research Order
examples of documents appearing in this persons are not required to respond to
the collection of information unless it (Order) and regulations governing the
section.
displays a currently valid OMB control Beef Research and Promotion Program
number. authorize the Qualified State Beef
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Councils (QSBCs) to collect and submit
30-Day Federal Register Notice certain information as required. The
Submission for OMB Review; Agricultural Marketing Service information will be used by some beef
Comment Request producers in Montana (and any other
Title: Beef Research and Promotion:
State subject to a similar court order)
February 6, 2018. Producer Request for State to Retain
who seek to have a portion of the
The Department of Agriculture will Checkoff Assessment Form.
OMB Control Number: 0581–0302. Federal assessments remain with MBC
submit the following information Summary of Collection: Congress has (and any other State subject to a similar
collection requirement(s) to OMB for delegated to the U.S. Department of court order) instead of the full
review and clearance under the Agriculture (USDA) the responsibility assessment collected being forwarded to
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for implementing and overseeing the the Beef Board. QSBCs administer the
Public Law 104–13 on or after the date Beef Research and Promotion Program. State beef program.
of publication of this notice. Comments The enabling legislation for the Beef
are requested regarding: (1) Whether the AMS developed the LPS–2 Producer
Research and Promotion Program is the Request to Retain Beef Checkoff
collection of information is necessary Beef Promotion and Research Act of
for the proper performance of the Assessments form so that producers
1985 (Act) (7 U.S.C. 2901–2911). have an option to allow MBC (and any
functions of the agency, including On June 21, 2017, a U.S. District Court
whether the information will have other State subject to a similar court
Judge in Montana issued a preliminary
practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the order) to retain a portion of the
injunction enjoining USDA from
agency’s estimate of burden including continuing to allow MBC to use the assessment collected instead of
the validity of the methodology and assessments that it is qualified to collect forwarding the full assessment collected
assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance under the Beef Checkoff Program to to the Beef Board. The LPS–2 form gives
the quality, utility and clarity of the fund advertising campaigns, unless a the producer the option to (1) submit
information to be collected; and (4) cattle producer provides prior the form once a year or (2) submit the
ways to minimize the burden of the affirmative consent authorizing MBC to form each time cattle are sold.
collection of information on those who retain a portion of the cattle producer’s Without the producer’s permission for
are to respond, including through the assessment. As a result of this the State to retain a portion of the
use of appropriate automated, preliminary injunction, MBC must begin Federal assessment under the Beef
electronic, mechanical, or other forwarding all Beef Checkoff Program
technological collection techniques or Checkoff Program, MBC will likely have
funds directly to the Cattlemen’s Beef insufficient funds to pay for ongoing
other forms of information technology Promotion and Research Board (Beef
should be addressed to: Desk Officer for projects, contracts, staff salaries, and
Board), the entity that administers the other administrative functions and,
Agriculture, Office of Information and National Beef Checkoff Program, absent
Regulatory Affairs, Office of therefore, could be forced to cease
proof that a producer has provided operations and potentially leave current
Management and Budget (OMB), New advance affirmative consent authorizing
Executive Office Building, Washington, staff unemployed.
MBC to retain a portion of that
DC; New Executive Office Building, 725 producer’s assessment. Description of Respondents: Business
17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503. The Beef Checkoff Program carries out or other for-profit.
Commenters are encouraged to submit projects relating to research, consumer Number of Respondents: 100.
their comments to OMB via email to: information, advertising, sales
OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov or fax promotion, producer information, Frequency of Responses: Reporting:
(202) 395–5806 and to Departmental market development, and product On occasion; Annually.
Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail research to assist, improve, or promote Total Burden Hours: 8.
Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250– the marketing, distribution, and
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES

7602. Ruth Brown,
utilization of beef. The Beef Checkoff
Comments regarding these Program is directed by a national Departmental Information Collection
information collections are best assured industry board whose members are Clearance Officer.
of having their full effect if received by appointed by the Secretary of [FR Doc. 2018–02585 Filed 2–8–18; 8:45 am]
March 12, 2018. Copies of the Agriculture, who also approves the Beef BILLING CODE 3410–02–P
submission(s) may be obtained by Boards’ budgets, plans, and projects.
calling (202) 720–8681. The latter responsibility has been

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Document Created: 2018-02-09 00:11:52
Document Modified: 2018-02-09 00:11:52
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
FR Citation		83 FR 5754