Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments are requested regarding: 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; the accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and 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 Comments regarding these information collections are best assured of having their full effect if received by November 27, 2026. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of this notice on the following website www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function.

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.

Agricultural Marketing Service

Title: Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999.

OMB Control Number: 0581-0186.

Summary of Collection: The Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999 (1999 Act) authorizes the collection and reporting of information on the prices and quantities of livestock and livestock products. In 2001, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) implemented the Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR) program as required by the 1999 Act [Pub. L. 106-78; 113 Stat. 1188; 7 U.S.C. 1635-1636(i)]. On September 30, 2015, the Agriculture Reauthorizations Act of 2015 (2015 Reauthorization Act) reauthorized LMR for an additional five years, until September 30, 2020. The Reauthorization was extended through September 30, 2021, in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and currently extended through September 30, 2022, in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022.

The request for information, as mandated by the 1999 Act and amended under the 2015 Reauthorization Act, requires livestock packing plants that annually slaughter an average of 125,000 cattle, 100,000 barrows and gilts, or 200,000 sows and boars; or slaughter or process an average of 35,000 lambs to report information as described in the 1999 Act. In addition, the 1999 Act, as amended under the 2015 Reauthorization Act, requires importers that annually import an average of 1,000 metric tons of lamb meat products to report information as described in the 1999 Act.

Need and Use of the Information: The information collection and recordkeeping requirements mandated by the 1999 Act are essential for AMS to administer a mandatory reporting program of livestock and livestock products. Using the information submitted by packers and importers, AMS publishes over 100 daily, weekly, and monthly reports covering market transactions for fed cattle, swine, lamb, beef, lamb meat, and pork. Collection is accomplished through electronic means, and AMS reports the information up to three times daily and once weekly. The information collected is necessary for the proper performance of AMS functions concerning mandatory reporting of livestock market information.

Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 118.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting; Weekly; Other (Daily).

Total Burden Hours: 23,712.

Agricultural Marketing Service

Title: Export Inspection and Weighing Waiver for High-Quality Specialty Grains Transported in Containers Under the Authority of the United States Grain Standards Act.

OMB Control Number: 0581-0306.

Summary of Collection: The United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA), with few exceptions, requires official certification of export grain sold by grade. The regulations promulgating the USGSA require specific information collection and record-keeping necessary to enforce provisions in the statue. On July 29, 2011, Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) published a final rule in the Federal Register (76 FR 45397) to amend the regulations under the USGSA to make permanent a waiver that expired on July 31, 2012 for high quality specialty grains exported in containers from the mandatory inspection and weighing requirements ( printed page 67811) of the USGSA. To ensure that exporters of high-quality specialty grains comply with this waiver, FGIS is asking exporters to maintain records generated during their normal course of business that pertain to these shipments and make these documents available to the FGIS upon request. FGIS has no other means available to monitor the grain industry's compliance with provisions of this waiver.

Need and Use of the Information: To comply with the waiver of the mandatory inspection and weighing requirement, FGIS is asking exporters of high quality specialty grains transported in containers to maintain records generated during their normal course of business that pertain to these shipments and make these documents available to FGIS upon request. Experience has shown that the U.S. grain industry maintains grain contracts that specify quality parameters agreed to by buyers and sellers of grain. FGIS believes that grain contracts would provide sufficient information to determine if exporters of high-quality specialty grain are complying with the waiver. This information collection requirement is essential for FGIS to enforce provisions set forth in the USGSA. FGIS intends to request copies of the relevant documents annually to ensure compliance with this waiver. FGIS also will require exporters to maintain records for a 3-year period.

Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 40.

Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping.

Total Burden Hours: 240.

Agricultural Marketing Service

Title: National Organic Program: Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE).

OMB Control Number: 0581-0321.

Summary of Collection: The National Organic Program (NOP) is authorized by the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA), as amended, (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.). The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) administers the NOP. Under the NOP, AMS oversees national standards for the production and handling of organically produced agricultural products. The NOP is issuing a final rule to amend its regulations.

The OFPA authorizes the improvement and strengthening of organic production and handling production standards (7 U.S.C. 6513(c)) to strengthen oversight and enforcement of the production, handling, and sale of organic agricultural products. The NOP identified the need for many of the amendments as part of its direct experience in administering this program, particularly via complaint investigations and audits of certifying agents. Other final amendments are based on recent amendments to the OFPA included in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018; the recommendations of a 2017 Office of Inspector General audit; multiple recommendations of the federal advisory committee to the NOP, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), from 2002 to 2018; and industry stakeholder feedback.

This final rule strengthens enforcement with amendments and new requirements to the USDA organic regulations. The amendments in this final rule are intended to: (1) strengthen organic control systems; (2) improve organic import oversight; (3) clarify organic certification standards; and (4) enhance supply chain traceability. Specific provisions require: a new group of handlers, brokers and traders, to become certified as organic in order to trade or broker certified organic products; additional information on nonretail labels; new procedures to strengthen traceability; the use of federated organic certificates; unannounced on-site inspections; import certificates on all imported product; additional inspector training and qualifications; more review of foreign conformity systems; and the development and expansion of electronic data and document management systems governing organic certification of operations and traceability through transactions and trade, and clarified compliance and appeals processes for certifying agents and organic operations.

Need and Use of the Information: In general, the information collected is used by USDA, State program governing officials, and certifying agents. It is created and submitted by accredited certifying agents, certified organic producers and handlers, those seeking or maintaining accreditation or certification, organic inspectors, State and foreign program officials, and parties interested in changing the National List. Additionally, accredited certifying agents, certified organic producers and handlers, those seeking accreditation or certification, and State and foreign program officials have procedures and space for recordkeeping.

Description of Respondents: Businesses or other for-profits.

Number of Respondents: 51,091.

Frequency of Responses: On occasion: Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 231,617.