Agency information collection activities: Submission for OMB review; comment request,
[Federal Register: June 29, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 124)]
[Notices]
[Page 34761-34763]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29jn99-37]
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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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
June 24, 1999.
The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13. Comments regarding (a) 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; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (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 should be addressed to: Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Washington, DC 20503 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 within 30 days of this notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by calling (202) 720-6746.
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.
Rural Utilities Service
Title: Financial Requirement & Expenditure Statement.
OMB Control Number: 0572-0015.
Summary of Collection: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is a credit agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It makes loans (direct and guaranteed) to finance electric, telecommunications, and water and waste water facilities in rural areas. RUS' electric program is a leader in lending to upgrade, expand, maintain and replace the vast rural American electric infrastructure. The RUS loan portfolio totals nearly $42 billion. RUS also acts as a catalyst for private sector investment in rural America and assists borrowers by enabling them to more easily obtain ``market financing.'' The Rural Electrification Act (RE Act) of 1936, 7 U.S.C. 901 et seq., authorizes and empowers the Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service to make loans in the several States and Territories of the United States for rural electrification and the furnishing of electric energy to persons in rural areas who are not receiving central station service. Eligible borrowers for RUS financial assistance include rural cooperative, nonprofit, limited-dividend, or mutual associations; municipalities; Indian Tribes; people's utility districts; states, territories, and subdivisions and agencies thereof; and, commercial corporations. These entities are obligated to serve the public welfare and, in many instances, are subject to State regulatory oversight. RUS electric borrowers use RUS form 595 to request an advance of loan funds. RUS will collect information using RUS form 595.
Need and Use of the Information: RUS will collect information on the distribution, transmission, generation, headquarters facilities, and acquisitions. The information enables the Government to ensure that loan funds are expended and advanced by RUS to electric borrowers only for US approved budget processes and amounts. Under RUS loan contracts, advances are made to borrowers as they need funds for their previously authorized construction projects. The Government's security would be impaired if it could not determine with assurance that loan fund advances and expenditures were being made in accordance with the borrower's obligations and commitments.
Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 798.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 26,334.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Title: National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS).
OMB Control Number: 0579-0079.
Summary of Collection: The mission of the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Program of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is to deliver statistically-valid and scientifically-sound animal health information to consumers, animal health officials, private practitioners, animal industry groups, policy makers, public health officials, media, educational institutions, and others. Annually, NAHMS conducts studies of specific livestock and poultry issues. NAHMS is proposing to collect information in conjunction with the Equine '98 study. Information for the study will be collected voluntarily on a national basis from people involved in the equine (horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules) industry using surveys and other structured forms.
Need and Use of the Information: The information collected through the NAHMS Equine '98 study will be used to estimate risk factors for regional and national prevalence of specific pathogens; support the industry goal of providing optimal health care for equids by determining current practices in health management; provide baseline estimates of equine health conditions; provide information on mortality and morbidity as it relates to body system categories such as respiratory disease, colic, and lameness; and determine the cost of disease.
Description of Respondents: Farms; State, Local, or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 5,468.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Monthly.
Total Burden Hours: 10,454.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Title: Tuberculosis.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0084.
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Summary of Collection: Title 21 U.S.C. authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to prevent, control and eliminate domestic diseases such as tuberculosis, as well as to take actions to prevent and to manage exotic diseases such as hog cholera, African swine fever, and other foreign diseases. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) oversees the Cooperative State-Federal Bovine Tuberculosis Eradication Program to eliminate bovine tuberculosis, a serious disease of livestock. The disease also affects man through contacts with infected animals or their byproducts. APHIS works with State and other federal organizations to conduct epidemiologic investigations to locate bovine tuberculosis and provide a means of controlling it. Information is collected using a variety of forms to properly identify, test, and transport animals that are infected with or exposed to tuberculosis.
Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information to search for infected herds, maintain identification of livestock, monitor deficiencies in identification of animals for movement, and monitor program deficiencies in suspicious and infected herds. Continued collection of this information is essential for program progress aimed at controlling and eradicating bovine tuberculosis.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Farms; State, Local, or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 5,031.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Annually.
Total Burden Hours: 17,372.
Food and Nutrition Service
Title: Survey of State Public Health and Community Nutrition Workforce.
OMB Control Number: 0584-NEW.
Summary of Collection: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) was created by the Congress in 1972 to provide nutritious food, nutrition education, and health care referrals to meet the special nutritional needs of low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, and their infants and children (up to age five) who are at nutritional risk. The program seeks to meet the special nutritional needs to these individuals and to prevent health and development problems associated with poor nutrition during pregnancy and early childhood. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), which administers the WIC Program, needs workforce information to provide technical assistance to improve state agency administrative systems, including recruitment and retention of qualified nutrition staff. FNS has executed a cooperative agreement with the Association of State and Territorial Public Health Nutrition Directors (ASTPHND) to collect, process, aggregate, analyze and report the survey data. Legislative authority for the Survey of State Public Health Nutrition Workforce is provided under section 17(g) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 as amended through Pub. L. 105-24. The FNS will collect information from the public health nutrition workforce using a survey which will be distributed by mail, fax, email or hand delivered to their worksite.
Need and use of the Information: FNS will collect information to assist with workforce recruitment and retention; identify trends in the experience and preparation of the public health nutrition workforce; compare current qualifications of WIC nutrition staff with the workforce resources needed to carry out the program at the state and local level; and identify training and development needs of WIC personnel in relation to their job responsibilities, credentials, education, and tenure. The information is needed to assess efforts to recruit and retain public health nutritionists to staff the WIC Program at the state and local levels. Recruitment and retention of qualified staff is essential to maintaining the quality of nutrition services by providing an environment where staff is appropriately selected, trained, and supported.
Description of Respondents: State, Local or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 8055.
Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: Other; one-time.
Total Burden Hours: 3233.4.
Rural Utilities Service
Title: Request for Mail List Data.
OMB Control Number: 0572-0051.
Summary of Collection: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) manages loan programs in accordance with the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, 7 U.S.C. 901 et seq., as amended, (Re Act) and as prescribed by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-129, Policies for Federal Credit Programs and Non-tax Receivables. RUS Form 87 is used for the RUS electric and telephone programs to obtain the name and addresses of the borrowers' officials with whom RUS must communicate directly in order to administer the agency's lending programs. RUS will collect information using form RUS 87.
Need and use of the Information: RUS will collect information to assure that correspondence with the borrowers is properly directed; documents submitted to RUS, such as loan applications and requests for the advance of loan funds, are signed by the appropriate officials and regulatory and administrative obligations are met to provide information to persons directly involved with carrying out Department programs and activities.
Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 905.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 226.
Food and Nutrition Service
Title: 7 CFR Part 215 SMP Special Milk Program for Children.
OMB Control Number: 0584-0005.
Summary of Collection: Responsibility for administering the Special Milk Program (SMP) at the Federal level has been assigned to the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). 7 CFR part 215 legislation requires that SMP operations within the States be administered by State Agencies (SAs). Section 2 of the Child Nutrition Act sets forth the intent of the Congress as being ``to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation's children, and to encourage the domestic consumption of agricultural and other foods by assisting the States, through grants- in-aid and other means, to meet effectively the nutritional needs of our children.'' The SMP is a performance-funded program. For each half- pint of milk served free to an eligible child, in a School Food Authority (SFA) operating the SMP in its pricing mode, the SA reimburses the SFA for the cost of obtaining the milk. For each half- pint of milk served to a paying child in a pricing program, or to any child in a nonpricing program, the SA reimburses the SFA at a rate set by statute. The SA obtains from FNS the Federal funds necessary to make SMP reimbursement payments. FNS pays the SA at the same rates at which the SA reimburses SFAs. FNS will collect information using Form FNS-10.
Need and use of the Information: FNS will collect information to compute the amount of Federal SMP funds due the SA under the performace-funding formula; analyze and evaluate the results of program operations within each State and nationwide; respond to data requests from the Congress, OMB, advocacy groups and the general public; develop budget projections of the amount of Federal funds needed to pay SMP program benefits; and regulate the flow of Federal funds to SA. Without
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this information FNS would not be able to evaluate program operations.
Description of Respondents: State, Local, or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 16,370.
Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: Monthly, Annually.
Total Burden Hours: 830,184. Nancy B. Sternberg, Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 99-16534Filed6-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-01-M
