Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

October 2, 1998.

The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following

information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance

under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1994, 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.

Office of the Chief Financial Officer

Title: Debt Collection.

OMB Control Number: 0505-0007.

Summary of Collection: The Debt Collection Act of 1982 requires

that any monies that are payable or may become payable from the United

States under contracts and other written agreements to any person or

legal entity not an agency or subdivision of a State or local

government may be subject to administrative offset for the collection

of a delinquent debt the person or a legal entity owes to the United

States. Section 10 requires that debtors be provided due process prior

to the collection of any claims through administrative offset.

Delinquent debtors wishing to appeal must provide relevant information.

USDA agencies will collect information using a letter of intent from

the creditor agencies to delinquent debtors.

Need And Use of the Information: USDA agencies will collect

information on delinquent debtors targeted for administrative offset

who want additional information; wish to enter into repayment

agreements; or wish to request a review of agencies' determination to

offset. The data collected by the creditor agencies are used by

agencies to respond to and/or to take appropriate action. The creditor

agencies will not be able to comply with the due process provision of

the Debt Collection Act or the Debt Collection Improvement Act if

relevant information is not collected.

Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; Business or

other for-profit; Farms.

Number of Respondents: 2,073.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 4,146.

Rural Business--Cooperative Service

Title: 7 CFR Part 1980-E Business and Industry Loan Program.

OMB Control Number: 0570-0014.

Summary of Collection: The Business and Industry (B&I) program was

legislated in 1972 under Section 310B of the Consolidated Farm and

Rural Development Act. The purpose of the program is to improve,

develop, or finance businesses, industries, and employment and improve

the economic and environmental climate in rural communities, including

pollution abatement and control. This purpose is achieved through

bolstering the existing private credit structure either through the

guaranteeing of quality loans made by lending institutions or making

direct loans, thereby providing lasting community benefits. Rural

Development (RD) will collect information to use as a basis for issuing

guaranteed and direct loans to businesses and communities.

Need And Use of the Information: RD will collect information from

the applicant to determine program eligibility, current financial

condition, and Statement of Personal History.

Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; State, Local

or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 200.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 4,545.

Rural Utilities Service

Title: Report of Compliance and Participation.

OMB Control Number: 0572-0047.

Summary of Collection: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Form 268

is designed for use by RUS electric and telephone borrowers in

complying with the reporting requirements outlined in RUS Bulletin 20-

19: 320-19, ``Nondiscrimination Among Beneficiaries of RUS Programs.''

RUS is required to implement regulations of the Department of Justice

and the Department of Agriculture and to provide for the collection of

civil rights data and information from applicants for and recipients of

Federal assistance sufficient to permit effective enforcement of Title

VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation

Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (Acts). RUS will

collect information using RUS form 268.

Need And Use of the Information: RUS will collect information to

determine the extent to which the borrowers are in compliance with

requirements of the Acts, to identify potential problem compliance

areas, and to determine a borrower's eligibility for advance of loan

funds.

Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; Business

or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 1,840.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.

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Total Burden Hours: 1,233.

Rural Housing Service

Title: 7 CFR 1940-G, Environmental Program.

OMB Control Number: 0575-0094.

Summary of Collection: The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

requires Federal agencies, prior to the approval of proposed actions,

to consider the potential environmental impacts of these actions.

Consequently, for the Agencies to comply with NEPA, it is necessary

that Rural Development (RD) have information on the types of

environmental resources on site or in the vicinity that might be

impacted by the proposed action, as well as information on the nature

of the project selected by the applicant (the activities to be carried

out at the site; any air liquid and solid wastes produced by these

activities, etc.). RD will collect environmental data using Form RD

1940-20.

Need and Use of the Information: RD will collect information on the

proposed project site and the activities to be conducted there. This

will enable the Agency official to determine the magnitude of the

potential environmental impacts and whether the project is

controversial for environmental reasons.

Description of Respondents: Farms; Individuals or households;

Business or other for-profit; Non-for-profit institutions; State, Local

or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 4,720.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 40,320.

Rural Utilities Service

Title: RUS Electric Loan Application and Related Reporting Burdens.

OMB Control Number: 0572-0032.

Summary of Collection: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) was

established in 1994 by the Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department

of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-354, 108 Stat.

3178, 7 U.S.C. 6941 et seq.) as successor to the Rural Electrification

Administration (REA) with respect to certain programs, including the

electric loan and loan guarantee program authorized under the Rural

Electrification Act (RE Act) of 1936. The RE Act authorizes and

empowers the Administrator of RUS to make and guarantee loans to

furnish and improve electric service in rural areas. These loans are

amortized over a period of up to 35 years and secured by the borrower's

electric assets. RUS will collect information including studies and

reports to support borrower loan applications.

Need and Use of the Information: RUS will collect information to

determine the eligibility of applicants for loans and loan guarantees

under the RE Act; monitor the compliance of borrowers with debt

covenants and regulatory requirements in order to protect loan

security; ensure that borrowers use loan funds for purposes consistent

with the statutory goals of the RE Act; and obtain information on the

progress of rural electrification and evaluate the success of RUS

program activities.

Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-

profit institutions.

Number of Respondents: 754.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 16,834.

Foreign Agricultural Service

Title: CCC/Supplier Credit Guarantee Program (7 CFR 1493, Subpart

D).

OMB Control Number: 0551-0037.

Summary of Collection: The Supplier Credit Guarantee Program (SCGP)

offers credit guarantees to exporters in order to maintain and increase

overseas importer's ability to purchase U.S. agricultural goods. The

SCGP is designed to assist exporters of U.S. agricultural commodities

who wish to provide relatively short term (up to 180 days) credit to

their importers evidenced by promissory notes executed by such

importers. Under 7 CFR Part 1493, exporters are required to submit the

following: (1) Information about the exporter for program

participation, (2) export sales information in connection with applying

for a payment guarantee, (3) information regarding the actual export of

the commodity, (evidence of export report), (4) notice of default and

claims for loss, and (5) other documents, if applicable, including

notice assignment of the right to receive proceeds under the export

credit guarantee. The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) will collect

information using the guarantee application, export report and

assignment notice from the participants by mail, fax, e-mail, and

telephone.

Need and Use of the Information: FAS will collect information to

manage, plan, evaluate and account for government resources. The

reports and records are required to ensure the proper and judicious use

of public funds.

Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 50.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (When program is

utilized).

Total Burden Hours: 399.

Agricultural Marketing Service

Title: Reporting Requirements Under the Regulations Governing

Inspection and Certification of Processed Fruits and Vegetable and

Related Products.

OMB Control Number: 0581-0123.

Summary of Collection: The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7

U.S.C. 1622(h) requires and directs the Department of Agriculture to

promulgate rules and regulations to carry out voluntary inspection and

grading services of processed fruits and vegetables on a fee for

service basis. The Regulations Governing Inspection and Certification

of processed Fruit and Vegetables and Related Products (7 CFR 52)

authorizes the collection of information to assure that the products

sampled, inspected, graded and certified are actually the products

requested to be sampled and inspected.

Need and Use of the Information: The data collected is used by the

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) for grading and certification

purposes and for hiring licensed samplers. The following forms are used

by AMS for information collection: FV-159, ``Application for Inspection

of Unofficially Submitted Samples of Food Products''--the information

collected is used to determine the purpose for which the inspection is

desired for unofficially submitted samples. FV-356, ``Application for

Inspection and Certificate of Sampling''--the information is used to

fill in the respondent's name and address, and to describe the

containers, the location, code marks and the number of containers in

the lot. FV-468, ``Application for License to Sample Processed

Foods''--the information collected is used to hire prospective

employees desiring to become licensed to sample processed foods and to

certify as to the identification, location, kinds and condition of

containers of processed products that are sampled. The information

collected from the forms is used to provide a service and is not

requested for use in conducting a survey.

Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Federal

Government; State, Local or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 1,698.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 1,126.

Rural Development

Title: Agricultural Cooperative Service Questionnaire: (New

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Cooperative Volume and Structure) Producer Survey.

OMB Control Number: 0570-0008.

Summary of Collection: Rural Business-Cooperative Services (RBS) is

authorized by the Cooperative Marketing Act of 1926: 7 U.S.C. 451-455,

and the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946: 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627, to

formulate, develop, and administer research and technical assistance

programs on financial, organization, management, legal, social, and

economic aspects of cooperatives. 7 U.S.C. 453(b)(4) authorizes RBS

``To confer and advise with committees or groups of producers, if

deemed advisable, that may be desirous of forming a cooperative

association and to make an economic survey and analysis of the facts

surrounding the production and marketing of the agricultural product or

products which the association, if formed, would handle or market.''

RBS will survey potential buyers of proposed cooperatives' products at

the request of producer groups to assist them in determining the

feasibility of new cooperative marketing ventures.

Need and Use of the Information: RBS will collect information from

a survey to determine producer characteristics, volume of production

and potential production, and producer's interest in forming or

expanding a cooperative. Together with analysis of the general market

situation, the survey information will be used by RBS/Cooperative

Development Division (CDD) staff to prepare a site-specific business

plan for each requesting group, that includes facility and equipment

needs and costs, management and labor requirements, operating costs,

equity base and loan fund package, debt service schedules, cash flow

projections, and pro forma financial statements.

Description of Respondents: Farm; Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 35.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 245.

Rural Housing Service

Tital: 7 CFR 1944-D, Farm Labor Housing Loan and Grant Policies,

Procedures, and Authorizations.

OMB Control Number: 0575-0045.

Summary of Collection: Under the authority of Sections 514 and 516

Title V of the Housing Act of 1949 (Public Law 104-193, August 22,

1996) (Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act

of 1996), the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to make loans and/

or grants to public, private nonprofit and farm worker organizations

for developing farm labor housing. The Secretary is authorized to make

only loans to farm owners, family farm corporations, and partnerships

and associations of farmers. The objective of the program is to provide

decent, safe, and sanitary housing and related facilities for domestic

farm labor and migrant labor to be located in areas where a need

exists. Labor housing grants are provided where there is a pressing

need for such facilities in the area and the housing cannot be provided

at affordable rents without grant assistance in development of the

project. The Rural Housing Service (RHS) has been charged with the

responsibility for protecting the interest of the taxpayer's funds and

to assure that the objectives of the loan and grant program are carried

out as intended. RHS will collect information using several forms to

make the determination of applicable eligibility for a loan and/or

grant.

Need and Use of the Information: RHS will collect information on

the need for the proposed housing in the area, and the appropriateness,

feasibility and economies of the proposed housing and related

facilities. Through the collection of this information, RHS will be

able to assure Congress and the general public that all projects

financed with housing funds will be operated as economically as

possible, used for the purposes for which they are intended, and

provided benefits to those they are mandated to serve.

Description of Respondents: Farm; Not-for-profit institutions;

State, Local or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 95.

Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping Reporting: On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 8,610.

Food and Nutrition Service

Title: WIC Annual Closeout Report with Addendum.

OMB Control Number: 0584-0427.

Summary of Collection: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program

for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is authorized by section 17 of

the Child Nutrition Act (CNA) of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 1786), as amended. The

Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of USDA administers the WIC Program by

awarding cash grants to State agencies (generally State health

departments). The State agencies award subgrants to local agencies

(generally local health departments and nonprofit organizations) to

deliver program benefits and services to eligible participants.

Nonentitlement programs such as the WIC Program are required to undergo

an annual closeout and reconciliation of grants. Departmental

regulations at CFR 3016.23(b), states that a State agency must

liquidate all obligations under a grant not later than 90 days after

the end of the funding period to coincide with the submission of the

annual Financial Status Report (SF-269). WIC Program Regulations at 7

CFR 246.17(b)(2) instruct State agencies to ``submit to FNS, within 150

days after the end of the fiscal year, final fiscal year closeout

reports.'' FNS will collect information using forms FNS 227 and FNS

227A.

Need and Use of the Information: FNS will collect information to

determine if the State has met the 97 percent performance standard for

food and 15 percent performance standard for NSA and also to determine

whether the statutory NSA nutrition education and breastfeeding

promotion and support expenditure requirements are met and to monitor

other NSA costs.

Description of Respondents: State, Local, or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 88.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 502.

Food and Nutrition Service

Title: WIC Local Agency Directory Report.

OMB Control Number: 0584-0431.

Summary of Collection: The Supplemental Nutrition Program for

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is authorized by section 17 of the

Child Nutrition Act (CNA) of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786), as amended. The

Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of USDA administers the WIC Program by

awarding cash grants to State agencies (generally State health

departments). The State agencies award subgrants to local agencies

(generally local health departments and nonprofit organizations) to

deliver program benefits and services to eligible participants. Local

agencies authorized to furnish WIC participants with supplemental

foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support

activities and referral to related health services are subject to

change. New local agencies may be selected to operate the WIC Program

and local agencies already in operation may be disqualified for

continued operation. FNS will collect information using form FNS-648 to

report additions and deletions of local agencies operating the WIC

program and local agency address changes, when such changes occur.

Need and Use of the Information: FNS will collect information to

maintain a local agency directory which lists the names and addresses

of all WIC local

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agencies. The WIC local agency directory serves as the primary source

of data on the number and location of local agencies and is published

annually. It is used to refer individuals to the nearest source of WIC

Program services and to maintain continuity of program services to

migrant and other transient participants.

Description of Respondents: State, Local or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 88.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 15.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

Title: Equine Survey.

OMB Control Number: 0535-0227.

Summary of Collection: The National Agricultural Statistics

Service's (NASS) primary function is to prepare and issue state and

national estimates of crop and livestock production. Services such as

statistical consultation, data collection, summary tabulation, and

analysis are performed for other Federal and state agencies on a

reimbursable basis as the need arises. In 1997, an Equine Survey was

conducted for the New Jersey State Department of Agriculture. The

results are being used to provide an assessment of the equine

industry's contribution to the state's economy in terms of

infrastructure and value. NASS will collect information using a survey

on equine.

Need and Use of the Information: NASS will collect information on

the equine inventories, by category; equine revenue, by activity; and

equine related expenditures, by purpose. The survey will provide NASS

with names and addresses of equine operations that can be used for

Census of Agriculture enumeration and for the NASS program that seeks

to cover 99 percent of U.S. agricultural cash receipts.

Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 43,800.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (One time only).

Total Burden Hours: 21,900.

Food and Nutrition Service

Title: Federal Collection Methods for Food Stamp Program Recipient

Claims.

OMB Control Number: 0584-0446.

Summary of Collection: Currently there is approximately $1 billion

in established recipient claims for overissued Food Stamp Program (FSP)

benefits, a substantial portion of which State agencies are being

unsuccessful in collecting. The Debt Collection Improvement (DCIA),

Food Stamp (FSA) and Privacy Acts require that State agencies advise

debtors of the intended Federal Claims Collection Methods (FCCM), offer

debtors an opportunity to repay the claim, and offer debtors an

opportunity to request a review of the validity of the collection

action. Under DCIA, food stamp recipient claims administered by State

agencies which are delinquent for 180 days are required to be referred

to Treasury for Treasury Offset Program (TOP) collection actions. In

the case of Federal Income Tax Refund Offset Program (FTROP), the

claims are then referred to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for

collection from individual Federal income tax refunds. Claims to be

collected via Salary Offset are referred to Federal employers for wage

garnishment. In all instances, the debtor is notified and given the

opportunity to request a hearing and make arrangements to repay the

claim prior to FCCM referral. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) will

collect information using various methods as the FTROP, TOP, FCCM, to

collect debts from delinquent recipients.

Need and Use of the Information: FNS will collect information to

collect outstanding claim balances by using the recipient Federal

income tax refunds, Salary Offset for wage garnishment, various Federal

payments including, but not limited to, social security benefits and

vendor payments.

Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; Federal

Government; State, Local, or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 380,053.

Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion;

Weekly; Quarterly; Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 71,803.

Nancy Sternberg,

Departmental Information Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 98-26824 Filed 10-6-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-01-M