[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 240 (Friday, December 13, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68101-68102]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26882]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS-2019-0025]
Notice of Request for a New Information Collection: Small Meat
Processor Study
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to create a new
information collection to survey small and very small meat processing
plants about a draft report concerning FSIS resources available to help
them achieve and maintain regulatory compliance. This is a new
information collection with an estimated burden of 375 hours.
DATES: Submit comments on or before February 11, 2020.
ADDRESSES: FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this
Federal Register notice. Comments may be submitted by one of the
following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: This website provides
commenters the ability to type short comments directly into the comment
field on the web page or to attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to
http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions at that
site for submitting comments.
Mail, including CD-ROMs, etc.: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 1400
Independence Avenue SW, Mailstop 3758, Room 6065, Washington, DC 20250-
3700.
Hand- or courier-delivered submittals: Deliver to 1400
Independence Avenue SW, Room 6065, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2019-0025. Comments
received in response to this docket will be made available for public
inspection and posted without change, including any personal
information, to http://www.regulations.gov.
Docket: For access to background documents or comments received,
call (202) 720-5627 to schedule a time to visit the FSIS Docket Room at
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 6065, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gina Kouba, Office of Policy and
Program Development, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400
Independence Avenue SW, Room 6065, South Building, Washington, DC
20250-3700; (202) 720-5627.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Small Meat Processor Study.
OMB Control Number: 0583-XXXX.
Type of Request: Request for a new information collection.
Abstract: FSIS has been delegated the authority to exercise the
functions of the Secretary (7 CFR 2.18, 2.53), as specified in the
Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 601, et seq.). This
statute mandates that FSIS protect the public by verifying that meat
products are safe, wholesome, unadulterated, and properly labeled and
packaged.
Section 12107 of the 2018 Farm Bill states that the Secretary shall
offer to enter into a contract with a land-grant college or university
or a non-land-grant college of agriculture (as those terms are defined
in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and
Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3101)) to review the
effectiveness of existing FSIS guidance materials and other tools used
by small and very small establishments, including: (1) The
effectiveness of the outreach conducted by the Food Safety and
Inspection Service to small and very small establishments; (2) the
effectiveness of the guidance materials and other tools used by the
Food Safety and Inspection Service to assist small and very small
establishments; and (3) the responsiveness of Food Safety and
Inspection Service personnel to inquiries and issues from small and
very small establishments.
FSIS has entered into a Cooperative Agreement with the College of
Agriculture at Oregon State University, to conduct this review for
small and very small establishments. FSIS is requesting approval for a
new information collection to survey small and very small meat
processing plants about a draft report concerning FSIS resources
available to help them achieve and maintain regulatory compliance. This
is a new information collection with an estimated burden of 375 hours.
Oregon State will develop a draft report based on multiple data
sources. This draft report will then be distributed to a wider audience
of key stakeholders that are small plant operators. Oregon will ask
those stakeholders to read the draft report and fill out a short survey
to gather their feedback. The survey will be administered online and
also in-person at three regional small plant stakeholder meetings being
held in different locations in 2020.
FSIS has made the following estimates based upon an information
collection assessment:
Estimate of burden: FSIS estimates that it will take respondents an
average of 75 minutes per response.
Respondents: Official establishments.
Estimated total number of respondents: 300.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 375 hours.
Copies of this information collection assessment can be obtained
from Gina Kouba, Office of Policy and Program Development, Food Safety
and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 6065,
South Building, Washington, DC 20250-3700; (202) 720-5627.
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of FSIS's
functions, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of FSIS's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
method and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility,
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information, including through
the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques, or other forms of information
technology. Comments may be sent to both FSIS, at the addresses
provided above, and the Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), Washington, DC 20253.
Responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of
public record.
[[Page 68102]]
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy
development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal
Register publication on-line through the FSIS web page located at:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.
FSIS will also announce and provide a link to this Federal Register
publication through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to
provide information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations,
Federal Register notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of
information that could affect or would be of interest to our
constituents and stakeholders. The Constituent Update is available on
the FSIS web page. Through the web page, FSIS can provide information
to a much broader, more diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an
email subscription service which provides automatic and customized
access to selected food safety news and information. This service is
available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe. Options range from
recalls to export information, regulations, directives, and notices.
Customers can add or delete subscriptions themselves and have the
option to password protect their accounts.
USDA Non-Discrimination Statement
No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds
of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual
orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status,
income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs,
exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to
discrimination any person in the United States under any program or
activity conducted by the USDA.
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].
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for
communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should contact
USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
Done in Washington, DC.
Carmen M. Rottenberg,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2019-26882 Filed 12-12-19; 8:45 am]
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