Cotton Classing, Testing and Standards: Notice of Request for an Extension and Revision to a Currently Approved Information Collection

AGENCY:

Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget, for an extension and revision to the currently approved information collection entitled Cotton Classing, Testing, and Standards.

DATES:

Comments received by December 20, 2016 will be considered.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments may be submitted to the addresses specified below. All comments will be made available to the public. Please do not include personally identifiable information (such as name, address, or other contact information) or confidential business information that you do not want publically disclosed. All comments may be posted on the Internet and can be retrieved by most Internet search engines. Comments may be submitted anonymously.

Comments, identified by AMS-CN-16-0095, may be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Please follow the instructions for submitting comments. In addition, comments may be submitted by mail or hand delivery to Cotton Research and Promotion, Cotton and Tobacco Program, AMS, USDA, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 101, Fredericksburg, Virginia, 22406. Comments should be submitted in triplicate. All comments received will be made available for public inspection at Cotton and Tobacco Program, AMS, USDA, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 101, Fredericksburg, Virginia, 22406. A copy of this document may be found at: www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Shethir M. Riva, Director, Research and Promotion, Cotton and Tobacco Program, AMS, USDA, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 101, Fredericksburg, Virginia, 22406, telephone (540) 361-2726, facsimile (540) 361-1199, or email at Shethir.Riva@ams.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Cotton Classing, Testing, and Standards.

OMB Number: 0581-0008.

Expiration Date of Approval: February 28, 2017.

Type of Request: Extension and Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection.

Abstract: Information solicited is used by the USDA to administer and supervise activities associated with the classification or grading of cotton, cotton linters, and cottonseed based on official USDA Standards. The information requires personal data, such as name, type of business, address, and description of classification services requested. These programs are conducted under the United States Cotton Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 51b), the Cotton Statistics and Estimates Act of 1927 (7 U.S.C. 473c), and the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1622h) and regulations appear at 7 CFR part 28.

The information collection requirements in this request are essential to carry out the intent of the Acts and to provide the cotton industry the type of information they need to make sound business decisions. The information collected is the minimum required. Information is requested from growers, cooperatives, merchants, manufacturers, and other government agencies.

The information collected is used only by authorized employees of the USDA, AMS. The cotton industry is the primary user of the compiled information and AMS and other government agencies are secondary users.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 0.07 hours per response.

Respondents: Cotton merchants, warehouses, and gins.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 993.

Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.91.

Estimated Number of Responses: 1,893.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 141.30.

Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed 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 the burden of the proposed collection of information 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 the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments may be sent to Shethir M. Riva, Director, Research and Promotion, Cotton and Tobacco Program, AMS, USDA, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 101, Fredericksburg, Virginia, 22406, telephone (540) 361-2726, facsimile (540) 361-1199, or email at Shethir.Riva@ams.usda.gov. All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public record.