SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Restricted, Prohibited, and Controlled Importation of Animal and Poultry Products and Byproducts into the United States.

OMB Control Number: 0579-0015.

Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an information collection.

Abstract: The Animal Health Protection Act (AHPA) of 2002 gives the Secretary of Agriculture broad authority to detect, control, or eradicate pests or diseases of livestock or poultry. The Secretary may also prohibit or restrict import or export of any animal or related material if necessary to prevent the spread of any livestock or poultry pest or disease. The AHPA is contained in title X, subtitle E, sections 10401-18 of Public Law 107-171, May 13, 2002, the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.

Disease prevention is the most effective method for maintaining a healthy animal population and for enhancing the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS') ability to compete globally in animal and animal product and byproduct trade. In connection with this mission, APHIS enforces regulations regarding both the importation of controlled materials and the prevention of foreign animal disease incursions into the United States. These regulations are located in 9 CFR parts 94, 95, and 122.

APHIS engages in a number of information collection activities to prevent or control the spread of livestock diseases via the restricted, prohibited, and controlled importation of animal and poultry products and byproducts into the United States, including, but not limited to, certificates, applications, agreements, appeals and cancellations of agreements, placards and statements, permissions to import, notifications, government seals, and marking requirements.

We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve our use of these information collection activities, as described, for an additional 3 years. APHIS has amended this collection in the following ways:

• APHIS has combined all uses of the VS Form 16-3 from this collection into a universal “common forms” permit package. Uses of this form were formerly spread over four different collection packages, including this one. Removing the activities using VS Form 16-3 from this collection removed 5,106 respondents, 9,896 responses, and 11,695 burden hours from this collection.
• APHIS also included the activities under9 CFR 94.12(c) for pork-filled pasta products, which were previously in their own information collection (0579-0214), to this collection, adding ten respondents, 50 responses, and 50 burden hours to this collection.

The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public (as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection. These comments will help us:

(1) Evaluate 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;

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated, electronic, mechanical, and other collection technologies; e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

Estimate of burden: The public burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1.87 hours per response.

Respondents: Importers, exporters, processing operators, foreign federal governments, foreign veterinarians, port personnel, museums, educational institutions, transportation operators, and carrier personnel.

Estimated annual number of respondents: 25,806.

Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 2.

Estimated annual number of responses: 54,459.

Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 101,609 hours. (Due to averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product of the annual number of responses multiplied by the reporting burden per response.)

All 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.