SS 0051 Sick Animals Moving Interstate to Slaughter, VS 1-27

SUPPORTING STATEMENT - OMB NO. 0579-0051

PERMIT FOR THE MOVEMENT OF RESTRICTED ANIMALS

May 3, 2006

A. Justification

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary. Identify any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection. Attach a copy of the appropriate section of each statute and regulation mandating or authorizing the collection of information.

Title 21, U.S.C. authorizes sections 111, 114, 114a, 114-1, 115, 120, 121, 125, 126, 134a, 134c, 134f, and 134g of 21 U.S.C. These authorities permit the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prevent, control and eliminate domestic diseases such as tuberculosis and brucellosis, as well as to take actions to prevent and to manage exotic diseases such as hog cholera, foot-and-mouth disease, and other foreign diseases.

More specifically, 21 U.S.C. 111, 151-158, authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to take such measures as he or she may deem proper to prevent the introduction or dissemination of any contagious or communicable disease of animals or live poultry from a foreign country into the United States or from one State to another.

Disease prevention is the most effective method for maintaining a healthy animal population and enhancing APHIS’ ability to compete in exporting animals and animal products. The Veterinary Services (VS) Program of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is the program responsible for carrying out this disease prevention mission.

When farm animals (such as cattle, swine, sheep, or horses) become sick or have been exposed to a disease, it is important that they be removed promptly from their farm so as not to infect other animals around them. In such situations, the owner of a sick or exposed animal will have the animal transported from the farm to a slaughtering establishment. If the animal must be transported across State lines for this purpose, the owner is required to complete a Permit for the Movement of Restricted Animals, also known as the VS Form 1-27.

It is imperative that these animals not be removed from their vehicle during transport, or be otherwise diverted from their destination, since such an event could result in the spread of disease among healthy animals. VS Form 1-27, which is completed by appropriate State or Federal authorities at the farm of origin and again at the point of destination, it is APHIS’ primary means of ensuring that these animals move directly from their farm to the slaughtering establishment. The regulations providing VS with the authority to conduct this activity are found in Subchapters B and C of Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations. Subchapter B deals with the cooperative control and eradication of livestock or poultry diseases, while Subchapter C deals with the interstate transportation of animals and animal products.

APHIS is asking OMB to renew its approval of the VS Form 1-27 for an additional 3 years.

2. Indicate how, by whom, how frequently, and for what purpose the information is to be used. Except for a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from the current collection.

Permit for the Movement of Restricted Animals (VS 1-27)

At the time, animals are loaded and ready for transport; information is obtained from the animal owner by appropriate State or Federal personnel, who complete certain sections of the VS 1-27. This information includes the owner’s name and address, the points of origin and destination of the animals, the number of animals being moved, the purpose of the movement, and various pieces of animal identification data so that each animal in the shipment can be identified. A copy of this form then accompanies the shipment.

When the animals arrive at the slaughtering establishment and are offloaded, the accredited veterinarian, State official, or Federal official responsible for overseeing the cleaning and disinfection of the vehicle must complete another section of the form to certify that the vehicle has been properly cleaned and disinfected.

Yet another section of the form is completed by an animal health technician or meat inspector to certify that the animals have, in fact, arrived at their final destination and have, in fact, been slaughtered. The meat inspector also uses this form to report the slaughter of the animals to Veterinary Services.

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also, describe any consideration of using information technology to reduce burden.

The VS 1-27 must physically accompany the shipment of animals from the farm of origin to the slaughtering establishment. To be valid, the form requires original signatures from authorized personnel at both the farm of origin and the slaughtering establishment.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purpose described in item 2 above.

The information APHIS collects in connection with this program is not available from any other source. APHIS is the only Agency responsible for preventing the interstate spread of communicable animal diseases.

5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities, describe any methods used to minimize burden.

The VS 1-27 is completed primarily by State or Federal authorities, not by the herd owner whose animals are being transported across State lines. In this way, the burden on the individual herd owner is kept to a minimum.

6. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.

The VS 1-27 is a critical tool for safely moving diseased animals across State lines. Without it, APHIS would be unable to effectively monitor and control the movement of these animals –a situation that could seriously compromise the health of the U.S. livestock population.

7. Explain any special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with the general information collection guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.5.

The information collection is conducted in a manner consistent with the guidelines established in 5 CFR 1320.5. Some respondents may need to engage in this information collection activity more than quarterly, depending on the volume of animals they need to move interstate for slaughter.

8. Describe efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting form, and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the agency's notice, soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB.

In 2006, APHIS consulted with the following individuals concerning its information collection requirements:

Beth Lautner

National Pork Board

1776 Northwest 114th Street

Clive, Iowa 50325

515-223-2600

Amy Mann

American Horse Council

1700 K Street NW, Suite 3000

Washington, DC 20006

202-296-4031

Paul Rodgers

American Sheep Industry Association

Route 2, Box 94

Ronceverte, West Virginia 24970

304-647-9981

On Wednesday, May 17, 2006, page 28656, APHIS published in the Federal Register, a 60-day notice seeking public comments on its plans to request a 3-year renewal of this collection of information. No comments from the public were received. A copy of the Federal Register notice is attached.

9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than reenumeration of contractors or grantees.

This information collection activity involves no payments or gifts to respondents.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

No additional assurance of confidentiality is provided with this information collection. However, the confidentiality of information is protected under 5 U.S.C. 552a.

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior or attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private. This justification should include the reasons why the agency considers the questions necessary, the specific uses to be made of the information, the explanation to be given to persons from whom the information is requested, and any steps to be taken to obtain their consent.

This information collection activity will ask no questions of a personal or sensitive nature.

12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information. Indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden, and an explanation of how the burden was estimated.

•Indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden, and an explanation of how the burden was estimated. If this request for approval covers more than one form, provide separate hour burden estimates for each form and aggregate the hour burdens in Item 13 of OMB Form 83-I.

See APHIS Form 71. Burden estimates were developed from discussions with Veterinary Services and State animal health authorities, accredited veterinarians, meat inspectors, and herd owners.

•Provide estimates of annualized cost to respondents for the hour burdens for collections of information, identifying and using appropriate wage rate categories.

APHIS estimates the total annualized cost to these respondents to be $28,740.00. APHIS arrived at this figure by multiplying the total hours of estimated response time (958 hours) by the estimated average hourly wage of the above respondents ($30.00).

13. Provide estimates of the total annual cost burden to respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of information (do not include the cost of any hour burden shown in items 12 and 14). The cost estimates should be split into two components: (a) a total capital and start-up cost component annualized over its expected useful life; and (b) a total operation and maintenance and purchase of services component.

There is zero annual cost burden associated with capital and start-up costs, operation and maintenance expenditures, and purchase of services.

14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government. Provide a description of the method used to estimate cost and any other expense that would not have been incurred without this collection of information.

The annualized cost to the Federal government is estimated at $112,644.59.

(See APHIS Form 79.)

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in Items 13 or 14 of the OMB Form 83-1.

There is no change in burden for this information collection.

16. For collections of information whose results are planned to be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication.

APHIS has no plans to publish information it collects in connection with this program.

17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.

If the form were to be discarded because of an outdated OMB expiration date, but otherwise usable, higher printing costs would be incurred by the Federal Government. Therefore, we are seeking approval to not display the OMB expiration date on our form.

18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in "Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act."

APHIS can certify compliance with all provisions of the Act.

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

There are no statistical methods associated with the information collection activities used in this program.