2016 ss npip

SUPPORTING STATEMENT- OMB NO. 0579-XXXX

NATIONAL POULTRY IMPROVEMENT PLAN And Auxiliary Provisions

March 2016

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.

The National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) is a voluntary Federal-State-industry mechanism for controlling certain poultry diseases and for improving poultry breeding flocks and products through disease control techniques. The NPIP became operative on July 1, 1935, with the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture and under the authority of a Congressional appropriation for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use with State authorities to administer regulations to improve poultry, poultry products, and hatcheries.

This program is authorized by the USDA Organic Act of 1944, as amended (7 U.S.C. 429). The cooperative work is carried out through Memoranda of Understanding with the participating States. Specific NPIP provisions are contained at parts 56, 145, 146, and 147 of Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations. The Veterinary Services unit (VS) of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) administers these regulations.

The NPIP has an existing information collection under Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 0579-0007. This supplemental information collection, which will be merged into 0579-0007 at its next renewal, covers activities added by a new proposed rule.

APHIS is asking OMB to approve, for 3 years, its use of these information collection activities in connection with APHIS’ efforts to continually improve the health of the U.S. poultry population and the quality of U.S. poultry products.

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.

APHIS will use the following information collection activities to improve the health of the U.S. poultry population and the quality of U.S. poultry products.

9 CFR 146: Commercial Waterfowl/Game Bird Egg Producing Flock Surveillance (addition to VS Form 9-2) (Business and State)

The proposed rule adds provisions for regular avian influenza (AI) surveillance of commercial waterfowl and game bird egg-producing flocks. Commercial upland game bird or waterfowl meat-producing flocks with ongoing active and passive surveillance programs for H5/H7 AI subtypes approved by the Official State Agency and APHIS must currently submit up to 30 birds of the flock for testing using VS Form 9-2, the Flock Selecting and Testing Report. This form is used by authorized agents and State inspectors to select and test flocks. The form provides the following information:

• Flock owner name and contact information (location)

• Flock owner hatchery affiliation

• Flock owner slaughter plant affiliation

• Flock type, purpose, stock, and classification

• Number of birds tested

• Results of the test

.

9 CFR 147: Diagnostic Test Evaluation (business)

The proposed rule requires labs to submit a worksheet for diagnostic test evaluation along with the raw data from the assay response. Worksheets would be obtained by contacting the NPIP Senior Coordinator. When submitting sensitivity and specificity data on a diagnostic test kit pending approval, NPIP authorized cooperating laboratories will submit to the kit manufacturer all raw data regarding the assay response. Each sample tested will be reported as positive or negative, and the official NPIP procedure used to classify the sample must be submitted in addition to the assay response value. This raw data (e.g., testing results, or the number of samples run and number positive/negative) and the completed worksheet for diagnostic test evaluation must also be submitted to the NPIP Senior Coordinator four months before the next scheduled General Conference Committee meeting, which is when assay approval will be sought.

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 Form 9-2 will be converted to electronic format once the VS Form 9-3 completes its pilot program and is released as an electronic form in later 2016. The diagnostic test evaluation may be submitted electronically and a form/template/worksheet is being developed for standardization and ease of proper submissions.

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 that APHIS collects is not available from any other source. APHIS is the only Federal agency responsible for preventing the entry of exotic animal and poultry diseases into the United States.

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

The information APHIS collects is the minimum needed to protect the U.S. poultry population from communicable diseases. Approximately 5 percent of the business respondents in this information collection are considered small entities.

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.

If the information were collected less frequently or not collected, APHIS could not effectively monitor the health of the nation's poultry 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.

• requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly;

• requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it;

• requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document;

• requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records for more than 3 years;

• in connection with a statistical survey, that is not designed to produce valid and reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study;

• requiring the use of a statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB;

• that includes a pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by authority established in statute or regulation, that is not supported by disclosure and data security policies that are consistent with the pledge, or which unnecessarily impedes sharing of data with other agencies for compatible confidential use; or

• requiring respondents to submit proprietary trade secret, or other confidential information unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information's confidentiality to the extent permitted by law.

There are no special circumstances associated with this information collection. This information collection is conducted in a manner consistent with the guidelines established in 5 CFR 1320.5.

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.

APHIS engaged in productive consultations with the following individuals in connection with the information collection requirements associated with this program:

Joel Brandenberger, President

National Turkey Federation

1225 New York Ave. NW, Suite 400

Washington, DC 20005

(202) 898-0100

jbrandenberger@turkeyfed.org

George Watts, President

National Chicken Council

1015 15th Street NW, Suite 930

Washington, DC, 20005

(202) 296-2622

gwatts@chickenusa.org

Rob Sexton

Executive Director:

North American Gamebird Association

Phone: (800) 624-2967

Email: Rob@mynaga.org

On Thursday, March 24, 2016, APHIS published in the Federal Register (pages 15652-15660) a proposed rule (APHIS-2014-0101) which describes its information gathering requirements, and also provides a 60-day comment period. During this time, interested members of the public have the opportunity to provide APHIS with their input concerning the usefulness, legitimacy, and merit of the information collection activities APHIS is proposing.

9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than re-enumeration 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. Any and all information obtained in this collection shall not be disclosed except in accordance with

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 83-1.

See APHIS Form 71. Burden estimates were developed from discussions with flock owners, breeders, hatchery owners, table egg producers, laboratory personnel, and State animal health officials.

•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 the above respondents to be $703.08. APHIS arrived at this figure by multiplying the hours of estimated response time (18 hours) by the estimated average hourly wage of the above respondents ($39.06).

The hourly rate is derived from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2015 Report − Occupational Employment and Wages in the United States. See

http://www.bls.gov/news.releasc/ocwage.t03.htm.

Respondents:

Agricultural managers: $34.89 (Flock owners, breeders, hatchery operators, and table egg producers)

Animal scientists: $34.90 (Personnel at approved laboratories)

State animal health officials: $47.23

13. Provide estimates of the total annual cost burden to respondents or record keepers 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.

No annual cost burden is associated with capital and startup 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 annual cost to the Federal government is estimated to be $553. (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-I.

	Requested	Program Change Due to New Statute	Program Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Agency Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA	Previously Approved
Annual Number of Responses	10	0	10	0	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hr)	18	0	18	0	0	0
Annual Cost Burden ($)	0	0	0	0	0	0

This is a new information collection resulting in 18 total burden hours.

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

APHIS has no plans to publish the 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.

VS form 9-2 is used in two information collections; therefore, it is not practical to include an OMB expiration date because of the two expiration dates of each information collection. APHIS is seeking approval to not display the OMB expiration date on this form.

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

APHIS is able to certify compliance with all the provisions under the Act.

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

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

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