Justification of Change worksheet

Justification of Change Worksheet

Marketing Order for California Almonds (7 CFR Part 981)

Almond Salmonella

OMB No. 0581-0242

February 2022

This Justification for Change seeks OMB’s approval on modification to ABC Form 52 (Direct Verifiable (DV) Program for Further Processing of Untreated Almonds Application Form) that is part of California Almonds Marketing Order No. 981 (7 CFR part 981). The Almond Board of California (Board) uses the following forms to locally administer the Federal marketing order that regulates the handling of almonds grown in California under the Agricultural Marketing Service’s oversight.

The form is necessary to administer the DV Program established by § 981.442(b)(6)(i) in the marketing order’s quality control requirements, which authorizes handlers to ship untreated almonds for further processing directly to manufacturers located within the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

A proposed rule to be published in the Federal Register would change the body that approves DV Program applications from the Board’s Technical Expert Review Panel (TERP) to the Board. As such, the instructions that accompany ABC Form 52, which are located at the bottom of page one of the form next to footnote 1, would need to be revised accordingly.

The currently approved burden of the ABC Form 52 is 30 hours. The change on this form will not affect the burden hours for the handlers since the changes are minimal and independent of handlers’ efforts required to complete the form.