2011 Ss 0258

SUPPORTING STATEMENT – OMB NO. 0579-0258

INTERSTATE MOVEMENT OF SHEEP AND GOATS

2011

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 Animal Health Protection Act (AHPA) of 2002 is the primary Federal law governing the protection of animal health. The law 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 such animal or related material if necessary to prevent spread of any livestock or poultry pest or disease. The AHPA is contained in Title X, Subtitle E, Sections 10401-18 of P.L. 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 enhancing the ability of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to help U.S. producers compete in the world market of animal and animal product trade. The Veterinary Services (VS) program of USDA’s APHIS is the unit responsible for carrying out this disease prevention mission. One of the APHIS disease eradication programs addresses scrapie. Scrapie is a progressive, degenerative, and eventually fatal disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats. Its control is complicated because the disease has an extremely long incubation period and no treatment.

APHIS restricts the interstate movement of livestock within the United States to control diseases of concern. For example, APHIS restricts the movement of certain sheep and goats to control the spread of scrapie. APHIS regulations pertaining to the interstate transportation of animals are contained in title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, part 71. Its regulations concerning identification and other scrapie program requirements are found in part 79. For APHIS’ scrapie eradication program to be effective, its animal identification, recordkeeping, and other requirements must be carried out at livestock facilities that handle sheep and goats moving in interstate commerce. APHIS requires the livestock facilities to complete the Approval of Livestock Facilities Agreement and to keep records to become approved.

APHIS is asking OMB to reapprove, for 3 years, its use of the above information collection activities in connection with APHIS’ efforts to approve livestock facilities that handle sheep and goats moving in interstate commerce.

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 uses the following information activity to restrict the interstate movement of livestock within the United States to control diseases of concern and approve livestock facilities that handle sheep and goats moving in interstate commerce.

Approval of Livestock Facilities Agreement

To qualify a facility for APHIS approval to handle sheep and goats in interstate commerce, the individual legally responsible for the day-to-day operation of the facility must execute an Approval of Livestock Facilities Agreement with APHIS. This preprinted document requires the owner or operator of the facility to fill in the name of the facility, the address, and telephone number. The owner or operator must also indicate, by initialing the appropriate paragraphs of the agreement, the class or classes of livestock that will be handled at the facility. The owner or operator must sign the document, agreeing to follow the requirements in the agreement. APHIS also requires the State animal health official to sign the agreement. Agreements are completed for new markets and changes in existing livestock market facilities (i.e., the owner or operator or species handled).

Recordkeeping

Owner or operators of livestock facilities approved by APHIS to handle sheep and goats moving interstate must maintain certain records (such as bills of sale and copies of movement permits or certificates) on animals handled at the facility, and make these records available for inspection by an authorized USDA or State employee. These records, which must be maintained for at least 5 years, will be of critical importance in traceback investigations. These records include such information as the identifying marks or tags on the animal (including tattoos or electronic implants); the animal’s sex, year of birth, and breed; the date the animal entered the facility; the name and address of the person from whom the animal was acquired; and the animal’s disposition.

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 Approval of Livestock Facilities Agreement is a preprinted document requiring only that the livestock facility operator initial certain paragraphs and sign the document. The original signatures of the operator and State animal health official are needed for this document to be valid.

Recordkeeping can be accomplished either by maintaining hard copies of records or electronically storing certain information such as the name and address of the individual from whom an animal was purchased; the animal’s sex, year of birth, and breed; date the animal entered the facility; and the animal’s final disposition. APHIS allows recordkeepers to store as much of this information electronically as possible.

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 in connection with this program is not available from any other source. APHIS is the only Federal agency responsible for controlling the interstate spread of domestic animal diseases.

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

Only the information needed to conduct a successful program is being collected. APHIS estimates that all of the livestock facilities are 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 was collected less frequently or not collected, APHIS efforts to aggressively prevent the spread of scrapie would be severely hindered. APHIS would be unable to eradicate this economically damaging disease from the United States.

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 three years;

Certain records must be maintained for a minimum of 5 years after the death of an animal or the departure of an animal from the livestock facility. This is because of the 2- to 5-year incubation period of scrapie; the disease may not appear in a live animal until 5 years or longer after the death or departure of a transmitting animal, but would still have to be traced to that transmitting animal.

• 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 other special circumstances associated with this information collection.

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 2011 APHIS engaged in consultations with the following individuals associated with this program:

Peggy Logsdon

National Institute for Animal Agriculture

1910 Lyda Avenue

Bowling Green, Kentucky 42104

270-782-9798

Dr. Craig Schultz, State Veterinarian

Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services

Pennsylvania Department of Health

2301 N. Cameron Street

Harrisburg, PA 17110-9408

717-772-2852

Dr. David D. Schmitt, State Veterinarian

Animal Industry Bureau

Agriculture and Land Stewardship

Wallace Building, 2nd floor

9th and Grand

Des Moines, IA 50319

515-281-5305

On Friday, June 10, 2011, pages 34033- 34034, 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. One comment was received from a concerned citizen about her perception of the general maltreatment of animals. It had no relevance to the purpose of the collection.

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. 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-I.

See APHIS Form 71. Burden estimates were developed from discussions with owner or operators of livestock facilities that handle sheep and goats moving in interstate commerce 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.

Respondents are owner or operators of livestock facilities that handle sheep and goats moving interstate and State animal health officials. APHIS estimates the total annualized cost to these respondents to be $9,551.10. APHIS arrived at this figure by multiplying the hours of total burden hours (237) by the estimated average hourly wage of the above respondents ($40.30).

Owners or operators of livestock facilities: $31.13 [11-9011 Farm, Ranch, and Other Agricultural Managers]

State animal health authorities: $49.47 [11-0000 Management Occupations]

The average hourly rate is derived from the U.S. Department of Labor; Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2009 Report – National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates United States. See http://www.bls.gov/oes/#tables.]

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.

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.

Annual cost to the Federal Government is estimated at $18,947 (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.

ICR Summary of Burden:

	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	450	0	150	-1,010	0	1,310
Annual Time Burden (Hr)	237	0	24	-978	0	1,191
Annual Cost Burden ($)	0	0	0	0	0

The total annual burden has decreased by 954 hours. APHIS previously reported an estimated 1,106 livestock market facilities. Due to a change in the Approval of Livestock Facilities Agreement, APHIS previously asked the owner or operator of each of the 1,106 livestock market facilities to sign a new agreement form. This was a one-time occurrence.

At this time, Approval of Livestock Facilities Agreements are only completed for new livestock market facilities and changes in existing livestock market facilities (i.e., the owner or operator or species handled). Based on recent annual data, APHIS estimates that it receives 150 Approval of Livestock Facilities Agreements per year. Therefore, APHIS decreased the number of business respondents for this activity, resulting in a net decrease in burden hours. There is an adjustment decrease of -956 respondents and -1010 responses resulting in a decrease of -978 burden hours.

APHIS also added States as respondents for this activity. APHIS is now reporting burden on States for signature only. Previously, APHIS did not report this. There is a program change increase of +50 respondents and +150 responses resulting in an increase of +24 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 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.

No forms are associated with this information collection.

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

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

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

Statistical methods are not used in this information collection.

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