Justification for Change FV-649

Justification of Change Worksheet

Organic Producer and Market Promotion Assessment

Exemption under 23 Marketing Orders

OMB No. 0581-0216

Marketing Order Nos. 905, 906, 915, 922, 923, 925, 927, 929, 930, 932, 948, 955, 956, 958, 959, 966, 981, 982, 984, 985, 987, 989, and 993 (7 CFR parts 905, 906, 915, 922, 923, 925, 927, 929, 930, 932, 948, 955, 956, 958, 959, 966, 981, 982, 984, 985, 987, 989, and 993)

January 2016

CERTIFIED ORGANIC HANDLER APPLICATION

FOR EXEMPTION FROM MARKET PROMOTION ASSESSMENTS

PAID UNDER FEDERAL COMMODITY PROMOTION PROGRAMS

This Justification for Change requests the Office of Management and Budget’s approval to modify form FV-649 completed by handlers, marketers, processors, and manufacturers seeking exemption from paying assessments to a Federal marketing order committee on the basis that the product is organically produced, and, as a result, exempt from assessments.

Section 10004 of the 2014 Farm Bill expanded the organic assessment exemption originally established by the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996. The 2014 Farm Bill allows all organic handlers to apply for an exemption from assessments on products certified as “organic” or “100 percent organic,” regardless of whether the handler also markets conventional or nonorganic products. At the same time, the 2014 Farm Bill reduced the per response time to complete the form from 30 minutes to 15 minutes.

These changes increased the number of respondents and responses from 55 to 190 and an increase in burden hours for form FV-649. The annual burden associated with requests for organic assessment exemptions for all of the marketing order industries is estimated to total 48 hours (190 applicants x 15 minutes), an increase of 20 hours from the current 28 hours.