Justification for Change (Standardized forms)

Justification of Change Worksheet

Tart Cherry Information Collection 0581-0177

Consolidating the Background Nomination Forms (Industry and Public)

July 2018

This Justification request is to modify the Background/Acceptance forms for the two forms listed below and to make this form a “standardized” form to the remaining 29 specialty crop Federal marketing orders. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is following a USDA initiative in consolidating and removing excess forms in each of the information collection packages. All changes are cosmetic in nature and the currently approved burden will not be affected. Once approved AMS will submit separate change of worksheets for the remaining 27 specialty crop Federal marketing order in the below OMB packages:

0581-0189 Fruit (920 Kiwi, 906 TX Citrus, 929 Cranberries, 915 Avocados, 905 FL Citrus, 925 Desert Grapes, 927 Pears, 922 Apricots and 923 Sweet Cherries)

0581-0178 Vegetables (981 Almonds, 987 Dates, 932 Olives, 993 Prunes, 989 Raisins, 984 Walnuts, 948 CO Potatoes, 966 FL Tomatoes, 958 ID/OR Onion, 945 ID/OR Potatoes, 982 OR/WA Hazelnuts, 959 S TX Onions, 985 Spearmint, 955 Vidalia Onions, 946 WA Potatoes, 956 Walla walla Onions)

0581-0291 Pecans

0581-0215 Pistachios

Blank spaces are left on the form so that each program can include the information unique to the committee, council or board. Below is a description of these changes.

Adding	Burden	Deleting	Burden
SC-9 Background/Acceptance Statement for Industry Members and Alternates	5 minutes	SC-46 Background/Acceptance Statement (Producer and Handler Member/Alternate)	5 minutes
SC-8 Background/Acceptance Statement for Public Members and Alternates	5 minutes	SC-47 Background/Acceptance Statement (Public Member/Alternate)	5 minutes

Background/Acceptance Statement for Industry Members and Alternates (currently SC-46)

Federal marketing orders are administered by a committee, council, or board consisting of producer/growers, handler, and sometimes public members. Nominees are required to complete and submit this form, which requests information pertaining to the nominee’s qualifications to represent industry interests and relation to the industry overseen by the committee on which he or she wishes to serve. USDA uses this information to determine whether nominees are eligible to serve in the positions for which they are nominated. The Background Questionnaire (with Acceptance Statement Included) includes a statement that the nominee signs, certifying that he or she will uphold the committee ethics regulations if elected. Any specific information regarding commodities specific information has been replaced with blank space so that multiple commodities can use the same form.

For this standardized form for the marketing order for tart cherries, DISTRICT will be added in the POSITION section. Other sections of the form have been changed to accommodate all federal marketing orders. “MEMBERSHIP IN INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS” and “OFFICES HELD OR OTHER ACTIVITIES IN PAST YEARS CONNECTED WITH INDUSTRY PROGRAMS” was combined into “LIST OFFICES HELD OR MEMBERSHIPS IN INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE PAST FEW YEARS CONNECTED WITH INDUSTRY PROGRAMS:”

Background/Acceptance Statement for Public Members and Alternates (currently SC-47)

Federal marketing orders are administered by a committee, council or board consisting of producer/growers, handler, and sometimes public members. Public nominees are required to complete and submit this form, which requests information pertaining to the nominee’s qualifications to represent industry interests and relation to the industry overseen by the committee on which he or she wishes to serve. USDA uses this information to determine whether nominees are eligible to serve in the positions for which they are nominated. The Background Questionnaire (with Acceptance Statement Included) includes a statement that the nominee signs, certifying that he or she will uphold the committee ethics regulations if elected. Any specific information regarding commodities specific information has been replaced with blank space so that multiple commodities can use the same form.

For this standardized form for the marketing order for tart cherries, DISTRICT will be added in the POSITION section. OFFICES HELD OR OTHER ACTIVITIES IN PAST YEARS CONNECTED WITH INDUSTRY PROGRAMS? and DO YOU HAVE A FINANCIAL INTEREST IN GROWING OR HANDLING OPERATION OF THE COMMODITY REGULATED UNDER THIS MARKETING ORDER? Have been simplified into “Briefly state your qualifications.”