0353 2022 Ss (20220216)

February 2022

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Nomination Request Form - Animal Disease Training

OMB NO: 0579-0353

1. 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. [7 U.S.C. 8301 et. seq.].

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)’s Veterinary Services (VS) is responsible for administering regulations intended to prevent the introduction of animal diseases into the United States. VS Professional People Training (PPT) provides training on responses to animal disease events, sample collection procedures, and disease mitigation and eradication activities to private veterinarians and State, Tribal, military, international, industry, and university personnel. The courses are designed to prepare participants for activities dealing with a U.S. animal disease incident.

The PPT uses the Nomination Request Form – Animal Disease Training to collect contact information needed to select applicants for PPT animal disease courses. The applicant’s supervisor and the appropriate APHIS official must nominate and authorize candidates to attend courses. PPT could not conduct training without the information provided on the form.

APHIS is asking the Office of Management and Budget to approve its use of this information collection activity for an additional 3 years.

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 collect contact information needed to select applicants for PPT animal disease training.

Nomination Request Form - Animal Disease Training (previously titled Nomination/ Registration Request Form) (VS Form 1-5); (State, Local, Tribal Government; Business)

VS collects information using VS Form 1-5 from private veterinarians as well as State, Tribal, military, international, university, and industry personnel who want to attend PPT animal disease training. PPT requires the applicants’ work addresses, work telephone numbers, work email addresses, agency/organization affiliations, supervisors’ names and email addresses, and job titles. PPT uses this information to produce participant rosters after participants select courses and during training to encourage ongoing working relationships between course participants. Applicants submit the completed form (Web-based) before the PPT course date. The appropriate APHIS official selects applicants based on the need in their respective States for such trained personnel. VS Form 1-5 is subsequently sent to a PPT Program Specialist for processing.

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 submissions 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.

Applicants may register for PPT training by accessing AgLearn (a USDA Learning Management System) at http://www.aglearn.usda.gov/ or by completing a course application survey through SurveyMonkey via a provided link.

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 collected in connection with this program is not available from any other source.

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

APHIS estimates 5 percent of the anticipated respondents for this collection are small businesses or other small entities. The majority of small business respondents are private veterinarians who may not have access to the Internet to register for PPT courses.

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 at all, it would significantly affect APHIS’ ability to eradicate animal diseases. PPT provides training on the processes and activities to mitigate and eliminate harmful animal diseases that could affect human health. The absence of this training and work would increase the possibility of an animal health disease incursion, elevating the risk of adverse effects on U.S. public health, food, animal health and agriculture, and U.S. trade.

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;

• 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.

The 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 contacted the following respondents by email and phone and engaged in productive consultations associated with this program to discuss the information collected to administer its equipment import regulations. Discussed were how the data was collected and how frequently; how much data is available; the convenience and clarity of reporting formats and other collection instruments; and the clarity of, and necessity for, any recordkeeping requirements. The respondents had no concerns with any of these items and had no further recommendations.

Jamie Berning

The Ohio State University

2297 Summit Street

Columbus, OH 43202

Phone: (419) 297-3336

Email: [email protected]

Kelley Rees

Colorado State University

1601 Campus Delivery

Fort Collins, CO 80523

Phone: (970) 491-7052

Fax: (970) 491-2250

Email: [email protected]

Linda Fillip

Texas A&M University

College of Veterinary Medicine Suite 101 - VMA

College Station, TX 77843-4461

Phone: (979) 845-3878

Email: [email protected]

On Wednesday, August 4, 2021, APHIS published in the Federal Register (86 FR 41937) a 60‑day notice seeking public comment on its plans to request a 3-year renewal of this collection of information. No public comments were received.

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. Approximately 350 individuals use VS Form 1-5 per year. Burden estimates were developed from discussions with State, industry, Tribal, military, international, and university personnel who would likely attend a PPT training course (such as veterinarians, college professors, 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 veterinarians, postsecondary agricultural science teachers, and animal health scientists. APHIS estimates the total annualized cost to these respondents to be $7,518. APHIS arrived at this figure by multiplying the hours of estimated response time (116 hours) by the estimated average hourly wage of the above respondents ($44.73) and then multiplying the result by 1.449 to capture benefit costs.

The average hourly rates used to calculate the estimate are for veterinarians ($52.09, SOCC 29‑1131); agricultural science teachers, postsecondary ($46.25, SOCC 25-1041); and animal health scientist ($35.84, SOCC 19‑1011). The rates were found at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_stru.htm.

According to DOL BLS news release USDL-21-0437 released March 18, 2021, employee benefits account for 31 percent of employee costs, and wages account for the remaining 69 percent. Mathematically, total costs can be calculated as a function of wages using a multiplier of 1.449.

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 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.

See APHIS Form 79. The annualized cost to the Federal Government is estimated at $5,424.

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in Items 13 or 14 of the OMB Form 83-1.

	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	350	0	0	0	0	350
Annual Time Burden (Hr)	116	0	0	0	0	116

There are no changes in estimates or burden for this request for renewal.

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 collected 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.

APHIS will display the OMB expiration date on the VS Form 1-5.

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

APHIS can certify compliance with all provisions of the Act.

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

Statistical methods are not employed in this information collection activity.

1