[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 180 (Tuesday, September 19, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43738-43739]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-19421]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Departmental Management, Office of Procurement and Property
Management; Notice of Request for Comments on Extension of a Currently
Approved Information Collection
AGENCY: Departmental Management, Department of Agriculture.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the Department of Agriculture,
Departmental Management, Office of Procurement and Property
Management's intention to request an extension of a currently approved
information collection, Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products
for Federal Procurement.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by November 20, 2017 to
be assured of consideration.
[[Page 43739]]
ADDRESSES: The Office of Procurement and Property Management invites
interested persons to submit comments on this notice. Comments may be
submitted by one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the
ability to type short comments directly into the comment field on this
Web page or attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Email: [email protected]. Include ``Notice
on Request for Comments on Extension of a Currently Approved
Information Collection'' on the subject line. Please include your name
and address in your message.
Mail/commercial/hand delivery: Mail or deliver your
comments to: Karen Zhang, USDA, Office of Procurement and Property
Management, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20250.
Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must
include the Agency name (Office of Procurement and Property
Management). Comments received in response to this notice will be made
available for public inspection and posted without change, including
any personal information, to http://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Zhang, USDA, Office of
Procurement and Property Management, 1400 Independence Ave. SW.,
Washington, DC 20250.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the intention
of the USDA, Office of Procurement and Property Management, to request
approval for an extension of an existing collection.
Title: Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal
Procurement.
OMB Control Number: 0503-0011.
Expiration Date of Approval: March 31, 2018.
Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information
collection.
Abstract: The USDA BioPreferred Program provides that qualifying
biobased products that fall under product categories (generic groups of
biobased products) that have been designated for preferred procurement
by rule making are required to be purchased by Federal agencies in lieu
of their fossil energy-based counterparts, with certain limited
exceptions. Further, USDA is required by section 9002 of the Farm
Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, as amended by the Food,
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 and the Agricultural Act of 2014,
to provide certain information on qualified biobased products to
Federal agencies. To meet these statutory requirements, USDA will
gather that information from manufacturers and vendors of biobased
products. The information sought by USDA can be transmitted
electronically using the Web site http://www.biopreferred.gov. If for
any reason the requested information cannot be electronically
transmitted, USDA will provide technical assistance to support the
transmission of information to USDA. The information collected will
enable USDA to meet statutory information requirements that will then
permit USDA to designate product categories for preferred procurement
under the BioPreferred Program. Once product categories are designated,
manufacturers and vendors of qualifying biobased products that fall
under these designated product categories will benefit from preferred
procurement by Federal agencies.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 40 hours per response.
Respondents: Manufacturers and vendors of biobased products.
Participation is entirely voluntary.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 220.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: One per manufacturer
or vendor.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 8,800 hours, one time
only. Manufacturers and vendors are only asked to respond once for each
stand-alone product or product family. Therefore, there is no ongoing
annual paperwork burden on respondents unless they wish to add
additional stand-alone products or product families. Furthermore, their
participation in the BioPreferred Program is entirely voluntary.
Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the agency, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who
are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms
of information technology. Comments may be sent to Karen Zhang, USDA,
Office of Procurement and Property Management, 1400 Independence Ave.
SW., Washington, DC 20250. All comments received will be available for
public inspection during regular business hours at the same address.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB (Office of Management and Budget) approval. All
comments will become a matter of public record.
Dated: August 31, 2017.
Malcom A. Shorter,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Administration, U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2017-19421 Filed 9-18-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-93-P