[Federal Register: June 23, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 120)]
[Notices]
[Page 34990-34991]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23jn04-33]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
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delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
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[[Page 34990]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Office of Civil Rights
Notice of Intent To Seek Approval To Collect Information
AGENCY: Office of Civil Rights, USDA:
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.
L. 104-13) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at
5 CFR part 1320, this notice announces the Office of Civil Rights' (CR)
intention to request approval for a new information collection aimed at
standardizing race, ethnicity, sex, national origin, disability status,
and age data across the Department. The establishment of such a
collection will assist the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) agencies in improving program services and benefits. USDA
continues to seek ways to improve delivery of program services and
benefits, fulfill various civil rights responsibilities, and increase
participation for those who are eligible to receive benefits and
assistance.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by August 23, 2004.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
comments regarding this notice should be directed to Mr. Joe McNeil,
Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400
Independence Ave., SW., Room 331-W, Washington, DC 20250; e-mail;
Joe.mcneill@Usda.go, telephone: (202) 720-0438.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Customer Information.
OMB Number: 0503-NEW.
Expiration Date: Three years from date of issuance.
Type of Request: New Collection.
Abstract: The purpose of the collection is to standardize the
collection of race, ethnicity, sex, national origin, disability status,
and age data for all USDA agencies, and to further ensure that this
information is collected only once for each customer. When established,
this information will assist the Office of Civil Rights and USDA
agencies in monitoring programs and will be the basis for several
different reports required by statute.
Background: The civil rights policy of the USDA requires each
agency to analyze the civil rights impact(s) of policies, actions, or
decisions that will affect federally conducted the federally assisted
programs and activities and the USDA workforce. In order to assesses
the civil rights impact, data on programs, activities, and employment
must be analyzed in a consistent manner with respect to the race,
ethnicity, sex, national origin, disability status, and age of
customers, applicants, and participants. Currently, no uniform method
of reporting and tabulating race and ethnicity data exits in USDA.
There are 17 program agencies each with a potential array of program
applicants and participants. The collection of data is necessary to
provide each agency, and the USDA as a whole, with the composition of
its customers, particularly from a race and ethnicity standpoint.
Further, data is necessary to give USDA a baseline on its applicants
and participants and assist it in planning and assisting its customers.
The goal of a comprehensive USDA collection of race, ethnicity, sex,
national origin, disability status, and age data is to reduce the
burden on citizens to provide this type of information by creating a
single voluntary survey transaction where the data is collected, one
time in a standard format. For subsequent transactions where this
information is needed to provide services or improve program
participation, the Department will reuse the data previously collected.
This Information Collection Request is intended, over a three-year
period, to consolidate a number of agency collections of race,
ethnicity, sex, national origin, disability status, and age data and to
minimize the number of separate forms and transactions required to
obtain USDA services, thereby reducing the burden in collecting this
information from the public. When collected manually, a paper form will
be used in conjunction with the appropriate program application form as
a tear-off where the application for services will be transmitted to
the appropriate agency for action, and the paper form will be
transmitted to a Departmental repository to be used in subsequent
customer transactions and for applicable Civil Rights analysis and
reporting. Data from the paper form will be entered electronically into
the Departmental repository. When collected electronically, the data
will reside in an enterprise customer repository that will collect and
track customer information. While the demographic data would be
available for management reporting purposes and a flag would
graphically indicate to USDA employees that the information had been
previously collected, no direct employee access to the data would be
provided. As required by the Privacy Act, existing customer data
Systems of Record will be modified or created if applicable.
Estimate of Burden: For the initial collection of race, ethnicity,
sex, national origin, disability status, and age information, the
estimated burden is 3 minutes per response. The burden is the same
whether collected manually through a Departmental form or collected
electronically as a customer enters the USDA.gov web portal. Estimated
Total Annual Burden on Respondents: The Department estimates there are
36,655,000 customers subject to the collection of race, ethnicity, sex,
national origin, disability status, and age data. Based on an estimated
3 minutes response time, the estimated annual burden is 1,832,750
hours. The breakdown by customer group is provided below.
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Estimated
Customer type number \1\
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Producers.................................................. 2,200,000
Agribusiness and Cooperatives.............................. 100,000
Low-Income Families and Individuals........................ 20,000,000
Children and Caregivers.................................... 55,000
Rural Communities and Businesses........................... 2,000,000
Researchers and Academic Community......................... 1,300,000
Landowners and Conservationists............................ 10,000,000
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Total.................................................. 36,655,000
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\1\ Data obtained from the Audience Analysis document prepared in
support of the eGovernment Web Presence initiative.
[[Page 34991]]
Comments: Comments are invited on (a) Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the Department, including whether the information will
have practical utility as described; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's
estimate of burden of the proposed collection of information, including
the validity of methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;
and (d) 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 technology. Comments should be
addressed to the address in the preamble. All responses to this notice
will be summarized and included in the request for Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) approval. All comments will also become a matter of
public record.
Vernon B. Parker,
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.
[FR Doc. 04-14193 Filed 6-22-04; 8:45 am]
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