[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 215 (Wednesday, November 5, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65824-65825]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26290]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Farm Service Agency
Commodity Credit Corporation; Information Collection; Debt
Settlement Policies and Procedures
AGENCY: Farm Service Agency and Commodity Credit Corporation, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC)
are requesting comments from all interested individuals and
organizations on an extension of a currently approved information
collection that supports the FSA and CCC Debt Settlement Policies and
Procedures regulations.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before January 5,
2009 to be assured consideration.
ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on this notice. In your
comments, include date, volume and page number of this issue of the
Federal Register. You may submit comments by any of the following
methods:
[[Page 65825]]
Mail: Thomas F. Harris II, Claims Program Specialist, Financial
Management Division, Office of Budget and Finance, Farm Service Agency,
USDA, STOP 0581, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-
0581, or 3101 Park Center Drive, Suite 1210, Alexandria, Virginia
22302.
E-mail: Send comment to: [email protected].
Fax: (703) 305-1148.
Comments also should be sent to the Desk Officer for Agriculture,
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget, Washington, DC 20503. Copies of the information collection may
be obtained from Thomas F. Harris II at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas F. Harris II, Claims Program
Specialist, telephone (703) 305-1439.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Debt Settlement Policies and Procedures.
OMB Control Number: 0560-0146.
Expiration Date of Approval: May 31, 2009.
Type of Request: Extension with no revision.
Abstract: This information collection is needed to enable FSA and
CCC to effectively administer the regulations at 7 CFR 792 (FSA) and 7
CFR 1403 (CCC) on debt settlement policies and procedures and on the
identification of and settlement of outstanding claims. Collection of
outstanding debts owed to FSA or to CCC can be effected by installment
payments if a debtor furnishes satisfactory evidence of inability to
pay a claim in full, and if the debtor specifically requests an
installment agreement. Part of the requirement is that the debtor
furnishes this request in writing and with a financial statement or
other information that would disclose a debtor's assets and
liabilities. This information is required in order to evaluate any
proposed plan. Such requests for documentation furnished by the debtor
are also used in the other collection tools employed by both FSA and
CCC in managing debt settlement policies and procedures. If an
installment agreement is approved, then a Promissory Note (CCC-279), or
an approved alternative promissory note format, must be executed
between the debtor and the FSA/CCC representative(s).
During the past two years, over $7,470,969 in debt collection was
facilitated by the use of this requested information and 141 Promissory
Notes were established between debtors and FSA and CCC. Total active
Note amount for the past two years is presently 235 total Promissory
Notes (includes total notes established (141); notes defaulted (21),
notes written off (20) and notes discharged in Bankruptcy (2)) with a
total outstanding amount of $7,043,331.11.
The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 requires the head of an
agency to take all appropriate steps to collect delinquent debts before
discharging such debts. The current information collection forms and
formats have been successfully used for the past several years and have
become familiar tools for both the agency employees and for the
producer. Thus, adequate forms and formats already exist and are in
use. Developing new forms and formats could be costly and is not
required to meet the demands of the Debt Collection Improvement Act of
1996. Nonetheless, comment is requested on how the forms and process
may be improved, as specified below.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this information
collection is estimated to average 1 hour per response. The average
travel time, which is included in the total burden, is estimated to be
1 hour per respondent.
Respondents: Producers participating in FSA and CCC programs.
Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 100.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 200 hours.
Comments Are Invited on:
(1) Whether the 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 burden including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
(3) Enhancing the quality, utility and clarity of the information
to be collected; or
(4) Minimizing the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
All responses to this notice, including name and addresses when
provided, will be summarized and included in the request for OMB
approval. All comments will also become a matter of public record.
Signed at Washington, DC, on October 29, 2008.
Thomas B. Hofeller,
Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency, and Executive Vice
President, Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. E8-26290 Filed 11-4-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P