Notice2025-07832
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget; Electronic Federal Duck Stamp Program
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
May 6, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentFish and Wildlife Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to revise a currently approved information collection.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 86 (Tuesday, May 6, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 86 (Tuesday, May 6, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19223-19225]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-07832]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-HQ-MB-2024-N076; FXMB12330900000-256-FF09M13000; OMB Control
Number 1018-0135]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget; Electronic Federal Duck Stamp Program
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to revise a
currently approved information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments. To be
considered, your comments must be received on or before June 5, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection at <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
Find this particular information collection by selecting ``Currently
under Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search
function. Please provide a copy of your comments to the Service
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-
3803 (mail); or by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c48daaa2ab9b87aba8a884a2b3b7eaa3abb2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7930171f16263a161515391f0e0a571e160f">[email protected]</span></a>. Please reference ``1018-
0135'' in the subject line of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Madonna L. Baucum, Service Information
Collection Clearance Officer, by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fcb5929a93a3bf939090bc9a8b8fd29b938a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f0b99e969fafb39f9c9cb0968783de979f86">[email protected]</span></a>, or by
telephone at (703) 468-8211. Individuals in the United States who are
deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial
711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay
services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay
services offered within their country to make international calls to
the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act (PRA; 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and its implementing regulations at 5
CFR 1320.8(d)(1), all information collections require approval by the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). We may not conduct or sponsor
and you are not required to respond to a collection of information
unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
On June 3, 2024, we published in the Federal Register (89 FR 47587)
a notice of our intent to request that OMB approve this information
collection. In that notice, we solicited comments for 60 days, ending
on August 2, 2024. We also published the notice on <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>
(Docket No. FWS-HQ-MB-2024-0075). We received two comments in response
to that notice which did not address the information collection
requirements; therefore, no response to those comments is required.
As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we invite the public and other Federal agencies to comment on
new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This
helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements
and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public
understand our information collection requirements and provide the
requested data in the desired format.
We are especially interested in public comment addressing the
following:
(1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including
whether or not the information will have practical utility;
[[Page 19224]]
(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this 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) How might the agency minimize 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, e.g.,
permitting electronic submission of response.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this information collection request. Before including
your address, phone number, email address, or other personal
identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your
entire comment--including your personal identifying information--may be
made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your
comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Abstract: On March 16, 1934, Congress passed, and President
Franklin D. Roosevelt signed, the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (16
U.S.C. 718a et seq.). Popularly known as the Duck Stamp Act, it
requires all migratory waterfowl hunters 16 years of age or older to
buy a Federal migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp (Federal
Duck Stamp) annually. The stamps are a vital tool for wetland
conservation. Ninety-eight cents out of every dollar generated by the
sale of Federal Duck Stamps is used to purchase or lease wetland
habitat for protection in the National Wildlife Refuge System. The
Federal Duck Stamp program is one of the most successful conservation
programs ever initiated and is a highly effective way to conserve
America's natural resources. Besides serving as a hunting permit and a
conservation tool, a current year's Federal Duck Stamp also serves as
an entrance pass for national wildlife refuges where admission is
charged. Duck Stamps and products that bear stamp images are also
popular collector's items.
The Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-266) required
the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 3-year pilot program, under
which States could issue electronic Federal Duck Stamps. This pilot
program was made permanent with the passage of the Permanent Electronic
Duck Stamp Act of 2013 (Pub. L. 113-239) on December 19, 2023. The Duck
Stamp Modernization Act of 2023 (Modernization Act; Pub. L. 118-25)
removed the temporary nature of the electronic stamp certificate,
making the electronic stamp valid from the time of purchase through the
next June 30. The electronic stamp can be stored either digitally or
printed and carried as a hard copy. The Modernization Act also
stipulates that a physical stamp would be mailed to all electronic
stamp purchasers after March 10 annually.
Today anyone, regardless of their State or country of residence, is
able to purchase an electronic Duck Stamp through any State that
participates in the program. The electronic stamp is issued as a
certificate or proof of purchase and is valid from the date of purchase
until the end of the Federal Duck Stamp year, which ends on June 30.
Thus the electronic stamp is available for immediate use by the
purchaser. Because it can be stored either digitally or by printing out
and carrying a hard copy, customers are less likely to lose their proof
of purchase. Customers no longer have to receive the actual physical
stamp in the mail if they purchase an electronic stamp to comply with
the law.
Eight States participated in the pilot program beginning in 2007.
At the end of the pilot, we provided a report to Congress outlining the
successes of the program. The program improved public participation by
increasing the ability of the public to obtain required Federal Duck
Stamps.
Under our authorities in 16 U.S.C. 718 et seq., we continued the
Electronic Duck Stamp Program in the eight States that participated in
the pilot and enrolled other interested States. Currently, the program
includes 30 participating States. Several additional States have
indicated interest in participating.
With the passage of the Modernization Act and to mitigate several
challenges faced by the Service in implementing the program,
memorandums of understanding (MOU) signed between the States and the
Service must be reviewed, rewritten, and signed to reflect changes in
the law and address several issues which reflect on the accountability,
transparency, and effectiveness of the electronic Duck Stamp.
Interested States must apply, using Form 3-2341, based on their
ability to meet the responsibilities as outlined in the updated MOU. We
will use the information provided in the application to determine a
State's eligibility to participate in the program and willingness to
comply with the requirements of issuing an electronic stamp.
Information includes, but is not limited to:
<bullet> Information verifying the current systems the State uses
to sell hunting, fishing, and other associated licenses and products.
<bullet> Applicable State laws, regulations, or policies that
authorize the use of electronic systems to issue licenses.
<bullet> Examples and explanations of the codes the State proposes
to use to create and endorse the unique identifier for the individual
to whom each stamp is issued.
<bullet> Mockup copy of the printed version of the State's proposed
electronic stamp, including a description of how attention will be
drawn to customer support information and identifying features of the
licensee to be specified on the permit.
<bullet> Description of all fees the State will charge for issuance
of an electronic stamp and how these will be conveyed to the customer.
<bullet> Description of the process the State will use to account
for and transfer the amounts collected by the State that are required
to be transferred under the program.
<bullet> Manner in which the State will transmit electronic stamp
customer data.
Each State approved to participate in the program must provide the
following information, on a regular basis (not to exceed 7 days post
purchase), to the Service-approved stamp distribution company, to
enable that company to issue the physical stamp and to collect funds
owed to the Service:
<bullet> Full name (first, middle, last, and any prefixes/
suffixes), and complete mailing address of each individual who
purchases an electronic stamp from the State.
<bullet> Date of e-stamp purchase.
Proposed Revisions
Changes to Form 3-2341, ``Application and Instructions to
Participate in the Electronic Federal Duck Stamp Program,'' include:
<bullet> change in effective date from September 1, 20##, to July
1, 20## (field is customizable each year), to coincide with the Duck
Stamp validity dates;
<bullet> removal of application deadline as completed applications
will be accepted at any point in time;
<bullet> update the background details for the Electronic Federal
Duck Stamp Program;
<bullet> update website contact information;
<bullet> request for transparent description of all charges
assessed to each customer
[[Page 19225]]
for the purchase of an Electronic Federal Duck Stamp and how they will
be relayed to the customer;
<bullet> removal of language reflecting the past temporary nature
of the Electronic Federal Duck Stamp; and
<bullet> request for information allowing the Service to measure
any challenges to the distribution and number of interested Electronic
Federal Duck Stamp purchasers.
Changes to the example MOU referenced in Form 3-2341 include:
<bullet> Section I--Authority: Update to authorities to add the
Modernization Act.
<bullet> Section II--Background: Update details to include dollar
and acreage figures, as well as details regarding changes required by
the Modernization Act,
<bullet> Section IV--Responsibilities of the Parties: Update the
requirements of the Service to include:
--mailing of physical stamps on or after March 10 of each year;
--reinforcing monthly invoicing and full payment requirements for
electronic stamp purchases;
--clarification of the review of handling charges to include monitoring
for cost efficiencies, consistencies, accuracies, and transparency.
Update the requirements for the States to:
--assist the Service in promoting the art, tradition, and history of
the printed pictorial stamp;
--provide an online electronic stamp option for at least 9 months
covering the period of August 1 through April 30;
--issue an electronic certificate and a proof of purchase that can be
carried digitally or on paper which is readily available for inspection
with supporting identification by all authorized individuals (i.e., fee
collection or law enforcement officers);
--clarify that both the certificate and the receipt of purchase will
contain and display a secure, unique identifier for the individual to
whom it is issued, specify that the electronic stamp is valid until
June 30 of the year printed on the physical stamp, state that the
electronic stamp is both non-refundable and non-transferable,
information that a physical stamp will be mailed after March 10
annually, and contact information for the Service's stamp fulfillment
center in the event of questions;
--clarify that the State will not provide or replicate a digital image
of the Federal Duck Stamp itself as proof of purchase;
--require the State provide the customer with a breakdown of all fees
the State is charging related to their purchased electronic stamp;
--inform and provide the customer with assistance in the event they
need to reprint or otherwise retrieve the State issued proof of
purchase in digital or physical form;
--inform customers that all sales of the electronic Federal Duck Stamp
are final and non-refundable;
--Promptly send the required information for all customers who have
purchased an electronic stamp to the Service's designated stamp
fulfillment center within a maximum of 7 days of purchase by customer
(preferably on a daily basis);
--State will be invoiced at the end of the month for all sales of
Federal Duck Stamps sold through the State's licensing system during
the month;
--States may not make partial payments or payments on a quarterly or
annual basis; and
--Provide the Service and its distributors with any updates to laws,
regulations or policies related to the State's electronic licensing
system.
<bullet> Section V--General Provisions: We added distributors to
the list of required acknowledgements in program publicity material and
clarified that in-person or virtual meetings apply to both individually
scheduled or regularly scheduled meetings.
<bullet> Section VII--Period of MOU: We updated the dates from
2022-2025 to 2025-2028 and included a caveat that the MOU may be
extended; added a clarification that either party may ask for a meeting
to discuss issues; and added a clause stating that in the event that
the agreement is terminated for cause, the Service may require the
State to reapply to be enrolled in the program.
Title of Collection: Electronic Federal Duck Stamp Program.
OMB Control Number: 1018-0135.
Form Number: Form 3-2341.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: State fish and wildlife agencies.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: One time for applications, and an average
of once every 7 days per respondent for fulfillment reports.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
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Estimated Estimated Completion
number of number of time per Estimated
Activity/requirement annual annual response total annual
respondents responses (hours) burden hours
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New Applications (3-2341)............................... 20 20 40 800
Currently Enrolled Application (3-2341)................. 30 30 10 300
Fulfillment Reports..................................... 49 1,911 1 1,911
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Totals.............................................. 99 1,961 ........... 3,011
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An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required
to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Jillian Eanett,
Acting Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-07832 Filed 5-5-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 6, 2025.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.