Notice2026-00240
Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; Specimen Submission
Primary source
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Published
January 9, 2026
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request a revision to and extension of approval of an information collection associated with livestock disease surveillance programs.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 6 (Friday, January 9, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 6 (Friday, January 9, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 953-954]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00240]
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Notices
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Federal Register / Vol. 91, No. 6 / Friday, January 9, 2026 /
Notices
[[Page 953]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2025-0704]
Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an
Information Collection; Specimen Submission
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Revision to and extension of approval of an information
collection; comment request.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's
intention to request a revision to and extension of approval of an
information collection associated with livestock disease surveillance
programs.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before March
10, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods.
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Enter APHIS-2025-0704 in the Search field. Select
the Documents tab, then select the Comment button in the list of
documents.
<bullet> Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2025-0704, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD,
APHIS, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., #AP760, Beltsville, MD 20705.
Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may
be viewed at <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> or in our reading room, which is in Room
1620 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue
SW, Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to
help you, please call (202) 799-7039 before coming.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information regarding livestock
disease surveillance programs, contact Ms. Lori Swiderski, Program
Coordinator, Director's Office, National Veterinary Services
Laboratories, Diagnostics and Biologics, VS, APHIS, 1920 Dayton Ave.,
Ames, IA 50010; (515) 337-7405. For more information on the information
collection reporting process, contact Ms. Sheniqua Harris, APHIS'
Paperwork Reduction Act Coordinator, at (301) 851-2528 or email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1d5c4d55544e334d4f5c5d686e797c337a726b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1554455d5c463b45475455606671743b727a63">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Specimen Submission.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0090.
Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an
information collection.
Abstract: The Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.)
provides the Secretary of Agriculture broad authority to prohibit or
restrict, through orders and regulations, the importation or entry and
interstate movement of any animal, article, or means of conveyance if
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) determines that the
prohibition or restriction is necessary to prevent the introduction or
spread of any pest or disease of livestock within the United States.
Disease prevention is the most effective method for maintaining a
healthy animal population and for enhancing the United States' ability
to globally compete in the trade of animals and animal products.
However, animal disease prevention cannot be accomplished without the
existence of effective disease surveillance programs, which are
conducted by the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS).
VS specimen submission forms are critical to VS' mission. They are
routinely used whenever specimens (such as blood, milk, tissue, or
urine) from any animal (such as cattle, cervids, swine, sheep, goats,
horses, and poultry) are submitted to the National Veterinary Services
Laboratories for disease testing. If the information was not collected
or collected less frequently, APHIS would not have the critical
information necessary to effectively operate its disease surveillance
programs and identify the animals and herds from which the specimens
were taken, preventing effective disease prevention and eradication.
The animal disease surveillance programs are based on information
submitted on the Specimen Submission form and continuation sheet, or
similar documents, and the Parasite Submission form submitted for the
Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program and the National Tick
Surveillance Program to identify the individuals submitting tick
samples and the animal sources of those samples.
We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve
our use of these information collection activities, as described, for
an additional 3 years. APHIS has amended this information collection
due to an increase in the number of Respondents reporting, the number
of Responses, and Total Burden Hours reported for the collection.
The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public
(as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection.
These comments will help us:
(1) Evaluate 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) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology
and assumptions used;
(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond (such as through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques,
e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.)
Estimate of burden: The public burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 0.325 hours per response.
Respondents: State veterinarians and other State personnel who are
qualified and authorized to collect and submit specimens for laboratory
analysis, accredited veterinarians, private veterinarians, animal
health technicians, herd owners, private laboratories, and research
institutions.
[[Page 954]]
Estimated annual number of respondents: 14,860.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 6.
Estimated annual number of responses: 95,060.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 30,930 hours. (Due to
averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product of
the annual number of responses multiplied by the reporting burden per
response.)
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of
public record.
Done in Washington, DC, this 6th day of January 2026.
Michael Watson,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-00240 Filed 1-8-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
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