Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Regulations, Quality Control, 30844-30846 [2013-12245]

Download as PDF sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 30844 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 100 / Thursday, May 23, 2013 / Notices Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (Grants) Alternative 1-for Grantees Other Than Individuals. The AMS–33 Agreement Face Sheet replaces the Grant Agreement that was approved under the previous collection. The information will be used to affirm the award amount, time frame, objectives and work plan agreed upon by the grantee and USDA/AMS. Standard Form 270, Request for Advance or Reimbursement (approved under OMB #0348–0004), is completed whenever the grantee requests an advance or reimbursement of grant funds. The information will be used to keep track of grant disbursements and the level of matching funds expended by the grantee during the grant period. We expect that grantees will submit a total of three SF–270 forms annually. Progress Reports are required at the midpoint of projects approved for one year and at six-month intervals for projects of longer duration. Progress Reports should (1) briefly summarize activities performed and milestones achieved for each objective or subelement of the narrative; (2) note unexpected delays or impediments as well as favorable or unusual developments; (3) outline work to be performed during the succeeding period; and (4) indicate the amount of grant and matching funds expended to date. We expect that grantees will submit a total of two Progress Reports during the grant period. Not later than 90 days following the ending date of the grant the grantee must submit Standard Form 425, Federal Financial Report (approved under OMB #0348–0061), to document the final financial status of the grant project and to indicate that the one-toone matching requirement has been met. The grantee must also submit a Final Report of results and accomplishments within 90 days following the grant ending date. The Final Report will include: • An outline of the issue or problem. • A description of how the issue or problem was approached via the project. • A description of the contribution of public or private agency cooperators. • A description of results, conclusions and lessons learned. • A summary of current or future benefits to be derived from the project. • Additional information available (publications, Web sites). • Recommendations for future research needed, if applicable. • A description of the project beneficiaries. VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:14 May 22, 2013 Jkt 229001 • The contact person for the project with telephone number and email address. This collection adds two items relating to the grant review process: A Conflict of Interest/Confidentiality Statement and a Proposal Score Sheet for Reviewers. Upon receipt of an application, the FSMIP Staff Officer ensures that all components of the application are present. The FSMIP Staff Officer also ensures that the $1 for $1 required match is met. Each proposal is then assigned to several subject matter specialists from AMS and elsewhere in USDA to evaluate and score. Reviewers from other Federal agencies and the university community may be sought depending on the subject matter and scope of the proposals. All reviewers sign a Conflict of Interest/ Confidentiality Statement before beginning their proposal reviews. Proposals are numerically scored on several criteria by individual reviewers. These scores are used to make recommendations for funding. Reviewers use the Proposal Score Sheet for Reviewers to report their scores and comments about the strengths and weaknesses of each proposal they have been assigned to review. Estimate of Burden: The public reporting burden for reading and signing the Conflict of Interest/Confidentiality Statement, for reviewing six proposals, and for completing the Proposal Score Sheet for Reviewers is estimated to average 1.93 hours per response. Respondents: Non-federal proposal reviewers. Estimated Number of Respondents: 20. Estimated Total Annual Responses: 140. Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 7. Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 270 hours. 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 Janise PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Zygmont, FSMIP Staff Officer, USDA, AMS, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 4549–S, Washington, DC 20250, telephone: 202–720–5024; fax: 202– 690–1144. 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 approval. All comments will become a matter of public record. Dated: May 17, 2013. Rex A. Barnes, Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service. [FR Doc. 2013–12237 Filed 5–22–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–02–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Regulations, Quality Control Food and Nutrition Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on the proposed information collection for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s Regulations, Part 275— Quality Control. Specifically, the burden associated with the collection of information for the sampling plan, arbitration process and the good cause process. This is a revision of a currently approved collection, OMB No. 0584– 0303. Written comments must be submitted on or before July 22, 2013. ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions that were 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 technological DATES: E:\FR\FM\23MYN1.SGM 23MYN1 30845 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 100 / Thursday, May 23, 2013 / Notices collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments may be sent to Patrick Lucrezio, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 822, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted via email to SNAPHQWeb@fns.usda.gov. Comments will also be accepted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to https:// www.regulations.gov, and follow the online instructions for submitting comments electronically. All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will be a matter of public record. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or copies of this information collection should be directed to Patrick Lucrezio at 703–305–2498. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s (SNAP) Quality Control Regulations, Part 275. OMB Number: 0584–0303. Expiration Date: December 31, 2013. Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection. Abstract: There are three components of the Quality Control (QC) system that are covered in this proposed information collection. They are: (1) The sampling plan; (2) the arbitration process; and (3) the good cause process. Affected public arbitration process is due to a decrease in the estimated number of responses per State agency from 2.6 to 2.2. These decreases are a result of State agencies less frequently disagreeing with FNS’ findings. The proposed annual reporting burden for the good cause process has increased from 160 hours to 320 hours due to an increase in the number of states using the good cause rule from 1 to 2 per year. The total reporting burden for the QC system is, therefore, 1,377 hours, a decrease of 144 hours from the previously approved burden. The proposed annual recordkeeping burden associated with the QC sampling plan remains at 1.25 hours per year. The proposed annual recordkeeping burdens associated with arbitration has decreased from 0.92 to 0.7788 hour and the good cause process has increased to 0.0472 hour. The recordkeeping burden for the arbitration process was due to the decrease in estimated number of responses per State from 2.6 to 2.2. The recordkeeping burden for the good cause process has increased from 0.0236 to 0.0472 hour due to an additional State’s use of the rule. The total burden for recordkeeping has decreased from 2.19 hours to 2.076 hours. As a result, the total annual burden for the QC system, as proposed by this notice, increased from 1,363 hours to 1,379.076 hours; a total increase of 16.076 hours. We are requesting a three-year approval from OMB for this information collection. Each State is required to develop a sampling plan that demonstrates the integrity of its case selection procedures. The QC system is designed to measure each State agency’s payment error rate based on a statistically valid sample of SNAP cases. A State agency’s payment error rate represents the proportion of cases that were reported through a QC review as being ineligible, overissued and underissued SNAP benefits. The QC system contains procedures for resolving differences in review findings between State agencies and FNS. This is referred to as the arbitration process. The QC system also contains procedures that provide relief for State agencies from all or a part of a QC liability when a State agency can demonstrate that a part or all of an excessive error rate was due to an unusual event that had an uncontrollable impact on the State agency’s payment error rate. This is referred to as the good cause process. The approved burden for the QC system includes the burden for the QC sampling plan, the arbitration process and the good cause process. The annual reporting burden associated with the QC sampling plan remains at 265 hours. We estimate the annual reporting burdens associated with arbitration and good cause processes to total 792 and 320 hours, respectively. The decrease in the proposed burden from the currently approved 936 to 792 hours for the Estimated # of respondents Requirement Responses annually per respondent Total annual responses (col. bxc) Estimated avg. # of hours per response Estimated total hours (col. dxe) 53 33 2 88 5 24 160 ........................ 265 792 320 1,377 53 33 2 88 0.0236 0.0236 0.0236 ........................ 1.25 0.7788 0.0472 2.076 Total annual responses for reporting & recordkeeping Estimated total reporting recordkeeping hours Reporting Burden State Agencies .................... State Agencies .................... State Agencies .................... Grand Total Reporting Sampling Plan .................... Arbitration Process ............. Good Cause Process ......... ............................................. 53 15 2 53 1 2.2 1 ........................ Recordkeeping Burden State Agencies .................... State Agencies .................... State Agencies .................... Grand Total Recordkeeping. Sampling Plan .................... Arbitration Process ............. Good Cause Process ......... ............................................. 53 15 2 53 sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Affected public 1 2.2 1 ........................ Requirement Overall Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden State Agencies ............................................................. State Agencies ............................................................. State Agencies ............................................................. Sampling Plan .............................................................. Arbitration Process ....................................................... Good Cause Process ................................................... 106 99 4 266.25 792.7788 320.0472 OVERALL TOTAL BURDEN ................................. ....................................................................................... 209 1,379.08 VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:14 May 22, 2013 Jkt 229001 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\23MYN1.SGM 23MYN1 30846 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 100 / Thursday, May 23, 2013 / Notices The Combined Quality Control System’s Estimated Burden (includes the burdens associated with the Sampling Plan, Arbitration, and Good Cause): (Reporting 1,377 + Recordkeeping Burden Hour) = 1,379.076 hours. Dated: May 14, 2013. Audrey Rowe, Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service. [FR Doc. 2013–12245 Filed 5–22–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–30–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request: Information Collection for the Child and Adult Care Food Program Food and Nutrition Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice. sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on the Agency’s proposed information collection for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). This collection is a revision of a currently approved information collection. DATES: Written comments must be received on or before July 22, 2013. ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the Agency’s functions, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the Agency’s estimate of the proposed information collection burden, 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 use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments may be sent to Jon Garcia, Program Analysis and Monitoring Branch, Child Nutrition Division, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments will also be accepted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov, and VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:14 May 22, 2013 Jkt 229001 follow the online instructions for submitting comments electronically. 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. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or copies of this information collection should be directed to Jon Garcia, Program Analysis and Monitoring Branch, Child Nutrition Division, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22302. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Information Collection for the Child and Adult Care Food Program. OMB Number: 0584–0055. Expiration Date: August 31, 2013. Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection. Abstract: Section 17 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA), as amended, (42 U.S.C. 1766), authorizes the CACFP to provide cash reimbursement and commodity assistance, on a per meal basis, for food service to children in nonresidential child care centers and family day care homes, and to eligible adults in nonresidential adult day care centers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Food and Nutrition Service, has established application, monitoring and reporting requirements to manage the CACFP effectively. The purpose of this submission to OMB is to obtain approval to continue the discussed information collection. States and service institutions participating in the CACFP will submit to FNS account and record information reflecting their efforts to comply with statutory and regulatory Program requirements. In accordance with 7 CFR 226.7(d), State agencies must submit a monthly Report of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (FNS–44) in order to receive federal reimbursement for meals served to eligible participants. However FNS– 44 is no longer included in this revision as the information is being collected under separate collection (0584–0078). Examples of data collected and reported with this collection include, but are not limited to: applications and supporting documents; records of enrollment; records supporting the free and reduced price eligibility determinations; daily records indicating numbers of program participants in attendance and the number of meals served by type and category; and receipts, invoices and other records of CACFP costs and PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 documentation of non-profit operation of food service. This is a revision of a currently approved collection. This revision made many program adjustments to reporting and record keeping burden hours. These adjustments included: Recalculation of time required to complete existing program tasks in light of advanced technology and process simplification (e.g., application and renewal processes now computerized and completed on line; claims processing now electronic; memos and regulatory updates posted on State agency Web sites; etc.); transfer of certain burden tasks to different collection (e.g., burden associated with Federal/State agreement now collected under State Administrative Expense Funds); reclassification as administrative of tasks previously deemed reporting; and corrections to certain burden tasks (previous burden included administrative burden by error) since last renewal. These changes translated to reduction of number of respondents and reduction in the amount of time it takes to complete a particular task (estimated number of hours per response) and resulted in overall burden change since last renewal. Current OMB inventory for this collection consists of 7,032,960 hours. As a result of program adjustments and reevaluation of existing program tasks, program burden was significantly reduced by 4,799,115 hours since last renewal. The average burden per response and the annual burden hours for reporting and recordkeeping are explained below and summarized in the charts which follow. Affected Public: 56 State agencies, 20,398 Institutions, 166,585 facilities (includes 127,977, family day care homes and 38,608 sponsored center facilities) and 2,178,065 individuals and households. Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,552,143. Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 2.138. Estimated Total Annual Responses: 5,456,645. Estimate Time per Response: 0.409355 hrs. Estimated Total Annual Burden: 2,233,706 hrs. Current OMB Inventory for Part 226: 7,032,960 hrs. Difference (change in burden with this renewal): (4,799,115) hrs. Refer to the table below for estimated total annual burden. E:\FR\FM\23MYN1.SGM 23MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 100 (Thursday, May 23, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30844-30846]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-12245]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service

Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Regulations,
Quality Control

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment
on the proposed information collection for the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program's Regulations, Part 275--Quality Control.
Specifically, the burden associated with the collection of information
for the sampling plan, arbitration process and the good cause process.
This is a revision of a currently approved collection, OMB No. 0584-
0303.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 22, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection
of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions
of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions that were 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 technological

[[Page 30845]]

collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Comments may be sent to Patrick Lucrezio, Food and Nutrition
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room
822, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted via email to
SNAPHQ-Web@fns.usda.gov. Comments will also be accepted through the
Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov, and
follow the online instructions for submitting comments electronically.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will
be a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of this information collection should be directed to Patrick
Lucrezio at 703-305-2498.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program's (SNAP) Quality
Control Regulations, Part 275.
OMB Number: 0584-0303.
Expiration Date: December 31, 2013.
Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Abstract: There are three components of the Quality Control (QC)
system that are covered in this proposed information collection. They
are: (1) The sampling plan; (2) the arbitration process; and (3) the
good cause process. Each State is required to develop a sampling plan
that demonstrates the integrity of its case selection procedures. The
QC system is designed to measure each State agency's payment error rate
based on a statistically valid sample of SNAP cases. A State agency's
payment error rate represents the proportion of cases that were
reported through a QC review as being ineligible, overissued and
underissued SNAP benefits.
The QC system contains procedures for resolving differences in
review findings between State agencies and FNS. This is referred to as
the arbitration process. The QC system also contains procedures that
provide relief for State agencies from all or a part of a QC liability
when a State agency can demonstrate that a part or all of an excessive
error rate was due to an unusual event that had an uncontrollable
impact on the State agency's payment error rate. This is referred to as
the good cause process.
The approved burden for the QC system includes the burden for the
QC sampling plan, the arbitration process and the good cause process.
The annual reporting burden associated with the QC sampling plan
remains at 265 hours. We estimate the annual reporting burdens
associated with arbitration and good cause processes to total 792 and
320 hours, respectively. The decrease in the proposed burden from the
currently approved 936 to 792 hours for the arbitration process is due
to a decrease in the estimated number of responses per State agency
from 2.6 to 2.2. These decreases are a result of State agencies less
frequently disagreeing with FNS' findings. The proposed annual
reporting burden for the good cause process has increased from 160
hours to 320 hours due to an increase in the number of states using the
good cause rule from 1 to 2 per year. The total reporting burden for
the QC system is, therefore, 1,377 hours, a decrease of 144 hours from
the previously approved burden.
The proposed annual recordkeeping burden associated with the QC
sampling plan remains at 1.25 hours per year. The proposed annual
recordkeeping burdens associated with arbitration has decreased from
0.92 to 0.7788 hour and the good cause process has increased to 0.0472
hour. The recordkeeping burden for the arbitration process was due to
the decrease in estimated number of responses per State from 2.6 to
2.2. The recordkeeping burden for the good cause process has increased
from 0.0236 to 0.0472 hour due to an additional State's use of the
rule. The total burden for recordkeeping has decreased from 2.19 hours
to 2.076 hours. As a result, the total annual burden for the QC system,
as proposed by this notice, increased from 1,363 hours to 1,379.076
hours; a total increase of 16.076 hours. We are requesting a three-year
approval from OMB for this information collection.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated avg.
Estimated Responses Total annual of Estimated
Affected public Requirement of annually per responses hours per total hours
respondents respondent (col. bxc) response (col. dxe)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporting Burden
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Agencies............................ Sampling Plan............... 53 1 53 5 265
State Agencies............................ Arbitration Process......... 15 2.2 33 24 792
State Agencies............................ Good Cause Process.......... 2 1 2 160 320
Grand Total Reporting................. ............................ 53 .............. 88 .............. 1,377
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Recordkeeping Burden
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Agencies............................ Sampling Plan............... 53 1 53 0.0236 1.25
State Agencies............................ Arbitration Process......... 15 2.2 33 0.0236 0.7788
State Agencies............................ Good Cause Process.......... 2 1 2 0.0236 0.0472
Grand Total Recordkeeping............. ............................ 53 .............. 88 .............. 2.076
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated
Total annual total
Affected public Requirement responses for reporting
reporting & recordkeeping
recordkeeping hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Agencies................................ Sampling Plan................... 106 266.25
State Agencies................................ Arbitration Process............. 99 792.7788
State Agencies................................ Good Cause Process.............. 4 320.0472
-------------------------------
OVERALL TOTAL BURDEN...................... ................................ 209 1,379.08
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 30846]]

The Combined Quality Control System's Estimated Burden (includes
the burdens associated with the Sampling Plan, Arbitration, and Good
Cause): (Reporting 1,377 + Recordkeeping Burden Hour) = 1,379.076
hours.

Dated: May 14, 2013.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-12245 Filed 5-22-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P

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