Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-WIC Nutrition Services and Administration (NSA) Cost Study, 45171-45173 [2013-17992]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Food and Nutrition Service

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 144 (Friday, July 26, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45171-45173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-17992]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request-WIC Nutrition Services and Administration (NSA) Cost 
Study

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment 
on this proposed information collection. This collection is a new 
collection to obtain data on how State and local WIC agencies calculate 
NSA costs; how recent Program changes have impacted NSA costs; and how 
administrative costs and policies compare to those of Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy 
Families (TANF).

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before September 24, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on (a) whether the proposed data 
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 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Written comments may be sent to: Dr. Melissa Abelev, Food and 
Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center 
Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted 
via fax to the attention of Dr. Melissa Abelev at 703-305-2209 or via 
email to Melissa.Abelev@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 written comments will be open for public inspection at the 
office of the Food and Nutrition Service during regular business hours 
(8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday) at 3101 Park Center 
Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, Virginia 22302.
    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 Dr. Melissa 
Abelev at 703-305-2209.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: WIC Nutrition Services and Administration (NSA) Cost Study.
    Form Number: N/A.
    OMB Number: Not yet assigned.
    Expiration Date: Not yet determined.
    Type of Request: New collection.
    Abstract: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, 
Infants, and Children (WIC), (Pub. L. 109-85), is administered at the 
Federal level by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture. Through Federal grants to States, WIC

[[Page 45172]]

provides low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, 
infants, and children up to age five with nutritious supplemental 
foods. The program also provides nutrition education and referrals to 
health and social services.
    NSA costs, the focus of this study, are the direct and indirect 
costs, which State and local agencies determine to be necessary to 
support WIC Program operations, exclusive of food costs. NSA costs 
include, but are not limited to, the costs of Program administration, 
start-up, monitoring, auditing, the development of and accountability 
for food delivery systems, nutrition education and breastfeeding 
promotion and support, outreach, certification, and developing and 
printing food instruments and cash-value vouchers.
    The current federal WIC regulations are designed to encourage women 
to breastfeed and to provide appropriate nutritional support for WIC 
participants. As part of these provisions, States must spend a minimum 
amount of grant funds, as determined by a national formula, on 
nutrition education and breastfeeding support services.
    The last study on NSA costs took place in 2000. Since then, there 
have been many changes in the WIC Program--from new food packages, to 
the Value Enhanced Nutrition Assessment (VENA), to Management 
Information System (MIS) upgrades, and the start of the mandated 
conversion to Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards--all of which 
have impacted NSA costs. A census of state and local agencies will be 
conducted to provide insight into how NSA grant funds are used and have 
been impacted by recent changes. It will also provide a point of 
comparison with the administrative costs of other federal assistance 
programs by collecting data from state and local officials overseeing 
SNAP and TANF.
    Data will be collected in four ways: (1) The collection of extant 
WIC State agency documents as summarized annually on FNS Forms 798 and 
798-A (currently approved under 0584-0045); (2) a web survey of all WIC 
State and local agencies (preceded by a letter of introduction and 
recruitment); (3) key informant interviews with WIC administrators in 
14 WIC State agencies plus interviews with 32 local agency directors 
within these State agencies; and (4) key informant interviews with 
state SNAP and TANF officials in nine jurisdictions plus interviews 
with two local SNAP/TANF agency officials (preceded by a letter of 
introduction and recruitment).
    Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Government: Respondent 
groups identified include: All State WIC Directors; all local WIC 
agency Directors; selected State WIC Directors; selected local WIC 
agency Directors; selected state and local SNAP and TANF agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of 
respondents is 4,156. This includes: 90 State WIC directors (extant 
data request); 90 State WIC directors (letter); 90 State WIC Directors 
(web survey); 14 State WIC directors (interview); 1,900 local WIC 
agency directors (letter); 1,900 local WIC agency directors (web 
survey); 32 local WIC agency directors (interview); 9 state SNAP agency 
officials (letter); 9 state SNAP agency officials (interview); 9 state 
TANF agency officials (letter); 9 state TANF agency officials 
(interview); one local SNAP agency official (letter); one local SNAP 
agency official (interview); one local TANF agency official (letter); 
one local SNAP agency official (interview).
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: All response tasks 
listed above require just one response each.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 4,156.
    Estimated Time per Response: The estimated time for each response 
is shown in the burden table below. Dividing the total hours of 
2,772.00 by the 4,156 respondents (or responses) yields an average 
estimated time of .667 hours per response.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,772.00 hours. See 
the table following for estimated total annual burden for each type of 
respondent.

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                                                                                     Estimated
                                     Estimated       Responses     Total annual   average number     Estimated
           Respondent                 number       annually per      responses     of hours per     total hours
                                    respondent      respondent    (column b x c)     response     (column d x e)
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Reporting Burden
    State WIC Director Form 798/              90               1       90                   1.00           90.00
     798-A Extant Data Request..
    State WIC Director Letter of              90               1       90                   0.33           30.00
     Introduction and
     Recruitment................
    State WIC Director Web                    90               1       90                   1.00           90.00
     Survey.....................
    State WIC Director Interview              14               1       14                   4.00           56.00
    State SNAP Official Letter                 9               1        9                   0.25            2.25
     of Introduction and
     Recruitment................
    State SNAP Official                        9               1        9                   1.50           13.50
     Interview..................
    State TANF Official Letter                 9               1        9                   0.25            2.25
     of Introduction and
     Recruitment................
    State TANF Official                        9               1        9                   1.50           13.50
     Interview..................
    Local WIC Agency Director              1,900               1    1,900                   0.25          475.00
     Letter of Introduction and
     Recruitment................
    Local WIC Agency Director              1,900               1    1,900                   1.00           1,900
     Web Survey.................
    Local WIC Agency Director                 32               1       32                   3.00           96.00
     Interview..................
    Local SNAP Official Letter                 1               1        1                   0.25            0.25
     of Introduction and
     Recruitment................
    Local SNAP Official                        1               1        1                   1.50            1.50
     Interview..................
    Local TANF Official Letter                 1               1        1                   0.25            0.25
     of Introduction and
     Recruitment................
    Local TANF Official                        1               1        1                   1.50            1.50
     Interview..................
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        Total Reporting Burden..           4,156               1    4,156                .666987        2,772.00
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[[Page 45173]]

    Dated: July 17, 2013.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-17992 Filed 7-25-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P