Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: State Agency Options, 52820-52821 [2016-18980]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Food and Nutrition Service

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 154 (Wednesday, August 10, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52820-52821]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-18980]



[[Page 52820]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: State 
Agency Options

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 the proposed collection. This is a revision of the currently 
approved burden for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 
(SNAP): State Agency Options information collection.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before October 11, 2016.

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 through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments may be sent to: Sasha Gersten-Paal, Food and Nutrition 
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 
812, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted via fax to 
the attention of Ms. Gersten-Paal at 703-305-2507 or via email to 
Sasha.Gersten-Paal@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 (OMB) 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 Ms. 
Gersten-Paal at 703-305-2486

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: State Agency 
Options.
    OMB Number: 0584-0496.
    Form Number: None.
    Expiration Date: December 31, 2016.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: The collections covered under OMB Number 0584-0496 
address information and burden estimates associated with the following 
State Agency Options: Establishing and reviewing standard utility 
allowances and establishing methodology for offsetting cost of 
producing self-employment income.
    This notice revises the State Agency Options information collection 
for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to reflect 
changes in the number of States that have implemented the options 
herein and the change in burden since the previous revision. Federal 
regulations implementing SNAP application and certification procedures 
are contained in parts 271, 272 and 273 of title 7 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR). The regulations addressing State agency 
options specified in this collection are contained in 7 CFR 273.
    Using FNS-388 and 388A, (approved under OMB# 0584-0594 expiration 
date 6/30/2019), States send aggregate level data on participation, 
benefits issued, and other basic program information to FNS using the 
Food Programs Reporting System (FPRS) via this Web site: https://fprs.fns.usda.gov. These FNS approved forms are used as supplemental 
data only and this collection is not seeking any additional burden 
hours for the use of these forms.
    Since the last renewal, there have been changes in the number of 
States that implement the options in this collection. This collection 
revises the number of State agencies that have implemented the options 
herein as well as the burden associated with the collection.

Establishing and Reviewing Standard Utility Allowances

    The regulations at 7 CFR 273.9(d)(6)(iii) allow State agencies to 
establish standard utility allowances (SUA) in place of the actual 
utility costs incurred by a household. State agencies are required to 
review and adjust SUAs annually to reflect changes in the costs of 
utilities. State agencies are required to submit the amounts of 
standards when they are changed and methodologies used to develop and 
update the standards to FNS for approval when they are developed or 
changed.
    Estimates of burden: FNS estimates 53 State agencies will submit 
one request each to adjust the SUAs, for a total annual response of 53 
requests at a minimum of 2.5 hours annually (53 State agencies x 1 SUAs 
request = 53 total annual responses x 2.5 hours = 132.5 hours). The 
total burden for this provision is estimated to be 132.5 hours per 
year. This is an increase of 2.5 hours from the previous submission, 
due to an increase in State agencies implementing this option.

Self-Employment Costs

    The regulations at 7 CFR 273.11(b) allow self-employment income to 
be reduced by the cost of producing such income. The regulations allow 
the State agencies, with approval from FNS, to establish the 
methodology for offsetting the costs of producing self-employment 
income, as long as the procedure does not increase program costs.
    Estimates of burden: Based on the information provided in the 
Twelfth Edition of the SNAP State Options Report, out of the 53 State 
agencies, 21 State agencies have incorporated a methodology for 
determining the cost of doing business in self-employment cases. This 
is an increase from 18 States in the previously approved information 
collection. It is estimated that these 21 States will submit one 
request each, totaling 21 annual responses. States will incur a burden 
of at least 10 working hours gathering and analyzing data, developing 
the methodology, determining the cost implication and submitting a 
request to FNS, for a total burden of 210 hours annually (21 State 
agencies x 1 request = 21 total annual responses x 10 working hours = 
210 burden hours). This is an increase of 30 burden hours from the 
previous submission.

Record Keeping Burden Only

    All 53 State agencies are required to keep and maintain one record 
of the information gathered and submitted to FNS for the SUA and self-
employment options. It is estimated that this process will take 7 
minutes or .1169 hours per year for each State agency, resulting in a 
total annual burden of 6 hours (53 State agencies x 1 record = 53 total 
annual records x .1169 hours = 6 hours). This burden remains unchanged 
from the previous submission.
    The following table illustrates the burden estimates associated 
with the State agency options included in this collection.

[[Page 52821]]



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                                                                                     Estimated
    Respondent and reporting         Estimated       Responses     Total annual   average number     Estimated
           activities                number of     annually per      responses     of hours per     total hours
                                    respondents     respondent                       response       (Col. dxe)
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Reporting Burden--Establishing
 and Reviewing Standard Utility
 Allowances (SUAs)
    State, Local or Tribal                    53               1              53            2.50           132.5
     Agencies...................
Reporting Burden--Establishing
 Self-Employment Costs
 Methodology
    State, Local or Tribal                    21               1              21              10             210
     Agencies...................
        Total Reporting Burden..              53  ..............              74  ..............           342.5
Recordkeeping Burden
    State, Local or Tribal                    53               1              53          0.1169               6
     Agencies...................
        Total Recordkeeping                   53  ..............              53  ..............               6
         Burden.................
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        Total Burden Summary for              53  ..............             127  ..............           348.5
         Reporting and
         Recordkeeping..........
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    Dated: August 2, 2016.
Yvette S. Jackson,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-18980 Filed 8-9-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-30-P