Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-Assessment of States' Use of Computer Matching Protocols in SNAP, 24659-24664 [2017-11029]
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24659
Notices
Federal Register
Vol. 82, No. 102
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains documents other than rules or
proposed rules that are applicable to the
public. Notices of hearings and investigations,
committee meetings, agency decisions and
rulings, delegations of authority, filing of
petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are
examples of documents appearing in this
section.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Document Number AMS–NOP–17–0024;
NOP–17–03]
Notice of Meeting of the National
Organic Standards Board
Agricultural Marketing Service,
USDA.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, as
amended, (5 U.S.C. App.), the
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS),
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),
is announcing a meeting of the National
Organic Standards Board (NOSB) to
assist the USDA in the development of
standards for substances to be used in
organic production and to advise the
Secretary of Agriculture on any other
aspects of the implementation of
Organic Foods Production Act.
DATES: The Board will receive public
comments via a webinar on October 24,
2017 from 1:00 p.m. to approximately
4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). If the
number of commenters registered for the
webinar exceeds the time allotted, a
second webinar will be held on October
26 from 1:00 p.m. to approximately 4:00
p.m. ET. An in-person meeting will be
held October 31–November 2, 2017,
from 8:30 a.m. to approximately 6:00
p.m. ET. Oral comments will be heard
on Tuesday, October 31, 2017. The
deadline to submit written comments
and/or sign up for oral comment at
either the webinar or face-to-face
meeting is 11:59 p.m. ET, October 11,
2017.
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SUMMARY:
The webinar(s) are virtual
and will be accessed via the internet
and/or phone. Access information will
be available on the AMS Web site prior
to the webinar. The in-person meeting
will take place at the Omni Jacksonville
Hotel, 245 Water Street, Jacksonville,
ADDRESSES:
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FL, 32202, United States. Detailed
information pertaining to the webinar
and in-person meeting can be found at
www.ams.usda.gov/NOSBMeetings.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Michelle Arsenault, Advisory
Committee Specialist, National Organic
Standards Board, USDA–AMS–NOP,
1400 Independence Ave. SW., Room
2642–S, Mail Stop 0268, Washington,
DC 20250–0268; Phone: (202) 720–3252;
Email: nosb@ams.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NOSB
makes recommendations to the
Department of Agriculture about
whether substances should be allowed
or prohibited in organic production
and/or handling, assists in the
development of standards for organic
production, and advises the Secretary
on other aspects of the implementation
of the Organic Foods Production Act (7
U.S.C. 6501–6522). The public meeting
allows the NOSB to discuss and vote on
proposed recommendations to the
USDA, receive updates from the USDA
National Organic Program (NOP) on
issues pertaining to organic agriculture,
and receive comments from the organic
community. The meeting is open to the
public. All meeting documents,
including the meeting agenda, NOSB
proposals and discussion documents,
instructions for submitting and viewing
public comments, and instructions for
requesting time for oral comments will
be available on the AMS Web site at
www.ams.usda.gov/NOSBMeetings.
Please check the Web site periodically
for updates. Meeting topics will
encompass a wide range of issues,
including: Substances petitioned for
addition to or deletion from the
National List of Allowed and Prohibited
Substances (National List), substances
on the National List that are under
sunset review, and guidance on organic
policies. Participants and attendees may
take photos and video at the meeting,
but not in a manner that disturbs the
proceedings.
Public Comments
Comments should address specific
topics noted on the meeting agenda.
Written comments: Written public
comments will be accepted on or before
11:59 p.m. ET October 11, 2017 via
https://www.regulations.gov:
Document#AMS–NOP–17–0024.
Comments submitted after this date will
be provided to the NOSB, but Board
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members may not have adequate time to
consider those comments prior to
making recommendations. The NOP
strongly prefers comments to be
submitted electronically, however,
written comments may also be
submitted (i.e., postmarked) by the
deadline, via mail to the person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
Oral Comments: The NOSB is
providing the public multiple dates and
opportunities to provide oral comments
and will accommodate as many
individuals and organizations as time
permits. Persons or organizations
wishing to make oral comments must
pre-register by 11:59 p.m. ET, October
11, 2017, and can only register for one
speaking slot: Either during the
webinar(s) scheduled for October 24
(and October 26 if needed) or at the inperson meeting, October 31, 2017. Due
to the limited time allotted for in-person
public comments, commenters are
strongly encouraged to comment during
the webinar(s). Instructions for
registering and participating in the
webinar can be found at
www.ams.usda.gov/NOSBMeetings.
Meeting Accommodations: The
meeting hotel is ADA Compliant, and
the USDA provides reasonable
accommodation to individuals with
disabilities where appropriate. If you
need a reasonable accommodation to
participate in this public meeting,
please notify the person listed under
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Determinations for reasonable
accommodation will be made on a caseby-case basis.
Dated: May 23, 2017.
Bruce Summers,
Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing
Service.
[FR Doc. 2017–10987 Filed 5–26–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–02–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request—Assessment of
States’ Use of Computer Matching
Protocols in SNAP
Food and Nutrition Service,
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
AGENCY:
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ACTION:
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 102 / Tuesday, May 30, 2017 / Notices
Notice.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice invites the general public and
other public agencies to comment on
this NEW information collection
request. This study will conduct a
census of all 53 State Agencies that
administer the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) to catalog
and describe how States are currently
using or planning to use computer
matching strategies to reduce recipient
fraud, payment errors, and
administrative burden for both
applicants and eligibility workers.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before July 31, 2017.
ADDRESSES: 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 shall 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
use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Comments may be sent to Danielle
Deemer, Office of Policy Support, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Food and
Nutrition Service, 3101 Park Center
Drive, Room 10.1008, Alexandria, VA
22302. Comments may also be
submitted via fax to the attention of
Danielle Deemer at 703–305–2952 or via
email to Danielle.Deemer@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 (FNS)
during regular business hours (8:30 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) at
3101 Park Center Drive, Room 10.1008,
Alexandria, VA 22302.
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 the proposed information
collection forms should be directed to
Danielle Deemer at 703–305–2952.
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SUMMARY:
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Title: Assessment of States’ Use of
Computer Matching Protocols in SNAP.
Form Number: Not applicable.
OMB Number: 0584—NEW.
Expiration Date: Not yet determined.
Type of Request: New information
collection request.
Abstract: Almost all Federal and State
programs use computer data matching
to determine or verify eligibility for
benefits. For SNAP, States also use
computer data matching to ensure
program integrity. In order to receive
SNAP, households must meet financial
and non-financial eligibility criteria and
provide information and verification
about their household circumstances.
State Agencies administering SNAP use
data matching to verify information
submitted at the application and
recertification stages of an application
process and to monitor changes in
benefit recipients’ household
circumstances. This information
collection will build on existing
knowledge 1 2 3 by conducting an
assessment of computer matching
capabilities and activities to describe
the data matches, systems, purposes,
and administrative costs in each State
agency and the challenges facing States
and counties in effective data matching.
The primary purpose of this study is
to assess the computer matching
strategies used by State Agencies and to
prepare an updated nationwide datamatching inventory to inform effective
practices for SNAP.
This project has four research
objectives:
1. To inventory all data matches that
State SNAP offices currently use and
plan to use in the future.
2. To identify and describe all data
systems used for matching by each
SNAP State agency. Such systems
include automated systems, web-based
systems, and/or software that integrate
data from multiple sources.
3. To identify and describe the
purposes for which States pursue each
data match.
4. To calculate the annual and perusage costs incurred in carrying out data
1 Borden, William S., and Robbi L. Ruben-Urm.
(2002, January). ‘‘An Assessment of Computer
Matching in the Food Stamp Program.’’ Final
Report. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service.
2 U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2014).
‘‘Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program:
Enhanced Detection Tools and Reporting Could
Improve Efforts to Combat Recipient Fraud’’, GAO–
14–641, a report to Ranking Member, Committee on
the Budget, U.S. Senate.
3 U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2016).
‘‘More Information on Promising Practices Could
Enhance States’ Use of Data Matching for
Eligibility’’, GAO–17–222, a report to the Chairman,
Committee on Agriculture, House of
Representatives.
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matches, in total and, when possible, for
each individual match.
To address the study objectives, three
types of data will be collected and
analyzed: (1) Extant documentation on
State data-matching procedures; (2)
extant documentation on administrative
costs of data matching; and (3) survey
data on all 53 State agencies collected
via the National Survey of State SNAP
Data-Matching Methods. The study will
result in both a report for public release
and a database that catalogs data
matches and can be updated on an
ongoing basis.
Affected Public: State, Local and
Tribal government: Respondent group
types identified includes: (1) 53
administrative staff at the State level
and (2) 350 administrative staff at the
county level.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
403 State, Local or Tribal Respondents
(53 State Agencies and 350 County/
Local SNAP Staff members). The
National Survey of State SNAP DataMatching Methods will be a selfadministered web survey that will
include all 50 States, the District of
Columbia, and two territories (U.S.
Virgin Islands and Guam). We anticipate
a 100 percent response rate to the State
portion of the survey. There are 350
County/Local SNAP Staff members and
we anticipate 50 percent response rate
for their portion of the survey. The
estimates are delineated in Table 1.
Of the 53 State agencies, 43
administer SNAP at the State level and
10 administer SNAP at the county level.
Therefore, the survey will also collect
data at the county level from the 10
States that have county-administered
SNAP to account for variations in
processes and procedures at the county
level. Due to the many and varied
systems States use to match data for
initial and continuing program
eligibility, participation, and integrity
checks, we anticipate that any particular
State with county-administered SNAP
could have multiple county/local
respondents who can best answer
system, process, technical, and costrelated questions. We estimate that
about half of the 10 States with countyadministered SNAP will ask county
administrators to complete the sections
of the survey about county-level
processes and procedures.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: All administrative staff at
the State level and administrative staff
at the county level will be asked to
participate in one survey—the National
Survey of State SNAP Data-Matching
Methods. The survey will be web-based
and will be completed by the
respondents in a secured web portal.
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Estimated Number of Total Annual
Responses: FNS anticipates 403
estimated total number of annual
responses. We anticipate 228 responses
and 175 non-responses.
Estimated Time per Response: The
response times vary depending on the
respondent type identified for county
respondents. The time ranges from
approximately 15 minutes (0.25),
approximately 24 minutes (0.4008) and
approximately 42 minutes (0.7014). The
breakout is in Table 1.
There is a slight difference in the time
required for State and county staff to
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complete the survey due to several
additional items on the State survey.
Time per response for State SNAP staff
completing the state portion of the
survey only varies from approximately
20 minutes (0.334), approximately 30
minutes (0.50) and approximately 45
minutes (0.75). Time per response for
counties completing the county portion
of the survey ranges from approximately
15 minutes (0.25), to approximately 24
minutes (0.40), to approximately 42
minutes (0.70). The length of time per
response for state SNAP staff
completing the survey for states and
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24661
counties ranges from approximately 30
minutes (0.50), to approximately 60
minutes (1.00), to approximately 72
minutes (1.20).
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents and Non-Respondents:
The total estimated annual burden for
respondents is approximately 135.55
burden hours (117.05 hours for
respondents and 17.50 for nonrespondents) which includes the
amount of time to read an email, review
a few questions, and decide to exit the
survey.
BILLING CODE 3410–30–P
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VerDate Sep<11>2014
Table 1: Estimated Total Annual Burden among Respondents and Non-Respondents
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 102 / Tuesday, May 30, 2017 / Notices
19:59 May 26, 2017
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Table 1:
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19:59 May 26, 2017
24663
EN30MY17.016</GPH>
*Assmnes 50 percent of cOLmties will respond to U1e survey.
24664
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 102 / Tuesday, May 30, 2017 / Notices
Dated: May 18, 2017.
Jessica Shahin,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition
Service.
[FR Doc. 2017–11029 Filed 5–26–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–30–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection
Activities, Comments Request:
Evaluation of Alternatives To Improve
Elderly Access
Food and Nutrition Service
(FNS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
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 of information for
the Evaluation of Alternatives to
Improve Elderly Access. This is a NEW
information collection. This study will
provide FNS with a better
understanding of the barriers to serving
elderly populations in the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
and the extent to which available policy
options improve program access,
whether certain program models or
combinations are more effective than
others, and what tradeoffs exist between
program simplification/access goals and
ensuring benefit adequacy.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before July 31, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to
Kameron Burt, Social Science Policy
Analyst, Office of Policy Support, Food
and Nutrition Service, USDA, 3101 Park
Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria,
VA 22302. Comments may also be
submitted via fax to the attention of
Kameron Burt at 703–305–2576 or via
email to kameron.burt@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: To
request more information on the
proposed project, or to obtain a copy of
the data collection plans contact
Kameron Burt, Social Science Policy
Analyst, Office of Policy Support, Food
and Nutrition Service, USDA, 3101 Park
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SUMMARY:
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Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria,
VA 22302; Fax: 703–305–2576; Email:
kameron.burt@fns.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 use of appropriate
automated, electronic, mechanical, or
other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information
technology.
Title: Evaluation of Alternatives to
Improve Elderly Access.
Form Number: [If applicable, insert
number].
OMB Number: Not yet assigned.
Expiration Date: Not yet determined.
Type of Request: New collection.
Abstract: The Food and Nutrition
Service (FNS), under authorization of
SEC. 17. [7 U.S.C. 2026] of the FOOD
AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2008, as
amended, intends to conduct the
Evaluation of Alternatives to Improve
Elderly Access. FNS is interested in
exploring whether policy options
designed to improve access to the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP) for the elderly are
effective. The objective of the study is
to better understand how to maximize
elder (60+) access to SNAP. The
evaluation will have four key
components:
(1) Exploratory Study: To ground the
study plan and subsequent components
of the study, the project began with an
initial exploratory research phase to
determine what is known about elder
SNAP participation levels and caseload
dynamics over time, factors influencing
elder participation in SNAP, and the
scope, range, and effects of State
interventions for elders to date. The
exploratory study drew primarily on
existing data, including SNAP Quality
Control (QC) data from Fiscal Years
2010 to 2015 and an index of State
policy options, and a literature review,
supplemented by discussions with FNS
Regional and National office staff and
experts from advocacy groups.
(2) Study of State Interventions: The
Study of State Interventions will
document the design, implementation,
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and operation of interventions intended
to increase access to SNAP among the
elderly population in the selected
States. This component will provide a
comprehensive understanding of the
interventions, helping us to interpret the
effects or lack thereof observed in the
Study of Intervention Effects, draw
lessons on how aspects of the
interventions may be improved, and
assess whether the interventions, if
implemented in other locations or
contexts, might yield similar outcomes.
The primary source of data for this
study component will be the extensive
information collected during three-day
site visits to each of the ten selected
States.
(3) Study of elder participant
perspectives: The purpose of the study
is to gather direct input from elders
about their awareness of SNAP,
perceptions of the program, and
experiences applying for and receiving
SNAP benefits. Key data collection
activities for this component will
include: Phone screenings with elderly
individuals to confirm eligibility and
schedule interviews (560 individuals
will be screened to result in 280
scheduled interviews); semi-structured
interviews with 200 elderly eligible
individuals (out of the 280 scheduled
interviews) grouped into three
categories (SNAP participants, nonparticipating applicants, and nonparticipants). FNS plans to contact or
recruit another 115 individuals 60+ to
participate in the focus group. Out of
the 115 contacted, 80 will go on to
participate in the actual focus group.
These focus groups will be used to
validate and explore key themes that
emerge in the interviews. Overall, the
expectation is that out of the total 675
elderly individuals contacted, 395 will
not respond or choose not to take part
in the study.
(4) Study of State Intervention Effects:
The objective of the Study of State
Intervention Effects is to assess the
relative association between State
interventions and key program
outcomes, including elderly SNAP
application trends and caseloads, and
rates of churning. The focus of this
analysis will be on the interventions
that are specifically targeted to elderly
households (in addition to the
Community Partner Interview
Demonstration (CPID)). The study team
identified the following interventions as
being of particular interest to the study
because they either aim at increasing the
enrollment of elderly participants or
hold particular promise in this regard:
Elderly Simplified Application Project
(ESAP); Standard Medical Deduction
(SMD); CPID; Combined Application
E:\FR\FM\30MYN1.SGM
30MYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 102 (Tuesday, May 30, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24659-24664]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-11029]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request--Assessment of States' Use of Computer Matching
Protocols in SNAP
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
[[Page 24660]]
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 NEW information collection request. This study will conduct a
census of all 53 State Agencies that administer the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to catalog and describe how States
are currently using or planning to use computer matching strategies to
reduce recipient fraud, payment errors, and administrative burden for
both applicants and eligibility workers.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before July 31, 2017.
ADDRESSES: 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 shall 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 use of appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms
of information technology.
Comments may be sent to Danielle Deemer, Office of Policy Support,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, 3101 Park
Center Drive, Room 10.1008, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be
submitted via fax to the attention of Danielle Deemer at 703-305-2952
or via email to Danielle.Deemer@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 (FNS) during regular business
hours (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) at 3101 Park
Center Drive, Room 10.1008, Alexandria, VA 22302.
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 the proposed information collection forms should be directed
to Danielle Deemer at 703-305-2952.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Assessment of States' Use of Computer Matching Protocols in
SNAP.
Form Number: Not applicable.
OMB Number: 0584--NEW.
Expiration Date: Not yet determined.
Type of Request: New information collection request.
Abstract: Almost all Federal and State programs use computer data
matching to determine or verify eligibility for benefits. For SNAP,
States also use computer data matching to ensure program integrity. In
order to receive SNAP, households must meet financial and non-financial
eligibility criteria and provide information and verification about
their household circumstances. State Agencies administering SNAP use
data matching to verify information submitted at the application and
recertification stages of an application process and to monitor changes
in benefit recipients' household circumstances. This information
collection will build on existing knowledge 1 2 3 by
conducting an assessment of computer matching capabilities and
activities to describe the data matches, systems, purposes, and
administrative costs in each State agency and the challenges facing
States and counties in effective data matching.
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\1\ Borden, William S., and Robbi L. Ruben-Urm. (2002, January).
``An Assessment of Computer Matching in the Food Stamp Program.''
Final Report. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food
and Nutrition Service.
\2\ U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2014).
``Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Enhanced Detection
Tools and Reporting Could Improve Efforts to Combat Recipient
Fraud'', GAO-14-641, a report to Ranking Member, Committee on the
Budget, U.S. Senate.
\3\ U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2016). ``More
Information on Promising Practices Could Enhance States' Use of Data
Matching for Eligibility'', GAO-17-222, a report to the Chairman,
Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives.
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The primary purpose of this study is to assess the computer
matching strategies used by State Agencies and to prepare an updated
nationwide data-matching inventory to inform effective practices for
SNAP.
This project has four research objectives:
1. To inventory all data matches that State SNAP offices currently
use and plan to use in the future.
2. To identify and describe all data systems used for matching by
each SNAP State agency. Such systems include automated systems, web-
based systems, and/or software that integrate data from multiple
sources.
3. To identify and describe the purposes for which States pursue
each data match.
4. To calculate the annual and per-usage costs incurred in carrying
out data matches, in total and, when possible, for each individual
match.
To address the study objectives, three types of data will be
collected and analyzed: (1) Extant documentation on State data-matching
procedures; (2) extant documentation on administrative costs of data
matching; and (3) survey data on all 53 State agencies collected via
the National Survey of State SNAP Data-Matching Methods. The study will
result in both a report for public release and a database that catalogs
data matches and can be updated on an ongoing basis.
Affected Public: State, Local and Tribal government: Respondent
group types identified includes: (1) 53 administrative staff at the
State level and (2) 350 administrative staff at the county level.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 403 State, Local or Tribal
Respondents (53 State Agencies and 350 County/Local SNAP Staff
members). The National Survey of State SNAP Data-Matching Methods will
be a self-administered web survey that will include all 50 States, the
District of Columbia, and two territories (U.S. Virgin Islands and
Guam). We anticipate a 100 percent response rate to the State portion
of the survey. There are 350 County/Local SNAP Staff members and we
anticipate 50 percent response rate for their portion of the survey.
The estimates are delineated in Table 1.
Of the 53 State agencies, 43 administer SNAP at the State level and
10 administer SNAP at the county level. Therefore, the survey will also
collect data at the county level from the 10 States that have county-
administered SNAP to account for variations in processes and procedures
at the county level. Due to the many and varied systems States use to
match data for initial and continuing program eligibility,
participation, and integrity checks, we anticipate that any particular
State with county-administered SNAP could have multiple county/local
respondents who can best answer system, process, technical, and cost-
related questions. We estimate that about half of the 10 States with
county-administered SNAP will ask county administrators to complete the
sections of the survey about county-level processes and procedures.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: All administrative
staff at the State level and administrative staff at the county level
will be asked to participate in one survey--the National Survey of
State SNAP Data-Matching Methods. The survey will be web-based and will
be completed by the respondents in a secured web portal.
[[Page 24661]]
Estimated Number of Total Annual Responses: FNS anticipates 403
estimated total number of annual responses. We anticipate 228 responses
and 175 non-responses.
Estimated Time per Response: The response times vary depending on
the respondent type identified for county respondents. The time ranges
from approximately 15 minutes (0.25), approximately 24 minutes (0.4008)
and approximately 42 minutes (0.7014). The breakout is in Table 1.
There is a slight difference in the time required for State and
county staff to complete the survey due to several additional items on
the State survey. Time per response for State SNAP staff completing the
state portion of the survey only varies from approximately 20 minutes
(0.334), approximately 30 minutes (0.50) and approximately 45 minutes
(0.75). Time per response for counties completing the county portion of
the survey ranges from approximately 15 minutes (0.25), to
approximately 24 minutes (0.40), to approximately 42 minutes (0.70).
The length of time per response for state SNAP staff completing the
survey for states and counties ranges from approximately 30 minutes
(0.50), to approximately 60 minutes (1.00), to approximately 72 minutes
(1.20).
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents and Non-Respondents:
The total estimated annual burden for respondents is approximately
135.55 burden hours (117.05 hours for respondents and 17.50 for non-
respondents) which includes the amount of time to read an email, review
a few questions, and decide to exit the survey.
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Dated: May 18, 2017.
Jessica Shahin,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-11029 Filed 5-26-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P
