Agency Information Collection Activities: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Emergency Allotments (COVID-19), 35460-35462 [2021-14303]
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35460
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 126 / Tuesday, July 6, 2021 / Notices
For Further Information about the
46th Session of the CCFL, contact U.S.
Delegate, Dr. Douglas Balentine,
douglas.balentine@fda.hhs.gov.
For Further Information about the
public meeting Contact: U.S. Codex
Office, 1400 Independence Avenue SW,
Room 4861, South Agriculture Building,
Washington, DC 20250. Phone (202)
720–7760, Fax: (202) 720–3157, Email:
uscodex@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Background
Codex was established in 1963 by two
United Nations organizations, the Food
and Agriculture Organization and the
World Health Organization. Through
adoption of food standards, codes of
practice, and other guidelines
developed by its committees, and by
promoting their adoption and
implementation by governments, Codex
seeks to protect the health of consumers
and ensure fair practices in the food
trade.
The Terms of Reference of the Codex
Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL)
are:
(a) To draft provisions on labeling
applicable to all foods;
(b) to consider, amend if necessary,
and endorse draft specific provisions on
labeling prepared by the Codex
Committees drafting standards, codes of
practice and guidelines;
(c) to study specific labeling problems
assigned to it by the Commission; and,
(d) to study problems associated with
the advertisement of food with
particular reference to claims and
misleading descriptions.
The CCFL is hosted by Canada. The
United States attends the CCFL as a
member country of Codex.
Issues To Be Discussed at the Public
Meeting
The following items on the Agenda
for the 46th Session of the CCFL will be
discussed during the public meeting:
• Adoption of the Agenda
• Matters referred to the Committee by
the CAC and other Codex Subsidiary
Bodies
• Matters of interest from FAO and
WHO
• Consideration of labeling provisions
in draft Codex standards
(endorsement)
• Draft Guidance for the Labelling of
Non-Retail Containers
• Proposed draft Guidelines on Frontof-Pack Nutrition Labelling
• Proposed draft Guidelines on internet
sales/e-commerce
• Proposed draft revision to the General
Standard for the Labelling of
Prepackaged Foods—Provisions
relevant to allergen labeling
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17:42 Jul 02, 2021
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• Proposed draft Guidance on
Precautionary Allergen Labelling
• Innovation—use of technology in food
labelling (discussion paper)
• Labelling of alcoholic beverages
(discussion paper)
• Labelling of foods in joint
presentation and multipack formats
(discussion paper)
• Future work and direction of CCFL
(discussion paper) (request for
information through CL2020/08–FL)
• Approach and criteria for evaluation
and prioritization of work of CCFL
(request for comments through
CL2020/09/OCS–FL)
Public Meeting
At the September 1, 2021, public
meeting, draft U.S. positions on the
agenda items will be described and
discussed, and attendees will have the
opportunity to pose questions and offer
comments. Written comments may be
offered at the meeting or sent to Dr.
Douglas Balentine, U.S. Delegate for the
46th Session of the CCFL (see
ADDRESSES). Written comments should
state that they relate to activities of the
46th Session of the CCFL.
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of all segments of
rulemaking and policy development is
important. Consequently, the U.S.
Codex Office will announce this Federal
Register publication on-line through the
USDA web page located at: https://
www.usda.gov/codex, a link that also
offers an email subscription service
providing access to information related
to Codex. Customers can add or delete
their subscription themselves and have
the option to password protect their
accounts.
USDA Non-Discrimination Statement
No agency, officer, or employee of the
USDA shall, on the grounds of race,
color, national origin, religion, sex,
gender identity, sexual orientation,
disability, age, marital status, family/
parental status, income derived from a
public assistance program, or political
beliefs, exclude from participation in,
deny the benefits of, or subject to
discrimination any person in the United
States under any program or activity
conducted by the USDA.
How To File a Complaint of
Discrimination
To file a complaint of discrimination,
complete the USDA Program
Discrimination Complaint Form, which
may be accessed online at https://
www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/
docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_
12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you
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or your authorized representative. Send
your completed complaint form or letter
to USDA by mail, fax, or email.
Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400
Independence Avenue SW, Washington,
DC 20250–9410.
Fax: (202) 690–7442, Email:
program.intake@usda.gov.
Persons with disabilities who require
alternative means for communication
(braille, large print, audiotape, etc.)
should contact USDA’s TARGET Center
at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).
Done at Washington, DC, on June 30, 2021.
Mary Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2021–14347 Filed 7–2–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program Emergency
Allotments (COVID–19)
Food and Nutrition Service
(FNS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
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 an extension,
without change, of a currently approved
collection for activities associated with
administering emergency allotments
(EA) waivers. The Families First
Coronavirus Response Act of 2020,
enacted March 18, 2020, includes a
general provision that allows the
Department of Agriculture to issue
emergency allotments (EA) waivers
based on a public health emergency
declaration by the Secretary of Health
and Human Services under section 319
of the Public Health Service Act related
to an outbreak of COVID–19 when a
State has also issued an emergency or
disaster declaration.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before September 7,
2021.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to:
Kelly Stewart, Food and Nutrition
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor,
Alexandria, VA 22314; telephone 703–
305–2425. Comments may also be
submitted via email to Kelly.stewart@
usda.gov. Comments will also be
accepted through the Federal
eRulemaking Portal.
SUMMARY:
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jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 126 / Tuesday, July 6, 2021 / Notices
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 Kelly Stewart at
Kelly.stewart@usda.gov; telephone 703–
305–2425.
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: Agency Information Collection
Activities: Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program Emergency
Allotments (COVID–19).
OMB Number: 0584–0652.
Expiration Date: 1/31/2022.
Type of Request: Extension, without
change, of a currently approved
collection.
Abstract: The Families First
Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 (Pub.
L. 116–127), enacted March 18, 2020,
includes a general provision that allows
the Department of Agriculture to issue
emergency allotments (EA) based on a
public health emergency declaration by
the Secretary of Health and Human
Services under section 319 of the Public
Health Service Act related to an
outbreak of COVID–19 when a State has
also issued an emergency or disaster
declaration. In January 2021, the
Department obtained Office of
Management and Budget (OMB)
approval to collect the information as
described in this Notice for a period of
one year (OMB Control Number 0584–
0652; expiration 1/31/2022). The
President’s Executive Order on
Economic Relief Related to the COVID–
19 Pandemic, issued January 22, 2021,
directed all Federal agencies to consider
administrative actions to better address
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:42 Jul 02, 2021
Jkt 253001
the current economic crisis resulting
from the pandemic. FNS reviewed
existing EA policy and issued updated
State guidance 1 on April 1, 2021,
outlining a new approach to calculating
EA that provides greater equity for
households most in need. The April
2021 guidance supersedes previous
guidance issued in March 2020 and
April 2020. In addition to outlining a
new EA minimum benefit policy, the
April 2021 guidance describes an EA
phase-out request States may use when
their State-level emergency declaration
expiration date is imminent. The State
agency process for requesting EA, as
outlined in the April 2021 guidance,
remains generally unchanged, though
the State must now confirm that the
State’s emergency or disaster
declaration remains active when
requesting EA. USDA anticipates the
need to collect the data beyond the
expiration date and is seeking approval
of this Information Collection Request
in order to meet the continuing
information collection and reporting
requirements detailed in the Families
First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020.
As authorized by Families First
Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, State
agencies impacted by COVID–19 may
submit an EA waiver request to their
FNS Regional Office for approval to
provide a EA to households to bring all
households up to the maximum benefit
due to pandemic related economic
conditions. As outlined in the April
2021 guidance, State agency waivers
will generally be approved under one or
more the following conditions as it
relates to COVID–19:
• Residents of the State are confirmed
to have contracted COVID–19
• Some or all areas of the State are
containment or quarantine zones
• Businesses have closed or
significantly reduced their hours
• The State’s residents have
experienced economic impacts due to
job suspensions or losses
• The State’s residents have been
directed to practice social distancing,
The State agency must also confirm
that the State’s emergency or disaster
declaration remains active.
In addition, to allow for State EA
phase-out upon expiration of the State’s
emergency declaration, States may
request EA approval for one additional
issuance month if:
• The national public health
emergency declaration that was
extended on January 21, 2021, by the
Secretary for Health and Human
1 https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/
files/resource-files/snap-covid-emergencyallotments-phase-3-guidance.pdf.
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Fmt 4703
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35461
Services under section 319 of the Public
Health Service Act remains in place,
and
• The State-issued emergency or
disaster declaration has expired or will
expire in the current month. This will
allow a State that has lost or will lose
its declaration in the current month to
provide one additional issuance month
of EA and to notify SNAP participants
that EA benefits will be ending.
Once the State’s EA waiver has been
approved by FNS, the State may provide
the EA without contacting the
household. Following waiver approval,
FNS will require State Agencies to attest
to FNS on a monthly basis the EA
waiver is still needed and that the State
declaration remains in place. Both the
initial EA waiver and the monthly
attestation are conducted via email. FNS
expects 53 State agencies will submit
one initial EA waiver to FNS. Currently
51 State agencies are operating under an
EA waiver. It is possible that States may
have more than one declared public
health emergency over the next year as
COVID–19 rates ebb and flow, therefore
we are including hours for these initial
waiver requests in this IC as a
precautionary measure. There are three
reporting requirements for this
information collection request. (1) Each
initial EA waiver submission should
take approximately one hour to
complete. (2) Each monthly email
attesting to the continued need for the
EA waiver is expected to take 15
minutes to complete. FNS expects that
any phase-out request, as outlined in the
April 2021 guidance, would be included
in the email as part of the monthly
attestation process; the indication of
phase-out would simply signal the end
of that State’s need for EA and, thus,
monthly attestations. The phase out
request is expected to take 1 minute of
the 15 minutes estimated for monthly
attestation; therefore, no additional
burden is estimated for phase-out
requests.
Section 18(b) of the Food and
Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended,
requires that, ‘‘In any fiscal year, the
Secretary shall limit the value of those
allotments issued to an amount not in
excess of the appropriation for such
fiscal year.’’ Because the EA waiver
increases the monthly benefit of
participants above the amount originally
anticipated for this fiscal year, the
amount of benefits issued and redeemed
must be carefully tracked to ensure FNS
does not exceed its appropriation. As
such, it is necessary for FNS to collect
information from State agencies
operating EA on a more frequent basis
than would be reported normally.
Generally, States report disaster-related
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06JYN1
35462
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 126 / Tuesday, July 6, 2021 / Notices
SNAP participation and issuance data to
FNS on the FNS–292B, Report of
Disaster Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Benefit Issuance, within 45
days of terminating disaster assistance.
While a State is operating under an
EA waiver, (3) FNS requires the State to
submit bi-weekly FNS–292B reports.
Instruments
Form
State Agencies ........................
Bi-weekly EA Reporting to
FNS.
Initial Waiver Request—Emergency Allotment.
Monthly EA Attestation (including Phase-Out Requests).
FNS–292B ..
53
26
1,378
0.4008
552.20
N/A .............
53
1
53
1
53
N/A .............
53
12
636
0.25
159
....................
53
39
2,067
0.3697641
764.30
.................................................
Affected Public: State, Local and
Tribal Governments.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
53.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 39.
Estimated Total Annual Responses:
2,067.
Estimated Time per Response:
0.3697641 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 764.
Cynthia Long,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition
Service.
[FR Doc. 2021–14303 Filed 7–2–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–30–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Privacy Act of 1974; System of
Records
U.S. Department of Agriculture;
Forest Service.
ACTION: Notice of a new system of
records.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Privacy Act of 1974, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA or
Department) proposes to create a new
system of records titled ‘‘Department of
Agriculture Forest Service Application
Cloud Environment (FS ACE).’’ ACE is
a general support system owned by the
Forest Service Chief Information Officer
(CIO) and operated by the Data Center
Services Branch of the Forest Service
CIO Operations Division. The system is
located and managed in two
geographically separated USDA Digital
Infrastructure Services Centers (DISC),
Class 4 data centers: One in Kansas City,
MO; and the other in St. Louis, MO.
Each provide alternate processing and
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:42 Jul 02, 2021
Jkt 253001
Number of
respondents
burden used for EA in this request and
including the burden for submitting this
form more frequently under this
information collection.
• FNS–292B—Takes States
approximately 24 minutes or 0.4008
hours per response × 53 State
Agencies × 26 weeks = 552.30 hours.
Respondent
category
Total .................................
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The burden for a State agency to submit
FNS–292B reports during normal
operations is currently captured under
the information collection for the Food
Programs Reporting System (FPRS),
OMB Control Number 0584–0594
(expiration date 7/31/2023). However,
FNS is accounting for the additional
Frequency of
response
Total annual
responses
data storage services in support of
disaster recovery activities.
Additionally, DISC-Kansas City
provides off-site tape storage in Lenexa,
KS, through a third-party vendor,
Recall. All three locations are addressed
within the DISC authorization
boundaries.
Hours per
response
Annual burden
(hours)
Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
1400 Independence Avenue SW,
Washington, DC 20250 or by email at
sullie.coleman@usda.gov or by
telephone at (202) 604–0467.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5
U.S.C. 552a), requires agencies to
publish in the Federal Register notice of
DATES: In accordance with 5 U.S.C.
new systems of records maintained by
552a(e)(4) and (11), this notice is
the Agency. A system of records is a
effective upon publication, subject to a
group of any records under the control
30-day notice and comment period to
of any agency from which information
comment on the routine uses described
is retrieved by the name of an
below. Please submit any comments by
individual or by some identifying
August 5, 2021.
number, symbol, or other identifying
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
particular assigned to an individual.
identified by docket number FS–2021–
The Forest Service proposes to create
0004 by one of the following methods:
a
system
of records entitled USDA/FS–
• Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: https://
63 Application Cloud Environment (FS
www.regulations.gov—follow the
ACE) that will be used to maintain
instructions for submitting comments.
• Cynthia Towers, NRE Forest Service records of activities conducted by the
Agency pursuant to its mission and
Privacy Officer, Office of the Chief
Information Officer, U.S. Department of responsibilities.
Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue TITLE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS OF THE AGENCY
SW, Washington, DC 20250.
OFFICIAL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SYSTEM OF
• email to SM.FS.WOFOIA@usda.gov. RECORD:
Instructions: All submissions received
Chief Information Officer, U.S.
must include the Agency name and
Department of Agriculture, 1400
docket number for this rulemaking. All
Independence Avenue SW, Washington,
comments received will be posted
DC 20250.
without change to https://
SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
www.regulations.gov, including any
USDA/FS–63 Application Cloud
personal information provided.
Environment (FS ACE). Forest Service
Docket: For access to the docket to
Application Cloud Environment (FS
read the background document or
ACE) CSAM ID 1991, External ID: UII
comments received go to https://
Code: 005–000000243; 005–000003304;
www.regulations.gov.
005–000003305; 005–000000257.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
general questions about this notice,
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
please contact Cynthia Towers, NRE
Controlled Unclassified Information
Forest Service Privacy Officer, at 816–
(CUI).
286–5272 or by email at
SYSTEM LOCATION:
cynthia.towers@usda.gov.
For privacy issue questions, please
The system is located and managed in
contact: Sullie Coleman, Chief Privacy
two geographically-separated U.S.
Officer, Office of the Chief Information
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 4703
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E:\FR\FM\06JYN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 126 (Tuesday, July 6, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35460-35462]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-14303]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program Emergency Allotments (COVID-19)
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 an extension, without change, of a currently
approved collection for activities associated with administering
emergency allotments (EA) waivers. The Families First Coronavirus
Response Act of 2020, enacted March 18, 2020, includes a general
provision that allows the Department of Agriculture to issue emergency
allotments (EA) waivers based on a public health emergency declaration
by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 319 of the
Public Health Service Act related to an outbreak of COVID-19 when a
State has also issued an emergency or disaster declaration.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before September 7,
2021.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Kelly Stewart, Food and Nutrition
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th
Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314; telephone 703-305-2425. Comments may also
be submitted via email to [email protected]. Comments will also be
accepted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal.
[[Page 35461]]
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 Kelly
Stewart at [email protected]; telephone 703-305-2425.
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: Agency Information Collection Activities: Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program Emergency Allotments (COVID-19).
OMB Number: 0584-0652.
Expiration Date: 1/31/2022.
Type of Request: Extension, without change, of a currently approved
collection.
Abstract: The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 (Pub.
L. 116-127), enacted March 18, 2020, includes a general provision that
allows the Department of Agriculture to issue emergency allotments (EA)
based on a public health emergency declaration by the Secretary of
Health and Human Services under section 319 of the Public Health
Service Act related to an outbreak of COVID-19 when a State has also
issued an emergency or disaster declaration. In January 2021, the
Department obtained Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to
collect the information as described in this Notice for a period of one
year (OMB Control Number 0584-0652; expiration 1/31/2022). The
President's Executive Order on Economic Relief Related to the COVID-19
Pandemic, issued January 22, 2021, directed all Federal agencies to
consider administrative actions to better address the current economic
crisis resulting from the pandemic. FNS reviewed existing EA policy and
issued updated State guidance \1\ on April 1, 2021, outlining a new
approach to calculating EA that provides greater equity for households
most in need. The April 2021 guidance supersedes previous guidance
issued in March 2020 and April 2020. In addition to outlining a new EA
minimum benefit policy, the April 2021 guidance describes an EA phase-
out request States may use when their State-level emergency declaration
expiration date is imminent. The State agency process for requesting
EA, as outlined in the April 2021 guidance, remains generally
unchanged, though the State must now confirm that the State's emergency
or disaster declaration remains active when requesting EA. USDA
anticipates the need to collect the data beyond the expiration date and
is seeking approval of this Information Collection Request in order to
meet the continuing information collection and reporting requirements
detailed in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/resource-files/snap-covid-emergency-allotments-phase-3-guidance.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As authorized by Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020,
State agencies impacted by COVID-19 may submit an EA waiver request to
their FNS Regional Office for approval to provide a EA to households to
bring all households up to the maximum benefit due to pandemic related
economic conditions. As outlined in the April 2021 guidance, State
agency waivers will generally be approved under one or more the
following conditions as it relates to COVID-19:
Residents of the State are confirmed to have contracted COVID-
19
Some or all areas of the State are containment or quarantine
zones
Businesses have closed or significantly reduced their hours
The State's residents have experienced economic impacts due to
job suspensions or losses
The State's residents have been directed to practice social
distancing,
The State agency must also confirm that the State's emergency or
disaster declaration remains active.
In addition, to allow for State EA phase-out upon expiration of the
State's emergency declaration, States may request EA approval for one
additional issuance month if:
The national public health emergency declaration that was
extended on January 21, 2021, by the Secretary for Health and Human
Services under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act remains in
place, and
The State-issued emergency or disaster declaration has
expired or will expire in the current month. This will allow a State
that has lost or will lose its declaration in the current month to
provide one additional issuance month of EA and to notify SNAP
participants that EA benefits will be ending.
Once the State's EA waiver has been approved by FNS, the State may
provide the EA without contacting the household. Following waiver
approval, FNS will require State Agencies to attest to FNS on a monthly
basis the EA waiver is still needed and that the State declaration
remains in place. Both the initial EA waiver and the monthly
attestation are conducted via email. FNS expects 53 State agencies will
submit one initial EA waiver to FNS. Currently 51 State agencies are
operating under an EA waiver. It is possible that States may have more
than one declared public health emergency over the next year as COVID-
19 rates ebb and flow, therefore we are including hours for these
initial waiver requests in this IC as a precautionary measure. There
are three reporting requirements for this information collection
request. (1) Each initial EA waiver submission should take
approximately one hour to complete. (2) Each monthly email attesting to
the continued need for the EA waiver is expected to take 15 minutes to
complete. FNS expects that any phase-out request, as outlined in the
April 2021 guidance, would be included in the email as part of the
monthly attestation process; the indication of phase-out would simply
signal the end of that State's need for EA and, thus, monthly
attestations. The phase out request is expected to take 1 minute of the
15 minutes estimated for monthly attestation; therefore, no additional
burden is estimated for phase-out requests.
Section 18(b) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended,
requires that, ``In any fiscal year, the Secretary shall limit the
value of those allotments issued to an amount not in excess of the
appropriation for such fiscal year.'' Because the EA waiver increases
the monthly benefit of participants above the amount originally
anticipated for this fiscal year, the amount of benefits issued and
redeemed must be carefully tracked to ensure FNS does not exceed its
appropriation. As such, it is necessary for FNS to collect information
from State agencies operating EA on a more frequent basis than would be
reported normally. Generally, States report disaster-related
[[Page 35462]]
SNAP participation and issuance data to FNS on the FNS-292B, Report of
Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Benefit Issuance, within 45
days of terminating disaster assistance.
While a State is operating under an EA waiver, (3) FNS requires the
State to submit bi-weekly FNS-292B reports. The burden for a State
agency to submit FNS-292B reports during normal operations is currently
captured under the information collection for the Food Programs
Reporting System (FPRS), OMB Control Number 0584-0594 (expiration date
7/31/2023). However, FNS is accounting for the additional burden used
for EA in this request and including the burden for submitting this
form more frequently under this information collection.
FNS-292B--Takes States approximately 24 minutes or 0.4008
hours per response x 53 State Agencies x 26 weeks = 552.30 hours.
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Number of Frequency of Total annual Hours per Annual burden
Respondent category Instruments Form respondents response responses response (hours)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Agencies.................. Bi-weekly EA FNS-292B......... 53 26 1,378 0.4008 552.20
Reporting to FNS.
Initial Waiver N/A.............. 53 1 53 1 53
Request--Emergency
Allotment.
Monthly EA N/A.............. 53 12 636 0.25 159
Attestation
(including Phase-
Out Requests).
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Total....................... ................... ................. 53 39 2,067 0.3697641 764.30
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Affected Public: State, Local and Tribal Governments.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 39.
Estimated Total Annual Responses: 2,067.
Estimated Time per Response: 0.3697641 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 764.
Cynthia Long,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-14303 Filed 7-2-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P