Agency Information Collection Activities: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program Regulations-Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden, 59392-59393 [2022-21202]

Download as PDF 59392 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 189 / Friday, September 30, 2022 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Agency Information Collection Activities: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program Regulations—Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden 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 a proposed information collection. This collection is a revision of the currently approved information collection for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which contains the reporting and recordkeeping burdens associated with the WIC Program regulations. These revisions include existing requirements that have been in use without Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval, identified during the drafting of proposed information collection requests associated with two rulemakings: the Revisions in the WIC Food Packages proposed rule and the WIC Online Ordering and Transactions proposed rule. DATES: Written comments must be received on or before November 29, 2022. ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Allison Post, Chief, WIC Administration, Benefits, and Certification Branch, Policy Division, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314. Comments may also be submitted via email to Allison.Post@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 Allison Post at (703) 457–7708 or Allison.Post@ usda.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:52 Sep 29, 2022 Jkt 256001 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: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program Regulations— Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden. Form Number: N/A. OMB Number: 0584–0043. Expiration Date: 12/31/2023. Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection. Abstract: FNS is currently drafting two proposed rules that would change Federal regulations governing the WIC Program at 7 CFR part 246. FNS will seek comment on the proposed information collections associated with those two rules separately. In the development of those two rules, FNS identified several existing requirements that are currently in use without OMB approval. This revision of OMB Control Number 0584–0043 adds those requirements and their associated burdens into this collection to correct this oversight. These requirements will be included in future revisions to the WIC burden. During development of the Revisions in the WIC Food Packages proposed rule, FNS identified the State agency reporting burden associated with 7 CFR 246.12(h)(1)(i) as in use without OMB approval. This provision requires the State agency to enter into a written agreement with retail vendors. State agencies must review completed applications and sign a vendor agreement where the agreement period must not exceed three years. The revision increases the approved annual reporting burden by 13,584.12 responses across all 89 State agencies, totaling 10,188.09 hours. During the development of the WIC Online Ordering and Transactions proposed rule, FNS identified six additional existing regulatory requirements as in use without OMB approval that affect the reporting burdens for WIC State agencies, households, and WIC-authorized retail PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 vendors. The State agency reporting burden associated with vendor applications and agreements, discussed above, was identified during the development of both WIC proposed rules. WIC State Agency Reporting Burden: WIC regulations at § 246.12(g)(5), § 246.12(j)(2), and § 246.12(j)(4) require State agencies to visit vendors on site to conduct preauthorization visits of new vendor applicants, routine monitoring visits of five percent of vendors, and compliance investigations of five percent of vendors, respectively.1 These requirements involve both the necessary time to conduct the visit and the roundtrip travel time. In addition to the 13,584.12 responses and 10,188.09 hours associated with reviewing vendor applications and agreements discussed above, these revisions would add 3,571.20 responses and 4,943.33 hours to the approved WIC State agency reporting burden, for a total of 17,155.32 additional responses and 15,131.42 additional burden hours across all 89 State agencies. Household Reporting Burden: Section 246.12(r) requires WIC participants to pick up food instruments and cashvalue vouchers (CVVs) in person when scheduled for a nutrition or recertification appointment. Outside of these scheduled appointments, State agencies may issue benefits through alternative means including electronic benefits transfer (EBT) or mailing, but many participants must still visit the clinic to pick up their benefits. Households with multiple WIC participants would only need to travel to the clinic once to pick up all members’ benefits, and State agencies may issue up to three months of food instruments and CVVs at a time. If a State agency operates an offline EBT system or has not completed their transition to EBT, participants are generally required to reload their offline EBT card or pick up paper food instruments and CVVs in person. FNS estimates that in these State agencies, 656,135.82 households visit the clinic three times per year outside of other scheduled appointments to pick up benefits in person, requiring 1,968,407.46 visits and 984,203.73 hours. If a State agency operates an online EBT system, new participants generally pick up new EBT cards in 1 The burden associated with conducting compliance investigations is already included in the approved burden for this collection, but the travel time has been previously omitted. Including the travel time affects the number of burden hours (686.07 hours added) but not the number of responses associated with compliance investigations. E:\FR\FM\30SEN1.SGM 30SEN1 jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 189 / Friday, September 30, 2022 / Notices person and all other participants receive benefits electronically. FNS estimates that in these State agencies, 1,042,098.07 households spend 521,049.03 hours picking up EBT cards in person once per year outside of other scheduled appointments. These revisions would add 3,010,505.53 responses and 1,505,252.76 total hours to the approved reporting burden for 1,698,234 households. WIC-Authorized Vendor Reporting Burden: In addition to the State agency reporting burden associated with preauthorization visits required by § 246.12(g)(5), vendors’ reporting burden must account for such visits. Approximately 1,513 vendors are newly authorized for the WIC Program each year and undergo preauthorization visits. Once authorized for the WIC Program, all 41,164 WIC-authorized vendors are required to attend annual training, per § 246.12(j)(1). FNS estimates that including the burden associated with these two existing provisions adds 42,677 responses and 83,336.72 hours to the approved vendor reporting burden for this collection. Affected Public: Individual/ Households; Business or Other for Profit; and State and Tribal Government. Respondent groups include WIC participants/households, WICauthorized retail vendors, and WIC State agencies (including Indian Tribal Organizations and U.S. Territories). Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of respondents is 1,739,487 for the proposed revisions to the information collection request associated with OMB Number 0584–0043. This includes: 89 State agencies; 1,698,234 WIC households, and 41,164 WIC-authorized retail vendors. Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.77 responses. Estimated Total Annual Responses: The total estimated number of responses is 3,072,396 for the proposed revisions to the information collection request associated with OMB Number 0584– 0043. Estimated Time per Response: 0.52 hours. Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,607,837 hours. Current OMB Inventory: 4,547,099 hours and 48,798,800 responses. Difference (Burden Revisions Requested): +1,603,721 hours and +3,070,338 responses.2 2 The burden revisions requested do not exactly match the number of hours and responses for the proposed revisions to the information collection listed above because the burden associated with conducting compliance investigations is already included in the approved burden for this collection; VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:52 Sep 29, 2022 Jkt 256001 Estimated Grand Total for Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden: 6,150,819 hours and 51,869,137 responses (numbers may not sum due to rounding). Tameka Owens, Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service. [FR Doc. 2022–21202 Filed 9–29–22; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–30–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Notice of Proposed New Fee Sites Forest Service, Agriculture (USDA). ACTION: Notice of proposed new fee sites. AGENCY: The Umpqua National Forest is proposing to charge new fees at multiple recreation sites listed in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION of this notice. Funds from fees would be used for operation, maintenance, and improvements of these recreation sites. Many sites have recently been reconstructed or amenities are being added to improve services and experiences. An analysis of nearby developed recreation sites with similar amenities shows the proposed fees are reasonable and typical of similar sites in the area. DATES: If approved, the new fees would be implemented no earlier than six months following the publication of this notice in the Federal Register. ADDRESSES: Umpqua National Forest, 2900 NW Stewart Parkway, Roseburg, OR 97471. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Umpqua Recreation Fees, 541–957–3200 or SM.FS.umpcomments@usda.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (Title VII, Pub. L. 108–447) directed the Secretary of Agriculture to publish a six-month advance notice in the Federal Register whenever new recreation fee areas are established. The fees are only proposed at this time and will be determined upon further analysis and public comment. Reasonable fees, paid by users of these sites, will help ensure that the Forest can continue maintaining and improving recreation sites like this for future generations. As part of this proposal, the Hobo Forest Camp Campground is proposed at $12 per night with a $5 extra vehicle SUMMARY: the revision only adds the estimated travel time that is required to conduct compliance investigations. PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 59393 fee. Skillet Creek Group Campground is proposed for $35–$40 per night depending on group size. In addition, this proposal would implement a new fee at one recreation rental: Hemlock Butte Cabin is proposed at $15 a night per person. A $5 day-use fee per vehicle at Cedar Creek Trailhead would be added to improve services and facilities. The full suite of Interagency passes would be honored. A $2 fee is proposed for the showers at Broken Arrow and Diamond Lake campgrounds. A $10 fee is proposed to use the RV dump station at Broken Arrow and Diamond Lake campgrounds. New fees would provide increased visitor opportunities, as well as increased staffing to address operations and maintenance needs that are intended to enhance customer service. Once public involvement is complete, these new fees will be reviewed by a Recreation Resource Advisory Committee prior to a final decision and implementation. Advanced reservations for campgrounds and the cabin will be available through www.recreation.gov or by calling 1–877–444–6777. The reservation service charges an $8.00 fee for reservations. Deborah Hollen, Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System. [FR Doc. 2022–21311 Filed 9–29–22; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3411–15–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Notice of Proposed New Fee Sites Forest Service, Agriculture (USDA). ACTION: Notice of proposed new fee sites. AGENCY: The Sawtooth National Forest is proposing to charge new fees at multiple recreation sites listed in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION of this notice. Funds from fees would be used for operation, maintenance, and improvements of these recreation sites. Many sites have recently been reconstructed or amenities are being added to improve services and experiences. An analysis of nearby developed recreation sites with similar amenities shows the proposed fees are reasonable and typical of similar sites in the area. DATES: If approved, the new fees would be implemented no earlier than six months following the publication of this notice in the Federal Register. SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\30SEN1.SGM 30SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 189 (Friday, September 30, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59392-59393]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21202]



[[Page 59392]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Special Supplemental 
Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program 
Regulations--Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden

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 a proposed information collection. This collection is a revision of 
the currently approved information collection for the Special 
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), 
which contains the reporting and recordkeeping burdens associated with 
the WIC Program regulations. These revisions include existing 
requirements that have been in use without Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) approval, identified during the drafting of proposed 
information collection requests associated with two rulemakings: the 
Revisions in the WIC Food Packages proposed rule and the WIC Online 
Ordering and Transactions proposed rule.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before November 29, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Allison Post, Chief, WIC 
Administration, Benefits, and Certification Branch, Policy Division, 
Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1320 
Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314. Comments may also be submitted 
via email to [email protected]. 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 Allison 
Post at (703) 457-7708 or [email protected].

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: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, 
and Children (WIC) Program Regulations--Reporting and Recordkeeping 
Burden.
    Form Number: N/A.
    OMB Number: 0584-0043.
    Expiration Date: 12/31/2023.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: FNS is currently drafting two proposed rules that would 
change Federal regulations governing the WIC Program at 7 CFR part 246. 
FNS will seek comment on the proposed information collections 
associated with those two rules separately. In the development of those 
two rules, FNS identified several existing requirements that are 
currently in use without OMB approval. This revision of OMB Control 
Number 0584-0043 adds those requirements and their associated burdens 
into this collection to correct this oversight. These requirements will 
be included in future revisions to the WIC burden.
    During development of the Revisions in the WIC Food Packages 
proposed rule, FNS identified the State agency reporting burden 
associated with 7 CFR 246.12(h)(1)(i) as in use without OMB approval. 
This provision requires the State agency to enter into a written 
agreement with retail vendors. State agencies must review completed 
applications and sign a vendor agreement where the agreement period 
must not exceed three years. The revision increases the approved annual 
reporting burden by 13,584.12 responses across all 89 State agencies, 
totaling 10,188.09 hours.
    During the development of the WIC Online Ordering and Transactions 
proposed rule, FNS identified six additional existing regulatory 
requirements as in use without OMB approval that affect the reporting 
burdens for WIC State agencies, households, and WIC-authorized retail 
vendors. The State agency reporting burden associated with vendor 
applications and agreements, discussed above, was identified during the 
development of both WIC proposed rules.
    WIC State Agency Reporting Burden: WIC regulations at Sec.  
246.12(g)(5), Sec.  246.12(j)(2), and Sec.  246.12(j)(4) require State 
agencies to visit vendors on site to conduct preauthorization visits of 
new vendor applicants, routine monitoring visits of five percent of 
vendors, and compliance investigations of five percent of vendors, 
respectively.\1\ These requirements involve both the necessary time to 
conduct the visit and the round-trip travel time. In addition to the 
13,584.12 responses and 10,188.09 hours associated with reviewing 
vendor applications and agreements discussed above, these revisions 
would add 3,571.20 responses and 4,943.33 hours to the approved WIC 
State agency reporting burden, for a total of 17,155.32 additional 
responses and 15,131.42 additional burden hours across all 89 State 
agencies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The burden associated with conducting compliance 
investigations is already included in the approved burden for this 
collection, but the travel time has been previously omitted. 
Including the travel time affects the number of burden hours (686.07 
hours added) but not the number of responses associated with 
compliance investigations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Household Reporting Burden: Section 246.12(r) requires WIC 
participants to pick up food instruments and cash-value vouchers (CVVs) 
in person when scheduled for a nutrition or recertification 
appointment. Outside of these scheduled appointments, State agencies 
may issue benefits through alternative means including electronic 
benefits transfer (EBT) or mailing, but many participants must still 
visit the clinic to pick up their benefits. Households with multiple 
WIC participants would only need to travel to the clinic once to pick 
up all members' benefits, and State agencies may issue up to three 
months of food instruments and CVVs at a time.
    If a State agency operates an offline EBT system or has not 
completed their transition to EBT, participants are generally required 
to reload their offline EBT card or pick up paper food instruments and 
CVVs in person. FNS estimates that in these State agencies, 656,135.82 
households visit the clinic three times per year outside of other 
scheduled appointments to pick up benefits in person, requiring 
1,968,407.46 visits and 984,203.73 hours. If a State agency operates an 
online EBT system, new participants generally pick up new EBT cards in

[[Page 59393]]

person and all other participants receive benefits electronically. FNS 
estimates that in these State agencies, 1,042,098.07 households spend 
521,049.03 hours picking up EBT cards in person once per year outside 
of other scheduled appointments. These revisions would add 3,010,505.53 
responses and 1,505,252.76 total hours to the approved reporting burden 
for 1,698,234 households.
    WIC-Authorized Vendor Reporting Burden: In addition to the State 
agency reporting burden associated with preauthorization visits 
required by Sec.  246.12(g)(5), vendors' reporting burden must account 
for such visits. Approximately 1,513 vendors are newly authorized for 
the WIC Program each year and undergo preauthorization visits. Once 
authorized for the WIC Program, all 41,164 WIC-authorized vendors are 
required to attend annual training, per Sec.  246.12(j)(1). FNS 
estimates that including the burden associated with these two existing 
provisions adds 42,677 responses and 83,336.72 hours to the approved 
vendor reporting burden for this collection.
    Affected Public: Individual/Households; Business or Other for 
Profit; and State and Tribal Government. Respondent groups include WIC 
participants/households, WIC-authorized retail vendors, and WIC State 
agencies (including Indian Tribal Organizations and U.S. Territories).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of 
respondents is 1,739,487 for the proposed revisions to the information 
collection request associated with OMB Number 0584-0043. This includes: 
89 State agencies; 1,698,234 WIC households, and 41,164 WIC-authorized 
retail vendors.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.77 responses.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: The total estimated number of 
responses is 3,072,396 for the proposed revisions to the information 
collection request associated with OMB Number 0584-0043.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.52 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,607,837 hours.
    Current OMB Inventory: 4,547,099 hours and 48,798,800 responses.
    Difference (Burden Revisions Requested): +1,603,721 hours and 
+3,070,338 responses.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ The burden revisions requested do not exactly match the 
number of hours and responses for the proposed revisions to the 
information collection listed above because the burden associated 
with conducting compliance investigations is already included in the 
approved burden for this collection; the revision only adds the 
estimated travel time that is required to conduct compliance 
investigations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Grand Total for Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden: 
6,150,819 hours and 51,869,137 responses (numbers may not sum due to 
rounding).

Tameka Owens,
Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-21202 Filed 9-29-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P


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