Agency Information Collection Activities: Pandemic EBT (OMB #0584-0660), 66796-66797 [2023-21515]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Food and Nutrition Service

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 187 (Thursday, September 28, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66796-66797]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21515]


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 187 / Thursday, September 28, 2023 / 
Notices

[[Page 66796]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Pandemic EBT (OMB 
#0584-0660)

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment 
on this proposed information collection. This is a revision of a 
currently approved information collection for Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) for 
the reporting burden associated with administering P-EBT. This revision 
is limited in nature and only includes collection activities essential 
to facilitating the orderly wind-down and close-out of the P-EBT 
program.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before November 27, 
2023.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: J. Kevin Maskornick, Director, 
Community Meals Policy Division, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Braddock Metro Center II, 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 J. Kevin 
Maskornick at 703-305-2537 or via email to [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: Pandemic EBT.
    Form Number: FNS-292B, FNS-388, FNS-46, FNS-366A, and SF-425 (under 
OMB Control Number 0584-0594) is associated with this collection.
    OMB Number: 0584-0660.
    Expiration Date: November 30, 2023.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) is part 
of the U.S. government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Families 
First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 (Pub. L. 116-127), as amended by 
the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 (Pub. L. 116-260), the 
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. 117-2), and the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328) provides the Secretary of 
Agriculture authority to administer, through State agencies, the PEBT 
programs.
    Per Public Law 116-159, each State must submit an operational plan 
to FNS Regional Office for approval. With the expiration of the COVID-
19 public health emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023, States will not 
receive approval for operational plans submitted after federal Fiscal 
Year (FY) 2023 (i.e., September 30, 2023), although States may issue 
some benefits retroactively to households after September 30, 2023, 
based on prior plan approvals. However, FNS proposes an extension for 
limited elements of the currently approved information collection to 
facilitate the orderly wind-down and close-out of the P-EBT program.
    Once operational plans are approved, each State SNAP agency will 
also be required to provide monthly reports via the FNS-292B (Disaster 
Relief) to the FNS Regional Office, regarding the number of eligible 
children receiving P-EBT benefits, number of households receiving such 
benefits, and the total value of the benefits.
    Each State is also expected to separately identify P-EBT 
participation and benefit issuance on the FNS-388 (State Issuance and 
Participation Estimates) and FNS-46 (Issuance Reconciliation Report) 
reports. There is no additional burden associated with this 
requirement, as the States already report participation data to FNS on 
the FNS-388 and FNS-46 on a monthly basis.
    FNS will provide funding to each State's SNAP State agency for 100% 
of P-EBT-related administrative costs. Such funding will be available 
for the necessary, allowable, and reasonable State agency costs 
associated with the administration of P-EBT incurred during FY 2023 and 
through FY 2024. This includes administrative costs associated with the 
issuance of retroactive FY 2020-2023 benefits incurred in FY 2024. 
States interested in the 100% funding will be expected to submit a FY 
2023 P-EBT administrative cost plan for the intended period of 
operations for USDA approval using the FNS-366A (Program and Budget 
Summary Statement: Budget Projection) by September 30, 2023. The period 
of performance for the FY 2023 administrative cost plan will end on 
March 31, 2024, and FNS will consider well-supported requests for 
period of performance extensions past this date, not to exceed 
September 30, 2024. During the period of performance of the 100% 
funding, the SNAP State agency will be expected to aggregate obligation 
and outlay data from all State agencies utilizing the 100% funding and 
report quarterly to USDA using a P-EBT specific instance of the SF-425 
(Federal Financial Report).
    The current burden for a State agency to submit FNS-292B, FNS-388, 
FNS-46, FNS-366A and SF-425 reports is currently captured under the 
information collection for the Food Programs Reporting System (FPRS), 
OMB Control Number 0584-0594

[[Page 66797]]

(expiration date 9/30/26). The Food Programs Reporting System is the 
Federal system State agencies use to report FNS Program data to FNS. 
Therefore, this information collection estimates burden hours 
associated with P-EBT that are above the currently approved hours in 
0584-0594 for forms FNS-292B, FNS-366A, and SF-425 for normal Program 
operations.
    In order to determine eligibility and benefit levels for P-EBT, 
State agencies must collect data from schools, including lists of 
students that have been determined eligible for free and reduced price 
meals. This information is used to determine the benefit levels 
children are eligible to receive, which will vary depending on the FY 
of the approved plan. Per Public Law 117-2, during the summer months 
all children eligible for free or reduced price meals that are enrolled 
in schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program are 
considered eligible for P-EBT. This requires all schools to provide the 
State agency with a list of children who have been determined eligible 
for free and reduced price meals.
    FNS will provide funding to each State's SNAP State agency for 100% 
of P-EBT-related school level administrative costs. Such funding will 
be available for the necessary, allowable, and reasonable State agency 
costs associated with the administration of P-EBT incurred during FY 
2020-2023. In order to receive this funding, schools must report to 
their State agency on the school level costs incurred to administer P-
EBT.
    This submission seeks OMB approval of this revision to an existing 
collection (OMB Control #0584-0660, expiration 11/30/2023) for 
activities associated with administering P-EBT.
    The currently approved burden for this collection is 3,684,928 
burden hours. Because the majority of State and territories are 
expected to have completed normal issuance of benefits by November 30, 
2023, FNS estimates the new burden at 20,109 burden hours, which is a 
decrease of approximately 3,664,849 hours. Only one State has an 
approved plan that entails data collection and eligibility verification 
from schools past November 30, 2023; the burdens of the remaining 
States past this date are only for monthly reporting of benefit 
issuances due to contingencies or corrections.
    The currently approved total annual responses are 10,379,211; we 
are requesting 20,109, which is a decrease of 10,359,102 total annual 
responses.
    Affected Public: State Government, Schools, Individual/Households. 
Respondents include State agencies (including District of Columbia, and 
Territories), schools, and participants.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of 
respondents is 114,336. This includes: State agencies (49), schools 
(287), Individuals/Households (114,000 participants).
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: The total estimated 
number of responses per respondent for this collection is 8.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: The total estimated number of 
annual responses for this collection is 115,374.
    Estimated Time per Response: The estimated time per response 
averages approximately 10.6 minutes (0.176 hours) for all participants.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: The estimated total 
annual burden on respondents for this collection is 20,109 hours.
    See the table below for the estimated total annual burden for each 
type of respondent.

Tameka Owens,
Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.

                                                                       Table--Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents
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                                                                                                     Number of     Frequency of    Total annual    Responses per     Hours per     Annual burden
           Respondent category                    Instruments                     Form              respondents      response        responses      respondent       response         (hours)
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Individuals/Households..................  P-EBT Application            N/A......................         114,000               1         114,000               1     0.166666667          19,038
                                           Submission.
Schools.................................  Student Eligibility Data...  N/A......................             287               1             287               1             0.5           143.5
                                          P-EBT Local Level            N/A......................             287               1             287               1               1           143.5
                                           Administrative Cost
                                           Reporting to State.
                                                                                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Schools Subtotal....................  ...........................  .........................             287               2             574               2             1.5             287
State Agencies..........................  Monthly P-EBT Reporting to   FNS-292B.................              49              12             588               1               1             588
                                           FNS.
                                          P-EBT Quarterly              SF-425...................              49               4             196               4               1             196
                                           Administrative Cost Report
                                           (100% funding).
                                                                                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    SA Subtotal.........................  ...........................  .........................              49              16             800               5               2             784
                                                                                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Grand Total.....................  ...........................  .........................         114,336              19         115,374               8            3.67          20,109
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[FR Doc. 2023-21515 Filed 9-27-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P