[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 163 (Wednesday, August 24, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-20724]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: August 24, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service

 

Food Stamp Program: Recipient Claims Collection: Expansion of 
Test of Offsetting Federal Income Tax Refunds

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service.

ACTION: General Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department hereby gives notice that it intends to increase 
the number of State agencies participating in the test of the 
feasibility and effectiveness of the Federal income tax refund offset 
program (FTROP). Under FTROP, certain claims against households for 
overissued food stamp benefits are offset from Federal income tax 
refunds payable to individuals liable for those claims. This notice 
identifies additional States which will begin testing FTROP during 
1995.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This notice will be effective September 23, 1994. 
Implementation of the expansion of this test will begin September 23, 
1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James I. Porter, Supervisor, Issuance 
and Accountability Section, State Administration Branch, Program 
Accountability Division, Food Stamp Program, 3101 Park Center Drive, 
Room 905, Alexandria, Virginia 22302, telephone (703) 305-2385.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Executive Order 12372

    The Food Stamp Program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance under No. 10.551. For the reasons set forth in the final 
rule and related notice to 7 CFR 3015, Subpart V (48 FR 29115), this 
Program is excluded from the scope of Executive Order 12372 which 
requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials.

Executive Order 12866

    This Notice has been determined to be not significant for purposes 
of Executive Order 12866 and therefore has not been reviewed by the 
Office of Management and Budget.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    This action is not a rule as defined in the Regulatory Flexibility 
Act (5 U.S.C. 601-612) and is thus exempt from the provisions of that 
Act.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The public burden for the reporting and recordkeeping provisions of 
FTROP was submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in 
accordance with 44 U.S.C. 3507. The burden was approved October 4, 1993 
(OMB No. 0594-0446). The burden was estimated at 58,555 hours.
    The reporting and recordkeeping requirements were specified in the 
General Notice published on August 20, 1991 (56 FR 41325), which 
described FTROP procedures, including due process notices to 
individuals, appeal rights and related requirements for State agencies. 
Substantially all the public burden for FTROP is associated with due 
process notices and appeals.

Supplementary Information

    In section (a) of the just cited August 20, 1991 General Notice, 
the Department advised the public about the initial test of FTROP and 
that it would advise the public of extensions and expansions of the 
test. In two subsequent General Notices published on August 28, 1992 
(57 FR 39176), and on August 12, 1993 (58 FR 42937), the Department 
advised the public about two expansions of FTROP. In the August 1993 
Notice, which addressed FTROP for 1994, the Department stated that it 
was necessary to evaluate how FTROP would work on a broader scale in 
States with more varying geographic and demographic characteristics. 
That Notice also stated that should the second, broad-based test prove 
successful, the Department was prepared to propose regulations to add 
FTROP to the Food Stamp Program regulations on a permanent basis.
    The Department intends to propose permanent FTROP regulations in 
late 1994 so that final regulations will be in place to operate FTROP 
starting in 1996. The Department believes that continued operation and 
expansion of the test of FTROP in 1995 will be beneficial to the 
rulemaking process. Accordingly, the Department intends to extend the 
test of FTROP for an additional year, as set forth below.

General Notice

Recipient Claims Collection: Expansion of Test of Offsetting Federal 
Income Tax Refunds

    For 1995, 32 State agencies will participate in the Federal income 
tax refund offset program (FTROP.) Of these 32 State agencies, 21 have 
previously participated and 11 will begin participating in FTROP for 
the first time in 1995. The State agencies participating for the first 
time are: Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Nevada, Mississippi, 
Montana, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Wyoming. The 21 
State agencies which have previously participated are: Alabama, 
Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, 
Louisiana, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, 
Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, 
and Wisconsin.
    In all other respects, the test will continue to be conducted 
according to the terms contained in the August 20, 1991 General Notice.

    Dated: August 16, 1994.
Amanda Dew Manning,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 94-20724 Filed 8-23-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-U