[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 234 (Monday, December 7, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67452-67453]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-32411]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 234 / Monday, December 7, 1998 / 
Notices  

[[Page 67452]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Economic Research Service


Notice of Intent to Seek Approval to Collect Information

AGENCY: Economic Research Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. 
L. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 
CFR Part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), this notice announces the 
Economic Research Service's intention to request approval for 
collection of new information from State officials on the services, 
work slots, participants and expenditures of their Food Stamp 
Employment and Training (E&T) programs. These data will be used to 
assess changes in State Food Stamp E&T programs after implementation of 
the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 and will be compiled in a mandated 
report to Congress on ``State Use of Funds to Increase Work Slots for 
Food Stamp Recipients.''

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by February 5, 
1999 to be assured of consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Requests for additional information 
or copies of the proposed information collection forms should be 
directed to David M. Smallwood, Deputy Director for Food Assistance 
Research, Food and Rural Economics Division, Economic Research Service, 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1800 M Street NW, Room 2130, 
Washington, DC 20036-5831, 202-694-5466.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Report on State Use of Funds to Increase Work Slots for Food 
Stamp Recipients.
    Type of Request: Approval to collect new informtion on State Food 
Stamp Employment and Training programs.
    Abstract: The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
Reconciliation Act of 1996 imposed work requirements and a three month 
time limit on able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) in the 
Food Stamp Program. In 1997, Congress included a provision in the 
Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA) that had the intention of directing 
new funds to States to modify and expand the Food Stamp Employment and 
Training (E&T) program in ways that would allow more ABAWDs to meet the 
work requirements and maintain their food stamp benefits. The BBA 
provision significantly increased the funding for State Food Stamp E&T 
programs, allocated the Federal grant funds among States based on the 
number of ABAWDs in their caseload, and required States to set-aside 80 
percent of the allocated grant funds to serve ABAWDs. In addition, the 
legislation mandated a report to Congress on State use of the new BBA 
funds. In order to meet the Congressional mandate, a data collection 
effort will need to be undertaken to obtain new information from State 
Food Stamp Agencies that is not available from existing State reports 
to the Food and Nutrition Service.
    Information will be collected from all States and the District of 
Columbia through two methods. A telephone interview will be conducted 
with State food stamp directors and State E&T managers. The purpose of 
this interview is to collect descriptive information on the States' 
food stamp E&T programs. In up to five county-administered States, 
where counties run more autonomous programs and States do not compile 
Statewide information on their E&T programs, telephone interviews will 
also be conducted with E&T managers in three counties. The second type 
of data collection will involve mailing out a data collection form to 
be completed by a State E&T official identified by the State food stamp 
director. The purpose of this mail-out data collection form is to 
collect numerical data on E&T program slots, participants and costs. 
The only numerical data that will be collected in this study will be 
information not already collected by the USDA Food and Nutrition 
Service as part of State reporting requirements. In this way the burden 
will be relieved on State reporters and duplication of effort will be 
prevented.
    Respondents: State and local governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 217
    Estimates of Burden: The estimated reporting burden on each 
respondent type is as follows: (1) Telephone interviews with State food 
stamp directors will average 20 minutes; (2) telephone interviews with 
State Food Stamp Employment and Training program managers will average 
40 minutes; (3) telephone interviews with selected county E&T managers 
will average 40 minutes; (4) for each State, completion of the mailed 
out data collection form will require designated State food stamp 
agency employees to spend an average of 8 hours compiling data and 
filling out the form and 20 minutes on the telephone to review the 
completed form with the researchers.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 486 hours.
    Copies of the information to be collected can be obtained from 
David M. Smallwood, Deputy Director for Food Assistance Research, Food 
and Rural Economics Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, 1800 M Street NW, Room 2130, Washington, DC 
20036-5831, 202-694-5466.
    Comments: 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 will 
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 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 through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technology. Comments may be 
sent to: David M. Smallwood, Deputy Director for Food Assistance 
Research, Food and Rural Economics Division, Economic Research Service, 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1800 M Street NW, Room 2130, 
Washington, DC 20036-5831, 202-694-5466. All responses to this notice 
will be

[[Page 67453]]

summarized and included in the request of OMB approval. All comments 
will also become a matter of public record.

    Dated: November 23, 1998.
Betsey Kuhn,
Director, Food and Rural Economics Division.
[FR Doc. 98-32411 Filed 12-4-98; 8:45 am]
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