[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 11, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19356-19357]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-8937]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 70 / Tuesday, April 11, 2000 / 
Notices  

[[Page 19356]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection, 
Comment Request--Food Stamp Program: State Issuance and Participation 
Estimates--Form FNS-388

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is publishing for public comment a 
summary of a proposed information collection. The proposed collection 
is to reinstate a previously approved collection under OMB No. 0584-
0081 for the Food Stamp Program for the form FNS-388, State Issuance 
and Participation Estimates.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by June 12, 2000 to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Send comments and requests for copies of this information 
collection to Barbara Hallman, Chief, State Administration Branch, Food 
Stamp Program, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, 3101 Park Center 
Drive, Alexandria, VA 22302. Copies of the estimate of the information 
collection can be obtained by contacting Ms. Hallman.
    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 technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    All comments will be summarized and included in the request for 
Office of Management and Budget approval of the information collection. 
All comments will become a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Hallman, telephone number 
(703) 305-2383.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Form FNS-388, State Issuance and Participation Estimates.
    OMB Number: 0584-0081.
    Expiration Date: Expired.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of a previously approved collection.
    Abstract: Section 18(b) of the Food Stamp Act limits the value of 
allotments paid to food stamp households to an amount not in excess of 
the appropriation for the fiscal year. If allotments in any fiscal year 
would exceed the appropriation, the Secretary of Agriculture is 
required to direct State agencies to reduce the value of food stamp 
allotments to the extent necessary to stay within appropriated funding 
limits.
    Section 18(a) of the Food Stamp Act requires the Secretary of 
Agriculture to submit a monthly report to Congress setting forth the 
Secretary's best estimate of the second preceding month's expenditures 
for the Food Stamp Program as well as the cumulative total for the 
fiscal year. In each monthly report the Secretary is required to also 
state whether supplemental appropriations will be needed to support the 
operation of the program through the end of the fiscal year. The 
timeliness and accuracy of the data available to the Secretary prior to 
submitting this report will have a direct effect upon any request for 
supplemental appropriations that may be submitted and the manner in 
which allotments will be reduced if the supplemental appropriation is 
not provided. While benefit reductions have never been ordered in the 
past under Section 18(b) nor are they anticipated based on current 
data, the Department must continue to monitor actual program costs 
against the appropriation.
    Section 11(e)(12) of the Food Stamp Act requires that the State 
Plan of Operations shall provide for the submission of reports required 
by the Secretary of Agriculture. State agencies are required to report 
on a monthly basis on the FNS-388, State Issuance and Participation 
Estimates, estimated or actual issuance and participation data for the 
current month and previous month, and actual participation data for the 
second preceding month. The FNS-388 report provides the necessary data 
for an early warning system to enable the Department to fulfill its 
reporting requirements to Congress.
    State agencies in general only submit one Statewide FNS-388 per 
month. The exception is that State agencies which choose to operate 
both a coupon system and an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) system or 
which choose to operate an approved alternative issuance demonstration 
project such as a cash-out system submit a separate report for each 
type of issuance system. State agencies are converting from coupons to 
EBT. In July 1999, 39 States and the District of Columbia operated an 
EBT system and 31 operated EBT statewide. With additional States moving 
from paper coupons to EBT in the next few months, few States will be 
expected to temporarily submit more than one FNS-388 report per month 
at any one time. With State agency automated information systems, the 
separate report for a secondary issuance system or an alternative 
issuance demonstration project should have a negligible impact on the 
burden.
    In addition, State agencies are required to submit a project area 
breakdown on the FNS-388 of issuance and participation data twice a 
year. This data is useful in identifying project areas that are 
required to do photo identification of heads of households or to 
operate fraud detection units in accordance with the Act.
    Beginning July 1993, State agencies were allowed to submit the FNS-
388 data electronically to the national database files stored in FNS' 
Food Stamp Program Integrated Information System in lieu of a paper 
report. The voluntary changeover from paper to electronic reporting of 
FNS-388 data by States was done as part of FNS' State Cooperative Data 
Exchange Project. This project is being expanded over time as more FNS 
forms are transferred to

[[Page 19357]]

electronic formats for State data entry. As of July 1999, 45 State 
agencies submit the FNS-388 data electronically and 8 State agencies 
submit paper reports.
    Respondents: State agencies that administer the Food Stamp Program.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent:
    Form FNS-388: 53 State agencies 12 times a year.
    Form FNS-388A: 53 State agencies twice a year.
    Estimate of Burden:
    Form FNS-388: The State agencies submit Form FNS-388 10 times per 
year at an estimate of 5.60 hours per respondent, or 2,970 hours 
annually for all respondents. The remaining two FNS-388 submissions 
with a public assistance (PA) and non-public assistance (NA) caseload 
breakout are covered under the FNS-388A twice a year submissions (see 
below).
    Form FNS-388A: The State agencies submit a more detailed FNS-388 
(with PA and NA breakout) twice a year and FNS-388A project area 
breakdown twice a year at an estimate of 14.8 hours per respondent, or 
1,572 hours annually for all respondents.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: The annual reporting 
and recordkeeping burden for OMB No. 0584-0081 is estimated to be 4,542 
hours.

    Dated: March 22, 2000.
Samuel Chambers, Jr.,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-8937 Filed 4-10-00; 8:45 am]
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