[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 43 (Monday, March 7, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10935-10936]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-4298]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Food Stamp Program Redemption Certificate, Form, FNS-
278B; Food Stamp Program Wholesaler Redemption Certificate, Form FNS-
278-4

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Food and Nutrition Service is publishing for public comment a summary 
of a proposed information collection. The proposed collection is a 
revision of a currently approved collection of the Food Stamp Program 
for which approval expires on February 28, 2005. The Food Stamp Act of 
1977, as amended, requires that the Food and Nutrition Service will 
provide all authorized retail food stores and wholesale food concerns 
with redemption certificates. The redemption certificates are to be 
used by all authorized retailers and wholesale firms to present food 
coupons to insured financial institutions for credit or for cash. 
Requirements in the Food Stamp Program regulations are the basis for 
the information collected on Form FNS-278B, Food Stamp Redemption 
Certificate and Form FNS-278-4, Wholesaler Redemption Certificate.
    The Food and Nutrition Service is rapidly phasing out the use of 
paper food coupons. Currently, 99.9 percent of all food stamp benefits 
are issued electronically. Forty-eight States, the District of 
Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico have online 
operating Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) systems. Two States operate 
offline food stamp EBT systems and issue paper food coupons to 
recipients who move out of State and have remaining food stamp 
benefits. Many States have already closed out their coupon inventory 
completely and more will be doing the same in the upcoming year. 
Approximately 438,955 Redemption Certificates were processed by 
retailers and wholesalers in Fiscal Year 2004, and the number continues 
to decline due to 100 percent EBT

[[Page 10936]]

implementation. Until all of the paper food coupons issued are 
redeemed, the Redemption Certificate will remain an essential document 
to the food stamp redemption process.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before May 6, 2005 to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to: Andrea Gordon, Chief, Redemption 
Management Branch, Benefit Redemption Division, Food and Nutrition 
Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 
404, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted via fax to 
the attention of Andrea Gordon at (703) 305-1863 or via e-mail to: 
[email protected].
    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 the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.
    All written comments will be open for public inspection at the 
office of the Food and Nutrition Service during regular business hours 
(8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday) at 3101 Park Center Drive, 
Alexandria, Virginia 22302, Room 404.
    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 Andrea 
Gordon, (703) 305-2456.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Food Stamp Redemption Certificate.
    OMB Number: 0584-0085.
    Form Number: FNS-278B and FNS-278-4.
    Expiration Date: February 28, 2005.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture is the Federal Agency responsible for the 
Food Stamp Program (FSP). Section 10 of the Food Stamp Act of 1977, as 
amended, (7 U.S.C. 2019) requires that FNS provide for the redemption, 
through financial institutions, of food coupons accepted by retail food 
stores and wholesale food concerns from program participants. 7 CFR 
278.3 and 7 CFR 278.4 of the FSP regulations governs the participation 
of authorized wholesale food concerns and retail stores in the food 
coupon redemption process. Form FNS-278B, Food Stamp Redemption 
Certificate and Form FNS-278-4, Wholesaler Redemption Certificates 
(RCs) are required to be used by all authorized wholesalers or 
retailers, and are processed by financial institutions when they are 
presented for cash or credit. Without the RCs, no vehicle would exist 
for financial institutions, Federal Reserve Banks, and FNS to track 
deposits of food coupons.
    The burden associated with this form is derived from the numbers of 
RCs processed annually, based on information available in our Store 
Tracking and Redemption System database. As of September 2004, the 
number of program respondents was 152,499 retailers and wholesalers and 
5,850 banks participating in the FSP. The number of completed RC 
responses by authorized retailers was 438,955 annually. We estimate 
that it takes an average of 1.2 minutes (or .020 hours) for a retailer 
to complete the information on the RC and for the financial institution 
to handle and process the document.
    For this information collection package, we calculated the burden 
hours from each year, added them together (2005-2007) and divided by 
three to obtain the average burden for which we are seeking OMB 
approval. We estimate the average burden hours for the next three years 
to be 69.501 hours.
    The burden for each of the three fiscal years (FYs) are estimated 
as follows:
    In FY 2005, we estimate the number of program respondents will be 
7,624 respondents with 5,850 banks continuing to participate in the 
FSP--a reduction of 144,874 (or 95 percent) respondents. We also 
estimate that the number of completed RC responses by authorized 
retailers to be 8,779.1 annually--providing for a reduction of 
430,175.9 (or 95 percent) annual responses, and a total burden hours 
calculated to be 175.582 hours.
    In FY 2006, we estimate the number of program respondents will be 
2,668.73 respondents with 5,850 banks continuing to participate in the 
FSP--a reduction of 4,956.22 (or 65 percent) respondents. We also 
estimate that the number of completed RC responses by authorized 
retailers to be 1,316.86 annually--providing for a reduction of 
7,462.23 (or 85 percent) annual responses, and a total burden hours 
calculated to be 26.337 hours.
    In FY 2007, we estimate the number of program respondents will be 
667.18 respondents with 5,850 banks continuing to participate in the 
FSP--a reduction of 2,001.55 (or 75 percent) respondents. We also 
estimate that the number of completed RC responses by authorized 
retailers to be 329.217 annually--providing for a reduction of 987.66 
(or 75 percent) annual responses, and a total burden hours calculated 
to be 6.584 hours.
    The estimated reduction of respondents and annual burden hours is 
based on a projected decrease in the number of authorized retailers 
participating in the FSP, and a decrease in the number of RCs processed 
as a result of fewer authorized retailers accepting paper food coupons 
due to FNS phasing out the use of paper food coupons.
    Respondents: Businesses, wholesale food concerns, or other not-for-
profit financial institutions.
    Estimated Average Number of Respondents: 3,653.62.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 0.951.
    Estimated Total Average Annual Responses: 3,475.062.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average .020 hours per response.
    Estimated Total Average Annual Burden: 69.501 hours.

    Dated: March 1, 2005.
Roberto Salazar,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 05-4298 Filed 3-4-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P