[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 56 (Friday, March 23, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13737-13738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-5333]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Food Stamp Program Regulations, Part 275--Quality 
Control

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment 
on the proposed information collection for Food Stamp Program 
Regulations, Part 275--Quality Control. Specifically, this is the 
burden associated with the collection of information for the sampling 
plan, the arbitration process, and the good cause process. This 
proposed collection is a revision of a collection currently approved 
under OMB No. 0584-0303.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before May 22, 2007.

ADDRESSES: 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 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.
    Send comments and requests for copies of this information 
collection to: Daniel Wilusz, Chief, Quality Control Branch, Program 
Accountability Division, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 822, Alexandria, VA 22302. 
You may FAX comments on this notice to (703) 305-0928. You may also 
download an electronic version of this notice at http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/rules/Regulations/default.htm and comment via e-
mail at [email protected].
    All responses to this notice will be included in the request for 
OMB approval.
    All comments will also become a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection should be directed to Daniel 
Wilusz at (703) 305-2460.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Food Stamp Program Regulations, Part 275--Quality Control.
    OMB Number: 0584-0303.
    Expiration Date: August 31, 2007.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection of 
information.
    Abstract: There are three components of the Quality Control (QC) 
system that are covered in this proposed information collection. They 
are: (1) The sampling plan; (2) the arbitration process; and (3) the 
good cause process. Each State is required to develop a sampling plan 
that demonstrates the integrity of its case selection procedures. The 
QC system is designed to measure each State agency's payment error rate 
based on a statistically valid sample of food stamp cases. A State 
agency's payment error rate represents the proportion of cases that 
were reported through a QC review as being ineligible, overissued and 
underissued food stamp benefits.
    The QC system contains procedures for resolving differences in 
review findings between State agencies and FNS. This is referred to as 
the arbitration process. The QC system also

[[Page 13738]]

contains procedures that provide relief for State agencies from all or 
a part of a QC liability when a State agency can demonstrate that a 
part or all of an excessive error rate was due to an unusual event that 
had an uncontrollable impact on the State agency's payment error rate. 
This is referred to as the good cause process.
    The approved burden for the QC system includes the burden for the 
QC sampling plan, the arbitration process, and the good cause process. 
The annual reporting burden associated with the QC sampling plan 
remains at 265 hours. We estimate the annual reporting burdens 
associated with arbitration and good cause processes to total 350 hours 
and 160 hours respectively. The decrease in the proposed burden from 
the currently approved 1643 to 350 hours for the arbitration process is 
due to a re-determination in the number of State agencies estimated to 
respond from 53 to 14 and to the estimated number of responses per 
State agency from 3.1 to 2.5. These decreases are a result of State 
agencies more frequently agreeing with FNS' findings. The proposed 
annual reporting burden for the good cause process is unchanged from 
the currently approved burden of 160 hours.
    The proposed annual recordkeeping burden associated with the QC 
sampling plan is 1.25 hours per year. The proposed annual recordkeeping 
burdens associated with arbitration and good cause processes are 
estimated to total .83 and .0236 hours respectively. The recordkeeping 
burden for the arbitration process decreased from 3.89 hours to .83 
hours due to a re-determination in the estimated number of affected 
State agencies from 53 to 14 and the estimated number of responses per 
State decreased from 3.1 to 2.5. The recordkeeping burden for the good 
cause process decreased from 1.25 to .0236 hours due to a re-
determination in the estimated number of affected State agencies from 
53 to 1 per year. The total annual burden for the QC system, as 
proposed by this notice, decreased from 2074 to 777 hours.

Quality Control System Reporting Burden Associated With the Sampling 
Plan, Arbitration, and Good Cause

1. Sampling Plan

    Affected Public: State agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
    Estimated Number of Responses Per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 5 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 265.

2. Arbitration Process

    Affected Public: State agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 14.
    Estimated Number of Responses Per Respondent: 2.5.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 10 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 350.

3. Good Cause Process

    Affected Public: State agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 1.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 160 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 160.

Quality Control System Recordkeeping Burden Associated With the 
Sampling Plan, Arbitration, and Good Cause

1. Sampling Plan

    Estimated Number of Recordkeepers: 53.
    Estimated Number of Records Per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Staff Hours Per Recordkeeping: .0236.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1.25.

2. Arbitration Process

    Estimated Number of Recordkeepers: 14.
    Estimated Number of Records Per Respondent: 2.5
    Estimated Staff Hours Per Recordkeeping: .0236
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: .83

3. Good Cause Process

    Estimated Number of Recordkeepers: 1.
    Estimated Number of Records: 1.
    Estimated Staff Hours Per Recordkeeping: .0236.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: .0236.
    The Combined Quality Control System Burden (includes the burdens 
associated with the Sampling Plan, Arbitration and Good Cause): 777 
hours.

    Dated: March 16, 2007.
George A. Braley,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
 [FR Doc. E7-5333 Filed 3-22-07; 8:45 am]
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