[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 79 (Wednesday, April 23, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21900-21901]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-8792]


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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. 73, No. 79 / Wednesday, April 23, 2008 / 
Notices  

[[Page 21900]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request Form FNS-798 and FNS-798A, WIC Financial Management and 
Participation Report With Addendum

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment 
on proposed information collections.

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received on or before 
June 23, 2008.

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 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. Comments may be sent to: 
Patricia N. Daniels, Director, Supplemental Food Programs Division, 
Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park 
Center Drive, Room 520, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be 
submitted via fax to the attention of Joan Carroll at 703-305-2196 or 
via e-mail to [email protected].
    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 518.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval, and will become a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection form and instructions should be 
directed to: Patricia N. Daniels, (703) 305-2749.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: WIC Financial Management and Participation Report with 
Addendum.
    OMB Number: 0584-0045.
    Form Number: FNS 798 and FNS 798A.
    Expiration Date: 07-31-2008.
    Type of Request: Revision of a Currently Approved Collection Form.
    Abstract: Section 17(f)(4) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 
U.S.C. 1786(f)(4)) provides that ``State agencies shall submit monthly 
financial reports and participation data to the Secretary'' (See also 7 
CFR 246.25(b)(1)). The WIC Financial Management and Participation 
Report with Addendum (FNS-798 and FNS-798A) are the forms State 
agencies complete to comply with this requirement. FNS and State 
agencies use the reported information for program monitoring, funds 
management, budget projections, monitoring caseload, policy 
development, and responding to requests from Congress and interested 
parties.
    In addition, nonentitlement programs, such as the WIC Program, are 
required to conduct an annual closeout and reconciliation of grants. 
Departmental regulations at 7 CFR 3016.23(b) require that ``[a] grantee 
must liquidate all obligations incurred under the award not later than 
90 days after the end of the funding period (or as specified in a 
program regulation) to coincide with the submission of the annual 
Financial Status Report (SF-269).'' WIC Program regulations at 7 CFR 
246.17(b)(2) instruct State agencies to ``submit to FNS, within 120 
days after the end of the fiscal year, final fiscal year closeout 
reports.'' The final WIC Financial Management and Participation Report 
(FNS-798) submitted for the year with its addendum (FNS-798A) are used 
as a substitute for the SF-269, because they maintain the integrity of 
WIC's two grant components (food and nutrition services and 
administration (NSA)) as well as the four NSA grant components (program 
management, client services, nutrition education, and breastfeeding 
promotion and support).
    The proposed revision of the WIC Financial Management and 
Participation Report (FNS-798) and its addendum (FNS-798A) will: (1) 
identify breastfeeding women and infant participants as either fully 
breastfeeding or partially breastfeeding, (2) add columns corresponding 
to the 12 months of the fiscal year for the NSA cost section of the 
report, (3) delete the requirement to separately report funds spent 
forward to the following year attributable to vendor and participant 
collections, and (4) delete the requirement to report indirect cost 
rates and bases and the types of indirect cost rates. The revision to 
the participation categories is proposed so participation will 
correspond with revisions in participant food packages (See Special 
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC): 
Revisions in the WIC Food Packages; Interim Rule, December 6, 2007). 
The proposed columns in the NSA cost section will: (1) Provide a 
computer-generated cumulative total of NSA costs rather than having the 
State agency compute and report this amount, (2) make the NSA cost 
section consistent with the food cost and participation sections which 
already have columns for the 12 months, and (3) make it easier for 
State agencies to correct reporting errors made in prior periods. State 
agencies do not need to separately report the amount of funds spent 
forward attributable to vendor, participant and local agency 
collections as this amount is evident based on other data elements. 
State agencies will continue to report the total amount charged to the 
grant for indirect costs. However, it is not necessary for them to 
report the factors used to calculate this amount. Instead, indirect 
cost calculations should be validated during an audit or financial 
management technical assistance review. Due to the increase in the 
number of WIC State agencies reporting and a decrease in the number of 
responses per respondent,

[[Page 21901]]

this revision is also an adjustment in the number of respondents from 
89 to 90 and the number of responses per respondent from 17 to 15.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 3.35 hours per response, including 
the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, 
gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing 
the collection of information. The total annual burden on respondents 
was previously 4,713 hours. This revision decreases the total annual 
burden by 190 hours.
    Respondents: Directors or Administrators of WIC State agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 90 respondents.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 15.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 4,523 hours.

    Dated: April 16, 2008.
Roberto Salazar,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
 [FR Doc. E8-8792 Filed 4-22-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P