[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 228 (Monday, November 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62556-62558]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-28475]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 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 a revision of a collection currently approved under OMB No. 0584-
0081 for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly 
the Food Stamp Program) for the form FNS-388, State Issuance and 
Participation Estimates.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by January 29, 2010 to 
be assured of consideration.

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

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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.
    Comments may be sent to Jane Duffield, Chief, State Administration 
Branch, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Food and Nutrition 
Service, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 818, Alexandria, VA 22302. 
Comments may also be submitted via fax to the attention of Ms. Duffield 
at 703-605-0795 or via e-mail to [email protected]. Comments will 
also be accepted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments electronically.
    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, 
Room 818, Alexandria, Virginia 22302.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will 
become a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of this information collection should be directed to Jane 
Duffield at (703) 605-4385.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Form FNS-388, State Issuance and Participation Estimates.
    OMB Number: 0584-0081.
    Expiration Date: 4/30/2010.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: Section 18(b) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, (the 
Act) 7 U.S.C. 2027(b), limits the value of allotments paid to SNAP 
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 SNAP allotments to the extent necessary 
to stay within appropriated funding limits. Timely State monthly 
issuance estimates are necessary for FNS to ensure that it remains 
within the appropriation. The estimates will also have a direct effect 
upon the manner in which allotments would be reduced if necessary. 
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 Act, 7 U.S.C. 2020 (e)(12), requires that 
the State Plan of Operations 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 
monitor actual and estimated costs for all forms of issuance against 
the appropriation.
    State agencies in general only submit one Statewide FNS-388 per 
month which covers benefits from their electronic benefit transfer 
(EBT) system. The exception is that State agencies which choose to 
operate an approved alternative issuance demonstration project such as 
a cash-out system submit a separate report for each additional type of 
issuance system.
    In addition, State agencies are required to submit a project area 
breakdown on the FNS-388 of issuance and participation data twice a 
year. The project area breakdown attached to the FNS-388 twice a year 
is known as the FNS-388A. This data is useful in identifying project 
areas that operate fraud detection units in accordance with the Act.
    FNS carefully considered the Account Management Agent (AMA) 
issuance data and whether it could be used for the FNS-388 system. 
However, AMA data does not include participation data, cash-out benefit 
data, or other alternative issuance data. Under current reporting, AMA 
would not be able to mirror our more comprehensive FNS-388 system. 
Moving the data would require modifications to several FNS systems that 
currently report, use, and analyze the FNS-388 data. After careful 
consideration, EBT issuance and participation estimates will continue 
on the FNS-388.
    As of August 2009, 96 percent of the total responses submitted the 
FNS-388 data electronically and 4 percent submitted paper reports. As 
of January 2009, the last report month for which the FNS-388A was 
submitted, 92 percent of the total response submitted FNS-388A data 
electronically and 8 percent submitted paper reports.
    Affected Public: State agencies that administer SNAP.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 13.81.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 732.
    Estimated Hours per Response: 7.14.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: The annual reporting 
and recordkeeping burden for OMB No. 0584-0081 is estimated to be 5,226 
hours. This burden is unchanged.
    SNAP has 53 State agencies that administer SNAP and are respondents 
as mentioned above. But some State agencies administer more than one 
issuance system and thus respond more than once so we have 61 who 
respond for SNAP in total as shown below to show the total annual 
responses and total burden.

 
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                                                                                                                             Time per
            Affected public                           Forms                  Number of     Frequency of    Total annual      response      Annual burden
                                                                            respondents      response        responses         (hrs)           hours
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                                         FNS-388........................              61              10             610             5.6        3,416.00
State Agencies.........................  FNS-388A.......................              61               2             122           14.83         1,809.7
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    Total Burden Estimates.............  ...............................              61  ..............             732  ..............         5,225.7
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[[Page 62558]]

     Dated: November 17, 2009.
Julie Paradis,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E9-28475 Filed 11-27-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P