[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 4, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23665-23666]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-10390]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program State Agency 
Options

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 the proposed collection. This collection is an extension without 
change for the State Agency Options, Standard Utility Allowance and 
Self Employment Costs, burden calculations for the Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp 
Program.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before July 6, 2010.

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; (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who 
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 Angela Kline, Chief, Certification Policy 
Branch, Program Development Division, FNS, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 812, Alexandria, VA 22302. 
Comments may also be faxed to the attention of Ms. Kline at (703) 305-
2486. The Internet address is: [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 FNS during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday) at 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia, 
22302, Room 800.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will be a matter of public 
record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Ms. Kline at (703) 305-2495.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: State Agency 
Options.
    OMB Number: 0584-0496.
    Form Number: None.
    Expiration Date: 10/31/2010.
    Type of Request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Abstract: This collection is an extension without change for the 
State Agency Options, Standard Utility Allowance and Self Employment 
Costs, burden calculations for SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp 
Program. The program's name was changed by the Food, Conservation, and 
Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-246) (FCEA) on October 1, 2008, to 
reflect the fact that participants no longer receive stamps or coupons 
to make food purchases and to emphasize the nutritional aspect of the 
program. To comply with current law, FNS is using the new program name 
SNAP in this extension of information collection for OMB No. 0584-0496. 
It should be noted, however, that the program regulations at 7 CFR 
parts 271-285 have not yet been revised to reflect the new name.
    The SNAP regulations at 7 CFR part 273 contain the requirements for 
the application, certification and continued eligibility for SNAP 
benefits. On January 29, 2010, FNS published a final rule in the 
Federal Register (75 FR 4912), which codified the eligibility and 
certification provisions of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act 
of 2002 (FSRIA). This notice extends the collection burden, which was 
recently revised and approved by OMB on March 26, 2010, to account for 
changes required by the final FSRIA rule.
    Establishing and reviewing standard utility allowances. The 
regulations at 7 CFR 273.9(d)(6)(iii) allow State agencies to establish 
standard utility allowances (SUA) in place of the actual utility costs 
incurred by a household. Once SUAs are established, State agencies are 
required to review and adjust SUAs annually to reflect changes in the 
costs of utilities. Many State agencies already have one or more 
approved standards, which they update annually. State agencies may use 
information already available from case files, quality control reviews 
or other sources and from utility companies. State agencies may make 
adjustments based on cost-of-living increases. The information will be 
used to establish standards to be used in place of actual utility costs 
in the computation of the excess shelter deduction. State agencies are 
required to submit the amounts of these standards and methodologies 
used in developing and updating the standards to FNS when they are 
developed or changed.
    Estimates of burden: Currently 52 State agencies have a standard 
that includes heating or cooling costs and 41 have a standard for 
utility costs other than heating or cooling. In addition, 51 State 
agencies have a telephone allowance standard. We estimate a minimum of 
2.5 hours annually to make this review and adjustment (2.5 hours x 52 
State agencies = 130 hours). Total

[[Page 23666]]

burden for this provision is estimated to be 130 hours per year.
    Self-employment costs. The regulations at 7 CFR 273.11(b) allow 
self-employment gross income to be reduced by the cost of producing 
such income. The regulations allow the State agencies, with approval 
from FNS, to establish the methodology for offsetting the costs of 
producing self-employment income, as long as the procedure does not 
increase program costs. State agencies may submit a request to FNS to 
use a method of producing a reasonable estimate of the costs of 
producing self-employment income in lieu of calculating the actual 
costs for each household with such income. Different methods may be 
proposed for different types of self-employment. The proposal shall 
include a description of the proposed method, the number and type of 
households and percent of the caseload affected, and documentation 
indicating that the proposed procedure will not increase program costs. 
State agencies may collect this data from household case records or 
other sources that may be available.
    Estimates of burden: We estimate that 10 State agencies will submit 
a request of this type each year for the next three years. It is 
estimated that these States will incur a one-time burden of at least 10 
working hours gathering and analyzing data, developing the methodology, 
determining the cost implication, and submitting a request to FNS for a 
total burden of 100 hours annually (10 State agencies x 10 working 
hours = 100 burden hours). State agencies are not required to 
periodically review their approved methodologies. We do not anticipate 
that State agencies will voluntarily review their methodologies for 
change on a regular basis, thus burden is not being assessed for this 
purpose.
    Recordkeeping burden only: Each State agency would be required to 
keep a record of the information gathered and submitted to FNS for the 
SUA and self-employment costs. We estimate this to be 7 minutes or 
.1169 hours per year for the 53 State agencies to equal a total of 6 
burden hours annually (53 State agencies x .1169 hours = 6 hours annual 
burden).
    Summary of burden hours:
    Affected Public: State agencies and local governments administering 
the SNAP.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
    Estimated Number of Responses Per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 115.
    Estimated Hours per Response: 12.6.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 236.

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                                                                             Estimated       Response
          OMB  0584-0496                    Requirement             number of     annually per    Total annual      Hours per     Annual burden
                                                                            respondents     respondent       responses       response          hours
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Affected Public
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State Agency
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Reporting Burden..........................  Standard Utility Allowance..              52               1              52             2.5             130
                                            Self-employment costs.......              10               1              10              10             100
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                                            Reporting Totals............              52  ..............              62  ..............             230
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Recordkeeping Burden......................  Recordkeeping...............              53               1              53           .1169               6
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            Recordkeeping Totals........              53  ..............              53  ..............               6
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                                            Total Recordkeeping and                   53  ..............             115  ..............             236
                                             Reporting Burden.
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            Total Number of Record                    53  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............
                                             Keepers.
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    Dated: April 27, 2010.
Julia Paradis,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-10390 Filed 5-3-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P