[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 185 (Friday, September 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59109-59110]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-24411]


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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. 76, No. 185 / Friday, September 23, 2011 / 
Notices  

[[Page 59109]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Prisoner and 
Death Match Requirements

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), 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 this proposed information collection. This is a new collection for 
screening SNAP applicants during the certification process using the 
Prisoner Verification System (PVS) and the Deceased Matching System to 
determine eligibility. FNS plans to merge these requirements with data 
collection OMB 0584-0492, SNAP Repayment Demand and Program 
Disqualification, once approved by OMB.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before November 22, 
2011.

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 that were 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, Food and Nutrition Service, 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 822, 
Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted via fax to the 
attention of Jane Duffield at 703-305-0928 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 822, 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 
be a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of this information collection should be directed to Christine 
Daffan at 703-305-2473.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Prisoner and Death 
Match Requirements.
    Form Number: None.
    OMB Number: 0584-NEW.
    Expiration Date: Not Yet Determined.
    Type of Request: New Collection.
    Abstract: The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) published a proposed 
rule on December 8, 2006 at 71 FR 71075, which would revise the SNAP 
regulation in 7 CFR part 272 regarding prisoner verification and death 
matching procedures as mandated by legislation and previously 
implemented through agency directive.
    Section 1003 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (Pub. L. 105-33) 
amended Section 11(e) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2020(e)) to require States to establish systems and take periodic 
action to ensure that an individual who is detained in a Federal, 
State, or local penal, correctional, or other detention facility for 
more than 30 days shall not be eligible to be counted as a household 
member participating in SNAP. The FNS proposed rule would codify this 
requirement and define taking periodic action as requiring States to 
conduct PVS checks at application and re-certification.
    This rule also proposes deceased matching requirements enacted by 
Public Law 105-379 on November 12, 1998. Public Law 105-379, which 
amended Section 11 of the Food and Nutrition Act (7 U.S.C 2020), 
required all State agencies to enter into a cooperative arrangement 
with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to obtain information on 
individuals who are deceased and use the information to verify and 
otherwise ensure that benefits are not issued to such individuals. The 
law went into effect on June 1, 2000. The mandated requirements were 
implemented by FNS directive to all SNAP State agencies on February 14, 
2000. State agencies are responsible for entering into a matching 
agreement with SSA in order to access information on deceased 
individuals. FNS proposed adding a new Sec.  272.14 to codify this 
requirement in regulation and included requirements for accessing the 
SSA death master file. These proposed requirements included 
independently verifying the record prior to taking adverse action, and 
conducting matches for deceased individuals at application and re-
certification.
    State agencies have been instructed through FNS directive to 
implement the provisions of the prisoner verification matches (Pub. L. 
105-33) and death file matches (Pub. L. 105-379) as required by law in 
the applicable legislation, and these matches should already be in 
place without waiting for formal regulations. FNS believes that it is 
important to standardize matching procedures to provide quality 
services to all SNAP participants and qualified applicants while 
ensuring that SNAP benefits are issued only to qualified individuals 
and households. In doing so, FNS and State agencies contribute to the 
success and integrity of the Program, garnering public support and user 
confidence in SNAP.
    Affected Public: Individual/Households, State, Local and Tribal 
Government. There are no recordkeeping requirements for this data 
collection.

Prisoner Match Reporting Burden

    Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
    Estimated Total Number of Responses per Respondent: 304,814.02.

[[Page 59110]]

    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 16,155,143.00.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.041667.
    Estimated Total Annual Reporting Burden: 673,136.343.

Death Match Reporting Burden

    Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
    Estimated Total Number of Responses per Respondent: 190,566.04.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 10,100,000.00.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.041667.
    Estimated Total Annual Reporting Burden: 420,836.705.
    Grand Total Burden Reporting Burden: 1,093,973.048.

    Dated: September 12, 2011.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2011-24411 Filed 9-22-11; 8:45 am]
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