[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 38 (Monday, February 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11484-11485]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-4459]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Negative QC Review Schedule, Status of Sample 
Selection of Completion

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 information collection for the FNS-245, Negative Case 
Action Review Schedule and updates the status of the FNS-248, Status of 
Sample Selection and Completion. The FNS-245 is currently used in the 
Quality Control process for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 
Program and the FNS-248 will be removed from this collection as it has 
been eliminated as a FNS form through regulatory change. The proposed 
collection is a revision of a collection currently approved under OMB 
No. 0584-0034.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before April 27, 2012.

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 has 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 are to respond, 
including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or 
other technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments may be sent to: Francis B. Heil, Chief, Quality Control 
Branch, Program Accountability and Administration Division, Food and 
Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center 
Drive, Room 822, Alexandria, VA 22302. You may also download an 
electronic version of this notice at http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/rules/regulations/default.htm and comment via email at [email protected] or use the Federal e-Rulemaking 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 included in the request for 
Office of Management and Budget 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 form and instruction should be 
directed to Francis B. Heil, (703) 305-2442.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Negative Quality Control Review Schedule.
    OMB Number: 0584-0034.
    Form Number: FNS-245.
    Expiration Date: December 31, 2012.
    Type of Request: Revision of currently approved collections.
    The FNS-245, Negative Case Action Review Schedule:
    Abstract: The FNS-245, Negative Case Action Review Schedule, is 
designed to collect quality control (QC) data and serve as the data 
entry form for negative case action QC reviews in the Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). State agencies complete the FNS-
245 for each negative case in their QC sample. The reporting and 
recordkeeping burden associated with the completion of the FNS-245 has 
increased from approximately 118,569 hours to 177,351 hours. Regulatory 
changes have decreased the report time per response of this form by 
0.083 hours; however the 58,782 hour increase in the total burden is 
largely a result of the increase in total SNAP case selection from 
38,911 cases in FY2007 to 59,831 cases in FY 2010.
    Affected Public: State, Local & Tribal Governments.
    Number of Respondents: 53 State Agencies.
    Number of Responses per Respondent: 1,128.87 Records.
    Total Annual Responses: 59,831.
    Reporting time per Response: 2.9406 Hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting Burden: 174,939.
    Number of Record Keepers: 53.
    Number of Records per Record Keeper: 1128.87 Records.
    Estimated Number of Records/Response to Keep: 59,831 Records.
    Recordkeeping Time per Response: .0236 Hours.
    Total Estimated Recordkeeping: 1,412 Hours.
    Annual Recordkeeping and Reporting Burden: 177,347 Hours.

[[Page 11485]]



                                                                    Reporting Burden
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                             Estimated       Response
              Affected public                        Instrument              number of     annually per    Total annual      Hours per     Annual burden
                                                                            respondents     respondent       responses       response          hours
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State agencies............................  FNS-245, Negative Case                 53.00        1,128.87      59,830.11           2.9406      175,936.42
                                             Action Review Schedule.
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Reporting Totals......................                                         53.00  ..............      59,830.11   ..............      175,936.42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  Recordkeeping Burden
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State agencies............................  Maintain Records............           53.00        1,128.87      59,830.11            0.024        1,411.99
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total Recordkeeping and Reporting       ............................           53.00  ..............     119,713.22   ..............      177,348.41
     Burden.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FNS-248, Status of Sample Selection and Completion:
    The FNS-248, Status of Sample Selection and Completion, tracked a 
state's progress in sample selection and case completion on a monthly 
basis. A Final rule entitled ``Food Stamp Program: Discretionary 
Quality Control Provisions of Title IV of Public Law 107-171,'' was 
published in the Federal Register on June 11, 2010 (75 FR 33422) and 
eliminated the use of this form. Therefore, the annual reporting and 
recordkeeping burden associated with the form is no longer necessary 
and will be eliminated from this collection.

    Dated: February 16, 2012.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-4459 Filed 2-24-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P