[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 224 (Tuesday, November 20, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69590-69591]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-28203]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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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 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 224 / Tuesday, November 20, 2012 / 
Notices  

[[Page 69590]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

November 14, 2012.
    The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments 
regarding (a) whether the 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 burden 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 through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology should be addressed to: Desk 
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), [email protected] or 
fax (202) 395-5806 and to Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, 
Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250-7602. Comments regarding these 
information collections are best assured of having their full effect if 
received within 30 days of this notification. Copies of the 
submission(s) may be obtained by calling (202) 720-8958.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

Food and Nutrition Service

    Title: Study of Organizations Providing or Administering SNAP 
Incentives at Farmer's Market (Farmers Market Incentive Provider Study) 
(FMIPS).
    OMB Control Number: 0584-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: The USDA, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), 
is undertaking initiatives to improve access to healthy foods among 
nutrition assistance program participants. FNS is taking steps to 
support access to fresh fruits and vegetables through farmers markets 
(FM) for individuals participating in programs such as the Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The authority for this collection 
is authorized under 17(a)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
U.S.C. 2026).
    Need and Use of the Information: The overall objective of this 
collection is to understand how private organizations provide and 
administer financial incentives for SNAP participants shopping at 
farmers markets. In addition, the collection aims to assess how well 
these incentives programs work concerning the purchase of fresh fruits 
and vegetables at farmers' markets by SNAP participants. If the data is 
not collected, USDA/FNS will be unable to improve its understanding of 
how SNAP incentives impact the sale of healthier foods to SNAP clients 
in the farmers' market setting.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 315.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 342.

    Title: Understanding the Rates, Causes, and Costs of Churning in 
the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
    OMB Control Number: 0584-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: Section 17 [7 U.S.C. 2026] of the Food and 
Nutrition Act of 2008 provides general legislative authority for the 
planned data collection. This section authorizes the Secretary of 
Agriculture to enter into contracts with private institutions to 
undertake research that will help to improve the administration and 
effectiveness of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 
in delivering nutrition-related benefits. SNAP is the U.S. Department 
of Agriculture's largest nutrition program, enabling millions of low-
income Americans to purchase groceries. The program is designed to 
respond to broad economic and individual circumstances as they change 
over time. There are also times, however, when households leave the 
program despite remaining eligible. Eligible households not receiving 
SNAP benefits are of concern to the program because of their reduced 
access to nutritious foods. The Office of Research and Analysis in 
USDA's Food and Nutrition Service has undertaken a study on the causes 
and costs of churning in SNAP. Churning occurs when a SNAP participant 
leaves the program and returns within a short period of time, defined 
here as four months or less.
    Need and Use of the Information: Information will be collected from 
the study to better understand (1) the rates and patterns of churning; 
(2) why participants churn; (3) what happens administratively when a 
participant returns to SNAP after a brief spell of non-receipt, and (4) 
the costs of churn to both programs and participants. If the study 
information is not collected, those responsible at the federal, state, 
and local levels for designing and implementing SNAP policies and 
procedures will not have the value of this research in making their 
decisions on matters affecting participant churn.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; Not-for-
profit institutions; State, Local, or Tribal Government .
    Number of Respondents: 201.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 850.

    Title: Study of the effectiveness of Efforts to Improve 
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Access Among 
Medicare's Extra Help Population Pilot Projects.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and 
Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 
(Pub. L. 111-80) provides the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) with 
funds to test the effectiveness of pilot projects designed to increase 
elderly participation in the Supplemental

[[Page 69591]]

Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Historically, elderly individuals 
who are eligible for SNAP have the lowest participation rate among all 
demographic groups. The pilot projects will attempt to increase 
participation in SNAP among beneficiaries of Medicare's Extra Help by 
using data from Extra Help applications that are forwarded to State 
Medicaid offices. Because Extra Help and SNAP eligibility requirements 
do not directly correspond, these pilot projects will evaluate methods 
of using these Medicaid data to improve access to SNAP among Extra Help 
beneficiaries.
    Need and Use of the Information: FNS will collect information to 
understand how the pilot projects operated, who they served, and the 
extent to which they generated any measureable effects on participation 
cost, and SNAP benefits. The study will provide federal and state 
policymakers, as well as program administrators at these levels, with 
information on whether and to what extent the pilot projects have 
reduced the barriers to SNAP participants experienced by Extra Help 
applicants.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or household.
    Number of Respondents: 6,138.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 1,940.

    Title: National School Lunch Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-0006.
    Summary of Collection: The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 
Act (NSLA) in Section 9(a)(4), 42 U.S.C. 1758(a)(4), requires that 
school meals reflect the latest ``Dietary Guidelines for Americans'' 
(Dietary Guidelines). In addition, section 201 of the Healthy, Hunger 
Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA), Public Law 111-296 amends Section 4(b) 
of the NSLA, 42 U.S.C. 1753(b) to require the Department of Agriculture 
to issue regulations to update the meal patterns and nutrition 
standards for school lunches and breakfasts based on the 
recommendations issued by the Food and Nutrition board of the National 
Research Council of the National Academies of Science, part of the 
Institution of Medicine.
    Need and Use of the Information: The purpose of this data 
collection associated with rulemaking is to comply with the 
requirements of the HHFKA Public Law 111-296. The rule increases the 
scope of State Agency (SA) administrative reviews of School Food 
Authorities (SFA) by combining the current Coordinated Review Effort 
with the requirements of the School Meals Initiative reviews, and 
increases their frequency to once every three years as required by the 
HHFKA. The Food and Nutrition Service would not be able to properly 
monitor SA and SDA compliance without this data collection.
    Description of Respondents: State, Local, or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 122,661.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion; 
Monthly.
    Total Burden Hours: 9,848,064.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-28203 Filed 11-19-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P