[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 16, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3393-3394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-00816]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP)

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 renewal of the 
currently approved collection for the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition 
Program (SFMNP).

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before March 18, 2013.

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: Donna Hines, Chief, Policy Branch, 
Supplemental Food Programs Division, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 528, 
Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted via fax to the 
attention of Donna Hines at 703-305-2196 or via email 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 528, 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 Donna 
Hines, Chief, Policy Branch, Supplemental Food Programs Division at 
703-305-2746 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP).
    Form Number: FNS 683A.
    OMB Number: 0584-0541.
    Expiration Date: March 3, 2013.
    Type of Request: Renewal of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: Section 4231 of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 
2008 (Pub. L. 110-246, also known as the Farm Bill) reauthorized the 
Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) through fiscal year 
2012; a prior law (the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 
(Pub. L. 107-171)) gave the Department of Agriculture the authority to 
promulgate regulations for the operation and administration of the 
SFMNP. These regulations are published at 7 CFR Part 249. The purposes 
of the SFMNP are to provide resources in the form of fresh, nutritious, 
unprepared, locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey and herbs from 
farmers' markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture 
(CSA) programs to low income seniors; to increase the domestic 
consumption of agricultural commodities by expanding or aiding in the 
expansion of domestic farmers' markets, roadside stands, and CSA 
programs; and to develop or aid in the development of new and 
additional farmers' markets, roadside stands, and CSA programs.
    USDA published a final rulemaking on the SFMNP on December 6, 2006 
(71 FR 74618), that contained an estimated information collection 
burden based on the rule's requirements for program operation and 
administration. The previous SFMNP information collection burden was 
approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 3 years, 
effective March 2010, under RIN 0584-0541. The Department is now 
soliciting comments on the accuracy and reasonableness of the renewal 
of this estimated burden.
    The estimated total annual Reporting and Recordkeeping burden is 
465,319 hours. The estimated total burden is 32,459 hours lower than 
the previously approved collection burden. Several SFMNP State agencies 
reported a decrease in the number of participants served and number of 
authorized farmers' markets. See the table below for estimated total 
annual burden for each type of respondent.

Reporting Burden

    Affected Public: Respondents include State agencies, local 
agencies, individuals/households (participants), and authorized SFMNP 
farms (farmers, farmers' markets, roadside stands, and CSA programs).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of 
respondents is 906,196. This includes: State agencies, local agencies, 
individuals/households (participants), and authorized SFMNP farms 
(farmers, farmers' markets, roadside stands, and CSA programs).
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 906, 196.
    Estimated Time per Response: .263 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 237,922 hours.

Recordkeeping Burden

    Estimated Number of Recordkeepers: 900,255.
    Respondents include: State and local agencies.
    Estimated Number of Records per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Time per Recordkeeping: .253 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 227,397.
    Estimated Total Annual Reporting/Recordkeeping Requirements: 
465,319 hours.

[[Page 3394]]



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                                                                             Estimated                                       Estimated
            Regulation section                          Title                number of     Reports filed   Total annual       hours/       Annual burden
                                                                            respondents      annually        response        response          hours
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Affected Public: STATE & LOCAL AGENCIES (Including Indian Tribal Organizations and US Territories)
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Reporting
    249.3(e)..............................  Local Agency Applications...             510               1             510               2           1,020
    249.4.................................  State Plan..................              51               1              51              40           2,040
    249.10(e).............................  Monitoring/review of outlets             804               1             804             1.5           1,206
    249.10(f).............................  Coupon/CSA management system              51               1              51               5             255
    249.10(h).............................  Coupon reconciliation.......              51               1              51               3             153
    249.11................................  Financial management system.              51               1              51              10             510
    249.12................................  Prior Approval for costs per               5               1               5             160             800
                                             7 CFR 3016.22.
    249.17(b)(2)..........................  State agency corrective                   12               1              12              10             120
                                             action plans.
    249.18(b).............................  Audit responses.............              12               1              12              15             180
    249.23(b).............................  Financial/recipient reports.              51               1              51              40           2,040
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Subtotal..........................  (Reporting Requirements)....           1,598  ..............           1,598            5.20           8,324
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Affected Public: INDIVIDUALS/HOUSEHOLDS (Applicants for Program Benefits)
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Reporting
    249.6 (a)(3)..........................  Certification data for               900,000               1         900,000            0.25         225,000
                                             seniors.
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Subtotal..........................  (Reporting Requirements)....         900,000  ..............         900,000  ..............         225,000
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Affected Public: Farms (Farmers/Markets/Roadside stands/CSA's)
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Reporting
    249.10(b).............................  Farmer applications &                  4,598               1           4,598               1           4,598
                                             agreements.
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Subtotal..........................  (Reporting Requirements)....           4,598  ..............           4,598  ..............           4,598
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                           Subtotal Reporting                                    906,196               1         906,196            .263         237,922
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Affected Public: STATE & LOCAL AGENCIES (Including Indian Tribal Organizations and US Territories)
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Recordkeeping
    249.9.................................  Nutrition education.........         900,000               1         900,000            0.25         225,000
    249.10(b).............................  Authorized outlet agreements              51               1              51               2             102
    249.10(e).............................  Summary of authorized outlet              51               1              51               2             102
                                             monitoring.
    249.11................................  Record of financial                       51               1              51               2             102
                                             expenditures.
    249.16(a).............................  Fair hearings...............              51               1              51               1              51
    249.23(a).............................  Record of program operations              51               1              51              40           2,040
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Subtotal..........................  (Recordkeeping Requirements)         900,255               1         900,255            .253         227,397
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               Total Burden                 (Reporting & Recordkeeping).       1,806,451  ..............       1,806,451  ..............         465,319
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    Dated: January 10, 2013.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-00816 Filed 1-15-13; 8:45 am]
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