[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 31 (Thursday, February 14, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10593-10595]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-03470]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Evaluation of the Demonstrations of National School 
Lunch and School Breakfast Program (NSLP/SBP) Direct Certification of 
Children Receiving Medicaid Benefits

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 
Evaluation of the Demonstrations of NSLP/SBP (National School Lunch 
Program/School Breakfast Program) Direct Certification of Children 
Receiving Medicaid Benefits.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before April 15, 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

[[Page 10594]]

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: Steve Carlson, Food and Nutrition Service, 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1040, 
Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted via fax to the 
attention of Steve Carlson at 703-305-2017 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 1040, 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 Steve 
Carlson at 703-305-2017.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Evaluation of the Demonstrations of NSLP/SBP Direct 
Certification of Children Receiving Medicaid Benefits.
    Form Number: N/A.
    OMB Number: Not Yet Assigned.
    Expiration Date: Not Yet Determined.
    Type of Request: New collection.
    Abstract: The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (the Act), 
Section 103, directs USDA to demonstrate direct certification for free 
lunches and breakfasts to children who are receiving Medicaid and whose 
households have a gross income as measured by Medicaid that does not 
exceed 133 percent Federal Poverty Level (FPL). The Direct 
Certification-Medicaid (DC-M) demonstration may expand the number of 
students certified for free meals and affect the costs that States and 
local education agencies (LEAs) incur when certifying students. While 
the process of matching students to Medicaid data will increase 
certification costs for States and some LEAs, DC-M can generate cost 
savings if it leads fewer families to submit applications for school 
meals. DC-M may also have an impact on federal costs if it leads to an 
increase in certifications for free and reduced price meals.
    To determine the impact and effectiveness of direct certification 
using Medicaid data, FNS will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of DC-
M through three investigative areas:
    (1) Identify the potential impact that DC-M may have on children's 
access to the NSLP and SBP;
    (2) Measure the actual impact of DC-M on participation and costs 
observed over two years of demonstrations. This component of the study 
will examine whether DC-M leads to changes in the number and 
distribution of certified students and higher or lower certification 
costs in LEAs. The results of this analysis will be used to project the 
impact of DC-M on number of meals served and on the dollar amount of 
federal meal reimbursements distributed to districts. The study will 
also identify the challenges that States and LEAs face when 
implementing DC-M; and
    (3) Examine the conditions that would make SES certification 
procedures a cost-effective alternative to current certification 
procedures.
    The study will gather data from State and LEAs to include: (1) 
Certification and participation records; (2) cost surveys and 
interviews that include certification costs, start-up costs, local meal 
costs, and federal benefit costs; as well as (3) challenges in 
conducting DC-M matching. Data will be collected through web surveys 
and telephone interviews for school year 2012-13 (SY1) and school year 
2013-2014 (SY2).
    Affected Public: State and Local Government--Respondent groups 
identified include: (1) State level administrators that administer the 
National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs from nine State agencies 
(six States in SY1 and an additional three States in SY2); and (2) 
District/School level administrators from 698 LEAs in SY1, increasing 
to 1,200 LEAs in SY2.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,776.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: The average estimated 
annual number of responses per respondent in the first school year is 
1.03, and the average in the second school year is 4.24, for an 
aggregate average over the two years of 3.09 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: The estimated time per response is 
.767 hours (or approximately 46 minutes). The estimated time of 
response varies from 10 minutes to 5 hours depending upon respondent 
action, as shown in the table below.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: The total estimated 
annual burden is 1,265.34 hours in year 1 and 7,684.52 hours in year 2, 
as shown in the table below.

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                                                                                                                          Estimated avg.
                                                                             Estimated       Responses     Total annual     of      Estimated
                 Action                          Respondent type                  annually per      responses       hours per      total hours
                                                                            respondents     respondent                       response
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State Challenge Interviews.............  State Agencies (includes 6                    9               2              18            1.00           18.00
                                          State nutrition directors and
                                          3 Medicaid directors).
State Cost Interview...................  State Agencies (includes 6                   12               3              36            3.50          126.00
                                          State nutrition directors and
                                          6 Medicaid directors).
LEA Cost Survey........................  Local Education Agencies (LEA)            1,077               1           1,077            1.00        1,077.00
                                          (includes 534 child nutrition
                                          program directors, 534
                                          business managers, and 9
                                          pretest respondents).
                                         Local Education Agency (LEA)                266               1             266          0.1667           44.34
                                          Cost Survey Non-Responders.
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 10595]]

 
    SY1 TOTAL..........................  State & Local Government.......       \a\ 1,355            1.03           1,397            0.91        1,265.34
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State Challenge Interviews.............  State Agencies (includes 9                   18               2              36            1.00           36.00
                                          State nutrition directors and
                                          9 Medicaid directors).
State Cost Survey......................  State Agencies (includes 9                   18               3              54            3.50          189.00
                                          State nutrition directors and
                                          9 Medicaid directors).
LEA Cost Survey........................  LEA (includes 960 child                   1,920               5           9,600            0.75        7,200.00
                                          nutrition program directors
                                          and 960 business managers).
                                         LEA Cost Survey Non-Responders.             480               1             480          0.1667           80.02
LEA Challenge Interviews...............  LEA (includes 27 child                       27               2              54            1.00           54.00
                                          nutrition program directors).
                                         LEA Challenge Interview Non-                  3               1               3          0.1667            0.50
                                          Responders.
Match Validation Substudy..............  State Agencies (includes 1                    1               2               2            5.00           10.00
                                          child nutrition director).
                                         State Agencies (includes 3                    3               1               3            5.00           15.00
                                          Medicaid directors).
                                         LEA (includes 10 district child              20               2              40            2.50          100.00
                                          nutrition administrators and
                                          10 business managers).
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    SY2 TOTAL..........................  State & Local Government.......       b c 2,421            4.24          10,272            0.75        7,684.52
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    Grand Total........................  State & Local Government.......           3,776            3.09          11,669           0.767        8,949.86
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\a\ In SY1, the 9 State challenge interview respondents in SY1 are also completing cost interviews.
\b\ The 24 Match Validation substudy respondents are also included in the SY2 cost survey respondents.
\c\ In SY2, the 18 State challenge interview respondents are also completing the cost interviews, and the 27 district challenge interview respondents
  are also completing the district cost survey.


    Dated: January 29, 2013.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2013-03470 Filed 2-13-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P