[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 221 (Friday, November 15, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68810-68811]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-27456]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--2014 Evaluation of the Summer Electronic Benefits for 
Children Household-Based Demonstrations on Food Insecurity

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 collection is a revision 
of the Evaluation of the Summer Electronic Benefits for Children 
(SEBTC) Household-Based Demonstrations on Food Insecurity, OMB Control 
No. 0584-0559.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before January 14, 2014.

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: Richard Lucas, Director, Office of Policy 
Support, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
3101

[[Page 68811]]

Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also 
be submitted via fax to the attention of Richard Lucas at 703-305-2576 
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 1014, 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 Richard 
Lucas at 703-305-2017.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 2014 Evaluation of the Summer Electronic Benefits for 
Children Household-Based Demonstrations on Food Insecurity
    Form Number: None.
    OMB Number: 0584-0559.
    Expiration Date: 03/31/2014.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug 
Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2010 (Pub. 
L. 111-80), Section 749(g), directed that the Secretary of Agriculture 
shall carry out demonstration projects to develop and test methods of 
providing access to food for children in urban and rural areas during 
the summer months when schools are not in regular session to reduce or 
eliminate the food insecurity and hunger of children; and to improve 
the nutritional status of children. The Summer Electronic Benefits for 
Children Household-Based Demonstrations on Food Insecurity carries out 
the demonstration projects Congress directed USDA to perform in this 
section. In addition, the Act directed the Secretary of Agriculture to 
provide for an independent evaluation of the demonstration projects 
using rigorous methodologies. The Evaluation of the Summer Electronic 
Benefits for Children Household-Based Demonstrations on Food Insecurity 
carries out the provisions of the Act.
    The evaluation of these projects is intended to provide 
policymakers with clear, rigorous and timely findings to make decisions 
about potential changes to Federal summer feeding programs during the 
next Child Nutrition reauthorization cycle. In 2011 through 2013, the 
SEBTC evaluations primarily examined how the provision of summer food 
benefits to the households of children certified for free or reduced-
price school meals impacted the prevalence of very low food security 
among children as well as their nutritional status.
    The revised evaluation will gather data from up to 50 demonstration 
areas in the summer of 2014. Each demonstration site will consist of 
school districts that have high proportions of children who qualify for 
free and reduce-price school lunches and be located in rural areas. 
Households selected for participation will receive either a $60 or $30 
benefit per child per month.
    Affected Public: School Food Authority Directors in participating 
Districts.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of 
respondents in 2014 is 50.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Each respondent will 
provide data on the number of children offered a benefit and the number 
of children who consented to receive the benefit; they may also be 
asked to transfer an electronic benefit redemption data file to the 
research team; and they will participate in a one-hour qualitative 
interview about their experiences with the demonstration.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 50.
    Estimated Time per Response: The estimated average response time is 
3 hours. We expect no non-respondents because providing the data is a 
requirement of participation.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents and Non-Respondents: 
The total estimated response time is 150 hours. See the table below.

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                                                                                     Estimated
                                     Estimated       Responses     Total annual       average        Estimated
           Respondent                number of     annually per      responses       number of      total hours
                                    respondent      respondent     (Col. b x c)      hours per     (Col. d x e)
                                                                                     response
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Reporting Burden................  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............
School Food Authority Directors.              50               1              50               3             150
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    Total Reporting Burden......              50  ..............              50  ..............             150
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    Dated: November 8, 2013.
Jeffrey J. Tribiano,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-27456 Filed 11-14-13; 8:45 am]
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