[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 1 (Thursday, January 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 92-94]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-31359]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA)

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. 
L. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations in 5 
CFR part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), this notice announces 
FNS's intention to request OMB approval for a new information 
collection in support of a study of Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) 
State agencies, sponsoring organizations, site directors, parents or 
caregivers of children who participated in the program, and parents or 
caregivers of children who were eligible for the program but did not 
participate.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by March 4, 2014 to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Written 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 will 
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 the assumptions 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 the use of 
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technology.
    Comments may be sent to Chanchalat Chanhatasilpa, Office of Policy 
Support, Special Nutrition Research and Analysis Division, Food and 
Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center 
Drive, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be faxed to the 
attention of Mr. Chanhatasilpa 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 responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to: Chanchalat Chanhatasilpa, Office of Policy 
Support, Special Nutrition Research and Analysis Division, Food and 
Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center 
Drive, Alexandria, VA 22302; telephone 703-305-2115; fax 703-305-2576.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Application for Food and Nutrition

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Service (FNS) collection of information for The Summer Food Service 
Program (SFSP) Implementation Study.
    OMB Number: Not yet assigned.
    Expiration Date: N/A.
    Type of Request: Approval for new data collection from SFSP State 
agencies, sponsoring organizations, site directors, parents or 
caregivers of children who participated in the program, and parents or 
caregivers of children who were eligible for the program but did not 
participate.
    Abstract: School-age children are more susceptible to food 
insecurity during the summer when they do not have access to meals 
provided at school. The SFSP was designed to ensure that children who 
benefit from the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School 
Breakfast Program (SBP) do not experience a nutrition gap during the 
summer. Despite ongoing efforts to increase participation, the SFSP 
only reaches a small fraction of all eligible children, and there is a 
large gap in participation levels between the NSLP and the SFSP. 
Therefore, the USDA needs to obtain detailed information on SFSP 
operation and administration at the State, sponsor, and site levels, as 
well as characteristics of providers, participants, and non-
participants, in order to identify the factors that contribute to 
program participation by sponsors, sites, and children. The study will 
also allow the USDA to determine future changes in SFSP policy that 
improve program participation and operations. Since the last national 
study of the program, conducted in 2003, there have been significant 
policy changes that could impact program operation and participation. 
Furthermore, limited administrative data are collected at the national 
level on the SFSP's operations at the State agency, sponsor, and site 
levels.
    Affected Public:
    To evaluate how SFSP program operations and other factors 
contribute to participation at the State, sponsor, and site levels, as 
well as to study characteristics of providers, participants, and 
eligible non-participants, a variety of information must be obtained. 
Data for this study will be collected from four types of participants:
    1. State agencies from all 54 States and territories, including 
Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The data 
collection will involve a self-administered web survey and telephone 
follow-up of non-respondents with State administrators of the agencies 
that operate the SFSP (in some States, with the FNS regional office 
staff who administer the program). In addition, State agencies will be 
asked to provide administrative data on their sponsors, and those 
sponsors will provide information on their sites.
    2. Program staff from a nationally representative sample of 350 
current SFSP sponsors, such as School Food Authorities (SFA), 
government agencies, residential camps, or other nonprofit 
organizations. The data collection will involve a self-administered web 
survey with telephone follow-up of non-respondents. In addition, 
sponsors will be asked to provide administrative data on their sites.
    3. Site directors from a nationally representative sample of 380 
sites. The data collection will involve a self-administered web survey 
with telephone follow-up of non-respondents. In addition, up to six 
sites will be asked to provide contact information for their 
participants and eligible non-participants.
    4. A convenience sample of 25 parents or caregivers of SFSP 
participating children and 25 eligible non-participating children. The 
data collection will involve interviews over the telephone.
    The data will be collected on a one-time basis in 2015, beginning 
with collecting States' administrative records from 2/1/15 through 6/1/
15. The data collection with States, sponsors, sites, participants, and 
nonparticipants will be conducted from 5/1/15 through 11/12/15.
    Estimate of Burden:
    Respondent burden will be minimized by using the web survey that 
streamlines the data collection process. Burden will also be minimized 
by relying on administrative records for variables that are 
consistently available across States, sponsors, and sites. In addition, 
States and sponsors will be encouraged to provide lists or other 
administrative records in whatever form is most convenient to them.
    To obtain administrative records, the estimated burden will be:
     State Administrators: 5 hours to compile the lists of 
sponsors and sites
     Sponsors: 2 hours to compile the lists of sites
     Two schools or SFA sites: 2 hours to compile the lists of 
participants and eligible non-participants (participating in school 
lunch or breakfast programs).
    To complete the surveys and interviews, the estimated burden will 
be:
     State Administrators: 1.5 hours to complete the survey.
     Sponsor Staff: 1.5 hours to complete the survey.
     Site Directors: 1 hour to complete the survey.
     Parents/Caregivers of Participants: 45 minutes to complete 
the telephone interview.
     Parents/Caregivers of Eligible Non-Participants: 30 
minutes to complete the telephone interview.
    Exhibit 1 provides estimates of the data collection burden.

                                        Exhibit 1--Estimated Burden Hours
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                                                     Estimated                    Estimated avg.
                                     Number of       number of       Estimated       number of       Estimated
       Type of respondent           respondents    responses per   total annual      hours per      total hours
                                                    respondent       responses       response
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State Administrators............              54               1              54             6.5             351
Sponsor Staff...................             350               1             350             3.5           1,225
Site Directors..................             380               1             380            1.01             384
Parents/Caregivers of                         25               1              25            0.75           18.75
 Participants...................
Parents/Caregivers of Eligible                25               1              25             0.5            12.5
 Non-Participants...............
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    Total Burden................             834  ..............             834  ..............        1,991.25
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[[Page 94]]

    Dated: December 24, 2013.
Yvette S. Jackson,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-31359 Filed 12-31-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P