[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 26 (Friday, February 7, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7423-7424]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02642]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

February 3, 2014.
    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: The Loving Support Award of Excellence.
    OMB Control Number: 0584--NEW.
    Summary of Collection: The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kid Act of 2010 
(HHFKA) (Pub. L. 111-296, Sec 231) which requires the U.S. Department 
of Agriculture (USDA) to implement a program to recognize exemplary 
breastfeeding support practices at Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) 
local agencies and clinics. The WIC program provides breastfeeding 
promotion and support for pregnant and postpartum mothers as a part of 
its mission to improve the health of the approximately 9 million 
Americans it serves each month. The WIC program has achieved many 
accomplishments in promoting, encouraging and supporting breastfeeding 
as the preferred feeding method for all infants. The HHFKA requires the 
USDA to annually compile and publish breastfeeding performance 
measurements. The collection and publication of breastfeeding 
performance measurements is one of several provisions in the HHFKA that 
strengthens the WIC Program's emphasis on breastfeeding promotion and 
support and underscores the importance of exclusive, continued 
breastfeeding to the health of WIC participants. This reporting 
requirement provides an exciting opportunity to help further the 
efforts of WIC State and local agencies by highlighting agencies that 
demonstrate success in breastfeeding through high breastfeeding rates 
and by motivating other agencies to strengthen their breastfeeding 
promotion and support services with the goal of increasing their 
breastfeeding rates. The breastfeeding performance measurements will be 
used in the process to determine awardees for the top two level awards.
    Need and Use of the Information: The award application period is 
open one time, annually, and has been designed to allow local WIC 
agencies at different stages of progress in breastfeeding promotion and 
support program development to apply for an award. Agencies may apply 
for a recognition award for their level of efforts and success one 
year, continue to develop their local programs, and then apply for a 
higher level award in a following year when further success is 
achieved. The information collection will strengthen the breastfeeding 
promotion and support efforts of local WIC agencies by recognizing 
exemplary activities as well as provide models to assist and motivate 
other local WIC agencies and clinics to

[[Page 7424]]

strength their breastfeeding promotion and support activities.
    Description of Respondents: State, Local or Tribal Government; 
Federal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 697.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 1,942.

Food and Nutrition Service

    Title: Issuance Reconciliation Report, FNS-46.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-0080.
    Summary of Collection: Section 7(d) of the Food and Nutrition Act 
of 2008, as amended, (the Act) (7 U.S.C. 2016(d)) and Regulations at 7 
CFR 274.4(a) and 274.4(b)(2), requires State agencies to report on 
their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit issuance 
operations not less than monthly. Section 11(a) of the Act (7 U.S.C. 
2020(a)) requires State agencies to assume responsibility for the 
issuance, control, and accountability of SNAP benefits. The Food and 
Nutrition Service (FNS), administers the SNAP in cooperation with State 
and local governments. FNS regulations require State agencies to 
account for all issuance through a reconciliation process and to submit 
a report on this process using Form FNS-46, Issuance Reconciliation 
Report.
    Need and Use of the Information: The FNS-46 report is a program 
management report which is used on an ongoing basis to document the 
reconciliation process by which State agencies compare all issuances, 
including Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) benefits made during the month to the 
record for issuance. The record-for-issuance is then compared with the 
master issuance file. Findings from this comparison are reported on the 
Form FNS-46. The data from the FNS-46 report is also used for reports 
to Congress, to establish State issuance liabilities, and to determine 
national performance measures for Quality Control.
    Description of Respondents: State, Local, or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 54.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Monthly.
    Total Burden Hours: 2,592.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-02642 Filed 2-6-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P