[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 5, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12464-12466]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-04786]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed collection; 
Comment Request--Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), 
Store Applications, Forms FNS-252, FNS-252-E, FNS-252-FE, FNS-252-R, 
FNS-252-2 and FNS-252-C

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment 
on the proposed collection. This is a revision of a currently approved 
collection in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and 
concerns Retail Store Applications (Forms FNS-252; FNS-252-E; FNS-252-
R; FNS-252-2; and FNS-252-C).

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before May 5, 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 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 through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Comments may be sent to: Shelly Pierce, Chief, Retailer 
Administration Branch, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, 
Retailer Policy and Management Division, Food and Nutrition Service, 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 438, 
Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may be faxed to the attention of Ms. 
Pierce at (703) 305-1863 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 FNS 
office located at 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 438, Alexandria, 
Virginia 22302, during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
Monday through Friday).
    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 Shelly 
Pierce at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)--Store 
Applications.

[[Page 12465]]

    Form Number: FNS-252; 252-E; 252-FE; 252-R; 252-2; and 252-C.
    OMB Number: 0584-0008.
    Expiration Date: July 31, 2014.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection of 
information.
    Abstract: Section 9(a) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as 
amended, (the Act) (7 U.S.C. 2011 et. seq.) requires that FNS determine 
the eligibility of retail food stores and certain food service 
organizations to accept SNAP benefits and to monitor them for 
compliance and continued eligibility and to ensure program integrity.
    Part of FNS' responsibility is to accept applications from retail 
food stores that wish to participate in SNAP, review the applications 
in order to determine whether applicants meet eligibility requirements, 
make determinations whether to grant or deny authorization to accept 
SNAP benefits and to ensure program integrity. There are four forms 
designed for that purpose and approved under the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) clearance number 0584-0008--the Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program Application for Stores, Form FNS-252 (English and 
Spanish) and FNS-252-E (paper and online version respectively); the 
Meal Service Application, Form FNS-252-2; and the Corporate 
Supplemental Application, Form FNS-252-C used for individual (chain) 
stores under a corporation.
    FNS is responsible for reviewing retail food store applications at 
least once every five years to ensure that each firm is under the same 
ownership and continues to meet eligibility guidelines. In order to 
accomplish this regulatory requirement, FNS collects information from 
retail food stores using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 
Application for Stores--Reauthorization, Form FNS-252-R.
    During authorization or reauthorization, FNS may conduct an on-site 
store visit of the firm. The store visit of the firm helps FNS confirm 
that the information provided on the application is correct. An FNS 
representative or store visit contractor obtains permission to fill in 
the store visit checklist, photograph the store and asks the store 
owner or manager about the continued ownership of the store.
    Currently, individual retail food stores and wholesale food 
concerns, along with farmers' markets and produce stands complete and 
submit forms FNS-252 and FNS-252-E. A farmers' market is defined as a 
multi-stall market at which farmer-producers sell agricultural products 
directly to the general public at a central or fixed location. FNS has 
received comments from various stakeholders including farmers and 
farmer's market advocates that the application title; retail food store 
questions; instructions and terminology do not address their business 
process and practices; and may be confusing to this unique group of 
respondents.
    In order to reduce confusion and address any barriers to program 
participation respondents may have, FNS is creating a new online 
application specifically for farmers' markets, form FNS-252-FE, 
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Farmers' Market Application. 
Data collected on form FNS-252-FE will be modified from the approved 
information collection associated with form FNS-252-E. Questions and 
instructions will be revised to clarify and/or re-phrase information 
requested, specific to the targeted group of respondents. The proposed 
information collection will otherwise be used in the same manner as the 
existing form FNS-252-E application.
    Retailer and farmers' market applicants wishing to complete an 
online application (forms FNS-252-E and FNS-252-FE) must also first 
self-register for a Level 1 access account through the USDA 
eAuthentication system in order to initially start an online 
application. USDA eAuthentication facilitates the electronic 
authentication of an individual. FNS does not anticipate that form FNS-
252-FE will increase the hourly burden estimate on respondents.
    Upon OMB approval, FNS intends to incorporate form FNS-252-FE into 
the information collection associated with OMB No. 0584-0008, as these 
respondents are also considered the ``normal channels of trade'' for 
delivery of SNAP benefits to low-income households.
    FNS also seeks to renew the current information collection, and 
minor enhancements are proposed to forms FNS-252 (English and Spanish), 
FNS-252-E and FNS-252-R in order to (1) clarify and/or re-word 
questions, instructions, and examples by making design and formatting 
changes to the paper and on-line application and help screens; (2) 
provide additional inventory stock examples; (3) revise the content and 
design formation of the ownership and signature titles on Form FNS-252 
to be consistent with this information found on Form FNS-252-R; and (4) 
add a new, optional question, for retailers to provide additional 
information or comments to FNS. The types of additional information or 
comments could include any special circumstances that the retailer 
would want FNS to know, or who FNS should contact for questions about 
the application.
    FNS is also revising Form FNS-252-2 in order to (1) expand the meal 
service type categories regarding private ownership and meal delivery 
service entries; (2) add a meal service location address; (3) delete 
``optional'' and add ``required'' to email address; and (4) revise the 
Agreement and Signature section to further clarify information 
regarding violations also pertain to individual(s) completing the 
application.
    FNS is amending all SNAP application forms, where applicable to (1) 
expand the Use and Disclosure section--routine uses to clarify the use 
of information for conducting computer matches; (2) to collect an email 
address for each owner; add a new question asking if the applicant has 
other stores that currently accept SNAP benefits; and (3) re-word or 
re-phrase the General Instruction section and on-line help screens to 
clarify information requested. The response time per respondent varies 
from 1 minute to 11.38 minutes, and we estimate the new burden, on 
average, to be 6.20 minutes per respondent. There is no recordkeeping 
burden associated with these forms.
    Affected Public: Business for Profit; Retail food stores; Farmers' 
Markets.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of 
respondents is 151,859.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Respondents complete 
either 1 application form at initial authorization or 1 reauthorization 
application, as appropriate, for a total of 1 response each.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 151,859.
    Estimated Time per Response: 6.20 minutes (0.1056592). The 
estimated time response varies from 1 minute to 11.38 minutes depending 
on respondent group, as shown in the table below.

[[Page 12466]]



                                   Table A--Reporting Estimate of Hour Burden: Summary of Burden-- 0584-0008
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                             Number       Total
                                        Description of collection                               Number     responses      annual    Hours per    Total
            Affected public                      activity                 Form number        respondents      per       responses    response    burden
                                                                                                           respondent     (cxd)                  (exf)
                                        (a)......................  (b).....................          (c)          (d)          (e)  (f)              (g)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Retailers.............................  Applications Received....  252-E...................       29,335            1       29,355  0.16861        4,946
                                        E-Authentication.........  252-E and FNS-252-FE....       30,347            1       30,347  0.13360        4,054
                                        Applications Received....  252.....................        3,372            1        3,372  0.18638          628
                                        Applications Received....  252-FE..................        1,012            1        1,012  0.16861          171
                                        Applications Received....  252-2...................          904            1          904  0.19416          175
                                        Applications Received....  252-C...................        3,610            1        3,610  0.08350          301
                                        Store Visits.............  ........................       40,667            1       40,667  0.01670          679
                                        Reauthorization..........  252-R...................       42,614            1       42,614  0.11944        5,090
                                       -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total Reporting Burden............  .........................  ........................      151,859            1      151,859  .........     16,045
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY OF BURDEN FOR THIS COLLECTION.  .........................  ........................      151,859            1      151,859  0.1056592     16,045
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Dated: February 26, 2014.
Jeffrey J. Tribiano,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-04786 Filed 3-4-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P