[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 13, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1602-1603]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-00514]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Determining Eligibility for Free and Reduced Price 
Meals and Free Milk

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, 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 information collection. This is a revision of a currently 
approved collection for determining eligibility for free and reduced 
price meals and free milk as stated in 7 CFR part 245. These federal 
requirements affect eligibility under the National School Lunch 
Program, School Breakfast Program, and the Special Milk Program and are 
also applicable to the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer 
Food Service Program when individual eligibility must be established. 
The current approval for the information collection burden associated 
with 7 CFR part 245 expires on April 30, 2016. The revisions being 
requested are primarily adjustments due to updating the number of 
respondents.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted by March 14, 2016.

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 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 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 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: Sarah Smith-Holmes, Director of Program 
Monitoring and Operational Support Division, Child Nutrition Programs, 
Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park 
Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22302-1594. 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 Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) approval, and will become a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Smith-Holmes, Director of 
Program Monitoring and Operational Support Division; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: 7 CFR part 245--Determining Eligibility for Free and Reduced 
Price Meals and Free Milk in Schools.
    OMB Number: 0584-0026.
    Expiration Date: April 30, 2016.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: The Food and Nutrition Service administers the National 
School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, and the Special 
Milk Program as mandated by the Richard B. Russell National School 
Lunch Act (NSLA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 1751, et seq.), and the Child 
Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1771, et seq.). Per 7 CFR 
part 245, schools participating in these meal and milk programs must 
make free and reduced price meals and free milk available to eligible 
children. This information collection obtains eligibility information 
for free and reduced price meals and free milk and also incorporates 
verification procedures as required to confirm eligibility. The 
Programs are administered at the State and local educational agency 
levels and

[[Page 1603]]

operations include direct certification, the submission of household 
size and income applications for school meal/milk benefits, record 
maintenance, and public notification. The information collection burden 
associated with this revision is summarized in the chart below. The 
difference in burden is mainly due to updating the number of 
participating school food authorities and local educational agencies 
and the number of households having to submit an application. All of 
the reporting and recordkeeping requirements associated with this 
information collection are currently approved by the Office of 
Management and Budget and are in force. This is a revision of the 
currently approved information collection.
    Affected Public: State Agencies, School Food Authorities, Schools, 
and Individuals/Households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 5,449,186 (56 SAs, 19,822 SFAs, 
5,390,000 households).
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 3.035.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 16,540,513.
    Estimated Hours per Response: 0.0580889.
    Estimated Total Annual Reporting Burden: 947,920.
    Estimated Total Annual Recordkeeping Burden: 5,958.
    Estimated Total Annual Public Disclosure Burden: 6,943.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 960,821.
    Current OMB Inventory for Part 245: 966,023.
    Difference (Burden Revisions Requested with this renewal): -5,202.
    Refer to the following table for estimated annual burden per each 
type of respondent:

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                                                   (c) Estimated   (d) Estimated                   (f) Estimated
                                   (b) Estimated      number       total annual    (e) Estimated   total annual
       (a) Affected public            number       responses per  responses (b x     hours per     burden hours
                                    respondents     respondent          c)           response         (d x e)
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                                                    Reporting
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State Agencies..................              56           5.018             281           0.637             179
School Food Authorities.........          19,600         557.247      10,922,050           0.025         274,741
Individuals/Households..........       5,390,000            1.03       5,551,000           0.121         673,000
    Total Reporting Burden......       5,409,656           3.045      16,473,331           0.058         947,920
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                                                  Recordkeeping
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State Agencies..................              54         125.772           6,792           0.249           1,691
School Food Authorities.........          19,600           1.056          20,692           0.206           4,267
    Total Recordkeeping Burden..          19,654           1.398          27,484           0.217           5,958
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                                               Public Notification
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State Agencies..................              54               1              54           0.100               5
School Food Authorities.........          19,822               2          39,644           0.175           6,938
    Total Recordkeeping Burden..          19,876               2          39,698            0.17           6,943
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                              Total Reporting, Recordkeeping and Public Disclosure
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Reporting.......................       5,409,656           3.045      16,473,331           0.058         947,920
Recordkeeping...................          19,654           1.398          27,484           0.217           5,958
Public Disclosure...............          19,876               2          39,698            0.17           6,943
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    Total Reporting,                   5,449,186  ..............      16,540,513  ..............         960,821
     Recordkeeping, and Public
     Disclosure Burden..........
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    Dated: December 29, 2015.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-00514 Filed 1-12-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P