[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 17 (Wednesday, January 27, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4609-4610]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-01518]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Community Eligibility Provision Characteristics Study 
(CEP)

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, United States Department of 
Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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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 is a new collection for 
the Community Eligibility Provision Characteristics Study (CEP).

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before March 28, 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 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 John Endahl, Senior Program Analyst, Office 
of Policy Support, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, 3101 Park Center 
Drive, Room 1004, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted 
via fax to the attention of John Endahl 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 Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will 
be a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project, or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans 
contact John Endahl, Senior Program Analyst, Office of Policy Support, 
Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1004, 
Alexandria, VA 22302; Fax: 703-305-2576; Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Community Eligibility Provision Characteristics Study (CEP).
    Form Number: N/A.
    OMB Number: Not yet assigned.
    Expiration Date: Not yet determined.

[[Page 4610]]

    Type of Request: New collection.
    Abstract: The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) intends to request 
approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a clearance 
that will allow FNS to conduct the Community Eligibility Provision 
(CEP) Characteristics Study. The objective of the study is to examine 
operational issues and perceived incentives and barriers for adopting 
CEP as well as the impacts on NSLP and SBP participation and per meal 
revenues.
    Section 104(a) of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 
111-296) amended section 11(a)(1) of the Richard B. Russell National 
School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1) (the law) to provide an 
alternative to household applications for free and reduced-price meals 
in high poverty local education agencies (LEAs) and schools. This 
alternative is referred to as the Community Eligibility Provision 
(CEP).
    To be eligible, LEAs and/or schools must meet a minimum level (40%) 
of identified students for free meals in the year prior to implementing 
the provision; agree to serve free lunches and breakfasts to all 
students; not collect free and reduced-price applications from 
households in participating schools, and agree to cover with non-
Federal funds any costs of providing free meals to all students above 
amounts provided in Federal reimbursement.
    Reimbursement is based on claiming percentages derived from the 
identified student percentage (ISP). The Identified Students are 
students certified for free meals through means other than individual 
household applications. The claiming percentages established for a 
school in the first year may be used for a period of up to four school 
years and may be increased if direct certification percentages rise in 
that school.
    In accordance with the law, CEP was phased in over a period of 
several years. The provision was available to eligible LEAs and schools 
in three States (Illinois, Kentucky, and Michigan) selected by Food and 
Nutrition Service (FNS) for the school year (SY) 2011-12. An additional 
four States (the District of Columbia, New York, Ohio, and West 
Virginia) were added for SY 2012-13. FNS selected four more States 
(Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and Massachusetts) for SY 2013-14. CEP 
became available nationwide to all eligible LEAs and schools beginning 
July 1, 2014. As a result, in SY 2014-2015, approximately 14,000 
schools in more than 2,000 LEAs serving more than 6.4 million children 
elected to participate in CEP.
    A report was submitted to Congress that presented the results of an 
evaluation that examined the number of schools and LEAs that were 
eligible to receive special assistance payments under CEP, and 
described various attributes of those eligible schools and LEAs that 
elected or did not elect this provision. The evaluation also examined 
the impact of electing to receive special assistance payments under CEP 
on program participation, revenues, availability and type of school 
breakfast, LEA administrative costs, program integrity, and meal 
quality. The final report can be found on the FNS Web site (http://www.fns.usda.gov/community-eligibility-provision-evaluation). The 
Addendum describes the characteristics of LEAs and schools that 
participated in CEP in School Year 2013-14. It also describes how these 
characteristics differ for those high-poverty LEAs and schools that did 
not take up CEP.
    With the expansion of CEP nationwide, the CEP Characteristics Study 
will include surveys of nationally representative samples of 
participating and eligible non-participating LEAs to obtain updated 
information on the characteristics of participating and non-
participating districts and schools. The study will update information 
obtained in the Implementation Study component of the Community 
Eligibility Provision Evaluation. It will also examine CEP impacts on 
student participation and per meal revenue.
    Affected Public: Respondent categories of affected public and the 
corresponding study participants will include: State Agency Child 
Nutrition Directors, CEP eligible SFAs with schools participating in 
the CEP and CEP eligible SFAs with no schools that elect to participate 
in the CEP.
    Number of Respondents: 1,040 annually.
    Frequency of Responses: Once per year.
    Average Burden Hours per Response: 1.52 hours.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,308 hours. See the table below for 
estimated total annual burden for each type of respondent.

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                                                                                                                                                           Average
                                                                      Number of     Frequency      Average       Annual       Number of     Frequency      burden        Annual         Total
                     Data collection  activity                       respondents  of responses     burden        burden         non-      of responses   (hours per      burden        annual
                                                                      (annual)       (annual)    (hours per       hours      respondents     (annual)       non-      hours  (non-     burden
                                                                                                  response)                   (annual)                    response)     response)
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CN Director Survey................................................            52             1          0.75            39             0             1         0.083             0            39
SFA Director Survey (participating SFAs)..........................           386             1           1.5           579            96             1         0.083             8           587
SFA Director Survey (non-participating)...........................           386             1           1.0           386            96             1         0.083             8           394
CEP Impact Study Information--Phase 1.............................            12             1            16           192             0             1         0.083             0           192
CEP Impact Study information--Phase 2.............................            12             1             8            96             0             1         0.083             0            96
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                                                                             848             1          1.52         1,292           192             1         0.083            16         1,308
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    Dated: January 19, 2016.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-01518 Filed 1-26-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-30-P