[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 1, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10571-10573]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04443]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed collection; 
Comment Request--Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP)

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), 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 proposed information collection. This collection is a revision 
of a currently approved collection for the Senior Farmers' Market 
Nutrition Program (SFMNP).

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before May 2, 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.
    Written comments may be sent to: Kurtria Watson, Chief, Policy 
Branch, Supplemental Food Programs Division, Food and Nutrition 
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 
528, Alexandria, VA 22302. 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 this 
proposed information collection, contact Kurtria Watson, Chief, Policy 
Branch, Supplemental Food Programs Division, Food and Nutrition 
Service, USDA, 3101 Park Center Dr., Room 528, Alexandria, VA 22302.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP).
    Form Number: FNS 683A.
    OMB Number: 0584-0541.
    Expiration Date: May 31, 2016.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: Section 4203 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 
113-79, also known as the Farm Bill) reauthorized the Senior Farmers' 
Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) through fiscal year 2018; a prior law 
(the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-171)) 
gave the Department of Agriculture the authority to promulgate 
regulations for the operation and administration of the SFMNP. These 
regulations are published at 7 CFR part 249. The purposes of the SFMNP 
are to provide resources in the form of fresh, nutritious, unprepared, 
locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey and herbs from farmers' 
markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture (CSA) 
programs to low income seniors; to increase the domestic consumption of 
agricultural commodities by expanding or aiding in the expansion of 
domestic farmers' markets, roadside stands, and CSA programs; and to 
develop or aid in the development of new and additional farmers' 
markets, roadside stands, and CSA programs.
    USDA published a final rulemaking on the SFMNP on December 6, 2006 
(71 FR 74618), that contained an estimated information collection 
burden based on the rule's requirements for program operation and 
administration. SFMNP financial and program information is collected on 
the FNS Form 683A and is submitted annually to the Food and Nutrition 
Service (FNS) by participating SFMNP State agencies. This information 
is used to reconcile and close out grants in accordance with the 
requirements of 7 CFR 3016.23(b) and 7 CFR 3016.41(a)(1). Program 
information is also used by FNS for program planning purposes, and for 
reporting to Congress as needed. The previous SFMNP information 
collection burden was

[[Page 10572]]

approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 3 years, 
effective May 2013, under OMB#0584-0541. The Department is now 
soliciting comments on the accuracy and reasonableness of the renewal 
of this estimated burden.
    The estimated total annual Reporting and Recordkeeping burden for 
SFMNP information collection is 422,023 hours. This estimated total 
burden is 52,250 hours lower than the previously approved collection 
burden. While the number of State agencies has increased slightly, 
several SFMNP State agencies report a decrease in the number of 
participants served and number of authorized farmers' markets. In 
addition, several calculation errors were corrected in this revision, 
further reducing the estimate. See the table below for estimated total 
annual burden for each type of respondent.
    Affected Public: Respondents include State agencies, local 
agencies, individuals/households (participants), and authorized SFMNP 
farms (farmers, farmers' markets, roadside stands, and CSA programs).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of 
respondents is 804,714. This includes: State agencies, local agencies, 
individuals/households (participants), and authorized SFMNP farms 
(farmers, farmers' markets, roadside stands, and CSA programs).
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: The estimated number 
of responses per respondent across the entire collection is 3. For the 
reporting burden it is 2, while recordkeeping is 15,390.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 2,408,711. The total reporting 
responses are 1,608,451, while the total recordkeeping responses are 
800,260.
    Estimated Time per Response: The estimated time of response 
averages 0.18 hours for all participants. For the reporting burden, the 
estimated time of response varies from approximately 1 minute to 160 
hours, while the estimated time of response for the recordkeeping 
burden varies from 15 minutes to 40 hours, depending on the respondent 
group.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 422,023 hours. The 
reporting and recordkeeping burden is 219,579 and 202,444 hours, 
respectively. See the table below for estimated total annual burden for 
each type of respondent.

                                            Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program Burden Collection Chart
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                                                                             Estimated
            Regulation section                          Title                number of     Reports filed   Total annual   Estimated hrs/   Annual burden
                                                                            respondents      annually        response        response           hrs
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                          Affected Public: STATE & LOCAL AGENCIES (Including Indian Tribal Organizations and U.S. Territories)
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Reporting:
    249.3(d)..............................  Local Agency Applications...            1040              .5             520               2           1,040
    249.4.................................  State Plan..................              52               1              52              40           2,080
    249.6(a)(3)...........................  Certification data for                    52          15,385         800,000             .25         200,000
                                             seniors.
    249.10(b).............................  Review of vendor                          52              70            3622               1            3622
                                             applications.
    249.10(e).............................  Monitoring/review of outlets              52             7.0             362             1.5             543
    249.10(f).............................  Coupon/CSA management system              52               1              52               5             260
    249.10(h).............................  Coupon reconciliation.......              52               1              52               3             156
    249.11................................  Financial management system.              52               1              52              10             520
    249.12................................  Prior Approval for costs per               5               1               5             160             800
                                             2 CFR 200.
    249.17(b)(2)..........................  State agency corrective                    7               1               7              10              70
                                             action plans.
    249.18(b).............................  Audit responses.............               1               1               1              15              15
    249.23(b).............................  Financial/recipient reports.              52               1              52              40           2,080
    249.23(b).............................  Annual Financial and Program              52               1              52               2             104
                                             Data Report (FNS 683A).
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Subtotal..........................  (Reporting Requirements)....           1,092         737.022         804,829         0.26252         211,290
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                                        Affected Public: INDIVIDUALS/HOUSEHOLDS (Applicants for Program Benefits)
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Reporting:
    249.6.................................  Certification data for               800,000               1         800,000            0.01           8,000
                                             seniors.
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Subtotal..........................  (Reporting Requirements)....         800,000  ..............         800,000  ..............           8,000
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                                             Affected Public: Farms (Farmers/Markets/Roadside stands/CSA's)
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Reporting:
    249.10(b).............................  Farmer agreements...........           3,622               1           3,622            0.08             290
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Subtotal..........................  (Reporting Requirements)....           3,622  ..............           3,622  ..............             290
        Subtotal Reporting................  ............................         804,714               2       1,608,451            0.14         219,579
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                          Affected Public: STATE & LOCAL AGENCIES (Including Indian Tribal Organizations and U.S. Territories)
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Recordkeeping:
    249.9.................................  Nutrition education.........              52          15,385         800,000            0.25         200,000
    249.10(b).............................  Authorized outlet agreements              52               1              52               2             104
    249.10(e).............................  Summary of authorized outlet              52               1              52               2             104
                                             monitoring.
    249.11................................  Record of financial                       52               1              52               2             104
                                             expenditures.
    249.16(a).............................  Fair hearings...............              52               1              52               1              52
    249.23(a).............................  Record of program operations              52               1              52              40           2,080
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Subtotal..........................  (Recordkeeping Requirements)              52          15,390         800,260            0.25         202,444
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Total Burden....................  (Reporting & Recordkeeping).         804,714               3       2,408,711            0.18         422,023
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[[Page 10573]]

    Dated: February 22, 2016.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-04443 Filed 2-29-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-30-P