[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 219 (Monday, November 14, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79411-79413]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-27334]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 219 / Monday, November 14, 2016 / 
Notices  

[[Page 79411]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Revision of Approved 
Information Collection; Comment Request--Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program (SNAP): Operating Guidelines, Forms and Waivers

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 this information collection. This is a revision of a currently 
approved collection. This information collection package consists of 
five components of State agency reporting and/or recordkeeping: a 
budget projection statement, a program activity report, State plans of 
operation updates, waiver requests and other plans and submissions such 
as advance planning documents for information systems and for 
electronic benefit transfer (EBT) systems.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before January 13, 2017.

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: Ralph Badette, Food and Nutrition Service, 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 818, 
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 written comments will be open for public inspection at the 
office of the Food and Nutrition Service during regular business hours 
(8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) at 3101 Park Center 
Drive, Room 810, Alexandria, Virginia 22302.
    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 Ralph 
Badette at 703-457-7717.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Operating Guidelines, Forms and Waivers.
    OMB Number: 0584-0083.
    Forms: FNS-366A; FNS-366B; SNAP Waiver Request Form
    Expiration Date: April 30, 2017.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: Section 16(a) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (the 
Act) authorizes 50 percent Federal reimbursement for State agency costs 
to administer the program. 7 CFR 272.2(a) of SNAP regulations requires 
that State agencies plan and budget program operations and establish 
objectives for the next year. The basic components of the State Plan of 
Operation are the Federal/State Agreement, the Budget Projection 
Statement (FNS-366A) and the Program Activity Statement (FNS-366B) (7 
CFR 272.2(a)(2)). Under 7 CFR 272.2(c), the State agency shall submit 
to FNS for approval a Budget Projection Statement (which projects total 
Federal administrative costs for the upcoming fiscal year) and a 
Program Activity Statement (which provides program activity data for 
the preceding fiscal year). In addition, certain attachments to the 
plan as specified in subparagraphs (c) and (d) are to be submitted. As 
specified in subparagraph (f), State agencies only have to provide FNS 
with changes to these attachments as they occur. Consequently, these 
attachments are considered State plan updates. Under Section 11(o) of 
the Act each State agency is required to develop and submit plans for 
the use of automated data processing (ADP) and information retrieval 
systems to administer SNAP. Section 16(a) of the Act authorizes partial 
Federal reimbursement of State costs for State ADP systems that the 
Secretary determines will assist meeting the requirements of the Act, 
meets conditions prescribed by the Secretary, are likely to provide 
more efficient and effective administration of the program, and are 
compatible with certain other Federally-funded systems.
    Under 7 CFR 277.18(c)(1) of SNAP regulations, State agencies must 
obtain prior written approval from FNS when it plans to acquire ADP 
equipment with a total acquisition cost of $5 million or more in 
Federal and State funds. The State agency must submit an Advance 
Planning Document (APD) prior to acquiring planning services and an 
Implementation APD prior to acquiring ADP equipment or services. 
Additionally, State agencies administering SNAP may submit formal 
written requests, SNAP waiver requests, to obtain approval from FNS to 
deviate from a specific program rule or regulation. Current procedures 
require that in order for FNS to approve a SNAP waiver request, the 
State agency must submit the SNAP Waiver Request Form via the SWIM 
application.
    In 2014, FNS submitted a change justification for the SNAP 
Recipient Trafficking Data Survey, which added 26.5 hours to this 
burden. This survey is no longer being conducted, and the associated 
hours are removed from this collection with this notice. The reporting 
burden for forms FNS-366A and FNS-366B was merged in 2015 with the 
burden for the Food Programs Reporting System (OMB control number 0584-
0594, expiration date September 30, 2019); therefore, reporting hours 
associated with these forms are removed from this collection with this 
notice. However, recordkeeping requirements for these forms remains in 
this OMB Control Number.

[[Page 79412]]

Burden Estimates

    The burden within this collection consists of reporting and 
recordkeeping burden for the State Plan of Operation Updates and APD 
Plans or Updates; reporting burden for SNAP Waiver Requests via the 
SNAP Workflow Information Management (SWIM) system; and recordkeeping 
burden for forms FNS-366A and FNS-366B. The current burden is 2,754 
hours. The revised estimated burden for this collection is 1,120.95 
hours (1,088.62 reporting hours and 32.33 recordkeeping hours). This 
results in a decrease of 1,633 hours, which is a result of removing the 
reporting burden for forms FNS-366A and FNS-366B and the SNAP 
Trafficking Survey from this collection. The calculation of the burden 
for each of these components is described below:

Reporting

    Reporting Burden Estimates:
    Affected Public: State, Local and Tribal Government Agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 8.35.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 442.3.
    Estimated Reporting Time per Response: 3.36.
    Estimated Annual Reporting Burden Hours: 1,088.62.
    State Plan of Operation Updates. Fifty-three (53) State agencies 
submit 1 response annually for a total of 53 annual responses. The 
reporting burden for submission of updates to State Plans of Operation 
is 6.58 hours per respondent, resulting in estimated burden hours of 
348.99 (53 x 6.5847 = 348.99).
    APD Plans or Updates. We estimate that up to 53 State agencies may 
submit on an average of four (4) APD, plan, or update submission for a 
total of 212 annual responses at an average estimate of 2.5 hours per 
respondent. The reporting burden is 530 hours.
    SNAP Waiver Request Form. FNS estimates that out of 53 State 
agencies 45 State will submit 3.94 of the three identified waivers 
annually for a total number of 177 Waivers annually. Completion and 
submission of these waivers take approximately 1 hour for a total of 
177 burden hours annually.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                             Time per         Annual
              Affected public                           Forms                Number of     Frequency of    Total annual      response        reporting
                                                                            respondents      response        responses         (hrs)       burden hours
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Agencies............................  Plan of Operation Updates...              53               1              53            6.58          348.99
                                            Other APD Plan or Update....              53               4             212             2.5             530
                                            SNAP Waiver Request Form                  45            3.94           177.3               1           177.3
                                             (SWIM).
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Reporting Total Burden Estimates......  ............................           53.00            2.98           442.3            3.36        1,056.29
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recordkeeping

    Recordkeeping Burden Estimates:
    Affected Public: State, Local and Tribal Government Agencies.
    Estimated Number of Recordkeepers: 53.
    Estimated Number of Records per Recordkeepers: 6.84.
    Estimated Total Annual Records: 363.
    Estimated Recordkeeping time per Recordkeepers: 0.07.
    Estimated Annual Recordkeeping Burden Hours: 31.77.
    FNS-366A. State agencies are required to submit to FNS for approval 
a Budget Projection Statement, Form FNS-366A, which includes 
projections of the total Federal costs for major areas of program 
operations. There is a total of 53 recordkeepers for each activity. 
Each State agency submits 1 response annually for a total of 53 annual 
responses. A copy is maintained for 3 years. It takes approximately 
0.05 minutes to maintain each record. Total annual recordkeeping burden 
for FNS-366A is estimated at 2.65 hours annually per recordkeeper.
    FNS-366B. State agencies are required to submit to FNS a Program 
Activity Statement, Form FNS-366B, providing a summary of program 
activity for the State agency's operations during its preceding fiscal 
year. Each State agency submits 1 response annually for a total of 53 
annual responses; each record takes approximately 0.05 minutes to 
maintain. The annual recordkeeping burden for FNS-366B is estimated 
annually at 2.65 hours per recordkeeper.
    State Plan of Operation Updates. Each State agency submits 1 
response annually for a total of 45 annual responses; each record takes 
approximately 0.07 minutes to maintain. The annual recordkeeping burden 
for updates to State Plans of Operation as attachments to the FNS-366B 
is 3.15 hours per record-keeper.
    Other APD Plans and Updates. FNS estimated that up to 53 State 
agencies may submit an average of 4 APD, Plan, or Update submissions 
and approximately 212 records at an average estimate of 0.11 minutes 
per record keeper for an estimated total of 23.32 recordkeeping burden 
for this activity hours.

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                                                                                            (d)  Number    (e)  Estimate
              Affected public                 (b)  Form No. or activity    (c )  Number     records per    total annual   (f)  Hours per    (g)  Total
                                                                           recordkeepers    respondent    records  (cxd)    recordkeeper   burden  (exf)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      RECORDKEEPING
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Agencies............................  FNS-366A....................              53               1              53            0.05            2.65
                                            FNS-366B....................              53               1              53            0.05            2.65
                                            Plan of Operations Updates..              45               1              45            0.07            3.15
                                            Other APD Plan or Update....              53               4             212            0.11           23.32
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Recordkeeping Total Burden Estimates..  ............................              53            1.75             363            0.07           31.77
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[[Page 79413]]

     Dated: October 26, 2016.
Telora T. Dean,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-27334 Filed 11-10-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P