[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 31 (Thursday, February 16, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10871-10873]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-03078]


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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.

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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 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-
FE; FNS-252-R; FNS-252-2; and FNS-252-C).

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before April 17, 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 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

[[Page 10872]]

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.
    Form Number: FNS-252; 252-E; 252-FE; 252-R; 252-2; and 252-C.
    OMB Number: 0584-0008.
    Expiration Date: August 31, 2017.
    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.
    FNS is also responsible for requiring updates to application 
information and 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 requirements. The Act specifies that 
only those applicants whose participation will ``effectuate the 
purposes of the program'' should be authorized.
    There are six forms associated with this approved Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) information collection number 0584-0008--
the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Application for Stores, 
Forms FNS-252 (English and Spanish) and FNS-252-E (paper and online 
version respectively); Farmer's Market Application, Form FNS-252-FE; 
Meal Service Application, Form FNS-252-2; Reauthorization Application, 
Form FNS-252-R; and the Corporation Supplemental Application, Form FNS-
252-C used for individual (chain) stores under a corporation. For new 
authorizations, the majority of applicants use form FNS-252 or FNS-252-
E (paper or online, respectively). 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, form FNS-252-R is used for reauthorization. In addition to 
these forms, 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.
    Applicants using form FNS-252-E or FNS-252-FE must also first self-
register for a Level 1 access account through the USDA eAuthentication 
system in order to start an online application. USDA eAuthentication 
facilitates the electronic authentication of an individual.
    The Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill) amended the Food and 
Nutrition Act of 2008 (the Act) to increase the requirement that 
certain SNAP authorized food stores have available on a continual basis 
at least three varieties of items in each of four staple food 
categories, to a mandatory minimum of seven varieties. The 2014 Farm 
Bill also amended the Act to increase, for certain SNAP authorized 
retail food stores, the minimum number of categories which perishable 
foods are required from two to three. Further, using existing authority 
in the Act and feedback from a Request for Information that was 
published in the Federal Register on August 20, 2013, FNS proposed some 
additional changes. Among other items, these proposed changes would 
address depth of stock, amend the definition of ``staple foods'', and 
amend the definition of ``retail food store'' to clarify when a 
retailer is a restaurant rather than a retail food store. These changes 
were made in the final rule titled ``Enhancing Retailer in the 
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which was published in 
the Federal Register on December 15, 2016 (81 FR 90675).
    FNS seeks to renew the current information collection, and where 
appropriate, revise the information collection of all SNAP application 
forms (paper and electronic), in order to clarify and/or reword 
questions, instructions, and examples as a result of these regulatory 
changes required by the Act and amended by the Farm Bill. Such changes 
would include (1) revision to the Food Inventory section; (2) 
additional inventory stock examples of perishables and varieties of 
staple food items; (3) additional questions that ask whether the store 
has a Web site, whether optical scanners are used at the store, the 
name and address of the financial institution where SNAP deposits will 
be made, and whether the store offers any incentives or discounts to 
SNAP recipients; and (4) update assistance materials such as the 
General and Specific Instruction sections and on-line help screens.
    FNS used FY 2016 data in our calculation of burden estimates 
associated with this information collection as this was the most 
complete data available to us at this time. Table A below clarifies the 
burden of this information collection.
    The total burden hours associated with this information collection 
increased by approximately 2.33 minutes. The response time per 
respondent varies from 1 minute to 14.11 minutes. We estimate the new 
burden, on average, to be 6.34 minutes per respondent, an increase from 
6.11 minutes. 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 127,597 annually.
    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: 127,597.
    Estimated Time per Response: 6.34 minutes (0.109548). The estimated 
time response varies from 1 minute to 14.11 minutes depending on 
respondent group, as shown in the table below:

[[Page 10873]]



                                        Table A--Reporting Estimate of Hour Burden: Summary of Burden--#0584-0008
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                                                                                                       (d) Number   (e) Total
                                          (a) Description of                              (c) Number   responses      annual     (f) Hours    (g) Total
           Affected public               collection activity        (b) Form number      respondents      per       responses       per       burden  (e
                                                                                                       respondent    (c x d)      response       x f)
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                                                                        Reporting
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Retailers............................  Applications Received..  252....................        1,240            1        1,240      0.23638          293
                                       Applications Received..  252-E..................       31,919            1       31,919      0.16861        5,382
                                       E-Authentication.......  252-E and FNS-252-FE...       33,399            1       33,399      0.13360        4,462
                                       Applications Received..  252-FE.................        1,480            1        1,480      0.21861          324
                                       Applications Received..  252-2..................          372            1          372      0.19416           72
                                       Applications Received..  252-C..................        4,594            1        4,594      0.08350          384
                                       Store Visits...........  .......................       40,522            1       40,522      0.01670          677
                                       Reauthorization........  252-R..................       14,071            1       14,071      0.16944        2,384
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    Total Reporting Burden.............................................................      127,597            1      127,597       13,978
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                                                                                          Number of     Estimate     Estimate     Estimate     Estimate
                                                                                         respondents     annual       total      hours per      total
                                                                                                       responses      annual      response      annual
                                                                                                          per       responses                 burden for
                                                                                                       respondent                              this ICR
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Summary of Burden for This Collection                                                        127,597            1      127,597    0.1029542       13,978
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    Dated: February 8, 2017.
Jessica Shahin,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-03078 Filed 2-15-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-30-P