[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 235 (Friday, December 8, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57948-57949]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26494]



[[Page 57948]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Pre-Screening Tool

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 is a revision of a 
currently approved collection for a web-based pre-screening tool used 
by the general public to determine potential eligibility for 
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before February 6, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Sasha Gersten-Paal, Branch Chief, 
Certification Policy Branch, Program Development Division, Food and 
Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center 
Drive, Room 812 Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted 
via fax to the attention of Sasha Gersten-Paal at 703-305-2507 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: Requests for additional information or 
copies of this information collection should be directed to Sasha 
Gersten-Paal at 703-305-2705.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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.
    Title: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Pre-Screening Tool.
    Form Number: None.
    OMB Number: 0584-0519.
    Expiration Date: 03/31/2018.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: In June 2003, The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) 
deployed an interactive web-based pre-screening tool that can be 
utilized by the general public to determine the potential eligibility 
for benefits in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 
The pre-screening tool allows the English and Spanish speaking user to 
enter the household size, income, expenses and resource information in 
order to calculate an estimated range of benefits that the household 
may be eligible to receive. Since SNAP eligibility and benefit amount 
may vary based on program options States have implemented, FNS makes it 
clear that the tool is only an estimator and the household will need to 
contact the local agency to determine actual eligibility and the 
associated benefit amount.
    Some other data requested by the tool include:
     State or territory in which the user resides;
     Number of People: Number of people living in the 
household;
     First Name/Age/Disability;
     Citizenship: Whether each member is a U.S. citizen;
     Earned Income/Assets/Motor Vehicle Ownership;
     Migrant Workers: Whether anyone in the household is a 
seasonal or migrant farm worker;
     Homeless: Whether the household is homeless or living in a 
shelter;
     Utility expenses: Whether the client is billed for utility 
costs.
    Although the tool also requests the name and age of the user, FNS 
does not retain this information nor does it request other personally 
identifiable information such as social security numbers or birthdates 
of the household members. Once the user logs out of the system, none of 
the user-provided information is retained by FNS. FNS estimates it will 
take approximately 380,283 users about 10 minutes (.167 hours) to 
provide the required information to receive potential eligibility 
benefit information using the pre-screening tool. Users are expected to 
access the system once for a total annual response of 380,283. FNS 
estimates 63,507 burden hours for this activity.
    In reviewing SNAP participation data for FY 2014 to FY 2016, it was 
noticed that participation has decreased each year and this downward 
trajectory suggests that household participation in SNAP may continue 
to decline. Based on this analysis, and the number of potential 
applicants estimated to use the prescreening tool, FNS requests an 
annual burden inventory of 63,507 hours, which represents a decrease in 
3,716 hours since the last extension of this collection, which approved 
for 67,223 hours.
    Affected Public: Individuals and households, potential SNAP 
clients.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 380,283.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 380,283.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.167.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 63,507.

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                                                                             Estimated       Responses
             OMB No. 0584-0519                       Requirement             number of     annually per    Total annual      Hours per    Annual  burden
                                                                            respondents     respondent       responses       response          hours
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Affected Public...........................                                            INDIVIDUAL AND HOUSEHOLDS
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                                                                 Potential SNAP Clients
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Reporting Burden..........................  Completion of SNAP
                                            Pre-screening Tool..........         380,283               1         380,283           0.167          63,507
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    Reporting Totals....................................................         380,283               1         380,283           0.167          63,507
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[[Page 57949]]

    Dated: October 23, 2017.
Brandon Lipps,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-26494 Filed 12-7-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-30-P