[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 24, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3295-3296]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-01279]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 16 / Wednesday, January 24, 2018 / 
Notices  

[[Page 3295]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request--
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Waivers Under Section 6(o) of 
the Food and Nutrition Act

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. The purpose of Section 6(o) of the Food 
and Nutrition Act is to establish a time limit of the receipt of 
benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for 
certain able-bodied adults who are not working. The provision 
authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, upon a State agency's request, 
to waive the provision for any group of individuals if the Secretary 
determines ``that the area in which the individuals reside has an 
unemployment rate of over 10 percent, or does not have a sufficient 
number of jobs to provide employment for the individuals.'' As required 
by the statute, in order to receive a waiver the State agency must 
submit sufficient supporting information so that the United States 
Department of Agriculture (USDA) can make the required determination as 
to the area's unemployment rate or insufficiency of available jobs. 
This collection of information is, therefore, necessary in order to 
obtain waivers of the SNAP time limit.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before March 26, 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 Program Waivers of Section 
6(o) of the Food and Nutrition Act.
    Form Number: None.
    OMB Number: 0584-0479.
    Expiration Date: 3/31/2018.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: Section 824 of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
Opportunity and Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), Public Law 104-
193, 110 of Stat. 2323 amended Section 6(o) of the Food Stamp act of 
1997 (7 U.S.C. 2015(o)) to establish a time limit for the receipt of 
food stamp benefits for certain able-bodied adults without dependents 
(ABAWDs) who are not working at least 20 hours per week. This time 
limit applies only to adults between 18 and 50 years of age that do not 
have children or adult dependents in their SNAP household. ABAWD 
recipient eligibility is limited to three months within a 36 month 
period, unless the individual is working, or participating in a 
designated employment and training activity, for 20 hours per week. 
(Note. Pursuant to the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. 
L. 110-234, 112 Stat. 923, enacted May 22, 2008), the Food Stamp Act 
was renamed the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 and the Food Stamp 
Program was renamed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 
[SNAP].)
    The provision authorizes that upon the request of a State agency, 
the Secretary of Agriculture may waive this provision for any group of 
individuals if the Secretary determines ``that the area in which the 
individuals reside has an unemployment rate of over 10 percent or does 
not have a sufficient number of jobs to provide employment for the 
individuals.'' As required in the statute, in order to receive a 
waiver, the State agency must submit sufficient supporting information 
so that the Secretary can make the required determination as to the 
area's unemployment rate or insufficiency of available jobs. This 
collection of information is necessary in order to obtain waivers of 
the SNAP ABAWD time limit.
    Based on the experience of the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) 
during calendar year 2016, FNS projects that 36 out of 53 State 
agencies will submit requests for a waiver of the time limit for ABAWD 
recipients based on a high unemployment rate or an insufficient number 
of jobs. A typical State waiver request includes several geographic 
areas and each geographic area may include multiple cities or counties. 
FNS projects that of the 36 requests each year, 34 will be based on 
labor market data and 2 will be based on a Labor Surplus Area (LSA) 
designation by the Department of Labor (DOL). FNS estimates a response 
time of 35 hours for each waiver request based on labor market data, 
which require detailed analysis of labor markets within the State. FNS 
estimates a burden of 4 hours per respondent for waivers based on an 
LSA designation, as the data required to

[[Page 3296]]

support these waivers is readily available from the DOL website and 
requires minimal preparation by State agencies. FNS projects a total of 
1,198 hours.
    Affected Public: State Agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 36.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 36.
    Estimated Time per Response: Varies between 4 to 35 Hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,136.

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                                                                             Estimated       Response
             OMB No. 0584-0479                       Requirement             number of     annually per    Total annual      Hours per     Annual burden
                                                                            respondents     respondent       responses       response          hours
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Affected Public: State Agencies
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporting Burden..........................  Submission of waiver request              34               1              34              35           1,190
                                             based on labor market data.
                                            Submission of waiver request               2               1               2               4               8
                                             based on Labor Surplus Area
                                             designation.
                                           -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Reporting Totals......................  ............................              36  ..............  ..............  ..............           1,198
                                           -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total Reporting Burden................  ............................  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............           1,198
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    Dated: January 8, 2018.
Brandon Lipps,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-01279 Filed 1-23-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-30-P