[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 146 (Monday, July 30, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36515-36516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16220]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Evaluation of 
Technology Modernization for SNAP Benefit Redemption Through Online 
Transactions for the USDA Food and Nutrition Service

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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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 new 
collection to test the feasibility of online purchasing for SNAP 
through Evaluation of Technology Modernization for SNAP Benefit 
Redemption through Online Transactions for the USDA. The final report 
will synthesize findings across pilots and detailed appendix chapters 
will integrate implementation and integrity evaluation findings for 
each pilot. This collection includes in-depth interviews with key 
informants, including SNAP online retailers and their web service 
providers, the designated third-party processor for the pilots, EBT 
processors, and State Agency EBT coordinators; and preparation and 
transmission of data from retailers and their web service providers, 
EBT processors, the third-party processor, and state SNAP agencies.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before September 28, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Eric Williams, Food and Nutrition 
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 
1014, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted via fax to 
the attention of Eric Williams at 703-305-2576 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 Eric 
Williams at 703-305-2576.

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: Evaluation of Technology Modernization for SNAP Benefit 
Redemption through Online Transactions for the USDA Food and Nutrition 
Service.
    OMB Number: Not Yet Assigned.
    Expiration Date: Not Yet Determined.
    Type of Request: New collection.
    Abstract: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 
offers nutrition assistance to low-income individuals and families and 
provides economic benefits to communities. The Agricultural Act of 2014 
(Farm Bill) mandated the Online Purchasing Pilots to test the 
feasibility and implications of allowing retail food stores to accept 
SNAP benefits through online transactions. Prior to the pilots, SNAP 
benefits could only be redeemed in person. The Farm Bill provided FNS 
and its stakeholders an opportunity to begin modernizing benefit 
redemption through online purchasing for SNAP. For customers using 
SNAP, online shopping may increase access to healthy and affordable 
foods, save time, and reduce other barriers to better nutrition. 
Current participating retailers can offer online shopping, and online 
merchants can gain the opportunity to serve SNAP customers. For program 
integrity, online shopping represents opportunities to identify 
suspicious behavior, but also new ways that benefit misuse and fraud 
may occur.
    To test the feasibility of online purchasing for SNAP, FNS 
established eight online purchasing pilots and requested volunteers on 
September 15, 2016 (OMB Control No.: 0584-0606, expiration date 3/31/
2019) for the Evaluation of Technology Modernization for SNAP Benefit 
Redemption through Online Transactions (Evaluation of Online Purchasing 
Pilots). Through this evaluation, FNS seeks to learn how the pilots 
operate, the implementation challenges and lessons learned, the 
characteristics of SNAP online customers, the risks and benefits of 
online purchasing for the integrity of SNAP, and the requirements for 
expansion.
    Through the Evaluation of Online Purchasing Pilots, the research 
team will address FNS' two interrelated objectives: the analyses of the 
pilots' (1) implementation and (2) integrity. Implementation study 
questions relate to: The SNAP online transaction approaches; the 
process, challenges, and lessons of implementation; the characteristics 
of SNAP households that shop online; and the level of effort for 
stakeholders (e.g., retailers, states, EBT processors). Integrity study 
questions focus on: Delivery patterns and their relationship to 
customer addresses and retailer locations; customer profiles and their 
relationship to EBT cards and SNAP households; customer shopping 
patterns; and problems such as refunds and cart abandonment. To meet 
these two overarching objectives, the research team will collect and 
analyze qualitative data from key informants and quantitative 
administrative data about online transactions, retailers, and SNAP 
households that will be provided by FNS, retailers, and state SNAP 
agencies. The implementation and integrity analyses will inform FNS' 
decisions about whether and how to make SNAP online purchases more 
widely available, and how to ensure that protections against abuse 
remain strong or grow stronger. Eight retailers in eight states are 
participating in the pilot, we anticipate 100 percent participation.
    Affected Public: State, Local and Tribal Agencies; Business-for-
profit.
    Respondent Types: The study includes in-depth interviews with a 
total of four respondent groups. Three are business respondents: (1) 
Personnel from online retailers, including project managers, customer 
service managers,

[[Page 36516]]

staff who handle fulfillment of orders, IT personnel or third-party web 
service providers; (2) EBT processor staff; and (3) third-party 
processor staff. The fourth state SNAP agency staff, including State 
Agency EBT coordinators. Staff from two of these respondent groups 
(retailers or their third-party web service providers and state SNAP 
agencies) will also provide data files for the quantitative analysis.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of 
respondents is 177. This includes: 24 retailer staff who handle the 
fulfillment, shipping, and delivery of EBT customer orders; 24 retailer 
customer service managers; 16 retailer IT personnel or third-party web 
service providers; 32 retailer project managers; 16 retailer personnel 
who completed the pilot application; 8 retailer/web provider data 
managers; 8 retailer/web provider staff who will prepare and transfer 
the detailed transaction file; 8 retailer/web provider staff who will 
prepare and transfer the aggregated file; 6 EBT processor managers; 3 
third-party processor personnel; 16 State agency EBT coordinators; 8 
State Agency SNAP program or data staff.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: The total estimated 
number of responses is 2.232 responses per respondent. Retailer 
personnel (personnel who handle the fulfillment, shipping, and delivery 
of EBT customer orders, customer service managers, IT personnel or 
third-party web service providers, project managers, and personnel who 
completed the pilot application) will respond to one in-person 
interview or one telephone interview. Managers for two EBT processors 
will respond to one in-person interview and two telephone interviews 
for a total of three responses each. Third-party processor managers 
will respond to one in-person interview and two telephone interviews. 
State EBT coordinators will respond to one in-person interview. 
Retailer or web provider data managers will participate in three 
meetings to discuss the format and transfer of each of two types of 
files (detailed transaction file and aggregated file). These 
respondents will transmit detailed and aggregated data files nine 
times. State agency SNAP program or data staff will each participate in 
discussion and initial programming of the SNAP case record file data 
transfer once and provide eight update files.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 395.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1.6 hours is the average estimated 
time per participant. However, response times varies from 1 hour to 21 
hours per response and depending on respondent group, as shown in the 
table below.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 37,800 minutes (630 
hours). See the table below for estimated total annual burden for each 
type of respondent.

 
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                                                                                     Estimated
                                     Estimated       Responses     Total annual   average number     Estimated
           Respondent                 number       annually per      responses     of hours per     total hours
                                    respondent      respondent                       response
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Retailer personnel who handle                 24            1.00           24.00         1.00000          24.000
 the fulfillment, shipping, and
 delivery of EBT customer orders
Retailer customer service                     24            1.00           24.00         1.00000          24.000
 managers.......................
Retailer IT personnel or third-               16            1.00           16.00         1.00000          16.000
 party web service provider
 personnel......................
Retailer project managers.......              32            1.00           32.00         1.50000          48.000
Retailer personnel who completed              16            1.00           16.00         1.00000          16.000
 the pilot application..........
Retailer/web provider data                     8            3.00           24.00         2.00000          48.000
 managers who will participate
 in file transfer discussion....
Retailer/web provider staff who                8            9.00           72.00         1.00000          72.000
 will prepare and transfer the
 detailed transaction file......
Retailer/web provider staff who                8            9.00           72.00         1.00000          72.000
 will prepare and transfer the
 aggregated file................
Third-Party processor personnel.               3            3.00            9.00         2.00000          18.000
EBT processor managers..........               6            3.00           18.00         2.00000          36.000
State agency EBT coordinators...              16            1.00           16.00         1.00000          16.000
State agency SNAP program/data                 8            1.00            8.00        21.00000         168.000
 staff who will participate in
 file transfer discussion and
 initial programming............
State agency SNAP program/data                 8            8.00           64.00         1.00000          64.000
 staff..........................
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    Total Reporting Burden......             177  ..............             395  ..............             622
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    Dated: July 19, 2018.
Brandon Lipps,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-16220 Filed 7-27-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P