[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 207 (Friday, October 25, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57386-57387]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-23217]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program: State Agency Options for Standard Utility 
Allowances and Self-Employment Income

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 collection is a revision 
of a currently approved collection. This information collection 
addresses the State agency reporting burden associated with the 
following State agency options under the Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program (SNAP): Establishing and reviewing standard utility 
allowances (SUAs) and establishing methodology for offsetting cost of 
producing self-employment income.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before December 24, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: The Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, invites interested 
persons to submit written comment.
     Preferred Method: Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov, and follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments electronically.
     Mail: Send comments to Certification Policy Branch, 
Program Development Division, FNS, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, 
Virginia 22302.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 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 the 
Certification Policy Branch, Program Development Division, FNS, 3101 
Park Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22302 or via email to 
[email protected].

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: State Agency 
Options for Standard Utility Allowances and Self-Employment Income.
    Form Number: None.
    OMB Number: 0584-0496.
    Expiration Date: March 31, 2020.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: The information collection addresses the mandatory State 
agency information and burden estimates associated with the following 
State agency options under SNAP: Establishing and reviewing SUAs and 
establishing methodology for offsetting cost of producing self-
employment income.
    SNAP regulations at 7 CFR 273.9(d)(6)(iii) allow State agencies to 
establish SUAs in place of the actual utility costs incurred by a 
household. State agencies are required to review and adjust SUAs 
annually to reflect changes in the costs of utilities. States must 
provide the amounts of the standards to FNS when they have changed, and 
submit methodologies used in developing and updating standards to FNS 
for approval when the methodologies are updated or changed.
    SNAP regulations at 7 CFR 273.11(b) allow for self-employment 
income to be reduced by the cost of producing such income. The 
regulations allow the State agencies, with approval from FNS, to 
establish the methodology for offsetting the costs of producing self-
employment income, as long as the procedure does not increase program 
costs. Most State agencies provide methodology information on written 
letterhead and typically submit it via email. Once approved by FNS, 
States can use these methodologies to determine net self-employment 
income for SNAP eligibility purposes.
    This notice invites comments on the revisions made to the State 
Agency Options information collection for SNAP to reflect changes in 
the number of States electing to establish a methodology for offsetting 
the costs of producing self-employment income. Based on information 
provided in the Fourteenth Edition of the SNAP State Options Report, 
published on May 31, 2018, FNS proposes increasing this figure from 21 
State agencies to 23 State agencies since the previous information 
collection renewal.
    Using FNS-388 and 388A (approved under OMB Control Number 0584-
0594; expiration date: 09/30/2019 (currently going through OMB approval 
process).), States send aggregate level data on participation, benefits 
issued, and other basic program information to FNS using the Food 
Programs Reporting System (FPRS) at https://fprs.fns.usda.gov. This 
collection uses information submitted in these FNS approved forms as 
supplemental data. However, this collection is not seeking approval for 
burden hours associated with the use of these forms because the burden 
is already accounted for under OMB Control Number 0584-0594.
    FNS is currently in the process of conducting a limited number of

[[Page 57387]]

consultations with State agencies and FNS staff regarding the accuracy 
of the burden estimates in this information collection, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions that were used to estimate 
the burden. The inputs from those consultations will be considered, 
along with the public comments received in response to this notice, as 
FNS finalizes the burden estimate to be included in the request for OMB 
for approval.
    Affected Public: The respondent group identified includes 53 State 
agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of 
respondents is 53.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: FNS estimates 53 
State agencies will submit one request each to adjust the SUA. Based on 
the information provided in the Fourteenth Edition of the SNAP State 
Options Report, out of the 53 State agencies, 23 State agencies have 
incorporated a methodology for determining the cost of doing business 
in self-employment cases. It is estimated that these 23 States will 
submit one request each, totaling 23 annual responses related to 
establishing a methodology for offsetting cost of producing self-
employment income. All 53 State agencies are required to keep and 
maintain one record of the information gathered and submitted to FNS 
for the SUA and self-employment options. Therefore, it is estimated 
that each respondent will be responsible for 2.4340 responses.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 129.
    Estimated Time per Response: 5.9395 (hours).
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 766.1957 (hours). See 
table below for estimated total annual burden for State agencies.

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                                                                                                                             Estimated
                                                                             Estimated       Responses     Total annual   average number     Estimated
               CFR citation                          Respondent              number of     annually per      responses     of hours per     total hours
                                                                            respondents     respondent                       response
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                                                                    Reporting Burden
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7 CFR 273.9(d)(6)(iii)....................  State Agency--Review of SUA               53               1              53              10             530
                                             Submissions.
7 CFR 273.11(b)...........................  State Agency--Review of Self-             23               1              23              10             230
                                             Employment Methodology.
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                               Total Reporting Burden...              53  ..............              76  ..............             760
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                                                                  Recordkeeping Burden
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                                            State Agency................              53               1              53          0.1169          6.1957
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                               Total Recordkeeping                    53  ..............              53  ..............          6.1957
                                                Burden.
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                                                       Total of Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden
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                                               Total....................              53  ..............             129  ..............        766.1957
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    Dated: October 7, 2019.
Pamilyn Miller,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-23217 Filed 10-24-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-30-P