[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 129 (Monday, July 6, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40186-40187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-14446]



[[Page 40186]]

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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-C, FNS-252-E, FNS-252-FE, 
FNS-252-R and FNS-252-2

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

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before September 4, 
2020.

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 techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Comments may be sent to: Linda Sung-Lee, Acting Chief, Retailer 
Administration Branch, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, 
Retailer Policy and Management Division, Food and Nutrition Service, 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1320 Braddock Place, Room 5042, 
Alexandria, VA 22314. Comments may be faxed to the attention of Ms. 
Sung-Lee 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 1320 Braddock Place, Room 5042, Alexandria, Virginia 
22314, 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 Linda Sung-
Lee 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: January 31, 2021.
    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). For reauthorization, form FNS-252-R 
is used. In addition to these forms, during new 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 an application is correct. An FNS representative or store 
visit contractor obtains permission to complete 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 self-register 
for a Level 1 access account through the USDA eAuthentication system 
prior to starting 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) and the Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program (SNAP) revised all retailer application forms (paper 
and electronic) in January, 2018, as a result of regulatory changes 
required by the Act and amended by the 2014 Farm Bill.
    FNS seeks to renew the current information collection, and where 
appropriate, revise the information collection for all SNAP application 
forms (paper and electronic) to clarify questions, instructions and 
examples concerning stocking units of staple food varieties on a 
continuous basis and to add Individual Taxpayer Identification Number 
(ITIN) as an alternative form of documentation that respondents may 
submit to FNS in lieu of a Social Security Number. Such changes would 
include (1) replacing ``each variety'' with ``at least three 
varieties''; (2) adding one additional inventory stock example in each 
staple food category; (3) updating assistance materials such as General 
and Specific Instruction sections and on-line help screens; (4) 
inserting ``ITIN'' in the third, fourth, and seventh bullet of the Use 
and Disclosure--Routine Uses section; and (5) deleting the last two 
sentences in the last bullet of the Certification and Signature 
Statement regarding the General Service Administration's (GSA) System 
for Award Management (SAM). Upon advice of counsel, FNS no longer 
follows this business practice. FNS also intends to make minor 
grammatical changes for clarity along with design changes by adding 
spacing and horizontal lines separating Questions 21-26 and revise FNS' 
address listed in the Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Notice 
section. Due to recent SNAP website updates, FNS is also updating three 
website links within the application instructions. The links are: How 
to Apply; Contacting the RSC; and Retailer Training. Additionally, 
where applicable, the changes listed above will also be made to the 
following

[[Page 40187]]

application forms: FNS-252-2; FNS-252-C, FNS-252-R, FNS-252-E and FNS-
252 Spanish.
    FNS estimates that the hourly burden time per response associated 
with this information collection for respondents remains unchanged from 
our previous submission. The revisions to the application(s) are due to 
program adjustments and the update to Question 20a-d, the revision to 
the Privacy Act, Use and Disclosure--Routine Uses section, and the 
Certification and Signature Statement.
    FNS used FY 2019 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.
    As currently approved by OMB, the hourly burden rate per response 
varies by the type of application used and the response time per 
respondent varies from 1 minute to 19 minutes. We estimate the new 
burden, on average, to be 9.13 minutes per respondent. There is no 
recordkeeping burden associated with these forms.
    Affected Public: Business for Profit; Retail food stores; Farmers' 
Markets, Military Commissaries and Meal Services.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of 
respondents is 133,961 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: 133,961.
    Estimated Time per Response: 9.13 minutes (0.1534924). The 
estimated time response varies from 1 minute to 19 minutes depending on 
respondent group, as shown in the table below:

                                                            Table A--Reporting Estimate of Hour Burden: Summary of Burden--#0584-0008
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                                                                                                                                                          (e)  Total
                                                                      (a)  Description of                                 (c)  Number     (d)  Number       annual       (f)  Hours   (g)  Total
            Affected public                  Respondent type          collection activity           (b)  Form No.         respondents    responses per     responses        per         burden
                                                                                                                                          respondent         (cxd)        response      (exf)
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                                                                                            Reporting
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Farms, Business for not for profit....  SNAP Retailer, Farmers'    Applications Received....  252.....................           1,467               1           1,467       0.3167       464.59
                                         Market, and Meal Service. Applications Received....  252-E...................          28,556               1          28,556         0.25        7,139
                                                                   E-Authentication.........  252-E and FNS-252-FE....          29,509               1          29,509       0.1336     3,942.40
                                                                   Applications Received....  252-FE..................             953               1             953         0.25       238.25
                                                                   Applications Received....  252-2...................             571               1             571         0.25       142.75
                                                                   Applications Received....  252-C...................           4,574               1           4,574         0.25     1,143.50
                                                                   Store Visits.............  ........................          40,624               1          40,624       0.0167       678.42
                                                                   Reauthorization..........  252-R...................          27,703               1          27,703         0.25     6,925.75
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    Sub-Total For Farm & Business.....................................................................................         133,957               1         133,957    0.1524872    20,560.69
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Federal...............................  Military Commissaries....  Applications Received....  252-E...................               4               1               4       0.3167         1.26
                                                                   Reauthorization..........  252-R...................               0               1               0         0.25            0
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    Sub-Total For Federal Respondents.................................................................................               4               1               4       0.3167         1.26
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        Grand Total Reporting Burden..................................................................................         133,961               1         133,961     0.153492    20,561.95
SUMMARY OF BURDEN FOR THIS COLLECTION.................................................................................         133,961               1         133,961    0.1534924       20,562
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* Note: the respondents for the 252-E and the 252-FE are the same respondents for e-Authentication and therefore not double counted in the total number of respondents.


Pamilyn Miller,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-14446 Filed 7-2-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P