[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 175 (Tuesday, September 14, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51098-51110]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-19722]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 175 / Tuesday, September 14, 2021 / 
Notices  

[[Page 51098]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study-II

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

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) 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 for 
the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study-II (SNMCS-II; OMB control 
number 0584-0648, expiration date 09/30/2022), with updated data 
collection instruments for school year (SY) 2022-2023. The purpose of 
SNMCS-II is to provide a comprehensive picture of school food service 
operations and the nutritional quality, cost, and acceptability of 
meals served in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School 
Breakfast Program (SBP).

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received on or before 
November 15, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Holly Figueroa, Office of Policy 
Support, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
1320 Braddock Pl., 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314. Comments may also 
be submitted via fax to the attention of Holly Figueroa 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 Holly 
Figueroa at [email protected] or 703-305-2105.

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: School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study-II.
    Form Number: N/A.
    OMB Number: 0584-0648.
    Expiration Date: 09/30/2022.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: SNMCS-II will provide a comprehensive picture of the NSLP 
and SBP, and will provide critical information about the nutritional 
quality, cost, and acceptability of school meals ten years after major 
reforms began being phased in during the 2012-2013 school year (SY). 
SNMCS-II will collect a broad range of data from nationally 
representative samples of public school food authorities (SFAs), 
public, non-charter schools, students, and parents/guardians during SY 
2022-2023. Data collection was originally scheduled to occur in SY 
2019-2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These data 
will provide Federal, State, and local policymakers with current 
information about how federally sponsored school meal programs are 
operating by updating the information that was collected in SY 2014-
2015 for the first School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study (SNMCS-I; OMB 
control number 0584-0596, expiration date 07/31/2017). In addition, 
findings from SNMCS-II will be compared to those from SNMCS-I to 
explore trends in key domains including the nutrient content of school 
meals, meal costs and revenues, and student participation, plate waste, 
and dietary intakes. SNMCS-II will also estimate the costs of producing 
reimbursable school meals in up to five States and Territories outside 
of the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia (DC), and 
examine the relationship of costs to revenues in those five outlying 
areas. Section 28(a) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 
Act authorizes this assessment of the cost of producing meals, and the 
nutrient profile of meals under the NSLP and SBP.
    The sample frame of SFAs is divided into four groups, including the 
outlying areas. Samples in Groups 1, 2, and 3 are limited to the 
contiguous 48 States and DC. The outlying areas sample includes SFAs in 
Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Two 
assessments to determine the feasibility of collecting comprehensive 
cost data in the outlying areas were conducted between 2018 and 2019 
under OMB #0584-0606 FNS Generic Clearance for Pre-Testing, Pilot, and 
Field Test Studies, expiration date 06/30/2022 (School Nutrition and 
Meal Cost Study-II, Outlying Areas Cost Study Feasibility Assessment 
and School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study-II, Outlying Areas Cost Study 
Feasibility Reassessment). Based on these assessments, ``full'' data 
collection will be conducted with Alaska, Guam, and Hawaii, while 
``limited'' data collection will be conducted with Puerto Rico and the 
U.S. Virgin Islands. The burden associated with these assessments is 
not included in the burden estimates for this collection.
    Data collected from the Group 1 sample will provide the precision 
required for national estimates of SFA-level characteristics and food 
service operations. Data collected from the Group 2 sample will be used 
to address study objectives related to the school nutrition environment 
and food service operations; the food and nutrient content of school 
meals; student participation in the NSLP and SBP; student/parent 
satisfaction with the school meal programs; and students'

[[Page 51099]]

characteristics and dietary intakes. Data collected from the Group 3 
sample will be used to address study objectives related to the school 
nutrition environment and food service operations; the food and 
nutrient content of school meals; the costs to produce reimbursable 
school lunches and breakfasts, including indirect and local 
administrative costs, and the ratios of revenues to costs; and plate 
waste in the school meals programs. Data collected from the outlying 
areas sample will be used to estimate the costs of producing 
reimbursable school meals and the ratios of revenues to costs in each 
outlying area.

    Note: Personally identifiable information (PII) will not be used 
to retrieve survey records or data.

    Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments respondent 
groups include: (1) State Child Nutrition Agency directors; (2) State 
Education Agency finance officers; (3) school district superintendents; 
(4) SFA directors; (5) local educational agency business managers; (6) 
menu planners; (7) school nutrition managers (SNMs); (8) principals; 
and (9) school study liaisons appointed by principals. Private Sector 
For-Profit Business respondents include food service management company 
managers. Individual/household-level respondents include: (1) Students 
(first grade through high school) and (2) their parents/guardians.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: A total of 15,017 unique 
respondents (9,583 respondents and 5,434 non-respondents) are expected 
to participate in the study. This includes 4,939 from State and Local 
Governments, 30 from Businesses, and 10,048 Individuals or Households. 
Initial contact will vary by type of respondent and may include study 
notification, recruiting, or data collection.
    The Group 1 sample includes 136 SFAs but no schools. Group 1 SFA 
directors will participate in the SFA Director Survey.
    The Group 2 sample comprises 133 SFAs, 265 schools, and 2,177 
students and their parents/guardians. SFA and school staff will 
participate in the SFA Director and School Planning Interviews; SFA 
Director, SNM, and Principal Surveys; the Basic Menu Survey and Meal 
Pattern Crediting Report; and Cafeteria Observation Guide and 
Competitive Foods Checklists. Students and parents/guardians will 
complete the Student Interview, including height and weight 
measurement; 24-dietary recall; and Parent Interview.
    The Group 3 sample includes 265 SFAs and 796 schools. SFA and 
school staff will participate in the SFA Director and School Planning 
Interviews; SFA On-Site Cost Interview and Food Cost Worksheet; SFA 
Follow-Up Web Survey and Cost Interview; SNM Cost Interview; Principal 
Cost Interview; SFA Director, SNM, and Principal Surveys; the Expanded 
Menu Survey and Meal Pattern Crediting Report; and Cafeteria 
Observation Guide and Competitive Foods Checklists. Forty-one State 
Education Agency finance officers will complete the State Agency 
Indirect Cost Survey. Plate waste will be observed for 4,140 
reimbursable lunches and 2,120 reimbursable breakfasts at a subsample 
of 138 schools among this Group 3 sample.
    In the outlying areas, following recruitment, SFA and school staff 
in 32 SFAs and 138 schools will complete the SFA Director and School 
Planning Interviews; SFA Cost Interview and Food Cost Worksheet; SFA 
Follow-Up Web Survey and Cost Interview; SNM Cost Interview; Principal 
Cost Interview; and the Expanded Menu Survey. One State Education 
Agency finance officer will complete the State Agency Indirect Cost 
Survey.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: All respondents will 
be asked to respond to each specific data collection activity only 
once. The overall average number of responses per respondent across the 
entire collection is 5.43 (81,502 responses/15,017 total respondents).
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 81,502.
    Estimated Time per Response: The estimated response varies from 1 
minute to 10 hours, depending on the data collection activity and 
respondent group, with an average estimated time of 21 minutes (0.3435 
hours) across all respondents.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 27,996 hours. This 
includes 26,562 hours for respondents and 1,434 hours for non-
respondents. See the table below for each type of respondent.

Cynthia Long,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P

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[FR Doc. 2021-19722 Filed 9-13-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-C