[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 64 (Monday, April 4, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19470-19473]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-07020]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Reasons for 
Underredemption of the WIC Cash-Value Benefit

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 NEW 
information collection. This study informs the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) about the reasons behind 
underredemption of the cash-value benefit (CVB) issued to participants 
in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and 
Children (WIC). In particular, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 
(ARPA), which was signed into law in March 2021, included provisions 
allowing the USDA to temporarily increase the CVV/B for certain food 
packages through September 30, 2021. This increased CVB amount may 
reduce barriers to full utilization of the benefit. FNS is particularly 
interested in how State agency policies and practices as well as the 
temporary benefit increase affects CVB redemption rates.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before June 3, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to Ruth Morgan, Food and Nutrition 
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1320 Braddock Place, 
Alexandria, VA 22314. Comments may also be submitted via fax to the 
attention of Ruth Morgan at 703-305-2576 or via email at 
[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 Ruth Morgan 
at 703-457-7759.

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: Reasons for Underredemption of the WIC Cash-Value Benefit.
    Form Number: N/A.
    OMB Number: Not Yet Assigned.
    Expiration Date: Not Yet Determined.
    Type of Request: New Collection.
    Abstract: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, 
Infants, and Children (WIC) provides nutritious supplemental foods, 
healthcare referrals, breastfeeding support, and nutrition education to 
low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants and 
children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk. A Final Rule, Special 
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): 
Revisions in the WIC Food Packages, was published in the Federal 
Register on March 4, 2014 (79 FR 12274) that revised the WIC food 
packages to add a monthly cash-value benefit (CVB) for the purchase of 
fruits and vegetables. This rule also detailed specific provisions for 
the value of the CVB, the types of fruits and vegetables authorized, 
and other State options for providing this benefit. Recent studies have 
estimated that redemption rates for CVBs range from 73 percent to 77 
percent; 1 2 however, the reasons for

[[Page 19471]]

underredemption of this benefit have not been fully explored. FNS has 
funded this study to determine the barriers to CVB redemption and the 
effects of State agency policies, practices, and other factors on CVB 
redemption rates.
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    \1\ Phillips, D., Bell, L., Morgan, R., & Pooler, J. (2014). 
Transition to EBT in WIC: Review of impact and examination of 
participant redemption patterns: Final report. Retrieved from 
https://altarum.org/sites/default/files/uploaded-publication-files/Altarum_Transition%20to%20WIC%20EBT_Final%20Report_071614.pdf.
    \2\ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 
(2017). Review of WIC food packages: Improving balance and choice: 
Final report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. DOI: 
https://doi.org/10.17226/23655.
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    There are a variety of WIC State agency policies and practices that 
may contribute to CVB underredemption, including but not limited to: 
Vendor authorization and selection policies, the forms of fruits and 
vegetables allowed, vendor minimum stocking requirements, and 
participant tools and training available. Other State and household 
factors may also affect redemption rates, such as geographic access to 
WIC vendors or household preferences for certain types of fruits and 
vegetables. In addition, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), 
which was signed into law on March 11, 2021 (Pub. L. 117-2), included 
provisions allowing the USDA to temporarily increase the CVV/B for 
certain food packages through September 30, 2021. This provision 
increased the current monthly amounts from $9 for children and $11 for 
women to up to $35 monthly.\3\ On September 30, 2021, Congress passed 
Public Law 117-43 (Extending Government Funding and Delivering 
Emergency Assistance Act) to extend the CVB increase until December 31, 
2021. This extension aligned WIC benefit levels with the National 
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) 
recommendations of $24/month for children, $43/month for pregnant and 
postpartum participants, and $47/month for breastfeeding participants. 
On December 2, 2021, Congress passed Public Law 117-70 (Further 
Extending Government Funding Act) which further extended the CVB 
benefit at the NASEM-recommended amounts through March 31, 2022.\4\ 
These increased CVB amounts may reduce barriers to full utilization of 
the benefit. The temporary CVB increase offers a unique opportunity to 
test whether CVB redemption rates changed after implementation and 
whether certain State policy and participant-level factors impacted 
these rate changes.
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    \3\ USDA FNS (2021). WIC Policy Memorandum #2021-3: State Agency 
Option to Temporarily Increase the Cash-Value Voucher/Benefit for 
Fruit and Vegetable Purchases. Retrieved from: https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/policy-memorandum-2021-3.
    \4\ USDA FNS (2021). WIC Policy Memorandum #2022-2: Extending 
the Temporary Increase in the Cash-Value Voucher/Benefit. Retrieved 
from: https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/policy-memo-2022-2-extending-temporary-increase-cash-value-voucher-benefit.
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    In order to identify the factors associated with CVB redemption and 
examine the effects of State agency policies and practices on CVB 
redemption rates, FNS is conducting a study in 12 States, with more in-
depth data collection occurring in 8 of these States. The study will 
gather data from WIC State agency staff, administrative records, and 
WIC participants. Administrative record collection will include 
electronic benefit transfer (EBT) data previously collected from 12 
State agencies for the WIC Food Cost Containment Practices study (OMB 
Number 0584-0627 WIC Food Package Costs and Cost Containment Study, 
Discontinued 09/30/2020) as well as EBT and certification data from 8 
States for a 11-month period during which States implemented the CVB 
increase in 2021-2022. EBT data will be used to calculate rates in each 
of the 12 study State agencies and, in conjunction with the policy 
data, will be used to assess the ways in which redemption rates vary 
with differences in policies and practices. Participant and State 
agency staff interviews in 8 of the 12 States will be used to 
understand the factors that are most salient to participants in making 
decisions about purchasing fruits and vegetables with their CVB and 
barriers to redemption.
    Affected Public: (1) State, local, and tribal governments; (2) 
nonprofits; and (3) individuals/households. Identified respondent 
groups include the following:
    1. State, local, and tribal governments: State agency staff and 
database administrators in eight States, local agency staff at twelve 
local agencies, and clinic staff at twelve clinics.
    2. Nonprofits: Staff at four local agencies and four WIC 
clinics.\5\
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    \5\ Local agencies and clinics may be either government or 
nonprofit organizations. It is assumed that no contacted local 
agencies or clinics will refuse to participate.
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    3. Individuals: WIC participants in eight study States.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of 
respondents is 625 (40 State and local government staff, 8 nonprofit 
staff, and 577 individuals). Of the 625 respondents to be contacted, 
505 are expected to be responsive, and 120 are expected to be 
nonresponsive. The breakout follows:
    1. 40 State and local government staff: Of 16 State agency staff to 
be contacted across 8 States, 16 are expected to be responsive; of 12 
local agency staff contacted across 12 local agencies, 12 are expected 
to be responsive; of 12 clinic staff contacted across 12 clinics, 12 
are expected to be responsive.
    2. 8 nonprofit staff: Of 4 local agency staff contacted across 4 
local agencies, 4 are expected to be responsive; of 4 clinic staff to 
be contacted across 4 clinics, 4 are expected to be responsive.
    3. 577 individuals: 9 individuals are expected to participate in a 
pretest. Of 577 individuals to be contacted for the main study, 457 are 
expected to be responsive, with 120 non-responsive.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 4.01across the entire 
collection. This is based on the estimated 2,505 total annual responses 
(2,225 responsive and 280 nonresponsive) to be made by the 625 
respondents. See table 1 for the estimated number of responses per 
respondent for each type of respondent. The breakout follows:
    1. WIC State agency staff: Eight WIC State agency staff will be 
asked to complete one semi-structured telephone interview each. Prior 
to interviews, State agency staff will receive advance communications 
about the study (a letter and FAQ sheet); the same State agency staff 
will receive a recruitment email and take part in a recruitment call.
    2. Database administrator: Database administrators from each of the 
eight State agencies will be asked to respond to the EBT and 
certification data requests.
    3. WIC local agency staff (including state, local, and tribal 
governments and non-profits): 16 WIC local agency staff (12 from State, 
local, or tribal government and 4 from non-profits) will be asked to 
assist with coordination of WIC participant recruitment for the study. 
These 16 WIC local agency staff will receive advance communications 
about the study (a letter and FAQ sheet); the same WIC local agency 
staff will receive a recruitment email and take part in a recruitment 
call.
    4. WIC clinic staff (including state, local, and tribal governments 
and non-profits): 16 WIC clinic staff (12 from State, local, or tribal 
government and 4 from non-profits) will be asked to assist with 
coordination of WIC participant recruitment for the study. These 16 WIC 
clinic staff will receive advance communications about the study (a 
letter and FAQ sheet); the same WIC clinic staff will receive a 
recruitment email and take part in a recruitment call.
    5. Individuals (WIC participants): The estimated total number of 
responses per all of the individuals (WIC participants) in the study is 
4.0. In total, nine

[[Page 19472]]

individuals will participate in a pretest. 568 individuals will receive 
a study brochure; of these, 448 are expected to participate in an 
eligibility screener for a telephone interview. Of the 328 who are 
eligible to participate, 288 are expected to participate in a telephone 
interview and complete the consent form. Forty individuals are expected 
to decline participation and not complete the consent form. All 288 
individuals who complete consent forms are expected to participate in 
the interviews and the demographic survey. A total of 104 individuals 
are expected to receive reminder calls about participating in a 
telephone interview. FNS estimates that 120 of the WIC participants 
will be non-responsive.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 2,505 (2,225 annual responses for 
responsive participants and 280 annual responses for nonresponsive 
participants).
    Estimated Time per Response: The estimated average response time is 
0.13 hours for all respondents (0.14 hours for responsive participants 
and 0.05 hours for nonresponsive participants). The estimated time of 
response varies from 30 seconds (0.0083 hours) to 2.5 hours depending 
on respondent group and activity, as shown in table 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 327.83 hours (313.80 
hours for responsive participants, and 14.03 hours for nonresponsive 
participants). See table 1 for estimated total annual burden for each 
type of respondent.

                                                                                         Table 1--Total Public Burden Hours and Respondent Costs
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                                                                                                                                    Responsive                                              Nonresponsive                         Grand
                                                                                                           --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   total
                                                                                                    Sample                                                                                                                       annual
           Respondent category                 Type of respondent      Instruments and activities    size    Number of    Frequency     Total    Hours per    Annual    Number of    Frequency     Total    Hours per   Annual   burden
                                                                                                            respondents      of        annual     response    burden       non-         of        annual     response   burden  estimate
                                                                                                                          response    responses              (hours)   respondents   response    responses             (hours)   (hours)
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                                                                                                   State, Local, and Tribal Government
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State, Local, and Tribal Government.....  WIC State agency staff.....  Advance communications            8            8           1           8       0.10      0.80             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      0.80
                                                                        (letter).
                                          WIC State agency staff.....  Advance communications            8            8           1           8       0.10      0.80             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      0.80
                                                                        (FAQ sheet).
                                          WIC State agency staff.....  Recruitment call..........        8            8           1           8       0.75      6.00             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      6.00
                                          WIC State agency staff.....  Reminder email............        8            8           1           8       0.05      0.40             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      0.40
                                          WIC State agency staff.....  Telephone interviews with         8            8           1           8       1.00      8.00             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      8.00
                                                                        up to two staff per State.
                                          Database administrator.....  EBT data..................        8            8           1           8       1.50     12.00             0           0           0       0.00     0.00     12.00
                                          Database administrator.....  Certification data........        8            8           1           8       2.50     20.00             0           0           0       0.00     0.00     20.00
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                                                      WIC State agency staff subtotal                   16           16           4          56       0.86     48.00             0           0           0       0.00     0.00     48.00
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                                          WIC local agency staff.....  Advance communications           12           12           1          12       0.10      1.20             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      1.20
                                                                        (letter).
                                          WIC local agency staff.....  Advance communications           12           12           1          12       0.10      1.20             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      1.20
                                                                        (FAQ sheet).
                                          WIC local agency staff.....  Recruitment call..........       12           12           1          12       0.75      9.00             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      9.00
                                          WIC local agency staff.....  Reminder email............       12           12           1          12       0.05      0.60             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      0.60
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      WIC local agency staff subtotal                   12           12           4          48       0.25     12.01             0           0           0       0.00     0.00     12.01
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                                          Clinic staff...............  Advance communications           12           12           1          12       0.10      1.20             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      1.20
                                                                        (letter).
                                          Clinic staff...............  Advance communications           12           12           1          12       0.10      1.20             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      1.20
                                                                        (FAQ sheet).
                                          Clinic staff...............  Recruitment call..........       12           12           1          12       0.75      9.00             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      9.00
                                          Clinic staff...............  Reminder email............       12           12           1          12       0.05      0.60             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      0.60
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                                                           Clinic staff subtotal                        12           12           4          48       0.25     12.01             0           0           0       0.00     0.00        12
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[[Page 19473]]

 
                               State and local government subtotal                                      40           40           4         152       0.47     72.02             0           0           0       0.00     0.00        72
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                                                                                                                Nonprofit
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Nonprofit...............................  WIC local agency staff.....  Advance communications            4            4           1           4       0.10      0.40             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      0.40
                                                                        (letter).
                                          WIC local agency staff.....  Advance communications            4            4           1           4       0.10      0.40             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      0.40
                                                                        (FAQ sheet).
                                          WIC local agency staff.....  Recruitment call..........        4            4           1           4       0.75      3.00             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      3.00
                                          WIC local agency staff.....  Reminder email............        4            4           1           4       0.05      0.20             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      0.20
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                                                      WIC local agency staff subtotal                    4            4           4          16       0.25      4.00             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      4.00
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                                          Clinic staff...............  Advance communications            4            4           1           4       0.10      0.40             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      0.40
                                                                        (letter).
                                          Clinic staff...............  Advance communications            4            4           1           4       0.10      0.40             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      0.40
                                                                        (FAQ sheet).
                                          Clinic staff...............  Recruitment call..........        4            4           1           4       0.75      3.00             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      3.00
                                          Clinic staff...............  Reminder email............        4            4           1           4       0.05      0.20             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      0.20
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                                                           Clinic staff subtotal                         4            4           4          16       0.25      4.00             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      4.00
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                                        Nonprofit subtotal                                               8            8           4          32       0.25      8.00             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      8.00
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                                                                                                               Individuals
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Individuals.............................  WIC participants...........  Pretest...................        9            9           1           9       0.75      6.75             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      6.75
                                          WIC participants...........  Study brochure............      568          448           1         448       0.05     22.44           120           1         120       0.05     6.01     28.46
                                          WIC participants...........  Eligibility screener form.      448          328           1         328       0.05     16.43           120           1         120       0.05     6.01     22.44
                                          WIC participants...........  Reminder call.............      104          104           1         104     0.0083      0.86             0           0           0       0.00     0.00      0.86
                                          WIC participants...........  Consent form..............      328          288           1         288       0.03      9.62            40           1          40       0.05     2.00     11.62
                                          WIC participants...........  Interview protocol........      288          288           1         288       0.50    144.00             0           0           0       0.00     0.00    144.00
                                          WIC participants...........  Demographic survey........      288          288           1         288       0.07     19.24             0           0           0       0.00     0.00     19.24
                                          WIC participants...........  Thank-you note............      288          288           1         288       0.05     14.43             0           0           0       0.00     0.00     14.43
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                                       Individual subtotal                                             577          457        4.47       2,041       0.11    233.78           120        2.33         280       0.05    14.03    247.81
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                                              Total                                                    625          505        4.41       2,225       0.14    313.80           120        2.33         280       0.05    14.03    327.83
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Cynthia Long,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-07020 Filed 4-1-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P