[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 112 (Friday, June 10, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35491-35497]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-12504]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education 
and Obesity Prevention Grant (SNAP-Ed) National Program Evaluation and 
Reporting System (N-PEARS)

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 is a new collection to 
consolidate and improve SNAP-Ed data collecting and reporting, as 
required in the 2018 Farm Bill.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before August 9, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Maribelle Balbes, Food and 
Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor, 
Alexandria, VA 22314. Comments also may be submitted via email to [email protected]. Comments also will 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 (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 Maribelle 
Balbes at 703-605-4272 or [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 Education and 
Obesity Prevention Grant (SNAP-Ed) National Program Evaluation and 
Reporting System (N-PEARS)
    Form Number: SNAP-Ed Annual Report (Form FNS-925A) and SNAP-Ed 
State Plan (Form FNS-925B).
    OMB Number: 0584-NEW.
    Expiration Date: Not Yet Determined.
    Type of Request: New collection.
    Abstract: This is a new information collection request. FNS 
administers the nutrition assistance programs of the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA), including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 
Program (SNAP). The SNAP Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention 
Grant Program (referred to as SNAP-Ed), established by the Food and 
Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended (Pub. L. 115-334, ``The Act'') is the 
nutrition education and promotion component of SNAP. Under current SNAP 
regulations (7 CFR 272.2 (d)), State SNAP agencies have the option to 
provide, as part of their administrative operations, nutrition 
education for persons who are eligible to receive SNAP benefits and 
other means-tested Federal assistance programs. The goal of SNAP-Ed is 
to improve the likelihood that persons eligible for SNAP will make 
healthy food choices within a limited budget and choose physically 
active lifestyles consistent with the current Dietary Guidelines for 
Americans and the USDA food guidance. SNAP-Ed's target audience 
includes low-income individuals eligible to receive benefits under SNAP 
or other means-tested Federal assistance programs, and individuals 
residing in communities with a significant (50 percent or greater) low-
income population. State SNAP agencies have the option of providing 
SNAP-Ed services to SNAP recipients as part of their SNAP operations. 
As of 2022, all 53 States and Territories implement some form of SNAP-
Ed program. Participating States receive federally allocated grants 
every year that are used to cover States' SNAP-Ed expenses at a rate of 
100 percent. Some State SNAP Agencies choose to implement their SNAP-Ed 
programs

[[Page 35492]]

themselves, while others contract with sub-grantees referred to as 
Implementing Agencies (IAs) to carry out SNAP-Ed programming. 
Implementing agencies are entities that contract with State SNAP 
agencies to provide SNAP-Ed services and include cooperative extension 
offices, universities, State departments of health or education, State-
level nutrition networks, food banks, and other organizations. SNAP-Ed 
programming can comprise a wide range of evidence-based strategies, but 
common approaches include direct classroom or online education, 
community-level nutrition and health initiatives, and social marketing 
messaging. The annual SNAP-Ed Plan Guidance, available online (https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/program-administration/snap-ed-plan-guidance-and-templates) describes SNAP-Ed Programming options in detail.

Current Process

    Currently, States submit their SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education Plans to 
FNS in electronic format via FNS PartnerWeb by August 15 of each year, 
as required at 7 CFR 272.2(d)(2). These State plans are prepared 
according to the SNAP-Ed Plan Guidance, which is updated annually and 
available online (https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/program-administration/snap-ed-plan-guidance-and-templates), and must include key features 
such as a needs assessment of the SNAP-Ed-eligible public, a 
description of the SNAP-Ed programming the State proposes to undertake, 
a budget, and a record of the States' consultation with partner and 
stakeholder groups. FNS Regional Offices review and approve State plans 
before States can use the year's SNAP-Ed funding. The burden associated 
with State plans is currently approved under OMB Control Number 0584-
0083, expiration 08/21/2023. Additionally, 7 CFR 272.2(d)(2)(xiii) 
requires State agencies to submit an Annual Report on SNAP-Ed 
activities to FNS in two parts: the Education and Administrative 
Reporting System (EARS) form (FNS-759) is submitted by State agencies 
each December via the Food Program Reporting System (FPRS, currently 
approved under OMB Control No. 0584-0594, expiration 07/31/2023), and a 
SNAP-Ed Annual Narrative Report is submitted to FNS each January via 
email. The burden for these reports is also approved through OMB 
Control Number 0584-0083, included in the State Plan of Operations 
Update. There are no Individuals or Households directly impacted by 
this information collection and any burden associated with I/H is 
already covered in OMB Control Number: 0584-0064; Expiration date: 02/
2024. The agency is not seeking to duplicate those estimates associated 
with I/H.
    In States where SNAP-Ed activities are being conducted by 
implementing agencies, the IAs individually plan, track, and report 
their data, and then submit their plan and report materials to the 
State to be reviewed and combined for the submission of a single, 
statewide Annual Report. The information collected in the Annual Report 
is necessary to ensure that State agencies are maximizing the use of 
resources to identify target audiences; implementing interventions and 
strategies that meet the assessed nutrition, physical activity, and 
obesity prevention needs of the target population; and promoting the 
availability of SNAP-Ed activities in local communities. In addition, 
the information collected from State agencies is necessary to ensure 
integrity of funds, demonstrate program effectiveness, and track SNAP-
Ed outcomes and impacts. The new N-PEARS system outlined in this notice 
will increase efficiency and reduce burden by providing all State and 
Implementing Agencies with a single streamlined, online tool for their 
plans and reports. It will simplify the review and submission process--
both for States reviewing implementing agency data and for FNS staff 
approving State Plans--and provide better tools for FNS and the public 
to visualize and understand SNAP-Ed outcomes through data.

New Process--N-PEARS

    As directed by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (``2018 Farm 
Bill'', Pub. L. 115-334), FNS has worked to improve the SNAP-Ed data 
reporting process by providing States with a robust electronic, online 
reporting system. FNS has entered into a cooperative agreement with the 
Kansas State University Research Foundation to develop and maintain new 
State Plan and Annual Report modules for their Program Evaluation and 
Reporting System (PEARS), an existing reporting system that many States 
have already elected to purchase to track and report SNAP-Ed data for 
their own needs. These new plan and annual report modules, referred to 
as the National Program Evaluation and Reporting System (N-PEARS), will 
still be housed inside the platform many States are already familiar 
with--not on a separate FNS website--and will require no additional 
paperwork or purchase by States. This system will allow States to 
submit their SNAP-Ed annual Nutrition Education Plans (SNAP-Ed State 
Plan) and a new, consolidated Annual Report. These newly developed 
annual plan and Annual Report systems (form FNS-925A, SNAP-Ed Annual 
Report, and form FNS-925B, SNAP-Ed State Plan) will provide FNS with 
data that are more consistent across State programs and, thus, 
facilitate data aggregation and evaluation of SNAP-Ed grants. This 
system will also streamline the annual plan and Annual Report 
submission and review process for States and FNS. There will be no 
change in submission deadlines, and the plan and report modules housed 
in N-PEARS will ease tracking and submission by walking users through 
the plan and report-writing process step-by-step, using autofill to 
avoid re-entering repeated data, and automatically skipping sections 
not needed for a particular State or IA's plan or report. The order and 
phrasing of the questions themselves have also been reworked for 
clarity and ease of use based on feedback from FNS and State staff. 
Once this collection is approved by OMB, the State Plan and Annual 
Report review process will also be streamlined for FNS staff, as State 
Plans previously submitted individually and often as long documents 
will now be housed in a centralized system and viewable in a single, 
streamlined format.
    This new information collection covers the reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements associated with the SNAP-Ed State Plan and 
the new Annual Report forms. Upon the approval of this information 
collection and associated forms, using a change request memo, FNS will 
remove the burden associated with the SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education Plan 
annual updates (53 hours) from OMB Control Number 0584-0083. FNS also 
will remove the burden associated with the EARS Report (FNS Form-759; 
2,808 hours) from OMB Control Number 0584-0594 and discontinue the 
form. While the new burden estimate presented here is higher than the 
burden hours removed from existing approved information collections, 
this is largely due to FNS' attempts to accurately capture the role 
that Implementing Agencies play in SNAP-Ed operations. The previous 
information collections referenced above accounted for SNAP-Ed plan and 
report activities only in terms of State and Territory respondents--
whereas this collection includes burden down to the level of individual 
implementing agencies.
    In developing the burden estimates for this information collection, 
FNS consulted with two States involved in the development and pre-
testing of the new SNAP-Ed State Plan and the

[[Page 35493]]

Annual Report forms. In an effort to derive realistic averages of the 
time needed to complete the activities covered in the information 
collection, the two States consulted consisted of one ``small'' State 
and one ``large'' State, based on funding allocation. To further refine 
the time burdens associated with the new N-PEARS system, FNS intends to 
broaden its consultation efforts to no more than seven additional 
States (for a total of nine or fewer) during the 60-day comment period. 
As part of its consultation efforts, FNS also will seek information on 
how to account for implementing agency burden, given the diversity 
across States. In addition, through this notice, FNS seeks public 
comments on methods that can be used to account for implementing agency 
burden.
    Affected Public: State agencies that elect to request Federal SNAP-
Ed grant funds to conduct nutrition education and obesity prevention 
services, and SNAP-Ed implementing agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 53 State agencies (50 U.S. States, 
District of Columbia, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and 168 
implementing agencies (97 State government agencies, 7 local government 
agencies, 12 Tribal government agencies, and 52 not-for-profit 
institutions).
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 26 responses per 
respondent per year. This total number of responses includes: (1) 
submission of the SNAP-Ed State Plan form once a year by the State or 
Implementing Agency (1 response); (2) submission of the SNAP-Ed Annual 
Report form once a year by the State or Implementing Agency (1 
response); (3) review of standards established in the regulation, SNAP-
Ed Plan Guidance, and other FNS policy once a month by the State or 
Implementing Agency (12 responses); and (4) State or Implementing 
Agency activities to meet FNS fiscal recordkeeping requirements once a 
month (12 responses).
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 5,746.
    Estimated Time per Response: 14.234 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 81,789 hours. See the 
table below for estimated total annual burden for each type of 
respondent.

[[Page 35494]]



                                                             SNAP-Ed National Program Evaluation and Reporting System (N-PEARS) ICR
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                                                                                                                        Estimated                            Change in    Change in
                                                                              Estimated        Annual         Total      average    Estimated   Previously     burden      burden       Total
         Respondent type            Burden activity      Regulation at 7      number of     responses per    annual     number of     total      approved    hours due    hours due   difference
                                                            CFR 272.2        respondents     respondent     responses   hours per     hours       burden       to an     to program   in burden
                                                                                                                        response                  hours      adjustment    change       hours
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                                                                                            Reporting
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State Agencies that Administer    Prepare and submit   (d)(2), (d)(2)(ii)              53               1          53         470      24,931           53       24,878           0       24,878
 the Program.                      SNAP-Ed State Plan   through
                                   Form (OMB Control    (d)(2)(ix).
                                   No.: 0584-0083).
                                  Prepare and submit   (d)(2)(xiii)......              53               1          53          33       1,764        2,808       -1,044           0       -1,044
                                   SNAP-Ed Annual
                                   Report Form (OMB
                                   Control No.: 0584-
                                   0594) FNS 759.
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  Subtotal for State Agencies that Administer the Program................              53               2         106         252      26,695        2,861       23,834           0       23,834
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Implementing Agencies--State      Prepare and submit   (d)(2), (d)(2)(ii)              97               1          97         216      20,982            0       20,982           0       20,982
 Government.                       SNAP-Ed State Plan   through
                                   Form.                (d)(2)(ix).
                                  Prepare and submit   (d)(2)(xiii)......              97               1          97         176      17,098            0       17,098           0       17,098
                                   SNAP-Ed Annual
                                   Report Form.
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  Subtotal for Implementing Agencies--State Government...................              97               2         194         196      38,080            0       38,080           0       38,080
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Implementing Agencies--Local      Prepare and submit   (d)(2), (d)(2)(ii)               7               1           7          14          99            0           99           0           99
 Government.                       SNAP-Ed State Plan   through
                                   Form.                (d)(2)(ix).
                                  Prepare and submit   (d)(2)(xiii)......               7               1           7          10          70            0           70           0           70
                                   SNAP-Ed Annual
                                   Report Form.
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  Subtotal for Implementing Agencies--Local Government...................               7               2          14          12         169            0          169           0          169
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Implementing Agencies--Tribal     Prepare and submit   (d)(2), (d)(2)(ii)              12               1          12          28         338            0          338           0          338
 Government.                       SNAP-Ed State Plan   through
                                   Form.                (d)(2)(ix).
                                  Prepare and submit   (d)(2)(xiii)......              12               1          12          20         239            0          239           0          239
                                   SNAP-Ed Annual
                                   Report Form.
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  Subtotal for Implementing Agencies--Tribal Government..................              12               2          24          24         577            0          577           0          577
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      Total Estimated Reporting   169................  2.................             338             194      65,521       2,861      62,660            0       62,660
       Burden for State/Local/
       Tribal Government Level.
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[[Page 35495]]

 
Implementing Agencies--Not-For-   Prepare and submit   (d)(2), (d)(2)(ii)              52               1          52         118       6,119            0        6,119           0        6,119
 Profit Institution.               SNAP-Ed State Plan   through
                                   Form.                (d)(2)(ix).
                                  Prepare and submit   (d)(2)(xiii)......              52               1          52          93       4,845            0        4,845           0        4,845
                                   SNAP-Ed Annual
                                   Report Form.
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  Subtotal for Implementing Agencies--Not-For-Profit Institution.........              52               2         104         105      10,964            0       10,964           0       10,964
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      Total Estimated Reporting   52.................  2.................             104             105      10,964           0      10,964            0       10,964
       Burden for Business Level.
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          TOTAL ESTIMATED         221................  4.................             442             299      76,485       2,861      73,624            0       73,624
           REPORTING BURDEN.
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                                                                                          Recordkeeping
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State Agencies that Administer    Review standards     (d)(2)(i).........              53              12         636           1         636            0          636           0          636
 the Program.                      established in the
                                   regulation, SNAP-
                                   Ed Plan Guidance,
                                   and other FNS
                                   policy.
                                  Meet FNS fiscal      (d)(2)(xi)........              53              12         636           1         636            0          636           0          636
                                   recordkeeping
                                   requirements.
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  Subtotal for State Agencies that Administer the Program................              53              24       1,272           1       1,272            0        1,272           0        1,272
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Implementing Agencies--State      Review standards     (d)(2)(i).........              97              12       1,164           1       1,164            0        1,164           0        1,164
 Government.                       established in the
                                   regulation, SNAP-
                                   Ed Plan Guidance,
                                   and other FNS
                                   policy.
                                  Meet FNS fiscal      (d)(2)(xi)........              97              12       1,164           1       1,164            0        1,164           0        1,164
                                   recordkeeping
                                   requirements.
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  Subtotal for Implementing Agencies--State Government...................              97              24       2,328           1       2,328            0        2,328           0        2,328
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Implementing Agencies--Local      Review standards     (d)(2)(i).........               7              12          84           1          84            0           84           0           84
 Government.                       established in the
                                   regulation, SNAP-
                                   Ed Plan Guidance,
                                   and other FNS
                                   policy.
                                  Meet FNS fiscal      (d)(2)(xi)........               7              12          84           1          84            0           84           0           84
                                   recordkeeping
                                   requirements.
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  Subtotal for Implementing Agencies--Local Government...................               7              24         168           1         168            0          168           0          168
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[[Page 35496]]

 
Implementing Agencies--Tribal     Review standards     (d)(2)(i).........              12              12         144           1         144            0          144           0          144
 Government.                       established in the
                                   regulation, SNAP-
                                   Ed Plan Guidance,
                                   and other FNS
                                   policy.
                                  Meet FNS fiscal      (d)(2)(xi)........              12              12         144           1         144            0          144           0          144
                                   recordkeeping
                                   requirements.
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  Subtotal for Implementing Agencies--Tribal Government..................              12              24         288           1         288            0          288           0          288
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      Total Estimated             169................  24................           4,056               1       4,056           0       4,056            0        4,056
       Recordkeeping Burden for
       State/Local/Tribal
       Government Level.
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Implementing Agencies--Not-For-   Review standards     (d)(2)(i).........              52              12         624           1         624            0          624           0          624
 Profit Institution.               established in the
                                   regulation, SNAP-
                                   Ed Plan Guidance,
                                   and other FNS
                                   policy.
                                  Meet FNS fiscal      (d)(2)(xi)........              52              12         624           1         624            0          624           0          624
                                   recordkeeping
                                   requirements.
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  Subtotal for Implementing Agencies--Not-For-Profit Institution.........              52              24       1,248           1       1,248            0        1,248           0        1,248
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      Total Estimated             52.................  24................           1,248               1       1,248           0       1,248            0        1,248
       Recordkeeping Burden for
       Business Level.
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          TOTAL ESTIMATED         221................  48................           5,304               2       5,304           0       5,304            0        5,304
           RECORDKEEPING BURDEN.
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              GRAND TOTAL FOR     221................  52................           5,746          14.234      81,789       2,861      78,928            0       78,928
               REPORTING AND
               RECORDKEEPING
               BURDEN.
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[[Page 35497]]

Cynthia Long,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-12504 Filed 6-9-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P