[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 163 (Wednesday, August 24, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51964-51965]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18212]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request--
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program--Trafficking Controls and 
Fraud Investigations

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 revision of a 
currently approved collection codified in Food and Nutrition Service 
(FNS) regulations.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before October 24, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Maribelle Balbes, Chief, State 
Administration Branch, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 1320 Braddock Place Alexandria, VA 22314, 5th Floor. 
Comments may also be submitted via email to [email protected], or 
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 office of the Food and Nutrition Service during 
regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) at 
1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. 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 Evan 
Sieradzki 703-605-3212.

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: Trafficking 
Controls and Fraud Investigations.
    OMB Number: 0584-0587.
    Expiration Date: 02/28/2023.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: FNS regulations at 7 CFR 274.6(b)(5) and (b)(6) requires 
State Agencies to issue warning notices to withhold replacement cards 
or a notice for excessive replacement cards.

Withhold Replacement Card Warning Notice.

    FNS regulations at 7 CFR 274.6(b)(5) and (b)(5)(i) State option to 
withhold replacement card requires a State agency to require an 
individual member of a household to contact the State agency to provide 
an explanation in cases where the number of requests for card 
replacements is deemed excessive. The State agency is required to 
notify the household in writing when it has reached the threshold, 
indicated that the next request for card replacement will require 
contact with the State agency to provide an explanation for the 
requests, before the replacement card will be issued. The State agency 
is also required to notify the household in writing once the threshold 
has been exceeded that the State agency is withholding the card until 
contact is made.

Excessive Replacement Card Notice

    FNS regulations at 7 CFR 274.6(b)(6) and (b)(6)(i) Excessive 
Replacement Card Notice requires the State agency to monitor all client 
requests for EBT card replacements and send a notice, upon the fourth 
request in a 12-month period, alerting the household that their account 
is being monitored for potential, suspicious activity. The State agency 
is exempt from sending the excessive replacement card notice if they 
have chosen to service the option to withhold the replacement card 
until contact is made with the State agency per 7 CFR 274.6(b)(5).
    FNS is currently aware out of the 53 State agencies, six State 
agencies have opted to follow our regulations at 7 CFR 274.6(b)(5) to 
withhold replacement cards. The remaining 47 State agencies follow our 
regulations at 7 CFR 274.6(b)(6) for the Excessive Replacement Card 
Notice.
    Affected Public: Individuals/Households participating in SNAP and 
State Government Agencies that administer SNAP.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 372,338 (372,285 individuals/
households + 53 State agencies). Card replacement data, adjusted for 
changes in SNAP caseload, suggest that approximately 372,285 households 
request four replacement EBT cards within a 12-month period annually. 
These households, plus the 53 State agencies that must send the notices 
required by 7 CFR 274.6(b) make up the respondents.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: There is an average 
estimated 2.11 responses (7,413.13 per State agency + 1.06 per 
individual/household) for each respondent. See the table below for 
estimated responses for each type of respondent.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 785,791 (392,896 individuals/
households total annual response + 392,896 States agencies total annual 
response). See the table below for estimated responses for each type of 
respondent. Of the 372,285 households requesting four replacement EBT 
cards, approximately 41,222 are estimated to be in the six States where 
the agencies have opted to follow our regulations at 7 CFR 274.6(b)(5) 
to withhold replacement cards. FNS estimates that half of all 
recipients who receive a notice upon issuance of their fourth

[[Page 51965]]

card will request a fifth card for approximately 20,611 households 
receiving the replacement card withheld notice.
    Estimated Time per Response: FNS estimates that it will take State 
personnel approximately 2 minutes (.0334 hours) to generate and mail 
each required notice to the client, to comply with 7 CFR 274.6; and 
that it will take SNAP recipients approximately 2 minutes (.0334 hours) 
to read each notice they receive and 28 minutes (.4676 hours) to make 
contact with the State agency when required for a total of 30 minutes 
(.5 hours) for this activity. There is an average estimated time of 
2.74 minutes (0.0456 hours) for each response (0.0334 for State 
agencies + 0.058 for individuals/households).
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 35,863 hours 
(22,739.75 burden hours for individuals/households and 13,122.72 for 
State agencies). The currently approved annual burden is 22,989 hours. 
The revision reflects the increase in the number of households 
participating in SNAP therefore, we have more excessive replacement EBT 
card requests and notices than previously reported.
    There is no third party reporting associated with this information 
collection request.
    See the table below for estimated total reporting annual burden for 
each type of respondent.

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                                                                             Number of                     Total annual    Burden hours    Total burden
                  CFR                                 Title                 respondents   Annual reports     responses     per response        hours
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                                                                     State Agencies
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274.6(b)(5)............................  Withhold Replacement Card                     6        6,870.29       41,221.76          0.0334        1,376.81
                                          Warning Notice.
274.6(b)(5)............................  Replacement Card Withheld                     6        3,435.15       20,610.88          0.0334          688.40
                                          Notice.
274.6(b)(6)............................  Excessive Replacement Card                   47        7,043.90      331,063.09          0.0334       11,057.51
                                          Notice.
                                        ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal...........................  ...............................              53         7413.13      392,895.73          0.0334       13,122.72
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                                                                Participating Households
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274.6(b)(5)............................  Reading Withhold Replacement          41,221.76               1       41,221.76          0.0334        1,376.81
                                          Card Warning Notice.
274.6(b)(5)............................  Reading Replacement Card              20,610.88               1       20,610.88            0.50       10,305.44
                                          Withheld Notice and making
                                          contact with State agency.
274.6(b)(6)............................  Reading Excessive Replacement        331,063.09               1      331,063.09          0.0334       11,057.51
                                          Card Notice.
                                        ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal...........................  ...............................      372,284.85            1.06      392,895.73           0.058       22,739.75
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    Grand Total........................  ...............................      372,337.85            2.11      785,791.46          0.0456       35,862.47
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* Note: The 20,610.88 Individuals/Households SNAP participants are the same I/H accounted for in the 41,221.76 and therefore not double counted.


Tameka Owens,
Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-18212 Filed 8-23-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P