[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58765-58769]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21033]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program: Performance Reporting System, Management Evaluation

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 and existing burden in use without a 
valid OMB control number in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 
Program (SNAP). This information collection is for the Performance 
Reporting System and management evaluation processes, which ensure that 
SNAP State agencies are operating the program in accordance with 
statute and regulations. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and SNAP 
State agencies use this information to evaluate State agency operations 
and to collect information necessary to develop solutions to improve 
the State's administration of SNAP policy and procedures.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before November 28, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Program Design Branch, Program 
Development Division, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314. 
Comments may also be submitted via phone to Jessica Luna at 703-305-
2022 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 Jessica 
Luna at 703-305-2022.

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: Performance 
Reporting System, Management Evaluation.
    Form Number: N/A.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-0010.
    Expiration Date: July 31, 2023.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection to 
include an existing collection in use without an OMB control number.
    Abstract: The purpose of the Performance Reporting System (PRS) is 
to ensure that each State agency and project area is operating the 
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in accordance with the 
requirements of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (the Act) (7 U.S.C. 
2011, et seq.), as amended, and corresponding program regulations. 
Under Section 11 of the Act, all 53 SNAP State agencies must maintain 
records to ascertain that the program is operating in compliance with 
the Act and regulations by conducting State management evaluations in 
each of their project areas as outlined in 7 CFR 275.5. Management 
evaluations (MEs) are reviews that State agencies complete at local 
SNAP offices to monitor program access, program integrity, and 
operations. States must make these records available to the Food and 
Nutrition Service (FNS) of the United States Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) for inspection and audit. To conduct Federal oversight of State 
operations, FNS Regional offices also conduct Federal management 
evaluations of State agencies in all 53 SNAP States in accordance with 
7 CFR 275.3(a) and (b).

[[Page 58766]]

State Management Evaluations

    In the process of renewing this information collection, FNS 
consulted with 7 State agencies to update, if necessary, estimates for 
the time that State agency staff spend preparing State ME schedules, 
conducting State ME reviews, and maintaining State ME records.
    7 CFR 275.20 requires each State agency to submit State ME review 
schedules to FNS. The review schedules must ensure that all project 
areas will be reviewed every one, two or three years, depending on the 
project area size, unless the State receives approval for an 
alternative ME review schedule, per regulations at 7 CFR 275.5(b). FNS 
defines project areas as the county or similar political subdivision 
designated by a State as the administrative unit for program 
operations. Per definitions at 7 CFR 271.2, FNS defines project areas 
as large, medium or small depending on the number of households in 
their monthly active caseload. The number of hours required to prepare 
these review schedules is a function of the number and size of project 
areas in the State. FNS assumes that it takes approximately 4 hours for 
each State to generate and submit their yearly review schedule via 
email or other electronic means to their respective FNS Regional 
Office. The agency did not find adjustments necessary to this category 
following State agency consultation.
    Because States do not review all project areas annually, FNS 
estimates that States will conduct reviews in half of the total number 
of project areas each year. Therefore, each of the 53 State agencies 
will conduct approximately 27 management evaluations annually (total of 
1,431 State MEs nationally). It will take approximately 340 hours for 
States to conduct each of these reviews. The agency did not find 
adjustments necessary to this category following State agency 
consultation.
    Each State agency must keep records of ME reviews and submit such 
reports and other information to their respective FNS Regional Office 
as required under 7 CFR 275.4. States generally submit these reports 
and other information via email, though in some cases the FNS Regional 
Office may facilitate submission via a web-based collaboration and 
document management platform. The State agency must retain all ME 
records for audit and review purposes for no less than three years from 
the month of record origin. Following State agency consultation, FNS 
adjusted the recordkeeping burden for State MEs to more accurately 
account for State time used, adding 5,968 burden hours as compared to 
the previous approval for this collection. FNS estimates that 
recordkeeping burden related to ME reviews requires one record keeper 
per each State agency. Each recordkeeper manages approximately 29 
records each year and it takes 4 hours to complete each record.

Federal Management Evaluations

    Under 7 CFR 275.3, FNS also conducts monitoring reviews to ensure 
that State agencies are operating SNAP and their State management 
evaluation (ME) programs in accordance with SNAP requirements. Federal 
management evaluations, which the FNS Regional offices conduct, are 
very similar to those conducted by the States. States participating in 
Federal management evaluations incur burden related to preparing for 
and facilitating the Regional office's review during the Federal ME.
    With this information collection request, FNS is seeking OMB 
approval for the burden hours associated with Federal management 
evaluation information that is currently being collected in violation 
of the PRA without a valid OMB control number. Therefore, the burden 
estimates for this requirement represent an additional 8,692 burden 
hours not included in the previous approval of this collection. To 
prepare the below estimate, FNS used the same State consultations 
mentioned above to estimate the time that State agency staff spend on 
Federal ME reviews.
    According to FNS internal records from previous years, FNS Regional 
offices typically conduct management evaluations twice a year in each 
SNAP State for an average total of 106 Federal MEs each year. To 
prepare for a Federal ME, States must gather documentation and 
information for FNS' review. For example, documentation may include 
procedure manuals, example notifications, and case records. The 
information required for the ME is dependent on the type of ME being 
performed and most items are submitted electronically via email to FNS 
Regional offices prior to the ME to allow time for review. Once FNS 
begins the review, States host FNS Regional office employees at a 
designated location, participate in interviews, and facilitate SNAP 
case file reviews. FNS estimates that it takes a State approximately 82 
hours total to prepare for, attend, and help facilitate each Federal 
ME.
    There is no recordkeeping burden for the affected public associated 
with Federal MEs for this information collection since FNS is the 
recordholder.

Corrective Action Plans

    Using the same 7 State agency consultations mentioned previously, 
FNS updated the reporting burden estimates related to corrective action 
plans resulting from State and Federal management evaluations. Due to 
the resulting updates, the burden hours for this requirement represent 
an additional 636 burden hours for Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) that 
was not included in the previous approval of this collection.
    As required at 7 CFR 275, each State has an established system for 
analysis and evaluation of all data available to the State during both 
State and Federal MEs. Data analysis and evaluation are ongoing 
processes that facilitate the development of prompt corrective action. 
Through the ME process, States and FNS Regional offices often identify 
deficiencies (i.e., findings) in the application of SNAP policy and 
requirements. According to requirements at 7 CFR 275.16 through 7 CFR 
275.18, State agencies must prepare a CAP addressing all findings 
identified. FNS estimates that each State will prepare two semi-annual, 
comprehensive CAPs, which States submit electronically to FNS Regional 
Offices. States generally submit these plans via email, though in some 
cases the FNS Regional Office may facilitate submission via a web-based 
collaboration and document management platform. These plans cover all 
corrective actions that States are responsible for undertaking 
following both State ME findings and Federal ME findings. State 
agencies have systems for monitoring and evaluating corrective action, 
per regulations at 7 CFR 275.19. FNS estimates that it takes an average 
of 46 hours to develop and monitor each semi-annual CAP.

Reporting

    Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Government.
    Respondent Type: State SNAP Agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 32.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 1,696.
    Estimated Time per Response: 295 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 500,320 hours.

Recordkeeping

    Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Government.
    Respondent Type: State SNAP Agencies.

[[Page 58767]]

    Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 29.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 1,537.
    Estimated Time per Response: 4 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 6,148 hours.

[[Page 58768]]



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                                                                                                                     Estimated                   Burden
                                                                              Estimated    Estimated    Estimated    number of    Estimated     hours in    Previously   Difference  Differences
 Burden activities     Reg. section     Respondent type     Description of    number of    frequency      total        burden       total     use without    approved     due  to       due to
                                                               activity      respondents  of response     annual     hours per      burden    a valid OMB     burden    adjustments    program
                                                                                                        responses     response      hours     control No.     hours                    changes
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State ME..........  7 CFR 275.20.....  State SNAP         Prepare State and           53            1           53            4          212            0          212            0            0
                                        Agencies.          local agencies
                                                           management
                                                           evaluation
                                                           schedule.
                    7 CFR 275.9......  State SNAP         Conduct State               53           27        1,431          340      486,540            0      486,540            0            0
                                        Agencies.          management
                                                           evaluation
                                                           reviews.
Federal ME........  7 CFR 275.3......  State SNAP         Facilitate                  53            2          106           82        8,692        8,692            0        8,692            0
                                        Agencies.          Federal
                                                           management
                                                           evaluation
                                                           reviews.
All ME............  7 CFR 275.16-      State SNAP         Prepare and                 53            2          106           46        4,876            0        4,240          636            0
                     275.19.            Agencies.          monitor
                                                           corrective
                                                           action plan.
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    State Agency Subtotal Reporting........................................           53           32        1,696          295      500,320        8,692      490,992        9,328            0
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    Reporting Total Burden Estimates.......................................           53           32        1,696          295      500,320        8,692      490,992        9,328            0
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State ME..........  7 CFR 275.4......  State SNAP         Maintain                    53           29        1,537            4        6,148            0          180        5,968            0
                                        Agencies.          management
                                                           evaluation
                                                           records.
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    State Agency Subtotal Recordkeeping....................................           53           29        1,537            4        6,148            0          180        5,968            0
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    Recordkeeping Total Burden Estimates...................................           53           29        1,537            4        6,148            0          180        5,968            0
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[[Page 58769]]

Tameka Owens,
Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-21033 Filed 9-27-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P