[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46127-46128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-15286]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 88 , No. 137 / Wednesday, July 19, 2023 / 
Notices  

[[Page 46127]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Turnip the Beet! High 
Quality Summer Meals

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 an 
extension, without change, of a previously approved collection for 
which approval will expire on September 30, 2023, for recognizing 
program sponsors' nutrition efforts in the Summer Food Service Program 
(SFSP) or the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Seamless Summer 
Option (SSO).

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before September 18, 
2023.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted in writing by one of the following 
methods: Online (preferred): Go to http://www.regulations.gov, and 
follow the online instructions for submitting comments electronically; 
or Mail: Alice McKenney, Community Meals Policy Division, Child 
Nutrition Programs, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, 1320 Braddock 
Place, Alexandria, VA 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 Alice 
McKenney, Community Meals Policy Division, Child Nutrition Programs, 
USDA Food and Nutrition Service, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 
22314; telephone: 703-305-2054.

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: Turnip the Beet! High Quality Summer Meals Award Program.
    OMB Number: 0584-0658.
    Expiration Date: 9/30/2023.
    Type of Request: Extension, without change, of a currently approved 
collection.
    Abstract: The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and National 
School Lunch Program (NSLP) Seamless Summer Option (SSO) were 
established to ensure that children and teens continue to receive 
nutritious meals when school is not in session. Turnip the Beet is a 
voluntary award initiative to recognize participating sponsoring 
organizations (program sponsors) that work hard to offer high quality, 
nutritious meals during the summer months.
    The purpose of this voluntary recognition initiative is to 
encourage Summer Meal Programs' sponsors to offer higher quality, 
nutritious meals that make a positive impact on children's healthy 
development. This information collection allows the Food and Nutrition 
Service (FNS) to more accurately assess the quality of meal service in 
order to determine whether the individual sponsor qualifies for 
recognition, and at what level.
    The Turnip the Beet award is presented at three levels (bronze, 
silver, and gold) to sponsors providing meals that are appetizing, 
appealing, and nutritious. The award is open to all program sponsors 
across the nation who are in good standing, including SFSP sponsors and 
NSLP/SSO sponsors. All nominated sponsors must be in compliance with 
SFSP or NSLP/SSO regulations, as applicable.
    Sponsors may submit a self-nomination or be nominated by another 
party. The sponsor or other party must complete and submit a nomination 
packet, which includes the short Turnip the Beet Nomination Form, and 
submit a one-month menu, to their Summer Meals State agency contact. 
Menus should provide sufficient detail to judge whether they meet award 
criteria; for example, a menu should describe whether fruits and 
vegetables are fresh, frozen, canned or dried, as well as identify 
whole grain-rich and local food items. Sponsors may choose to submit 
other supporting documents to further demonstrate the quality of their 
meals, such as news clips about the program, photos, testimonials, or 
invoices of local food purchases.
    The nominations will be submitted to State agencies, which have the 
discretion to choose their internal submission due dates. The State 
agency contacts will ensure the sponsor: (1) participated in SFSP or 
SSO in the award year; (2) is in good standing with no major findings 
or all corrective actions are complete and implemented; (3) was not 
found seriously deficient in the past two years, at the time of the 
application, and has never been terminated from the Summer Meal 
Programs; and (4) submitted an application that meets meal pattern 
requirements. The State agency can also provide an optional statement 
of support for the nominee.
    All nominations must be forwarded by the State agency contact to 
their Regional Office at a set September date following the program 
year. FNS will notify the winners in writing early the following 
calendar year. Depending on the award level attained, sponsors will 
receive a certificate from FNS, will be featured on the USDA blog, or 
will be featured on the online Capacity Builder tool as a Turnip the 
Beet winner.
    Affected Public: Sponsors (businesses); and State agencies (State 
governments).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: For program year 2024, FNS expects 
nominations from 150 sponsors in 36 States, for a total of 186 
respondents.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Sponsors will 
voluntarily

[[Page 46128]]

complete one nomination packet for the program year. State agencies 
will review each nomination received from sponsors in their respective 
States one time; State agencies are expected to receive an average of 
4.167 nominations each.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: FNS expects 150 nominations from 
sponsors, which will then be reviewed by State agencies. The total 
annual responses is 300.
    Estimated Time per Response: The estimated time of response varies 
from 30 to 60 minutes per nomination, depending on respondent group. 
FNS estimates it will take each sponsor approximately 1 hour to 
complete the nomination form, compile other supplemental information, 
and submit the nomination packet to the State agency. FNS estimates it 
will take each reviewing State agency approximately 30 minutes to 
review each nomination packet and complete a one-page checklist to 
verify that the nominees are eligible for the award. The table below 
illustrates the burden on both sponsors and State agencies, with an 
average total estimated time of 1.5 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 225 hours. See the 
table below for estimated total annual burden for each type of 
respondent.

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                                                                                     Estimated avg.
                                              Estimated     Responses      Total        number of     Estimated
                Respondent                     number     annually per     annual       hours per    total hours
                                             respondents   respondent    responses      response
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                                                Reporting Burden
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Program Sponsors (Businesses).............           150          1.00          150            1.00       150.00
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State Agency Employees....................            36     4.1666667          150            0.50        75.00
                                           ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total Reporting Burden................           186  ............          300  ..............       225.00
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Tameka Owens,
Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-15286 Filed 7-18-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P