[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 87 (Friday, May 3, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36750-36753]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-09678]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: School Meals Operations 
Study: Evaluation of the School-Based Child Nutrition Programs

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), Department of Agriculture 
(USDA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces FNS' plans to submit an Information Collection Request 
(ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and invites the 
general public and other public agencies to comment on the proposed ICR 
before FNS submits it to OMB. The proposed information collection is a 
revision of an approved information collection. The approved 
information collection (OMB Control Number 0584-0607) permitted the 
School Meals Operations (SMO) study to collect survey and 
administrative data about school year (SY) 2019-2020 through SY 2022-
2023 from a census of State agencies, and survey data about SY 2020-
2021 and SY 2022-2023 from a nationally representative sample of school 
food authorities. With the revision, FNS will seek approval for the SMO 
study to collect survey and administrative data about SY 2023-2024 from 
a census of State agencies. The SMO study will not collect survey data 
about SY 2023-2024 from school food authorities.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before July 2, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Darcy G[uuml]ng[ouml]r 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 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 Darcy 
G[uuml]ng[ouml]r at [email protected], 703-305-4345.

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: School Meals Operations Study.
    Form Number: N/A.
    OMB Number: 0584-0607.
    Expiration Date: 08/31/2026.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: Section 28(a) of the Richard B. Russell National School 
Lunch Act authorizes the USDA Secretary to conduct annual national 
performance assessments of the school meal programs, which include the 
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program 
(SBP). The School Meals Operations (SMO) study was originally planned 
to conduct this annual assessment. When the COVID-19 pandemic closed 
schools and disrupted NSLP and SBP operation, the SMO study collected 
data about the Child Nutrition (CN) Programs used to feed children 
during the pandemic, which included the NSLP Seamless Summer Option 
(SSO), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and Child and Adult Care 
Food Program (CACFP) in addition to NSLP and SBP. SMO study data 
correspond to school year (SY) 2019-2020 through SY 2022-2023, and help 
FNS answer annual research questions about (1) CN Program 
participation, (3) meal counting, (4) financial management, and (5) CN 
Program integrity.
    The proposed information collection is a minor revision. It will 
collect data about SY 2023-2024. As in previous study years, the 
respondents will be the State agencies that administer NSLP, SBP, SSO, 
SFSP, and CACFP in the 50 states, 3 territories, and District of 
Columbia. It will use the same administrative data request as previous 
years and an updated survey. The updated survey will collect timely 
data on policy, administrative, and operational issues for the CN 
Programs. This information collection will help FNS obtain:
    1. General descriptive data on the characteristics of CN Programs 
to inform the budget process and answer questions about topics of 
current policy interest;
    2. Data on CN Program operations to identify potential topics for 
training and technical assistance for States agencies and school food 
authorities responsible for administering the Programs; and
    3. Administrative data to identify CN Program trends and 
predictors.
    The activities that will be conducted subject to this notice 
include:
    1. Collecting disaggregated administrative data from an estimated 
68 State CN Directors (these data are reported in aggregate on forms 
FNS-10, Report of School Program Operations, FNS-418, Report of the 
Summer Food Service Program for Children, and FNS-44, Report of the 
Child and Adult Care Food Program, under OMB Control Number 0584-0594, 
expiration date 09/30/2026).
    2. Conducting a web survey of an estimated 54 of the 68 State CN 
Directors above.
    All 68 respondents will receive one email with an attached study 
brochure from their FNS Regional Office expressing their support of the 
study, and will receive one advance email from the study team to 
summarize the upcoming data collection activities. The subset of 54 
respondents who will take the survey will receive one invitation email. 
They will complete the web survey one time. They may receive

[[Page 36751]]

reminder emails, phone calls, and a last chance postcard until they 
have all responded. The 68 respondents who will be asked to submit 
administrative data will have one telephone meeting with the study team 
to describe the data request and will respond to the FNS-10, FNS-418, 
or FNS-44 administrative data request one time. They may receive 
reminder emails and phone calls until they have all responded.
    To reduce data collection burden, the SMO study will analyze 
existing administrative data to reduce the number and type of questions 
included in the survey. The survey will take an estimated 30 minutes to 
complete.
    To facilitate the collection of administrative data, State agencies 
will receive an agenda for initial telephone meetings and a template 
for the data request. The data request template will link each data 
element to the corresponding item number on forms FNS-10, FNS-418, and 
FNS-44. Examples of the types of data that the administrative request 
will respond to include number of schools and students participating in 
the meal programs and the number of meals served under the meal 
programs.

    Note:  Personally identifiable information will not be used to 
retrieve survey records or data.

    Affected Public: State Governments: State Agency Directors from the 
50 States, 3 territories, and the District of Columbia that oversee 
NSLP, SBP, SSO, SFSP, and CACFP.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 68 unique respondents.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Average of 9.9 (671 
responses/68 unique respondents).
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 671.
    Estimated Time per Response: Average of 1.4 hours (0.05 to 6 hours 
depending on the instrument).
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 941.2 hours.
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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN03MY24.004



[[Page 36753]]


Tameka Owens,
Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-09678 Filed 5-2-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-C