[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 167 (Thursday, August 27, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52945-52946]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-18859]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program Emergency Allotments (COVID-19)
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), Agriculture (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. The Families First Coronavirus
Response Act of 2020, enacted March 18, 2020, includes a general
provision that allows the Department of Agriculture to issue emergency
allotments (EA) based on a public health emergency declaration by the
Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 319 of the Public
Health Service Act related to an outbreak of COVID-19 when a State has
also issued an emergency or disaster declaration. This is a new
collection for activities associated with administering emergency
allotments.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before October 26, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Kelly Stewart, Food and Nutrition
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, via email to
Kelly.stewart@usda.gov. 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 Kelly
Stewart at 703-305-2435 or Kelly.stewart@usda.gov.
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.
Abstract
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 (Pub. L. 116-
127), enacted March 18, 2020, includes a general provision that allows
the Department of Agriculture to issue emergency allotments (EA) based
on a public health emergency declaration by the Secretary of Health and
Human Services under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act
related to an outbreak of COVID-19 when a State has also issued an
emergency or disaster declaration. The Department obtained approval
through an emergency clearance to collect the information as described
in this Notice (OMB Control Number 0854-0652; expiration 9/30/2020).
USDA anticipates the need to collect the data beyond the expiration
date and is seeking approval of this Information Collection Request in
order to meet the continuing information collection and reporting
requirements detailed in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of
2020.
As authorized by Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020,
State agencies impacted by COVID-19 may submit a waiver request to
their FNS Regional Office for approval to provide a EA to households to
bring all households up to the maximum benefit due to pandemic related
economic conditions. State agency waivers will generally be approved
under one or more the following conditions as it relates to COVID-19:
Residents of the State are confirmed to have contracted
COVID-19.
Some or all areas of the State are containment or
quarantine zones.
Businesses have closed or significantly reduced their
hours.
The State's residents have experienced economic impacts
due to job suspensions or losses.
The State's residents have been directed to practice
social distancing.
Once the State's waiver has been approved by FNS, the State may
provide the EA without contacting the household. Following waiver
approval, FNS will require State Agencies to attest to FNS on a monthly
basis the EA waiver is still needed. Both the initial waiver and the
monthly attestation are conducted via email. FNS expects 53 State
agencies will submit one initial EA waiver to FNS. Currently 51 State
agencies are operating under an EA waiver. It is possible that States
may have more than one declared public health emergency over the next
year as COVID-19 rates ebb and flow, therefore we are including hours
for these initial waiver requests in this IC as a precautionary
measure. Each initial EA waiver submission should take approximately
one hour to complete. Each monthly email attesting to the continued
need for the EA waiver is expected to take 15 minutes to complete.
Section 18(b) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended,
requires that, ``In any fiscal year, the Secretary shall limit the
value of those allotments issued to an amount not in excess of the
appropriation for such fiscal year.'' Because the EA waiver increases
the monthly benefit of participants above the amount originally
anticipated for this fiscal year, the amount of benefits issued and
redeemed must be carefully tracked to ensure FNS does not exceed its
appropriation. As such, it is necessary for FNS to collect information
from State agencies
[[Page 52946]]
operating EA on a more frequent basis than would be reported normally.
Generally, States report disaster-related SNAP participation and
issuance data to FNS on the FNS-292B, Report of Disaster Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Benefit Issuance, within 45 days of terminating
disaster assistance.
While a State is operating under an EA waiver, FNS requires the
State to submit bi-weekly FNS-292B reports. The burden for a State
agency to submit FNS-292B reports during normal operations is currently
captured under the information collection for the Food Programs
Reporting System (FPRS), OMB Control Number 0584-0594 (expiration date
7/31/2023). However, FNS is including the burden for submitting this
form more frequently under this information collection.
FNS-292B--.4 hours per response x 53 State Agencies x 26
weeks = 551 hours.
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Number of Frequency of Total annual Responses per Hours per Annual burden
Respondent category Instruments Form respondents response responses respondent response (hours)
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State Agencies.......................... Bi-weekly EA Reporting to FNS-292B.................. 53 26 1,378 26 0.4 551.20
FNS.
Initial Waiver Request-- N/A....................... 53 1 53 1 1 53
Emergency Allotment.
Monthly EA Attestation.... N/A....................... 53 12 636 12 0.25 159
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Total............................... .......................... .......................... 53 39 2,067 39 0.369230769 763
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Affected Public: State, Local and Tribal Governments.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 39.
Estimated Total Annual Responses: 2,067.
Estimated Time per Response: .37 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 763.
Pamilyn Miller,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-18859 Filed 8-26-20; 8:45 am]
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