Notice2021-24662
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request: Additional Information To Be Collected Under the Uniform Grant Application Package for Discretionary Grant Programs for the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program Benefit Delivery Modernization (FMNP BDM) Grants
Primary source
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Published
November 12, 2021
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentFood and Nutrition Service
Abstract
This Notice announces that the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) plans to add WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program Benefit Delivery Modernization (FMNP BDM) Grants, as authorized under Section 1106 of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) (Pub. L. 117-2), to its list of approved programs under the Uniform Grant Application for Non-Entitlement Discretionary Grants, as approved under OMB Control Number: 0584-0512 (Expiration Date: July 31, 2022); and that FNS intends to collect additional information for FMNP BDM Grants outside of what is currently in the uniform package. This Notice solicits public comments on the additional information to be collected for the FMNP BDM Grants.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 216 (Friday, November 12, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 216 (Friday, November 12, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62772-62773]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-24662]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request: Additional Information To Be Collected Under the
Uniform Grant Application Package for Discretionary Grant Programs for
the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program Benefit Delivery
Modernization (FMNP BDM) Grants
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This Notice announces that the United States Department of
Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) plans to add WIC
Farmers' Market Nutrition Program Benefit Delivery Modernization (FMNP
BDM) Grants, as authorized under Section 1106 of the American Rescue
Plan Act (ARPA) (Pub. L. 117-2), to its list of approved programs under
the Uniform Grant Application for Non-Entitlement Discretionary Grants,
as approved under OMB Control Number: 0584-0512 (Expiration Date: July
31, 2022); and that FNS intends to collect additional information for
FMNP BDM Grants outside of what is currently in the uniform package.
This Notice solicits public comments on the additional information to
be collected for the FMNP BDM Grants.
DATES: (if applicable): To be assured of consideration, written
comments must be submitted or postmarked on or before December 13,
2021.
ADDRESSES: 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
[[Page 62773]]
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.
Comments must be submitted through one of the following methods:
<bullet> Preferred method: Submit information through the Federal
eRulemaking Portal at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the online
instructions for submissions.
<bullet> Email: Send comments to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cbb9aea9aea8a8aae5b9aab8a38bbeb8afaae5aca4bd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bcced9ded9dfdfdd92ceddcfd4fcc9cfd8dd92dbd3ca">[email protected]</span></a> with a
subject line ``FMNP Benefit Delivery Modernization Information
Collection.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rebecca Rash on behalf Sarah Widor,
Supplemental Food Programs Division, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, Virginia
22314, 703-305-2937, or email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8ffdeaedeaececeea1fdeefce7cffafcebeea1e8e0f9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3745525552545456194556445f774244535619505841">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States Department of
Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is establishing a
new grant program for State agencies that administer the WIC Farmers'
Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) aimed at modernizing benefit delivery
and reducing disparities in program delivery, under the authorization
and funding provided in section 1106 of the American Rescue Plan Act
(ARPA) (Pub. L. 117-2).
The WIC FMNP Benefit Delivery Modernization (FMNP BDM) Grants will
be offered in multiple rounds. As planned, $1 million to $5 million
will be offered to State agencies in early 2022 for the first round of
grants to support the modernization of FMNP benefit delivery by
supporting the transition from a paper-based benefit to an electronic,
mobile benefit solution readily available in the marketplace.
For the first round of grant funding, eligible entities will submit
an application using FNS' Uniform Grant Application for Discretionary
Grant Programs (OMB Control Number: 0584-0512, Expiration Date: July
31, 2022), which will include up to ten additional questions related to
the goals of the FMNP BDM Grant. These questions will be outlined in
the Request for Applications for the FMNP BDM Grant. State agencies
will have the option to use any format to answer the questions. The
additional questions included will relate to how FMNP State agencies
will utilize FMNP BDM grant funding and how the State agency's project
will: (1) Implement and support an existing mobile WIC FMNP solution,
which will modernize benefit delivery for State agencies, participants,
and farmers and farmers' markets; and (2) increase FMNP benefit
utilization. This will include submission of data about number of
participants, current benefit level, number of authorized farmers/
markets, and number of local agencies. Additional information that
State agencies will need to provide includes a letter of commitment
from the anticipated provider of the electronic benefit delivery
system, the names of any State agencies participating if part of a
consortium grant, how the implementation will satisfy applicable
privacy and data security standards, and other information that ensures
the proposed use of the grant complies with current program
regulations.
To measure impact of the grants and to determine whether the grants
achieve their intended purposes, grantees will be required to provide
narrative, semiannual progress reports using the FNS-908 Performance
Progress Report (PPR) form, as a condition to accepting grant funding.
On the semiannual FNS-908 PPR, grantees will also be asked to respond
to six questions related to progress made toward achieving the goals of
the grant program. These questions may include updates to any data
submitted in the grant application. The six additional questions will
be outlined in the Request for Applications for the FMNP BDM Grants.
With the additional information that will be requested, FNS
estimates that each State agency will spend a total of approximately
59.33 hours completing the full grant application package. Under 0584-
0512, FNS has 109,667 remaining burden hours and 21,835 remaining
responses available for use. Under the FMNP BDM Grant, State agencies
are expected to use 4,792.73 burden hours and 1,377 responses for the
pre-award, post-award and recordkeeping burden, including the
additional information to be collected. All three items make up the
burden for the competitive grants that are submitted under 0584-0512.
The purpose of this Notice is to solicit public comments on the
additional information to be collected for the FMNP BDM Grants through
the ten question application questionnaire and through the six question
semiannual progress reports for the grant program. 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.
FNS will utilize these comments to adjust the information
collection as necessary.
Cynthia Long,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-24662 Filed 11-10-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P
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