Notice2022-12504
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education and Obesity Prevention Grant (SNAP-Ed) National Program Evaluation and Reporting System (N-PEARS)
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
June 10, 2022
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentFood and Nutrition Service
Abstract
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 new collection to consolidate and improve SNAP-Ed data collecting and reporting, as required in the 2018 Farm Bill.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 112 (Friday, June 10, 2022)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 112 (Friday, June 10, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35491-35497]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-12504]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request--Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education
and Obesity Prevention Grant (SNAP-Ed) National Program Evaluation and
Reporting System (N-PEARS)
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 new collection to
consolidate and improve SNAP-Ed data collecting and reporting, as
required in the 2018 Farm Bill.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before August 9, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Maribelle Balbes, Food and
Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor,
Alexandria, VA 22314. Comments also may be submitted via email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#efbca1aebfc2aa8baf9a9c8b8ec1888099"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="580b161908751d3c182d2b3c39763f372e">[email protected]</span></a>. Comments also will be accepted through the Federal
eRulemaking Portal. Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, 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 (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 Maribelle
Balbes at 703-605-4272 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#42110c03126f072602373126236c252d34"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0d5e434c5d2048694d787e696c236a627b">[email protected]</span></a>.
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 Education and
Obesity Prevention Grant (SNAP-Ed) National Program Evaluation and
Reporting System (N-PEARS)
Form Number: SNAP-Ed Annual Report (Form FNS-925A) and SNAP-Ed
State Plan (Form FNS-925B).
OMB Number: 0584-NEW.
Expiration Date: Not Yet Determined.
Type of Request: New collection.
Abstract: This is a new information collection request. FNS
administers the nutrition assistance programs of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA), including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP). The SNAP Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention
Grant Program (referred to as SNAP-Ed), established by the Food and
Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended (Pub. L. 115-334, ``The Act'') is the
nutrition education and promotion component of SNAP. Under current SNAP
regulations (7 CFR 272.2 (d)), State SNAP agencies have the option to
provide, as part of their administrative operations, nutrition
education for persons who are eligible to receive SNAP benefits and
other means-tested Federal assistance programs. The goal of SNAP-Ed is
to improve the likelihood that persons eligible for SNAP will make
healthy food choices within a limited budget and choose physically
active lifestyles consistent with the current Dietary Guidelines for
Americans and the USDA food guidance. SNAP-Ed's target audience
includes low-income individuals eligible to receive benefits under SNAP
or other means-tested Federal assistance programs, and individuals
residing in communities with a significant (50 percent or greater) low-
income population. State SNAP agencies have the option of providing
SNAP-Ed services to SNAP recipients as part of their SNAP operations.
As of 2022, all 53 States and Territories implement some form of SNAP-
Ed program. Participating States receive federally allocated grants
every year that are used to cover States' SNAP-Ed expenses at a rate of
100 percent. Some State SNAP Agencies choose to implement their SNAP-Ed
programs
[[Page 35492]]
themselves, while others contract with sub-grantees referred to as
Implementing Agencies (IAs) to carry out SNAP-Ed programming.
Implementing agencies are entities that contract with State SNAP
agencies to provide SNAP-Ed services and include cooperative extension
offices, universities, State departments of health or education, State-
level nutrition networks, food banks, and other organizations. SNAP-Ed
programming can comprise a wide range of evidence-based strategies, but
common approaches include direct classroom or online education,
community-level nutrition and health initiatives, and social marketing
messaging. The annual SNAP-Ed Plan Guidance, available online (<a href="https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/program-administration/snap-ed-plan-guidance-and-templates">https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/program-administration/snap-ed-plan-guidance-and-templates</a>) describes SNAP-Ed Programming options in detail.
Current Process
Currently, States submit their SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education Plans to
FNS in electronic format via FNS PartnerWeb by August 15 of each year,
as required at 7 CFR 272.2(d)(2). These State plans are prepared
according to the SNAP-Ed Plan Guidance, which is updated annually and
available online (<a href="https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/program-administration/snap-ed-plan-guidance-and-templates">https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/program-administration/snap-ed-plan-guidance-and-templates</a>), and must include key features
such as a needs assessment of the SNAP-Ed-eligible public, a
description of the SNAP-Ed programming the State proposes to undertake,
a budget, and a record of the States' consultation with partner and
stakeholder groups. FNS Regional Offices review and approve State plans
before States can use the year's SNAP-Ed funding. The burden associated
with State plans is currently approved under OMB Control Number 0584-
0083, expiration 08/21/2023. Additionally, 7 CFR 272.2(d)(2)(xiii)
requires State agencies to submit an Annual Report on SNAP-Ed
activities to FNS in two parts: the Education and Administrative
Reporting System (EARS) form (FNS-759) is submitted by State agencies
each December via the Food Program Reporting System (FPRS, currently
approved under OMB Control No. 0584-0594, expiration 07/31/2023), and a
SNAP-Ed Annual Narrative Report is submitted to FNS each January via
email. The burden for these reports is also approved through OMB
Control Number 0584-0083, included in the State Plan of Operations
Update. There are no Individuals or Households directly impacted by
this information collection and any burden associated with I/H is
already covered in OMB Control Number: 0584-0064; Expiration date: 02/
2024. The agency is not seeking to duplicate those estimates associated
with I/H.
In States where SNAP-Ed activities are being conducted by
implementing agencies, the IAs individually plan, track, and report
their data, and then submit their plan and report materials to the
State to be reviewed and combined for the submission of a single,
statewide Annual Report. The information collected in the Annual Report
is necessary to ensure that State agencies are maximizing the use of
resources to identify target audiences; implementing interventions and
strategies that meet the assessed nutrition, physical activity, and
obesity prevention needs of the target population; and promoting the
availability of SNAP-Ed activities in local communities. In addition,
the information collected from State agencies is necessary to ensure
integrity of funds, demonstrate program effectiveness, and track SNAP-
Ed outcomes and impacts. The new N-PEARS system outlined in this notice
will increase efficiency and reduce burden by providing all State and
Implementing Agencies with a single streamlined, online tool for their
plans and reports. It will simplify the review and submission process--
both for States reviewing implementing agency data and for FNS staff
approving State Plans--and provide better tools for FNS and the public
to visualize and understand SNAP-Ed outcomes through data.
New Process--N-PEARS
As directed by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (``2018 Farm
Bill'', Pub. L. 115-334), FNS has worked to improve the SNAP-Ed data
reporting process by providing States with a robust electronic, online
reporting system. FNS has entered into a cooperative agreement with the
Kansas State University Research Foundation to develop and maintain new
State Plan and Annual Report modules for their Program Evaluation and
Reporting System (PEARS), an existing reporting system that many States
have already elected to purchase to track and report SNAP-Ed data for
their own needs. These new plan and annual report modules, referred to
as the National Program Evaluation and Reporting System (N-PEARS), will
still be housed inside the platform many States are already familiar
with--not on a separate FNS website--and will require no additional
paperwork or purchase by States. This system will allow States to
submit their SNAP-Ed annual Nutrition Education Plans (SNAP-Ed State
Plan) and a new, consolidated Annual Report. These newly developed
annual plan and Annual Report systems (form FNS-925A, SNAP-Ed Annual
Report, and form FNS-925B, SNAP-Ed State Plan) will provide FNS with
data that are more consistent across State programs and, thus,
facilitate data aggregation and evaluation of SNAP-Ed grants. This
system will also streamline the annual plan and Annual Report
submission and review process for States and FNS. There will be no
change in submission deadlines, and the plan and report modules housed
in N-PEARS will ease tracking and submission by walking users through
the plan and report-writing process step-by-step, using autofill to
avoid re-entering repeated data, and automatically skipping sections
not needed for a particular State or IA's plan or report. The order and
phrasing of the questions themselves have also been reworked for
clarity and ease of use based on feedback from FNS and State staff.
Once this collection is approved by OMB, the State Plan and Annual
Report review process will also be streamlined for FNS staff, as State
Plans previously submitted individually and often as long documents
will now be housed in a centralized system and viewable in a single,
streamlined format.
This new information collection covers the reporting and
recordkeeping requirements associated with the SNAP-Ed State Plan and
the new Annual Report forms. Upon the approval of this information
collection and associated forms, using a change request memo, FNS will
remove the burden associated with the SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education Plan
annual updates (53 hours) from OMB Control Number 0584-0083. FNS also
will remove the burden associated with the EARS Report (FNS Form-759;
2,808 hours) from OMB Control Number 0584-0594 and discontinue the
form. While the new burden estimate presented here is higher than the
burden hours removed from existing approved information collections,
this is largely due to FNS' attempts to accurately capture the role
that Implementing Agencies play in SNAP-Ed operations. The previous
information collections referenced above accounted for SNAP-Ed plan and
report activities only in terms of State and Territory respondents--
whereas this collection includes burden down to the level of individual
implementing agencies.
In developing the burden estimates for this information collection,
FNS consulted with two States involved in the development and pre-
testing of the new SNAP-Ed State Plan and the
[[Page 35493]]
Annual Report forms. In an effort to derive realistic averages of the
time needed to complete the activities covered in the information
collection, the two States consulted consisted of one ``small'' State
and one ``large'' State, based on funding allocation. To further refine
the time burdens associated with the new N-PEARS system, FNS intends to
broaden its consultation efforts to no more than seven additional
States (for a total of nine or fewer) during the 60-day comment period.
As part of its consultation efforts, FNS also will seek information on
how to account for implementing agency burden, given the diversity
across States. In addition, through this notice, FNS seeks public
comments on methods that can be used to account for implementing agency
burden.
Affected Public: State agencies that elect to request Federal SNAP-
Ed grant funds to conduct nutrition education and obesity prevention
services, and SNAP-Ed implementing agencies.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 53 State agencies (50 U.S. States,
District of Columbia, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and 168
implementing agencies (97 State government agencies, 7 local government
agencies, 12 Tribal government agencies, and 52 not-for-profit
institutions).
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 26 responses per
respondent per year. This total number of responses includes: (1)
submission of the SNAP-Ed State Plan form once a year by the State or
Implementing Agency (1 response); (2) submission of the SNAP-Ed Annual
Report form once a year by the State or Implementing Agency (1
response); (3) review of standards established in the regulation, SNAP-
Ed Plan Guidance, and other FNS policy once a month by the State or
Implementing Agency (12 responses); and (4) State or Implementing
Agency activities to meet FNS fiscal recordkeeping requirements once a
month (12 responses).
Estimated Total Annual Responses: 5,746.
Estimated Time per Response: 14.234 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 81,789 hours. See the
table below for estimated total annual burden for each type of
respondent.
[[Page 35494]]
SNAP-Ed National Program Evaluation and Reporting System (N-PEARS) ICR
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Change in Change in
Estimated Annual Total average Estimated Previously burden burden Total
Respondent type Burden activity Regulation at 7 number of responses per annual number of total approved hours due hours due difference
CFR 272.2 respondents respondent responses hours per hours burden to an to program in burden
response hours adjustment change hours
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporting
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Agencies that Administer Prepare and submit (d)(2), (d)(2)(ii) 53 1 53 470 24,931 53 24,878 0 24,878
the Program. SNAP-Ed State Plan through
Form (OMB Control (d)(2)(ix).
No.: 0584-0083).
Prepare and submit (d)(2)(xiii)...... 53 1 53 33 1,764 2,808 -1,044 0 -1,044
SNAP-Ed Annual
Report Form (OMB
Control No.: 0584-
0594) FNS 759.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal for State Agencies that Administer the Program................ 53 2 106 252 26,695 2,861 23,834 0 23,834
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Implementing Agencies--State Prepare and submit (d)(2), (d)(2)(ii) 97 1 97 216 20,982 0 20,982 0 20,982
Government. SNAP-Ed State Plan through
Form. (d)(2)(ix).
Prepare and submit (d)(2)(xiii)...... 97 1 97 176 17,098 0 17,098 0 17,098
SNAP-Ed Annual
Report Form.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal for Implementing Agencies--State Government................... 97 2 194 196 38,080 0 38,080 0 38,080
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Implementing Agencies--Local Prepare and submit (d)(2), (d)(2)(ii) 7 1 7 14 99 0 99 0 99
Government. SNAP-Ed State Plan through
Form. (d)(2)(ix).
Prepare and submit (d)(2)(xiii)...... 7 1 7 10 70 0 70 0 70
SNAP-Ed Annual
Report Form.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal for Implementing Agencies--Local Government................... 7 2 14 12 169 0 169 0 169
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Implementing Agencies--Tribal Prepare and submit (d)(2), (d)(2)(ii) 12 1 12 28 338 0 338 0 338
Government. SNAP-Ed State Plan through
Form. (d)(2)(ix).
Prepare and submit (d)(2)(xiii)...... 12 1 12 20 239 0 239 0 239
SNAP-Ed Annual
Report Form.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal for Implementing Agencies--Tribal Government.................. 12 2 24 24 577 0 577 0 577
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Estimated Reporting 169................ 2................. 338 194 65,521 2,861 62,660 0 62,660
Burden for State/Local/
Tribal Government Level.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 35495]]
Implementing Agencies--Not-For- Prepare and submit (d)(2), (d)(2)(ii) 52 1 52 118 6,119 0 6,119 0 6,119
Profit Institution. SNAP-Ed State Plan through
Form. (d)(2)(ix).
Prepare and submit (d)(2)(xiii)...... 52 1 52 93 4,845 0 4,845 0 4,845
SNAP-Ed Annual
Report Form.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal for Implementing Agencies--Not-For-Profit Institution......... 52 2 104 105 10,964 0 10,964 0 10,964
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Estimated Reporting 52................. 2................. 104 105 10,964 0 10,964 0 10,964
Burden for Business Level.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL ESTIMATED 221................ 4................. 442 299 76,485 2,861 73,624 0 73,624
REPORTING BURDEN.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recordkeeping
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Agencies that Administer Review standards (d)(2)(i)......... 53 12 636 1 636 0 636 0 636
the Program. established in the
regulation, SNAP-
Ed Plan Guidance,
and other FNS
policy.
Meet FNS fiscal (d)(2)(xi)........ 53 12 636 1 636 0 636 0 636
recordkeeping
requirements.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal for State Agencies that Administer the Program................ 53 24 1,272 1 1,272 0 1,272 0 1,272
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Implementing Agencies--State Review standards (d)(2)(i)......... 97 12 1,164 1 1,164 0 1,164 0 1,164
Government. established in the
regulation, SNAP-
Ed Plan Guidance,
and other FNS
policy.
Meet FNS fiscal (d)(2)(xi)........ 97 12 1,164 1 1,164 0 1,164 0 1,164
recordkeeping
requirements.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal for Implementing Agencies--State Government................... 97 24 2,328 1 2,328 0 2,328 0 2,328
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Implementing Agencies--Local Review standards (d)(2)(i)......... 7 12 84 1 84 0 84 0 84
Government. established in the
regulation, SNAP-
Ed Plan Guidance,
and other FNS
policy.
Meet FNS fiscal (d)(2)(xi)........ 7 12 84 1 84 0 84 0 84
recordkeeping
requirements.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal for Implementing Agencies--Local Government................... 7 24 168 1 168 0 168 0 168
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 35496]]
Implementing Agencies--Tribal Review standards (d)(2)(i)......... 12 12 144 1 144 0 144 0 144
Government. established in the
regulation, SNAP-
Ed Plan Guidance,
and other FNS
policy.
Meet FNS fiscal (d)(2)(xi)........ 12 12 144 1 144 0 144 0 144
recordkeeping
requirements.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal for Implementing Agencies--Tribal Government.................. 12 24 288 1 288 0 288 0 288
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Estimated 169................ 24................ 4,056 1 4,056 0 4,056 0 4,056
Recordkeeping Burden for
State/Local/Tribal
Government Level.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Implementing Agencies--Not-For- Review standards (d)(2)(i)......... 52 12 624 1 624 0 624 0 624
Profit Institution. established in the
regulation, SNAP-
Ed Plan Guidance,
and other FNS
policy.
Meet FNS fiscal (d)(2)(xi)........ 52 12 624 1 624 0 624 0 624
recordkeeping
requirements.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal for Implementing Agencies--Not-For-Profit Institution......... 52 24 1,248 1 1,248 0 1,248 0 1,248
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Estimated 52................. 24................ 1,248 1 1,248 0 1,248 0 1,248
Recordkeeping Burden for
Business Level.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL ESTIMATED 221................ 48................ 5,304 2 5,304 0 5,304 0 5,304
RECORDKEEPING BURDEN.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GRAND TOTAL FOR 221................ 52................ 5,746 14.234 81,789 2,861 78,928 0 78,928
REPORTING AND
RECORDKEEPING
BURDEN.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 35497]]
Cynthia Long,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-12504 Filed 6-9-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on June 10, 2022.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.