Agency Information Collection Activities: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Performance Reporting System, Management Evaluation

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Published

September 28, 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 revision of a currently approved collection and existing burden in use without a valid OMB control number in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This information collection is for the Performance Reporting System and management evaluation processes, which ensure that SNAP State agencies are operating the program in accordance with statute and regulations. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and SNAP State agencies use this information to evaluate State agency operations and to collect information necessary to develop solutions to improve the State's administration of SNAP policy and procedures.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 187 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58765-58769]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21033]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service

Agency Information Collection Activities: Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program: Performance Reporting System, Management Evaluation

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 is a revision of a
currently approved collection and existing burden in use without a
valid OMB control number in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP). This information collection is for the Performance
Reporting System and management evaluation processes, which ensure that
SNAP State agencies are operating the program in accordance with
statute and regulations. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and SNAP
State agencies use this information to evaluate State agency operations
and to collect information necessary to develop solutions to improve
the State's administration of SNAP policy and procedures.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before November 28,
2022.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Program Design Branch, Program
Development Division, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314.
Comments may also be submitted via phone to Jessica Luna at 703-305-
2022 or via email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#15465b5445455157476079706655606671743b727a63"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c69588879696828494b3aaa3b586b3b5a2a7e8a1a9b0">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>. Comments will also 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 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 Jessica
Luna at 703-305-2022.

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: Performance
Reporting System, Management Evaluation.
Form Number: N/A.
OMB Control Number: 0584-0010.
Expiration Date: July 31, 2023.
Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection to
include an existing collection in use without an OMB control number.
Abstract: The purpose of the Performance Reporting System (PRS) is
to ensure that each State agency and project area is operating the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in accordance with the
requirements of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (the Act) (7 U.S.C.
2011, et seq.), as amended, and corresponding program regulations.
Under Section 11 of the Act, all 53 SNAP State agencies must maintain
records to ascertain that the program is operating in compliance with
the Act and regulations by conducting State management evaluations in
each of their project areas as outlined in 7 CFR 275.5. Management
evaluations (MEs) are reviews that State agencies complete at local
SNAP offices to monitor program access, program integrity, and
operations. States must make these records available to the Food and
Nutrition Service (FNS) of the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) for inspection and audit. To conduct Federal oversight of State
operations, FNS Regional offices also conduct Federal management
evaluations of State agencies in all 53 SNAP States in accordance with
7 CFR 275.3(a) and (b).

[[Page 58766]]

State Management Evaluations

In the process of renewing this information collection, FNS
consulted with 7 State agencies to update, if necessary, estimates for
the time that State agency staff spend preparing State ME schedules,
conducting State ME reviews, and maintaining State ME records.
7 CFR 275.20 requires each State agency to submit State ME review
schedules to FNS. The review schedules must ensure that all project
areas will be reviewed every one, two or three years, depending on the
project area size, unless the State receives approval for an
alternative ME review schedule, per regulations at 7 CFR 275.5(b). FNS
defines project areas as the county or similar political subdivision
designated by a State as the administrative unit for program
operations. Per definitions at 7 CFR 271.2, FNS defines project areas
as large, medium or small depending on the number of households in
their monthly active caseload. The number of hours required to prepare
these review schedules is a function of the number and size of project
areas in the State. FNS assumes that it takes approximately 4 hours for
each State to generate and submit their yearly review schedule via
email or other electronic means to their respective FNS Regional
Office. The agency did not find adjustments necessary to this category
following State agency consultation.
Because States do not review all project areas annually, FNS
estimates that States will conduct reviews in half of the total number
of project areas each year. Therefore, each of the 53 State agencies
will conduct approximately 27 management evaluations annually (total of
1,431 State MEs nationally). It will take approximately 340 hours for
States to conduct each of these reviews. The agency did not find
adjustments necessary to this category following State agency
consultation.
Each State agency must keep records of ME reviews and submit such
reports and other information to their respective FNS Regional Office
as required under 7 CFR 275.4. States generally submit these reports
and other information via email, though in some cases the FNS Regional
Office may facilitate submission via a web-based collaboration and
document management platform. The State agency must retain all ME
records for audit and review purposes for no less than three years from
the month of record origin. Following State agency consultation, FNS
adjusted the recordkeeping burden for State MEs to more accurately
account for State time used, adding 5,968 burden hours as compared to
the previous approval for this collection. FNS estimates that
recordkeeping burden related to ME reviews requires one record keeper
per each State agency. Each recordkeeper manages approximately 29
records each year and it takes 4 hours to complete each record.

Federal Management Evaluations

Under 7 CFR 275.3, FNS also conducts monitoring reviews to ensure
that State agencies are operating SNAP and their State management
evaluation (ME) programs in accordance with SNAP requirements. Federal
management evaluations, which the FNS Regional offices conduct, are
very similar to those conducted by the States. States participating in
Federal management evaluations incur burden related to preparing for
and facilitating the Regional office's review during the Federal ME.
With this information collection request, FNS is seeking OMB
approval for the burden hours associated with Federal management
evaluation information that is currently being collected in violation
of the PRA without a valid OMB control number. Therefore, the burden
estimates for this requirement represent an additional 8,692 burden
hours not included in the previous approval of this collection. To
prepare the below estimate, FNS used the same State consultations
mentioned above to estimate the time that State agency staff spend on
Federal ME reviews.
According to FNS internal records from previous years, FNS Regional
offices typically conduct management evaluations twice a year in each
SNAP State for an average total of 106 Federal MEs each year. To
prepare for a Federal ME, States must gather documentation and
information for FNS' review. For example, documentation may include
procedure manuals, example notifications, and case records. The
information required for the ME is dependent on the type of ME being
performed and most items are submitted electronically via email to FNS
Regional offices prior to the ME to allow time for review. Once FNS
begins the review, States host FNS Regional office employees at a
designated location, participate in interviews, and facilitate SNAP
case file reviews. FNS estimates that it takes a State approximately 82
hours total to prepare for, attend, and help facilitate each Federal
ME.
There is no recordkeeping burden for the affected public associated
with Federal MEs for this information collection since FNS is the
recordholder.

Corrective Action Plans

Using the same 7 State agency consultations mentioned previously,
FNS updated the reporting burden estimates related to corrective action
plans resulting from State and Federal management evaluations. Due to
the resulting updates, the burden hours for this requirement represent
an additional 636 burden hours for Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) that
was not included in the previous approval of this collection.
As required at 7 CFR 275, each State has an established system for
analysis and evaluation of all data available to the State during both
State and Federal MEs. Data analysis and evaluation are ongoing
processes that facilitate the development of prompt corrective action.
Through the ME process, States and FNS Regional offices often identify
deficiencies (i.e., findings) in the application of SNAP policy and
requirements. According to requirements at 7 CFR 275.16 through 7 CFR
275.18, State agencies must prepare a CAP addressing all findings
identified. FNS estimates that each State will prepare two semi-annual,
comprehensive CAPs, which States submit electronically to FNS Regional
Offices. States generally submit these plans via email, though in some
cases the FNS Regional Office may facilitate submission via a web-based
collaboration and document management platform. These plans cover all
corrective actions that States are responsible for undertaking
following both State ME findings and Federal ME findings. State
agencies have systems for monitoring and evaluating corrective action,
per regulations at 7 CFR 275.19. FNS estimates that it takes an average
of 46 hours to develop and monitor each semi-annual CAP.

Reporting

Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Government.
Respondent Type: State SNAP Agencies.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 32.
Estimated Total Annual Responses: 1,696.
Estimated Time per Response: 295 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 500,320 hours.

Recordkeeping

Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Government.
Respondent Type: State SNAP Agencies.

[[Page 58767]]

Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 29.
Estimated Total Annual Responses: 1,537.
Estimated Time per Response: 4 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 6,148 hours.

[[Page 58768]]

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Estimated Burden
Estimated Estimated Estimated number of Estimated hours in Previously Difference Differences
Burden activities Reg. section Respondent type Description of number of frequency total burden total use without approved due to due to
activity respondents of response annual hours per burden a valid OMB burden adjustments program
responses response hours control No. hours changes
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State ME.......... 7 CFR 275.20..... State SNAP Prepare State and 53 1 53 4 212 0 212 0 0
Agencies. local agencies
management
evaluation
schedule.
7 CFR 275.9...... State SNAP Conduct State 53 27 1,431 340 486,540 0 486,540 0 0
Agencies. management
evaluation
reviews.
Federal ME........ 7 CFR 275.3...... State SNAP Facilitate 53 2 106 82 8,692 8,692 0 8,692 0
Agencies. Federal
management
evaluation
reviews.
All ME............ 7 CFR 275.16- State SNAP Prepare and 53 2 106 46 4,876 0 4,240 636 0
275.19. Agencies. monitor
corrective
action plan.
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State Agency Subtotal Reporting........................................ 53 32 1,696 295 500,320 8,692 490,992 9,328 0
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Reporting Total Burden Estimates....................................... 53 32 1,696 295 500,320 8,692 490,992 9,328 0
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State ME.......... 7 CFR 275.4...... State SNAP Maintain 53 29 1,537 4 6,148 0 180 5,968 0
Agencies. management
evaluation
records.
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State Agency Subtotal Recordkeeping.................................... 53 29 1,537 4 6,148 0 180 5,968 0
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Recordkeeping Total Burden Estimates................................... 53 29 1,537 4 6,148 0 180 5,968 0
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[[Page 58769]]

Tameka Owens,
Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-21033 Filed 9-27-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P

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