Notice2025-10769
Agency Information Collection Activities: WIC Tribal Organizations and U.S. Territories Study
Primary source
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Published
June 13, 2025
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 for the WIC Tribal Organizations and U.S. Territories Study. This is a new information collection request. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program to improve the health of nutritionally at-risk women and children. WIC is one of the nation's most successful public health nutrition programs. This study involves all 32 Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs, "Tribal Organizations") and 5 U.S. territories that operate WIC State agencies, 5 tribally operated local WIC agencies, and approximately 15 geographic State agencies that share a border with a Tribal Organization. This study aims to inform FNS about variations in operations among Tribal Organizations, U.S. territories, and geographic States administering WIC as local and State agencies. The results of the study may inform efforts to improve WIC program operations and participant services.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 113 (Friday, June 13, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 113 (Friday, June 13, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25018-25020]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-10769]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: WIC Tribal
Organizations and U.S. Territories Study
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 for the WIC Tribal
Organizations and U.S. Territories Study. This is a new information
collection request. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and
Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the Special Supplemental Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program to improve the
health of nutritionally at-risk women and children. WIC is one of the
nation's most successful public health nutrition programs. This study
involves all 32 Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs, ``Tribal
Organizations'') and 5 U.S. territories that operate WIC State
agencies, 5 tribally operated local WIC agencies, and approximately 15
geographic State agencies that share a border with a Tribal
Organization. This study aims to inform FNS about variations in
operations among Tribal Organizations, U.S. territories, and geographic
States administering WIC as local and State agencies. The results of
the study may inform efforts to improve WIC program operations and
participant services.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before August 12, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to Dr. Karen Castellanos-Brown, Food
and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1320 Braddock
Place, Alexandria, VA 22314, or submitted via email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6c270d1e0902422f0d1f180900000d02031f412e1e031b022c191f080d420b031a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="db90baa9beb5f598baa8afbeb7b7bab5b4a8f699a9b4acb59baea8bfbaf5bcb4ad">[email 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 Dr. Karen
Castellanos-Brown at 703-305-2732.
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 respondents, including use of
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Title: WIC Tribal Organizations and U.S. Territories.
Form Number: Not applicable.
OMB Number: 0584-NEW.
Expiration Date: Not yet determined.
Type of Request: New collection.
Abstract: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,
Infants, and Children (WIC) improves the health of nutritionally at-
risk women and children and is recognized as one of the nation's most
successful public health nutrition programs. Eighty-eight State
agencies, including 5 U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S.
Virgin
[[Page 25019]]
Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands) and 32 Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs, ``Tribal
Organizations''), currently administer WIC. While WIC program
requirements are the same across all WIC State agencies, there is
flexibility in adapting the program to the local context. This
flexibility can create variation in the experiences of WIC program
staff and participants. For instance, WIC agencies from geographic
States traditionally contract with local agencies to provide direct
services to participants. However, nearly all WIC agencies in Tribal
Organizations and U.S. territories conduct State agency-level functions
and provide direct WIC services.
FNS is conducting the WIC Tribal Organizations and U.S. Territories
Study to learn more about how WIC agencies in Tribal Organizations and
U.S. territories administer and operate the program. The results will
inform FNS about differences in WIC program operations and experiences
among Tribal Organizations, U.S. territories, and geographic State
agencies and can inform possible program improvements. Study objectives
include:
1. Comprehensively describe WIC program administration and
operations among ITOs and territories operating as State and local
agencies.
2. Understand the facilitators and barriers to WIC program
administration and operations among ITOs and territories operating
State and local agencies.
3. Examine and describe the differences in WIC State agency-level
policy, service delivery, and operations between ITOs and U.S.
territories and geographic State agencies.
4. Obtain information to inform determination of WIC coverage rates
among ITOs and territories.
The study takes a qualitative case study approach and will gather
information from the following sources: (a) extant data; (b) interviews
with WIC directors (all 32 State agency-level Tribal Organizations, all
5 Tribally operated local WIC agencies, and 15 geographic State
agencies); and (c) site visits to 20 selected Tribal Organizations and
U.S. territories. Site visits will include interviews with WIC clinic
staff and observations of the clinic environment, participant
appointments, and WIC-authorized retailers.\1\
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\1\ Observations of the clinic environment and WIC-authorized
retailers are passive observations in public space and will not
involve burden on participants.
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Affected public: (1) State, local, and Tribal governments and (2)
individuals/households. Identified respondent groups include the
following:
1. State, local, and Tribal governments: Staff from 57 State,
local, and Tribal government agencies (32 Tribal Organizations
operating WIC State agencies, 5 Tribal Organizations operating WIC
local agencies, 5 U.S. territories operating WIC State agencies, and 15
geographic WIC State agencies) will participate in data collection
activities. WIC staff from 20 Tribal government agencies will
participate in site visits, and WIC staff from 37 State, local, and
Tribal government agencies will participate in virtual interviews.
2. Individuals/households: Observations of up to 70 WIC participant
appointments will be included across the 25 WIC clinics included in
site visits.
Pretesting: Pretesting of new data collection instruments will be
conducted in May and June 2025. No more than nine individuals will be
asked to test each instrument. Three individuals will pretest the WIC
director interview guide for the Tribal Organizations and U.S.
territory agencies. Two individuals will pretest the geographic State
agency WIC director interview guide. Three WIC agency staff will
pretest the clinic staff interview guide. The clinic environment and
appointment observation forms will draw on instruments used
successfully in a previous study and will not be pretested again.
Estimated number of respondents: The total estimated number of
respondents for both pretests and the main study is 210: 140 staff
representing State, local, and Tribal government agencies, and up to 70
WIC participant individuals or households (including adult WIC
participants or adults whose children participate in WIC). Only virtual
interviews will be conducted with 32 of the 52 WIC State agency
directors and all 5 WIC local agency directors; all other respondents
(20) will participate in a site visit. Because the study respondents
work for WIC agencies that would need to have consented to participate
in this study, we anticipate staff at all agencies will be responsive.
The breakdown of respondents follows:
1. State, local, and Tribal government staff: Of the 37 WIC
agencies from State, local, and Tribal governments initially contacted
for a virtual interview, 37 staff are estimated to participate in the
interview and 0 to be nonresponsive. Of the 20 WIC State agencies from
WIC Tribal and U.S. territories contacted for site visits, 20 are
expected to participate and 95 staff (WIC directors, clinic managers,
frontline staff) from these agencies are estimated to participate and 0
to be nonresponsive.
2. Individuals/households: Up to 70 WIC participant appointment
observations will be conducted. Of the 70 participant appointments
observed, 70 individuals or households are estimated to participate and
0 to be nonresponsive.
Estimated number of responses per respondent: 2.66--based on 558
total annual responses from the 210 respondents. See table 1 for the
estimated number of responses per respondent for each type of
respondent. The estimated breakout follows:
1. WIC State agency staff (55): The estimated number of responses
per WIC State agency staff is 6.16. Of these 55, Directors of three WIC
State agencies will receive three communications to participate in
pretesting the WIC director guide. Fifty-two staff from 52 WIC State
agencies will receive a study notification email. Of these staff, 37
staff from 37 WIC State agencies will receive up to 3 communications to
participate in an introductory meeting. Of these staff, 20 staff from
20 WIC State agencies will receive up to 5 communications to
participate in a site visit planning meeting, WIC director interview,
and WIC director debrief. Thirty-two staff from 32 WIC State agencies
will receive up to 3 communications to participate in a virtual
interview.
2. WIC local agency staff (7): The estimated number of responses
per WIC local agency staff is 7.00. Two former geographic State WIC
directors will pretest these interview guides. Five staff from five
tribally operated WIC local agencies will receive up to two
communications to participate in an introductory meeting and three to
participate in a virtual interview.
3. WIC clinic staff (78): The estimated number of responses per WIC
clinic staff is 1.60. Three staff will pretest the clinic staff guide.
Twenty-five clinic managers from 25 WIC clinics will receive one
communication to participate in a clinic visit planning meeting and a
clinic manager interview. Fifty frontline staff from 25 WIC clinics
will participate in a clinic frontline staff interview.
4. Individuals/households (70): The average estimated number of
responses per individual/household is 1.00. Seventy individuals/
households participating in WIC will provide informed consent for
appointment observation. There is no additional burden associated with
observing an existing appointment.
Estimated total annual responses: 210 (210 annual responses for
responsive participants and 0 annual responses for nonresponsive
participants).
[[Page 25020]]
Estimated time per response: 0.4811 hours (0.4811 hours for
responsive participants and 0.000 hours for nonresponsive
participants). Among respondents, the estimated response time varies
from 0.0835 hours to 1.5 hours depending on respondent group and
activity, as shown in table 1.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents and nonrespondents:
268.47 hours (268.47 hours for responsive participants and 0.00 hours
for nonresponsive participants). See table 1 for the estimated total
annual burden for each respondent type.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN13JN25.004
James C. Miller,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-10769 Filed 6-12-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P
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