Notice2026-04773
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Breastfeeding Award of Excellence
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Published
March 11, 2026
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 collection is a revision of a currently approved collection for awarding local agencies for excellence in WIC breastfeeding services and support. The Child Nutrition Act of 1966 at 42 U.S. Code Sec. 1786(h)(4)(B), requires that the Department of Agriculture (USDA) establish a program to recognize WIC local agencies and clinics that demonstrate exemplary breastfeeding promotion and support activities.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 47 (Wednesday, March 11, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 11, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11946-11947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-04773]
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Notices
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Federal Register / Vol. 91, No. 47 / Wednesday, March 11, 2026 /
Notices
[[Page 11946]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request--The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,
Infants and Children (WIC) Breastfeeding Award of Excellence
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 collection is a revision
of a currently approved collection for awarding local agencies for
excellence in WIC breastfeeding services and support. The Child
Nutrition Act of 1966 at 42 U.S. Code Sec. 1786(h)(4)(B), requires
that the Department of Agriculture (USDA) establish a program to
recognize WIC local agencies and clinics that demonstrate exemplary
breastfeeding promotion and support activities.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before May 11, 2026.
ADDRESSES: The Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, invites interested
persons to submit written comment.
<bullet> Preferred Method: 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.
<bullet> Mail: Send comments to: Kristin Garcia, Director, Food
Safety and Nutrition Division, Supplemental Nutrition and Safety
Programs, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
1320 Braddock Pl, Alexandria, VA 22314.
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 Valery
Soto, Chief, Nutrition Services and Promotion Branch, Food Safety and
Nutrition Division, Supplemental Nutrition and Safety Programs, FNS,
USDA, 1320 Braddock Pl, Alexandria, VA 22314. Email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1741767b72656e3944786378576264737639707861"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4214232e27303b6c112d362d02373126236c252d34">[email protected]</span></a>, Telephone: (703) 305-2742.
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: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants,
and Children (WIC) Breastfeeding Award of Excellence.
Form Number: Not applicable.
OMB Number: 0584-0591.
Expiration Date: 12/31/2026.
Type of Request: Revision of a Currently Approved Collection.
Abstract: This information collection is mandated by the Child
Nutrition Act of 1966 at 42 U.S. Code Sec. 1786(h)(4)(B), herein
referred to as the Child Nutrition Act. The Child Nutrition Act
requires USDA to implement a program to recognize exemplary
breastfeeding support practices at WIC local agencies and clinics. The
WIC program provides breastfeeding promotion and support for pregnant
and postpartum mothers as a part of its mission to improve the health
of the approximately 6.7 million Americans it serves each month.
Breastfeeding is a priority in WIC and WIC mothers are strongly
encouraged to breastfeed their infants unless medically
contraindicated.
In recognizing exemplary local agencies and clinics, the Child
Nutrition Act requires the Secretary to consider the following
criteria: (1) performance measurements of breastfeeding; (2) the
effectiveness of a peer counselor program; (3) the extent to which the
agency or clinic has partnered with other entities to build a
supportive breastfeeding environment for women participating in WIC;
and (4) other criteria the Secretary considers appropriate after
consultation with state and local program agencies. The information
will be submitted voluntarily by WIC local agencies who will be
applying for an award. FNS will use the information collected to
evaluate the components of existing breastfeeding programs and support
in WIC local agencies and make decisions about awards. This program is
expected to provide models of breastfeeding support excellence and
motivate local agencies and clinics to strengthen their breastfeeding
promotion and support activities.
A notable improvement from past collection requests is that FNS
plans to explore ways to streamline the application questions and
instructions for local agencies. WIC state agencies will continue to
conduct their evaluation on PartnerWeb, which was modernized in fiscal
year (FY) 2025 for a better user experience. The total estimated time
for local WIC agencies to complete the application is not expected to
change.
Affected Public: State, Local and Tribal Government: Respondent
groups identified include local and WIC state agencies.
Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of
respondents is 258: 170 local WIC agencies and 88 WIC state agencies.
Since the inception of the program in 2015, a total of 1,137 awards
have been given. In FY 2023, 143 eligible local agencies applied for
awards; in FY 2024, 136 eligible local agencies applied for awards; and
in FY 2025, 216 eligible local agencies applied for awards. FNS
estimates that applications will increase from a range of 130-150 to
130-170 annually. FNS estimates that 7-8 percent (13 applications) of
local agency applications are small entities as they do not come from
health departments. The estimated number of respondents for the state
agency application
[[Page 11947]]
verification is derived from the total number of WIC state agencies,
which has decreased by one since the previous burden collection.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent:
The estimated number of responses per respondent for the WIC local
agency is one, as each eligible WIC local agency can submit one
application. The estimated number of responses per respondent for the
WIC state agency is 2.0, as each WIC state agency will evaluate
approximately 2.0 applications annually. These estimates were derived
by dividing the total number of responses for the WIC local agency
application or the WIC state agency evaluation by the respective number
of respondents. Overall, the estimated number of responses per
respondent across the entire collection is 1.3, which is derived by
dividing the total number of annual responses (346) by the total
estimated number of respondents (258).
Estimated Total Annual Responses: 346.
Estimated Time per Response: FNS estimates the WIC local agency
application response is 2.0 hours, and the WIC state agency response is
1.2 hours. Overall, the average estimated time for all the award
participants is 1.6 hours. The estimated average number of hours per
response was derived by dividing the number of estimated total hours
(551), by the number of total annual responses by all respondents
(346). The time for the WIC local agency is an estimated time for the
agency to voluntarily review the instructions, fill out the ``WIC
Breastfeeding Award of Excellence'' application, and attach supportive
documentation. The time for the WIC state agency is an estimated time
for the agency to review the instructions, evaluate the components of
the local WIC agencies applications, and make a recommendation for an
award.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 551.2 hours.
See the Burden table below for estimated total annual burden for
each type of respondent.
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Responses Estimated avg.
Respondent Estimated # annually per Total annual # of hours per Estimated
respondent respondent responses response * total hours
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Reporting Burden
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Small Entity Application........ 13.0 1.0 13.0 2.0 26.0
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WIC Local Agency Application.... 157.0 1.0 157.0 2.0 314.0
WIC State Agency Evaluation..... 88.0 2.0 176.0 1.2 211.2
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Total Reporting Burden...... 258.0 1.3 346.0 1.6 551.2
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* Estimated average # of hours per response includes .5 hours for reviewing instructions.
Parick A. Penn,
Deputy Under Secretary, Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services.
[FR Doc. 2026-04773 Filed 3-10-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P
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