[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 144 (Friday, July 26, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45171-45173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-17992]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request-WIC Nutrition Services and Administration (NSA) Cost
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. This collection is a new
collection to obtain data on how State and local WIC agencies calculate
NSA costs; how recent Program changes have impacted NSA costs; and how
administrative costs and policies compare to those of Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF).
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before September 24,
2013.
ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on (a) whether the proposed data
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 the use of
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Written comments may be sent to: Dr. Melissa Abelev, Food and
Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center
Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted
via fax to the attention of Dr. Melissa Abelev at 703-305-2209 or via
email to [email protected]. Comments will also be accepted
through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov, and follow the online instructions for submitting
comments electronically.
All written comments will be open for public inspection at the
office of the Food and Nutrition Service during regular business hours
(8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday) at 3101 Park Center
Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, Virginia 22302.
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. Melissa
Abelev at 703-305-2209.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: WIC Nutrition Services and Administration (NSA) Cost Study.
Form Number: N/A.
OMB Number: Not yet assigned.
Expiration Date: Not yet determined.
Type of Request: New collection.
Abstract: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,
Infants, and Children (WIC), (Pub. L. 109-85), is administered at the
Federal level by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. Through Federal grants to States, WIC
[[Page 45172]]
provides low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women,
infants, and children up to age five with nutritious supplemental
foods. The program also provides nutrition education and referrals to
health and social services.
NSA costs, the focus of this study, are the direct and indirect
costs, which State and local agencies determine to be necessary to
support WIC Program operations, exclusive of food costs. NSA costs
include, but are not limited to, the costs of Program administration,
start-up, monitoring, auditing, the development of and accountability
for food delivery systems, nutrition education and breastfeeding
promotion and support, outreach, certification, and developing and
printing food instruments and cash-value vouchers.
The current federal WIC regulations are designed to encourage women
to breastfeed and to provide appropriate nutritional support for WIC
participants. As part of these provisions, States must spend a minimum
amount of grant funds, as determined by a national formula, on
nutrition education and breastfeeding support services.
The last study on NSA costs took place in 2000. Since then, there
have been many changes in the WIC Program--from new food packages, to
the Value Enhanced Nutrition Assessment (VENA), to Management
Information System (MIS) upgrades, and the start of the mandated
conversion to Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards--all of which
have impacted NSA costs. A census of state and local agencies will be
conducted to provide insight into how NSA grant funds are used and have
been impacted by recent changes. It will also provide a point of
comparison with the administrative costs of other federal assistance
programs by collecting data from state and local officials overseeing
SNAP and TANF.
Data will be collected in four ways: (1) The collection of extant
WIC State agency documents as summarized annually on FNS Forms 798 and
798-A (currently approved under 0584-0045); (2) a web survey of all WIC
State and local agencies (preceded by a letter of introduction and
recruitment); (3) key informant interviews with WIC administrators in
14 WIC State agencies plus interviews with 32 local agency directors
within these State agencies; and (4) key informant interviews with
state SNAP and TANF officials in nine jurisdictions plus interviews
with two local SNAP/TANF agency officials (preceded by a letter of
introduction and recruitment).
Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Government: Respondent
groups identified include: All State WIC Directors; all local WIC
agency Directors; selected State WIC Directors; selected local WIC
agency Directors; selected state and local SNAP and TANF agencies.
Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of
respondents is 4,156. This includes: 90 State WIC directors (extant
data request); 90 State WIC directors (letter); 90 State WIC Directors
(web survey); 14 State WIC directors (interview); 1,900 local WIC
agency directors (letter); 1,900 local WIC agency directors (web
survey); 32 local WIC agency directors (interview); 9 state SNAP agency
officials (letter); 9 state SNAP agency officials (interview); 9 state
TANF agency officials (letter); 9 state TANF agency officials
(interview); one local SNAP agency official (letter); one local SNAP
agency official (interview); one local TANF agency official (letter);
one local SNAP agency official (interview).
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: All response tasks
listed above require just one response each.
Estimated Total Annual Responses: 4,156.
Estimated Time per Response: The estimated time for each response
is shown in the burden table below. Dividing the total hours of
2,772.00 by the 4,156 respondents (or responses) yields an average
estimated time of .667 hours per response.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,772.00 hours. See
the table following for estimated total annual burden for each type of
respondent.
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Estimated
Estimated Responses Total annual average number Estimated
Respondent number annually per responses of hours per total hours
respondent respondent (column b x c) response (column d x e)
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Reporting Burden
State WIC Director Form 798/ 90 1 90 1.00 90.00
798-A Extant Data Request..
State WIC Director Letter of 90 1 90 0.33 30.00
Introduction and
Recruitment................
State WIC Director Web 90 1 90 1.00 90.00
Survey.....................
State WIC Director Interview 14 1 14 4.00 56.00
State SNAP Official Letter 9 1 9 0.25 2.25
of Introduction and
Recruitment................
State SNAP Official 9 1 9 1.50 13.50
Interview..................
State TANF Official Letter 9 1 9 0.25 2.25
of Introduction and
Recruitment................
State TANF Official 9 1 9 1.50 13.50
Interview..................
Local WIC Agency Director 1,900 1 1,900 0.25 475.00
Letter of Introduction and
Recruitment................
Local WIC Agency Director 1,900 1 1,900 1.00 1,900
Web Survey.................
Local WIC Agency Director 32 1 32 3.00 96.00
Interview..................
Local SNAP Official Letter 1 1 1 0.25 0.25
of Introduction and
Recruitment................
Local SNAP Official 1 1 1 1.50 1.50
Interview..................
Local TANF Official Letter 1 1 1 0.25 0.25
of Introduction and
Recruitment................
Local TANF Official 1 1 1 1.50 1.50
Interview..................
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Total Reporting Burden.. 4,156 1 4,156 .666987 2,772.00
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[[Page 45173]]
Dated: July 17, 2013.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-17992 Filed 7-25-13; 8:45 am]
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