80 FR 23767 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-Annual State Report on Verification of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 82 (April 29, 2015)

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on the proposed information collection for the Annual State Report of Verification of SNAP Participation. This is a new collection. The purpose of the Annual State Report of Verification of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participants is to ensure that no person who is deceased, or has been permanently disqualified from SNAP, improperly received SNAP benefits for the fiscal year preceding the report submission. Section 4032 of the Agriculture Act of 2014 is the basis for this collection. Section 4032 mandates that States will ``submit to the Secretary a report containing sufficient information for the Secretary to determine whether the State agency has, for the most recently concluded fiscal year preceding that annual date, verified that the State agency in that fiscal year--(1) did not issue benefits to a deceased individual; and (2) did not issue benefits to an individual who had been permanently disqualified from receiving benefits.'' An annual email from each State agency to the corresponding Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Regional SNAP Program Director will be used as the mechanism for State agencies to report their compliance with section 4032 of the Agriculture Act of 2014.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 82 (Wednesday, April 29, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23767-23768]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-09995]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Annual State Report on Verification of Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program Participation

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 the proposed information collection for the Annual State Report of 
Verification of SNAP Participation. This is a new collection. The 
purpose of the Annual State Report of Verification of Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participants is to ensure that no 
person who is deceased, or has been permanently disqualified from SNAP, 
improperly received SNAP benefits for the fiscal year preceding the 
report submission. Section 4032 of the Agriculture Act of 2014 is the 
basis for this collection. Section 4032 mandates that States will 
``submit to the Secretary a report containing sufficient information 
for the Secretary to determine whether the State agency has, for the 
most recently concluded fiscal year preceding that annual date, 
verified that the State agency in that fiscal year--(1) did not issue 
benefits to a deceased individual; and (2) did not issue benefits to an 
individual who had been permanently disqualified from receiving 
benefits.'' An annual email from each State agency to the corresponding 
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Regional SNAP Program Director will be 
used as the mechanism for State agencies to report their compliance 
with section 4032 of the Agriculture Act of 2014.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before June 29, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 
information collection is necessary for the proper performance of the 
functions of the agency, including whether the information has 
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimated burden 
for the proposed information collection, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions 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 information collection 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.
    Comments may be sent to Jane Duffield, Branch Chief, State 
Administration Branch, Program Accountability and Administration 
Division, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
3101 Park Center Drive, Room 818, Alexandria, VA 22302. You may also 
download an electronic version of this notice at http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/federal-register-documents/rules/view-all and 
comment via email at [email protected] or the Federal e-Rulemaking 
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 p.m., Monday through Friday) at 3101 Park Center Drive, 
Room 822, Alexandria, Virginia 22302.
    All comments to this notice will be included in the request for 
Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will also become 
a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of this information collection should be directed to Clyde 
Thompson at (703) 305-2461.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Annual State Report on Verification of SNAP Participation.
    OMB Number: 0584--NEW.
    Expiration Date: Not Yet Determined.
    Type of Request: New collection.
    Abstract: SNAP regulations at 7 CFR 273.16 require that State 
agencies disqualify an individual who has committed an intentional 
program violation (IPV). Paragraph 7 CFR 273.16(e)(8) requires that 
these individuals ``be disqualified in accordance with the 
disqualification periods and procedures in paragraph (b) of this 
section'' (273.16(b)). Paragraph 7 CFR 273.16(i) requires State 
agencies to report information concerning each individual disqualified 
for an IPV to the disqualified recipient database, the electronic 
Disqualified Recipient System (eDRS), and to use eDRS data to determine 
the eligibility of individual applicants prior to certification. SNAP 
regulations at 7 CFR 272.14 require that each State agency establish a 
system to verify and ensure that benefits are not issued to individuals 
who are deceased, and that data source is the Social Security 
Administration's (SSA) Death Master File. The information required for 
the Annual State Report on Verification of SNAP Participation is 
obtained by validating that the State had the appropriate systems in 
place and followed procedures currently mandated at 7 CFR 272.14 and 7 
CFR 273.16 for the preceding fiscal year.
    The burdens associated with the activity of establishing a system 
to verify and ensure that benefits are not issued to deceased 
individuals or those permanently disqualified from SNAP using both the 
SSA Death Master File and eDRS are already conducted during the SNAP 
eligibility benefit process and is currently approved under OMB burden 
number 0584-0064, expiration date April 30, 2016.
    In order to meet the reporting requirements specified in section 
4032 of the Act, States are required to confirm via email to their FNS 
Regional SNAP Program Director that in the immediately preceding 
Federal fiscal year, they had the appropriate systems in place to meet 
the requirements of regulations at 7 CFR 272.14 and 273.16(i)(4) and 
that they conducted the matches required by these regulations. States 
are required to submit their section 4032 reports to the FNS Regional 
SNAP Director by March 31 each year for the preceding Federal fiscal 
year. The estimated annual burden for this collection is 57.41 hours. 
This estimate includes the time it takes each State agency to confirm 
that they have complied with FNS regulations for performing mandated 
checks against both eDRS and the SSA Death Master File, send an email 
to their FNS Regional Office SNAP Program Director to provide the 
verification, and any additional recordkeeping associated with this 
burden. States must perform this verification once a year and must 
retain these records for 3 years.

Annual Reporting Burden Estimates

    Affected Public: State, Local and Tribal Government Agencies.
    Number of Respondents: 53 State Agencies.
    Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Total Annual Responses: 53.
    Reporting Time per Response: 1 Hour.
    Estimated Annual Reporting Burden Hours: 53.

[[Page 23768]]

Annual Recordkeeping Burden Estimates.

    Affected Public: State, Local and Tribal Government Agencies.
    Number of Respondents: 53 State Agencies.
    Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Total Annual Responses: 53.
    Reporting Time per Response: 0.08333 Hours or 5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Reporting Burden Hours: 4.41649.
    Annual Grand Total Burden Estimates for Reporting and 
Recordkeeping: 57.41 hours.

    Dated: April 20, 2015.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-09995 Filed 4-28-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-30-P