82 FR 11526 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-Evaluation of the Direct Certification With Medicaid for Free and Reduced-Price (DCM-F/RP) Meals Demonstrations
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 36 (February 24, 2017)
Food and Nutrition Service
Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 36 (February 24, 2017)
| Page Range | 11526-11530 | |
| FR Document | 2017-03569 |
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 36 (Friday, February 24, 2017)] [Notices] [Pages 11526-11530] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2017-03569] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request--Evaluation of the Direct Certification With Medicaid for Free and Reduced-Price (DCM-F/RP) Meals Demonstrations AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), U.S. Department of Agriculture. ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 new collection for the Evaluation of the Direct Certification with Medicaid for Free and Reduced-Price Meals (DCM-F/RP) Demonstrations. DATES: Written comments must be received on or before April 25, 2017. ADDRESSES: 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. Comments may be sent to: Conor McGovern, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1040, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted via fax to the attention of Conor McGovern at 703-305-2576 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 p.m., Monday through Friday) at 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1040, Alexandria, VA 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 Conor McGovern at 703-457-7740. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Evaluation of the Direct Certification with Medicaid for Free and Reduced-Price Meals (DCM-F/RP) Demonstrations. Form Number: N/A. OMB Number: Not Yet Assigned. Expiration Date: Not Yet Determined. Type of Request: New collection. Abstract: Direct certification has improved access to free school meals while easing the burden on families and district staff by reducing the use of household applications and decreasing the number of students subject to verification for school meal benefit eligibility. Direct certification also improves program integrity because it is less error-prone than certification by application. Recently, FNS has sought ways to further expand direct certification, including experimenting with allowing direct certification based on data from means-tested programs that do not confer categorical eligibility. Prior DCM demonstrations have authorized selected States and districts to use income information from Medicaid files to determine students' eligibility based on their household income and directly certify those students found to be eligible for free meals. The new DCM-F/RP demonstration expands the use of direct certification using income information from Medicaid files to include eligibility for reduced-price meals. The evaluation of the DCM- F/RP demonstration will investigate the processes, challenges, and outcomes of using Medicaid data to directly certify students. The study will gather data from State, School Food Authority,\1\ and State Agency vendor staff, including (1) site visits and follow-up interviews to document DCM-F/RP processes, (2) administrative records on certification for school meal benefits and participation in the school meal programs, and (3) cost logs and clarification interviews on the State-level administrative costs of DCM-F/RP. Data will be collected for school year (SY) 2017-2018. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ Because nearly all schools in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program are parts of entities commonly known as school districts, we use that term in the rest of this document instead of School Food Authority to refer to local entities that enter into agreements with State agencies to operate the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- FNS is also conducting research with the State Child Nutrition and Medicaid agency officials, school district directors and school district food service staff to develop, test, and improve the evaluation data collection instruments and methodologies. This pre- testing burden was approved by the Office of Management and Budget on December 19, 2016 under OMB # 0584-0606 FNS Generic Clearance for Pre- Testing, Pilot, and Field Test Studies. Affected Public: State and Local Government--Respondent groups identified include (1) State Child Nutrition Agency staff who administer the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program from 15 State agencies, (2) State Medicaid Agency staff from 15 State agencies, (3) staff from 3 other State Agencies that play key roles in the direct certification process, and (4) school district staff from 32 districts. Businesses--Respondent groups identified include 2 State Child Nutrition agency vendors and 2 Medicaid Agency vendors that play key roles in the direct certification process. Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of unique respondents for SY 2017-2018 is 197 (193 respondents and 4 non- respondents). This count assumes 100 percent response from State Child Nutrition Agency staff on site visits, follow-up telephone interviews, administrative records requests, and cost data collection. For State Medicaid Agency staff, it assumes 100 percent response on site visits and 93 percent response on the follow-up telephone interviews and cost data collection. For other State Agency staff, it assumes 100 percent response on site visits and cost data collection. For school district staff, it assumes 100 percent response on site visits and 91 percent response on follow-up telephone interviews. For State Agency vendor staff, it assumes 100 percent response on site visit interviews. State Child Nutrition Agency, State Medicaid Agency, other State Agency, and district staff are expected to participate in multiple data collection activities, but each individual is counted only once in the total. [[Page 11527]] A total of 45 State Child Nutrition Agency staff (3 per State) will take part in the on-site interviews, with 30 of those respondents (2 per State) also taking part in on-site observations. Of the 45 State Child Nutrition Agency respondents, 15 (one from each State) will complete the follow-up telephone interview, administrative records request, and collection logs used to track State cost data. A total of 45 State Medicaid Agency staff (3 per State) will also take part in the on-site interviews, with 30 of those respondents (2 per State) also taking part in the on-site observations. Of the 45 State Medicaid Agency respondents, 15 (one from each State) will be asked to complete the follow-up telephone interview and collection logs used to track State cost data (including 14 respondents and 1 non-responder). A total of 3 respondents from other State Agencies (1 in each of 3 States) will take part in the on-site interviews and complete the collection logs used to track State cost data. A total of 96 district respondents (3 per participating district) will take part in the on-site interviews, with 64 (2 per district) of those respondents also taking part in on-site observations. Of the 96 district respondents, 32 (one per district) will be asked to complete the follow-up telephone interview (including 29 respondents and 3 non- responders). A total of 4 respondents from State Agency vendors (1 for each of 2 State Child Nutrition Agency vendors and 2 Medicaid Agency vendors) will take part in the on-site interviews. Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: The average estimated annual number of responses per respondent is 5.168 (5.217 for respondents and 2.75 for non-respondents). Site visits (including interviews and observations--both preceded by advance letters and scheduling calls) with State- and district-level staff will take place once during the year, and follow-up telephone interviews (preceded by scheduling calls) with State- and district-level staff will take place once later in the year. Administrative records data will be requested via email and collected twice during the year. Cost data will also be requested via email and collected through cost-tracking logs and interviews with State-level administrators four times during the year. Estimated Total Annual Responses: We estimate that 1,007 total responses will be gathered in SY 2017-2018 (including 1,003 responses from state and local government entities and 4 from businesses) from 193 respondents (189 state and local government entities and 4 business entities). A further 11 responses from 4 non-responders (all from state and local government entities) are anticipated, for a total of 1,018 responses. Estimated Time per Response: The estimated time per response is 0.879 hours (approximately 53 minutes). The estimated time of response varies from 2 minutes to 4 hours depending upon respondent action, as shown in the table below. Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: The total estimated annual burden is 894.675 hours, as shown in the table below. BILLING CODE 3410-30-P [[Page 11528]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN24FE17.000 [[Page 11529]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN24FE17.001 [[Page 11530]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN24FE17.002 Dated: February 8, 2017. Jessica Shahin, Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service. [FR Doc. 2017-03569 Filed 2-23-17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-30-C
![11526 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 36 / Friday, February 24, 2017 / Notices
Dated: February 8, 2017. All written comments will be open for Agency vendor staff, including (1) site
Jessica Shahin, public inspection at the office of the visits and follow-up interviews to
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Food and Nutrition Service during document DCM–F/RP processes, (2)
Service. regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 administrative records on certification
[FR Doc. 2017–03570 Filed 2–23–17; 8:45 am] p.m., Monday through Friday) at 3101 for school meal benefits and
BILLING CODE 3410–30–C Park Center Drive, Room 1040, participation in the school meal
Alexandria, VA 22302. programs, and (3) cost logs and
All responses to this notice will be clarification interviews on the State-
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE summarized and included in the request level administrative costs of DCM–F/RP.
for Office of Management and Budget Data will be collected for school year
Food and Nutrition Service approval. All comments will be a matter (SY) 2017–2018.
of public record. FNS is also conducting research with
Agency Information Collection
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: the State Child Nutrition and Medicaid
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Requests for additional information or agency officials, school district directors
Comment Request—Evaluation of the
copies of this information collection and school district food service staff to
Direct Certification With Medicaid for
should be directed to Conor McGovern develop, test, and improve the
Free and Reduced-Price (DCM–F/RP)
at 703–457–7740. evaluation data collection instruments
Meals Demonstrations
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: and methodologies. This pre-testing
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service Title: Evaluation of the Direct burden was approved by the Office of
(FNS), U.S. Department of Agriculture. Certification with Medicaid for Free and Management and Budget on December
ACTION: Notice. Reduced-Price Meals (DCM–F/RP) 19, 2016 under OMB # 0584–0606 FNS
Demonstrations. Generic Clearance for Pre-Testing, Pilot,
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Form Number: N/A. and Field Test Studies.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this OMB Number: Not Yet Assigned. Affected Public: State and Local
notice invites the general public and Expiration Date: Not Yet Determined. Government—Respondent groups
other public agencies to comment on Type of Request: New collection. identified include (1) State Child
this proposed information collection. Abstract: Direct certification has Nutrition Agency staff who administer
This is a new collection for the improved access to free school meals the National School Lunch Program and
Evaluation of the Direct Certification while easing the burden on families and School Breakfast Program from 15 State
with Medicaid for Free and Reduced- district staff by reducing the use of agencies, (2) State Medicaid Agency
Price Meals (DCM–F/RP) household applications and decreasing staff from 15 State agencies, (3) staff
Demonstrations. the number of students subject to from 3 other State Agencies that play
DATES: Written comments must be
verification for school meal benefit key roles in the direct certification
received on or before April 25, 2017. eligibility. Direct certification also process, and (4) school district staff
improves program integrity because it is from 32 districts.
ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on:
less error-prone than certification by Businesses—Respondent groups
(a) Whether the proposed collection of
application. identified include 2 State Child
information is necessary for the proper Recently, FNS has sought ways to
performance of the functions of the Nutrition agency vendors and 2
further expand direct certification, Medicaid Agency vendors that play key
agency, including whether the including experimenting with allowing
information shall have practical utility; roles in the direct certification process.
direct certification based on data from
(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate Estimated Number of Respondents:
means-tested programs that do not
of the burden of the proposed collection The total estimated number of unique
confer categorical eligibility. Prior DCM
of information, including the validity of respondents for SY 2017–2018 is 197
demonstrations have authorized
the methodology and assumptions that (193 respondents and 4 non-
selected States and districts to use
were used; (c) ways to enhance the respondents). This count assumes 100
income information from Medicaid files
quality, utility, and clarity of the percent response from State Child
to determine students’ eligibility based
information to be collected; and (d) Nutrition Agency staff on site visits,
on their household income and directly
ways to minimize the burden of the follow-up telephone interviews,
certify those students found to be
collection of information on those who administrative records requests, and
eligible for free meals. The new DCM–
are to respond, including use of cost data collection. For State Medicaid
F/RP demonstration expands the use of
appropriate automated, electronic, Agency staff, it assumes 100 percent
direct certification using income
mechanical, or other technological response on site visits and 93 percent
information from Medicaid files to
collection techniques or other forms of response on the follow-up telephone
include eligibility for reduced-price
information technology. interviews and cost data collection. For
meals. The evaluation of the DCM–F/RP
Comments may be sent to: Conor other State Agency staff, it assumes 100
demonstration will investigate the
McGovern, Food and Nutrition Service, percent response on site visits and cost
processes, challenges, and outcomes of
U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 data collection. For school district staff,
using Medicaid data to directly certify
Park Center Drive, Room 1040, it assumes 100 percent response on site
students.
Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may The study will gather data from State, visits and 91 percent response on
also be submitted via fax to the attention follow-up telephone interviews. For
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
School Food Authority,1 and State
of Conor McGovern at 703–305–2576 or State Agency vendor staff, it assumes
via email to conor.mcgovern@ 1 Because nearly all schools in the National 100 percent response on site visit
fns.usda.gov. Comments will also be School Lunch Program and School Breakfast interviews. State Child Nutrition
accepted through the Federal Program are parts of entities commonly known as Agency, State Medicaid Agency, other
eRulemaking Portal. Go to http:// school districts, we use that term in the rest of this State Agency, and district staff are
document instead of School Food Authority to refer
www.regulations.gov, and follow the to local entities that enter into agreements with
expected to participate in multiple data
online instructions for submitting State agencies to operate the National School Lunch collection activities, but each individual
comments electronically. Program and the School Breakfast Program. is counted only once in the total.
VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:20 Feb 23, 2017 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\24FEN1.SGM 24FEN1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/82_FR_11562/page/1.svg)
Document Created: 2017-02-24 01:18:00
Document Modified: 2017-02-24 01:18:00
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Notice. | |
| Dates | Written comments must be received on or before April 25, 2017. | |
| Contact | Requests for additional information or copies of this information collection should be directed to Conor McGovern at 703-457-7740. | |
| FR Citation | 82 FR 11526 |
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