82 FR 22966 - Agency Information Collection: Proposed Collection; Comments Request Study of Third Party Processor Services, Fees, and Business Practices

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 96 (May 19, 2017)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) invites public comment on a proposed collection of information that the USDA is developing for submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The goal of the study is to understand the business practices of Third Party Processors (TPPs) and independent sales organizations (ISOs) that provide Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) processing services and equipment to authorized retailers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 96 (Friday, May 19, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22966-22969]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-10112]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection: Proposed Collection; Comments 
Request Study of Third Party Processor Services, Fees, and Business 
Practices

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) invites public 
comment on a proposed collection of information that the USDA is 
developing for submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The goal of the 
study is to understand the business practices of Third Party Processors 
(TPPs) and independent sales organizations (ISOs) that provide 
Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) processing services and equipment to 
authorized retailers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program (SNAP).

DATES: Comments regarding this proposed information collection must be 
received on or before July 18, 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

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of the burden of the proposed collection of information, 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 collection of information on 
respondents, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Written comments may be sent to Rosemarie Downer, Food and 
Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center 
Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted 
via email to Rosemarie Downer at [email protected] or by 
fax to the attention of Rosemarie Downer at (703) 305-2576. 
Alternatively, comments will 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 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 information collection instruments and instructions should be 
directed to Rosemarie Downer at (703) 305-2129 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Study of Third Party Processor Services, Fees, and Business 
Practices.
    OMB Number: 0584--NEW.
    Expiration Date: Not yet determined.
    Type of Request: New collection.
    Abstract: This study seeks to understand the business practices of 
TPPs and ISOs that provide EBT processing services and equipment to 
SNAP retailers to (1) assess retailers' satisfaction with EBT products 
and services needed to participate in the SNAP program; and (2) develop 
a set of best practices to inform FNS's guidance for retailers on what 
to consider when selecting, contracting with, and working with EBT 
vendors (TPPs and ISOs). The study results will also provide FNS with 
the information needed to inform future FNS policies regarding 
requirements for vendors providing EBT equipment and services to 
authorized retailers and TPP services-related guidance for retailers.
    The study relies on two data sources: (1) A survey of SNAP 
retailers regarding their business relations with EBT vendors as well 
as satisfaction with the equipment and services acquired, and (2) 
interviews with TPPs and ISOs about their business practices with SNAP 
retailers, products and services, including costs and recommendations 
for retailers seeking to acquire EBT products and services.
    SNAP Retailer Satisfaction Survey: The survey will use a nationally 
representative sample of SNAP retailers, stratified by retail sales 
levels and urban/rural locations. The survey sample will include non-
exempt retailers \1\ that must pay 100% of the cost for EBT equipment 
and services. The retailer survey sample will exclude retailers that 
operate in Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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    \1\ Retailers that are not exempt from the 2014 Farm Bill 
mandate and must pay 100% for EBT equipment and services includes 
Convenience Stores, Combination Grocery/Other, Super Store, 
Supermarket, Smaller Grocery Store, Medium Grocery Store, Large 
Grocery Store, Meat/Poultry Specialty, Bakery Specialty, Seafood 
Specialty, and Fruits/Vegetables Specialty. Retailers that are 
exempt from the 2014 Farm Bill mandate may continue to qualify for 
free EBT equipment and services until further notice.
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    An invitation to participate in the national survey will be mailed 
to sampled retailers. The target audience for this survey will be store 
managers or operations managers. Participants will have the option to 
respond either online or through an interactive voice response system. 
Participants who do not start the survey after 10 business days, will 
receive a mail reminder. The study will follow up with non-respondents 
via telephone 10 business days after the reminder mail drop. Telephone 
follow-ups will include five attempts to each number in the sample at 
different times of the day and days of the week.
    TPP and ISO Telephone Interviews: Telephone interviews with TPPs 
and ISOs will follow a telephone interview protocol. Participants will 
receive an interview guide and an invitation letter describing the 
purpose of the study and how the data will be used. As the number and 
identity of TPPs and ISOs is not known, the study will use a snowball 
sampling approach to identify interviewees. Snowball sampling operates 
as a participant recruitment method in which research participants are 
asked to assist in identifying other potential respondents. Preliminary 
research estimates that there are 5 to 10 TPPs and 50 to 55 ISOs 
supporting the EBT market.
    Affected Public: The study will include three respondent groups: 
Non-exempt SNAP retailers, TPPs and ISOs in the EBT products and 
services market.
    Estimated number of respondents: 1,500 SNAP retailers and up to 55 
TPPs and ISOs.
    Estimated Frequency of Response per Respondent: This is a one-time 
data collection for each respondent.
    Estimated Time per Response: The completed SNAP Retailer Survey 
response burden is estimated at 15 minutes per respondent. Each TPP or 
ISO interview is estimated to take a total of 1 hour and 30 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: The total public 
reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated at 415 
hours and approximately 1,565 responses. Table 1 below details the 
estimated burden for each type of respondent.

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    Dated: April 24, 2017.
Jessica Shahin,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-10112 Filed 5-18-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P