[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 88 (Monday, May 8, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29623-29625]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-09707]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Determining Eligibility
for Free and Reduced Price Meals and Free Milk
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.
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 collection is a revision
of a currently approved collection for determining eligibility for free
and reduced price meals and free milk as stated in FNS regulations.
These Federal requirements affect eligibility under the National School
Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and the Special Milk Program
and are also applicable to the Child and Adult Care Food Program and
the Summer Food Service Program when individual eligibility must be
established.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before July 7, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Tina Namian, Director, School Meals
Policy Division--4th floor, Child Nutrition Programs, Food and
Nutrition Service, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314. 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 responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for Office of Management and Budget
[[Page 29624]]
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 Wesley
Gaddie at 703-457-7718.
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 will 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: Determining Eligibility for Free and Reduced Price Meals and
Free Milk in Schools--7 CFR part 245.
Form Number: This collection does not contain any forms. However,
FNS-742 and FNS-874, which are approved under OMB Control Number 0584-
0594 Food Programs Reporting System (FPRS) (expiration date July 31,
2023), are used in conjunction with this collection.
OMB Number: 0584-0026.
Expiration Date: July 31, 2023.
Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Abstract: The Food and Nutrition Service administers the National
School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, and the Special
Milk Program as mandated by the Richard B. Russell National School
Lunch Act (NSLA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 1751, et seq.), and the Child
Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1771, et seq.). The
proposed collection reports the eligibility burden of the National
School Lunch Program; the School Breakfast Program; and the Special
Milk Program. The eligibility burden of the Child and Adult Care Food
Program and the Summer Food Service Program is reported in information
collections under OMB Control Numbers 0584-0055 and 0584-0280,
respectfully.
Per 7 CFR part 245, schools participating in these meal and milk
programs must make free and reduced-price meals and free milk available
to eligible children. This information collection obtains eligibility
information for free and reduced-price meals and free milk and also
incorporates verification procedures as required to confirm
eligibility. The Programs are administered at the State and local
levels and operations include direct certification, the submission of
household size and income applications for school meal/milk benefits,
record maintenance, and public notification of eligibility
determinations, documentation, and other data. The information
collection burden associated with this revision is summarized in the
chart below. Since the last renewal of this collection, school meal
programs have been operating under waivers that allowed meals to be
served under the Summer Food Service Program and the Seamless Summer
Option, which do not require eligibility determinations to be made. As
a result, USDA does not have updated data for most requirements covered
under this information collection. There are two updates based on new
programmatic data. USDA has updated data on the number of state
agencies required to maintain direct certification improvement plans.
Additionally, since the last renewal the U.S. Virgin Islands have
adopted the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), leading to an
increase in the number of State agencies required to meet requirements
related to CEP. USDA has also adjusted the previous estimates for hours
per response in order for the estimates to be written in whole minutes.
This is a revision of the currently approved information collection.
Affected Public: State, local, and Tribal government and
individual/households: Respondent groups identified include State
agencies, school food authorities/local educational agencies, and
individuals/households.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,571,312 (55 SAs, 19,371 SFAs/
LEAs, and 3,551,886 households).
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 3.514.
Estimated Total Annual Responses: 12,550,211.
Estimated Hours per Response: 0.0527.
Estimated Total Annual Reporting Burden: 651,084.
Estimated Total Annual Recordkeeping Burden: 2,965.
Estimated Total Annual Public Disclosure Burden: 6,754.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 660,803.
Current OMB Inventory for Part 245: 664,726.
Difference (Burden Revisions Requested with this renewal): -3,923.
Refer to the following table for estimated annual burden per each
type of respondent:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated
Estimated number Estimated Estimated Estimated
Affected public number responses per total annual hours per total annual
respondents respondent responses response burden hours
(a) (b) (c) (d) = (b x c) (e) (f) = (d x e)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporting
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Agencies.................. 55 163.56 8,996 0.0646 581
School Food Authorities/Local 19,371 455.953 8,832,491 0.0209 184,972
Educational Agencies...........
Individuals/Households.......... 3,551,886 1.03 3,653,373 0.1274 465,531
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Reporting Burden...... 3,571,312 3.50 12,494,860 0.0521 651,084
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recordkeeping
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Agencies.................. 55 12.00 660 0.1797 119
School Food Authorities/Local 15,786 1.03 16,286 0.1748 2,847
Educational Agencies...........
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Recordkeeping Burden.. 15,841 1.07 16,946 0.1750 2,965
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 29625]]
Public Notification
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Agencies.................. 55 1.98 109 0.1339 15
School Food Authorities......... 19,371 1.98 38,296 0.1760 6,740
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Public Notification 19,426 1.98 38,405 0.1759 6,754
Burden.....................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Reporting, Recordkeeping and Public Disclosure
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporting....................... 3,571,312 3.50 12,494,860 0.0521 651,084
Recordkeeping................... 15,841 1.07 16,946 0.1750 2,965
Public Notification............. 19,426 1.98 38,405 0.1759 6,754
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Reporting, 3,571,312 3.514 12,550,211 0.0527 660,803
Recordkeeping, and Public
Disclosure Burden..........
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tameka Owens,
Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-09707 Filed 5-5-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P