Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
| Published date | 24 August 2021 |
| Citation | 86 FR 47281 |
| Record Number | 2021-18155 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Agriculture Department |
Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 161 (Tuesday, August 24, 2021)
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 24, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 47281]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18155]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 161 / Tuesday, August 24, 2021 /
Notices
[[Page 47281]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
August 19, 2021.
The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments
are requested regarding; whether the collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility; the
accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used; ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Comments regarding this information collection received by
September 23, 2021 will be considered. Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed information collection should be
submitted within 30 days of the publication of this notice on the
following website www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays
a currently valid OMB control number.
Food and Nutrition Service
Title: Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT).
OMB Control Number: 0584-0660.
Summary of Collection: This is a revision of the currently approved
information collection. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of
2020 (FFCRA, Pub. L. 116-127), enacted March 18, 2020, included a
general provision that allows the Department of Agriculture to approve
state plans to provide temporary emergency Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) assistance to households with children who
would otherwise receive free or reduced-price meals if not for their
schools being closed due to the COVID-19 emergency (also known as
Pandemic EBT, or P-EBT). The authority for P-EBT under FFCRA expired on
September 30, 2020. The Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other
Extensions Act (Pub. L. 116-159), enacted October 1, 2020 extended the
authority for P-EBT through September 30, 2021. This legislation also
expanded the program to include childcare facilities affected by the
closures and schools with reduced attendance hours. The Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116-260), enacted December 27, 2020,
provided additional eligibility requirements and State flexibilities
for both school and childcare components of this program. The American
Rescue Plan Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 117-2) enacted March 11, 2021, added a
summer component to P-EBT for school children and children in childcare
and extended P-EBT through the end of COVID-19 emergency declaration.
Need and Use of the Information: This information collection is
necessary to ensure that households impacted by COVID-19 receive
emergency food assistance and that State agencies and schools receive
reimbursement of their administrative costs.
States impacted by COVID-19 could issue P-EBT benefits to SNAP
(currently participating in SNAP) and non-SNAP (not currently
participating in SNAP) households with children who have temporarily
lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to pandemic
related school closures, reduced school hours, or reduced school
attendance. These households are eligible for P-EBT if they meet the
following eligibility standards:
Households include a child or children who, if not for a
COVID-19 related school closure, reduced school hours, or reduced
school attendance, would have received a receive free or reduced-price
school meals under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, as
amended, and
The child's school has been closed, had reduced hours, or
reduced attendance due to pandemic for at least 5 consecutive days.
FNS will provide funding to each State's SNAP State agency for 100%
of P-EBT-related administrative costs. Such funding will be available
for the necessary, allowable, and reasonable State agency and school
costs associated with the administration of P-EBT incurred during FY
2021. This includes administrative costs associated with the issuance
of retroactive FY 2020 benefits incurred in FY 2021. States interested
in the 100% funding will be expected to submit a P-EBT administrative
cost plan for the intended period of operations for USDA approval.
The estimates for the number of burden hours have increased from
the numbers included in the original 60 Day Notice by 12,844,628 burden
hours. There were 27 burden hours added due to a reporting requirement
which was mistakenly omitted when the 60 Day Notice was published. As a
result, from comment received to add burden for the time it takes
schools to provide eligibility data to State agencies and for State
agencies to determine eligibility and complete administrative costs
plans. There is an increase of 12,844,601 burden hours.
Description of Respondents: State Agencies, Private Sector
(Business-not-for profit), Individuals and Households.
Number of Respondents: 675,820.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Once, Quarterly, Annually.
Total Burden Hours: 16,529,556.
Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-18155 Filed 8-23-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P
