[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 91 (Monday, May 11, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27709-27711]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-09993]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP)--Waiver Requests To Offer Incentives to SNAP
Recipients at SNAP Authorized Stores
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 this proposed information collection. This is an existing collection
in use without an OMB Control Number in which we are seeking approval
to establish a process for SNAP authorized
[[Page 27710]]
retailers to request a waiver from the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)
to offer SNAP recipients incentives that encourage them to purchase
healthier foods. This collection burden only affects SNAP retailers and
non-profit organizations or governmental entities who partner with
SNAP-authorized stores. There is no data collection activities for SNAP
households in this request.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before July 10, 2020.
ADDRESSES: The Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, invites interested
persons to submit written comments on this information collection.
Comments may be submitted in writing by one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
Mail: Comments should be addressed to Vicky Robinson,
Chief, Retailer Management and Issuance Branch, Retailer Policy and
Management Division, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, Virginia 22314.
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 Vicky
Robinson at 703-305-2476.
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 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.
Title: SNAP Retailer Incentive Waiver Request.
Form Number: Not Applicable.
OMB Number: 0584-NEW.
Expiration Date: Not Yet Determined.
Type of Request: Existing collection in use without an OMB Control
Number.
Abstract: SNAP equal treatment provisions at 7 CFR 278.2(b) and 7
CFR 274.7(f) require that SNAP recipients receive treatment equal to
that received by other customers at all stores authorized to
participate in SNAP with the exception that sales tax may not be
charged on eligible foods purchased with SNAP benefits. This equal
treatment provision prohibits both negative treatment (such as
discriminatory practices) as well as preferential treatment (such as
incentive programs). Pursuant to Section 4008 of the Agriculture
Improvement Act of 2018, Public Law 115-334 (2018 Farm Bill),
individual SNAP authorized retailers (or non-profit organizations or
governmental entities, which partner with authorized stores) may
request that FNS waive the SNAP equal treatment provisions in order to
be allowed to implement an incentive program the meets the requirements
under 7 U.S.C. 2018(j) to encourage SNAP recipients to purchase
healthier foods.
Most SNAP authorized stores that offer incentives to SNAP
recipients are either farmers' markets or part of the statutorily-
authorized Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), which
is administered by the USDA's National Institute of Food and
Agriculture (NIFA).
Farmer's markets are already authorized to provide incentives to
SNAP recipients under a blanket FNS waiver of the SNAP equal treatment
provision, specifically for farmers' markets. GusNIP grantees are
authorized to provide incentives to SNAP recipients through GusNIP
grant projects under 7 U.S.C. 7517 and, therefore, do not require a
waiver to implement a SNAP incentive program. Only SNAP retailers that
are not farmers' markets or that are not offering incentives under a
GusNIP grant are required to obtain individual waivers from FNS to
provide incentives at authorized SNAP retailer locations to SNAP
households. FNS has been providing incentive waivers to SNAP retailers
prior to passage of the 2018 Farm Bill under FNS' regular waiver
process. To date, FNS has been receiving an average of four incentive
waiver requests per year. Waivers provided to non-profit institutions
or State/local/Tribal governments generally cover multiple retailer
locations. With this new streamlined process, the Department estimates
that out of 245,000 authorized retailers that participate in our
program, approximately 18 different retailers would be covered under 10
different incentive waiver requests annually. In general, the waivers
are granted for one year.
The new streamlined process for requesting a waiver would involve
emailing information to a specified FNS email box. The information a
retailer must submit would include:
1. FNS number, name, and address of each participating retailer;
2. A description of the incentive program;
3. The incentive program start and end dates; and
4. A brief description of any data collection/analysis the store
would be conducting on its own behalf to measure program impact if
applicable.
The Department has identified and outlined the activity and the
estimated burden hours associated with submitting a SNAP Retailer
Incentive Waiver Request.
SNAP Retailer Incentive Waiver Request
Affected Public: (a) Business or other for-profit, (b) Not-for-
profit institution, and (c) State, local or Tribal Government.
Respondent groups identified include: Up to a total of three SNAP
authorized stores, five not-for-profit institutions, and two State,
local or Tribal governments, which are neither farmers' markets nor
operating an incentive program under a GusNIP grant.
Business or Other For-Profit/Not-For-Profit Institution/State, Local or
Tribal Government Annual Burden
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 10.
Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Responses: 10.
Estimated Annual Time per Response: 30 minutes or 0.5 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 5 hours.
[[Page 27711]]
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Estimated
Estimated Responses Total avg. # of Estimated
Respondent CFR citation Activity annual # annually annual hours per annual
respondent per responses response total hours
respondent annually
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Business or other for-profit........ 7 CFR 274.7(f) and SNAP Retailer Incentive 3 1 3 0.5 1.5
278.2(b). Waiver Request.
Business-not-for-profit institution. 7 CFR 274.7(f) and SNAP Retailer Incentive 5 1 5 0.5 2.5
278.2(b). Waiver Request.
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Sub-total Business-for-not-for- ....................... ....................... 8 1 8 0.5 4.0
profit.
State, local or Tribal Government... 7 CFR 274.7(f) and SNAP Retailer Incentive 2 1 2 0.5 1.0
278.2(b). Waiver Request.
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Grand-Total for Business-for-not- ....................... ....................... 10 1 10 0.5 5.0
for-profit and State, Local and
Tribal.
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Pamilyn Miller,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-09993 Filed 5-8-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P