This collection concerns the Special
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children
(WIC). This program is administered by the USDA Food and Nutrition
Service (FNS) and provides food benefits, nutrition education, and
health care referrals to about 8 million participants per month,
including pregnant women, infants, children, breastfeeding women,
and postpartum women. This is a revision of an existing collection
(OMB No. 0584-0043). The revision incorporates the information
collection burden associated with requirements contained in the FNS
Final Rule, Discretionary WIC Vendor Provisions in the Child
Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, Public Law
108-265.
FNS is requesting 3,451,206
burden hours for an overall increase of 400,661 (8,680 burden hours
due to program changes and 391,981 burden hours due to
adjustments). The adjustments are based the inclusion of the burden
hours for individual/household. The program change increase is due
to the new statutory requirements introduced into the WIC
regulations by the discretionary vendor rule. Also, the number of
respondents has decreased from 15,595,000 to 1,990,457.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.