D OMB Cash NAP 60-day notice

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Notices

Federal Register
Vol. 79, No. 138
Friday, July 18, 2014

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.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Notice of Emergency
Approval of New Information
Collection for Examination of Cash
Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP)
Benefits in Puerto Rico
Food and Nutrition Service
(FNS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:

In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces FNS’ intention to
request emergency approval from the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) and invites the general public
and other public agencies to comment
on this proposed information collection.
This is a new collection for Examination
of Cash Nutrition Assistance Program
Benefits in Puerto Rico.
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
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 the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
Written comments may be sent to
Richard Lucas, Office of Policy Support,
Food and Nutrition Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park
Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria,
VA 22302. Comments may also be

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submitted via fax to the attention of
Richard Lucas at 703–305–2576 or via
email to [email protected].
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 written comments will be open for
public inspection at the office of the
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, VA 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.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before September 16,
2014.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
copies of this information collection
should be directed to Richard Lucas at
703–305–2017.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Examination of Cash Nutrition
Assistance Program Benefits in Puerto
Rico.
OMB Number: 0584—NEW.
Expiration Date: Not yet determined.
Type of Request: Emergency request
for a new collection.
Abstract
The Nutrition Assistance Program
(NAP) is a critical Federal Government
assistance program provided to lowincome residents of Puerto Rico. Since
July 1982, Puerto Rico has operated
NAP from Federal funds received as a
block grant. In late 2001, Puerto Rico
developed an electronic benefit transfer
(EBT) system and mandated that 75
percent of a household’s monthly
benefit be restricted to the EBT system
for purchasing eligible food items at
certified retailers. The remaining 25
percent of the monthly benefit may be
issued in the form of cash to allow
participants a way to purchase food
from retailers not certified to accept
EBT.
In early 2014, Congress reauthorized
the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 in
the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L.
113–79), commonly known as the 2014
Farm Bill, which included a provision
for the gradual discontinuation of the

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cash portion of the NAP benefit until, by
FY 2021, no benefits in the form of cash
will be issued (Section 4025). The
legislation also required a review of
NAP cash benefits in Puerto Rico,
including the history and purpose of the
cash portion, barriers to redeeming the
non-cash portion, and usage of cash
benefits for the purchase of non-food
items. Additionally, it required an
assessment of the potential adverse
effects of discontinuing the cash portion
for both participants and retailers, and
allows the Secretary of Agriculture to
exempt participants or categories of
participants if the review finds that the
discontinuation of cash benefits is likely
to have significant adverse effects.
This study performs the required
assessment of the cash portion of
benefits received under NAP in Puerto
Rico. The specific research objectives
are to:
• Objective 1: Review the history and
purpose of distributing a portion of
monthly benefits in the form of cash
• Objective 2: Examine the barriers to
the redemption of non-cash benefits
by both program participants and
retailers
• Objective 3: Examine the current
usage of cash benefits for the purchase
of non-food and other prohibited
items
• Objective 4: Identify and assess the
potential adverse effects of the
discontinuation of cash benefits for
both program participants and
retailers
Primary data collected from NAP
participants, NAP-certified and
uncertified retailers, community-based
organizations (CBOs), and group
residential facilities will be analyzed to
assess barriers to redeeming the noncash portion of the benefit, use of the
cash portion of the benefit, and
potential adverse effects on participants
and retailers from eliminating the cash
portion of the benefit.
The information collection includes
the following components:
• A telephone survey with NAP
participants,
• Focus groups with NAP participants,
• In-person (semi-structured) interviews
with certified and uncertified
retailers,
• In-person (semi-structured) interviews
with directors of community-based
organizations that work with NAP
participants, and

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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 138 / Friday, July 18, 2014 / Notices
• In-person (semi-structured) interviews Also included are 6 CBO directors and
with directors of residential facilities
5 directors/managers of group
where NAP participants live
residential facilities.

completed surveys, focus groups, and
interviews, and 1,816 attempted
contacts, surveys, and interviews.

Affected Public
Respondent groups identified include:
(1) NAP participants across Puerto Rico;
(2) managers or owners of food stores
(retailers) across Puerto Rico; (3)
directors of CBOs, and (4) directors/
managers of group residential facilities.

Estimated Time per Response

Estimated Number of Respondents
The total estimated number of
respondents is 1,467. This includes
1,000 NAP participants for telephone
surveys (75 percent of whom will
complete surveys); 396 NAP
participants for the focus groups (41
percent of whom will attend the focus
groups); and 60 retailers (30 certified
and 30 uncertified) for the in-person
semi-structured interviews (50 percent
of whom will complete interviews).

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Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent
All respondents (NAP participants,
retailers, and CBO and group residential
facility directors) will respond once,
either to one telephone survey, one
focus group, or one in-person interview.
In addition, all respondents will be
contacted with an advance letter, and
will receive recruitment phone calls.
Estimated Total Annual Responses
The estimated total annual responses
is 4,475, including contacts with an
advance letter, initial recruitment phone
calls, follow-up phone calls, and
completed surveys, focus groups, and
interviews.
The 4,475 responses are based on the
sum of 2,659 successful contacts or

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Response times may vary from 0.05
hours to 1.5 hours depending on actual
activity and respondent group. The
estimated time per interview ranges
from 0.18 hours to 1.5 hours, depending
on respondent group and interview
mode.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents
The estimated total annual burden on
respondents is 599.08 hours (including
recruitment communications and
completed and attempted interviews
and surveys). See the table below for
estimated total annual burden for each
type of respondent.
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 138 / Friday, July 18, 2014 / Notices

Table 1. Total Burden Hours on the Public
Non-Response

Responsive

.,
-0

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<:
.,

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0

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N

.,

iii
Respondent
Type

NAP
Participant

E

Instrument

Ill

.... -c
., <:

§ ~

Advance
letter/Study
information sheet

1000

1000

1

1000

0.05

50.00

0

1

0

0

0.00

50.00

Survey-first call

1000

400

1

400

0.18

73.20

600

1

600

o.os

30.00

103.20

312

0.05

15.60

29.87

1

250

0.05

12.50

23.85

1

1552

0.05

77.60

264.85

1

--------~c-F~-::-~-~--u-p_p_h_o_n_e-;-60-0-----r2-1-0--+-1-----+2-1-0---r0-.1-8----~~-----~ ---+~!-----r3-90---+0-.-05---r1-9-.5-0-;-57-.-93-~~IIII~;-up phone

390

78

1

Follow-up phone
call #3

312

62

1

1000

1750

1

NAP Participant Subtotal
. ;;:•~•£.·.'!.· i ,.

';;;';;~;•:;;:~\L\.G~\.:~'! L\ '· ;;;>,\~g·;~~,~;{.~(~~S;l:',; •:>

Advance
NAP
letter/Study
Participant information sheet

.•

62

0.18

11.35

1750

0.11

187.25 1552

•.,.. !•

250

5

\~~ ii\.·~ .i:;~·;<.·;i!~~~~ ~~~~,~~~~~·\.~~;.~·;~: ~)::~·>.,~~11 ;:;.;\';!~~~~:i

.•..

···~·· ·"f';~·~i·;~~,;.~t~~~ \}·~?

396

396

1

396

0.05

19.80

0

1

0

0

0.00

19.80

Focus group
recruitment phone
396
call/follow-up
communications

198

1

198

0.083

16.43

198

1

198

0.083

16.43

32.87

Focus Group

198

162

1

162

1.5

243.00 36

1

36

0

0.00

243.00

396

756

1

756

0.37

279.23 234

1

234

0.07

16.43

295.67

30

30

1

30

0.05

1.50

0

1

0

0.05

0.00

1.50

Recruitment phone
30
call/follow-up
communications

15

1

15

0.05

0.75

15

1

15

0.05

0.75

1.50

In-person
interview

15

15

1

15

0.67

10.05

0

1

0

0

0.00

10.05

30

30

1

30

0.05

1.50

0

1

0

0.05

0.00

1.50

Recruitment phone
call/follow-up
30
communications

15

1

15

0.05

0.75

15

1

15

0.05

0.75

1.50

In-person
interview

15

15

1

15

0.67

10.05

0

1

0

0

0.00

10.05

60

120

1

120

0.21

24.60

30

1

30

0.05

1.50

26.10

NAP Participant Focus Group
Subtotal

Certified
Retailer

0.18

Advance
letter/Study
information sheet

Uncertified
Advance Letter
Retailer

Retailer In-Person Subtotal

7

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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 138 / Friday, July 18, 2014 / Notices

[FR Doc. 2014–16914 Filed 7–17–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–30–C

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Notice of Opportunity To Submit
Content Request for the 2017 Census
of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics
Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for
stakeholder input.
AGENCY:

The National Agricultural
Statistics Service (NASS) is currently
accepting stakeholder feedback in the
form of content requests for the 2017
Census of Agriculture. This census is
required by law under the Census of
Agriculture Act of 1997, Public Law
105–113 (7 U.S.C. 2204g).
DATES: Comments on this notice must be
received by August 4, 2014 to be
assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Requests must address
items listed in comments section below.
Please submit requests online at
www.agcensus.usda.gov/2017input or
via mail to: USDA–NASS Census
Content Team Room 6451, 1400
Independence Ave. SW., Washington,

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DC 20250. If you have any questions,
send an email to aginputcounts@
nass.usda.gov or call 1–800–727–9540.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Joseph T. Reilly, Administrator,
National Agricultural Statistics Service,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, (202)
720–4333, Fax: 202–720–9013, or email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
results of the 2012 Census of
Agriculture were released on May 2,
2014. For more information, visit http://
www.agcensus.usda.gov. The U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s National
Agricultural Statistics is in the process
of planning the content of the 2017
Census of Agriculture. We are seeking
input on ways to improve the Census of
Agriculture. Recommendations or any
other ideas concerning the census
would be greatly appreciated. The 2012
Census of Agriculture questionnaire
may be viewed on-line at:
www.agcensus.usda.gov/2012forms.
The following justification categories
must be addressed when proposing a
new line of questioning for the 2017
Census of Agriculture:
1. What data are needed?
2. Why are the data needed?
3. At what geographic level are the
data needed? (U.S., State, County, other)
4. Who will use these data?
5. What decisions will be influenced
with these data?
6. What surveys have used the
proposed question before; what testing

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has been done on the question; and
what is known about its reliability and
validity?
7. Draft of the recommended question.
All responses to this notice will
become a matter of public record and be
summarized and considered by NASS in
preparing the 2017 Census of
Agriculture questionnaire for OMB
approval.
Signed at Washington, DC, July 7, 2014.
Joseph T. Reilly,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2014–16939 Filed 7–17–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–20–P

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS
Sunshine Act Meeting Notice
United States Commission on
Civil Rights.
ACTION: Notice of briefing and business
meeting.
AGENCY:

Friday, July 25, 2014;
9:00 a.m. EST.
PLACE: 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.,
Suite 1150, Washington, DC 20425.
DATE AND TIME:

Briefing Agenda—9:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
This briefing is open to the public.
Topic: Enforcement of Sexual
Harassment Policy at Educational
Institutions by the U.S. Department of
Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

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Dated: July 14, 2014.
Audrey Rowe,
FNS Administrator, Food and Nutrition
Service.

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