E - Federal Register Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 248 / Monday, December 29, 2014 / Notices
(Braille, large print, or audiotape.)
should contact USDA’s Target Center at
202–720–2600 (voice and TTY).
To file a written complaint of
discrimination, write USDA, Office of
the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights,
1400 Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call
202–720–5964 (voice and TTY). USDA
is an equal opportunity provider and
employer.
Dated: December 22, 2014.
Rex A. Barnes,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural
Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2014–30302 Filed 12–24–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request—Evaluation of
Demonstration Projects To End
Childhood Hunger
Food and Nutrition Service
(FNS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:

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 a new collection for the contract
Evaluation of Demonstration Projects to
End Childhood Hunger.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before February 27, 2015.
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 use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
Written comments may be sent to:
Danielle Berman, Office of Policy
Support, Food and Nutrition Service,
USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room
1014, Alexandria, VA 22302.

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SUMMARY:

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Comments may also be submitted via
fax to the attention of Danielle Berman
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 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 Danielle Berman,
Office of Policy Support, Food and
Nutrition Service, USDA, 3101 Park
Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria,
VA 22302.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Evaluation of Demonstration
Projects to End Childhood Hunger.
Form Number: N/A.
OMB Number: 0584–NEW.
Expiration Date: Not Yet Determined.
Type of Request: New Collection.
Abstract: The Healthy, Hunger-Free
Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010 (Public Law
111–296), under Section 141, added a
new Section 23 on Childhood Hunger
Research to the Richard B. Russell
National School Lunch Act.
This section provides substantial new
mandatory funding to research the
causes and consequences of childhood
hunger and to test innovative strategies
to end child hunger and food insecurity.
Congress called for the development
and evaluation of innovative strategies
to ‘‘reduce the risk of childhood hunger
or provide a significant improvement to
the food security status of households
with children,’’ including alternative
models of service delivery or benefit
levels.
The purpose of the evaluation is to
rigorously assess the impact of five
demonstration projects on the
prevalence of child food insecurity, and
other relevant outcomes. The
demonstration projects are intended to
test innovative strategies to end
childhood hunger, including alternative
models for service delivery and benefit
levels that promote the reduction or
elimination of childhood hunger and
food insecurity. Projects may include
enhanced Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for
eligible households with children;
enhanced benefits or innovative
program delivery models in school
meals programs, afterschool snacks
programs, and the Child and Adult Care
Food Program (CACFP); and other

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targeted Federal, State or local
assistance, including refundable tax
credits, emergency housing,
employment and training, or family
preservation services, for households
with children who are experiencing
food insecurity. At least one
demonstration must be implemented in
a rural Indian reservation where the
prevalence of diabetes exceeds 15
percent. Demonstration projects will be
selected and announced in early 2015.
The evaluation will collect data from
all five demonstration projects in 2015
and 2016 (two rounds of data
collection), and from one demonstration
project in 2017 (three rounds of data
collection). The data will be used for
implementation, cost, and impact
analyses for each demonstration project.
Analyses include (1) which agencies
and partner organizations delivered
services, (2) whether the way the
demonstration model was implemented
has an effect on any observed impacts,
(3) the resources used in planning,
starting up, and operating each
demonstration project, and how those
resources compare to those for the
control or comparison groups, and (4)
how cost effective the demonstration
was in reducing childhood food
insecurity. The primary outcome
measure for the demonstrations will be
the change in the prevalence of food
insecurity among children in
households with children as measured
by the U.S. Household Food Security
Survey Module. The end products will
provide scientifically valid evidence of
demonstration project impacts.
Affected Public: Individuals/
households; State, local and Tribal
governments; Private sector (for-profit
and not-for-profit).
Estimated Number of Respondents:
The total estimated number of
respondents is 27,297. This includes
27,107 individuals/households, 150
State, local, and Tribal government
directors/managers and staff, and 40
private sector for-profit business and
not-for-profit agency directors/
managers. FNS will contact 27,107
individuals/households, out of which
22,589 parents/guardians in the
treatment and comparison groups will
complete telephone surveys and 4,518
parents/guardians will be survey
nonrespondents. The survey sample
sizes are large because they are needed
to detect statistically significant
differences in the key outcome of
interest—child food insecurity—
between treatment and comparison
households within each demonstration
site. Among the parents/guardians
contacted for the telephone surveys, 456
will also be contacted for the focus

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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 248 / Monday, December 29, 2014 / Notices

groups; 96 parents/guardians will
participate in the focus groups and 360
will be considered nonrespondents. A
total of 320 parents/guardians will also
be contacted for an in-person interview;
80 parents/guardians will be
interviewees and 240 will be considered
nonrespondents. FNS will contact 50
State, local and Tribal agency directors/
managers and 100 State, local and Tribal
agency direct service staff for in-person
interviews; 5 of the directors/managers

will provide administrative data and 5
will provide cost data. FNS will contact
10 private sector for-profit business
directors/managers for in person
interviews; 5 will also provide
administrative data. FNS will also
contact 30 private sector not-for-profit
agency directors/managers for in person
interviews, and 5 will also provide cost
data.
Estimated Frequency of Responses per
Respondent: Average 2.09 responses for

individuals/households, 3.20 responses
for State, local or Tribal government
representatives, and 5.90 responses for
private sector representatives.
Estimated Total Annual Responses:
57,458.
Estimated Time per Response: About
0.51 hours (31 minutes). The estimated
time of response varies from 0.50 to 2.33
hours depending on the respondent
group, as shown in the table below. The
total annual burden is 25,157.13 hours.

Respondents

Affected public

Individuals/households.

Subtotal individuals/households.
State, local, and
Tribal government.

Data
collection
activity

Respondents
type

Telephone
survey.
(two rounds)
Telephone
survey.
(three rounds)
In-person
focus group.
In-person
interview.

Parent/guardian

24,755

20,629

Parent/guardian

2,352

Parent/guardian
Parent/guardian

......................

..........................

In-person
interview
(two
rounds).
In-person
interview
(three
rounds).
In-person
interview
(two
rounds).
In-person
interview
(three
rounds).
Provide administrative
data.

Average
burden
hours
per response

Average
burden
hours
per response

Total
annual
burden
estimate
(hours)

2

41,258

0.50

20,629.00

4,126

2

8,252

0.05

412.60

21,041.60

1,960

3

5,880

0.50

2,940.00

392

3

1,176

0.05

58.80

2,998.80

456

96

1

96

1.67

320

80

1

80

1.67

160.13

360

1

360

0.08

28.80

188.93

133.60

240

1

240

0.08

19.20

152.80

27,107

22,589

..............

47,314

..............

23,862.73

4,518

..............

9,428

..............

519.40

24,382.13

State, local, or
Tribal agency
director/manager.
State, local, or
Tribal agency
director/manager.
State, local, or
Tribal agency
direct service
staff.
State, local, or
Tribal agency
direct service
staff.
State, local, or
Tribal agency
director/manager.
State, local, or
Tribal agency
director/manager.

40

40

2

80

1.00

80.00

0

2

0

0.08

0.00

80.00

10

10

3

30

1.00

30.00

0

3

0

0.08

0.00

30.00

80

80

2

160

1.00

160.00

0

2

0

0.08

0.00

160.00

20

20

3

60

1.00

60.00

0

3

0

0.08

0.00

60.00

5

5

24

120

0.83

99.60

0

1

0

0.08

0.00

99.60

5

5

6

30

2.33

69.90

0

1

0

0.08

0.00

69.90

......................

150 ...................

150

..............

480

..............

499.50

0

..............

0

..............

0.00

499.50

In-person
interview.

10

10

2

20

0.50

10.00

0

2

0

0.08

0.00

10.00

5

5

24

120

0.83

99.60

0

1

0

0.08

0.00

99.60

24

24

2

48

1.00

48.00

0

2

0

0.08

0.00

48.00

6

6

3

18

1.00

48.00

0

3

0

0.08

0.00

48.00

5

5

6

30

2.33

69.90

0

1

0

0.08

0.00

69.90

......................

Private sector
for-profit business director/
manager.
Private sector
for-profit business director/
manager.
Private sector
not-for-profit
agency director/manager.
Private sector
not-for-profit
agency director/manager.
Private sector
not-for-profit
agency director/manager.
..........................

40

40

..............

236

..............

275.50

0

..............

0

..............

0.00

275.50

......................

..........................

27,297

22,779

2.11

48,030

0.51

24,637.73

4,518

2.09

9,428

0.06

519.40

25,157.13

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In-person
interview
(two
rounds).
In-person
interview
(three
rounds).
Provide cost
data.

Grand total ....

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Sample
size

PO 00000

Frequency
of response

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Total
annual
burden
estimate
(hours)

GRAND
total
burden
estimate

Total
annual
responses

Provide administrative
data.

Subtotal private
sector.

Non-respondents
Estimated
number
of nonrespondents

Total
annual
responses

Provide cost
data.

Subtotal State,
local, and Tribal
government.
Private sector ...........

Estimated
number
of respondents

E:\FR\FM\29DEN1.SGM

Frequency
of response

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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 248 / Monday, December 29, 2014 / Notices
Dated: December 16, 2014.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2014–30373 Filed 12–24–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–30–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Notice of Solicitation of Applications
for the Rural Energy for America
Program for Fiscal Year 2015
Rural Business-Cooperative
Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:

The Rural BusinessCooperative Service (Agency)
announces the acceptance of
applications under the Rural Energy for
America Program (REAP) which is
designed to help agricultural producers
and rural small businesses reduce
energy costs and consumption and help
meet the Nation’s critical energy needs.
REAP has two types of funding
assistance: Renewable Energy Systems
and Energy Efficiency Improvements
Assistance, and Energy Audit and
Renewable Energy Development
Assistance Grants.
The Renewable Energy Systems and
Energy Efficiency Improvement
Assistance provides grants and
guaranteed loans to agricultural
producers and rural small businesses to
purchase and install renewable energy

SUMMARY:

systems and make energy efficiency
improvements to their operations.
Eligible renewable energy systems for
REAP provide energy from: Wind, solar,
renewable biomass (including anaerobic
digesters), small hydro-electric, ocean,
geothermal, or hydrogen derived from
these renewable resources.
The Energy Audit and Renewable
Energy Development Assistance Grant is
available to a unit of State, Tribal, or
local government; instrumentality of a
State, Tribal, or local government;
institution of higher education; rural
electric cooperative; a public power
entity; or a council, as defined in 16
U.S.C. 3451. The recipient of grant
funds, (grantee), will establish a
program to assist agricultural producers
and rural small businesses with
evaluating the energy efficiency and the
potential to incorporated renewable
energy technologies into their
operations.
Grant applications, guaranteed
loan-only applications, and combined
grant and guaranteed loan applications
for financial assistance under this
subpart may be submitted at any time
on an ongoing basis. Section IV. E., of
this Notice establishes the deadline
dates for the applications to be received
in order to be considered for funding
provided by Public Law 113–79,
commonly referred to as the 2014 Farm
Bill Act, for fiscal year 2014 and fiscal
year 2015. In summary:
(1) Renewable energy system and
energy efficiency improvement grant

DATES:

applications and combination grant and
guaranteed loan applications. There
will be two application deadline dates
to facilitate the use of fiscal years 2014
and 2015 grant funds. These dates apply
to both fiscal year 2014 and 2015 grant
funds.
(a) For applicants requesting $20,000
or less that wish to have their
application compete for the ‘‘Grants of
$20,000 or less set aside,’’ complete
applications must be received no later
than 4:30 p.m. local time on April 30,
2015.
(b) For applicants requesting grant
funds of either $20,000 or less, or grant
funds over $20,000 (unrestricted),
complete applications must be received
no later than:
(i) 4:30 p.m. local time on April 30,
2015, or
(ii) 4:30 p.m. local time on June 30,
2015.
(2) Renewable energy system and
energy efficiency improvement
guaranteed loan-only applications.
Applications will be reviewed and
processed when received with monthly
competitions on the first business day of
each month for those applications ready
to be funded, however the first monthly
competition will not take place until
eight guaranteed loan only applications
are received and ready to be competed.
(3) Energy audits and renewable
energy development assistance grant
applications. Complete applications
must be received no later than 4:30 p.m.
local time on February 12, 2015.

Application

Application window
opening dates

Application window
closing dates

Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Grants (Over $20,000 and
Combinations).
Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Grants ($20,000 or less not
competing for set aside funds, Over $20,000 and Combinations).
Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Grants ($20,000 or less
competing for set aside funds).
Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans ..............

July 8, 2014 ................

April 30, 2015.

May 1, 2015 ................

June 30, 2015.*

July 8, 2014 ................

April 30, 2015.

August 1, 2014 ............

Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grants .....................................

December 29, 2014 ....

Continuous application
cycle.
February 12, 2015.*

* Applications received after this date will be considered for the next cycle.

This solicitation is for
agricultural producers and rural small
businesses, as well as units of State,
Tribal, or local government;
instrumentalities of a State, Tribal, or
local government; institutions of higher
education; rural electric cooperatives; a
public power entities; and Councils, as
defined in 16 U.S.C. 3451, who serve
agricultural producers and rural small
businesses.

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ADDRESSES:

The
applicable USDA Rural Development

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

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Energy Coordinator for your respective
State, as identified via the following
link: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_
Energy_CoordinatorList.html.
For information about this Notice,
please contact Mr. Kelley Oehler,
Branch Chief, USDA Rural
Development, Energy Division, 1400
Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20250. Telephone:
(202) 720–6819. Email: kelley.oehler@
wdc.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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I. Program Description
The REAP is designed to help
agricultural producers and rural small
businesses reduce energy costs and
consumption and help meet the
Nation’s critical energy needs. REAP has
two types of funding assistance: (1)
Renewable Energy Systems and Energy
Efficiency Improvements Assistance,
and (2) Energy Audit and Renewable
Energy Development Assistance Grants.
A. General. Applications for REAP
can be submitted on an ongoing basis.

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