E.2 Follow-Up Interviews with Stores without Scanning Technologies that Do Not Meet the Federal Requirement - Initial Recruitmen

OMB Control Number: 0584-XXXX
Expiration date: XX/XX/XXXX

E.2 - Follow-Up Interviews with Stores without Scanning Technologies that Meet the Federal Requirement: Initial Recruitment Letter/Email

Dear [insert store owner/operator name],

Thank you for completing the survey for the SNAP EBT Scanner Study earlier this summer. As you may recall, the study is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to better understand how the new scanner requirement in the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Farm Bill) will affect small business owners, like you, who accept SNAP benefits.

We have selected your business to be one of a small number of stores to take part in a follow-up interview to collect additional information on the type of cash register systems used in small stores, cost and other concerns regarding installing bar code scanners that identify SNAP-eligible items during checkout, and information you would like to have about scanning technologies. Each interview will take 20 to 30 minutes and will occur during [insert time period]. You will receive a $20 Visa gift card as a token of appreciation after interview.

The Altarum Institute, a partner to RTI International and USDA FNS for this study, will conduct the interview by telephone at a time that is convenient for you. If you prefer, you can designate somebody else for the interview if he/she is familiar with your store’s cash register operations and can share thoughts or concerns you may have about installing scanning technology. Your participation in this interview is voluntary, and the information you provide will not have any impact on your authorization to accept SNAP benefits. Your responses will be kept private, and any reports prepared with the information you share will not include your name or the name of your business. Your information will not be shared with anyone outside this research team, except as otherwise required by law.

We hope that you will participate in an interview. The information you provide will help FNS better understand any concerns to try to reduce the burden of the SNAP scanning requirement on you and other small business owners.

[Insert staff name] from Altarum Institute will call you within the next 2 weeks to conduct the interview. If you would like to contact [insert staff name] directly or have somebody else complete the interview, [she/he] can be reached at [(xxx) xxx-xxxx] or by email at [insert email address].

Thank you very much for participating in this important study.

Sincerely,

Sheri Cates

RTI International Project Director

Linnea Sallack
Altarum Institute Project Director

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it ‎displays a valid OMB number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-XXXX. The time required to ‎complete this information collection is estimated to average 2 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, ‎searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of ‎information.

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