Revised 8_1 Appendix D1 FNS Survey Pre-Notification for Company Representatives

Appendix D1: FNS Survey Pre-Notification for OMB Control Number 0584-XXXX

Company Representatives Expires Month/Day/Year

[Name]

[Address 1]

[Address 2]

Dear [Mr./Ms. Name]:

We are writing to ask for your help with an important research project for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service’s (FNS) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps).

One of our most important responsibilities is to ensure that SNAP program funds are used to help only those individuals who are entitled to this benefit. FNS research, however, has found that smaller retailers are responsible for a disproportionate amount of fraud in the SNAP program, while large retailers are responsible for relatively little SNAP fraud.

As one of the largest national and regional retail chains that accept SNAP, we are asking you and a random sample of your stores to complete surveys about loss prevention and other methods that your company uses to protect against fraud and theft. FNS will use the results of this research to get a better understanding of why SNAP fraud is lower among large retailers, and to improve upon FNS’s efforts to reduce SNAP fraud. We would appreciate your company’s cooperation in completing the surveys.

We request your assistance in coordinating the survey among the appropriate departments in your company that are involved in SNAP and in fraud and theft abatement. It will take about 45 minutes to enter responses to the Internet survey, and depending on your company’s structure and programs, it may take another 45 minutes to compile information and approximately 4 minutes to read this letter.

Your response is voluntary and not considered a legal representation of your company’s policies and practices. Your SNAP authorization will not be affected by your survey responses.

FNS contracted with Economic Systems, a research firm in Falls Church, Virginia, and the Florida Survey Research Center (FSRC) at the University of Florida to conduct the study. FSRC will send you an email that contains a link to the online survey. Researchers at Economic Systems and the University of Florida are contractually required to protect the privacy of all survey responses, except as otherwise required by law. The data from the surveys will be used by FNS to improve the integrity of SNAP among retailers.

If you have any questions about this research, please contact Dr. Eric Sean Williams at FNS Headquarters on 703 305 2640. We appreciate your support of the integrity of SNAP, and encourage your voluntary participation in this important research.

Thank you and best regards,

Kathryn Law, Director Andrea Gold, Director Neva Terry, Director

SNAP Research and SNAP Retailer Policy and Retail Operations

Analysis Division Management Division Division

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 4 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.  An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.  Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services, Office of Policy Support, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302

	Page 1