99-20922. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request  

  • [Federal Register Volume 64, Number 156 (Friday, August 13, 1999)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 44184-44185]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 99-20922]
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
    
    
    Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
    
    August 9, 1999.
        The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
    information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance 
    under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments 
    regarding (a) whether the collection of information is necessary for 
    the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
    whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy 
    of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the 
    methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
    utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to 
    minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
    to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
    electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
    other forms of information technology should be addressed to: Desk 
    Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
    Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Washington, D.C. 20503 and to 
    Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, 
    D.C. 20250-7602. Comments regarding these information collections are 
    best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of 
    this notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by 
    calling (202) 720-6746.
        An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
    unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
    control number and the agency informs potential person who are to 
    respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
    required to respond to the collection of information unless if displays 
    a currently valid OMB control number.
    
    Forest Service
    
        Title: Grazing Permit Administration Forms.
        OMB Control Number: 0596-0003.
        Summary of Collection: Domestic livestock grazing currently exist 
    on approximately 90 million acres of National Forest Service (NFS) 
    lands. This grazing is subject to authorization and administrative 
    oversight by the Forest Service (FS). Information is required for the 
    issuance and administration of grazing permits, including fee 
    collections, on NFS lands as authorized by the Federal Land Policy and 
    Management Act, as amended, and the subsequent Secretary of Agriculture 
    regulation 5 U.S.C. 301, 36 CFR 222, Subparts A and C. The bills for 
    collection of grazing fees are based on the number of domestic 
    livestock grazed on national forest lands and are a direct result of 
    issuance of the grazing permit. Information must be collected on an 
    individual basis through the permit issuance and administration 
    process. FS will collect information using several forms.
        Need and Use of the Information: FS will collect information on the 
    ownership or control of livestock and base ranch property; the need for 
    additional grazing to round out year long ranching operations; and 
    citizenship. The information collected is used by FS in administering 
    the grazing use program on NFS lands. If information is not collected, 
    it would be impossible for the agency to administer a grazing use 
    program in accordance with the statutes and regulations.
        Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; not-for-
    profit institutions; farms, State, Local or Tribal Government; 
    individuals or households.
        Number of Respondents: 7,200.
        Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually; Other (as needed 
    basis).
        Total Burden Hours: 2,950.
    
    Economic Research Service
    
        Title: Study of Re-Engineering the Welfare System.
        OMB Control Number: 0536-NEW.
        Summary of Collection: In 1996, President Clinton signed into law 
    the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
    1996 (PRWORA), thereby dramatically changing the system that had 
    provided welfare cash assistance and food stamp benefits to low-income 
    households since the early 1970's. In addition to the changes enacted 
    in PRWORA, states have begun the process of modernizing and improving 
    their FSPs. New technological innovations have increased the use of 
    computers to provide enhanced systems for service delivery, eligibility 
    determination, benefit delivery and maintenance of program integrity. 
    The primary purpose of the study is to provide USDA with a thorough 
    view of the administrative changes states have made, are making, or 
    will make to their Food Stamp Programs in FY 1999. The Economic 
    Research Service (ERS) has awarded a contract to the Health Systems 
    Research, Inc. (HSR) to collect existing documents from Food Stamp 
    Directors and abstract data from these documents into a descriptive 
    database. States will be requested to provide documents that fit within 
    six basic re-engineering categories: the changing role of the 
    caseworkers; organizational changes; changes in client tracking and 
    accountability systems; changes in program accessibility and 
    certification systems; increases in program monitoring and evaluation; 
    and plans for implementing the simplified Food Stamp Program. ERS will 
    collect information using mail and telephone surveys.
        Need and Use of the Information: ERS will collect information on 
    the number and percentage of states that have implemented or plan to 
    implement administrative changes in their Food Stamp Program; the 
    number and percentage of states and county-administered programs that 
    have implemented or plan to implement administrative changes; methods 
    used by states (regulatory, legislative, executive order, etc.) to 
    implement changes; differences between the type of administrative 
    changes made between states with state-administered FSPs and county-
    administered FSPs; number and percentage of states making 
    organizational changes in their governmental structure as a result of 
    welfare reform; the number and percentage of states making 
    privatization efforts, by type of state and administrative activity; 
    and the type of privatization efforts being made by states, by state 
    demographic characteristics. The report will be used to assist ERS in 
    determining future needs and measuring progress toward achieving Food 
    Stamp Program goals.
        Description of Respondents: State, Local or Tribal Government.
        Number of Respondents: 102.
        Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
        Total Burden Hours: 119.
    
    Economic Research Service
    
        Title: Emergency Food Assistance System Study.
    
    [[Page 44185]]
    
        OMB Control Number: 0536-0048.
        Summary of Collection: Many emergency food providers are reporting 
    increased demand for their services as a result of changes in the 
    nation's welfare and food assistance safety net under the Personal 
    Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 and 
    decreasing ability to meet the additional demands. USDA is coordinating 
    public and private efforts intended to increase the amount of surplus 
    food channeled through Emergency Food Assistance System (EFAS) 
    providers by 33 percent by the year 2000. On November 23, 1996, 
    President Clinton signed an executive memorandum directing all Federal 
    agencies to join the USDA effort to recover excess food and established 
    a Federal interagency task force on gleaning and food recovery. USDA, 
    through the Food and Nutrition Service, administers several food 
    assistance programs that help low-income households obtain adequate and 
    nutritious diets. The largest USDA food assistance program, the Food 
    Stamp Program, is designed to provide food assistance programs by 
    serving as a distribution outlet for Emergency Food Assistance Program 
    (TEFAP) commodities and by providing temporary or supplemental food 
    assistance to many of the same needy populations served by USDA 
    programs. A study of the Emergency Food Assistance System is going to 
    be conducted. The Economic Research Service (ERS) previously obtained 
    OMB approval for the first phase of this study which was focused on 
    identifying proper respondents for the purpose of establishing a 
    statistically valid sampling frame. In the second phase, ERS proposes 
    using the sampling frame to conduct the study survey. ERS will collect 
    information in phase two using questionnaires and telephone interviews.
        Need And Use Of The Information: ERS will collect information on 
    providers' operating characteristics, service areas, resource base, 
    quantity and type of food flowing into the system, number of people 
    served, and providers' capacity to manage current and future changes in 
    food demand and resources. Information collected by the EFAS study will 
    help USDA assess emergency food providers ability to manage current and 
    future changes in food demand and resources and determine whether 
    additional programs to support EFAS are needed.
        Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; Local or 
    Tribal Government.
        Number of Respondents: 9,046.
        Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Other (one time).
        Total Burden Hours: 4,941.
    
    Economic Research Service
    
        Title: Evaluation of the Impact of EBT Customer Waivers on 
    Recipients: New EBT User Survey.
        OMB Control Number: 0536-NEW.
        Summary Of Collection: In April 1992, the Food and Nutrition 
    Service (FNS) issued regulations governing the design, implementation 
    and use of electronic benefits transfer (EBT) systems for the issuance 
    and redemption of food stamp benefits. Since 1992, the growth of EBT 
    systems has been dramatic, and the U.S. Congress has now mandated the 
    use of EBT systems in all states by October 1, 2002. Because experience 
    with EBT systems was somewhat limited at the time the regulations were 
    promulgated, the regulations included numerous measures intended to 
    protect recipients' rights and to make EBT systems easy to use. 
    Examples included regulations which require the FSP recipients: (a) are 
    to be allowed to select their own personal identification number (PIN); 
    (b) are to receive hands-on-training and experience in how to use EBT 
    equipment; and (c) are to receive replacement EBT cards within two 
    business days. As more states implement EBT and experience with these 
    systems increased, however, efforts to reduce EBT administrative costs 
    increase as well. State agencies are requesting waivers to the EBT 
    regulations so they can try new and more efficient approaches to system 
    implementation and operations. The Economic Research Service (ERS) will 
    collect information using a survey to learn about the impact of three 
    types of customers service waivers on recipients.
        Need And Use Of The Information: ERS will collect information on 
    service problems recipients have encounter with: PIN assignment rather 
    than PIN selection; mailing of training materials to recipients rather 
    than hands-on-training; and extending the time for card replacement 
    from two days up to five days. The purpose of the study is to learn 
    more about the actual impacts of the three customer service waivers on 
    recipients and how the waivers may affect recipients and the 
    recipients' responses. It will also provide preliminary estimates of 
    the frequency of customer service problems in selected states with and 
    without the waivers.
        Description of Respondents: Individuals or households.
        Number Of Respondents: 1,400.
        Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
        Total Burden Hours: 467.
    Nancy B. Sternberg,
    Departmental Clearance Officer.
    [FR Doc. 99-20922 Filed 8-12-99; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 3410-01-M
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
08/13/1999
Department:
Agriculture Department
Entry Type:
Notice
Document Number:
99-20922
Pages:
44184-44185 (2 pages)
PDF File:
99-20922.pdf