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,

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rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

66796 

Vol. 88, No. 187 

Thursday, September 28, 2023 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Food and Nutrition Service 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Pandemic EBT (OMB #0584– 

0660) 

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service 

(FNS), USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: 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 revision of a currently 

approved information collection for 

Pandemic EBT (P–EBT) for the reporting 

burden associated with administering 

P–EBT. This revision is limited in 

nature and only includes collection 

activities essential to facilitating the 

orderly wind-down and close-out of the 

P–EBT program. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before November 27, 

2023. 

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: 

J. Kevin Maskornick, Director, 

Community Meals Policy Division, Food 

and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Braddock Metro Center 

II, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 

22314. Comments may also be 

submitted via email to SM.FN.PEBT@

usda.gov. Comments will also be 

accepted through the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal. Go to https://

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 J. Kevin 

Maskornick at 703–305–2537 or via 

email to SM.FN.PEBT@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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. 

Title: Pandemic EBT. 

Form Number: FNS–292B, FNS–388, 

FNS–46, FNS–366A, and SF–425 (under 

OMB Control Number 0584–0594) is 

associated with this collection. 

OMB Number: 0584–0660. 

Expiration Date: November 30, 2023. 

Type of Request: Revision of a 

currently approved collection. 

Abstract: The Pandemic Electronic 

Benefit Transfer (P–EBT) is part of the 

U.S. government response to the 

COVID–19 pandemic. The Families First 

Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 (Pub. 

L. 116–127), as amended by the 

Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 

(Pub. L. 116–260), the American Rescue 

Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. 117–2), and 

the Consolidated Appropriations Act 

2023 (Pub. L. 117–328) provides the 

Secretary of Agriculture authority to 

administer, through State agencies, the 

PEBT programs. 

Per Public Law 116–159, each State 

must submit an operational plan to FNS 

Regional Office for approval. With the 

expiration of the COVID–19 public 

health emergency (PHE) on May 11, 

2023, States will not receive approval 

for operational plans submitted after 

federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 (i.e., 

September 30, 2023), although States 

may issue some benefits retroactively to 

households after September 30, 2023, 

based on prior plan approvals. However, 

FNS proposes an extension for limited 

elements of the currently approved 

information collection to facilitate the 

orderly wind-down and close-out of the 

P–EBT program. 

Once operational plans are approved, 

each State SNAP agency will also be 

required to provide monthly reports via 

the FNS–292B (Disaster Relief) to the 

FNS Regional Office, regarding the 

number of eligible children receiving P– 

EBT benefits, number of households 

receiving such benefits, and the total 

value of the benefits. 

Each State is also expected to 

separately identify P–EBT participation 

and benefit issuance on the FNS–388 

(State Issuance and Participation 

Estimates) and FNS–46 (Issuance 

Reconciliation Report) reports. There is 

no additional burden associated with 

this requirement, as the States already 

report participation data to FNS on the 

FNS–388 and FNS–46 on a monthly 

basis. 

FNS will provide funding to each 

State’s SNAP State agency for 100% of 

P–EBT-related administrative costs. 

Such funding will be available for the 

necessary, allowable, and reasonable 

State agency costs associated with the 

administration of P–EBT incurred 

during FY 2023 and through FY 2024. 

This includes administrative costs 

associated with the issuance of 

retroactive FY 2020–2023 benefits 

incurred in FY 2024. States interested in 

the 100% funding will be expected to 

submit a FY 2023 P–EBT administrative 

cost plan for the intended period of 

operations for USDA approval using the 

FNS–366A (Program and Budget 

Summary Statement: Budget Projection) 

by September 30, 2023. The period of 

performance for the FY 2023 

administrative cost plan will end on 

March 31, 2024, and FNS will consider 

well-supported requests for period of 

performance extensions past this date, 

not to exceed September 30, 2024. 

During the period of performance of the 

100% funding, the SNAP State agency 

will be expected to aggregate obligation 

and outlay data from all State agencies 

utilizing the 100% funding and report 

quarterly to USDA using a P–EBT 

specific instance of the SF–425 (Federal 

Financial Report). 

The current burden for a State agency 

to submit FNS–292B, FNS–388, FNS–46, 

FNS–366A and SF–425 reports is 

currently captured under the 

information collection for the Food 

Programs Reporting System (FPRS), 

OMB Control Number 0584–0594 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 187 / Thursday, September 28, 2023 / Notices 66797 

(expiration date 9/30/26). The Food 

Programs Reporting System is the 

Federal system State agencies use to 

report FNS Program data to FNS. 

Therefore, this information collection 

estimates burden hours associated with 

P–EBT that are above the currently 

approved hours in 0584–0594 for forms 

FNS–292B, FNS–366A, and SF–425 for 

normal Program operations. 

In order to determine eligibility and 

benefit levels for P–EBT, State agencies 

must collect data from schools, 

including lists of students that have 

been determined eligible for free and 

reduced price meals. This information is 

used to determine the benefit levels 

children are eligible to receive, which 

will vary depending on the FY of the 

approved plan. Per Public Law 117–2, 

during the summer months all children 

eligible for free or reduced price meals 

that are enrolled in schools that 

participate in the National School 

Lunch Program are considered eligible 

for P–EBT. This requires all schools to 

provide the State agency with a list of 

children who have been determined 

eligible for free and reduced price 

meals. 

FNS will provide funding to each 

State’s SNAP State agency for 100% of 

P–EBT-related school level 

administrative costs. Such funding will 

be available for the necessary, 

allowable, and reasonable State agency 

costs associated with the administration 

of P–EBT incurred during FY 2020– 

2023. In order to receive this funding, 

schools must report to their State agency 

on the school level costs incurred to 

administer P–EBT. 

This submission seeks OMB approval 

of this revision to an existing collection 

(OMB Control #0584–0660, expiration 

11/30/2023) for activities associated 

with administering P–EBT. 

The currently approved burden for 

this collection is 3,684,928 burden 

hours. Because the majority of State and 

territories are expected to have 

completed normal issuance of benefits 

by November 30, 2023, FNS estimates 

the new burden at 20,109 burden hours, 

which is a decrease of approximately 

3,664,849 hours. Only one State has an 

approved plan that entails data 

collection and eligibility verification 

from schools past November 30, 2023; 

the burdens of the remaining States past 

this date are only for monthly reporting 

of benefit issuances due to 

contingencies or corrections. 

The currently approved total annual 

responses are 10,379,211; we are 

requesting 20,109, which is a decrease 

of 10,359,102 total annual responses. 

Affected Public: State Government, 

Schools, Individual/Households. 

Respondents include State agencies 

(including District of Columbia, and 

Territories), schools, and participants. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

The total estimated number of 

respondents is 114,336. This includes: 

State agencies (49), schools (287), 

Individuals/Households (114,000 

participants). 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: The total estimated number 

of responses per respondent for this 

collection is 8. 

Estimated Total Annual Responses: 

The total estimated number of annual 

responses for this collection is 115,374. 

Estimated Time per Response: The 

estimated time per response averages 

approximately 10.6 minutes (0.176 

hours) for all participants. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: The estimated total 

annual burden on respondents for this 

collection is 20,109 hours. 

See the table below for the estimated 

total annual burden for each type of 

respondent. 

Tameka Owens, 

Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition 

Service. 

TABLE—ESTIMATED TOTAL ANNUAL BURDEN ON RESPONDENTS

Respondent category Instruments Form Number of 

respondents 

Frequency of 

response 

Total annual 

responses 

Responses 

per 

respondent 

Hours per 

response 

Annual burden 

(hours) 

Individuals/Households.P–EBT Application 

Submission.

N/A ............. 114,000 1 114,000 1 0.166666667 19,038 

Schools ...................... Student Eligibility 

Data.

N/A ............. 287 1 287 1 0.5 143.5 

P–EBT Local Level 

Administrative Cost 

Reporting to State.

N/A ............. 287 1 287 1 1 143.5 

Schools Subtotal ................................... .................... 287 2 574 2 1.5 287 

State Agencies .......... Monthly P–EBT Reporting to FNS.FNS–292B .. 49 12 588 1 1 588 

P–EBT Quarterly Administrative Cost 

Report (100% funding).

SF–425 ....... 49 4 196 4 1 196 

SA Subtotal ........ ................................... .................... 49 16 800 5 2 784 

Grand Total ................................... .................... 114,336 19 115,374 8 3.67 20,109 

[FR Doc. 2023–21515 Filed 9–27–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–30–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

[Docket #: RUS–23–WATER–0013] 

Notice of Funding Opportunity for 

Calendar Year 2022 Disaster Circuit 

Rider Technical Assistance Grants 

Program; Water and Environmental 

Programs 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS or the Agency), a Rural 

Development (RD) mission area of the 

United States Department of Agriculture 

(USDA), announces acceptance of 

applications under the Calendar Year 

(CY) 2022 Disaster Circuit Rider 

Technical Assistance (CY 2022 Disaster 

CRTA) Grants Program. The Agency will 

have up to $8,000,000 in grant funding 


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