[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 244 (Friday, December 19, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66593-66594]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33190]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Consumer Service \1\


Food Stamp Program: Quality Control Provisions of the Mickey 
Leland Childhood Hunger Relief Act

AGENCY: Food and Consumer Service, USDA.

ACTION: Request for comments on proposed collection of information.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
action invites the general public and other public agencies to comment 
on proposed information collections. Requirements in changes to the 
Food Stamp Program regulations based on the Mickey Leland Childhood 
Hunger Relief Act are the basis for information collection in the areas 
of arbitration and good cause. This action revises the information 
collection burden that currently includes the Quality Control (QC) 
sampling plan by adding to it the burdens for the QC arbitration and 
good cause processes. While these processes have existed since 1981, 
they have not been included in the burden previously. A notice for the 
development of the QC sampling plan, as required by Food Stamp Program 
regulations, was published March 4, 1997 and has been approved through 
July 31, 2000. The Department of Agriculture published a final rule on 
June 2, 1997, entitled Food Stamp Program: Quality Control Provisions 
of the Mickey Leland Childhood Hunger Relief Act, which implements 
changes to the arbitration and good cause processes.

    \1\ The agency name of the Food and Consumer Service was changed 
to the Food and Nutrition Service by order of the Secretary of 
Agriculture on November 25, 1997.
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DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before February 17, 
1998.

ADDRESSES: Send comments and requests for copies of this information 
collection to: Retha Oliver, Chief, Quality Control Branch, Program 
Accountability Division, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22302.
    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 will 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 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 through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    All responses to this action will be summarized and included in the 
request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval. All 
comments will also become a matter of public record. The Food and 
Consumer Service (FCS) will publish a document in the rules section of 
the Federal Register announcing the effective and implementation dates 
of the provisions contained in 7 CFR Secs. 275.3(c)(4) and 275.23(e)(7) 
of the Leland Rule after the approval of the provisions by OMB under 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Retha Oliver, (703) 305-2474.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: Food Stamp Program Regulations, Part 275--Quality Control.
    OMB Number: 0584-0303.
    Expiration Date: July 31, 2000.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection of 
information.
    Abstract: Pursuant to Section 13951 of the Mickey Leland Childhood 
Hunger Relief Act (Pub. L. 103-66), the final rule entitled Quality 
Control Provisions of the Mickey Leland Childhood Hunger Relief Act, 
(``The ``Leland Rule''), published June 2, 1997 (62 FR 29652), contains 
information collections which are subject to review by OMB under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3507). The reporting and 
recordkeeping burden associated with the Food Stamp Program QC sampling 
plan is approved through July 31, 2000, under OMB No. 0584-0303. This 
notice proposes to add the burdens for the QC arbitration and good 
cause processes to the burden that currently includes the QC sampling 
plan. The burden approved for the QC sampling plan is 266 hours per 
year. The annual burdens associated with the QC arbitration and good 
cause processes are estimated to total 1647 and 1917 respectively. The 
total annual burden for the QC sampling plan, arbitration and good 
cause processes is estimated to be 3630 hours. The increase of 3564 
hours is solely the result of adding the arbitration and good cause 
processes to the burden.
    The QC system contains procedures for resolving differences in 
review findings between State agencies and FNS. This is referred to as 
the arbitration process. The QC system also contains procedures which 
provide relief for State agencies from all or a part of a QC liability 
when a State agency can demonstrate that a part or all of an excessive 
error rate was due to an unusual event which had an uncontrollable 
impact on the State agency's payment error rate. In the past, 
information collections associated with the QC arbitration or good 
cause processes have not been included in the reporting and 
recordkeeping burden. However, since the good cause and arbitration 
processes have been implemented since 1981, in practice State agencies 
will not notice an actual increase in burden from current practice.

Quality Control Burden Associated With the Sampling Plan, Arbitration, 
and Good Cause

1. Sampling Plan

    Affected Public: State agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
    Estimated Number of Responses Per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 5.0236 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 266.

2. Arbitration Process

    Affected Public: State agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
    Estimated Number of Responses Per Respondent: 3.1.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 10.0236 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 1647.

3. Good Cause Process

    Affected Public: State agencies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 53.
    Estimated Number of Responses Per Respondent: 0.226.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 160 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 1917.

4. Combined Quality Control Burden Associated With the Sampling Plan,

[[Page 66594]]

Arbitration and Good Cause: 3830 hours.

    Dated: December 15, 1997.
Yvette S. Jackson,
Administrator, Food and Consumer Service.
[FR Doc. 97-33190 Filed 12-18-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-U