[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 199 (Tuesday, October 15, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82969-82970]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-23727]


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Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 199 / Tuesday, October 15, 2024 / 
Notices

[[Page 82969]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefit Expungement and Off-Line Storage

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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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 associated with SNAP benefit 
storage and expungement provisions of the 2008 and 2018 Farm Bills. 
This collection is an extension, without change, of a currently 
approved collection. This collection is for providing SNAP households 
advance or concurrent notice of State agency action to store unused 
SNAP benefits offline due to three or more months of account inactivity 
and for those households to seek reinstatement of benefits prior to 
permanent expungement. This collection is also for providing SNAP 
households advance or concurrent notice prior to the State agency 
expunging unused SNAP benefits from the household's Electronic Benefit 
Transfer (EBT) account due to nine months of account inactivity.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before December 16, 
2024.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to Erica Kain, Chief, Issuance Support 
Branch, Issuance Policy and Innovation Division, Food and Nutrition 
Service (FNS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 1320 Braddock 
Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, or via email to 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#61322c4f272f4f322f20314f28121214000f02044f310e0d08021821141205004f060e17"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bae9f794fcf494e9f4fbea94f3c9c9cfdbd4d9df94ead5d6d3d9c3facfc9dedb94ddd5cc">[email protected]</span></a>. Comments will also be accepted 
through the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://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 Erica Kain 
at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#683b25462e26463b26293846211b1b1d09060b0d46380704010b11281d1b0c09460f071e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="07544a2941492954494657294e747472666964622957686b6e647e477274636629606871">[email protected]</span></a> or (312)-339-1939.

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: SNAP Benefit Storage and Expungement.
    Form Number: Not applicable.
    OMB Number: 0584-0673.
    Expiration Date: 07/31/2025.
    Type of Request: Extension, without change, of a currently approved 
collection.
    Abstract: On August 24, 2020, the Department published the final 
rule, ``Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: 2008 Farm Bill 
Provisions on Clarification of Split Issuance; Accrual of Benefits and 
Definition Changes'' (85 FR 52025) to implement the mandatory SNAP 
benefit storage and expungement provisions of the Food, Conservation 
and Energy Act of 2008, Public Law 110-243 (2008 Farm Bill). In the 
final rule, the Department also adopted as final the provisions in the 
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Public Law 115-334 (2018 Farm 
Bill), that mandated changes to the requirements governing the storage 
and expungement of unused benefits.
    As a result, State agencies are required to provide a 30-day 
advance notice prior to permanently expunging unused SNAP benefits that 
remain in household's account nine months after issuance or after nine 
months of account inactivity. State agencies that opt to take unused 
benefits off-line after three months of SNAP EBT account inactivity 
must also provide up to 10 days advance or concurrent notice prior to 
taking such action and to reinstate benefits store off-line within 48 
hours of a household's request if the benefits have not reached the 
expungement timeframe. Currently, FNS is not aware of any State agency 
exercising the option to store unused benefits off-line prior to 
expungement.

1. Expungement Notice

    Affected Public: (a) Individuals/Households and (b) State agencies: 
Respondent groups identified include: (1) 3,505,979 SNAP households 
(approximately 18 percent of all SNAP households nationwide) who do not 
access their benefits within nine months and (2) 53 State SNAP 
agencies.

a. Individuals/Households Annual Burden

    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 3,505,797.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.17.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 4,101,782.
    Estimated Annual Time per Response: 3 minutes or 0.05 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 205,089 hours.

b. State Agency Annual Burden

    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 53.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 77,392.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 4,101,782.
    Estimated Annual Time per Response: 30 seconds or 0.0083 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 34,045 hours.

c. Grand Total Annual Burden

    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 3,505,850.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 2.33996434.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 8,203,564.00.
    Estimated Annual Time per Response: 0.02915000.

[[Page 82970]]

    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 239,134.

2. Off-Line Storage Notice

    Affected Public: No members of the public are affected as FNS is 
not aware of any State agency currently exercising the option to store 
benefits off-line.

3. Off-Line Benefit Reinstatement

    Affected Public: No members of the public are affected as FNS is 
not aware of any State agency exercising the option to move benefits 
off-line, thereby removing the need for reinstatement.

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                                                                                                                          Estimated avg.
                                                                             Estimated       Responses                       number of       Estimated
                Respondent                            Activity             annual number   annually per    Total annual      hours per     annual total
                                                                            respondent      respondent       responses       response          hours
                                                                                                                             annually
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Individual or Household SNAP Recipients...  Expungement Notice..........       3,505,797            1.17       4,101,782             .05         205,089
                                            Off-line Storage Notice.....               0               0               0               0               0
                                            Off-line Benefit                           0               0               0               0               0
                                             Reinstatement.
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Sub-total of Individual/Household SNAP  ............................       3,505,797            1.17       4,101,782             .05         205,089
     recipients.
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State Agencies............................  Expungement Notice..........              53          77,392       4,101,782          0.0083          34,045
                                            Off-line Storage Notice.....               0               0               0               0               0
                                            Off-line Benefit                           0               0               0               0               0
                                             Reinstatement.
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Sub-total of State Agencies...........  ............................              53          77,392       4,101,782          0.0083          34,045
                                                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Total Reporting Burden with both    ............................       3,505,850      2.33996434       8,203,564      0.02915000         239,134
         Affect Public.
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Tameka Owens,
Acting Administrator and Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-23727 Filed 10-11-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P


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