[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 160-161]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-00022]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Consumer Service


Collection Requirements Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations: Study of Direct Certification

AGENCY: Food and Consumer Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Food and Consumer Service's (FCS) intention to 
request Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review of the Study of 
Direct Certification.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by March 4, 1996.

ADDRESSES: 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. Comments may be sent to: Michael 
E. Fishman, Acting Director, Office of Analysis and Evaluation, Food 
and Consumer Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center 
Drive, Alexandria, VA 22302.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public 
record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael E. Fishman, (703) 305-2117.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Study of Direct Certification.
    OMB Number: Not yet assigned.
    Expiration Date: N/A.
    Type of Request: New collection of information.
    Abstract: Direct certification is a simplified method used to 
certify National School Lunch Program (NSLP) eligibility for children 
who reside in households which participate in the Food Stamp Program 
(FSP) or in Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). This study 
will estimate the costs and administrative savings of using direct 
certification as an alternate means of approving automatically eligible 
children for free school meals under the terms and conditions of 
Section 9(b)(6) of the National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(6). 
It will also assess the affect that direct certification has on the 
certification and participation rates of children eligible for free 
meals; provide descriptive information on the use of direct 
certification; and identify factors that contribute to a successful 
direct certification program.
    The study's data collection component is comprised of five 
telephone-interview surveys:(1) interviews with all the state NSLP 
agencies in the contiguous forty-eight states to ascertain the status 
of direct certification in each state; (2) screening interviews with 
1,000 randomly chosen school food authorities (SFAs) to determine if 
they use direct certification; (3) interviews with the SFAs identified 
as utilizing direct certification; (4) interviews with 150 schools, 
randomly selected from schools in the direct certification SFAs, on 
their experiences with direct certification; and (5) interviews with a 
purposively selected sample of the Aid to Families with Dependent 
Children/Food Stamp (AFDC/FS) offices that work with the direct 
certification SFAs on their experiences with direct certification. All 
survey respondents will be administered one data collection instrument, 
except the SFAs using direct certification. They will be administered 
two.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 50 minutes for the NSLP state 
agencies, 20 minutes for the SFAs in the screening interview, 120 
minutes for the direct certification SFAs, 120 minutes for the direct 
certification schools, and 30 minutes for the AFDC/FS offices.
    Respondents: For each survey, the entity providing the data will be 
asked to have the individual most knowledgeable of direct certification 


[[Page 161]]
operations serve as the interview respondent.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: There will be 48 respondents for 
the NSLP state agency survey, about 1,000 for the SFA screening survey, 
an estimated 150 for the direct certification SFA survey, about 150 for 
the direct certification school survey, and about 25 for the AFDC/FS 
office survey.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: One, except for the 
direct certification SFAs, for which it will be two.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 986 hours. Copies of 
this information collection can be obtained from Matthew Sinn, Office 
of Analysis and Evaluation, Food and Consumer Service, U.S. Department 
of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22302.

    Dated: December 19, 1995.
William E. Ludwig,
Administrator, Food and Consumer Service.
[FR Doc. 96-00022 Filed 1-2-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-U