[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 1, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19251-19252]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-10784]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------


DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Stamp Program: Agency Information Collection Activities: 
Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Energy Assistance

AGENCY: Food and Consumer Service, 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 proposed information collections. Section 1306 of the 1981 Farm Bill 
(Pub. L. 97-98) is the basis for the information required at 7 CFR 
273.9(c)(11) of a State agency seeking to disregard as income for food 
stamp purposes State or local energy assistance payments. Failure to 
obtain the required level of documentation could result in large dollar 
losses due to disregard of income for food stamp purposes that is not 
in fact excludable energy assistance.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 1, 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 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 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. Comments may be sent to Margaret 
Werts Batko, Acting Chief, Certification Policy Branch, Program 
Development Division, 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 also become a matter of 
public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Requests for additional information should be 
directed to Margaret Werts Batko (703) 305-2516.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: Energy Assistance.
    OMB Number: 0584-0301.
    Form Number: not a form.
    Expiration Date: 6/30/96.

[[Page 19252]]

    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: Section 273.9(c)(11) of the Food Stamp Program 
regulations requires that Federal, State or local energy assistance be 
disregarded as income for Food Stamp Program purposes. When a State 
agency wants to disregard income as energy assistance, it must justify 
its request by satisfying certain indicators of purpose in order to 
ensure that the funds in question are in fact energy assistance and not 
just a shifting of State agency costs to the National taxpayer. 
Indications that the payments in question are energy assistance 
include: the payments are not limited to public assistance (PA) or 
general assistance (GA) households; payments should go only to 
households that incur home energy costs; payments combined with other 
assistance payments such as GA or PA must result in an increase in 
total assistance not counting food stamps; the payments are based on 
studies, surveys or reports evaluating home energy costs; the payments 
are designated as energy assistance by the legislative body enacting 
them and the levels of payments are calculated based on the seasonal 
home energy needs of typical households over an aggregate period not 
exceeding six months per year. If the payments are provided over a 
period longer than this aggregate, the State agency must document the 
reasons. The number of State agencies with approved energy assistance 
disregards has decreased from 11 to 9. Energy costs are down. There is 
also pending legislation that would eliminate this disregard entirely. 
It is unlikely that there will be any requests for an energy assistance 
disregard from State agencies not currently participating. In addition, 
the Food and Consumer Service (FCS) dropped its insistence on an annual 
information collection for currently participating State agencies to 
rejustify previously approved energy assistance disregards. Submission 
of the information collection to FCS for approval is only required when 
a currently participating State agency is seeking approval to increase 
the energy assistance disregard. Based on past experience in recent 
years, it is anticipated that only 1 already participating State agency 
may seek to justify an increase in its currently approved energy 
assistance disregard in any given year.
    Affected Public: State and local governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1.
    Estimated Time per Response: 4 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 4 hours.

    Dated: April 23, 1996.
William E. Ludwig,
Administrator, Food and Consumer Service.
[FR Doc. 96-10784 Filed 4-30-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-U