With this final rule, FNS is revising Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program regulations that cover collecting and reporting race and ethnicity data by state agencies on persons receiving benefits from SNAP.
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 new collection for the contract Assessment of Mobile Technologies for Using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits (Mobile Payment Pilot evaluation). The purpose of the Mobile Payment Pilot evaluation is to assess the effects of five pilot projects that will allow SNAP participants to use mobile payments to purchase food as an alternate option to a physical electronic benefit transfer card.
The purpose of this new collection is to collect qualitative and quantitative stakeholder feedback through meetings, focus groups, interviews, other stakeholder interactions and surveys, as well as requests for administrative data, as part of the planning process for FNS regulatory actions, the semi-annual regulatory agenda, research studies, outreach, training and the development of guidance.
FNS is required to develop standards for identifying major changes in the operations of state agencies that administer SNAP. State agencies must notify the Department when planning to implement a major change in operations and to collect any information required by the Department to identify and correct any adverse effects on program integrity or access, including access by vulnerable households.
State agencies are required to operate a SNAP E&T program and have considerable flexibility to determine the services they offer and populations they serve. FNS seeks to ensure the quality of the services and activities offered through SNAP E&T programs by investing resources and providing technical assistance to help states build capacity, create more robust services, and increase engagement in their programs.
Through this data collection effort, FNS seeks to understand the interrelated factors that lead to household food insecurity. Data will be collected in six counties experiencing persistent intergenerational poverty through a study titled Understanding the Relationship Between Poverty, Well-Being, and Food Security.
This request for approval of information collection is necessary to obtain input into the development of nutrition education interventions for population groups served by FNS. Collection of this information will increase FNS' ability to formulate nutrition education interventions that resonate with the intended target population, particularly low-income families.
This information collection addresses the mandatory state agency information and burden estimates associated with the following state agency options under SNAP: establishing and reviewing standard utility allowances and establishing methodology for offsetting cost of producing self-employment income.
The FNS-380-1, Quality Control Review Schedule, was developed by FNS for state use to collect both QC data and case characteristics for SNAP and to serve as the comprehensive data entry form for SNAP QC reviews. State agencies are required to perform QC reviews for SNAP. The information needed to complete this form is obtained from the SNAP case record through state agency quality control findings. The information is used to monitor and reduce errors, develop policy strategies, and analyze household characteristic data.