WIC FMNP Program Regulations-Reporting and Record-Keeping Burden

The WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) is associated with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also known as WIC. The WIC program provides supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education at no cost to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding post-partum women, and to infants and children up to 5 years of age, who are found to be at nutritional risk.

The purpose of the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) is to provide fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown fruits and vegetables through farmers' markets and roadside stands to WIC participants, and to expand awareness and use of, and sales at, farmers' markets and roadside stands. Currently, FMNP operates through state health departments in 39 states, 6 Indian Tribal Organizations, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

Section 17(m)(8) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 USC 1786(m)(8)), and the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) regulations at 7 CFR part 248 require that certain program-related information be collected and that full and complete records concerning FMNP operations are maintained. The information reporting and record-keeping burdens are necessary to ensure appropriate and efficient management of the FMNP.

These burden activities are covered by this Information Collection Request (ICR) which include requirements that involve the authorization and monitoring of state agencies; the certification of FMNP participants; the nutrition education that is provided to participants; farmer and market authorization, monitoring, and management; and financial and participation data (using WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) Annual Financial and Program Data Report (FNS 683B), which is approved (both the form and its associated reporting burden) under OMB Control Number: 0584-0594 Food Programs Reporting System (FPRS), Expiration Date: 07/31/2023).

Recordkeeping burden associated with this form is not approved under OMB Control Number 0584-0594. State agencies must maintain records in order to support data reported in FPRS, and the recordkeeping burden for such record maintenance is captured in this ICR, OMB Control Number: 0584-0447. State plans are the principal source of information about how each state agency operates its FMNP. Information from participants and local agencies is collected through state-developed forms or Management Information Systems.

The information collected is used by the Department of Agriculture/Food and Nutrition Service to manage, plan, evaluate, make decisions and report on FMNP program operations. Along with the state plans, state agencies also submit the Federal-State Supplemental Nutrition Programs Agreements (FNS-339) whose reporting and recordkeeping burden is associated and approved under OMB Control Number: 0584-0332, Expiration Date: 04/30/2022.

This information collection is requesting a revision in the burden hours due to program changes and adjustments that primarily reflect the inclusion of programmatic requirements that are being included in this ICR for the first time, and expected changes in the number of FMNP participants; FMNP authorized outlets; and WIC FMNP local agencies.

The currently approved burden for this collection is 929,211 hours. FNS estimates the new burden at 1,640,801 burden hours, which is an increase of 711,591. The currently approved total annual responses are 4,968,338; we are requesting 4,908,769, which is a decrease of 59,569 total annual responses. The currently approved reporting burden is 515,260 hours; for this revision, FNS estimates 1,247,271 hours, which is an increase of 732,011 hours.

The currently approved recordkeeping burden is 413,950 hours; for this revision, we estimate 393,530 hours, which is a decrease of 20,420 hours. The total approved reporting and record-keeping burden increased by 711,591 hours.