This is a new information collection for the Waivers and State Plans (WiSP) application.
This collection is: (1) a revision of the currently approved collections for the reporting and recordkeeping burdens associated with the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) regulations and with the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) regulations; and (2) a consolidation of the SFMNP and WIC FMNP reporting and recordkeeping burdens into a single information collection to more accurately reflect consolidated program operations.
This notice sets forth the interpretation that the U.S. Department of Agriculture uses for the term “Federal public benefit” as used in Title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. In doing so, this notice supersedes any prior interpretation in any notice or other document issued by any USDA agency. This notice also describes and preliminarily identifies the USDA programs that provide “Federal public benefits” within the scope of PRWORA.
The Federal-State Supplemental Nutrition Programs Agreement (form FNS-339) is an annual contract between USDA and each state, territory, and Indian Tribal Government agency seeking to operate one or more of the following programs: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), and the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP).
The proposed information collection is a request for a revision of a currently approved collection of information relating to the reporting and recordkeeping burden associated with completing, submitting, and maintaining a record of form FNS-339, the Federal-State Supplemental Nutrition Programs Agreement for the administration of WIC, FMNP, and SFMNP.
The activities that are covered by this Information Collection Request include the transition from individual collections for program waivers and state plans to a new application supporting multiple USDA programs.
This final rule incorporates into the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program regulations, statutory provisions set forth in the Farm Bill of 2008. The three provisions include adding honey as an eligible food for purchase with SFMNP benefits, prohibiting the value of SFMNP benefits from consideration as income or resources when determining eligibility for other programs under any federal, state or local law, and prohibiting the collection of state or local tax on a purchase of food with a benefit distributed under the SFMNP.
This final rule is part of the Department's effort to fulfill its responsibilities under the Faith-Based and Community Initiative pursuant to Executive Orders 13279 and 13280. Under this rule, state agencies will collect and report information related to institutions and organizations that participate in specified Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) nutrition assistance programs.
This document announces the approval date of the provisions contained in the final rule published Dec. 12, 2006 and amends the final rule to include the OMB Control Number assigned to the information collection burden.
This final rule implements the provision of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 that gives the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to promulgate regulations for the operation and administration of the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, thereby making it a permanent program rather than a competitive grant.