Comment Request - Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer

This is a revision of the currently approved information collection for activities related to the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P–EBT). 

States are required to submit an operational plan to FNS regional office for approval. With the expiration of the COVID–19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023, states will not receive approval for operational plans submitted after federal FY 2023 (i.e., Sept. 30, 2023), although states may issue some benefits retroactively to households after Sept. 30, 2023, based on prior plan approvals. However, FNS proposes an extension for limited elements of the currently approved information collection to facilitate the orderly wind-down and close-out of the P–EBT program.

Need and Use of the Information:

This information collection is necessary to determine eligibility and benefit levels for P–EBT. The information collected will used to determine the benefit levels children are eligible to receive, which will vary depending on the FY of the approved plan. Additionally, during the summer months all children eligible for free or reduced price meals that are enrolled in schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program are considered eligible for P–EBT. This requires all schools to provide the state agency with a list of children who have been determined eligible for free and reduced price meals.

FNS will provide funding to each state's SNAP state agency for 100% of P–EBT-related school level administrative costs. Such funding will be available for the necessary, allowable, and reasonable state agency costs associated with the administration of P–EBT incurred during FY 2020–23. In order to receive this funding, schools must report to their state agency on the school level costs incurred to administer P–EBT.