The purpose of this memo is to provide guiding principles that assist state agencies in meeting regulatory requirements. Effective engagement by state agencies with tribes is essential to meeting the nutrition needs of citizens of tribal nations.
USDA FNA, Tribes, and SNAP state agencies share goals to improve nutrition and health for American Indians/Alaskan Natives (AI/AN) through nutrition assistance and nutrition education.
FNA provides the attached policy clarification to state agencies to answer state questions on screening and referral, improve compliance with the regulations, and provide a more accountable E&T program to participants served.
The SNAP Employment and Training program, administered by all 53 state agencies, helps participants gain the skills, training, or work experience they need to enter, reenter, or remain in the workforce. The program is flexible. This letter explains how state agencies can tailor services and supports to the needs of SNAP participants and the communities in which they live.
The attached questions and answers provide policy clarification in response to changes made by Section 4005 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, enacted on Dec. 20, 2018, to the SNAP Employment and Training program and certain Able-bodied Adults without Dependents work policies.
This memorandum provides policy clarification on the President's Executive Order, Reducing Poverty in America by Promoting Opportunity and Economic Mobility, which instructed the Department to review regulations and guidance documents to ensure they are consistent with promoting economic opportunity and ensuring the most efficient use of taxpayer funds.
On Dec. 20, 2018, SNAP was reauthorized as part of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (PL 115-334). Attached is an informational memorandum providing policy clarification on Section 4005 of the Act and implementation dates. Regulations reflecting revisions to SNAP made by the Act will be published as soon as possible.
FNA has received many questions on the interim final rule implementing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training Program Monitoring, Oversight and Reporting Measures, published in the Federal Register on March 24, 2016. FNA released one Q&A in response to those questions on July 26, 2016. Since that time, FNA has received additional questions and is issuing this second Q&A to address them.
This memorandum identifies and clarifies several statutory and regulatory requirements that state agencies operating mandatory E&T programs must implement to ensure adequate protections for SNAP applicants and recipients as well as proper administration of the program.