The primary goals of this grant are to increase the participation of Direct Marketing Farmers and Farmers' Markets in SNAP online purchasing, and SNAP online purchasing access by SNAP recipients.
The Food and Nutrition Service seeks to prevent firms authorized to participate in SNAP from delaying administrative actions, such as disqualification or civil money penalties, through submission of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests or appeals. As such, FNS is proposing that FOIA requests and FOIA appeals be processed separately from administrative actions FNS takes against retail food stores. This proposed rule would ensure that retail food stores can no longer use the FOIA process to delay FNS' administrative actions to sanction a retail food store for SNAP violations.
This memorandum provides a policy option to states to help soften the impact that reduced SUAs might have on SNAP households in certain state.
Due to the impact on SNAP benefits resulting from continuing fluctuations in energy prices, FNS is modifying the Standard Utility Allowance blanket waiver memorandum of Oct. 14, 2010 to allow certain states to extend fiscal year (FY) 2010 SUA amounts through March 31, 2011.
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.
It has come to FNS's attention that, due to unusual shifts in utility costs, SNAP benefits to needy families may decrease when states make annual SUA adjustments this year - even if the circumstances of those households remain constant.
In response to several requests and to assist state agencies and school food authorities in their compliance efforts, we are providing the following prototype contract language requiring the return of purchase incentives to SFAs.
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.