The attached questions and answers are 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 is pursuant to 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.
The Office of lnspector General's 2016 Audit Report, Food and Nutrition Service Controls over SNAP Benefits for Able Bodied Adults without Dependents, recommended that FNS perform analysis to identify problematic areas for states in terms of ABAWD policy and then provide states with additional best practices to address those areas.
FNS 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. FNS released one Q&A in response to those questions on July 26, 2016. Since that time, FNS has received additional questions and is issuing this second Q&A to address them.
The attached questions and answers address the SNAP: Eligibility, Certification, and Employment and Training Provisions of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 final rule.
This memorandum contains questions and answers regarding the implementation of the SNAP: Eligibility, Certification, and Employment and Training Provisions of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 final rule. Information includes the removal of the dependent care cap, copies of client applications in electronic format, the impact of the rule on administrative waivers, and telephonic signature systems.
Section 6(o) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended, limits the time able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) can receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to 3 months in any 36-month period, unless the individual meets the ABAWD work requirement or is otherwise exempt.
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.
The interim final rule, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training (E&T) Program Monitoring, Oversight and Reporting Measures, was published in the Federal Register on March 24, 2016. States are required to include reporting measures in their E&T State Plans for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2017.
This memorandum provides guidance to state agencies on the SNAP Employment and Training requirements when opting to submit E&T plan components as part of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act combined state plan.