We have received several inquiries regarding the collection of eligibility information during a Provision 2 or Provision 3 cycle.
This rule finalizes a proposed rule published Feb. 29, 2000, amending Food Stamp Program regulations to implement several provisions of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, and subsequent amendments to these provisions made by the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1996, the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, and the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998.
This rule finalizes a proposed rule published July 12, 1999, by amending the Food Stamp Program Regulations to implement certain non-discretionary provisions of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 that affect the Food Stamp Program.
Food Stamp Program Monthly Allotments and Deductions.
The NSLP offers free and reduced-price school meals to students from eligible households. Households with incomes at or below 130 percent of poverty are eligible for free meals, and households with incomes between 131 percent and 185 percent of poverty are eligible for reduced-price meals. Traditionally, to receive these benefits, households had to complete and submit application forms to schools or be directly certified. Direct certification, on the other hand, is a method of eligibility determination that does not require families to complete school meal applications. Instead, school officials use documentation from the local or state welfare agency that indicates that a household participates in AFDC or food stamps as the basis for certifying students for free school meals.
By this notice, USDA is updating for FY 2000 the maximum food stamp allotments for participating households in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Virgin Islands. These annual adjustments, required by law, take into account changes in the cost of food and statutory adjustments since the amounts were last calculated.
The purpose of this notice is to update for fiscal year 2000 the maximum allotment levels, which are the basis for determining the amount of food stamps which participating households receive and the gross and net income limits for food stamp eligibility.