Summary
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This is a new information collection for the contract of the project titled “Understanding Participant Experiences in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training (E&T).” The purpose of this collection is to help FNS develop a comprehensive understanding of how SNAP participants experience the SNAP E&T program and to identify actionable recommendations to help programs improve their customer service and efficiently connect participants with training and services that meet their needs.
Request for Comments
Written comments must be received on or before Sept. 29, 2025.
Comments may be mailed to Kristen Corey, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314 or submitted via email to kristen.corey@usda.gov. Comments will also be accepted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal; go to http://www.regulations.gov, and follow the online instructions for submitting comments electronically.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will be a matter of public record.
Abstract
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) offers a vital lifeline to low-income Americans, preventing hunger during difficult times. When determining SNAP eligibility, states must identify anyone in the household that is (1) subject to general work requirements, (2) subject to a time limit on benefits if they are not meeting work requirements, and (3) required to participate in the State's SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) program. States vary considerably in how they determine eligibility, share information about work requirements and employment and training opportunities, and make referrals to SNAP E&T programs. The “Understanding Participant Experiences in SNAP E&T” project will help the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service's (FNS) to assess SNAP participants' understanding of work requirements and their experiences accessing SNAP E&T programs that meet their needs.
We expect four states to participate in the project, including two states that operate mandatory SNAP E&T programs and two states that operate voluntary SNAP E&T programs. The project aims to (1) explore SNAP work registrants' understanding of work requirements when certifying or recertifying for SNAP eligibility; (2) describe SNAP work registrants' experiences with accessing SNAP E&T services and finding training opportunities that meet their needs; (3) assess the experiences of SNAP E&T participants; and (4) develop recommendations that States can use to support program participants in navigating work requirements and SNAP E&T.
To achieve the research objectives, the project will document and describe the experiences of SNAP participants in the four states through two qualitative research methods: photovoice and in-depth interviews. Photovoice engages participants in structured activities where they use photos they have taken to guide interviews with researchers. The interviews will focus on and highlight themes and issues most significant to participants about SNAP E&T. In-depth interviews will provide rich, detailed accounts of participants' thoughts, behaviors, and experiences with work requirements and in SNAP E&T programs. Finally, the project will include video interviews with SNAP E&T participants and staff that provide E&T services to create a multimedia deliverable that tells a complete story of navigating work requirements and engaging with SNAP E&T. The study team will work with FNS to select and recruit state agencies and SNAP E&T providers that offer direct services to SNAP participants to support the recruitment for photovoice and in-depth interviews.