In this rule, FNS proposes to codify prisoner verification and death matching procedures mandated by legislation and previously implemented through agency directive.
This policy encourages state to comply with the application and notice requirements on the paper forms that an applicant can download.
This is to advise you that we are revising conditions associated with waivers of 7 CFR 273.10(f)(4) which would allow state agencies to shorten the certification periods of food stamp households
This is to advise you that we are expanding our criteria for the approval of waivers of the face-to-face interview at both initial and recertification. We also wish to note that since state agencies already may waive the face-to-face interview on an individual case basis based on a finding of hardship, we are now categorizing these waivers as waivers of the requirement that state agencies document hardship prior to utilizing alternatives to the face-to-face interview.
Attached is a Q&A fact sheet that answers questions and provides further guidance on the new racial/ethnic data collection and the new FNS-101 reporting. The July 31, 2006, memorandum offers further policy guidance on this regulation.
FSP legislative and regulatory provisions do not, either directly or indirectly, address the treatment of gift cards for program purposes. While these rules can potentially be interpreted to count gift cards as a resource, we believe this would be inadvisable since attempts to verify the existence and value of the cards during the certification process would be extremely difficult, problematic and subject to error.
Protecting the confidentiality of food stamp applicants and participants has been an important component of the Food Stamp Program since its inception. While FNS has been aware for some time that a number of state agencies have been making use of group interviews in order to simplify office operations, recently regional pffices also have asked for guidance on various ways that group interviews might be conducted in their states.
Attached is the fifth set of questions and answers in response to issues raised by states since the issuance of our four earlier sets of questions and answers, clarifying the certification provisions of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.
This rule implements a provision of the Act that increases the minimum State Administrative Expense grant for each state administering the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program and/or the Special Milk Program from $100,000 to $200,000 a year, adjusted by an index beginning in FY 2009.
The final regulation establishing Food Stamp High Performance Bonuses was published in the Federal Register on Feb. 7, 2005. The regulation established the Program Access Index as one of the criteria – among others – on which states could qualify for a share of the funds made available for bonus awards.