FNS Documents & Resources

This document contains a correction to an interim final rule published in the Federal Register on Aug.  13, 2021. The rule codifies statutory requirements enacted by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. This document also extends the comment period for the interim final rule.

The Thrifty Food Plan, 2021 was released on Aug. 16, 2021. The TFP represents the cost of a nutritious, practical, cost-effective diet.

USDA is issuing this interim final rule to strengthen and improve the integrity and accuracy of the SNAP Quality Control system by codifying statutory requirements enacted by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 that was signed into law on Dec. 20, 2018.

This interim final rule delays the implementation date of certain provisions of the final rule entitled, “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): 2008 Farm Bill Provisions on Clarification of Split Issuance; Accrual of Benefits and Definition Changes.”

This final rule removes from the Code of Federal Regulations the final rule published on Dec. 5, 2019, titled “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Requirements for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents.” This action responds to a decision of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that vacated the rule.

This final rule amends the SNAP regulations to implement provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill regarding monthly benefit issuance allotments, storage of benefits off-line, and permanent expungement of unused benefits, as well as related benefit expungement and off-line storage provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill. This final rule also updates SNAP regulations to reflect the program's name change to SNAP and benefit issuance through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) systems.

The Department set the QC tolerance threshold at $37 for fiscal year (FY) 2014 and adjusts the threshold each year following Section 3(u)(4) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended. For FY 2019, the tolerance threshold is $37.

The proposed rule would implement the changes made by section 4005 of The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the Act) to SNAP pertaining to the Employment and Training program and aspects of the work requirement for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). In general, these changes are related to strengthening the SNAP E&T program, adding workforce partnerships as a way for SNAP participants to meet their work requirements, and modifying the work requirement for ABAWDs.

USDA proposes updating the regulations to refine categorical eligibility requirements based on receipt of TANF benefits. Specifically, the Department proposes: (1) to define “benefits” for categorical eligibility to mean ongoing and substantial benefits; and (2) to limit the types of non-cash TANF benefits conferring categorical eligibility to those that focus on subsidized employment, work supports and childcare. The proposed rule would also require state agencies to inform FNS of all non-cash TANF benefits that confer categorical eligibility.

The proposed rule would revise SNAP regulations to standardize the methodology for calculating standard utility allowances.