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SNAP Quality Control Review Handbook - Clarification of Procedures Regarding the Transmission/Release of Case Finding

DATE: January 31, 2018
POLICY MEMO: QC Policy Memo: 18-02
SUBJECT: FNS Handbook 310, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Quality Control (QC) Review Handbook - Clarification of Procedures Regarding the Transmission/Release of Case Finding
TO: All Regional SNAP Directors
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)

This memorandum provides clarification of changes made to Section 1240 - Transmission/Release of Active Case Findings to FNS, Data Checking, and Changing Case Findings and Section 13 70 - Transmission of Negative Case Findings to FNS, Data Checking and Changing Case Findings in the October 2017 edition of the FNS Quality Control (QC) Review Handbook 310. The Handbook now requires that all case submissions be final. There is no longer a 10 day period following transmission during which states can make changes to released cases. This change will be incorporated in the SNAP Quality Control System (QCS) effective Feb. 1, 2018.

Completed Cases Starting Feb. 1, 2018, once a complete case is released to FNS, protected fields can no longer be edited by the State agency. States may still update nonprotected fields and re-release cases to FNS. The protected fields for each transmission form are as follows:

Form FNS 380-1 Form FNS-245
Item 5 (Sample Month and Year)
Item 6 (Stratum)
Item 7 (Disposition)
Item 8 (Review Finding)
Item 9 (SNAP Allotment Under Review)
Item 10 (Error Amount)
Item 11 (Case Classification)		 Item 10 (Disposition of Review)
Item 11 (Finding)
Item 12 (Case Record Review)
Item 13 (Notice Requirement)
Item 14 (Household Notice)
Item 15 (Procedural Requirement)
Item 16 (Timeliness of Action)

Any requests to make changes to protected fields for complete cases must be submitted via email to the Statistician and Team Leads at the applicable FNS regional office. Only requests associated with a change to Federal policy will be automatically approved.

Incomplete Cases

If, after release, a state is later able to complete a case that was previously dispositioned as incomplete, it must notify its regional office to unlock the protected fields. The state will select the 'notify region' button in SNAP QCS and type a narrative description explaining what updates to make in the case values in the text box provided. Upon clicking 'send to region,' the narrative will be sent to the applicable Team Leads and Statistician to review, approve and unlock the case. States will then have seven calendar dates to update the case and re-release it to FNS. There will not be additional opportunities to make changes to incomplete cases after the seven day window closes.

This memo does not revise FNS policy regarding avoiding bias in the QC process. Please refer to Section 154 of the Handbook 310 for more information on avoiding bias and guidelines regarding the proper use of error review committees to discuss the results of QC reviews for corrective action planning only after cases have been transmitted to FNS.

FNS is fully committed to answering policy questions in order to clarify QC procedures.

Ronald K. Ward
Director
Program Accountability and Administration Division
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Page updated: January 13, 2022

The contents of this guidance document do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way. This document is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.