FNS Documents & Resources

The purpose of this memorandum is to advise you of Food and Nutrition Service’s decision to offer state agencies the opportunity to participate in a demonstration project to exclude earned income from temporary employment in the 2020 Census.

FNS is issuing this memorandum to alert all SNAP state agencies.of the available state options and requirements related to child support cooperation, as a condition of eligibility for SNAP.

The FNS Southwest Regional Office convened a state workgroup comprised of seven state agencies with recent disaster experience to discuss concerns and best practices regarding D-SNAP implementation, program integrity, and program access.

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 collection is an extension, without change, of a currently approved collection for annual outcome data for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training (E&T) programs, as mandated by Section 16(h)(5) of the Food and Nutrition Act (FNA) and as amended by section 4022 of the Agricultural Act of 2014.

This memorandum clarifies the use of third party payroll sources for SNAP certification policy and quality control purposes. The first two sections of this memorandum apply to certification policy and the section titled Quality Control Considerations provides details on how to treat verification from a third party payroll source for QC reviews.

Federal law requires state agencies to verify a SNAP applicant's identity and other critical information prior to certifying the household to participate in SNAP. In general, SNAP state agencies verify identity based on documentary evidence, such as a driver's license, obtained through the applicant or a third party.

The Department of Justice is publishing a proposed rule in this issue of the Federal Register which proposes to establish clear standards governing a determination that an alien is inadmissible or ineligible to adjust status, or has become deportable, on public charge grounds. Before the proposed rule becomes final, the Immigration and Naturalization Service is publishing its field guidance on public charge issues as an attachment to this notice. 

FNS is targeting the SNAP Management Evaluations for Fiscal Year 2020.

The FNS is consolidating certain programmatic and financial data reporting requirements that are currently approved by the Office of Management and Budget, under the Food Programs Reporting System. The purpose is to give states and ITO agencies one portal for the various reporting required for the programs that the states and ITOs operate. The data collected is used for a variety of purposes; mainly program evaluation, planning, audits, funding, research, regulatory compliance and general statistics.

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.