United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States National Archives and Records Administration Office of the Federal Register author aut Government Organization text government publication eng FR Regulatory Information 2017_register executive 2017-01-06 article Part IV Rules and Regulations D09002ee1c7f2ff8a D09002ee1c7f30043 United States Department of Agriculture originator org United States Government Agency or Subagency United States Food and Nutrition Service originator org United States Government Agency or Subagency This final rule implements provisions of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA) affecting the eligibility, benefits, certification, and employment and training (E&T) requirements for applicant or participant households in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The rule amends the SNAP regulations to: Exclude military combat pay from the income of SNAP households; raise the minimum standard deduction and the minimum benefit for small households; eliminate the cap on the deduction for dependent care expenses; index resource limits to inflation; exclude retirement and education accounts from countable resources; clarify reporting requirements under simplified reporting; permit States to provide transitional benefits to households leaving State-funded cash assistance programs; allow States to establish telephonic and gestured signature systems; permit States to use E&T funds to provide job retention services; and update requirements regarding the E&T funding cycle. These provisions are intended to more accurately reflect needs, reduce barriers to participation, and improve efficiency in the administration of the program. This rule also replaces outdated language in SNAP certification regulations with the new program name and updates procedures for accessing SNAP benefits in drug and alcohol treatment centers and group living arrangements with use of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards. This rule provides States with regulatory options for conducting telephone interviews in lieu of face-to-face interviews and for averaging student work hours. Finally, the Department is issuing an interim final rule (with a request for additional comment) that will require that drug and alcohol treatment and group living arrangements (GLA) centers to: Submit completed change report forms to the State agency when a resident leaves the center; notify the State agency within 5 days when the center is not able to provide the resident with their EBT card at departure; and return EBT cards to residents with pro-rated benefits based up on the date of their departure. 82 FR 2010 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2017-01-06/2016-30663 2016-30663 fr06ja17-8 RIN 0584-AD87 3410-30-P FNS 2011-0008 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2017-01-06/2016-30663 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2017-01-06/html/2016-30663.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2017-01-06/pdf/2016-30663.pdf Food Stamps Grant Programs-Social Programs Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements Alaska Civil Rights Penalties Unemployment Compensation Wages Administrative Practice and Procedure Aliens Claims Employment Fraud Government Employees Income Taxes Students Supplemental Security Income 35 p. 2010 2044 82 FR 2010 Title 7 Part 271 7 CFR Part 271 Title 7 Part 272 7 CFR Part 272 Title 7 Part 273 7 CFR Part 273 Title 7 Part 274 7 CFR Part 274 Title 7 Part 275 7 CFR Part 275 Title 7 Part 276 7 CFR Part 276 Title 7 Part 277 7 CFR Part 277 Title 7 Part 278 7 CFR Part 278 Title 7 Part 279 7 CFR Part 279 Title 7 Part 280 7 CFR Part 280 Title 7 Part 281 7 CFR Part 281 Title 7 Part 282 7 CFR Part 282 Title 7 Part 283 7 CFR Part 283 Title 7 Part 285 7 CFR Part 285 RIN 0584-AD87 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Eligibility, Certification, and Employment and Training Provisions of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008; Federal Register Vol. 82, Issue RULE 2016-30663 IV DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service 2017-05-08 FNS 2011-0008 3410-30-P 2016-30663 Final rule and interim final rule.

This final rule implements provisions of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA) affecting the eligibility, benefits, certification, and employment and training (E&T) requirements for applicant or participant households in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The rule amends the SNAP regulations to: Exclude military combat pay from the income of SNAP households; raise the minimum standard deduction and the minimum benefit for small households; eliminate the cap on the deduction for dependent care expenses; index resource limits to inflation; exclude retirement and education accounts from countable resources; clarify reporting requirements under simplified reporting; permit States to provide transitional benefits to households leaving State-funded cash assistance programs; allow States to establish telephonic and gestured signature systems; permit States to use E&T funds to provide job retention services; and update requirements regarding the E&T funding cycle. These provisions are intended to more accurately reflect needs, reduce barriers to participation, and improve efficiency in the administration of the program. This rule also replaces outdated language in SNAP certification regulations with the new program name and updates procedures for accessing SNAP benefits in drug and alcohol treatment centers and group living arrangements with use of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards. This rule provides States with regulatory options for conducting telephone interviews in lieu of face-to-face interviews and for averaging student work hours. Finally, the Department is issuing an interim final rule (with a request for additional comment) that will require that drug and alcohol treatment and group living arrangements (GLA) centers to: Submit completed change report forms to the State agency when a resident leaves the center; notify the State agency within 5 days when the center is not able to provide the resident with their EBT card at departure; and return EBT cards to residents with pro-rated benefits based up on the date of their departure.

Effective dates: This final rule is effective March 7, 2017. The amendments to 7 CFR 273.11(e) and 273.11(f) are being issued as an interim final rule and are effective April 6, 2017. The amendments to 7 CFR 273.2(c)(1)(v) are effective January 8, 2018. Sasha Gersten-Paal, Branch Chief, Certification Policy Branch, Program Development Division, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 810, Alexandria, Virginia 22302, (703) 305-2507, sasha.gersten-paal@fns.usda.gov. Food Stamps Grant Programs-Social Programs Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements Alaska Civil Rights Penalties Unemployment Compensation Wages Administrative Practice and Procedure Aliens Claims Employment Fraud Government Employees Income Taxes Students Supplemental Security Income Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Eligibility, Certification, and Employment and Training Provisions of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 , sasha.gersten-paal@fns.usda.gov http://origin.www.fns.usda.gov/snap/rules/Memo/2009/062509.pdf http://www.bea.gov/iTable http://www.dfas.mil/dfas/militarymembers.html http://www.fns.usda.gov/questions-and-answers-certification-issues-2008-farm-bill-2 http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/070308_0.pdf http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/questions-and-answers-certification-issues-2008-farm-bill-2 http://www.regulations.gov www.fns.usda.gov/fsp” www.fns.usda.gov/snap” www.regulations.gov Vol. 82, no. 4 Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration 2017-01-06 continuing daily deposited born digital 610 p. Table of Contents: AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: KF70.A2 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2017-01-06 P0b002ee1933e9ece 0097-6326 0042-1219 0364-1406 769-004-00000-9 000582072 f:fr06ja17 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2017-01-06 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2017-01-06/pdf/FR-2017-01-06.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2017-01-06/xml/FR-2017-01-06.xml fdlp 1593 2192 DGPO 2017-01-06 2024-06-01 FR-2017-01-06 machine generated eng FR FR-2017-01-06 82 4