Department of Agriculture April 24, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Congress allows the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Secretary) considerable discretion to establish criteria and standards for evaluating the performances of State agencies and to monetarily reward State agencies that improve or excel in the agency's administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The recently enacted Agricultural Act of 2014 (Act) includes changes to the performance bonus system. States are now required by statute to reinvest any SNAP bonuses in the SNAP program. As a complement to these changes, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is soliciting ideas for performance criteria and standards for high and most improved performance from State agencies and organizations that represent State interests prior to issuance of any proposed rules regarding changes to the criteria in determining SNAP high performance bonuses. FNS announces in this notice a request for information about current performance measures and data collection capabilities possessed by SNAP State agencies; data and information needed to assess other areas of SNAP being considered for a future high or most improved performance bonuses; and suggestions for linking bonus categories to ensure winners in one category meet minimum performance standards in other categories in order to qualify for any high or most improved performance bonus. FNS will consider this information in developing a proposed rule to revise the current high or most improved performance bonus structure.