Proposed Collection Request for Comments - Guidance for SNAP Certification and Quality Control Interviews Study

Summary

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 is a new information collection for the contract of the study titled Guidance for SNAP Certification and Quality Control Interviews. The purpose of this collection is to help FNS develop new guidance for SNAP eligibility and Quality Control interviews based on principles of human-centered design and cultural competency.

Request for Comments

Written comments must be received on or before Jan. 21, 2025.

• Comments may be mailed to Eric Williams, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314.
• Comments may also be submitted via email to [email protected].
• Comments will also be accepted through the federal eRulemaking portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting comments electronically.

All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will be a matter of public record.

Abstract

The SNAP is the foundation of the nation's nutrition safety net. SNAP provides benefits to millions of people who are experiencing economic hardship, and those benefits help to avert hunger. SNAP eligibility interviews help determine eligibility and benefit levels for SNAP applicants. SNAP Quality Control (QC) interviews help measure how accurately state agencies determine SNAP households' eligibility and benefit amounts.

This project will produce new guides for SNAP eligibility and QC interviews that SNAP agencies will have the option to use or adapt. The guides will incorporate principles of human-centered design (HCD) and cultural competency (that is, the ability to serve clients from diverse cultures and communities effectively). Infusing the interview processes with the principles of HCD and cultural competency will help expand equitable access to SNAP.

To draft the updated interview guides, the study team examined literature on HCD and cultural competency and reviewed existing guidance on SNAP interviews. The study team also assembled expert panels of SNAP participants and state SNAP agency staff to get their perspectives.

The study team will conduct semi-structured interviews with staff from state SNAP agencies in four states during virtual site visits. During these interviews, the team will collect qualitative data on state SNAP agency interview processes, the training SNAP staff receive on conducting them, and information about any written guidance state agencies give staff on conducting interviews. The team will also ask state agency staff for feedback on the draft guides. After revising the guides based on this feedback, the study team will test them with the community; for each guide, they will conduct cognitive interviews with 40 individuals with low incomes. The cognitive interviews will use a mix of in-person and telephone formats.