USDA Publishes Final Rule on SNAP Employment and Training Program Effectiveness

On Monday, USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) will publish a final rule entitled: "SNAP: Employment and Training Program Monitoring, Oversight, and Reporting Measures." The rule was posted for Public Inspection on the Federal Register website today.

This final rule modifies provisions from a 2016 interim final rule to strengthen SNAP E&T oversight and reporting to ensure the program effectively achieves its intended goal: to help participants gain the skills they need to obtain and retain meaningful employment. The final rule:

• Requires USDA to monitor and assess the effectiveness of state agencies' E&T programs in achieving that goal.
• Requires state agencies provide detailed data on participant outcomes, including measures on educational achievements and employment and earnings.
• Aligns E&T reporting measures with federal workforce standards.
• Specifies that FNS can require a state agency to modify its SNAP E&T state plan to improve outcomes if they are determined to be ineffective or inadequate.
• Introduces participant characteristics data reporting on race and ethnicity to ensure state E&T programs meet the needs of all E&T participants, including those in underserved communities.

Many of these provisions are already in effect, as directed by the 2014 Farm Bill.

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