Category: 2022

FROM:  KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT:  SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) DISQUALIFICATION DUE TO CERTAIN CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS

MANUAL REVISION #
1105.015.10.65

DISCUSSION:

The Agricultural Act of 2014 Section 4008 (7 CFR 273.11(s)) prohibits anyone convicted of federal aggravated sexual abuse, murder, sexual exploitation and abuse of children, sexual assault, or similar state laws, who is not in compliance with the terms of their sentence or parole, or are a fleeing felon, from receiving SNAP benefits.

Manual section 1105.015.10.65 Disqualification Due to Certain Criminal Convictions has been added to the SNAP manual.

The SNAP application (FS-1) has been updated to include this question. The new document has a revision date of June 2022. If an older version of the FS-1 is received, verbally ask about conviction and compliance during the interview. Self-attestation will be accepted for conviction and compliance.

NOTE: Household attestation is acceptable verification of the conviction and compliance for adult household members. Do not request additional verification or attempt to verify through other sources.

Updates have been made to the eligibility system, effective June 19, 2022, to include the new declaration questions.

• A declaration question has been added to the SNAP and Temporary Assistance (TA) application conflows.
• The existing FS/TA Declarations screen (DECLARE/FMMM) has been revised.
• New SNAP/TA Declaration-2 screen (DECLARE2/FMNK) has been added.
• FMNK will follow the FS/TA Declarations (DECLARE/FMMM) screen in the application and reinvestigation flows.

The new question has been added as the final question on the SNAP/TA Declaration-2 screen (DECLARE2/FMNK).

• Has anyone in your household been convicted of one or more of the following crimes after February 7, 2014?

(1) Aggravated sexual abuse;
(2) Murder;
(3) Sexual exploitation and other abuse of children;
(4) Sexual assault.

If the participant answers yes, conflows will move to Declaration Detail (FMMN), where staff will indicate Y for the individual who has the conviction. If the individual is in compliance with their sentence/parole, enter the correct conviction compliance code. If they are not in compliance with their sentence/parole, the appropriate disqualification must be entered. Select the individual and press F13=SANDISQ to move to the Sanction Disqualification (FMAM) screen.

Four compliance codes have been added to the eligibility system on the Declaration Detail (FMMN) Screen:

CASA – Aggravated sexual abuse
CMDR – Murder
CSEA – Sexual abuse and other abuse of children
CSXA – Sexual assault

Four new disqualification codes have been added to the eligibility system on the Sanction/Disqualification (SANDISQ/FMAM) screen:

ASA – Aggravated sexual abuse
MDR – Murder
SEA – Sexual abuse and other abuse of children
SXA – Sexual assault

NOTE:

• Violation date and Hearing/Court date must be February 8, 2014 or later for a disqualification to be entered.
• The length is entered as 999 when the disqualification is added, and will be updated by the eligibility system when the end date is entered.
• Compliance with Policy (CWP) is the only acceptable end reason for any of the disqualifications listed above.
• Compliance date and end date must be the same month.
• Use county code 0116 for convictions outside Missouri.

The income and resources of a disqualified person are considered available to the remaining household members and must be entered into the eligibility system.

When completing the first TA reinvestigation or SNAP Mid-certification review after implementation, the answers to these questions will not be available. Answer no, that there is no one with a conviction. Comment that the answer was not available and will be explored at next application. This will be updated with any necessary changes at the next application.

Declarations are not a factor for completing a SNAP Mid-certification review. However, after the factors are reviewed and an Eligibility Determination Resolution (EDRES) is completed, an ISD will display for technical determination for any case that has not already been updated with responses to the new declaration question.

An ISD will also be created when an EDRES is completed after a change is made to an active SNAP case during the certification period.

To resolve these ISDs:

• Navigate to the SNAP/TA Declarations-2 (DECLARE2/FMNK) screen
• Prompt for the SNAP household
• Select the new question
• Press F6 details
• Answer for each household member
• Enter good cause if an individual has a conviction, but is in compliance
• Select the individual with a conviction who is not in compliance and press F13
• Enter the appropriate disqualification on the Sanction/Disqualification (SANDISQ/FMAM) screen.

NECESSARY ACTION:

• Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.
• Review manual section 1105.015.10.65.
• Disqualify individuals convicted after February 7, 2014 of one of the crimes listed who are not in compliance.

KE/vb

FROM:  KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT:  UPDATES TO EXCEPTIONS TO FELONY DRUG CONVICTION DISQUALIFICATION SECTION OF SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) MANUAL

MANUAL REVISION #
1105.015.10.35.10

DISCUSSION:

While none of the conditions to meet an exception for a felony drug conviction disqualification have changed, 1105.015.10.35.10 Exceptions to Felony Drug Conviction Disqualification of the SNAP Manual has been updated with the following:

• Food Stamps was changed to SNAP
• The Board of Probation and Parole was updated to the Division of Probation and Parole and Board of Parole
• The link to the Custodian of Records for the Missouri Board of Parole was changed to Probation.Parole@doc.mo.gov
• The Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse was updated to Division of Behavioral Health (DBH)

NECESSARY ACTION:

• Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

KE/tl

FROM:  KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT:  UPDATES TO DISCHARGED PAROLEE DRUG CONVICTION EXCEPTION VERIFICATION (IM-368) FORM

FORM REVISION #
IM-368

DISCUSSION:

The Discharged Parolee Drug Conviction Exception Verification (IM-368) form for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has been updated in coordination with the Missouri Department of Corrections (DOC) with the following changes:

• the form is fillable
• the DOC email address for submission has been updated to Probation.Parole@doc.mo.gov
• the email address for DOC to return the form has been updated to ColeFSPolicy@dss.mo.gov
• buttons have been added for electronic submission of the form via email

The IM-368 is required to be submitted when a SNAP participant has been discharged from parole within the prior three years and will meet the other requirements laid out in 1105.015.10.35.10 Exceptions to Felony Drug Conviction Disqualification. As the form is already in use, the process for completion remains the same. Once all the participant information has been entered, click the Submit to DOC button directly on the IM-368.

By clicking Submit to DOC, a warning will display about submitting the document; and by clicking Okay, the participant information entries will be locked as read-only. A Send Email dialogue box will pop up prompting staff to choose an email application. The Default email application (Microsoft Outlook) should be selected, and staff should then click continue.

A new Outlook message should open with the email address to DOC (Probation.Parole@doc.mo.gov) already populated, and the message is ready to be sent. This email address is only to be used with the IM-368 and should not be given to a participant. Once sent, DOC will complete the section “Missouri Parole Board to complete the following:” and email the form back to ColeFsPolicy@dss.mo.gov.

The completed form will display the message, “This form has been returned from DOC to be added to the participant’s case record” in orange at the top of the page.

Once received, the SNAP policy team will upload the document to be worked by staff. The response from DOC should be entered as provided when adding the verification of the drug conviction exception in the eligibility system.

NECESSARY ACTION:

• Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.
• Begin using the new version (6/2022) immediately.
• Discard and destroy all (4/2015) or older versions of this form.

KE/tl

FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT: CORRECTION TO THE REPORTING AMOUNT FOR LOTTERY OR GAMBLING WINNINGS FOR SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP)

MANUAL REVISIONS #
1130.035.15
1140.000.00
1140.005.46
1140.020.00

DISCUSSION:

The threshold for reporting lottery/gambling winnings is based on the resource maximum of elderly/disabled SNAP households. Therefore, the threshold for reporting lottery or gambling winnings increased to $3,750 from $3,500 for all SNAP households.

Policy updates also clarify winnings that exceed the resource maximum from a single game must be reported, instead of combining multiple winnings.

EXAMPLE: Tina won $3,000 from a bet (or slot machine “hit”) at the casino. She won another $2,000 the same day from another bet. Tina left the casino with a total of $5,000. She does not have to report the winnings because neither win was the result of a bet that exceeded the reporting requirement of $3,750.

NECESSARY ACTION:
• Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

KE/ks