18 Miss. Code. R. 14-14.3 - Agency Responsibility

The agency must register for work each household member not exempted. Household members are considered to have registered when the SNAP application is submitted to the agency.

A. During the certification process, the agency must provide a written notice and oral explanation to the household of all applicable work requirements for all members of the household and identify which household member is subject to work requirements. These work requirements include the general work requirement, mandatory E&T, and the ABAWD work requirement. This written notice and oral explanation must be provided to the household when a previously exempt household member or new household member becomes subject to the work requirements, and at recertification.

B. The consolidated written notice must include all pertinent information related to each of the applicable work requirements, including:

1. An explanation of the work requirement;

2. Exemptions from the work requirement;

3. Identify which individuals are subject to which work requirement;

4. An explanation of the process to request an exemption (including contact information to request an exemption);

5. The rights and responsibilities of each applicable work requirement;

6. What is required to maintain eligibility under the work requirement;

7. Pertinent dates by which an individual must take any actions to remain in compliance with the work requirement;

8. The consequences for failure to comply with the work requirement;

9. An explanation of the process for requesting good cause (including examples of good cause circumstances and contact information to initiate a good cause request); and

10. Any other information the agency believes would assist the household members with compliance.

C. If an individual is subject to mandatory E&T, the written notice must also explain the individual's right to receive:

1. Participant reimbursements for allowable expenses related to participation in E&T, and

2. The responsibility of the agency to exempt the individual from the requirement to participate in E&T if the individual's allowable expenses exceed what the agency will reimburse.

D. The agency is responsible for screening each work registrant to determine whether or not it is appropriate, to refer the individual to an E&T program. The agency must refer participants to E&T, but in all cases E&T participants must receive both:

1. Case management services, and

2. At least one E&T component while participating in E&T.

E. After learning of an individual's non-compliance with SNAP work requirements, the agency must issue a notice of adverse action to the individual, or to the household if appropriate, within 10 days of establishing that the noncompliance was without good cause.

F. Mandatory E&T participants who have received a provider determination (see paragraph 273.7 (c)(18)(i)) shall not be subject to disqualification for refusal without good cause to participate in a mandatory E&T program until after the agency has taken one of the four actions listed later in this chapter under Provider Determination (see paragraph 273.7 (c)(18)(i)), and the individual subsequently refuses to participate without good cause.

Notes

18 Miss. Code. R. 14-14.3

7 CFR §273.7(c)(1)

Adopted 3/15/2022 Amended 10/20/2023 Amended 12/9/2024 Amended 2/17/2025