The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 authorized the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help low-income households get the food they need to prevent hunger and malnutrition.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) work together to operate the SNAP.
The FNS manages the following types of service providers who take part in SNAP:
Retail food outlets
Home-delivered-meal organizations
Communal dining facilities
Drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation centers
Shelters for battered women and children
Shelters for the homeless
Soup kitchens
FNS sets the rules for the online Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) system, which authorizes benefits at checkout counters in retail food stores. 7 CFR § 274.12 (a)
FNS conducts studies of program results and supplies information about nutrition and the Women’s, Infants’ and Children’s Program (WIC).
The DHS: 7 CFR § 271.4 (a)
Decides whether households are eligible for SNAP.
Issues EBT/ACCESS cards.
Provides information about SNAP.
Develops, implements, and evaluates training.
Conducts reviews.
Keeps records to make sure regulations are followed.
Submits accurate, timely financial and program reports.
Settles overpayment claims.
Develops and maintains a complaint procedure. 7 CFR § 271.6 (a)
Begins certification of restaurants serving the homeless, elderly, or disabled as retail food outlets.
Reissued March 1, 2012, replacing October 25, 2008