Appendix B: Discretionary Exemptions

Effective September 1, 2024: 

Discretionary exemptions will be used to exempt the following;

• Exempting the following ABAWDs who meet state employment and training exemption criteria:
• Full-time VISTA Volunteer (Title I DVSA) (ETP Status 06)
• Expected to return to work within 60 days (ETP Status 15)
• Travel time is two or more hours round-trip from an employment/education training site (ETP Status 19)
• Receiving expedited SNAP only and meets no exemption code (ETP Status 23)

For June 1, 2025 – September 30,2025, exempting all ABAWDs until renewal but no later than October 1, 2025 (for current recipients) who are not eligible for any other exemption and who are not meeting the work requirement in:

• Adams County;
• Centre County;
• Chester County;
• Lancaster County excluding the City of Lancaster;
• Lebanon County excluding the City of Lebanon;
• Montgomery County excluding the Municipality of Norristown;
• York County excluding the City of York, York Township, and Springettsbury Township
• Municipalities – Cranberry Township (Butler County), and Hampden Township (Cumberland County)

For September 2025 only, exempting all ABAWDs who are not eligible for any other exemption, who are not meeting the work requirement, and who:

• Were receiving SNAP in a waived area as of August 22, 2025; and
• are between the ages of 44 – 54, regardless of county of residence

NOTE: Individuals who meet these temporary additional criteria will be assigned SNAP ETP Code 27 and SNAP Qual Code 9 by Headquarters and will not be subject to the time limit for the specified temporary period. Headquarters will report the number of discretionary exemptions used to exempt these individuals to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).

Updated September 3, 2025; Replacing September 30, 2024