Certification Personnel and Facilities Requirements

A. County employees assigned to certify households for participation in SNAP shall be employed in accordance with the current standards for a merit system personnel administration that is guided by a set of six broad merit principles outlined in the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. 4728), as amended. The principles cover recruiting, compensation, training, retention, equal employment opportunity, and guidance on political activity. Only such qualified employees shall interview SNAP households and determine household eligibility or ineligibility and the level of benefits. B. Every local office must utilize an appropriate amount of the staff allocated to it and utilize effective and efficient practices in administering SNAP. Facilities must, within available state legislative appropriations and federal and required county matching funds, be of adequate size and layout to assure the privacy necessary to allow workers to conduct confidential interviews and perform other office duties efficiently and effectively. Any persons or organizations who are parties to a strike or lockout shall not be permitted to interview or certify households or to secure verification required of such households. However, such individuals may be used as a source of verification for information provided by applicant households if, under normal circumstances, they could be expected to be the best verification source. An eligibility technician who is the spouse of a striker is not considered party to a strike but shall not certify his or her household.