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FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES MANUAL GENERAL PROCEDURES & REQUIREMENTS FNS 140 PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS

2 Change 1-2021 May 1, 2021 situations, volunteers may act as an authorized representative for households who are unable to personally come to the certification office. B. Personnel and Facilities of Parties to a Strike The county department may not use, in any certification-related activity, persons or organizations that are parties to a strike or lockout. Such persons are not permitted to certify applicant households, interview households, or secure verification required of such households. These individuals may be used as a source of verification for information provided by the applicant household if they would, under normal circumstances, be in the best position to confirm a household's circumstances. Facilities of persons or organizations who are parties to a strike or lockout may not be used in the certification process or as a site for the interview.

140.03 FRAUD DETECTION A. Counties are required to establish and operate fraud detection units in counties where 5,000 or more households participate in the program. The fraud detection unit is responsible for detecting, investigating, and assisting in the prosecution of program fraud. The workers fulfilling this function are not required to work full-time in fraud detection or work exclusively on the program. B. A written county procedure that systematically identifies and refers potential fraud cases to investigators is considered a detection activity meeting the requirements of this section. C. It is strongly recommended that all counties establish and operate fraud detection units regardless of the number of households participating in the program.

140.04 BILINGUAL REQUIREMENTS A. Based on the estimated total number of low-income households in a county which speak the same non-English language (a single-language minority), the county department must provide bilingual program information, certification materials, and staff or interpreters as specified in this section. Single language “minority" refers to households which speak the same non-English language, and which do not contain adult(s) fluent in English as a second language. 1. The county must provide materials used in program information activities in the appropriate language as follows. a. In counties with less than 2,000 low-income households if approximately 100 or more of those households are of a single-language minority. b. In counties with 2,000 or more low-income households if approximately five percent or more of those households are of a single-language minority.