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17 Section 260 Change #02-2025 December 1, 2025 FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES CERTIFICATION ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FNS 260 ABLE-BODIED ADULTS WITHOUT DEPENDENTS (ABAWD)

and recertifications beginning November 1, 2025. b. Meeting the exception during the certification period. If clear information that an individual within their certification period meets the American Indian exemption, apply the exemption promptly and do not assign a countable ABAWD month. c. Verification of American Indian exemption. Self-attestation of this exemption must be accepted, unless questionable. An individual’s self-declaration of their status as an Indian, Urban Indian, or California Indian as described in the Indian Health Care Improvement Act is questionable only if it is inconsistent with other information in NC FAST or prior known statements made by individual. If the information is questionable, acceptable verification may include, but is not limited to tribal enrollment or membership card, letter from the Bureau of Indian Affairs or tribal government, and similar indicia that the individual meets the specified criteria for the exemption. d. After screening and verifying at initial application and recertification, ensure that "American Indian/Alaskan Native" indicator is selected in the individual's demographic information in NC FAST. e. The exemption for American Indians does not replace any other eligibility requirements, nor does it create eligibility where it does not otherwise exist. Participants exempted under the American Indian exemptions will continue to be subject to the general FNS work requirements described in FNS Manual § 240 Work Registration Requirements, unless they are otherwise exempt from the work registration requirements under FNS § 240.03.

260.02 ABAWD EXEMPTION SCREENING REQUIREMENTS

In compliance with 7 CFR § 273.24(k), which became effective on January 16, 2025, and to ensure that work registrants who can work, engage in work requirements, FNS participants must be screened for all exemptions from the general work registration requirements (FNS Manual § 240) and ABAWD work requirements (FNS Manual § 260) at initial application and recertification. Screening at recertification is not optional. Screening is an independent requirement from the application and recertification interview. A. Eligibility workers must screen for exemptions in a comprehensive, sequential manner: 1. First, screen for exemptions from general work requirements under FNS