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NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance- TA and SNAP Employment Policy Manual Section 385.3 - Page 11 Rev. 4/2025 SNAP Employment and Training SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) is a program implemented by New York State that assists household members in receipt of SNAP benefits in gaining skills, training, or work experience that will increase the individual’s ability to obtain employment that leads to economic self-sufficiency. All social service districts in New York State must operate a SNAP E&T program that consists of case management and at least one E&T work activity component. Mandatory vs. Voluntary SNAP Employment and Training New York State operates a mandatory SNAP E&T Program. All non-exempt SNAP recipients in a TA/SNAP case, (including case type 32, SNAP-Mix household), are considered mandatory for assignment to SNAP work activities. Individuals who are TA/SNAP recipients and are a mandatory SNAP E&T participant, (are not exempt from the SNAP work requirements) are subject to conciliation and possible sanction for failure to comply with the work activity. (See section 385.11 for guidance on the SNAP conciliation process.) For non-exempt SNAP recipients in NTA/SNAP (case type 31) households, each district determines the extent to which non-exempt NTA/SNAP recipients are required to participate in SNAP E&T activities. Districts describe the SNAP E&T assignments they mandate for their non- exempt NTA/SNAP recipients in Section 5.2 of the biennial TA and SNAP Employment Plan. Districts that choose to mandate SNAP E&T for non-exempt NTA/SNAP recipients must do so consistently across the caseload and in accordance with the procedure described in Section 5.2 of the district’s biennial employment plan. Non-exempt NTA/SNAP recipients in districts that do not mandate SNAP E&T participation, and exempt SNAP recipients, who are engaged in a SNAP E&T work activity are treated as volunteers and are not subject to a SNAP sanction for failure to comply with a SNAP E&T work activity assignment. Non-exempt NTA/SNAP recipients in districts that mandate SNAP E&T for NTA/SNAP recipients, who fail to comply with the mandatory SNAP E&T assignment, are subject to SNAP conciliation and possible SNAP sanction for failure to comply with the work activity. (See section 385.11 for guidance on the SNAP conciliation process.) Districts are responsible for operating a SNAP E&T program that can accommodate all mandatory SNAP E&T participants. In situations where there is not an appropriate and available opening for a mandatory E&T participant in the E&T program, the district must determine that the participant has good cause for failure to comply with the mandatory E&T requirement. If the case manager at a contracted E&T provider determines there is not an appropriate and available opening, the case manager must inform the appropriate district staff, who can then determine if the participant has good cause. Good cause for a lack of an appropriate or available opening in an E&T program ends when the district identifies an appropriate and available opening and informs the participant.