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PROVIDER DETERMINATIONS In accordance with 7 CFR 273.7(c)(18) a State agency must ensure that E&T providers are informed of their authority and responsibility to determine if an individual is ill-suited for a particular E&T component. Describe the process used by E&T providers to communicate provider determinations to the State agency. OTDA issued 21-ADM-05 Changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training (E&T) Policy Mandated by Section 4005 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 and 22- INF-11 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training (E&T) Provider Determinations to inform districts of the requirement to implement a provider determination process. SNAP E&T providers know best the skills and qualifications that will likely enable an individual to be successful in their programs. As such, providers have flexibility to establish the criteria used to make a provider determination. The provider may use any information available to make the determination. Districts are encouraged to work with providers to understand the skills and qualifications needed for SNAP E&T participants to be successful in the SNAP E&T components, and to thoroughly screen individuals prior to referral, in order to reduce the number of participants referred by the district to components where they are not likely to be successful. SNAP E&T providers have 10 days from the date of a provider determination to notify the district that a participant is not a good fit for a program. The notification may be provided via email, direct contact, or any other means of communication the district and the provider have agreed upon. The provider must include the reason for the provider determination and may include input to the district on the most appropriate next step. If the provider is unable to provide the reason for the provider determination, the district should process the provider determination without the reason. Districts are required to document provider determinations in the participant case record. In New York, as a result of a provider determination districts must take the most suitable action from the following two options no later than the date of the individual’s recertification: 1. Refer the individual to an appropriate E&T program component. If selecting this option, the individual must first be referred for a reassessment to determine an appropriate E&T program component, considering the suitability of the individual for any available E&T components. 2. Re-assess the participant’s physical and mental fitness. If selecting this option, districts must perform a reassessment and screen the individual for any other exemptions from the work requirement. Individuals who are determined to be mentally or physically unfit must be exempt from SNAP work requirements. If the individual is found to be physically or mentally fit, and district eligibility staff determine the individual is not otherwise exempt from the general work requirements, the district must follow the process described in option one to determine an appropriate E&T program component. Each district is required to outline its provider determination processes in its Biennial Employment Plans. Describe how the State agency notifies clients of a provider determination. Districts are required to notify a mandatory or voluntary SNAP E&T participant with a provider determination within 10 days of receiving the notification from the SNAP E&T provider. Districts may make such notification either verbally or in writing, but must, at a minimum, document when the notification occurs in the participant’s case file. The district must explain to the SNAP E&T participant, as applicable, what a provider determination is, describe the steps the district will take as a result of the provider determination, and provide contact information for the district. In the case of either a mandatory or voluntary SNAP E&T participant with a provider determination, the district must also notify the individual that they are not being sanctioned as a result of the provider determination. In the case of an ABAWD who has received a provider determination, districts implementing ABAWD requirements must also notify the ABAWD about the accrual of countable months. In particular, the district must notify the ABAWD that the ABAWD will accrue countable months toward their three-month participation time limit the next full benefit month after the month 1/29/26, 9:29 AM State Plan NY FY26 - Original Submission https://dam-fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/microsite/snapet-nyfy26stateplan//index.html 44/312