Food assistance: project area and approved county collaborations

This rule describes the statewide project area and the approved county collaborations for the purposes of administering the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP). County collaborations allow multiple county departments of job and family services to come together under a common agreement and operate as a single entity for the purposes of administering SNAP benefits. Agreements between counties may be formalized under section 329.40 of the Revised Code or they may be informal agreements subject to review and approval by the Ohio department of job and family services (ODJFS). Throughout division 5101:4 of the Administrative Code, the term "county agency" should be read to include an approved county collaboration.

(A) What is a project area? The state of Ohio has been designated as a single project area responsible for program operations. Within the statewide project area, county collaborations have been designated as certification offices responsible for program operations that includes, but is not limited to: application processing; eligibility determinations; and the operation of employment and training programs.

(B) What are the approved county collaborations? ODJFS issues the names of the approved county collaborations via a food assistance change transmittal letter, that can be found in the food assistance certification handbook at the ODJFS website.