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Page | 27 4. Information will also be provided regarding a household member when such member has information necessary for the apprehension or investigation of another member who is fleeing to avoid prosecution or custody for a felony or has violated a condition of probation or parole. G. The SNAP applicant or recipient may review all information in the record which was used for his/her eligibility determination. DSS must withhold privileged information, such as names of individuals who have disclosed information about the household without the household’s knowledge, or the nature or status of pending criminal prosecution. DSS must make available, without charge, the specific materials necessary for a household or its representative to determine whether a fair hearing should be requested or to prepare for a hearing. H. SNAP program staff may make names and addresses of SNAP households available to persons and agencies directly connected with nutrition education. I. Information may be released, other than in the above situations, only on the written authorization of the head of household, spouse (if in the household), other adult household member, or authorized representative. Information that was not provided by the applicant/recipient, other responsible household member, or current authorized representative may not be disclosed. The release must be kept with record information for future reference.

The release must include: 1. Date of release; 2. Name of person or agency to whom the information will be released; 3. What information will be released including an itemized listing of specific items or time periods or a general release; 4. The expiration date of the release; and 5. Signature of the head of the household, spouse, or authorized representative.

Individuals who request information about current or past SNAP recipients, but do not meet the above criteria should submit a written request to the SNAP program staff. The written request should contain enough detailed information about the household to enable DSS to identify the household (e.g. case number, head of household, most recent address, social security number, name of spouse, birth date).

If the individual(s) requesting information feels that the information is required in connection with the administration and enforcement of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the individual(s) should indicate that in the request. The SNAP State Office toll free number is 1-877- 999-5612.

1420 DISCLOSURE WHEN SUBPOENAED TO COURT

The following procedures must be followed when subpoenas are received requesting record information, employee testimony, or both. Whenever a subpoena is received, provide the supervisor all the facts about the case, what is being subpoenaed (documents, testimony, or both) and the date and time for responding to the subpoena, including the court hearing date if one is included in the subpoena. Supervisors must notify the Regional Manager. The Regional Manager must notify the Program Administrator, who will request assistance from the DSS legal staff.

A. Record information subpoenaed: DSS legal staff will file a motion to quash (stop) most subpoenas. If the motion is denied or the Department makes the decision to release the information for other reasons (e.g. customer signs a release), staff will be instructed on what to release from the file.