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West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Chapter 20

West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Page 57 Chapter 20 Emergency and Special Assistance Programs

20.5 SUMMER EBT (SEBT) 20.5.1 INTRODUCTION Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT or SEBT) is a summer feeding program that was authorized through Congressional action in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. The program is designed to supplement summer feeding for students who are out of school and missing meals provided through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Summer EBT is a permanent program through USDA FNS beginning summer of 2024 and each subsequent summer operational period. In West Virginia, Compulsory school age begins with the school year in which a child turns 6 years old prior to September 1 and continues until the 17th birthday or until the student graduates. Students who turn 18 during the school year remain compulsory through the end of that school year. The agency must make the benefit available to students 7 - 14 days before the start of the operational period. Households may apply for Summer EBT throughout the entire period of eligibility (July 1 through the end of the summer operational period). Benefits may only be issued during the summer operational period. The benefit amount will be provided annually by USDA FNS. 20.5.2 STATE ADMINISTRATION Summer EBT will be jointly administered by the West Virginia Department of Human Services Bureau for Family Assistance (DoHS BFA) and (WVDE) West Virginia Department of Education Child Nutrition. The West Viriginia Department of Human Services (DoHS) is designated as the coordinating agency and the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) is designated as the partnering agency for Summer EBT administration. The coordinating agency is generally the primary point of contact for the Summer EBT Program and is responsible for the complete and timely submission of any required plans, forms, and reports. The Plan for Operations and Management (POM) must be developed in cooperation with both State Summer EBT agencies and be reflective of the plans and administrative funding needs of both. DoHS BFA and WVDE will collaborate with other groups such as the Bureau for Social Services, the Office of EBT Banking, and the State of West Virginia Office of the Inspector General. These groups are critical for providing support to the program administration of Summer EBT.