Appendix T. Case Study Recruitment Email from FNS

OMB Control No: 0584-XXXX

Expiration Date: XX/XX/20XX

Appendix T. Case Study Recruitment Email from FNS

OMB No. 0584-[NEW]

Assessing SNAP Participants’ Fitness for Work

Project Officer: Eric Sean Williams

Office of Policy Support

SNAP Research and Analysis Division

Food and Nutrition Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture

1320 Braddock Place

Alexandria, VA 22314

703.305.2640

eric.williams@fns.usda.gov

Email from FNS to State SNAP Directors Regarding Case Study Participation

Dear [Name of State SNAP Director],

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has contracted with MEF Associates and its partner Mathematica to conduct a study to better understand how States determine whether individuals are exempted from work requirements or have good cause for not meeting work requirements due to a physical or mental limitation. Although FNS provides guidelines to States on how to make these determinations, we are interested in understanding how States implement those guidelines. You can find more information about this study in the attached.

A major component of this study are case studies of four States. These case studies will be comprised of administrative data collection and analysis as well as [in-person/virtual] site visits. These case studies will provide an in-depth understanding of how caseworkers interpret and implement their State policies and guidance for making fitness for work determinations. After careful consideration, [State Name] has been selected as a case study State because we think that there is much the study team can learn by studying your State’s approach to administering the program.

The study team would like to set up a conversation with you to discuss your State’s participation in this research effort. A member of the study team will be reaching out to you in [the next week] to request your participation in the study and to discuss the project. The email will be sent from [sender] with the subject line [subject line].

I would like to encourage you to talk with the study team and agree to participate because we believe a case study of your State will provide useful insights to FNS as well as other State agencies.

Please let me know if you have questions.

Sincerely,

[Name]

[Title]

Food and Nutrition Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

This information is being collected to assist the Food and Nutrition Service in understanding how States assess physical or mental limitations when screening for exemptions from work requirements or determining good cause. This is a voluntary collection and FNS will use the information to determine needs for technical assistance. This collection does not request any personally identifiable information under the Privacy Act of 1974. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-[xxxx]. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average .0357 hours or approximately 2 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22306 ATTN: PRA (0584-xxxx). Do not return the completed form to this address.