View all text of Chapter 51 [§ 2011 - § 2036d]
§ 2017. Value of allotment
(a) Calculation
(b) Benefits not deemed income or resources for certain purposes
(c) First month benefits prorated
(1) The value of the allotment issued to any eligible household for the initial month or other initial period for which an allotment is issued shall have a value which bears the same ratio to the value of the allotment for a full month or other initial period for which the allotment is issued as the number of days (from the date of application) remaining in the month or other initial period for which the allotment is issued bears to the total number of days in the month or other initial period for which the allotment is issued, except that no allotment may be issued to a household for the initial month or period if the value of the allotment which such household would otherwise be eligible to receive under this subsection is less than $10. Households shall receive full months’ allotments for all months within a certification period, except as provided in the first sentence of this paragraph with respect to an initial month.
(2) As used in this subsection, the term “initial month” means (A) the first month for which an allotment is issued to a household, (B) the first month for which an allotment is issued to a household following any period in which such household was not participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance program under this chapter after the expiration of a certification period or after the termination of the certification of a household, during a certification period, when the household ceased to be eligible after notice and an opportunity for a hearing under section 2020(e)(10) of this title, and (C) in the case of a migrant or seasonal farmworker household, the first month for which allotment is issued to a household that applies following any period of more than 30 days in which such household was not participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance program after previous participation in such program.
(3)Optional combined allotment for expedited households.—A State agency may provide to an eligible household applying after the 15th day of a month, in lieu of the initial allotment of the household and the regular allotment of the household for the following month, an allotment that is equal to the total amount of the initial allotment and the first regular allotment. The allotment shall be provided in accordance with section 2020(e)(3) of this title in the case of a household that is not entitled to expedited service and in accordance with paragraphs (3) and (9) of section 2020(e) of this title in the case of a household that is entitled to expedited service.
(d) Reduction of public assistance benefits
(1) In generalIf the benefits of a household are reduced under a Federal, State, or local law relating to a means-tested public assistance program for the failure of a member of the household to perform an action required under the law or program, for the duration of the reduction—
(A) the household may not receive an increased allotment as the result of a decrease in the income of the household to the extent that the decrease is the result of the reduction; and
(B) the State agency may reduce the allotment of the household by not more than 25 percent.
(2) Rules and procedures
(e) Allotments for households residing in centers
(1) In generalIn the case of an individual who resides in a center for the purpose of a drug or alcoholic treatment program described in section 2012(m)(5) of this title, a State agency may provide an allotment for the individual to—
(A) the center as an authorized representative of the individual for a period that is less than 1 month; and
(B) the individual, if the individual leaves the center.
(2) Direct payment
(f) Alternative procedures for residents of certain group facilities
(1) In general
(A) Applicability
(i) In general
(ii) Limitation
(B) Amount of allotment
(C) Issuance of allotment
(i) In general
(ii) Adjustment
(D) Departures of residents of covered facilities
(i) NotificationAny covered facility that receives an allotment for a resident under this paragraph shall—(I) notify the State agency promptly on the departure of the resident; and(II) notify the resident, before the departure of the resident, that the resident—(aa) is eligible for continued benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance program; and(bb) should contact the State agency concerning continuation of the benefits.
(ii) Issuance to departed residentsOn receiving a notification under clause (i)(I) concerning the departure of a resident, the State agency—(I) shall promptly issue the departed resident an allotment for the days of the month after the departure of the resident (calculated in a manner prescribed by the Secretary) unless the departed resident reapplies to participate in the supplemental nutrition assistance program; and(II) may issue an allotment for the month following the month of the departure (but not any subsequent month) based on this paragraph unless the departed resident reapplies to participate in the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
(iii) State option
(iv) Effect of reapplication
(2) Pilot projects
(A) In general
(B) Project planTo be eligible to participate in a pilot project under subparagraph (A), a State agency shall submit to the Secretary for approval a project plan that includes—
(i) a specification of the covered facilities in the State that will participate in the pilot project;
(ii) a schedule for reports to be submitted to the Secretary on the pilot project;
(iii) procedures for standardizing allotment amounts that takes into account the allotments typically received by residents of covered facilities; and
(iv) a commitment to carry out the pilot project in compliance with the requirements of this subsection other than paragraph (1)(B).
(3) Authorization of implementation in all States
(A) In generalThe Secretary shall—
(i) determine whether to authorize implementation of paragraph (1) in all States; and
(ii) notify the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate of the determination.
(B) Determination not to authorize implementation in all States
(i) In generalIf the Secretary makes a finding described in clause (ii), the Secretary—(I) shall not authorize implementation of paragraph (1) in all States; and(II) shall terminate all pilot projects under paragraph (2) within a reasonable period of time (as determined by the Secretary).
(ii) FindingThe finding referred to in clause (i) is that—(I) an insufficient number of project plans that the Secretary determines to be eligible for approval are submitted by State agencies under paragraph (2)(B); or(II)(aa) a sufficient number of pilot projects have been carried out under paragraph (2)(A); and(bb) authorization of implementation of paragraph (1) in all States is not in the best interest of the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
(Pub. L. 88–525, § 8, Aug. 31, 1964, 78 Stat. 705; Pub. L. 95–113, title XIII, § 1301, Sept. 29, 1977, 91 Stat. 968; Pub. L. 97–35, title I, §§ 104(b), 110, Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 359, 361; Pub. L. 97–253, title I, §§ 143(c), 152(b), 163, 164, Sept. 8, 1982, 96 Stat. 773, 776, 778; Pub. L. 99–198, title XV, § 1520, Dec. 23, 1985, 99 Stat. 1578; Pub. L. 100–387, title V, § 502(a), Aug. 11, 1988, 102 Stat. 960; Pub. L. 100–435, title II, § 203(a), Sept. 19, 1988, 102 Stat. 1656; Pub. L. 101–624, title XVII, §§ 1730, 1732, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3790; Pub. L. 102–237, title IX, §§ 909, 910, Dec. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1887; Pub. L. 103–66, title XIII, § 13916, Aug. 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 674; Pub. L. 103–296, title I, § 108(f)(1), Aug. 15, 1994, 108 Stat. 1486; Pub. L. 104–193, title VIII, §§ 826–830, 854(c)(1), Aug. 22, 1996, 110 Stat. 2327, 2342; Pub. L. 107–171, title IV, § 4112(a), (b)(3), May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 310, 313; Pub. L. 110–234, title IV, §§ 4001(b), 4107, 4115(b)(5), May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1092, 1101, 1106; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title IV, §§ 4001(b), 4107, 4115(b)(5), June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 1853, 1863, 1868; Pub. L. 115–334, title IV, § 4022(3), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4653.)