Food Stamp Program: Non-Discretionary Quality Control Provisions of Title IV of Public Law 107-171

On May 13, 2002, the President signed the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (the 2002 Act). Title IV of the 2002 Act (the Food Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2002) contains provisions concerning the Food Stamp Program. This rule amends the Food Stamp Program regulations to implement certain provisions concerning the Quality Control system in sections 4118 and 4119 of the Food Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2002. This interim rule revises the current regulations to reflect the new liability procedures and the new deadlines for completing the Quality Control review process and announcement of error rates. As a result of the change in the statute, a new two-year liability system will be instituted which will result in fewer State agencies being subject to liabilities for excessive payment error rates. There will be new time frames for State agencies to complete the quality control case review process and for the Department to issue error rates.