Appendix 4 Legal Authority 1 -Title 7 CFR 275.14 and .21

Title 7: Agriculture
PART 275—PERFORMANCE REPORTING SYSTEM
Subpart C—Quality Control (QC) Reviews

§275.14 Review processing.
(a) General. Each State agency shall use FNS handbooks, worksheets, and schedules in the
quality control review process.
(b) Handbooks. The reviewer shall follow the procedures outlined in the Quality Control Review
Handbook, FNS Handbook 310, to conduct quality control reviews. In addition, the sample of
active and negative cases shall be selected in accordance with the sampling techniques described
in the Quality Control Sampling Handbook, FNS Handbook 311.
(c) Worksheets. The Form FNS-380, shall be used by the reviewer to record required information
from the case record, plan and conduct the field investigation, and record findings which
contribute to the determination of eligibility and basis of issuance in the review of active cases.
In some instances, reviewers may need to supplement Form FNS-380 with other forms. The
State forms for appointments, interoffice communications, release of information, etc., should be
used when appropriate.
(d) Schedules. Decisions reached by the reviewer in active case reviews shall be coded and
recorded on the Integrated Review Worksheet, Form FNS-380-1. Such active case review
findings must be substantiated by information recorded on the Integrated Review Worksheet,
Form FNS-380. In negative case reviews, the review findings shall be coded and recorded on the
Negative Quality Control Review Schedule, Form FNS-245, and supplemented as necessary with
other documentation substantiating the findings.
[Amdt. 260, 49 FR 6310, Feb. 17, 1984, as amended by Amdt. 262, 49 FR 50598, Dec. 31, 1984;
75 FR 33438, June 11, 2010]
Title 7: Agriculture
PART 275—PERFORMANCE REPORTING SYSTEM
Subpart F—Responsibilities for Reporting on Program Performance

§275.21 Quality control review reports.
(a) General. Each State agency shall submit reports on the performance of quality control
reviews in accordance with the requirements outlined in this section. These reports are designed
to enable FNS to monitor the State agency's compliance with Program requirements relative to

the Quality Control Review System. Every case selected for review during the sample month
must be accounted for and reflected in the appropriate report(s).
(b) Individual cases. The State agency shall report the review findings on each case selected for
review during the sample month. For active cases, the State agency shall submit the edited
findings of the Form FNS-380-1. For negative cases, the State agency shall submit a summary
report which is produced from the edited findings on individual cases which are coded on the
Negative Quality Control Review Schedule, Form FNS-245. The review findings shall be
reported as follows:
(1) The State agency shall input and edit the results of each active and negative case into the FNS
supplied computer terminal and transmit the data to the host computer. For State agencies that do
not have FNS supplied terminals, the State agency shall submit the results of each QC review in
a format specified by FNS. Upon State agency request, FNS will consider approval of a change
in the review results after they have been reported to FNS.
(2) The State agency shall have at least 115 days from the end of the sample month to dispose of
and report the findings of all cases selected in a sample month. FNS may grant additional time as
warranted upon request by a State agency for cause shown to complete and dispose of individual
cases.
(3) The State agency shall supply the FNS Regional Office with individual household case
records and the pertinent information contained in the individual case records, or legible copies
of that material, as well as legible hard copies of individual Forms FNS-380, FNS-380-1, and
FNS-245 or other FNS-approved report forms, within 10 days of receipt of a request for such
information.
(4) For each case that remains pending 115 days after the end of the sample month, the State
agency shall immediately submit a report that includes an explanation of why the case has not
been disposed of, documentation describing the progress of the review to date, and the date by
which it will be completed. If FNS extends the time frames in paragraph (b)(2) of this section,
this date will be extended accordingly. If FNS determines that the above report does not
sufficiently justify the case's pending status, the case shall be considered overdue. Depending
upon the number of overdue cases, FNS may find the State agency's QC system to be inefficient
or ineffective and suspend and/or disallow the State agency's Federal share of administrative
funds in accordance with the provisions of §276.4.
(c) Monthly status. The State agency shall report in a manner directed by the regional office the
monthly progress of sample selection and completion within 125 days after the end of the sample
month. Each report shall reflect sampling and review activity for a given sample month. If FNS
extends the time frames in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, this date will be extended
accordingly.
(d) Demonstration projects/SSA processing. The State agency shall identify the monthly status of
active and negative demonstration project/SSA processed cases (i.e., those cases described in
§275.11(g)) in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section.

[Amdt. 260, 49 FR 6310, Feb. 17, 1984, as amended by Amdt. 262, 49 FR 50598, Dec. 31, 1984;
Amdt. 266, 52 FR 3410, Feb. 4, 1987; 75 FR 33438, June 11, 2010]