Attachment F. Project Description

Attachment F

Project Description

OMB CONTROL NO.: 0584-NEW

EXPIRATION DATE: 00/00/20XX

National Survey of State SNAP Data Matching Methods

What is the National Survey of State SNAP Data Matching Methods?

Under The Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010 (IPERA),¹ the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is conducting a research study to assess the use of data matching for SNAP in each State. Data matching provides an important tool to verify SNAP participant financial and non-financial information for the purposes of program integrity, program administration, and simplified processing. Administrative data systems are increasingly used to cross-check information and confirm eligibility. This voluntary study will conduct a census of all 53 SNAP State Agencies to catalog and describe how States are currently using or planning to use data matching strategies to reduce recipient fraud, payment errors, and administrative burden for both applicants and eligibility workers. The assessment will also quantify the cost of computer matching and estimate the number of matches by system. As part of this study, FNS will collect survey data from SNAP State agencies via a National Survey of State SNAP Data Matching Methods.

How will the survey be conducted?

• The National Survey of State SNAP Data Matching Methods will be administered during 2018 and will be a web-based survey of all 53 SNAP State agencies.

• The survey will take between 15 and 70 minutes for SNAP State Directors or their designees to complete, depending on the number of data sources and systems that the State uses for data matching.

• States in which SNAP data matching occurs at the county or local level will also be asked to provide information about data matching at these levels.

What are the main objectives of this study?

• To inventory all data matches that SNAP State Agencies currently use, plan to use in the future, or have discontinued using in the past three years.

• To identify and describe all of the data systems used for matching by each SNAP State Agency.

• To identify and describe the purposes for which States pursue each data match.

• To calculate the annual and per-usage costs incurred in carrying out data matches, in total and, when possible, for each individual match.

Where can I find additional information?

FNS has contracted with Avar Consulting, supported by Mathematica Policy Research, to conduct the National Survey of State SNAP Data Matching Methods. For further information, please contact the Project Director, Cynthia Prince, at [email protected] or (301) 977-6553, option 7.

S. 1508 — 111th Congress: Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010.” www.GovTrack.us. 2009. Retrieved July 31, 2017 from https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/s1508l

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are 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-NEW. The time required to read this document is estimated to average .0501 hours. Send comments regarding this burden estimate to the Office of Policy Support, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302.

FNS SNAP Supporting Statement, Attachment F