Bill > HR6203

This bill, the Emergency SNAP Staffing Flexibility Act of 2021, allows state agencies responsible for administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to temporarily hire contractors to perform SNAP certification or other program functions when faced with increases in SNAP applications or an inability to process applications in a timely manner, such as during pandemics, seasonal workforce changes, staffing shortages, or natural disasters. The state agency must ensure the contracted services are consistent with federal personnel principles and do not replace existing merit-based state personnel. The state agency must notify the U.S. Department of Agriculture of its intent to use this authority, and any new or modified contracts should terminate once the increased need for SNAP services subsides.