Rule 5101:4-3-31 | Food assistance employment and training: required hours.
(A) How many hours should a required participant in the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) employment and training (E&T) program be assigned?
(1) Work experience program and work-based learning: the maximum hours of participation per month for the required participant assigned to a work experience program or work-based learning program assignment shall be in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) (9/2019) and is the SNAP allotment amount divided by the federal or state minimum wage, whichever is higher. When there are multiple required participants in a given assistance group, the total hours of participation shall be shared by all required participants. Whether the participation requirement is being met by one or multiple assistance group members, the total required hours of participation cannot exceed the total SNAP benefit amount divided by the federal or state minimum wage, whichever is higher.
(2) Education and training assignments: a required participant shall be assigned to education and training for the number of hours needed to complete the education and training assignment.
(3) Supervised job search assignments: at a minimum, a required participant's level of effort shall be comparable to spending twelve hours a month making job contacts.
(4) Job retention services: there is no minimum or maximum required number of hours for a participant; however, a county agency is to make a good faith effort to provide job retention services for at least thirty days but no more than ninety days in accordance with rule 5101:4-3-39 of the Administrative Code.
(5) Case management: at a minimum, a required participant is to spend at least one hour in case management services in accordance with rule 5101:4-3-29 of the Administrative Code.
(B) Are there limitations on the hours a required participant can complete?
(1) The total monthly hours of participation in a SNAP E&T program for any assistance group member, together with any hours worked for compensation (in cash or in kind), shall not exceed one hundred twenty.
(2) No participant shall be required to work more than eight hours on any given day without his or her consent.
(3) An assignment to an activity shall not interfere with an individual's hours of paid employment so long as this employment is countable income pursuant to rule 5101:4-4-19 of the Administrative Code.
(4) Hours spent in case management services are not to be the only hours spent participating in the SNAP E&T program, however, these hours are to count towards both the total monthly hours of participation in the SNAP E&T program and the able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) work requirement as described in rule 5101:4-3-20 of the Administrative Code. Individuals are to participate in both case management and at least one or more SNAP E&T components.
(C) Can an individual not required to participate in the SNAP E&T program volunteer to participate?
County agencies may allow volunteers to participate in the SNAP E&T program. County agencies shall not disqualify voluntary participants for failure to comply with the SNAP E&T requirements. Individuals who are voluntarily participating in:
(1) Education and training or supervised job search do not have a limit on how many hours they can participate;
(2) A work experience program are subject to the maximum hours of participation in accordance with paragraph (A)(1) of this rule; or
(3) A work-based learning program and are being paid a wage at least equal to the higher of the applicable federal or state minimum wage for all hours spent in the work-based learning program, the FLSA restrictions described in paragraph (A)(1) of this rule do not apply.
Last updated June 16, 2022 at 12:06 AM
Supplemental Information
Amplifies: 5101.54, 5107.40, 5107.69
Five Year Review Date: 11/18/2026
Prior Effective Dates: 3/1/1983, 8/1/1985, 3/1/1987, 12/1/1987 (Emer.), 2/15/1988, 6/30/1989 (Emer.), 9/23/1989, 4/2/1990, 11/1/1990, 4/1/1991, 7/1/1991, 10/1/1991, 5/1/1992, 11/1/1992, 9/1/1993, 2/1/1994 (Emer.), 4/15/1994, 12/1/1995 (Emer.), 2/19/1996, 7/1/1996 (Emer.), 9/29/1996, 10/1/1997 (Emer.), 12/1/1997 (Emer.), 1/8/1998, 1/20/2003, 12/29/2006 (Emer.), 1/8/2007, 10/1/2008 (Emer.), 12/18/2008, 2/1/2012, 7/1/2017, 11/1/2019, 11/18/2021