4.902.1Local SNAP OfficeLocal offices shall ensure that adequate locations and hours of operation exist to meet the needs of SNAP clients in their areas. Each location shall have ample availability for parking and shall be accessible to persons with disabilities. Hours of operation shall be sufficient to ensure the timely processing of applications and issuance of EBT cards according to existing guidelines. Counties must establish procedures for the operation of the local office that best serves households within that county. Local offices shall establish procedures to assist households with special needs including, but not limited to: households containing persons who are aged sixty (60) and older or persons with disabilities; households in rural areas with low-income members; households experiencing homelessness; households containing adult members who are not proficient in English; and households containing working persons.
A household must apply for SNAP in its county of residence. A local office that receives an application that belongs to another county may secure the application date, process the application to completion, issue the household an EBT card, and then transfer the case to the correct county once the final eligibility decision is made. If a household is determined eligible for participation, it may request and be designated to receive SNAP from a local office that is more accessible. It is possible for an issuance unit in one local office to determine eligibility, authorize SNAP benefits, and issue EBT cards to an eligible household that resides in another county in Colorado.
Local offices may also transfer certification and/or EBT card issuance duties for those households only receiving SNAP that live closer to the local office in a neighboring county than the county of residence.
4.902.2Phone Directory ListingsA. Each local office telephone number available to the public shall be listed under each of the following two alphabetical listings: 1. SNAP certification and issuance office, street address, phone number. If there are separate certification and issuance offices in the county, they may be listed in this manner: local office (certification only) or (issuance only), street address, phone number.2. (Name of the county) Department of Human/Social Services, local office (certification only) or (issuance only), street address, phone number.B. Each local office shall provide a toll-free number or a number where collect calls will be accepted for households outside the local calling area.C. The listings above are not to restrict any other listings that may be provided within the telephone directory, but only to standardize the availability of SNAP to the public.4.902.3Certification Personnel and Facilities RequirementsA. County employees assigned to certify households for participation in SNAP shall be employed in accordance with the current standards for a merit system personnel administration that is guided by a set of six broad merit principles outlined in the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. 4728), as amended. The principles cover recruiting, compensation, training, retention, equal employment opportunity, and guidance on political activity. Only such qualified employees shall interview SNAP households and determine household eligibility or ineligibility and the level of benefits.B. Every local office must utilize an appropriate amount of the staff allocated to it and utilize effective and efficient practices in administering SNAP. Facilities must, within available state legislative appropriations and federal and required county matching funds, be of adequate size and layout to assure the privacy necessary to allow workers to conduct confidential interviews and perform other office duties efficiently and effectively. Any persons or organizations who are parties to a strike or lockout shall not be permitted to interview or certify households or to secure verification required of such households. However, such individuals may be used as a source of verification for information provided by applicant households if, under normal circumstances, they could be expected to be the best verification source. An eligibility technician who is the spouse of a striker is not considered party to a strike but shall not certify his or her household.4.902.31Bilingual Staff, Interpreter, and Translator RequirementsA. Local offices determined by the State Department to have a significant population of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) households shall provide sufficient bilingual staff and/or translators for the timely processing of applications. Local office staff shall be trained and familiar with these procedures.B. During those periods when there is a significant influx of seasonal or migrant farmworkers, local offices shall provide sufficient bilingual staff and/or translators for the timely processing of such applicants.C. If translators or interpreters are utilized, the local office shall ensure that the translators or interpreters are readily available to assist in pre-screening clients for expedited processing standards and completing the interview and other activities necessary to determine the eligibility of the applicant household. The local office shall not require the client to provide a translator or interpreter, or to in any way imply that an interpreter is required, as a condition for being pre-screened or interviewed by the local office, nor shall the local office postpone or in any way delay the pre-screening process or appointments because of the unavailability of bilingual staff or translators/interpreters.4.902.32Restrictions on StaffA. Volunteers or other personnel who do not meet the criteria outlined in Section 4.902.3 may not be allowed to interview or certify households but may be used for pre-screening, assistance in the completion of applications, obtaining verifications to support statements made on the application, and the transportation of clients. In certain situations, volunteers may act as authorized representatives for households unable to come to the local office.B. Volunteers may also be used as translators or interpreters when necessary to pre-screen clients and to complete the interview. If volunteers are utilized, the local office shall ensure that volunteers are available, as necessary, for the timely processing of applications. Such volunteers utilized to pre-screen clients or to translate/interpret during the interview shall be educated on confidentiality requirements.C. Any persons or organizations who are parties to a strike or lockout shall not be permitted to interview or certify households or to secure verification required of such households. However, such individuals may be used as a source of verification for information provided by households if, under normal circumstances, they could be expected to be the best verification source. An eligibility technician who is the spouse of a striker is not considered party to a strike but shall not certify his or her household. The facilities of persons or organizations who are parties to a strike or lockout may not be used in the certification process or as a site for certification interviews.
4.902.4Local Office Case Review ResponsibilitiesLocal offices shall establish a documented method to review a random sample of current SNAP determinations (certifications, denials, and terminations) to determine the correctness of eligibility determinations accomplished. A record of the cases reviewed must be kept for management evaluation/audit purposes. Local offices must be able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the State Department that the frequency and scope of the reviews are adequate to ensure the integrity of both the program and clients. Additionally, local offices must demonstrate a consistent process for tracking error trends, correcting case records timely, and providing eligibility technicians an opportunity to improve their program knowledge.
4.902.5Retention of Case RecordsEach local office shall retain all program records in an orderly fashion for audit and review purposes for no less than three (3) years from the month of origin of each record. In addition:
A. The local office shall retain fiscal records and accountable documents for three (3) years from the date of fiscal or administrative closure. Fiscal closure means that obligations for or against the federal government have been liquidated. Administrative closure means that the state agency has determined and documented that no further action to liquidate the obligation is appropriate. Fiscal records and accountable documents include, but are not limited to, claims and documentation of lost benefits.B. Case records relating to intentional program violation (IPV) disqualifications and related notices to the household shall be retained indefinitely until the local office obtains reliable information that the individual who was disqualified has died or until the information is received from the national disqualified recipient database system that all records associated with a particular individual, including the disqualified client database record, may be permanently removed from the database because of the individual's eightieth (80th) birthday.4.902.6Non-Discrimination Complaint RequirementsBoth state and local offices shall ensure that all local office staff responsible for the administration, issuance, review, and eligibility determination of SNAP are knowledgeable about civil rights procedures and are able to assist clients with the filing of civil rights complaints. Local office staff must undergo state-prescribed training on civil rights procedures annually.
37 CR 15, August 10, 2014, effective 9/1/201437 CR 21, November 10,2014, effective 12/1/201438 CR 23, December 10, 2015, effective 1/1/201639 CR 01, January 10, 2016, effective 2/1/201639 CR 05, March 10, 2016, effective 4/1/201639 CR 07, April 10, 2016, effective 5/1/201639 CR 15, August 10, 2016, effective 9/1/201639 CR 17, September 10, 2016, effective 10/1/201639 CR 19, October 10, 2016, effective 11/1/201639 CR 23, December 10, 2016, effective 1/1/201740 CR 11, June 10, 2017, effective 7/1/201740 CR 17, September 10, 2017, effective 10/1/201741 CR 15, August 10, 2018, effective 9/1/201840 CR 23, December 10, 2017, effective 12/30/201842 CR 01, January 10, 2019, effective 2/1/201942 CR 03, February 10, 2019, effective 3/15/201942 CR 17, September 10, 2019, effective 10/1/201942 CR 18, October 10, 2019, effective 10/1/201942 CR 23, December 10, 2019, effective 12/30/201943 CR 01, January 10, 2020, effective 1/30/202043 CR 05, March 10, 2020, effective 2/7/202043 CR 07, April 10, 2020, effective 4/30/202043 CR 21, November 10, 2020, effective 11/30/202044 CR 21, November 10, 2021, effective 11/30/202145 CR 05, March 10, 2022, effective 3/30/202245 CR 19, October 10, 2022, effective 10/1/202245 CR 19, October 10, 2022, effective 11/1/202245 CR 21, November 10, 2022, effective 11/30/2022