Section 71-5-304 - Duties of departmentThe department shall:
(1) Supervise the administration of the food stamp or food assistance program in this state for eligible recipients;(2) Make uniform rules and regulations, not inconsistent with law, for carrying out and enforcing this part in an efficient, economical and impartial manner, to the end that the food stamp or food assistance program may be administered uniformly in all counties of this state that have been designated by the United States secretary of agriculture to participate in the food stamp or food assistance program and in which counties a food stamp or food assistance program is currently in operation;(3) Establish state-wide standards for determining the amount of food stamp assistance or food assistance any person, household or family shall receive under this part;(4) Cooperate with the secretary of the United States department of agriculture, or any federal officer or agency made successor to the department of agriculture, in any reasonable manner as may be necessary to qualify for federal aid for food stamp assistance or food assistance in conformity with this part, including the making of such reports in such form and containing such information as the secretary of agriculture, or any federal officer or agency made successor to the department of agriculture, may from time to time require, and comply with such provisions as such secretary may from time to time find necessary to assure the correctness and verification of such reports;(5) Establish and enforce safeguards to prevent unauthorized disclosures or improper use of information contained in applications, reports of investigations, and correspondence in the individual case records of recipients of food coupons, food stamps or food assistance transferred electronically or by other means; and(6) Adopt rules and regulations for the implementation of a sliding scale of benefit reduction for individuals receiving food coupons, food stamps or food assistance transferred electronically or by other means for six (6) months or longer in which benefits do not abruptly terminate when a recipient earns above a certain maximum amount, but instead, such benefits gradually lessen in increments of twenty-five percent (25%) of the individual's total benefit every three (3) months; provided, that no rules and regulations shall conflict with federal legislation or provide benefits exceeding federal maximum income guidelines, and no such rules and regulations shall be promulgated that shall cause a decrease or suspension of federal funding. This subdivision (6) shall take effect only to the extent that such provisions are consistent with federal laws and regulations governing the temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) and food stamp or food assistance programs and only to the extent federal financial participation under such programs is available therefor.Amended by 2017 Tenn. Acts, ch. 461,s 4, eff. 5/25/2017.Acts 1971, ch. 136, § 4; T.C.A., § 14-2204; Acts 1985, ch. 313, §§ 2, 3; T.C.A., § 14-27-104; Acts 1996, ch. 950, § 15; 1999, ch. 248, §§ 2 - 4; 1999, ch. 520, § 47.