Code of Federal Regulations Title 7. Agriculture § 7.247.16 Certification period

(a) How long is the certification period?

(b) On what day of the final month does the certification period end? The certification period extends to the final day of the month in which eligibility expires.

(c) Does the certification period end when a participant moves from the local area in which he or she was receiving benefits? No. The State agency must ensure that local agencies serve a CSFP participant who moves from another area to an area served by CSFP and whose certification period has not expired. The participant must be given the opportunity to continue to receive CSFP benefits for the duration of the certification period. If the local agency has a waiting list, the participant must be placed on its waiting list ahead of all other waiting applicants. The local agency that determined the participant's eligibility must provide verification of the expiration date of the certification period to the participant upon request.

(d) What must the local agency do to ensure that participants are aware of the expiration of the certification period? The local agency must notify program participants in writing at least 15 days before the expiration date that eligibility for the program is about to expire. The local agency must include a statement in the written notification that informs the applicant that program standards are applied without discrimination by race, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability.