44:10-99 Collaboration between partnering providers and county welfare agencies.

5. a. A county welfare agency shall collaborate with all partnering providers whose service areas include the county to: inform all eligible participants, upon determination of their eligibility for SNAP benefits, of all project activities operating within the county; permit all eligible participants to participate in any project activities available within the county; and assist eligible participants with contacting partnering providers operating project activities. A county welfare agency may advise an eligible participant as to the applicability and appropriateness of specific activities to the eligible participant's case, but the county welfare agency shall not assign an eligible participant to project activities without the eligible participant's consent.

b. A partnering provider shall collaborate with all county welfare agencies within the provider's service area to: inform all eligible participants, upon determination of their eligibility for SNAP benefits, of the availability of project services; and assist the county welfare agencies with identifying those eligible participants for whom participation in the partnering provider's NJ SNAP ETP activities would be most applicable and appropriate.

c. A partnering provider shall serve all eligible participants residing within the provider's service area who elect to participate in the provider's project activities. Except as provided in this section, a partnering provider shall not deny or terminate the participation of any project participant.

d. Mandatory SNAP ETP participants may elect, for the purpose of fulfilling their SNAP employment and training requirements, to participate in a partnering provider's project activities. The participation of a mandatory SNAP ETP participant in a partnering provider's project activities shall constitute placement in an NJ SNAP ETP component and shall fulfill SNAP employment and training requirements for the duration of the mandatory SNAP ETP participant's participation. A county welfare agency shall assign a mandatory SNAP ETP participant who does not elect to participate in any project activities to another NJ SNAP ETP component outside of the project, as available.

e. Mandatory SNAP ETP participants who elect to participate in project activities but who subsequently do not cooperate with, or participate in, those activities shall not be subject to penalties for noncompliance with SNAP employment and training requirements during their participation in the project. Partnering providers shall terminate the project participation of any non-cooperating or non-participating mandatory SNAP ETP participants and refer the non-cooperating or non-participating mandatory SNAP ETP participants to the applicable county welfare agency. The applicable county welfare agency shall assign the non-cooperating or non-participating mandatory SNAP ETP participant to another NJ SNAP ETP component outside of the project, as available.

f. Nothing in P.L.2013, c.45 (C.44:10-95 et seq.) shall be construed to limit the authority of the county welfare agencies or the department to impose penalties for noncompliance with SNAP employment and training requirements on mandatory SNAP ETP participants who: are terminated from participation in project activities due to non-cooperation or non-participation; and subsequently refuse or fail to comply with SNAP employment and training requirements upon placement within another NJ SNAP ETP component outside of the project.

g. A partnering provider may deny or terminate the participation of any project participant who is not appropriately matched to the partnering provider's project activities upon obtaining approval from the applicable county welfare agency.

L.2013, c.45, s.5; amended 2019, c.253, s.5.