,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dhcf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #ah1     
#bjbf,mr4 ,ricketts introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend the ,food and      
,nutrition ,act of #bjjh to allow for   
blended workforces to carry out the     
supplemental nutrition assistance       
program under certain conditions1 and   
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,,snap   
,staffing ,flexibility ,act of #bjbf4   
#b4 ,,snap staffing flexibility ,section
 #aa of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of
 #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjbj7 is amended  
by adding at the end the following3  7y7
 ,staffing flexibility  7#a7 ,in general
 ,notwithstanding subsection            
7e77#f77;,b71 a ,state agency may1      
subject to paragraph 7#b71 hire #a or   
more contractors1 by contract1 to       
undertake the certification described in

 subsection 7e77#f77;,a7 or carry out   
any other function of the ,state agency 
under the supplemental nutrition        
assistance program1 subject to paragraph
 7#c74  7#b7 ,circumstances for hiring  
7,a7 ,in general ,a ,state agency may   
hire #a or more contractors under       
paragraph 7#a7 if the ,state agency--   
7i7 experiences an increase in          
applications to the supplemental        
nutrition assistance program2 or  7ii7  
cannot timely process applications to   
the supplemental nutrition assistance   
program1 including due to-- 7,i7 a      
pandemic or other health emergency2     
7,,ii7 a seasonal workforce cycle2      
7,,iii7 a temporary staffing shortage2  
and  7,,iv7 weather or other natural    
disaster4  7,b7 ,temporary staffing     
shortage ,in the case of a ,state agency
 hiring #a or more contractors under    
paragraph 7#a7 due to a temporary       
staffing shortage under subparagraph    
7,a77ii77,,iii71 the authority of a     
,state agency to conduct that hiring--  

7i7 shall expire when the backlog of    
applications to the supplemental        
nutrition assistance program has been   
eliminated2 and  7ii7 shall not impact  
any collective bargaining agreement or  
memorandum of understanding in effect   
between the ,state and employees of the 
,state or a local government of the     
,state4  7#c7 ,requirements  7,a7 ,no   
incentives for delay or denial ,a       
contract entered into by a ,state agency
 under paragraph 7#a7 shall not provide 
incentives for the ,state agency or     
contractor to delay eligibility         
determinations or deny eligibility for  
individuals otherwise eligible for      
benefits under the supplemental         
nutrition assistance program4  7,b7 ,no 
financial interest ,a ,state agency may 
not hire a contractor under paragraph   
7#a7 if the contractor has a direct or  
indirect financial interest in any      
approved retail store or wholesale food 
concern in the ,state4  7#d7            
,administration ,a ,state agency that   

hires #a or more contractors under      
paragraph 7#a7 shall ensure that-- 7,a7 
the contracts are for a reasonable cost 
and in accordance with the standard     
contracting rules of the ,state agency2 
7,b7 hiring is consistent with the      
principles described in section #ijj4fjc
 of title #e1 ,code of ,federal         
,regulations 7or a successor            
regulation72 and  7,c7 the contractors--
 7i7 are part of a blended government   
workforce2 and  7ii7 do not supplant    
existing merit-based personnel in the   
,state4  7#e7 ,state agency notification
  7,a7 ,in general ,a ,state agency that
 hires #a or more contractors under     
paragraph 7#a7 shall notify the         
,secretary of such hiring1 including    
providing information or data indicating
 the applicable circumstance under      
paragraph 7#b7 for carrying out that    
hiring4  7,b7 ,publication ,not later   
than #aj days after the date of receipt 
of a notification under subparagraph    
7,a71 the ,secretary shall make publicly

 available on the website of the        
,department of ,agriculture the         
notification and the accompanying       
information or data4  7#f7 ,annual      
report ,the ,secretary shall submit to  
the ,committee on ,agriculture1         
,nutrition1 and ,forestry of the ,senate
 and the ,committee on ,agriculture of  
the ,house of ,representatives an annual
 report that describes-- 7,a7 the       
measures taken by ,state agencies to    
address increases in applications to the
 supplemental nutrition assistance      
program2  7,b7 reasons for the inability
 of ,state agencies to timely process   
those applications1 as applicable2  7,c7
 the information or data submitted with 
each notification under paragraph       
7#e77;,a72 and  7,d7 any recommended    
changes to the authority of the         
,secretary to assist ,state and local   
agencies in preparing for any future    
increase in applications to the         
supplemental nutrition assistance       
program or inability to timely process  

those applications4  4