FY2021 SNAP Longitudinal Data

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SNAP Longitudinal Data Project: At a Glance Section 17(n) of the Act allows States the option to participate in the SNAP LDP. Specifically, the SNAP LDP aims to enable research on participation in and the operation of SNAP; including participation in the program over time (duration) and across State lines. Key aspects of Section 17(n) of the Act include: • Setting aside $20 million in grant funding, available through fiscal year (FY) 2021. This funding is for State agencies interested in establishing longitudinal research databases with eligibility, benefit, and demographic information about SNAP households and individual members. Additionally, $5 million is available in grant funding for each FY thereafter; • Requiring unique identifiers to protect individual privacy and to enable comparison of participation data across States and over time; • Requesting SNAP data elements from States including: demographic characteristics, income and financial resources, employment status, household circumstances, and monthly allotment amounts; and • Requesting data from other State sources, including earning and employment data, health insurance program data, and participation in other State programs. For more information, please reference the FNS SNAP LDP – Parameters for Participation (PFP) by Interested States (Longitudinal Data Project (LDP) | USDA-FNS). Grant Opportunity Section 17(n) of the Act authorizes FNS to provide grants on a competitive basis to State agencies that participate in the SNAP LDP. Up to $20 million in grant funding is available in FY 2021 to support State participation. Technology and data related projects often take more than one year, especially considering the procurement and implementation of associated projects. Therefore, the initial $20 million funding is available as a multi-year grant with a four-year Period of Performance (PoP) from June 2021 to June 2025. Section 17(n) of the Act also sets aside $5 million for each FY going forward to carry out this provision, resulting in future grant opportunities to support State participation beyond FY 2021. States that want to participate in the SNAP LDP must work with the Census Bureau to draft a new, or amend a current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Grant awardees will then begin sharing data, as documented per their MOU, and the Census Bureau will begin the process of creating the longitudinal linkages for the database. States that do not have a signed MOU within 30 days of award will not receive grant funding. FNS highly encourages States to begin the MOU process soon after submitting their grant proposals in order to ensure they are eligible for funding. States may find more information about this process in the SNAPPFP ( Longitudinal Data Project (LDP) | USDA-FNS ). All funding is determined based on the number of grant requests and available funds. *Section 4015 of the 2018 Farm Bill set aside $20 million in grant funding for States to establish longitudinal research databases.

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