FACT 67 (Signing Employability Plans and Compliance Form during COVID-19 Pandemic)
Food Assistance Change Transmittal No. 67
March 25, 2020
TO: All Food Assistance Manual Holders
FROM: Kimberly Hall, Director Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
SUBJECT: Signing Employability Plans and Compliance Form during COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: On March 9, 2020 Governor Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency for the entire state of Ohio (Executive Order 2020-01D) to protect the well-being of the citizens of Ohio from COVID-19.  In order to protect the lives, safety and health of Ohio’s citizens, various orders have been issued from the Governor and the Ohio Department of Health to limit social interaction. These orders include: prohibiting mass gatherings (100 or more people in a single room); closing schools; prohibiting visitors in hospitals and jails; closing restaurants and bars; encouraging businesses to allow employees to work from home as well as asking parents to keep children out of day care settings.

As part of this effort and continued compliance with Ohio Administrative Code rules 5101:4-3-29 and 5101:4-3-11.2, which require the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training (E&T) program employability plan to be signed as well as the JFS 03804 “Ohio Works First/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Sanction Compliance Agreement”, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) has established the following procedure for accepting verbal signatures over the telephone for a SNAP E&T employability plan and/or the JFS 03804 compliance form.

New Procedure: While under the state of emergency declared through executive order 2020-01D, a county agency may opt to accept a verbal signature over the telephone for a SNAP E&T employability plan and/or the JFS 03804 compliance form. During the telephone appraisal the county agency must read to the client the contents of the E&T employability plan, including the rights, responsibilities and assigned activities. Following the appraisal and verbal signature, a copy of the SNAP E&T employability plan must be mailed to the individual. The JFS 03804 compliance form must also be mailed to the individual after obtaining a verbal signature.

The county agency must record the following information in the case journal notes to document the verbal signature: “On [insert date] [Insert client name] provided a verbal signature to the [SNAP E&T employability plan or JFS 03804 compliance form]. This verbal signature is in accordance with Food Assistance Change Transmittal Letter No. 67.  A copy of the [SNAP E&T employability plan or JFS 03804 compliance form] has been mailed to the individual.”