In accordance with Ohio Revised Code Section 119.032, each state agency is required to review its rules a minimum of once every five years. The intent of the law is to ensure that rules are clearly written and that program requirements are accurate, up-to-date and clearly expressed. To the extent possible, unnecessary paperwork will be eliminated, and local agencies will be given increased flexibility. The purpose of a rule review is to determine whether a rule should be continued without amendment, be amended or be rescinded, taking into consideration each rule's scope and purpose.

A five-year review was recently conducted on Ohio Administrative Code rules 5101:4-3-19, "Food assistance: voluntary quit and reduction of work effort," and 5101:4-3-29, "Food assistance employment and training: appraisal." If no further revisions are made to the proposed rules prior to their finalization by the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review, they will become effective on February 1, 2012. If changes are necessary, a copy of the revised rules will be forwarded to you at that time.

The following is a brief description of the changes to each rule. None of the changes will affect the eligibility of applicants/recipients or the way in which county agencies will administer the program.

CHAPTER 3000

5101:4-3-19, Food assistance: voluntary quit and reduction of work effort.

This rule has been rescinded and filed as new so that it could be rewritten in a question-and-answer format to promote clarity. The content of the rule has not changed. It explains in detail what a county agency must do when determining whether a recipient voluntarily quit his or her job or reduced his or her work hours. A clarification was included to state that the JFS 03804, "Ohio Works First/Food Assistance Sanction Compliance Agreement," is not required when individuals return to work or increase their work hours.

5101:4-3-29, Food assistance employment and training: appraisal

This rule has been rescinded and filed as new so that it could be rewritten in a question-and-answer format to promote clarity. The content of the rule has not changed. It explains in detail what a food assistance appraisal includes, what happens if an individual fails to cooperate with the appraisal process, and how to establish good cause.

Instructions:

The following chart identifies the material that should be removed from the Food Assistance Certification Handbook and the material that should be added.