[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 4]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR247.16]

[Page 415-416]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
    CHAPTER II--FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 247_COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM--Table of Contents
 
Sec.  247.16  Certification period.

    (a) How long is the certification period? (1) Women, infants, and 
children. For women, infants, and children, the State agency must 
establish certification periods that may not exceed 6 months in length. 
However, pregnant women may be certified to participate for the duration 
of their pregnancy and for up to six weeks post-partum.
    (2) Elderly persons. For elderly persons, the State agency must 
establish certification periods that may not exceed 6 months in length. 
However, the State agency may authorize local agencies to extend the 
certification period without a formal review of eligibility for 
additional 6-month periods, as long as the following conditions are met:

[[Page 416]]

    (i) The person's address and continued interest in receiving program 
benefits are verified;
    (ii) The local agency has sufficient reason to believe that the 
person still meets the income eligibility standards (e.g., the elderly 
person has a fixed income); and
    (iii) No eligible women, infants, or children are waiting to be 
served.
    (b) On what day of the final month does the certification period 
end? The certification period extends to the final day of the month in 
which eligibility expires (e.g., the last day of the month in which a 
child reaches his or her sixth birthday).
    (c) Does the certification period end when a participant moves from 
the local area in which he or she was receiving benefits? No. The State 
agency must ensure that local agencies serve a CSFP participant, or WIC 
participant (if also eligible for CSFP), who moves from another area to 
an area served by CSFP, and whose certification period has not expired. 
The participant must be given the opportunity to continue to receive 
CSFP benefits for the duration of the certification period. If the local 
agency has a waiting list, the participant must be placed on its waiting 
list ahead of all other waiting applicants. The local agency that 
determined the participant's eligibility must provide verification of 
the expiration date of the certification period to the participant upon 
request.
    (d) What must the local agency do to ensure that participants are 
aware of the expiration of the certification period? The local agency 
must notify program participants in writing at least 15 days before the 
expiration date that eligibility for the program is about to expire. The 
local agency must include a statement in the written notification that 
informs the applicant that program standards are applied without 
discrimination by race, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 
0584-0293)