U.S. Government Accountability Office

Introduction

 
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), an agency of the U.S. Congress, has been asked by the Senate Agriculture Committee to review new food stamp options made available under the 2002 Farm Bill. As part of this effort, we are surveying Food Stamp Program Administrators in 50 states and the District of Columbia to learn about the issues at the state level, including: the use of the 2002 Farm Bill options in state Food Stamp Programs; the reasons for, and effects of, implementing the Farm Bill options; program challenges related to the implementation of the Farm Bill options; and potential improvements to the Farm Bill options. Please note that we are sending a separate survey to local food stamp offices to gain their perspective on the effects of the Farm Bill options.

This survey includes questions about eight options made available by the Farm Bill as of October 1, 2002. We provide a brief description of each option, and identify the options by popular name and the relevant section number of the Farm Bill. The results of this survey will allow us to describe the use of the Farm Bill options and other aspects of the Food Stamp Program nationwide.

--Please report the status of each option in your state. As part of this effort, we are also interested in learning about the reasons your state did not choose or implement a particular option and specifically ask questions about this topic.

--When responding to this survey, we encourage you to consult with others in your office or state who are familiar with the food stamp issues described above.