Opinion ID: 623898
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Washington’s Food Assistance Program

Text: Washington has participated in the federal food stamp program since its inception, distributing federal benefits to aliens and citizens without distinction through the Basic Food Program, which is administered by the state’s Department of Social and Health Services (“DSHS”). See RCW 74.04.500 (“Food stamp program—Authorized”). Upon enactment of the Welfare Reform Act, however, Washington’s food stamp program automatically conformed to the new eligibility requirements concerning aliens. See RCW 74.04.510 (“Food stamp program— Rules.”). Thus, consistent with the federal guidelines, only U.S. citizens and certain qualified aliens remained eligible to receive federally funded SNAP benefits under the Basic Food Program. See WAC 388-424-0020. In 1997, Washington exercised its option to continue providing newly SNAP-ineligible legal immigrants with statefunded food benefits, enacting the Food Assistance Program for Legal Immigrants (“FAP”), also administered by DSHS.8 8 As of November 2010, Washington was one of only seven states administering a state-funded food assistance program as a supplement to the federal food assistance program. The other states are California, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. 2210 PIMENTEL v. DREYFUS See RCW 74.08A.120 (providing that “[t]he rules for the state food assistance program shall follow exactly the rules of the federal food stamp program except for the provisions pertaining to immigrant status”). Under FAP, legal immigrants are eligible for state-funded food benefits if (1) they meet the prePRWORA alien-status requirements of the Food Stamp Act, and (2) their ineligibility for federal food stamps is due solely to PRWORA’s alien-status eligibility provisions, as defined at WAC 388-424-0020. See WAC 388-424-0025. DSHS began administering both SNAP and FAP benefits under its Basic Food Program, determining eligibility and monthly benefits at the household level. A Washington household is eligible for Basic Food benefits so long as at least one member of the household is eligible for either SNAP or FAP benefits. DSHS regulations allow households to receive both SNAP and FAP benefits, provided the total household benefit does not exceed a certain maximum allotment. See WAC 388400-0045, 388-478-0060.9 Legal immigrants residing in Washington who had been receiving federally funded Basic Food benefits pre-PRWORA but who no longer qualified for SNAP, experienced no break in their coverage. However, their benefits were now fully funded by the state. DSHS uses a single application form and a single eligibility-review form for food, medical, cash, and other public benefits. Beyond asking applicants to indicate (1) whether they are U.S. citizens, and (2) if not, whether they have documentation of their immigration status, neither the application nor the eligibility-review form indicates two separate funding sources or otherwise distinguishes between federally and state-funded food benefits. Although DSHS determines each applicant’s eligibility for either federal or state food benefits, 9 The current maximum monthly benefit is $200 for a household of one, $367 for a household of two, $526 for a household of three, $666 for a household of four, with higher amounts for larger households. WAC 388478-0060. PIMENTEL v. DREYFUS 2211 it does not communicate these determinations to recipients, informing them simply whether they are eligible for “food assistance benefits” or not.