2. a. The Department of Human Services, to the maximum extent permissible under federal law, shall establish a training program for county boards of social services that assist individuals with SNAP enrollment and recertification processes. The purpose of the training shall be to educate employees, including supervisory and managerial employees and designated county training staff, on current federal laws, regulations, and standards concerning SNAP, and standard best practices to comply with federal SNAP requirements, with the goal of ensuring employees of county boards of social services are at all times in compliance with federal laws, regulations, standards, and best practices as they pertain to SNAP. The department shall review the training program and curriculum each year and may modify the training program from time to time, as need may require, to incorporate any changes to the federal laws, regulations, and standards concerning SNAP.

b. Participation in the training program established pursuant to this section shall be mandatory for all employees of a county board of social services who assist individuals with SNAP enrollment and recertification processes, as well as for all supervisory or management employees of the county board of social services who interview, process, or review SNAP cases and designated training staff of the county board of social services. Each county board of social services shall be responsible for ensuring that:

(1) all required employees complete the training program at least twice in each calendar year;

(2) all newly hired employees of the county board of social services who will assist individuals with SNAP enrollment and recertification processes, who will interview, process, or review SNAP cases in a managerial or supervisory role, or who will serve as designated training staff for the county board of social services complete the training within one month of hire; and

(3) all employees who assist individuals with SNAP enrollment and recertification processes, who interview, process, or review SNAP cases in a managerial or supervisory role, or who serve as designated training staff members, complete the training as a condition of any professional promotion within the county board of social services.

L.2022, c.30, s.2.