NORTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA
September 15, 2005

	AMENDED IM #4967

TO:		County Social Service Directors
Economic Assistance Policy Regional Representatives
Economic Assistance Policy Quality Control Reviewers

FROM:	Blaine Nordwall, Director, Economic Assistance Policy

SUBJECT:	National Refugee Policy for Hurricane Victims

PROGRAMS:	Food Stamps

RETENTION: 	December 31, 2005

This IM is being amended based on further guidance received from FNS.  All amendments are in bold.  

The following revised guidance was received from the National Office for victims of Hurricane Katrina.  

This policy applies to refugees from areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina.  Those include counties in the Gulf Coast region in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi on the listing attached.    Normally, when we talk about refugees, we are referring to immigrants to the United States, who have fled problems in other parts of the world.  However, the unprecedented damage from Hurricane Katrina has made it necessary for people to be evacuated, not only from the project area where they are living, but even from the entire State.  These people are not just residents of emergency shelters; they are truly refugees.  

Applicants and their families who have evacuated to North Dakota and apply through October 31, 2005:

•	Must be certified under expedited service rules, using the open reason ‘EV’.
•	May be certified as a household separate from anyone they are living and purchasing and preparing meals with.  If the household has split up, the separate parts of the original household may be certified as separate households.
•	Are temporarily exempt from the work requirements and ABAWD policy.

Applicants and their families are eligible under the above policy for 3 full months plus the month of application through December 31, 2005.  Normal program rules apply beginning with January 2006 benefits.  FNS will hold State agencies harmless from QC errors for such certifications.

Workers must verify that the refugee was living in an area affected by Hurricane Katrina when the hurricane struck and must check with the refugee that they are not currently certified to receive food stamp benefits in that area or any other area.  

If an individual comes in to apply who is currently certified in an area affected by Hurricane Katrina, the worker must:

•	Through September 30, residents of Louisiana and Mississippi do not need to have their EBT card present in order to conduct a key-entered transaction at a Food Stamp approved retailer.  Phone numbers that can be used to obtain EBT card numbers for key-entered transactions are listed below.
•	Inform the person that they can use their current EBT card in local stores, and can continue to use food stamp benefits during their certification.  
•	Assist the refugee in getting a new EBT card if their current card was lost or left behind in the affected area.

If the applicant and their family believe they will be residing in the local area permanently, or for the foreseeable future, the worker should offer to close the refugee’s current case in the disaster area and take an application for certification in North Dakota.  

Phone numbers to call regarding EBT card numbers, replacement EBT cards or to obtain information on client’s certification status are as follows:  

Louisiana 

EBT Card Replacement:

225-925-7251
225-925-7252
225-925-7253
225-925-7255
225-925-7259

Information on clients FSP certification status:
888-524-3578
888-997-1117

To obtain an EBT card number for key-entered transactions:
866-334-8304
888-997-1117 – JPMorgan number for Louisiana

Alabama

EBT Card Replacement or information on clients FSP certification status:
866-449-9488 or 866-465-2285 or send and e-mail request to fs@dhr.state.al.us

Mississippi

EBT Card Replacement - 866-449-9488

Information on a client’s FSP certification status - 800-948-4060

An e-mail request for either EBT card replacement or information on a client’s FSP certification status may also be sent to mdhsdisaster@mdhs.state.ms.us

To obtain an EBT card number for key-entered transactions:
866-449-9488

When a county receives a request for information and assistance related to Hurricane Katrina disaster recovery efforts, please log on the Hurricane Katrina Food Assistance/Medicaid Program Daily Application Log.  Fax all daily logs for the week on Fridays by 1:00pm CST to 328-1060, until further notice.  

As further guidance is received from FNS it will be shared. 

If you have any questions, please contact your regional representative. 

List of Areas Affected by Hurricane Katrina

Alabama
Baldwin, Clarke, Choctaw, Mobile, Sumter, and Washington Counties

Louisiana
The parishes of Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Calcasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Pointe Coupee, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana

Mississippi
Adams, Amite, Attala, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Claiborne, Clarke, Clay, Copiah, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Itawamba, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Kemper, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lee, Lincoln, Lowndes, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Rankin, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Stone, Walthall, Warren, Wayne, Webster, Wilkinson, and Winston Counties.