TO:	Commissioners, TA Directors, FS Supervisors, MA Supervisors, WMS Coordinators

FROM:	Patricia A. Stevens, Deputy Commissioner, Division of Temporary Assistance

SUBJECT:	  OMRDD Production of CBICs for Authorized Representatives

EFFECTIVE DATE:  Tuesday, July 1, 2003

CONTACT PERSON:  Eastern Regional Team at 1-800-343-8859, extension 3-1469

In 2001, NYSOTDA granted the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) permission for its Developmental Disabilities Services Offices (DDSOs) to produce Common Benefit Issuance Cards (CBICs) for the authorized representatives of food stamp benefit recipients residing in OMRDD-operated facilities.  This includes both the authorized representatives of recipients residing in OMRDD-operated Congregate Care Level II Group Homes and Congregate Care Level I Family Care Homes.  At that time, OMRDD contacted many local districts, requesting permission to take over CBIC production for their clients’ authorized representatives.  Such production and deletion of CBICs was and still is contingent on the consent of the local district.

Currently, two DDSOs are producing and deleting CBICs for two local districts for the authorized representatives of food stamp clients residing in OMRDD-operated facilities.  This GIS is to notify local districts that OMRDD is permitting each DDSO to decide for itself whether or not to take on the responsibility for the production and deletion of CBICs for its authorized representatives.  The DDSOs are not required to take on this function, and, as stated above, such production will be done only with the consent of the local district.  In other words, such production will be done only with the mutual agreement of the DDSO and the local district.

The second purpose of this GIS is to notify the local districts that NYSOTDA has no objections to OMRDD taking on this function, and no objections to the local districts ceding this function to OMRDD.