Duties of the Department

The Department of Public Health and Social Services, through the Division of Public Welfare, shall:

(a)adopt rules and regulations necessary to carry out the food stamp program, which shall include the Restaurant Meals Program pursuant to § 2707 of this Article;

(b)cooperate with the federal government and do all things necessary to continue eligibility under the food stamp program;

(c)comply with the requirements of the Federal Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, 7 U.S.C. § 2011 et seq.; and

(d)exempt individuals domiciled in Guam from the application of Section 115 of the Federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, 21 U.S.C. §§ 862a(a)(1) and (2), by allowing payment of SNAP and TANF benefits to an otherwise eligible individual who has been convicted of a felony offense under federal, state or Guam criminal law which has as an element the possession, use or distribution of a controlled substance, as defined in Section 102(6) of the Federal Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. § 802(c), if

(1)the individual has successfully completed probation, parole, community corrections, a reentry court program, or any other post-conviction monitoring program ordered by a court; or

(2)the individual is successfully complying with conditions of probation, parole, or community corrections, the terms of participation in a reentry court program, or the requirements of any other post-conviction monitoring program ordered by a court.