275.21—Quality control review reports.
(a) General.
Each State agency shall submit reports on the performance of quality control reviews in accordance with the requirements outlined in this section. These reports are designed to enable FNS to monitor the State agency's compliance with Program requirements relative to the Quality Control Review System. Every case selected for review during the sample month must be accounted for and reflected in the appropriate report(s).
(b) Individual cases.
The State agency shall report the review findings on each case selected for review during the sample month. For active cases, the State agency shall submit the edited findings of the Form FNS-380-1. For negative cases, the State agency shall submit a summary report which is produced from the edited findings on individual cases which are coded on the Negative Quality Control Review Schedule, Form FNS-245. The review findings shall be reported as follows:
(1)
The State agency shall input and edit the results of each active and negative case into the FNS supplied computer terminal and transmit the data to the host computer. For State agencies that do not have FNS supplied terminals, the State agency shall submit the results of each QC review in a format specified by FNS. Upon State agency request, FNS will consider approval of a change in the review results after they have been reported to FNS.
(2)
The State agency shall have at least 115 days from the end of the sample month to dispose of and report the findings of all cases selected in a sample month. FNS may grant additional time as warranted upon request by a State agency for cause shown to complete and dispose of individual cases.
(3)
The State agency shall supply the FNS Regional Office with individual household case records and the pertinent information contained in the individual case records, or legible copies of that material, as well as legible hard copies of individual Forms FNS-380, FNS-380-1, and FNS-245 or other FNS-approved report forms, within 10 days of receipt of a request for such information.
(4)
For each case that remains pending 115 days after the end of the sample month, the State agency shall immediately submit a report that includes an explanation of why the case has not been disposed of, documentation describing the progress of the review to date, and the date by which it will be completed. If FNS extends the time frames in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, this date will be extended accordingly. If FNS determines that the above report does not sufficiently justify the case's pending status, the case shall be considered overdue. Depending upon the number of overdue cases, FNS may find the State agency's QC system to be inefficient or ineffective and suspend and/or disallow the State agency's Federal share of administrative funds in accordance with the provisions of § 276.4.
(c) Monthly status.
The State agency shall report in a manner directed by the regional office the monthly progress of sample selection and completion within 125 days after the end of the sample month. Each report shall reflect sampling and review activity for a given sample month. If FNS extends the time frames in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, this date will be extended accordingly.
(d) Demonstration projects/SSA processing.
The State agency shall identify the monthly status of active and negative demonstration project/SSA processed cases (i.e., those cases described in § 275.11(g)) in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section.