OVERVIEW OF FINAL REGULATIONS CONCERNING ACCESS TO EMPLOYER
   IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS BY THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE FOR
             PURPOSES OF THE FOOD STAMP ACT OF 1977

     These regulations clarify how the Secretary of Agriculture may share employer
identification received from businesses that want to accept Food Stamps.
     The Secretary may ask retail and wholesale food firms that want to participate in
the Food Stamp program to provide employer identification numbers.
     In 1994 this provision was expanded to allow this list to be used in the
enforcement of other Federal laws and permitting the Secretary to share it with Federal
agencies that already otherwise have access to employer identification numbers.  These
regulations, which were published in the Federal Register of October 3, 1995, explain
how this information can be shared.