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The USDA Food and Nutrition Service is extending for 120 days the public comment period on the interim final rule, “Establishing the Summer EBT Program and Rural Non-Congregate Option in the Summer Meal Programs.” 

This final rule considers public comments submitted in response to the proposed rule revising the WIC food packages published on Nov. 21, 2022.

This rulemaking proposes important modifications to make the application of serious deficiency procedures in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program consistent, effective, and in line with current requirements under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. 

USDA’s goal across all summer nutrition programs is simple: Connect children with nutritious food during the summer months to help them grow and thrive. The interim final rule published this week is an important step forward in increasing access to these services

The USDA proposed to make changes to the SNAP's Quality Control system to strengthen and improve the integrity and accuracy of the system and to better align SNAP QC with requirements in the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019. When published, the proposed rule included an incorrect email address for comments; the reopening of the comment period is intended to allow additional time for the public to submit comments.

This rulemaking serves to amend WIC program regulations by incorporating provisions of the Access to Baby Formula Act of 2022 and making related amendments.

With this final rule, FNS is revising Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program regulations that cover collecting and reporting race and ethnicity data by state agencies on persons receiving benefits from SNAP. 

This final rule amends the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) regulations by lowering the minimum identified student percentage (ISP) from 40 percent to 25 percent. 

USDA is issuing this notice of proposed rulemaking to improve SNAP's quality control system as required in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. 

The Food and Nutrition Service is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on Aug. 23, 2023. 

FNS is proposing to amend its regulations to make access and parity improvements within several food distribution programs, including the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, The Emergency Food Assistance Program, and USDA Foods disaster response. The proposed provisions use plain language to make them easier to read and understand.

This action implements statutory requirements and policy improvements to strengthen administrative oversight and operational performance of the Child Nutrition Programs.

USDA is adopting the interim final rule on non-discretionary quality control provisions of Title IV of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, and its correction, as final.

USDA is extending the public comment period on the proposed rule, “Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” to May 10, 2023.

This rulemaking proposes long-term school nutrition standards based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, and feedback the USDA received from child nutrition program stakeholders during a robust stakeholder engagement campaign. 

USDA proposes to remove barriers to online ordering and internet-based transactions in WIC through this rulemaking. 

This rulemaking proposes to expand access to the Community Eligibility Provision by lowering the minimum identified student percentage participation threshold from 40 percent to 25 percent, which would give states and schools greater flexibility to choose to invest non-federal funds to offer no-cost meals to all enrolled students.

FNS is correcting regulations that published in a final rule in the Federal Register, and went into effect in the CFR on Oct. 1, 2022. The rule amended the SFSP regulations to strengthen program integrity by clarifying, simplifying, and streamlining program administration to facilitate compliance with program requirements.

This rulemaking proposes to revise regulations governing the WIC food packages to align them with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans and reflect recommendations made by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in its 2017 report, “Review of WIC Food Packages: Improving Balance and Choice. while promoting nutrition security and equity and taking into account program administration considerations.

FNS is delaying the effective date for the interim final rule - SNAP: Requirement for Interstate Data Matching to Prevent Duplicate Issuances - until Dec. 6, 2022.

This interim final rule requires SNAP state agencies to provide information to the National Accuracy Clearinghouse (NAC) regarding individuals receiving SNAP benefits in their states in order to ensure they are not already receiving benefits in another state.

This rulemaking amends the SFSP regulations to strengthen program integrity by clarifying, simplifying, and streamlining program administration to facilitate compliance with program requirements. 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is amending its regulations to prescribe how it determines whether noncitizens are inadmissible to the United States because they are likely at any time to become a public charge.

This document contains a correction to a proposed rule that was published in the Federal Register on June 27, 2022. The rule proposes to revise SNAP regulations that cover the collection and reporting of race and ethnicity data by state agencies on persons receiving benefits from SNAP.

FNS proposes to revise SNA regulations that cover the collection and reporting of race and ethnicity data by state agencies on persons receiving benefits from SNAP. 

This final rule updates the SNAP civil rights assurance template language for the Federal-State Agreement. These updates do not contain any new requirements and would codify protections already required by federal law and existing policy.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security proposes to prescribe how it determines whether a noncitizen is inadmissible to the United States under section 212(a)(4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act because they are likely at any time to become a public charge. 

This final rule will establish transitional standards to support the continued provision of nutritious school meals as schools respond to and recover from the pandemic and while USDA engages in notice-and-comment rulemaking to update the meal pattern standards to more comprehensively reflect the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

On Oct. 18, 2021, the Food and Nutrition Service revised rules concerning meal pattern tables for the National School Lunch Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program. The document contained incorrect table entries. This document corrects the final regulations.

On Oct. 1, 2021, the requirement to credit grains served in the CACFP in "ounce equivalents" was implemented. This action also applied to the crediting of grains served to infants and toddlers in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. This document corrects the final regulations to align meal pattern tables and corresponding endnotes with regulatory requirements.

This is a revision of a currently approved collection for the Food Programs Reporting System. The purpose of FPRS is to enable data gathering for the reporting of data related to FNS programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

This document contains a correction to an interim final rule published in the Federal Register on Aug.  13, 2021. The rule codifies statutory requirements enacted by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. This document also extends the comment period for the interim final rule.

USDA is issuing this interim final rule to strengthen and improve the integrity and accuracy of the SNAP Quality Control system by codifying statutory requirements enacted by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 that was signed into law on Dec. 20, 2018.

This interim final rule delays the implementation date of certain provisions of the final rule entitled, “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): 2008 Farm Bill Provisions on Clarification of Split Issuance; Accrual of Benefits and Definition Changes.”

This document informs the public that the FNS is withdrawing the proposed rule titled Revision of Categorical Eligibility in SNAP that published in the Federal Register on July 24, 2019.

The final rule implements the changes made by section 4005 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to the SNAP pertaining to the E&T program and aspects of the work requirement for able-bodied adults without dependents. 
 

This rulemaking proposes to codify three menu planning flexibilities established by the interim final rule titled, Child Nutrition Programs: Flexibilities for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium Requirements published Nov. 30, 2017, and made permanent with some modifications by a final rule of the same title published Dec. 12, 2018, hereafter referred to as the 2018 Final Rule. An April 2020 court decision vacated and remanded the 2018 Final Rule.

This final rule removes from the Code of Federal Regulations the final rule published on Dec. 12, 2018, titled, “Child Nutrition Programs: Flexibilities for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium Requirements.” This action responds to a decision of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland that vacated the rule.

Through this final rule, FNS is adding regulations that will ensure the integrity of the supplemental allotments for households with children who would have otherwise received free or reduced price school meals under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, but for school closures or reduction in the number of days or hours that students attend school in response to the ongoing and national COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.

Through this final rule, the  USDA Food and Nutrition Service is codifying a revised statutory requirement included in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 that established new Commodity Supplemental Food Program certification requirements..

This final rule amends the SNAP regulations to ensure that retail food stores can no longer use the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process to delay FNS' administrative actions to sanction a retail food store for SNAP violations. Under this rule, FNS will process FOIA requests and FOIA appeals separately from the administrative action for all SNAP violations, as originally proposed. The processing of FOIA requests and appeals during the administrative and judicial review process will have no impact on when the agency can take administrative action.

This final rule amends the SNAP regulations to implement provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill regarding monthly benefit issuance allotments, storage of benefits off-line, and permanent expungement of unused benefits, as well as related benefit expungement and off-line storage provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill. This final rule also updates SNAP regulations to reflect the program's name change to SNAP and benefit issuance through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) systems.

FNS is codifying a revised statutory requirement included in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. The 2018 Farm Bill at section 4003 requires FDPIR administrative funds to remain available for obligation at the Indian Tribal Organization (ITO) and state agency level for a period of two federal fiscal years. This provision was self-executing and went into effect upon enactment of the 2018 Farm Bill in federal fiscal year 2019. 

FNS is extending the public comment period on the proposed rule titled, “Employment and Training Opportunities in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program”, which was published in the Federal Register on March 17, 2020. This action extends the deadline for receipt of public comments to give the public additional time to review the proposed rule.

This rulemaking proposes to amend the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) regulations to strengthen program integrity by codifying in regulations changes that have been tested through policy guidance and by streamlining requirements among Child Nutrition Programs. The original comment period for this proposed rule, published on Jan. 23, 2020, ends on March 23, 2020. FNS is extending the comment period through April 22, 2020.

The proposed rule would implement the changes made by section 4005 of The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the Act) to SNAP pertaining to the Employment and Training program and aspects of the work requirement for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). In general, these changes are related to strengthening the SNAP E&T program, adding workforce partnerships as a way for SNAP participants to meet their work requirements, and modifying the work requirement for ABAWDs.

On Sept. 25, 2019, the Food and Nutrition Service published meal pattern tables in Agency rules. This document corrects the presentation of tables in the final rule.

USDA proposes updating the regulations to refine categorical eligibility requirements based on receipt of TANF benefits. Specifically, the Department proposes: (1) to define “benefits” for categorical eligibility to mean ongoing and substantial benefits; and (2) to limit the types of non-cash TANF benefits conferring categorical eligibility to those that focus on subsidized employment, work supports and childcare. The proposed rule would also require state agencies to inform FNS of all non-cash TANF benefits that confer categorical eligibility.

The Food and Nutrition Service proposed to make changes to SNAP regulations to refine categorical eligibility requirements based on receipt of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits. 

Through this rulemaking,  FNS is codifying new statutory requirements included in the 2018 Farm Bill.

The proposed rule would revise SNAP regulations to standardize the methodology for calculating standard utility allowances. 

This action delays, from Oct. 1, 2019 until Oct. 1, 2021, the implementation date of the “ounce equivalents” requirement for crediting grains served in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The final rule, Child and Adult Care Food Program: Meal Pattern Revisions Related to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, published on April 25, 2016, specified that meal planners must use ounce equivalents to determine the amount of creditable grain served as part of a reimbursable meal or snack.

Through this rulemaking, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service  is codifying new and revised statutory requirements included in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 . First, the Department is revising the minimum Federal share of the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) administrative costs and State agency/Indian Tribal Organization (ITO) mandatory administrative match requirement amounts. Second, the Department is revising its administrative match waiver requirements by allowing State agencies and ITOs to qualify for a waiver if the required match share would be a substantial burden. Third, the Department is limiting the reduction of any FDPIR benefits or services to State agencies and ITOs that are granted a full or partial administrative match waiver. Last, the Department is allowing for other Federal funds, if such use is otherwise consistent with both the purpose of the other Federal funds and with the purpose of FDPIR administrative funds, to be used to meet the State agency/ITO administrative match requirement.

This action proposes to delay, from Oct. 1, 2019 until Oct. 1, 2021, the implementation date of the “ounce equivalents” requirement for crediting grains served in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). 

FNS proposed to make changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) regulations pertaining to the eligibility of certain SNAP retail food stores in a document published on April 5, 2019. FNS inadvertently excluded from publication two supporting documents to the proposed rule, the Regulatory Impact Analysis and the Regulatory Flexibility Analysis. These have now been published as part of the docket for the proposed rule. The agency is extending the comment period to provide the public an opportunity to review and provide comment on these documents as part of the rulemaking record.

This proposed rule seeks to amend the regulatory standards by which USDA evaluates state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program agency requests to waive the time limit and to end the unlimited carryover of able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) percentage exemptions.  FNS seeks to reopen the comment period on April 8, 2019, for a period of 3 days ending April 10, 2019.

This final rule adds four flexibilities to the hiring standards for new school nutrition program directors in small local educational agencies and new state directors of school nutrition programs under the Professional Standards regulations for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.

This final rule amends the SNAP regulations to update procedures for accessing SNAP benefits in drug addiction or alcoholic treatment centers (DAA treatment centers) and group living arrangements (GLAs) through electronic benefit transfer (EBT).

The Food and Nutrition Service seeks to prevent firms authorized to participate in SNAP from delaying administrative actions, such as disqualification or civil money penalties, through submission of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests or appeals. As such, FNS is proposing that FOIA requests and FOIA appeals be processed separately from administrative actions FNS takes against retail food stores. This proposed rule would ensure that retail food stores can no longer use the FOIA process to delay FNS' administrative actions to sanction a retail food store for SNAP violations.

The proposed rule would encourage broader application of the statutory ABAWD work requirement, consistent with the Administration's focus on fostering self-sufficiency.

This final rule will codify, with some extensions, three menu planning flexibilities temporarily established by the interim final rule of the same title published Nov. 30, 2017.

This rule would exempt for-profit centers from monthly verification if they annually demonstrate that at least 50 percent of children served are eligible for free and reduced-price meals or benefits under title XX of the Social Security Act, or at least 50 percent of adult participants are eligible for benefits under title XIX or title XX of the Social Security Act.

Final Rule: Simplified Cost Accounting and Other Actions To Reduce Paperwork in the SFSP

This rule revises and clarifies requirements for the processing of donated foods in order to: Incorporate successful processing options tested in demonstration projects into the regulations, ensure accountability for donated foods provided for processing, increase program efficiency and integrity, and support vendor and state operability.

This proposed rule would add four flexibilities to the hiring standards for new school nutrition program directors in small local educational agencies and new school nutrition program state directors under the professional standards regulations for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.

The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 limits the amount of time an able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) can receive SNAP benefits to 3 months in a 36-month period, unless the individual is working and/or participating in a work program half-time or more, or participating in workfare.

This interim final rule extends through school year 2018-2019 three menu planning flexibilities currently available to many Child Nutrition Program operators, giving them near-term certainty about program requirements and more local control to serve nutritious and appealing meals to millions of children nationwide.

The final rule titled Local School Wellness Policy Implementation Under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 was published on July 29, 2016. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) cleared the associated information collection requirements on Sept. 12, 2016. This document announces approval of the ICR.

This rule proposes to revise and clarify requirements for the processing of donated foods in order to: Incorporate successful processing options tested in demonstration projects, ensure accountability for donated foods provided for processing, and increase program efficiency.

This final rule implements Section 4018 of the Agricultural Act of 2014. Section 4018 created new limitations on the use of federal funds authorized in the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended (FNA), for SNAP promotion and outreach activities. 

The final rule, titled “Enhancing Retailer Standards in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,” made several changes to requirements for stores that want to accept SNAP benefits as a form of payment. These changes support healthy lifestyles for SNAP recipients while maintaining recipients’ access to food. 

FNS is updating the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program regulations to set implementation parameters, prerequisites and operational standards required of state agencies that intend to implement the photo Electronic Benefit Transfer card option provided under Section 7(h)(9) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008.

The proposed action would implement four sections of the Agricultural Act of 2014, (2014 Farm Bill), affecting eligibility, benefits, and program administration requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The proposed action would update civil rights assurance language contained in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program regulations on the Federal-State Agreement.

FNS is proposing changes to SNAP issuance regulations in accordance with the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 PL 110-234.

This rule amends FNS regulations to implement the Department of Agriculture final guidance of USDA-specific requirements at 2 CFR part 400 on Dec. 19, 2014.

This final rule requires all local educational agencies that participate in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to meet expanded local school wellness policy requirements consistent with the requirements set forth in section 204 of the Healthy, Hunger- Free Kids Act of 2010.

This final rule revises the state agency's administrative review process in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program to establish a unified accountability system designed to ensure that school food authorities offering school meals comply with program requirements.

This rule adopts as final, with some modifications, the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program regulations set forth in the interim final rule published in the Federal Register on June 28, 2013. The requirements addressed in this rule conform to the provisions in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 regarding nutrition standards for all foods sold in schools, other than food sold under the lunch and breakfast programs.

This final rule establishes requirements for state agencies, local educational agencies, and schools operating the Community Eligibility Provision, a reimbursement option that allows the service of school meals to all children at no-cost in high poverty schools without collecting household applications.

This final rule updates the meal pattern requirements for the Child and Adult Care Food Program to better align them with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

This rule revises and clarifies requirements to ensure that USDA donated foods are distributed, stored, and managed in the safest, most efficient, and cost-effective manner, at state and recipient agency levels. The rule also reduces administrative and reporting requirements for state distributing agencies, revises or clarifies regulatory provisions relating to accountability for donated foods, and rewrites much of the regulations in a more user-friendly, plain language, format.

The final rule entitled SNAP: Review of Major Changes in Program Design and Management Evaluation Systems was published on Jan. 19, 2016. The Office of Management and Budget cleared the associated information collection requirements on March 10, 2016. This document announces approval of the ICR.

This rule adopts the interim rule implementing the SNAP nutrition education and obesity prevention grant program with changes as provided in this rule. This rule also amends SNAP regulations to implement section 28 of the Food and Nutrition Act (FNA) of 2008, as added by section 241 of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010, to award grants to states for provision of nutrition education and obesity prevention programs.

This rule proposes to codify several provisions of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 affecting the integrity of the child nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program, the Special Milk Program for Children, the School Breakfast Program, the Summer Food Service Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program and state administrative expense funds.

This rule implements the employment and training (E&T) provisions of section 4022(a)(2) of the Agricultural Act of 2014. Section 4022(a)(2) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 provides the Department additional oversight authority of state agencies' administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) E&T program.

This proposed rule would implement Section 4018 of the Agricultural Act of 2014.  Section 4018 created new limitations on the use of federal funds authorized in the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program promotion and outreach activities.  

This final rule considers public comments submitted in response to the proposed rule published Feb. 28, 2013 and implements the provisions set forth in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 related to electronic benefit transfer (EBT) for the WIC program.

FNS proposes to make changes to the SNAP regulations pertaining to the eligibility of SNAP retail food stores.

This interim final rule requires that state agencies access employment data through the NDNH at the time of SNAP certification, including recertification, and aims to improve Program integrity by reducing the risk of improper payments due to unreported or misreported income.

This rule finalizes provisions of the proposed rule entitled Review of Major Changes in Program Design and Management Evaluation Systems, which was published May 3, 2011.

Under Section 7(h)(9) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended (the Act), states have the option to require that a SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer card contains a photo of one or more household members.

This final rule excludes medical marijuana from being treated as an allowable medical expense for the purposes of determining the excess medical expense deduction under SNAP.

This rule proposes to revise program regulations to implement changes made by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the "2014 Farm Bill"), which amends the definition of "retail food store" in the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (the FNA) to include governmental or private nonprofit food purchasing and delivery services (P&D Services) that purchase and deliver food to households in which the head of household is an individual who is unable to shop for food, and who is 60 years of age or older, or physically or mentally handicapped or otherwise disabled.

In accordance with provisions of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, this proposed rule would revise the state agency's administrative review process to establish a unified accountability system designed to ensure that participating school food authorities comply with the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program requirements.

This document contains a correction to the final rule published in the Federal Register on March 2, 2015, "Professional Standards for State and Local School Nutrition Programs Personnel as Required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010."

This rule proposes changes to the meal pattern requirements for the Child and Adult Care Food Program to better align the meal patterns with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA).

This final rule establishes minimum professional standards for school nutrition personnel who manage and operate the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.

This rule proposes changes to the meal pattern requirements for the Child and Adult Care Food Program to better align the meal patterns with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeks to issue a Department-wide regulation to implement the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended (“Age Act”), and the Government-wide Age Discrimination regulation promulgated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

This action will change Food Stamp Program rules relating to the excess medical expense deduction. The changes will simplify the means by which households with elderly and disabled members claim deductions from income for verified, prospective, non-reimbursed medical expenses.

 This rule amends the regulations governing the determination of eligibility for free and reduced price school meals under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program or free milk in schools participating in the Special Milk Program.

On Jan. 21, 2000, the Department issued a notice (65 FR 3409) announcing pilot projects which would permit selected school food authorities and state agencies to test alternatives to the application procedures and verification process for households participating in the National School Lunch Program.

This interim rule implements legislative provisions to prohibit direct or indirect restrictions on the sale or marketing of fluid milk on school premises or at school-sponsored events, at any time or in any place, in schools participating in the National School Lunch Program.

The provisions of the final rule entitled Permanent Agreements for Day Care Home Providers published on June 15, 2005 at 70 FR 34630 could not become effective until approval of the associated information collection requirements by the Office of Management and Budget. Those requirements were cleared by OMB on Aug. 18, 2005 under OMB Control Number 0584-0055.

This rule amends the School Breakfast Program (SBP) regulations to eliminate the requirement that a school's costs exceed the rate of reimbursement as a criterion for receiving the higher severe need funding available in the SBP.

This rule proposes to revise and clarify requirements to ensure that USDA donated foods are distributed, stored, and managed in the safest, most efficient, and cost-effective manner, at state and recipient agency levels.

This final rule amends the regulations for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program to phase out the eligibility of women, infants, and children.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Food and Nutrition Service is announcing the Office of Management and Budget's approval of information collection requirements contained in a final rule published in the Federal Register.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Food and Nutrition Service is announcing the Office of Management and Budget's approval of information collection requirements contained in a final rule published in the Federal Register.

The rule titled Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children: Revisions in the WIC Food Packages was published on March 4, 2014. The Office of Management and Budget cleared the associated information collection requirements  on April 14, 2014. This document announces approval of the ICR.

FNS is issuing this affirmation of a final rule, without change, of an interim rule that amended SNAP regulations, to require state agencies to monitor electronic benefit transfer card replacement requests and send notices to those clients who have requested four cards within a 12-month period. 

This document is a correction appearing on pages 12273-12300 of a document that was published on 03/04/2014.

This document is a correction of an document that was published on 03/04/2014.

The WIC food packages provide supplemental foods designed to meet the special nutritional needs of low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, non-breastfeeding postpartum women, infants and children up to five years of age who are at nutritional risk. WIC food packages and nutrition education are the chief means by which WIC affects the dietary quality and habits of participants.

This proposed rule would require all local educational agencies participating in the National School Lunch Program and/or the School Breakfast Program to meet expanded local school wellness policy requirements consistent with the new requirements set forth in section 204 of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

This final rule requires certain local educational agencies participating in the National School Lunch Program to conduct an independent review of initial eligibility determinations for free and reduced price school meals.

This proposed rule would establish minimum professional standards for school nutrition personnel who manage and operate the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.

This final rule adopts, with some revisions, changes to the NSLP regulations, as set forth in the interim final rule published in the Federal Register on April 27, 2012. The changes conform to requirements contained in the Healthy, Hunger- Free Kids Act of 2010 regarding performance-based cash assistance for school food authorities certified compliant with meal pattern and nutrition standards.

The primary purpose of the rule was to strengthen the requirements for adequate testing and pilot before rolling out a new management information system or major system changes. The rule also made changes to the SNAP regulations to provide clarifications and revisions since the last update which occurred in 1996.

This document announces approval of an information collection requirements (ICR)  associated with the  final rule entitled Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations: Income Deductions and Resource Eligibility was published on Aug. 27, 2013.

The rule entitled Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Trafficking Controls and Fraud Investigations was published on August 21, 2013. The ICR for this rule approved the creation of a new information collection, which has been assigned the OMB Control Number 0584-0587. The Office of Management and Budget cleared the associated ICR on Sept. 23, 2013. This document announces the approval of the ICR.

The interim rule entitled National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program: Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in Schools as required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 was published on June 28, 2013. 

This rule proposes to amend the eligibility regulations for free and reduced price meals under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program to codify the statutory provision that establishes the community eligibility provision, a reimbursement option for eligible local educational agencies and schools that wish to offer free school meals to all children in high poverty schools without collecting household applications.

The interim rule entitled Direct Certification and Certification of Homeless, Migrant and Runaway Children for Free School Meals was published on April 25, 2011.

This rulemaking establishes requirements to simplify and improve the administration of and expand access to the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations and the Food Distribution Program for Indian Households in Oklahoma, both of which are referred to as FDPIR in this rulemaking.

FNS is issuing a final rule to amend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program regulations to allow state agencies to deny a request for a replacement card until contact is made by the household with the state agency, if the requests for replacement cards are determined to be excessive.

This rulemaking proposes to amend the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) regulations to incorporate changes mandated by Section 738 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008. 

The Food and Nutrition Service published a final rule entitled, Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, on Jan. 26, 2012. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) cleared the associated information collection requirements (ICR) on Feb. 1, 2013. This document announces approval of the ICR.

The Food and Nutrition Service published a final rule entitled, National School Lunch Program: Direct Certification Continuous Improvement Plans Required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, on Feb. 22, 2013.

The final rule entitled Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations: Amendments Related to the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 was published on April 6, 2011. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) cleared the associated information collection requirements (ICR) on Dec. 20, 2011. This document announces approval of the ICR.

The Food and Nutrition Service published an interim final rule entitled "Certification of Compliance with Meal Requirements for the National School Lunch Program under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010'' on April 27, 2012. 

This interim final rule amends the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program regulations to establish nutrition standards for all foods sold in schools, other than food sold under the lunch and breakfast programs.

This rule amends Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) regulations to implement Section 28 of the Food and Nutrition Act (“FNA” or the “Act”) of 2008, as added by Section 241 of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids (HHFK) Act of 2010, to award grants to states for provision of nutrition education and obesity prevention programs.

This final rule implements several nondiscretionary provisions of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, including those related to categorical eligibility for foster children, removal of limits on private nonprofit sponsors, outreach to eligible families, simplification of area eligibility for day care homes, application of school food safety requirements, and permanent agreements for institutions and sponsors.

This proposed rule would revise regulations governing the WIC program, incorporating the provisions set forth in the Healthy, Hunger- Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) related to Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) for the WIC Program.

Integrity in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a primary Program concern. This proposed rule codifies a provision of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA) which authorizes the Department to suspend the payment of redeemed SNAP benefits to certain retail food stores or wholesale food concerns pending administrative action to disqualify the firms for fraudulent activity.

This rule amends the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) regulations to incorporate provisions of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 designed to encourage states to improve direct certification efforts with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The Food and Nutrition Service is changing the SNAP regulations pertaining to client benefit use, participation of retail food stores and wholesale food concerns in SNAP, and SNAP client participation in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.

This rule proposes to amend the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program regulations consistent with amendments made in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA).

This proposed rule would require local education agencies participating in the Department's National School Lunch Program and demonstrating high levels of, or a high risk for administrative error associated with certification, verification, and other administrative processes to conduct an independent review of the initial eligibility determinations for free and reduced price school meals for accuracy prior to notifying households of eligibility or ineligibility.

This rulemaking establishes the requirements regarding the allocation of administrative funds for the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations and the Food Distribution Program for Indian Households in Oklahoma, both of which are referred to as "FDPIR"' in this rulemaking.

This final rule codifies the provisions of a proposed rule published on Dec. 8, 2006, regarding prisoner verification and death matching procedures mandated by legislation and previously implemented through agency directive.

This proposal would update SNAP retailer sanction regulations to include authority granted in the 2008 Farm Bill to allow FNS to impose a civil penalty in addition to disqualification, raise the allowable penalties per violation, and provide greater flexibility to USDA for minor violations.

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is proposing to amend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program regulations at 7 CFR 274.6 to allow state agencies to deny a request for a replacement card until contact is made with the state agency, if the requests for replacement cards are determined to be excessive.

This interim rule amends National School Lunch Program regulations to conform to requirements contained in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 regarding performance-based cash assistance for school food authorities certified compliant with meal pattern and nutrition standards. 

This rule proposes to codify several provisions of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 affecting the management of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

FNS published an interim final rule entitled, National School Lunch Program: School Food Service Account Revenue Amendments Related to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, on June 17, 2011. 

In proposed rule document 2012-4181 appearing on pages 10981-10997 in the issue of Feb. 24, 2012, make the following correction:

This proposed rule would establish the basic requirements for the operation of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) in conformance with the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. It would set forth administrative and operational requirements for FFVP operators at the state and local levels.

This rule proposes to amend NSLP regulations to incorporate provisions of the Healthy, Hunger- Free Kids Act of 2010 designed to encourage states to improve direct certification efforts with SNAP.

This final rule updates the meal patterns and nutrition standards for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to align them with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 

This rule proposes to simplify and improve the administration of and expand access to FDPIR, and promote conformity with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

This direct final rule is amending the Quality Control (QC) review error threshold in our regulations from $25.00 to $50.00. The purpose for raising the QC error threshold is to make permanent the temporary threshold change that was required by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2008. This change does not have an impact on the public. The QC system measures the accuracy of the eligibility system for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

This rule finalizes changes to eligibility determinations for free and reduced price school meals to implement nondiscretionary provisions of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004.

This final rule incorporates into the regulations governing the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) several changes set forth in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFK Act).

This rule proposes to amend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)--formerly the Food Stamp Program) regulations to implement the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the Farm Bill), which requires adequate system testing before and after implementation of a new state automatic data processing (ADP) and information retrieval system, including the evaluation of data from pilot projects in limited areas for major systems changes, before the Secretary approves the system to be implemented more broadly.

This final rule incorporates into the regulations governing the programs authorized under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (CNA) two nondiscretionary provisions of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFK Act).

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is proposing changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) regulations pertaining to SNAP client benefit use, participation of retail food stores and wholesale food concerns in SNAP, and SNAP client participation in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).

This rule amends National School Lunch Program (NSLP) regulations to conform to requirements contained in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (PL 111-296) regarding equity in school lunch pricing and revenue from nonprogram foods sold in schools.

This final rule excludes combat pay from inclusion in the WIC income eligibility determination for deployed service members.

This final rule incorporates into the Child and Adult Care Food Program regulations modifications, clarifications, and technical changes to the two interim rules published by the Department on June 27, 2002 and Sept. 1, 2004.

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is amending Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) regulations that secure civil rights protections for SNAP households and applicants. The nondiscretionary change complies with an amendment made to the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 which specifically enumerates four statutory protections that must be complied with by state agencies in administering SNAP. 

This proposed rule would implement provisions of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 affecting the eligibility, benefits, certification, and employment and training requirements for applicant or participant households in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Section 4116 of the Farm Bill, Review of Major Changes in Program Design, requires USDA  to identify standards for major changes in operations of state agencies' administration of SNAP.

This rule amends the regulations affecting the determination of children's eligibility for free meals under the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program by direct certification and categorical eligibility. Conforming changes and miscellaneous technical changes are also made, as appropriate, for the Special Milk Program for Children, the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program.

Effective Oct.1, 2008, institutions receiving funds through the child nutrition programs may apply an optional geographic preference in the procurement of unprocessed locally grown or locally raised agricultural products.

This rule permanently excludes combat pay from being considered as income and eliminates the maximum dollar limit of the dependent care deduction.

This rule proposes to revise the meal patterns and nutrition requirements for the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program to align them with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as required by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. 

The Food and Nutrition Service is adopting as a final rule, without change, a direct final rule that made changes to SNAP regulations to account for the replacement of the paper coupon issuance system with the Electronic Benefits Transfer system as the nationwide method of distributing benefits to program participants.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipient claims are established and collected against households that receive more benefits than they are entitled to receive. This rulemaking corrects and clarifies provisions of the final rule on recipient claims published at 65 FR 41752 on July 6, 2000.

This rule proposes to establish the requirements regarding the allocation of administrative funds for the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations and the Food Distribution Program for Indian Households in Oklahoma, both of which are referred to as FDPIR in this rulemaking. 

This rule finalizes provisions of an interim rule entitled "Food Stamp Program: Non-Discretionary Quality Control Provisions of Title IV of PL 107-171'' published on Oct. 16, 2003, and a proposed rule entitled "Food Stamp Program: Discretionary Quality Control Provisions of Title IV of PL 107-171'' published on Sept. 23, 2005. 

This final rule implemented 11 provisions of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (FSRIA), which established new eligibility and certification requirements for the receipt of food stamps.

When determining eligibility for FDPIR, the proposed rule would permanently exclude combat pay from being considered income and eliminate the maximum dollar limit of the dependent care deduction.

The purpose of this proposed rule is to incorporate this procurement option in the programs' regulations and to define the term "unprocessed locally grown or locally raised agricultural products'' to ensure that both the intent of Congress in providing for such a procurement option is met and that any such definition will facilitate ease of implementation for institutions participating in the child nutrition programs.

This direct final rule updates and reorganizes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to replace paper coupon issuance system with the Electronic Benefits Transfer system as the nationwide method of distributing benefits to program recipients.

This final rule amends the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) regulations to implement provisions from the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2002, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 and the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2010, that authorize reimbursement to eligible states for a meal (normally a supper) served by at-risk afterschool care programs in eligible states.

This rule makes administrative corrections to a final rule published in the Federal Register on Oct. 8, 2009, entitled "Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC): Vendor Cost Containment.''

The final rule entitled School Food Safety Program Based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Principles (HACCP) was published on Dec. 15, 2009, which implemented a legislative provision requiring school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) to develop a school food safety program for the preparation and service of school meals served to children.

This final rule amends the regulations for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) by removing the priority given to women, infants, and children before the elderly in program participation.

his final rule implements 11 provisions of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (FSRIA) that establish new eligibility and certification requirements for the receipt of food stamps.

The Food and Nutrition Service is amending the regulations for the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations with changes that will improve program service, ensure consistency between FDPIR and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and respond to concerns expressed by the National Association of Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations  that the current FDPIR resource limits are insufficient for the target populations and serve as a barrier to participation.

This rule increases the amount of cash value vouchers from $8.00 to $10.00 issued to pregnant, postpartum and partially breastfeeding women participants for the purchase of fruits and vegetables as part of the WIC food packages.

The final rule entitled Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC): Vendor Cost Containment was published on Oct. 8, 2009. The Office of Management and Budget cleared the associated information collection requirements (ICR) on Nov. 2, 2009. This document announces approval of the ICR.

This final rule implements a legislative provision which requires school food authorities participating in NSLP or SBP to develop a school food safety program for the preparation and service of school meals served to children.

This final rule amends regulations by making state plans permanent, and by explicitly designating the processing of donated wild game as an allowable use of TEFAP administrative funds.

This final rule incorporates into program regulations new legislative requirements for vendor cost containment that affect the selection, authorization, and reimbursement of retail vendors.

This document corrects a typographical error published in an interim final rule concerning maximum monthly allowances of supplemental foods for infants in food (packages I, II, and III) published in the Federal Register on Dec. 6, 2007.

This final rule incorporates into the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program regulations, statutory provisions set forth in the Farm Bill of 2008. The three provisions include adding honey as an eligible food for purchase with SFMNP  benefits, prohibiting the value of SFMNP benefits from consideration as income or resources when determining eligibility for other programs under any federal, state or local law, and prohibiting the collection of state or local tax on a purchase of food with a benefit distributed under the SFMNP.

This is an affirmation of an interim rule as a final rule amending the FMNP regulations to codify three nondiscretionary provisions - authorize roadside stands, reduce the required amount of state matching funds, and increase the maximum federal benefit level - mandated in the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. 

This final rule adopts without change the food safety inspections requirements for the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program set forth in a previous interim rule issued by the Food and Nutrition Service as a result of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. 

This rule finalizes the interim rule that implemented the statutory provision to prohibit direct or indirect restrictions on the sale or marketing of fluid milk on school premises or at school-sponsored events, at any time or in any place, in schools participating in the National School Lunch Program. This rule ensures that there are no policies or procedures in place that have the effect of restricting the sale or marketing of fluid milk.

This is an affirmation by the Department of a final rule, without change, of an interim rule that amended the regulations for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children by implementing most of the nondiscretionary provisions of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 that address participant certification and general program administration in the WIC program.

The Department is adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that amended the regulations for the School Breakfast Program. The interim rule addresses and implements amendments made by Section 201 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 and amends the School Breakfast Program (SBP) regulations to eliminate the requirement that a school's costs exceed the rate of reimbursement as a criterion for receiving the higher severe need funding available in the SBP.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipient claims are established and collected against households that receive more benefits than they are entitled to receive. This rulemaking corrects and clarifies provisions of the final rule on recipient claims published at 65 FR 41752, July 6, 2000.

This final rule amends regulations for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children by adding three requirements mandated by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 in amendments to the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 concerning retail vendors authorized by WIC state agencies to provide supplemental food to WIC participants in exchange for WIC food instruments.

This final rule  revises the current bonding requirements imposed against participating retailers and wholesalers who have violated the Food Stamp Program rules and regulations.

This interim rule implements provisions of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 relating to verification of applications approved for free or reduced price meals in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.

This document announces approval of the information collection requirements for the final rule entitled Management of Donated Foods in Child Nutrition Programs, the Nutrition Services Incentive Program and Charitable Institutions. 

This interim final rule amends the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program regulations to codify three FMNP nondiscretionary provisions mandated in the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004.

This final rule implements a legislative provision on milk substitutes that is consistent with current regulations on menu exceptions for students with disabilities and adds requirements for the optional substitution of nondairy beverage for fluid milk for children with medical or special dietary needs in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.

This final rule revises and clarifies requirements for the management, distribution, and use of donated foods in the National School Lunch Program and other child nutrition programs, in the Nutrition Services Incentive Program, and by charitable institutions.

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 requires school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) to implement a school food safety program for the preparation and service of school meals served to children.

This final rule amends the regulations governing the WIC program to clarify issues that have arisen subsequent to the publication of the WIC Food Delivery Systems Final Rule on Dec. 29, 2000, and to strengthen further the requirements for state vendor management and infant formula cost-containment systems.

This notice makes several corrections to child nutrition programs income eligibility guidelines.

The intent of this proposed rule is to conform CACFP regulations to statutory amendments that provide an additional meal for at-risk children through age 18 who are participating in afterschool programs in the eligible states.

This document delays from Aug. 5, 2009 until Oct. 1, 2009 the implementation date of the interim final rule entitled Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC): Revisions in the WIC Food Packages, which was published in the Federal Register on Dec. 6, 2007, 72 FR 68966, and became effective on Feb. 4, 2008.

This interim final rule amends the regulations for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children by implementing most of the nondiscretionary provisions of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 that address participant certification and general program administration in the WIC program.

The interim rule announces approval of the information collection requirements associated with Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children: Revisions in the WIC Food Packages published on Dec. 6, 2007.

This interim rule revises regulations governing the WIC food packages to align the WIC food packages with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and current infant feeding practice guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics, better promote and support the establishment of successful long-term breastfeeding, provide WIC participants with a wider variety of food, and provide WIC state agencies with greater flexibility in prescribing food packages to accommodate participants with cultural food preferences.

This interim rule amends the regulations on eligibility determinations for free and reduced price school meals to implement nondiscretionary provisions of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004.

FNS is revising the regulations governing procedures related to the procurement of goods and services in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program and Special Milk Program to remedy deficiencies identified in audits and program reviews.

This rule establishes the eligibility of at-risk afterschool care centers to serve free snacks to children who participate in afterschool programs.

This final rule is part of the Department's effort to fulfill its responsibilities under the Faith-Based and Community Initiative pursuant to Executive Orders 13279 and 13280. Under this rule, state agencies will collect and report information related to institutions and organizations that participate in specified Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) nutrition assistance programs.

This document announces the approval date of the provisions contained in the final rule published Dec. 12, 2006 and amends the final rule to include the OMB Control Number assigned to the information collection burden.

This action proposes to revise the current bonding requirements imposed against participating retailers and wholesalers who have violated the Food Stamp Program rules and regulations.

This final rule establishes requirements for the disclosure of children's free and reduced price meals or free milk eligibility information under the child nutrition programs.

This final rule implements the provision of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 that gives the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to promulgate regulations for the operation and administration of the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, thereby making it a permanent program rather than a competitive grant.

In this rule, FNS proposes to codify prisoner verification and death matching procedures mandated by legislation and previously implemented through agency directive.

This proposed rule would implement a legislative provision on milk substitutes that follows current regulations on menu exceptions for students with disabilities and would add new requirements for substitutions for fluid milk for children with medical or other special dietary needs.

This rule adopts without change the interim rule, published on July 27, 2005, which added a provision to the Child and Adult Care Food Program regulations authorizing for-profit centers providing child care or outside-school-hours care to participate based on the income eligibility of 25 percent of children in care for free or reduced price meals.

The Food and Nutrition Service is extending the public comment period on the proposed rule entitled “Management of Donated Foods in Child Nutrition Programs, the Nutrition Services Incentive Program, and Charitable Institutions."

This final rule amends a number of existing provisions in the WIC program regulations to address issues raised by WIC state agencies, other members of the WIC community, and the US Government Accountability Office. This final rule also incorporates recent legislation and certain longstanding program policies and state agency practices into the regulations. Further, the final rule also streamlines certain requirements in the regulations.

This rule proposes to revise and clarify requirements for the processing of donated foods, in order to incorporate processing options tested in demonstration projects, to more effectively ensure accountability for donated foods provided for processing, and to streamline current reporting and review requirements.

This rule implements a provision of the Act that increases the minimum State Administrative Expense grant for each state administering the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program and/or the Special Milk Program from $100,000 to $200,000 a year, adjusted by an index beginning in FY 2009.

This proposed rule would revise regulations governing the WIC food packages to align the WIC food packages with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and current infant feeding practice guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics, better promote and support the establishment of successful long-term breastfeeding, provide WIC participants with a wider variety of food, provide WIC state agencies with greater flexibility in prescribing food packages to accommodate participants with cultural food preferences, and serve participants with certain qualifying conditions under one food package to facilitate efficient management of medically fragile participants.

This rule proposes to amend regulations for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children by adding three requirements mandated by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 concerning retail vendors authorized by WIC state agencies to provide supplemental food to WIC participants in exchange for WIC food instruments.

This final rule makes technical changes to the regulations governing the National School Lunch Program, the Special Milk Program for Children, the School Breakfast Program, the Summer Food Service Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program and State Administrative Expense Funds.

This rule finalizes the proposed provisions of a rule published on March 19, 2004 to amend Food Stamp Program regulations to codify Food Stamp Employment and Training program provisions of section 4121 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.

This rule proposes to revise and clarify requirements with respect to the distribution, management, and use of donated foods in the National School Lunch Program and other child nutrition programs, the Nutrition Services Incentive Program, and by charitable institutions.

This final rule implements a provision of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 by creating uniform regulations related to the disregard of overpayments in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program.

This rule implements the revised collection and reporting of racial/ethnic data by state agencies on persons receiving benefits from the Food Stamp Program.

This proposed rule is part of the Department’s effort to fulfill its responsibilities under Executive Orders 13279 and 13280. Under this rule, state agencies would collect and report information related to faith-based and community organizations currently participating and applying to participate in FNS nutrition assistance programs.

This interim rule amends the Child and Adult Care Food Program regulations to implement a provision of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, which raised the age limit for residents of emergency shelters who are eligible to receive CACFP meals to include children through age 18.

This final rule revises Food Stamp Program regulations pertaining to the standards for approval of Electronic Benefits Transfer systems, the participation of retail food stores and wholesale food concerns, and the state agency liabilities and Federal sanctions.

The provisions of the final rule entitled, Child and Adult Care Food Program: Increasing the Duration of Tiering Determinations for Day Care Homes, published on Feb. 22, 2005, at 70 FR 8501, could not become effective until approval of the associated information collection requirements by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Those requirements were cleared by OMB on Aug. 18, 2005 under OMB Control Number 0584-0055. This document announces the effective date of the provisions contained in the originally-published rule.

This interim rule amends the regulations governing the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children to strengthen vendor cost containment.

This document announces the effective date of the information collection provisions contained in the originally-published rule.

This rule proposes to amend the Food Stamp Program regulations to implement certain discretionary provisions concerning the quality control system in Sections 4118 and 4119 of the Food Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2002.

This final rule rewrites the regulations for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program in “plain language” to help program operators and the general public better understand program requirements.

This rule adds a provision to the Child and Adult Care Food Program regulations that authorizes for-profit centers providing child care or outside-school-hours care to participate based on the income eligibility of 25 percent of children in care for free or reduced price meals.

This proposed rule would amend the regulations governing the WIC program to clarify issues that have arisen subsequent to the publication of the WIC Food Delivery Systems Final Rule on Dec. 29, 2000, and to strengthen further the requirements for state vendor management and infant formula cost-containment systems.

This final rule amends the Child and Adult Care Food Program regulations to implement a provision of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 which stipulates that the agreement between a sponsoring organization and family or group day care home participating in the CACFP is permanent and remains in effect until terminated by either party.

This interim rule reflects amendments made by section 111 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 which require schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program  to increase the number of food safety inspections from the one inspection currently required to two inspections per year; to post the most recent inspection report in a visible location; and to release a copy of the report to members of the public upon request.

This proposed rule implements the provision of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 that gives the Department of Agriculture the authority to promulgate regulations for the operation and administration of the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program.

This action provides interim and final rulemaking for a proposed rule. It revises Food Stamp Program rules affecting the standards for approval and operation of Food Stamp Electronic Benefit Transfer systems.

This final rule amends the Child and Adult Care Food Program regulations to implement a provision of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 that increases the duration of the tiering status determinations from three years to five years for family or group day care homes participating in CACFP.

This rule finalizes amendments to the Food Stamp Program to award bonuses to states that demonstrate high or improved performance in administering the FSP.

This rule proposes to amend the regulations governing procedures related to the procurement of goods and services in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program and Special Milk Program to remedy deficiencies identified in audits and program reviews.

The National School Lunch Program regulations are revised to require that schools offer, with meals, fluid milk in a variety of fat contents.

This final rule makes a technical change to the regulations governing the nutrient analysis of meals served under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs.

The changes in this interim rule are primarily designed to improve Program operations and monitoring at the state and institution levels and, where possible, to streamline and simplify Program requirements for state agencies and institutions.

This rule allows state agencies the option to use their Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program vehicle allowance rules rather than the vehicle rules ordinarily used in the Food Stamp Program where doing so will result in a lower attribution of resources to food stamp households.

This rulemaking proposes to amend Food Stamp Program regulations to implement 11 provisions of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 that establish new eligibility and certification requirements for the receipt of food stamps.

The Department proposes to establish a reasonable formula to allocate 100 percent federal funds authorized under the Farm Bill to carry out the E&T program each fiscal year.

This rulemaking proposes to amend Food Stamp Program regulations to implement provisions of section 4120 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (FSRIA).

This proposed rule would rewrite the regulations for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program in “plain language” to help program operators and the general public better understand program requirements.

This rule amends the Food Stamp Program regulations to implement certain provisions concerning the Quality Control system in sections 4118 and 4119 of the Food Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2002.

The Department is soliciting public comments on redesigning the food packages offered through the WIC program to determine if the WIC food packages should be revised to better improve the nutritional intake, health and development of participants; and, if so, what specific changes should be made to the food packages.

This final rule amends the reporting and recordkeeping requirements under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program relating to the verification of applications for free and reduced price meal benefits under the NSLP and the SBP.

This final rule amends Commodity Supplemental Food Program regulations to implement nondiscretionary provisions of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 affecting the allocation of administrative funds to State agencies.

This action revises Food Stamp Program regulations affecting the administrative review process available to retail and wholesale firms participating in the Food Stamp Program.

This rule finalizes revisions to the Food Stamp Program regulations to ensure that recipients can use their electronic food stamp benefits across state borders.

This action proposes to revise Food Stamp Program regulations pertaining to the standards for approval of Electronic Benefits Transfer systems, the participation of retail food stores and wholesale food concerns, and the state agency liabilities and federal sanctions.

This rulemaking would streamline the federal requirements for financial and participation reporting by state agencies. In addition, it would clarify the rules on confidentiality of WIC information in order to strengthen coordination with organizations and private physicians, and to provide guidance to state agencies on responding to subpoenas and other court-ordered requests for confidential information.

The Food and Nutrition Service is proposing to revise Food Stamp Program regulations that cover the collection and reporting of racial/ethnic data by state agencies on persons receiving benefits from the FSP. The proposed changes are to comply with new racial/ethnic data collection standards issued by the Office of Management and Budget while also providing regulatory flexibility and reform for this area of the program regulations.

This action will revise Food Stamp Program regulations affecting the administrative review process available to retail and wholesale firms participating in the Food Stamp Program. It proposes to streamline and make technical corrections to this process by amending portions of current regulations. The changes will eliminate repetitious, outdated and unnecessary provisions without taking away a firm’s right to an administrative review. This rule also proposes to make technical corrections.

This final rule provides WIC state agencies the option to exclude payments to military personnel for privatized housing, whether on or off military installations.

This two-part rule allows limited poultry substitution and full substitution of all other commodities except for beef and pork; and reduces current commodity recordkeeping and reporting requirements for some local level recipient agencies, such as schools.

In rule document 02–15776 beginning on page 43448 in the issue of Thursday, June 27, 2002, make the following correction:

This rule incorporates in the Child and Adult Care Food Program regulations the changes mandated by the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 and the Grain Standards and Warehouse Improvement Act of 2000.

This rule finalizes food stamp provisions to enhance state flexibility in exempting portions of a state agency's caseload from the food stamp time limit and to increase significantly the funding available to create work opportunities for recipients who are subject to the time limit, as well as finalizing significant changes to current work rules. 

The Food and Nutrition Service is issuing final regulations amending the meal pattern for infants less than 12 months of age in the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

This rule concerns the types of foods that may be available from the Department of Agriculture for any of the uses authorized under the Food and Nutrition Service’s Food Distribution Programs and the manner in which those foods must be labeled.

This document announces the effective date of the final rule published on Nov. 21, 2000 at 65 FR 70133.

This final rule delays from Feb. 27, 2002 until Oct. 1, 2002 the implementation date of the final rule entitled Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children: Food Delivery Systems, which was published in the Federal Register on Dec. 29, 2000, 65 FR 83248, and became effective on April 28, 2001.

This final rule amends the regulations governing the procedures for determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.

This rule finalizes the interim provisions addressing the use of products or dishes containing more than 30 parts fully hydrated vegetable protein to less than 70 parts beef, pork, poultry or seafood in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.

This proposed rule will increase state agency flexibility in administering the program and maximize the advantages afforded by the technology.

In order to give the new Under Secretary time to review the rule, this action delays the effective date of the final rule (with the exception of one amendment) an additional 60 days to July 31, 2001.

A decision has been made to further temporarily delay for 120 days the effective date of the rule entitled Food Stamp Program: Revisions to the Retail Food Store Definition and Program Authorization Guidance, published in the Federal Register on Jan. 12, 2001, 66 FR 2795.

This action temporarily delays for 60 days the effective date of the rule entitled Food Stamp Program: Food Revisions to the Retail Food Store Definition and Program Authorization Guidance, published in the Federal Register on Jan.  12, 2001, 66 FR 2795.

This action temporarily delays for 60 days the effective date of the rule entitled WIC Food Delivery Systems, published in the Federal Register on Dec. 29, 2000, 65 FR 83248.

This rule finalizes the proposed rule of the same name which was published Dec. 17, 1999. It implements 13 provisions of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.

This final rule implements provisions of the Food Stamp Program Improvements Act of 1994 to revise the criteria for eligibility of firms to participate in the Food Stamp Program as retail food stores, and to provide for notification to such firms of eligibility criteria for participation in the Food Stamp Program.

This final rule strengthens vendor management in retail food delivery systems by establishing mandatory selection criteria, training requirements, criteria to be used to identify high-risk vendors, and monitoring requirements, including compliance investigations. In addition, the rule strengthens food instrument accountability and sanctions for participants who violate program requirements.

Program changes made by this rule  include easing restrictions on participation by private nonprofit organizations and food service management companies, streamlining rules for schools to encourage Program sponsorship, and reducing paperwork burdens for state agencies.

This final rule amends the regulations governing the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children to clarify one of the provisions required by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. 

This final rule amends the WIC program regulations to incorporate two nondiscretionary funding provisions mandated by the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000.

The interim rule and this final rule implement three legislative requirements that affect the application and certification process for the WIC program.

This rule finalizes a proposed rule published Feb. 29, 2000, amending Food Stamp Program regulations to implement several provisions of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, and subsequent amendments to these provisions made by the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1996, the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, and the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998.

This rule finalizes a proposed rule published July 12, 1999, by amending the Food Stamp Program Regulations to implement certain non-discretionary provisions of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 that affect the Food Stamp Program.

This rule implements the EBT provisions found in Section 825 of PRWORA which are meant to encourage implementation of EBT systems to replace food stamp coupons.

The provisions in this interim rule include elimination of the following provisions: required provision of written information on certain other assistance programs; state agency timeframes for action on local agency applications for participation in the WIC program; annual evaluation of nutrition education and breastfeeding promotion efforts; and annual submission of a state plan.

This final rule implements a revised processing timeframe for retail food stores and wholesale food concerns that apply for authorization to accept and redeem food stamp benefits and clarifies verification requirements.

This rule strengthens and simplifies current bidding requirements for using a single-supplier competitive system to provide a rebate for infant formulas.

This document contains a correction to the final regulations published in the Federal Register on Dec. 28, 1999 (64 FR 72474-72488), and Dec. 29, 1999 (64 FR 72889-72898).

This rule proposes changes to the Child and Adult Care Food Program regulations. These changes result from the findings of state and federal program reviews and from audits and investigations conducted by the Office of Inspector General.

This proposed rule would amend the regulations for the Special Milk Program for Children, Summer Food Service Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Determination of Eligibility for Free and Reduced Price Meals and Free Milk in Schools relating to the confidentiality of information about individuals who receive free and reduced price meals and free milk.

This rule aims to improve claims management in the Food Stamp Program while providing State agencies with increased flexibility in their efforts to increase claims collection.

This final rule revises Food Stamp Program regulations pertaining to a state agency's ability to make an adjustment to a household's account in an Electronic Benefit Transfer system.

This interim rule addresses the use of products or dishes containing more than 30 parts fully hydrated vegetable protein products to less than 70 parts beef, pork, poultry or seafood in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.

This final rule amends Food Stamp Program Regulations to implement a reduction of the federal reimbursement rate for fraud control, automatic data processing development and Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements costs incurred by state agencies in administering the Food Stamp Program.

By this notice, USDA is updating for FY 2000 the maximum food stamp allotments for participating households in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Virgin Islands. These annual adjustments, required by law, take into account changes in the cost of food and statutory adjustments since the amounts were last calculated.

This final rule updates the requirements for using ‘‘Vegetable Protein Products’’ in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Summer Food Service Program, and Child and Adult Care Food Program (the Child Nutrition programs). 

This action proposes options related to matching activities, fair hearing and recipient services. This action proposes provisions which would increase state agency flexibility in processing applications for the program and allow greater use of standard amounts for determining deductions and self-employment expenses.

The purpose of this final rule is to require an annual examination of the transaction processing of organizations that provide Electronic Benefits Transfer systems or services for the Food Stamp Program.

The purpose of this notice is to update for fiscal year 2000 the maximum allotment levels, which are the basis for determining the amount of food stamps which participating households receive and the gross and net income limits for food stamp eligibility.

This proposed rule would amend the regulations governing the procedures for determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.

This interim rule amends regulations for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. The rule adds three legislative requirements that affect the application and certification process for the WIC program. 

This notice announces pilot projects which would permit selected school food authorities and state agencies to test alternatives to the application procedures and verification process for households participating in the National School Lunch Program.

This final rule amends provisions of the Food Distribution Program regulations and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) regulations to implement certain provisions of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, commonly known as Welfare Reform, while generally streamlining and clarifying these regulations.

This final rule contains changes to the Summer Food Service Program as a result of a provision in the Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act of 1994 which allows program meal service to be provided during periods of unanticipated school closures such as teacher strikes. 

This rule makes final an interim rule published in the Federal Register on Jan. 11, 1994. It broadens the regulatory definition of ‘‘Indian tribal household’’ in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) and the Food Distribution Program for Indian Households in Oklahoma (FDPIHO). 

This interim rule amends Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) regulations to incorporate nondiscretionary changes made by the Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act of 1994, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, and the William F. Goodling Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 1998. 

This rule amends the Child and Adult Care Food Program regulations to explicitly authorize the Department and state agencies to assess overclaims against institutions that fail to abide by CACFP recordkeeping requirements.

The Food and Nutrition Service proposes to amend its regulations to implement several work-related provisions of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. This proposed rule makes significant changes to current work rules, including requirements for the Food Stamp Employment and Training Program and the optional workfare program.

This rule announces that no adverse comments were received in response to the direct final rule which amends the provisions of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) regulations to permit quarterly reporting of local agency expenditures. 

Reconciliation Act of 1996 that add new eligibility requirements, increase existing penalties for failure to comply with program rules, and establish a time limit for food stamp participation of three months in three years for able-bodied adults without children who are not working.

This final rule amends regulations governing the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to allow state agencies the option to defer the collection of blood test data for up to 90 days after the date of certification, so long as the applicant is determined to have at least one qualifying nutrition risk factor at the time of certification. 

This final rule incorporates into the WIC program regulations numerous non-discretionary funding provisions mandated in the William F. Goodling Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 1998. 

This direct final rule amends the regulations for WIC to give state agencies greater flexibility in the way they collect expenditure data from local agencies. 

This action proposes to revise the initial application processing timeframe for retail food stores and wholesale food concerns that apply for authorization to accept and redeem food stamp benefits and clarify verification requirements.

This final rule, published Oct. 21, 1999 in the Federal Register, amends both the food and the nutrition services and administration (NSA) funding formulas to improve the effectiveness of WIC funds distribution now that WIC is in a relatively stable funding environment.

This final rule makes a number of technical changes to the regulations governing the National School Lunch Program, the Special Milk Program for Children, the School Breakfast Program, state administrative expense funds, determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals and free milk in schools.

This action provides interim rulemaking for a proposed rule published on May 19, 1998. It revises Food Stamp Program regulations pertaining to the state agency's ability to make an adjustment to a household's account in an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) system.

This final rule implements three FMNP-related nondiscretionary provisions mandated in the William F. Goodling Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 1998. The three provisions pertain to the use of program income as a state matching fund source, elimination of specific state plan ranking criteria used to determine funding preferences, and use of expansion funds to increase the value of benefits to recipients.

The proposed rule entitled Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC): Food Delivery Systems was published in the Federal Register (64 FR 32308-32343) on June 16, 1999. This action extends the public comment period to Oct. 14, 1999.

The proposed rule entitled Modification of the ‘‘Vegetable Protein Products’’ Requirements for the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Summer Food Service Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program was published in the Federal Register (64 FR 38839– 38844) on July 20, 1999.

The Food and Nutrition Service is proposing to update the requirements on using Vegetable Protein Products in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Summer Food Service Program, and Child and Adult Care Food Program (the child nutrition programs) given changes in food technology since the current provisions were adopted.

This final rule addresses significant comments received in response to the regulatory changes proposed in the proposed rule and finalizes regulatory changes to the Food Stamp Program’s quality control system in the following areas: negative case reviews, state agency minimum sample sizes for active and negative case reviews, state sampling procedures, federal subsample size formulas, error dollar tolerance level, home visits, case completion standards, and miscellaneous technical corrections. 

On Aug. 22, 1996, the President signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. This rule proposes to amend the Food Stamp Program Regulations to implement the non-discretionary provisions of this law which affect the Food Stamp Program.

This rule proposes to amend provisions of the Food Distribution Program regulations and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) regulations to implement the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, commonly known as Welfare Reform, while generally streamlining and clarifying these regulations.

This proposed rule would implement provisions of the Food Stamp Program Improvements Act of 1994 to revise the criteria for eligibility of firms to participate in the Food Stamp Program as retail food stores, and to provide for notification to such firms of eligibility criteria for participation in the FSP.

This proposed rule would strengthen the requirements for operation of vendor management systems by establishing mandatory selection criteria; limitation of vendors; training requirements; criteria to be used to identify high- risk vendors; and monitoring requirements, including compliance buys. In addition, the rule would strengthen food instrument accountability and sanctions for participants who violate program regulations. It would also streamline the vendor appeals process.

This rule proposes to implement the Electronic Benefit Transfer provisions found in Section 825 of this law which affect the Food Stamp Program.

The purpose of this notice is to update for fiscal year 1999 the maximum allotment levels, which are the basis for determining the amount of food stamps which participating households receive and the gross and net income limits for food stamp eligibility.

By this notice, USDA is updating for fiscal year 1999 the maximum food stamp allotments for participating households in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Virgin Islands. These annual adjustments, required by law, take into account changes in the cost of food and statutory adjustments since the amounts were last calculated.

The purpose of this final rule is to implement the Food Stamp Program retailer provisions included in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, as well as the retailer provision included in the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act. 

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) proposes to revise Food Stamp Program (FSP) regulations about approval of Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) systems and how States arrange for those systems to be audited.

This proposed rule would amend regulations governing the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to provide that hematological tests for anemia no longer be a mandatory part of each WIC applicant's certification intake process, so long as at least one nutrition risk factor is present for the applicant.

This final rule amends regulations governing the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) to incorporate certain nondiscretionary provisions of the Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act of 1994, enacted on Nov. 2, 1994, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, enacted on Aug. 31, 1994, the Cash Management Improvement Act of 1990, enacted on Oct. 24, 1990, and the Personal Work Responsibility and Reconciliation Act of 1996, enacted on Aug. 22, 1996.

This rulemaking proposes a change to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) which was mandated by the Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act of 1994. The change allows SFSP meal service to be provided at non-school sites to children who are not in school due to unanticipated school closures during the months of October through April caused by a natural disaster, building repair, court order, or similar occurrence.

This rule proposes to revise both the food and the nutrition services and administration funding formulas to improve the effectiveness of WIC funds distribution now that WIC is in a relatively stable funding environment.

This proposed rule would require WIC state agencies to award infant formula rebate contracts based on the lowest net price, allowing highest gross rebate as a basis of award only when retail prices of the different brands of infant formula vary, on average, by 5 percent or less.

FNS is proposing to revise Food Stamp Program regulations that cover the establishment and collection of food stamp recipient claims, including collections at the federal level.

This rule proposes to revise Food Stamp Program regulations pertaining to state agencies’ ability to make adjustments to a recipient account in an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) system, in order to correct a system error or an out-of-balance condition.

The National School Lunch Act requires that schools that are participating in the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Programs claim reimbursements only for lunches or breakfasts which meet the nutrition standards of the National School Lunch Act, including compliance with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

In proposed rule document 98–12038, beginning on page 24985, in the issue of Wednesday, May 6, 1998, make the following correction.

The purpose of this proposed rule is to implement the Food Stamp Program retailer provisions included in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996, as well as the retailer provision included in the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act.

This proposed rule would amend regulations governing the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children to implement a mandate of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, which requires the disqualification of WIC vendors who are disqualified from the Food Stamp Program.

FNS is proposing to amend Food Stamp Program regulations by increasing the disqualification penalties for individuals who are found guilty in a federal, state or local court of trading or receiving food stamp coupons (coupons) for firearms, ammunition, explosives or controlled substances.

This rule implements several legislative provisions from the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act Amendments of 1991, the Mickey Leland Childhood Hunger Relief Act of 1993, and the Food Stamp Program Improvements Act of 1994. It finalizes provisions in a proposed rule published in the Federal Register on Nov. 1, 1993.

This action excludes certain utility reimbursements made by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) from income consideration in determining Food Stamp Program eligibility and benefits.

This rule proposes to amend Food Stamp Program regulations to implement section 13914 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (Mickey Leland Childhood Hunger Relief Act), which amended section 5(k)(2)(F) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to require that the full value of any public or general assistance housing payments made to a third party on behalf of a household residing in transitional housing for the homeless be excluded from the household's income for food stamp purposes.

This action places into final form an interim Food Stamp Program rule published on June 7, 1989. The interim rulemaking implemented Food Stamp Program provisions contained in the Hunger Prevention Act of 1988.