This notice announces the Department's annual adjustments to the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be used in determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals and free milk for the period from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.
This notice announces the annual adjustments to the national average payments, the amount of money the federal government provides states for lunches, afterschool snacks, and breakfasts served to children participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs; to the maximum reimbursement rates, the maximum per lunch rate from federal funds that a state can provide a school food authority for lunches served to children participating in the National School Lunch Program; and to the rate of reimbursement for a half-pint of milk served to non-needy children in a school or institution that participates in the Special Milk Program for Children.
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 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 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 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.