FNS Documents & Resources

USDA has issued guidance to states in implementing FFCRA of 2020 which provides for the issuance of emergency allotments based on a public health emergency declaration by the Secretary of HHS under the Public Health Service Act related to an outbreak of COVID-19 when a state has also issued an emergency or disaster declaration.

As long as there is a national Public Health Emergency in place and the state has a state-level emergency declaration in place, states may opt to continue to provide monthly emergency allotments to their caseload. States have the option to provide a one-month EA issuance phase-out following the end of their state emergency declaration.

FNS is committed to supporting WIC state agencies that are pursuing online ordering and online transactions. Bringing these shopping innovations to our participants is expected to improve the WIC shopping experience, increase equity in the program by allowing participants to shop like all other shoppers, and increase WIC benefit redemptions.

This policy memorandum transmits the Civil Monetary Penalty (CMP) inflation adjustment for 2021 for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The adjustment was published in the Federal Register as part of the Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustments for 2021 Final Rule published on May 10, 2021, at 86 FR 24699. 

Any firm may request administrative and judicial review, if it is aggrieved by any of the actions described in SNAP regulations. The Administrative Review Branch ensures that FNS follows the provisions of the Food and Nutrition Act, SNAP regulations, and agency retailer policy, and that the agency's administrative actions are equitable and consistent.

FNS is allowing states flexibility regarding fair hearing timeframes. As needed, state agencies may extend the fair hearings process up to 120 days from receipt of the request for fair hearings that were already in process or for which requests are received from March 1 through May 31, 2020.

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. This legislation provides support for American families, state governments, and communities to rebuild and respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

In an effort to make the distribution of P-EBT benefits to eligible children as efficient as possible, USDA has developed a simple P-EBT summer plan template. The template allows states to elect a USDA-determined standard benefit that relieves states of the burden of determining their own benefit levels based on state-specific school district calendars.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (PL 117-2), provided additional funding for the CSFP. This memorandum provides information on this additional funding in the form of additional caseload allocations.

This memorandum provides information on the CSFP supplemental allocation of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 supplemental administrative funding.