FNS Documents & Resources

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will discontinue the requirement for vendors to use high security seals to secure USDA Foods deliveries as of July 1, 2023. 

See how states are using fiscal year 2021 Team Nutrition Training Grants to develop new school meal recipes reflecting local foods and cultures.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provided USDA with $50 million to implement SFMNP initiatives to maintain and improve supply chain resiliency, which also improves the nutrition security of eligible participants.

FNS has estimated the number of new discretionary exemptions each state has earned for FY 2023. States that operated under a statewide waiver of the ABAWD time limit did not earn any new exemptions.

As part of the WIC innovation and modernization efforts to be funded under ARPA, FNS will provide non-competitive grants to WIC state agencies for planning and implementation of technology enhancements that improve the WIC participant experience, as evidenced by increasing participant enrollment, reducing unnecessary administrative burden for both participants and administrators, and retaining eligible participants while improving equity.

As part of the WIC innovation and modernization efforts to be funded under ARPA, FNS will fund non-competitive grants to WIC State agencies to complete projects aimed at improving the WIC shopping experience, which is a well-documented pain point for WIC participants. The primary goal of funded projects must be to improve the shopping experience, as evidenced by increasing the redemption of WIC benefits, improving customer satisfaction, and/or improving participant access to vendors, including for underserved communities and individuals.

FNS has estimated the number of new discretionary exemptions each state has earned for FY 2022. States that operated under a statewide waiver of the ABAWD time limit did not earn any new exemptions.

On April 30, 2021, FNS issued a memo that SNAP Quality Control will resume nationwide starting July 2021, with special QC review procedures related to COVID-related adjustments, and provides state agencies with a blanket waiver regarding the QC face-to-face interview.

FNS will allow state agencies to suspend requirements to conduct face-to-face interviews for QC active reviews through Dec. 31, 2020.

This memorandum and attachments provide guidance on the specific terms and conditions, funding goals, period of performance and timelines for grants to distribute $30 million provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2020 to state agencies to competitively award Equipment Assistance Grants to eligible school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program.