FNS Documents & Resources

On April 25, 2024, FNS published the final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This rule includes minor updates to the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program to better align Child Nutrition Program requirements. These updates represent continued progress toward supporting the nutrition quality of school meals, strengthening the Child Nutrition Programs, and advancing USDA’s commitment to nutrition security. 

This memorandum includes questions and answers on flexibilities available to TEFAP state agencies on the operation of TEFAP. These flexibilities may assist state agencies that administer TEFAP in continuing to provide food to people in need during the novel COVID-19 public health emergency.

SNAP’s QC system uses a tolerance level to set the threshold for determining which errors are included in the national payment error rate calculation. The first year the TFP based adjustment will occur is FY 2015. FNS is adjusting the threshold using the TFP for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. FNS calculated the percentage change between the June 30, 2013 TFP (FY 2014) and the June 30, 2014 TFP (FY 2015). FNS has applied that percentage to the $37 QC tolerance level, which results in an increase to $38.

This rulemaking finalizes long-term school nutrition requirements based on the goals of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, robust stakeholder input, and lessons learned from prior rulemakings.

The SNAP QC system use a tolerance level to set a monetary threshold for determining which QC errors are included in the calculation of payment error rates. This threshold is adjusted annually to correspond with changes in the Thrifty Food Plan.

FNS is conducting a study, Understanding Risk Assessment in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Payment Accuracy, to develop a comprehensive picture of whether and how SNAP state agencies use RA tools and determine if these tools create disparate impacts on protected classes. 

This memo explains that FNS is offering certain states the opportunity to request a short-term interview waiver. FNS recognizes that unwinding from the PHE and staffing challenges have put a continuing strain on states and is providing additional time for states to return to normal processing regarding the interview.

This memorandum provides updated guidance on crediting tofu and soy yogurt products in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and extends previous guidance on crediting tofu and soy yogurt products to the Summer Food Service Program, as well as to the infant meal pattern in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

USDA is committed to providing nutrition assistance to hard-hit families across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. In support of President Biden’s call to action on hunger, USDA announced that it is increasing the Pandemic EBT benefit by approximately 15 percent, providing more money for low-income families and millions of children missing meals due to school and child care closures.

USDA intends to use all available program flexibilities and contingencies to serve our program participants across our 15 nutrition programs. We have already begun to issue waivers to ease program operations and protect the health of participants.