FNS Documents & Resources

The FY 2005 Appropriations Bill for the Department of Agriculture included a provision which excluded from consideration as income in the Food Stamp Program additional pay received by military personnel as a result of deployment to a combat zone. This provision has been extended.

PL 109-163 made the Department of Defense’s Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance  permanently available.

The US Department of Health and Human services published its annual update of poverty income guidelines in the Federal Register of Jan. 24, 2006. 

This memorandum provides guidance to state administrators in making household eligibility determinations in all nutrition assistance programs administered by FNS.

It has recently come to our attention that under PL 104-204 and 106-419, benefits paid by the Veterans Administration to the children of Vietnam veterans born with congenital spina bifida and certain other birth defects are excludable as income for food stamp purposes.

On Dec. 8, 2004, the President signed The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005. This law contains a provision which excludes from consideration as income in the Food Stamp Program additional pay received by military personnel as a result of deployment to a combat zone.

In accordance with the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, the housing allowance for military personnel living in privatized housing will be permanently excluded from income when determining household eligibility for free and reduced price meals or free milk in all of the child nutrition programs.

On Sept. 30, 2003, the President signed HJ Resolution 69, which continues appropriations for the child nutrition programs and extends several provisions that were to expire on September 30.

Recent regulatory and waiver policy has been focused on allowing states to simplify the reporting of changes in earned income. There has been increasing interest in addressing reporting and budgeting of certain types of fluctuating unearned income as well.

This document contains a correction to the final regulation (59 FR 5697) published on Feb. 8, 1994. The regulations concerned certain provisions of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act Amendments of 1991 that dealt with disabled persons in group homes and income exclusions for Plans for Achieving Self-Support.